Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
EOS Books (2009), Edition: 1st, 504 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: "The world of the Hollows is fast-moving, funny, harrowing, and scary, and�??the greatest compliment to a fantasy�??absolutely real."�??New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon Kim Harrison is a New York Times-bestselling phenomenon, in the superstar pantheon along with Laurel K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris of Sookie Stackhouse fame. Return to "the Hollows" in White Witch, Black Curse, as tough-as-nails bounty hunter witch Rachel Morgan seeks vengeance for the death of her lover among the creatures of the night. Indeed, Charlaine Harris herself has nothing but praise for Harrison 's peerless protagonist, promising, "You're going to love this bounty hunter!" White Witch, Black Curse is contemporary dark fantasy at its electrifying b… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member TadAD
While this series has been one of those little pleasures for when I'm in the mood for something very light, this seventh volume didn't do it for me.
What I thought was going to be the main storyline, the hunt for Kirsten's killer that started up in the last book, began the story well but was then
In between, we have a mish-mash of things falling into one of two categories. There is tiresome formula. Rachel has troubles with yet another boyfriend. Anyone surprised?...no. Al jerks Rachel around? Anyone surprised?...no. Rachel and Ivy have trouble defining their relationship. Anyone surprised?...well, only in the sense that I thought they finally put this one to rest in the last volume.
The other category is things that seem to come out of left field. Without giving too much away in spoilers...Rachel suffers some serious public relations problems. This is not particularly surprising given what she's had to do over the stories. What is a "huh?!?" moment is that she takes this lying down, almost like she's bought into the "demon marks = black witch" concept. That's so out of character it's just jarring to the reader.
The second "where did this come from?" thing is the whole Pierce subplot. Did I miss a book; is this really #8? (no) It's dropped in like we've known about it for six volumes already.
I hope that the next volume in this series gets back on track. Otherwise, this series won't hold my attention very long—we've seen similar series implode.
What I thought was going to be the main storyline, the hunt for Kirsten's killer that started up in the last book, began the story well but was then
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dropped until the last 50 pages, where it was wrapped up in a wham-bam fashion almost as an afterthought. In between, we have a mish-mash of things falling into one of two categories. There is tiresome formula. Rachel has troubles with yet another boyfriend. Anyone surprised?...no. Al jerks Rachel around? Anyone surprised?...no. Rachel and Ivy have trouble defining their relationship. Anyone surprised?...well, only in the sense that I thought they finally put this one to rest in the last volume.
The other category is things that seem to come out of left field. Without giving too much away in spoilers...Rachel suffers some serious public relations problems. This is not particularly surprising given what she's had to do over the stories. What is a "huh?!?" moment is that she takes this lying down, almost like she's bought into the "demon marks = black witch" concept. That's so out of character it's just jarring to the reader.
The second "where did this come from?" thing is the whole Pierce subplot. Did I miss a book; is this really #8? (no) It's dropped in like we've known about it for six volumes already.
I hope that the next volume in this series gets back on track. Otherwise, this series won't hold my attention very long—we've seen similar series implode.
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LibraryThing member frykitty
Much of the story--including any romantic tension--is stuck off in an anthology I didn't buy. I feckin' hate that.
On edit: schnaucl's review says it all very well. This book was a disappointment.
On edit: schnaucl's review says it all very well. This book was a disappointment.
LibraryThing member reannon
This is a good though somewhat uneven series, some books better than others. It is a unique world, one in which paranormals were hidden before about 40 years ago, when many humans were wiped out by a disease, and the supernatural species then revealed themselves. The main character, Rachel Morgan,
In this volume, Rachel must deal with recovering memories of the death of her vampire lover, Kisten, as well as the reappearance of a ghost (literally) from her past.
Like a lot of the books in this series, this one suffers a bit from Too Much... Rachel has to deal with an overwhelming amount of bad stuff. It makes it exciting, but a little hard to believe and absorb.
But still a good and recommended series.
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is a witch, living with a still living vampire, Ivy, who is also her partner.In this volume, Rachel must deal with recovering memories of the death of her vampire lover, Kisten, as well as the reappearance of a ghost (literally) from her past.
Like a lot of the books in this series, this one suffers a bit from Too Much... Rachel has to deal with an overwhelming amount of bad stuff. It makes it exciting, but a little hard to believe and absorb.
But still a good and recommended series.
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LibraryThing member sooziebeaker
The plot was a little overly complicated. I miss the simplicity of the earlier books. I also didn't care for the resolution of finding Kisten's killer. With that said it was still a reasonably riveting read, with Rachel showing some true growth and pathos.
