I used to be a Were-Wolf but I'm alright nowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwl.... .. (Stolen - Kelley Armstrong)

Member Name: sparkymarky1973

Product:	Stolen - Kelley Armstrong
Date:	05/11/09 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gripping action-packed story, great characters, an easy read

Disadvantages: None- this is very very cool writing!

Elena Michaels is a very rare beast ~ she is the only currently known female Were-Wolf in existance; the problem being that only males pass on the genetic material to become a Lyncathrope and that females have to be created by being bitten. As it is unsurprisingly rare for humans to actually survive a Wolf attack, in most cases victims die after being bitten by a Were-Wolf. Elena is fortunate; lucky in the sense that not only has she survived but also in that she has been accepted into a Pack and has become the mate to her Pack's second-in-command who is also the Lycanthrope responsible for her condition.

Elena spends her time in between writing a political column for a Canadian newspaper and tracking down "mutts" (Were-Wolves not assigned to any Pack) who threaten to cause trouble and bring human attention to the group. Whilst tracing a lead that offers information to the highest bidders, Elena stumbles quite literally on a pair of Witches looking to attract other creatures of Supernatural existance. Someone, it seems, has been collecting specimens from the paranormal community for scientific research and is looking for further subjects. Before long, Elena soon falls foul of these very same people and discovers that the man responsible for the abductions is none other than a highly successful and notorious business man, Ty Winsloe. But it is not just research he is interested in. Winsloe also wants subjects for his "Most Dangerous Game." A hunt that satisfies his video-game inspired hunger, Winsloe desires not just Virtual Reality but "Actual Reality" and what could be more challenging than hunting a man (or woman?) that can turn into a Wolf?

Winsloe is not the only one whose lift doesn't go all the way to the top. Amongst his staff is one Dr.Bauer who at first tries to befriend Elena but has personal issues of her own that REALLY need dealing with; then there is the Half-Demon, Xavier, who has his own motives (mostly greed) for aiding and abetting the enemy. Even Head Scientist, Dr.Matasumi has his own little reasons for conducting his research that are certainly less than altruistic and defenitely not benevolant! All in all Elena has seemingly walked into a very mixed bag of nuts. Can she escape with any of her fellow captives before she is next on the hit-list for Winsloe? And just what are the reclusive entrepenauer and his team REALLY after?

Stolen is that rare thing; a supernatural thriller that has been slotted into the genre of Paranormal Romance (and regular readers of my reviews will recall how much I hate that term!) that is actually very good! Elena is a very easy character to like and associate with and there is no need to have read the first book in this series (Bitten) to be able to follow what is going on. As a stand-alone, this novel works perfectly adequately and is all-in-all a bloody excellent read that is as fast-paced as it is action-packed! Very little time is devoted to the romance side of things, though there a couple of slushy bits, and more time devoted to the supernatural/ paranormal aspects! It is not really horror per se but there is violence, blood and gore and shares many elements of the more traditional horror genre. Still, this is a book that feels strongly aimed at the female market though there is plenty here to like for hetro red-blooded males as well!

The style of writing could be best compared to that of a much more talented James Patterson or Dan Brown with its easy-on-the-eye approach and there is certainly nothing THAT challenging here. Still that is not to say that this isn't absolutely excellent by any means, only that the book is written in a very light manner and interspersed with plenty of pop-culture moments as well as being inter-laced with a liberal smattering of very dark humour!

Kelly Armstrong is on to a real winner here and I cannot wait to read further books in this series! I have read one or two in the past but never one after another and never really following the continuity as is probably advised. Certainly this book sets up the premise of a much more grander and varied world than as was first apparent in first novel, Bitten, with its introduction to all manner of Races not explored in the series' predecessor. If you like a bit of punch for your paranormal pounds, then this is without a shadow of a doubt, one series you need to be reading!!

It's a rollercoaster of a ride that once you stop, you WON'T want to put down!!!

Summary: The only female Were-Wolf gets caught up in a very deadly game of Cat And Mouse!!