Every Which Way But Dead (The Hollows, Book 3)
Rachel Morgan's back! Bestselling author Kim Harrison returns with a new supernatural adventure that fans of Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris won't want to miss.
Some days, you just can't win. Witch and former bounty hunter Rachel Morgan's managed to escape her corrupt company, survive living with a vampire, start her own runner service, and face down a vampire master.
But her vampire roommate Ivy is off the wagon, her human boyfriend Nick is out of town indefinitely and doesn't sound like he's coming back while the far-too-seductive vampire Kisten is looking way too tempting, and there's a turf war erupting in Cincinnati's underworld.
And there's a greater evil still. To put the vampire master behind bars and save her family, Rachel made a desperate bargain and now there's hell to pay—literally. For if Rachel cannot stop him, the archdemon Algaliarept will pull her into the sorcerous ever-after to forfeit her soul as his slave. Forever.
Reviews
I enjoyed the first two books in the series - they both have solid plot lines. In book 3 the plot seems to be a day in the Rachel's life: dumped by boyfriend, start relationship with new boyfriend, get a job, do the job, and express Rachel's feelings. There doesn't seem to be any goal to be achieved or mystery to be solved. Just a slow steady plodding through life's events. The character never takes charge, but is reactive to the world around her. A bit dull compared to the first two books in the series.
This is such a fun series, Rachel Morgan is one sassy witch. I plan on reading the whole series. I am really enjoying taking time to myself, get a glass of ice tea and settle down with the book and get lost in the world of the Hollows. Thank you Kim Harrison!
I originally found this series on Kindle. I fell in love with it. It has the same feeling as the Sookie Stackhouse series. It's an easy read and very entertaining!
This series has a full head of steam and it just isn't letting up. I'm a little late to the party in that there's a bunch left to read yet, but I'm officially addicted to the universe Kim Harrison has crafted.
As far as the plot is concerned. That's difficult to nail down. It's not that there's so much of a main plot as there's many plots and side stories going on all at once but each and every one is fun and promises interesting things to come. So rather than call it a 'plot', I find it more of 'a few days in the life of Rachael Morgan'
In the absence of Piscary's presence, there's a shifting of power in the Hollows' underworld. There's a new player in town and he wants to take over the territory. How does this lead to Rachael? Ivy, her friend and roommate is Piscary's scion. She doesn't want the power or the responsibility so Kisten is back, acting as Piscary's stand in. At this point anything involving Ivy involves Rachael so she's smack dab in the middle of it.
Trent Kalamack rears his manipulative head once again as he's also embroiled in the turmoil of Hollows criminal underworld. Once again, how does this involve Rachael? Who better to run security for Trent during his meet with the new power in town than one of the best runners Cincinnati has to offer?
In the midst of all those goings on, Big Al is (pardon the pun) hellbent on dragging Rachael down into the ever after with him.
And during the course of all of THAT, Rachael's love life is thrown a curve ball so she has her own personal issues to deal with. Rachael is a busy little witch to be sure.
Old faces return, some are absent and some new and interesting characters take their places. What I really enjoy about these books (and I've said it before) is even the 'normal' day to day things are fun to read. In fact, they're as fun to read as any of the major or minor plot lines. I also love the way Harrison handles adult themes. She can write sexy material without being blatantly sexual. She can write interesting love scenes with a purpose that aren't there just to shock a reader or keep them titillated or being blatantly pornographic. That's something a long standing series in the same genre could take a few pointers from. Of course I won't name any names ;)
Overall, Rachael is just a great character to read. I see some reviews and critique blurbs state that it's similar to the Anita Blake series, and in some ways it is. I guess it's unavoidable being an urban fantasy dealing with some of the same themes and iconic fantasy characters (weres, vamps, witches, etc). So I see some similarities while reading this but I honestly find that this is much more enjoyable in my opinion. It remains fun yet serious and Rachael is a flawed yet well meaning character who's strong, funny, sexy and vulnerable and through it all she remains completely LIKABLE. It's funny when a witch comes off more human than some human characters I've read over the years.
A++ on this book and the series as a whole!
*** WARNING LOTS OF SPOILERS ***
I really like the whole world that Kim Harrison has created for these books. She manages to get a nice scene set and create a nice mental picture for you without droning on like some authors tend toward. I'm not going to give a rundown of the plot because pretty much everyone on here has already done that. However, I will say that the one flaw with these books, which is a personal pet peeve, is that the main character is weak. Not as in she has no power or can't do anything but sort emotionally or mentally, in the sense that so far in the last three books she never actually uses her potential power and even when she does fight or use her magic she's constantly worried that she may have hurt someone. I mean seriously, Francis would have been happy to see her dead and made it obvious but she was constantly trying to keep him from getting hurt and then was horrified when he died. At this point she's not ever actually done anything impressive. If it wasn't for her friends she would have been dead a long time ago. She just doesn't come across as being very bright at all. I mean really, she goes into the lair of a Master Vampire without any actual plan and then when she gets lucky enough to stop him from killing her she only wants to put him in jail knowing he can pretty much have her killed whenever he wants? Real bright... Seriously, at least have the main character save her own butt now and then without it being just pure luck...