LibraryThing member Antares1
White Witch, Black Curse picks up where The Outlaw Demon Wails left off. Rachel is still trying to remember what happened the night Kisten died. F.I.B. agent Ford has taken her to Kisten's boat to see if any memories are stirred up. Rachel begins to remember things, as they are getting ready to
The novel pulls in characters from Harrison's short stories Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel in the anthology Holidays are Hell and Dirty Magic from the anthology Hotter Than Hell. Rachel's interactions with the ghost Pierce shows she's grown up a bit. She recognizes her attraction to him as the remains of a crush when she summoned him 8 years ago. There are also hints that there is much more to Pierce than we've seen up to this point. She's matured enough to resist it, for now. The banshee from Dirty Magic has changed considerably. She's gone from a lonely creature just wanting love, to a power hungry creature determined to assert the superiority of her race.
I was a bit worried at the beginning of the book. Rachel is much more whiney than usual. Her pity party was dragging it down. Once the action really gets going Harrison redeems the work with a finish that kept me up reading far longer than I should have.
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leave they get word that Glenn is in the hospital. Both Ivy and Rachel want in on the investigation of what put Glenn in the hospital. Edden allows them in on what turns out to be a hunt for a banshee. The novel pulls in characters from Harrison's short stories Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel in the anthology Holidays are Hell and Dirty Magic from the anthology Hotter Than Hell. Rachel's interactions with the ghost Pierce shows she's grown up a bit. She recognizes her attraction to him as the remains of a crush when she summoned him 8 years ago. There are also hints that there is much more to Pierce than we've seen up to this point. She's matured enough to resist it, for now. The banshee from Dirty Magic has changed considerably. She's gone from a lonely creature just wanting love, to a power hungry creature determined to assert the superiority of her race.
I was a bit worried at the beginning of the book. Rachel is much more whiney than usual. Her pity party was dragging it down. Once the action really gets going Harrison redeems the work with a finish that kept me up reading far longer than I should have.
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LibraryThing member Wova4
Perhaps it's a sign that the Hollows series is starting to wear thin with me. I didn't elect to read this book until I found the hard cover edition remaindered last week.
Harrison seems to write with equal parts inspired bravado and foolish distraction. The light police-procedural parts of the plot
While I hesitate to make the connection, I'm starting to suspect that the accumulation of plot and characters may be edging the series closer to Jordan-esque, glacial storytelling. With every book, Harrison has lobbed a few more characters, plots, and ideas (Rachel's brother, shunning, and banshees, oh my!) into the air while juggling everything else from prior volumes. I found myself occasionally lost with mentions or appearances of characters I didn't remember from prior volumes (or worse yet, from short stories I haven't bothered to read). Very little is resolved, aside from the non-event discovery of Kisten's killer who hadn't been portrayed in earlier volumes. Oh yeah, and Denon died. Don't remember who Denon is? Neither did I, but Harrison will fill you in on the details.
Because the book is written in first-person, the reader is chained to the narrative character's perception. Rachel continues to be a frustrating filter on this world, as she has little real insight into the people she interacts with. Her relationship space seems to be defined by how dangerous or powerful others are, what they're wearing, and whatever they need Rachel to do at that particular moment. The only character who really pushes through the filter is Jenks. Unfortunately, this volume had the worse treatment of Jenks to date, as we enjoy second-hand suffering as Matelina (Jenks's wife) has almost no contact with Rachel. I'm beginning to wonder if Rachel's perception is a product of character development or a consequence of Harrison's writing style.
All of this not withstanding, if you have stayed with the series this long, you might as well keep reading. It isn't a bad entertainment, despite the flaws. It didn't have a single throw-the-book-across-the-room moment of utter stupidity.
Harrison seems to write with equal parts inspired bravado and foolish distraction. The light police-procedural parts of the plot
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stand their own with other well-written Urban Fantasy do-gooders like Harry Dresden. On the other hand, we find utterly silly ideas like the embarrassing fully-clothed witch-sex scene in the belfry, or tiring content like the continued will-she-or-won't-she interplay between Rachel and Ivy.While I hesitate to make the connection, I'm starting to suspect that the accumulation of plot and characters may be edging the series closer to Jordan-esque, glacial storytelling. With every book, Harrison has lobbed a few more characters, plots, and ideas (Rachel's brother, shunning, and banshees, oh my!) into the air while juggling everything else from prior volumes. I found myself occasionally lost with mentions or appearances of characters I didn't remember from prior volumes (or worse yet, from short stories I haven't bothered to read). Very little is resolved, aside from the non-event discovery of Kisten's killer who hadn't been portrayed in earlier volumes. Oh yeah, and Denon died. Don't remember who Denon is? Neither did I, but Harrison will fill you in on the details.
