Driven - A Review

DRIVEN by Kelley Armstrong

In the werewolf community, if you are not a member of a pack you are considered a mutt.  Mutts are tolerated as long as they keep away from humans and do not draw attention to themselves.  If that line is crossed the pack will hunt them down.  The Cains have always been considered mutts.  They are neither the brightest nor the most law-abiding in their human form but even they do not deserve to be hunted down like animals and skinned alive.

Davis Cain is trying to change the way the pack views his family.  He is attending college and has made overtures in the past to interact with Elena’s pack.  On a visit home he first discovers his family missing and then murdered in the most gruesome fashion.  When he comes to the pack for help Elena cannot turn away.  Conveniently, Malcolm Danvers has recently returned to Stone Haven and Elena intends to use him fully on this hunt … it’s the only way to make sure his claims of reformation and loyalty are true.

Reading this book took me back to the beginning of the “Otherworld” series and reminded me why I love the Elena/Clay/Jeremy stories so much.  As much as I enjoy all the “Otherworld” characters it’s the werewolves that pulled me into this series and, while other characters were mentioned or made cameo appearances, this book was most definitely all about the werewolves.

I did have a little problem with one thing in this book and that was the portrayal of Clay and Elena's twins.  They are 9 years old in "Driven" and I understand they are exceptionally bright (of course) because they are the product of two werewolves mating ... still ... for my taste, just a little too precocious.  

Ms. Armstrong does her usual great job of drawing the reader into “Otherworld” where fantastic beings coexist in the world with humans and her choice of making this installment in the series a novella instead of a full length book was a good one.  It was just long enough that I could enjoy it (almost in one sitting) and it felt as if she wrote it for her fans, so it did not include a lot of explanations … just took for granted that fans would know the backstory.  I am enjoying her more recent stand-alone books but I do hope Ms. Armstrong continues to give her fans an “Otherworld” tidbit now and again.

Would definitely recommend this to readers of the series.  For a first time reader this is not the best choice for starting the series … find a copy of “Bitten” and start at the beginning.

Thank you to the publisher, Subterranean Press, for making a copy of the ebook available to me at no charge (via Netgalley ) in exchange for an honest review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from her website)

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.