YA Book Review: Wolf's Bane by Kelley Armstrong

Wolf's Bane
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Otherworld: Kate & Logan Book 1
Publication: K.L.A. Fricke Inc (October 15, 2019)

Description: Summer camp is a traditional teenage rite of passage, but when you add supernatural powers to the typically high dosage of adolescent hormones – you get an even more combustible mix. Sixteen-year-old werewolf twins Kate and Logan Danvers are none too thrilled at being shipped off to a supernatural youth leadership conference in West Virginia.

From the moment they arrive at the camp, the twins sense something is off and they react in their usual manner – Logan reserving judgement and surveying the setup, while Kate charges forward determined to get answers. Kate and Logan quickly ascertain that most of the conference attendees have already formed hostile factions, leaving the twins and a few other misfits to band together.

What seems like teen hormones in overdrive becomes something much more dangerous, even deadly. Add in a strange magic-warded cabin in the woods and a local history rife with curses and macabre legends, and it becomes clear this was a really, really bad place to build a camp for teenage supernaturals.

My Thoughts: First I have to say that this isn't a whole story. It is the first of a duology and most of the major plot points are left unresolved and waiting for the second book. However, it is a good introduction to Otherworld stories for those new to the world. It introduces Kate and Logan who are twins and the children of the Alpha of the Pack wolves and the enforcer for the pack.

Logan and Kate are sixteen and going through some growing pains. They have always been each other's main companion and support. The personalities are complements of the other. Logan is the thoughtful, introspective twin and Kate is more bold and brash. But events that happened to Kate have changed her and she isn't sharing what happened with Logan who is feeling hurt and a little resentful.

When their parents decided that they should attend a camp which will be filled with other paranormals and which has the purpose of furthering understanding between the two groups, neither Logan or Kate are at all enthusiastic. Their expectations seem to be met when they arrive at the camp and find all sorts of weird things happening.

The camp director first wants them to keep the fact that they are werewolves secret but then outs them herself and is very prejudiced against them. The other campers seem weirdly aggressive and seem more interested in hooking up than getting to really know any of the others.

Kate's new roommate is a witch named Holly who is also finding the camp dynamics weird. Logan is assigned to Mason's room. Mason is keeping his affiliation secret but Logan soon comes to identify him as a vampire. Together, they make up the two most feared types of paranormals in the Otherworld. Meanwhile, Kate meets Elijah who is supposedly half demon but who she figures out is actually a werewolf in disguise. He is not Pack and really seems to resent Logan and Kate.

As tensions rise and their isolation grows even more pronounced, Logan, Kate, Holly, Elijah, and one of Kate's childhood flames Allen need to band together to figure out what is going on at the camp and how they can survive until help arrives.

The story was exciting. I liked Logan and Kate. I liked the snarky dialog and the way the kids interacted to make their discoveries. The action at the end of the book make this one a real page turner. And the cliffhanger ending makes me very eager to read the next book which should answer my many questions.

Favorite Quote:

As Kate chatters, Holly relaxes. I envy my sister's knack for this. It's not as if she intentionally seeks out the shyest person in the room. She just honestly finds that person the most interesting one. If I try her strategy, it ends up being two introverts in the corner, making awkward conversation.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.