Because the book is written in first-person, the reader is chained to the narrative character's perception. Rachel continues to be a frustrating filter on this world, as she has little real insight into the people she interacts with. Her relationship space seems to be defined by how dangerous or powerful others are, what they're wearing, and whatever they need Rachel to do at that particular moment. The only character who really pushes through the filter is Jenks. Unfortunately, this volume had the worse treatment of Jenks to date, as we enjoy second-hand suffering as Matelina (Jenks's wife) has almost no contact with Rachel. I'm beginning to wonder if Rachel's perception is a product of character development or a consequence of Harrison's writing style.
All of this not withstanding, if you have stayed with the series this long, you might as well keep reading. It isn't a bad entertainment, despite the flaws. It didn't have a single throw-the-book-across-the-room moment of utter stupidity.
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LibraryThing member EowynA
This series just keeps getting better. Characters from previous episodes re-appear, get a well-rounded treatment, and leave again. The author has slowed down the pace a little bit by savoring each scene - giving the reader a "you are there" sort of feeling. Minor details are noted -- sometimes they
In this chapter in the life of Rachel Morgan, she begins to understand some of the social consequences of accepting smut on her aura, even though the actions that got it there were motivated by a desire to rescue friends and not-exactly-friends. This is a very "slice of life" sort of book. Yes, there is a banshee to be captured, Kisten's murderer to be found, a friend-not-a-boyfriend to get to know better, a ghost to talk to, and always the next run. Quite enjoyable. She is getting to be a very powerful witch, but still concerned that she manages to get the people around her hurt as people try to get to her.
A solid entry in the series.
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pay off, sometimes they are just detail. We see Jenks' anguish over his aging wife. We see Rachel as student to the demon Al. We even see a character first introduced in a story when Rachel was 18. We follow some of Ivy's angst. We see her brother and mother, and close the chapter on Kisten. In this chapter in the life of Rachel Morgan, she begins to understand some of the social consequences of accepting smut on her aura, even though the actions that got it there were motivated by a desire to rescue friends and not-exactly-friends. This is a very "slice of life" sort of book. Yes, there is a banshee to be captured, Kisten's murderer to be found, a friend-not-a-boyfriend to get to know better, a ghost to talk to, and always the next run. Quite enjoyable. She is getting to be a very powerful witch, but still concerned that she manages to get the people around her hurt as people try to get to her.
A solid entry in the series.
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LibraryThing member hjjugovic
I'm really enjoying the Hollows series, and this one is not a disappointment. Harrison manages to squeeze in pretty much every character she's ever introduced, and every plot line, which is my only complaint. The direction of the book is really unfocused for the first half, and that's how long it
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takes for Al to appear (whom I was really looking forward to seeing again). But it all ties up satisfyingly in the end, and I can't wait for the next installment. Show Less
LibraryThing member words_dance
I'm a fan of Kim Harrison but she seems to be losing her steam in this novel. I always get scared of reading series that don't have a set ending because the author tends to drag out the long-term plot and the characters become boring and dull.
While Rachel Morgan has quite the personality, this
I'm really hoping that her next novel in The Hollows series will pick up the slack in this novel and that Harrison won't loose her magic with these series.
While Rachel Morgan has quite the personality, this
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booked dragged on. A new character is introduced--it was confusing for me because I did not read the short story he was in--and the plot was a tad bit boring. I'm really hoping that her next novel in The Hollows series will pick up the slack in this novel and that Harrison won't loose her magic with these series.
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LibraryThing member bookwormteri
Another great addition to the Hollows series. This time, while trying to find Kisten's killer, Ivy, Rachel, and Jenks must save the city from a banshee who sucks up energy. I love this series, not a light hearted fantasy.
LibraryThing member magemanda
The seventh instalment in the Hollows series about witch Rachel Morgan and her companions Ivy (vampire) and Jenks (pixy).
I enjoyed this book, but felt that there were certain elements of the plot that dragged on a little bit. The whole banshee story felt tacked on. I thought they were a cool
I also didn't like the resolution of the Marshall character. Sure, Rachel is shunned but this guy is talked up as being Rachel's white knight and wanting to save her, so why does he bail? Probably because Pierce is now on the scene... Harrison does like to tidy up the previous chap before Rachel moves onto someone new.
