About the Book
Rachel Morgan must keep her friends close—and her enemies closer—in the next Hollows novel from number one New York Times best-selling author Kim Harrison.
Rachel Morgan, witch-born demon, has one unspoken rule: Take chances, but pay for them yourself. With it, she has turned enemies into allies, found her place with her demon kin, and stepped up as the subrosa of Cincinnati—responsible for keeping the paranormal community at peace and in line.
Life is...good? Even better, her best friend, Ivy Tamwood, is returning home. Nothing’s simple, though, and Ivy’s not coming alone. The vampires’ ruling council insists she escort one of the long undead, hell-bent on proving that Rachel killed Cincy’s master vampire to take over the city. Which, of course, Rachel totally did not do. She only transformed her a little.
With Rachel’s friends distracted by their own lives and problems, she reaches out to a new ally for help—the demon Hodin. But this trickster has his own agenda. In the end, the only way for Rachel to save herself and the city may be to forge a new understanding with her estranged demon teacher, Al. There’s just one problem: Al would sell his own soul to be rid of her....
REVIEW And COMMENTARY
I have spent the better part of three months reading the Hollows series. Kim Harrison’s world is utterly fascinating. I enjoy books with a variety of supernatural characters that interact in creative ways. Demons, elves, weres, vampires, pixies, and fairies are all present, but the familiar tropes are changed just enough to make them feel like a fresh idea. I dig the imagery for the magic incantations, spells, and the like in the Hollows series. I am an avid audiobook reader, which is how I absorbed this series. However, the previously mentioned descriptors make me want physical copies so I can bookmark and investigate them. To ensure authenticity, at the very least, the author did some detailed research.
I was glad the series did not end at book thirteen. At that point, Rachel helped make things better for all the species in her life, but I appreciate more resolution with the vampires and demons. And I have a tough time saying goodbye to characters. I reread books a lot.
In Trouble with the Cursed, vampires are at the forefront, which feels right. It is funny, I read a lot of urban fantasy/paranormal romance, and when I look for a new series, I tend to avoid vampire novels. My first foray into the world of romance was with vampires, and I think I overloaded myself. Now When I see a vampire in what I am reading, I think, Oh boy, here we go again. And almost every time, I end up thoroughly enamored with them. Then I realize, again, some of the most enjoyable series I have experienced are primarily about vampires. Maybe that proves they have earned my approval and that they are worth my time? Or that I am a sucker forever? Anyway, I am very fond of Pike. Actually he won me over in American Demon but he's way more fun now, not quite so cranky and stressed out. Pike and Rachel are very effective when working together. The two have several hilarious interactions, and they kick some serious butt. He will make an excellent ally. Kim Harrison, if you kill him, I'm going to be very mad at you.
Trouble with the Cursed made me anxious. I tend to get frustrated when the protagonist takes too long to figure out what is going on, especially when things turn grim. I get Rachel wants to see the good in people, but sometimes it's not to her benefit, which is a crucial plot point. I spent a lot of time cursing the way things unfolded. Out loud. And at a raised volume. Fortunately, most of my listening occurs during my long commute. In the end, it did make Rachel’s success more satisfying, and if an author can get that much emotion from me, I must be invested. Which is a terrific thing.
It goes without saying but at times some of the betrayals, and the chain of events that develop because of them, really bother me. There are serious consequences that are prevalent in Trouble with the Cursed. I do not want to feel sympathy for the bad guy, but sometimes I cannot help it. Moral ambiguity makes things feel more authentic. Life does not always give you a truly happy ending. There are situations when you have to choose between the lesser of two evils.
I do have a few past novel things to get off my chest. WARNING, major spoilers are below. If you have not read the series STOP NOW and GO TO THE BEGINNING IMMEDIATELY. You will not regret it!
I must admit, Rachel took a while to grow on me. In the first few books, I had a tough time trusting her. Or at least her outlook on certain things. There was a point she claimed things such as (and I am paraphrasing) X is such an awful thing to do, I would never ever do that. And I started to realize within the next book or so, she would be doing the very thing she was so against. Does that make her a terrible character? No. It means that she is open to changing her mind, which is positive. But it did become an issue of “the lady doth protest too much.”
Nick. Sorry, I must. Now I do not in any way support what he did. But… Rachel was completely unfair to him in A Fistful of Charms. Unfair. Did she sit down with him and talk about it? No. She got angry and cut him off while calling him names. Good form, ha. Did Nick violate Rachel's trust? Yes. Did Nick know where Rachel and Al’s relationship would go? No. Should Rachel have forgiven Nick? No. Was Nick a jerk thief? Yes. But a rational adult conversation might have saved a lot of violence, and maybe Nick’s life, in the end. I know hindsight, but this whole situation still really, really, really bothers me.
This leads me to Trent. At the beginning, this guy was a big stinking jerk, wasn’t he? I cannot tell you how many times I thought, I really want to like this guy. Wait, what the heck did he just do? I guess I don’t like this guy. I was so pleased when he decided on a better path, which laid the foundation for Trent and Rachel's relationship. Theirs is the most satisfying type of romance for me. Not necessarily the from hate to love part, although that can ramp up the anticipation. I enjoy a good slow burn, a bond that develops while people experience their lives, grow, and become better versions of themselves.
My favorite book so far is Ever After.
I am delighted that I finally listened to my work friend and read the Hollows series. I will now purchase future books on release day. Without fail. I already preordered the next one, which is more than six months away. Now the long wait…
