Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong
Hardcover, 320 Pages
2010, Dutton Adult
ISBN: 0525951784
Series: Book 11 of Women of the Otherworld
Synopsis
At twenty-one, Savannah Levine-orphaned daughter of a notorious dark witch and an equally notorious cutthroat sorcerer-considers herself a full-fledged member of the otherworld. The once rebellious teen has grown into a six-foot-tall, motorcycle-riding jaw-dropper, with an impressive knowledge of and ability to perform spells. The only problem is, she's having a hard time convincing her adoptive parents, Paige and Lucas, to take her seriously as an adult. She's working as the research assistant at the detective agency they founded, and when they take off on a romantic vacation alone, leaving her in charge, Savannah finds herself itching for a case to call her own. (She's also itching for Adam, her longtime friend and colleague, to see her as more than just a little girl, but that's another matter.)
Suddenly, Savannah gets the chance she's been waiting for: Recruited by another supernatural detective, she travels to Columbus, Washington, a small, dying town. Two troubled young women have been found in an abandoned warehouse, murdered. Now a third woman's dead, and on closer inspection small details point to darker forces at play. Savannah feels certain she can handle the case, but with signs of supernatural activity appearing at every turn, things quickly become more serious- and far more dangerous-than she realizes.
Review
Waking the Witch, the eleventh book in the Women of the Otherworld series, is the first to feature Savannah Levine as the lead character. Throughout the series, Savannah has grown up from the little, yet powerful, witch/sorcerer to an even stronger woman.
While I enjoyed Savannah's first solo case, I appreciated the look inside her psyche more. She's always been one of a kind in regards to her abilities given her parentage, but it's impressive to see how well she walks the line between how Paige raised her and how people expect the daughter of Eve Levine to behave. Not nearly as compassionate as her guardians, I felt Savannah was easy to relate to. Moral lines are more blurred for her than for Paige, allowing her to take more risks and feel less guilt. I found her occasional self-doubt surprising, but it made her character much more palatable. Strong-willed and often abrasive, Savannah's worries soften much of her external attitude.
I loved how Savannah longs for Adam to finally realize she's not a little girl anymore. It's not a romance subplot, but more of a crush on a best friend that seems to be unrequited. Or just unnoticed. That will more likely be dealt with in future books. For now, it was wonderful to read about a super hot, hugely powerful woman who's afraid to admit her feelings for a long-time friend.
The mystery in Waking the Witch was astounding. There was a lot going on, to the point where you don't know if you have one big mystery or several separate ones. Everything works out clearly in the end, but for much of the book it's the best type of confusing. The fact that Savannah is trying so hard to prove herself while not being nearly as careful as Paige and Lucas would have been in the same situation makes the story go in directions you won't see coming.
I've always enjoyed the books that focus on Paige and Eve the best, partly because I'm a big fan of books that feature witches, but also in part because of what Savannah always brought into the story. The character is truly fantastic and is obviously going to play a big role in the last two books of this series. As the end gets closer, the Women of the Otherworld series is really heating up.
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