Despite this, there were some lovely moments. Everything to do with the demon Al fascinates me and he is fast becoming one of my favourite literary bad guys. He has a fabulously childish, arrogant, mischievous character that lends itself to some brilliant dialogue and action scenes between him and Rachel. There was also a really spine-tingling moment where Rachel catches sight of him in the back of her car, and remembers that he IS a demon, no matter how he plays up his laissez faire English gentleman.
Jenks is another highlight. I just adore the way that Harrison has continued to bring him on as a character - bolshy, quick-witted, so fiercely loyal, and with such a smutty mouth! All of the Tinkerbell curses are both adorable and a mite disgusting!
Harrison has built the world of the Hollows extremely strongly, so that the reader now knows what the scent of burnt amber means, and understands the signals that can turn a vampire on.
I missed the Weres in this book and hope we will see them again in the next book to some extent - after all, Rachel still has a tattoo that needs doing!
Thumbs up from me overall, though - another solid addition to Harrison's now-long-running series.
I enjoyed this book, but felt that there were certain elements of the plot that dragged on a little bit. The whole banshee story felt tacked on. I thought they were a cool
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addition to the Inderlanders that inhabit the series, but, since there has been no mention of banshees in any of the other books, this was definitely something that Harrison decided on only recently. I did find as well that the sucking of emotion was much like the sucking of blood from vampires, which means having two such predators in the books. I'm not sure how much mileage Harrison will get out of banshees in future books, but I'm sure we'll be seeing characters such as Holly and the Walker again.I also didn't like the resolution of the Marshall character. Sure, Rachel is shunned but this guy is talked up as being Rachel's white knight and wanting to save her, so why does he bail? Probably because Pierce is now on the scene... Harrison does like to tidy up the previous chap before Rachel moves onto someone new.
Despite this, there were some lovely moments. Everything to do with the demon Al fascinates me and he is fast becoming one of my favourite literary bad guys. He has a fabulously childish, arrogant, mischievous character that lends itself to some brilliant dialogue and action scenes between him and Rachel. There was also a really spine-tingling moment where Rachel catches sight of him in the back of her car, and remembers that he IS a demon, no matter how he plays up his laissez faire English gentleman.
Jenks is another highlight. I just adore the way that Harrison has continued to bring him on as a character - bolshy, quick-witted, so fiercely loyal, and with such a smutty mouth! All of the Tinkerbell curses are both adorable and a mite disgusting!
Harrison has built the world of the Hollows extremely strongly, so that the reader now knows what the scent of burnt amber means, and understands the signals that can turn a vampire on.
I missed the Weres in this book and hope we will see them again in the next book to some extent - after all, Rachel still has a tattoo that needs doing!
Thumbs up from me overall, though - another solid addition to Harrison's now-long-running series.
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LibraryThing member EveWasFramed
I LOVE Rachel Morgan. I am a heavy fantasy reader, and at the moment (;]) she is one of my favourite kick ass fantasy ladies. Harrison's demons are super evil and intimidating, and Al couldn't be more perfect. I also LOVE the world that she has created; where all manor of supernatural beings exist
Oh, and speaking of sexy, Ivy is one of the sexiest vampires I have ever read, and I continue to read in the wistful hope that there is a steamy Rachel + Ivy sex scene coming up (!)...
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and almost anything is possible. I love Kim's take on not only witches and demons but vampires as well. I love the concept of the living vamps vs. the undead vamps, and the inevitable loss of their souls...unlike many authors, Kim reminds us that vampires are not just sexy, but humans turned into monsters...Oh, and speaking of sexy, Ivy is one of the sexiest vampires I have ever read, and I continue to read in the wistful hope that there is a steamy Rachel + Ivy sex scene coming up (!)...
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LibraryThing member phyllis2779
Reasonably good Rachel Morgan novel. Morgan sometimes gets close to being a whiner but there was enough action in this book to keep it moving along. It wraps up several of the arcs from earlier books and begins some new ones.
LibraryThing member macygma
Is she or isn't she? Rachel Morgan is sure she really isn't a black witch - pretty sure anyhow. She is still reeling from the death of Kisten, her lover when her mom decides to move to Sacramento, Al (her demonic teacher) decides to snatch anyone who is close to her and a new/old friend seems to be
Rachel, Jenks and Ivy are involved in trying to catch a banshee. All in all not one of the nicer folks to try to corral, especially when she has a baby to feed - on people's emotions. Ivy is sworn off blood (again), Jenks' wife is nearly 20 - death age for a pixie - and they have over 50 children.
Rachel is trying to persevere in her usual way and I do believe this is the bestnovel Kim Harrison has done to date.
