A Perfect Blood – Kim Harrison

Hardcover, 438 pages
Published February 21st 2012 by Harper Voyager
Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

Ritually murdered corpses are appearing across Cincinnati, terrifying amalgams of human and other. Pulled in to help investigate by the FIB, former witch turned day-walking demon Rachel Morgan soon realizes a horrifying truth–a would-be creator is determined to make his (or her) own demons. But it can’t be done without Rachel’s blood, in this latest blockbuster by a “New York Times”-bestselling author.

Review:

Another rollercoaster ride but one that I did not love as much as the one before it. That one was kinda awesome so I am not surprised that A Perfect Blood shone a bit dimmer in the face of its brilliance. Also it might be because I read both within a space of twelve hours and my mind was reaching oversaturated levels in Brimstone (jnsiders will get this). Anyway, at the end of the last book, Rachel’s demon-ness was established and her absolute lack of rights in the human world was also alluded to. This novel elaborates on the premise laid down in the previous novel by showing how exactly circumstances have changed for Rachel especially with regard to the way she is treated by human and supernatural alike.

The humans, who have not really been key players in this series, come to the surface in the novel and complicate things a whole lot, showing that things are a lot more complex than Rachel and in extension, we the readers may have realized. It also reworks the supposed hierarchy which features the supernaturals at the top of the food chain. It also exposes some of the uglier aspects of human nature and I was very ready to become a witch by the end of the novel. Rachel’s growth in the novel was frustrating and there were moments when I wanted to scream at her for her stupidity and her thick headedness and her stubborn need to learn every lesson the hard way.

But she does learn those necessary lessons and if she has scars to prove that she did, well, it’s her fault. What’s more interesting is the way Trent is developed in this novel. I really enjoyed seeing him in a way different than what we had been shown previously. Since Pale Demon, his character has been slowly unraveling to reveal someone more approachable, more…human for lack of a better word and someone who is, again, more complex than we had been shown. And his relationship with Rachel becomes a lot more interesting though she is still mooning over her bodyguard’s butt who is also making her offers of unattached sexytimes. I don’t know. If Harrison goes down that road, I am going to very disappointed. Hm. I enjoyed this book, there were glimmers of Al as a more substantial character and more hints about the conclusion of the novel. The next three books in the series promise to be really, really good and I can’t wait to read them.

Pale Demon – Kim Harrison

Hardcover, 432 pages
Published February 22nd 2011 by Eos
Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

Condemned to death for black magic and shunned, Rachel Morgan has three days to somehow get to the annual witches convention in San Francisco and clear her name. If she fails, the only way she can escape death is to live in the demonic ever after . . . for ever after.

Banned from the flight lists, Rachel teams up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack, headed for the West Coast for his own mysterious business. But Rachel isn’t the only passenger along for the ride. Can a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car survive for over 2,300 miles? And that’s not counting the assassin on their tail.

A fearsome demon walks the sunlight, freed after centuries of torment to slay the innocent and devour souls. But his ultimate prey is Rachel Morgan. While the powerful witch with nerves of steel will do whatever it takes to stay alive, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.

Review:

Oh what a fabulous read. Dear Writers of Young Adult Trilogies/Series, please take notes. THIS is how you write an installment in a series/trilogy. So I took an unplanned year off reading The Hollows series. I don’t know why I didn’t. I think I just got distracted reading too many other books to give attention to what remains after 10 books my favourite urban series ever. Kim Harrison’s YA series? Does not hold a handle to her adult series. I’ve been waiting for this novel ever since I found out that Rachel and Trent were going on a road trip together. Of course I didn’t realize that there would be so many other passengers in the car along with them but I didn’t really mind in the end.

I’ve compared reading The Hollows novels to riding rollercoasters and Pale Demon was no exception. There are car chases, assassin Elves, creepy day-walking demons, kidnapping pixies and Jenks, who remains my 4 inched hero. His curses remain awesome (Tink’s a Disney whore the most common of them yet) and he makes up for what he lacks in size (being a pixie) with his presence and contribution to the novel as well as his enduring relationship to Rachel and Ivy. There are some awesome moments between Ivy and Rachel that were a long time coming and I am glad that they finally talked about it and things happened. I think this book gives the first hint that the series is reaching its conclusion (and it will be a very sad day when I read the last book).

There are also those heartbreaking moments where your heart wants to fold into itself – when Rachel realizes she has been betrayed albeit unintentionally and the sheer stupidity of the Council will make you want to aim some arrows a la Katniss. However, what I most want to talk about is Trent and his, dare I say, non-relationship with Rachel. I have had my suspicions that Harrison would go this route for the longest time and in this book, I get the first inkling that my suspicions may have been founded. Trent is as flawed as they come but that is okay because Rachel probably wouldn’t fit perfect even if it was custom made for her. The sexual tension has been between them since the first book but this is the first time there was something more involved. I am still cautious about it though I hope that Harrison takes it forward to its natural conclusion. Rachel’s romantic entanglements have never been the focus of the novels and I liked how neatly it was woven into the narrative this time around too. And that kiss. Swoon city, you own me.

Also the ending was ace too. I love it when books in a series are still standalone books that can be read and enjoyed. Some YA authors should be taking notes about how to end an installment in a series too. If you leave a reader satisfied, she is more like to come back and read the second book. Cliffhangers do nothing but frustrate and aggravate.

Pale Demon is, I believe, my favourite out of the series so far. So, so, sooo good.

So You Want To Read About…Witches!

