Kelley Armstrong
The Awakening (Darkest Powers, Book 2)
HarperCollins (US: 28th April 2009); Random House Doubleday (CA: 28th April 2009); Hachette Orbit (UK: 4th May 2009; AU: July 2009)
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Genetically modified with supernatural abilities, four teens are on the run from those who experimented on them. They’re not concerned with future experiments – just the all-too-likely threat of termination. But escaping is just the beginning. From warehouses, to mean streets, to forests and more, their powers may not be enough to keep them unscathed.
The second book in a trilogy, The Awakening should definitely not be read first. Also, it ends in a cliff-hanger, which is bloody annoying considering that Book 3, The Reckoning, isn’t out until April or May 2010. While the Darkest Powers series as a whole is pretty darn good (I’ve only read the first two instalments), on its own The Awakening doesn’t really work. Basically the story’s about getting from A to B, which leaves the bulk of the plot points just obstacles that don’t really teach us anything new. Yes, it’s a page-turner, even if it does still feel like filler.
But here’s something curious: In Living with the Dead, the ninth book in Kelley Armstrong’s adult series, an Australian is mentioned. Seeing a review of the upcoming tenth book, Frostbitten, the Australian definitely has a major part to play. Though the term gullible mentioned in relation to that character has me wary.
The author is Canadian, though her novels are mostly set in the US. So I’m not entirely sure it’s a coincidence that at about the 3/4 mark of The Awakening, an Aussie is mentioned – a man-eating werewolf Aussie, in fact. Will the Otherworld and Darkest Powers series crossover? Will Australians be the next trend in urban fantasy antagonists? As one myself, I’m extremely curious.
P.S. I meant me being Australian, not an urban fantasy antagonist. Or am I…?
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