Fans of the series will not be disappointed when they get to the end. In fact, you'll be wanting March to come soon as that is when the next installment comes out!
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turning into something more.Rachel, Jenks and Ivy are involved in trying to catch a banshee. All in all not one of the nicer folks to try to corral, especially when she has a baby to feed - on people's emotions. Ivy is sworn off blood (again), Jenks' wife is nearly 20 - death age for a pixie - and they have over 50 children.
Rachel is trying to persevere in her usual way and I do believe this is the bestnovel Kim Harrison has done to date.
Fans of the series will not be disappointed when they get to the end. In fact, you'll be wanting March to come soon as that is when the next installment comes out!
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LibraryThing member vampiregirl76
I first discovered the Rachel Morgan series back in June 2006, and I automatically fell in love with the world. Rachel is a witch and along with her two roommates vampire Ivy and pixie Jenks run their business Vampiric Charms. They bring in the bad guys when no one else can. If you enjoy reading
White Witch, Black Curse is book number 7, and for me it didn't disappoint. This series is always action packed with conflict, adventure and sometimes even romance. This time Rachel is in search of the person who killed her lover Kisten.
I know you probably hear this a lot from me but, this is one of my favorite series (I have alot I know, there's just too many to have just one). Rachel is one of my favorite heroines. She's a witch, not perfect by any means. And most days her life is a mess. She doesn't always go about handling her problems the best way. I think that's one of the reason's I like her. Whenever a new book comes out I can't wait to see what she's gotten herself into.
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about witches, vampires, werewolves, elves, and pixies, you should give this series a try.White Witch, Black Curse is book number 7, and for me it didn't disappoint. This series is always action packed with conflict, adventure and sometimes even romance. This time Rachel is in search of the person who killed her lover Kisten.
I know you probably hear this a lot from me but, this is one of my favorite series (I have alot I know, there's just too many to have just one). Rachel is one of my favorite heroines. She's a witch, not perfect by any means. And most days her life is a mess. She doesn't always go about handling her problems the best way. I think that's one of the reason's I like her. Whenever a new book comes out I can't wait to see what she's gotten herself into.
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LibraryThing member eljabo
In general, I love the Rachel Morgan series because Rachel is fearless, fun and feisty. This book was kind of lame and Rachel was kind of lame. In fact, it was 500 pages of Rachel feeling sorry for herself. Talk about a Debbie Downer! Books are supposed to be an escape. If I wanted to be around
There wasn't a lot of action, there wasn't a lot of character growth. This felt like a typical middle book in a trilogy - the one you don't really like, but need to make your way through to get to the end. With that all said, I still want to know how it ends, so I'll be waiting for book 8. (It doesn't need to get here anytime soon ... I'm a little racheled out.
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people feeling sorry for themselves, I'd just go to work. There wasn't a lot of action, there wasn't a lot of character growth. This felt like a typical middle book in a trilogy - the one you don't really like, but need to make your way through to get to the end. With that all said, I still want to know how it ends, so I'll be waiting for book 8. (It doesn't need to get here anytime soon ... I'm a little racheled out.
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LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
I've been reading the series since the beginning & this is book 7. It got an extra star because it is still so engaging. It's entertaining fluff & fun. Our heroine, a witch, is still trying to do right & still coming up with nothing but problems. She no sooner gets one thing settled than two others
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pop up. Which problems get solved & which new ones will pop up is the mystery. After 6 other books, I knew there wouldn't be a clean, happy ending. Hopefully, she'll end the series on a good note one day, but until then, there is plenty of fodder for new books.She's had the opportunity to go the Hamilton route & bring lots of graphic sex into the story, but hasn't. I appreciate that.Here's the books in the Rachel Morgan series:1. Dead Witch Walking (2004)2. The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (2005)3. Every Which Way But Dead (2005)4. A Fistful of Charms (2006)5. For a Few Demons More (2007)6. The Outlaw Demon Wails (2008) aka Where Demons Dare7. White Witch, Black Curse (2009) Show Less
LibraryThing member pacey1927
I was suprised by the many negative reviews of "White Witch, Black Curse". I agree with many of the points made in these reviews, however I believe the good in this story far outweigh the negative points. My biggest problem with this story is actually probably my own fault, so I won't weigh that in
