Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong

Spell Bound (Otherworld, Book 12), the latest in the Otherworld series, picks up where Waking the Witch (Women of the Otherworld, Book 11)left off.  Savannah is without her spell casting abilities and feels lost without them.  She doesn't really know who she is or where she belongs without her powers.  And, she's about to find out that she's a key player in a potential supernatural war.

I love the Otherworld series.  Until Waking the Witch (Women of the Otherworld, Book 11) Elena was my favorite character--they story of Elena and Clay is still my favorite in the series.  However, after reading about grown-up Savannah, she has taken the role of favorite character.  Armstrong always wrote Savannah as an interesting child, just finding out who she is and where she belongs.  She was always somewhat confident in herself and her abilities.  However, the adult Savannah is a complex and well-written character.  She is confident and arrogant, while still being vulnerable and insecure.  She knows what she wants but isn't always ready to go after it.  Her story, as told in both Waking the Witch (Women of the Otherworld, Book 11) and Spell Bound (Otherworld, Book 12) shows her maturing and finding herself and her place in the world.  She is a very likable character.

In Spell Bound (Otherworld, Book 12) things are heating up.  Savannah is kidnapped, again.  This time by an underground movement wanting supernaturals to 'come out' into the open.  Their leader, a cult like figure with an interesting back story, believes that Savannah fulfills one sign of a prophecy that will propel supernaturals in to the open and as superior to humans.  There are other signs of the prophecy as well, many of whom are Savannah's friends and family, and a few of whom seem to be references to Armstrong's YA series about Otherworld.  I'm very interested to see if the two series will intersect in the future.  This book brings most of the supernatural community into the story and seems to be setting up something big in future books.  All the players are here:  Jeremy, Elana, Clay, Jaime, Hope, Karl, Cassandra, Aaron,  Paige, Lucas and, of course, Adam.  Both the Nast and the Cortez Cabal are involved as well.  However, while this does set-up what sounds like a great future story-line, Savannah's story is excellent on it's own.  Her character really starts to mature in this novel.  Without her powers, she really begins to appreciate what others have to offer her in their own experiences and what her own strengths are outside of spell casting.  It's a great story and I look forward to reading the next installment in the Otherworld series.