It all began with a wolf bite. Actually, any fan of Kelley Armstrong's The Otherworld series would know that the first book actually begins long after the bite, but without that darn bite, there would be no story to tell. Now, with book ten in the series, the focus returns to the infamous couple from Bitten, who are long away from that dreadful night at Stonehaven.
The Otherworld Series Background
Anyone who has not read the series wouldn't understand that one secret to Armstrong's success is, perhaps, the unique way she dedicates different books to different characters. No one character narrates the entire series. Werewolves not really your thing? Skip over books one and two, and start the series with book three, Dime Store Magic. Witches and sorcerers are the focus here, and the story is crafted well enough to catch you up on everything important you missed from the beginning of the series, without screaming, “this is exposition.”
Not really into the whole supernatural kick, but still want to get in on a little of the action? Book nine, Living With the Dead, centers around a human who just happens to get caught up in this universe of werewolves, witches, and half-demons. Armstrong knows that one secret to securing a fan base is to introduce new, fresh characters and storylines while still pleasing the series' traditionalists.
With the release of Frostbitten in November 2009, Armstrong will return to narration by the werewolf heroine, Elena Michaels. This is after the character's three-book sabbatical. Armstrong has even established a Twitter account for the character, so fans may follow Elena's life until the starting point of the book's plot. As is starting to become a trend with many of these adult urban fantasy series -- J.R. Ward, Kim Harrison, and L.A. Banks have embarked on similar ventures -- Armstrong is going beyond simply telling the character's story, and bringing her readers into the life of her character.
You might be wondering what type of person has the time or the interest to sit and follow every little detail of a fictional character's day-to-day activities. But Armstrong isn't simply hoping this is what many of her readers want, she knows it. Armstrong has a forum set up on her web site, where users can not only discuss her books, short stories, novellas, and other works amongst themselves, but they can also submit questions and feedback to the Armstrong through the "Ask the Author" forum. In a post from May 26, 2009, one user asked if Armstrong has a favorite character she prefers to write about. Armstrong explains a bit of her process.
"I don't have a favorite. Some are easier to write than others, but only because I've done them more often, like Elena," Armstrong said. Later in the post she adds, "I pay attention to their (readers') feedback when I'm deciding the general lineup. So if readers want a narrator they haven't seen in a while, they need to let me know, because most of what I get is Elena, Elena, Elena. I'm thrilled when readers ask for someone else!"
The Otherworld Series Now
Armstrong has given Elena more page time than any other narrator, proving that she does listen to her readers. The reason may be because Elena's story and circumstances intrigue more readers. She and her wolf-life-mate-turned-husband -- finally, as many fans would say -- have been through some trust and redemption issues in their relationship that readers can relate to. With the release of Frostbitten, they are long away from that bite that pushed them apart and brought them back together. They are raising twins, of the part human part wolf cub variety, with the help of their werewolf pack.
Fans haven't seen the proud parents interact with the twins in a mass market way since they were born at the conclusion of Broken. Fans will have more than the every day joys and hardships of parenting to look forward to in Frostbitten. The plot's main conflict takes place in the Alaskan wilderness, where according to the synopsis on KelleyArmstrong.com, "with a pack of rogue werewolves on the loose, it’s downright deadly."
Rogue werewolves? Elena taking them down? Ah, sounds like the good ole days to fans of The Otherworld series. However, the series is by no means coming full circle at this point, and Armstrong isn't stopping any time soon. She has been signed on with her original U.S. publisher, and publishers in other regions, to publish books eleven through thirteen. The harder she works, the more the fire under her is fueled. Not to mention, she is the author of a young adult series that also takes place in the Otherworld, and of a separate mainstream series about a ex-cop-turned-hitwoman.
As one of her fans states in a forum post from November 26, 2008 entitled "Congratulations" on KelleyArmstong.com, "By the end of next year (8 years since Bitten) you'll have 15 books out, a comic book series available, and stories in 7 anthology collections."
Armstrong takes it in stride with her response. "Thanks! Right now, I really FEEL all those books. It's been a crazy year. Next year will see the fruits of it, and that's when I'll get to rest and start cutting back." But according to her in the same post, "I'm still having a blast, and it's amazing to see how far I've come."
Frostbitten is published by Bantam in the U.S., Random House Canada in Canada, and Time Warner Orbit in the UK. The hardback will be available beginning in November at most major bookstores. More information on this title and the series can be found here: http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/aFrost.htm
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