“So You Want to Read About…” is a new feature here at Bibliophilic Monologues where I will come up with six books dealing with one theme/species/stuff. It should be fun and it leads me to discover new books which is always cool, right? Right. Anyway, so today’s subject/species are witches. Fascinated by covens? Want something in depth and engrossing to take you away from your maudlin (and non-witchy) life. Here are six suggestions, not including Harry Potter, which…you know, is a given. You might have heard of them or not but they are all books I’ve read and enjoyed so…

Series: The Hollows
Currently 11 volumes out
Estimated number of volumes: 13
Author: Kim Harrison
Publisher: HarperTorch
Genre: Urban Fantasy

The main character in this novel is a witch called Rachel Morgan whose escapades are so entertaining that you will be left a bit bemused as you try to work out what is happening, who is happening and why you are craving slightly illegal cookies. Harrison creates a splendid world that was torn apart by the very innocuous (but apparently deadly) tomatoes, artificially engineered tomatoes, that killed off more than half the humanity and let the supernatural creatures come out to play. There are vampires, elves, pixies, werewolves, demons. You name it, the book has it. The romance aspect of this book is meaty as Rachel lives in a church with a female vampire who would like to bite her in more ways than one. The problem isn’t that Rachel doesn’t like vampires or biting but that she prefers the vampire to be of the male variety. There’s Jenks, the world’s most fouth-mouthed pixie and his gajillions of children. There’s Trent, the entirely too delicious Elf and demons galore. Each installment in the series is like riding a rollercoaster. I happen to love rollercoasters.

Series: Wicked Years
Currently: 4 volumes out
Series complete
Author: Gregory Maguire
Publisher: Regan Books
Genre: Literary

What Maguire does is take the rather simple tale of The Wizard of Oz and rework it into a splendid vibrant world where Elphaba, who will eventually be known as The Wicked Witch of the West, shines with her passion for the world and the people she lives in. Maguire’s recreation of Oz is so minutely detailed, his characterization of Elphaba is so exquisite that despite the common tale insisting that Elphaba is the bad guy, you will not be able to help relating and empathizing with who Elphaba is and the troubles she struggles with. There are, and I recently learned the official literary term for this, splendid sections of stichomythia (which is rapidfire exchange of dialogue, repartee, think Gilmore Girls and their fast dialogue exchange) that expresses Elphaba’s character so beautifully. I also loved how Glenda is portrayed and how the minute differences in each character is worked out. If you want a witch story that takes some of the old but makes up a lot of the new and presents it to you on a yellow brick road, then this is the book for you.

Series: Lives of the Mayfair Witches
Currently: 4 volumes out
Series complete
Author: Anne Rice
Publisher: Arrow
Genre: Fantasy

What can I say? You either like Anne Rice or you don’t. My own feelings about her writing range from fascination to abject apathy. Lives of the Mayfair Witches is an epic series that involves a dynasty of witches and some very complex characters with some crossover by the vampires from her other, much loved series. There are weird characters and forgive me, because it has been some time since I read these but there are also some very Anne-Rice-esque sexytimes that involve a ghost and an invisible lover and well, weird is weird. However, despite the potential ick factor, I remember being really engaged by this series. The characters were complex and the stories were intricate and layered often to the point that I only got it once the book was over. If you want something really complex and quite darker, and a bit more of an intense read, I’d recommend this one. If you want something lighter and not as difficult to stomach, then you might like the next few suggestions better.

Series: Herculine
Currently: 3 volumes out
Series complete
Author: James Reese
Publisher: Harper Torch
Genre: Literary

Okay, so I lied. This one is just as disturbing, perhaps maybe even more than, as Anne Rice’s series. The series is about Herculine who is a hermophrodite and also a witch and very involved in character development and obscure history that somehow falls into place later on during the narrative. This is even more complex than Lives of the Mayfair Witches simply because Herculine is not an easy character to characterize or understand. She or He, as suits his/her physical self, is often contradictory. The reason I suggest this is because it’s a historical novel and it really is fascinating, the gradual cohering of the main character. This one is not easy reading at all so only into it if you are ready to read some convoluted but interesting stuff.

Series: Wicca
Currently: 16 volumes out
Series complete
Author: Cate Tiernan
Publisher: Speak
Genre: YA

I was obsessed with this series like you wouldn’t believe. I saved and saved and saved to get all the titles in the series. I begged the school librarian to buy the new installments – it was just a sickness. And the series that may seem like a lot but at about 200 pages/book is not so much, delivered in all the ways that I wanted it to. Except for the last two books in the series but I ignored them and remained happy with what I got. The series, while very typical YA fluff fair, nevertheless retains this sense of gravitas that perhaps has a lot to do with the epigraphs before each chapter that situates the books in a context, in a history that is so much more important than the supernatural romance we’re in for. The epigraphs are particularly important in the telling of the history of the witches and I love the way Tiernan so sneakily “told” without really telling. Also, her love interests are swoonworthy, particularly Hunter. And the main character does not annoy me, yay. If you want something light yet something totally addictive, this is for you.

Series: Witch
Currently: 2 volumes out
Series complete?
Author: Carolyn MacCullough
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: YA

I really, really liked this duology. At least I think there are only two books in this series though I would not at all complain if there were more than two. The characterizations are complex, the plot is intriguing and intricate and the love interest swoonworthy. The main character is very likable and the reveal at the end of book two makes things so much more substantial. The writing is gorgeous too. The prose flows like silk. This may be a more personable Lives of the Mayfair Witches without the weird sexytimes and weird creatures. It’s just really good and if you want something that leaves you with a glow at the end, definitely try this out.