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my star giving...Its about a year between Hollows books and I found myself very confused by a lot of things in the book. I didn't remember Kisten's death well enough to really relate to the story of them trying to 'remember' the killer by walking through Kisten's boat. I couldn't remember Jenk's reasoning for giving Rachel the foretting potion. Didn't all this happen in book#5? Again my own fault, but it did leave me feeling a little out of sorts during the story. Also there is obviously still chemistry and feelings between Ivy and Rachel. I don't necessarily want them together as a romantic couple, but I think its hard to deny what Harrison is creating. And I was confused by this as well because I thought the issue was resolved in a previous installment. I too missed Trent and Ceri...and Al was such fun for each page he was on that I truly want to see more of him as well. I wasn't upset by the introduction (again) of Pierce the ghost from Rachel's past. I was annoyed by the fact that he was just this briefly seen character in a novella, and then he is referred to in the book as the "man Rachel measures every man in her life by, and they dont' have a chance of measuring up" or something along those lines. The Jenks/Matalina lifespan is becoming more and more immenant. Somethign is going to have to happen one way or another after talking about it since book #4. I can't figure out how Jenks could die and not harm the series permanently. Maybe Harrison will suprise me on this one. The storyline was ok, but I wasn't excited by the whole banshee thing. I wish that the book could have had more of a focus on finding Kisten's killer and having the resolution be totally amazing. Instead I was underwhelmed by the killer and the after effects of Kisten's murder. Maybe the biggest problem was that there was too much going on and nothing felt all that important to the overall Hallows story arc. Probably the most important thing to happen was Rachel's shunning. This could cause all kinds of future entertaining events. Marshal's exit was also kind of odd. I hope that this story was Harrison's way of wrapping up some loose ends so we can cleanly focus on the everafter and Trent, Ceri and Al. The possibilities here are endless and amazing. Harrison's writing was still well done and I still really like Rachel, Ivy and Jenks. I am grateful for having this story to read so that I could visit with them again, but it just wasn't as strong as I've come to expect. Show Less
LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the 7th book in the Hollows series by Kim Harrison. In a series that has consistently blown me away with its great writing quality and fast pace this book was a huge disappointment. I really feel like Kim Harrison was forced to write this book and forced to wrap up the whole Kisten mystery
In this book Rachel is trying to remember what happened on the night when Kisten was murdered. Ford is along to try and help her jog her memories. Ivy is still trying to solve the Kisten murder in her own way. Then they get called on a case that ends up involving a mother Banshee who may be killing to feed her child. Oh and Pierce (you know the guy in the short story done in the anthology "Holidays from Hell") pops into Rachel's life. Also like usual Rachel is having trouble with Al (her demon teacher) and is trying to keep things with Marshall on a "strictly friends" basis.
As you can tell from the above things were kind of jumbled together; Rachel didn't seem to know what she was doing most of the book. There are so many things that bothered me about this book. First and foremost is Rachel's whining. I mean you probably could have cut 50 pages out if you had eliminated some of the whining; I felt like counting the number of times Rachel said "But, I'm a White witch!" with an honest to god foot-stomping whine...the number of times this was said had to be in the double digits at least; were they trying to drive home the book title? Rachel acted pathetic throughout the book and constantly said she would change things while she constantly made the same horrible decisions over and over again. It just wasn't interesting to read about that.
Next issue is the Kisten thing. All this build up over multiple books over who Kisten's killer was...it was very anti-climatic. The conclusion to the Kisten murder was weird too (I won't give anything away) but it was very rushed and very unsatisfying and really felt forced; like someone told Harrison she had to wrap up this plot point so she grudgingly did it. My only positive reaction to this part of the story is that we finally can (hopefully) stop hearing "Who was Kisten's killer?".
Then there is the appearance of Pierce, a minor character in a short story in an anthology half of the readers of this series probably haven't read. Pierce takes a major part in this story and I thought it was odd that he suddenly plays such a big role in Rachel's life. His inclusion felt forced and unnatural. The Banshee character Mia was also unsatisfying; there was so much "we have her, we lost her, we have her, we lost her" that I just got bored with the whole story. Rachel's whole moral struggle with bringing in Mia was odd, it was like Rachel completely lost her sense of right and wrong and wandered around confused for most of the Mia investigations.
Of course, to bring even more pain into the mix Harrison had to (again) bring up Ivy and Rachel's blood balance. I had really, really hoped we were done hearing about this. In fact it seemed pretty tied up in the last book and I was disappointed to see it rear its ugly head again. Bringing this up, yet again, added to my boredom and made me roll my eyes...I mean come on let the characters move on and get on with the story. Same with Marshall, what was up with his relationship with Rachel, is it there just to take up page space?
There were a couple good pieces to the story. Pierce is actually an interesting character and I am eager to see more of him. Eddings and Glenn were great characters and added more to the story than any of the other characters. Al stole the scenes he was in too. Also Bis was awesome and I hope the gargoyle is in the story more in the future. Rynn Cormel is an intriguing master vamp and I am also eager to find out what his future actions are. In fact all of these characters were way more interesting than Rachel and Ivy; maybe Rachel's character is just getting tired. All I know is something has to change or I will be getting rid of all the books in this series and dropping it.
All in all a disappointment. This was a long, long book that felt forced and chased itself in circles a lot. There were a couple bright spots, but overall I just wanted the book to be over.
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and didn't want to; this book just drags. Quick side note: I listened to this on audio book and the audio book quality was great.In this book Rachel is trying to remember what happened on the night when Kisten was murdered. Ford is along to try and help her jog her memories. Ivy is still trying to solve the Kisten murder in her own way. Then they get called on a case that ends up involving a mother Banshee who may be killing to feed her child. Oh and Pierce (you know the guy in the short story done in the anthology "Holidays from Hell") pops into Rachel's life. Also like usual Rachel is having trouble with Al (her demon teacher) and is trying to keep things with Marshall on a "strictly friends" basis.
As you can tell from the above things were kind of jumbled together; Rachel didn't seem to know what she was doing most of the book. There are so many things that bothered me about this book. First and foremost is Rachel's whining. I mean you probably could have cut 50 pages out if you had eliminated some of the whining; I felt like counting the number of times Rachel said "But, I'm a White witch!" with an honest to god foot-stomping whine...the number of times this was said had to be in the double digits at least; were they trying to drive home the book title? Rachel acted pathetic throughout the book and constantly said she would change things while she constantly made the same horrible decisions over and over again. It just wasn't interesting to read about that.
Next issue is the Kisten thing. All this build up over multiple books over who Kisten's killer was...it was very anti-climatic. The conclusion to the Kisten murder was weird too (I won't give anything away) but it was very rushed and very unsatisfying and really felt forced; like someone told Harrison she had to wrap up this plot point so she grudgingly did it. My only positive reaction to this part of the story is that we finally can (hopefully) stop hearing "Who was Kisten's killer?".
Then there is the appearance of Pierce, a minor character in a short story in an anthology half of the readers of this series probably haven't read. Pierce takes a major part in this story and I thought it was odd that he suddenly plays such a big role in Rachel's life. His inclusion felt forced and unnatural. The Banshee character Mia was also unsatisfying; there was so much "we have her, we lost her, we have her, we lost her" that I just got bored with the whole story. Rachel's whole moral struggle with bringing in Mia was odd, it was like Rachel completely lost her sense of right and wrong and wandered around confused for most of the Mia investigations.
Of course, to bring even more pain into the mix Harrison had to (again) bring up Ivy and Rachel's blood balance. I had really, really hoped we were done hearing about this. In fact it seemed pretty tied up in the last book and I was disappointed to see it rear its ugly head again. Bringing this up, yet again, added to my boredom and made me roll my eyes...I mean come on let the characters move on and get on with the story. Same with Marshall, what was up with his relationship with Rachel, is it there just to take up page space?
There were a couple good pieces to the story. Pierce is actually an interesting character and I am eager to see more of him. Eddings and Glenn were great characters and added more to the story than any of the other characters. Al stole the scenes he was in too. Also Bis was awesome and I hope the gargoyle is in the story more in the future. Rynn Cormel is an intriguing master vamp and I am also eager to find out what his future actions are. In fact all of these characters were way more interesting than Rachel and Ivy; maybe Rachel's character is just getting tired. All I know is something has to change or I will be getting rid of all the books in this series and dropping it.
All in all a disappointment. This was a long, long book that felt forced and chased itself in circles a lot. There were a couple bright spots, but overall I just wanted the book to be over.
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LibraryThing member hoosgracie
Another enjoyable addition to the series. I was glad that there was a conclusion to the Kisten's murder storyline. Well worth the read.
LibraryThing member miyurose
Oh, Rachel Morgan series, how I love thee. Let me count the ways:
1. You are full of rich, conflicted, and complicated characters. Your good guys are just a little bad, and your bad guys are just a little good, which makes everyone a lovely shade of grey. A reader can find themselves wondering if a
2. You are full of rich, conflicted, and complicated relationships. In real life, there are layers to relationships, and Harrison knows how to show it in her novels. Rachel and Ivy are more than partners. They’re best friends, and feel a deep loyalty to each other, often without thinking of the consequences to themselves (or thinking of them, and deciding they don’t matter). Jenks has grown into much more than the spunky pixie side-kick. He is a father figure packed into four inches of determination and love. Even Rachel’s relationship with the demon Al has many levels, from resentment to respect.
3. You take place in an incredibly different yet familiar world. Harrison has managed to build an alternate universe of sorts, one which might have been the same as our real world if not for some diseased tomatoes.
4. You seamlessly move the major series arc ahead while giving us an interesting immediate concern.
5. You don’t dilly dally with namby pamby background at the beginning of the story — you jump right in to the action! One thing that Harrison is especially gifted at is working the background information into the course of the story without it being overly intrusive.
6. You build upon current supernatural mythologies without changing too much and without adding cheesy elements. In Harrison’s books, the supernatural often feel more natural than the human.
7. You never ignore the past. Events that happened in the first books in the series still have an impact in the last books.
This series is really one of the best paranormal series out there. If you’re not reading it, YOU SHOULD BE.
1. You are full of rich, conflicted, and complicated characters. Your good guys are just a little bad, and your bad guys are just a little good, which makes everyone a lovely shade of grey. A reader can find themselves wondering if a
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demon or ruthless business man are really all *that* bad.2. You are full of rich, conflicted, and complicated relationships. In real life, there are layers to relationships, and Harrison knows how to show it in her novels. Rachel and Ivy are more than partners. They’re best friends, and feel a deep loyalty to each other, often without thinking of the consequences to themselves (or thinking of them, and deciding they don’t matter). Jenks has grown into much more than the spunky pixie side-kick. He is a father figure packed into four inches of determination and love. Even Rachel’s relationship with the demon Al has many levels, from resentment to respect.
3. You take place in an incredibly different yet familiar world. Harrison has managed to build an alternate universe of sorts, one which might have been the same as our real world if not for some diseased tomatoes.
4. You seamlessly move the major series arc ahead while giving us an interesting immediate concern.
5. You don’t dilly dally with namby pamby background at the beginning of the story — you jump right in to the action! One thing that Harrison is especially gifted at is working the background information into the course of the story without it being overly intrusive.
6. You build upon current supernatural mythologies without changing too much and without adding cheesy elements. In Harrison’s books, the supernatural often feel more natural than the human.
7. You never ignore the past. Events that happened in the first books in the series still have an impact in the last books.
This series is really one of the best paranormal series out there. If you’re not reading it, YOU SHOULD BE.
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LibraryThing member mary1963
Two Minute Review for "White Witch, Black Curse" by Kim Harrison
Rachel Morgan is back battling a banshee. Ivy, Jenks and her merry band of friends, lovers and sometimes even her enemies will all try to save her ass. Her loyalty to the people around ber is so passionate and pure. Rachel will find
Rachel Morgan is back battling a banshee. Ivy, Jenks and her merry band of friends, lovers and sometimes even her enemies will all try to save her ass. Her loyalty to the people around ber is so passionate and pure. Rachel will find
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out who killed Kristen no matter how much pain it causes her. I really enjoy these characters, the wonderful plot twists and the bad guys are really bad! Show Less
LibraryThing member dragonfairy
I absolutely loved this latest installment of Kim Harrison's Hollows Series. Rachel Morgan is a quick and inventive witch that I completely adore. Harrison takes you through a fantastic ride as we watch Rachel come head to head with different figments of her past, her fears about Kisten's death,
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and an aura stripped by a banshee. The Hollows and the surrounding city come alive here. Harrison's writing keeps getting better and better. I look forward to the next book in the series. I want to find out more about Pierce, and what will happen to Rachel and Ivy now. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheYodamom
Kim Harrison has surprised me again ! Her plots are always changing with the charaters, growing with them. It is easy to get lost in this book. Many new twists, with fantastic new stories...ghost/love, Banchee ? Ivy is becoming what she wants to be. Jenks is strugling with life.All is in all his
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glory, doing his best to survive, in the abuse of others. Kisten, we finally find out what happened. Show Less
LibraryThing member AuntieClio
This one made me tear up more than once. We finally learn how and why Kisten was killed. Rachel gets herself into more trouble while fighting a banshee and the banshee’s weird family. We find out where Ivy’s wish from the first book went and we meet a ghost named Pierce who’s had a crush on
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Rachel since she was 18. I really like that nothing seems to go right for Rachel and I keep hoping that she’ll finally get a break. And I’m really sad that I have to wait a while to pick up the next one and find out how she gets out from under both Al and the coven that has it in for her. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009-02-24
Physical description
504 p.; 6 inches
ISBN
0061138010 / 9780061138010