A Perfect Blood

A reboot for the series, this is Rachel's "new normal". This book started slow for me, with Rachel's trademark foot dragging putting off the inevitable. By the end, I felt like I was reading the prelude to the rest of the series... Still completely satisfying to revisit these characters, Wayde was a fun new addition. This book resolves uncharacteristically few issues, but the one it attacks is pretty huge. ( )

excellent continuation of the series. I like where it's headed

In some ways, A PERFECT BLOOD felt like a greatest hits or a reunion show - characters, events, and themes that sometimes take a backseat in the Hollows books all play a part. There's lots of Ivy, David the alpha werewolf, politicking amongst I.S. and F.I.B., lame ex-boyfriend Marshal, Ceri, Quen, a very satisfying amount of Trent. This assemblage, friend and foe, all seems to point toward something new, something I've never thought about in the Hollows books before: endgame.

I've never wondered where Harrison is heading with all of this, what I want Rachel's life to look like when the series is over, if there's any possible way for elf, demon, witch and human to live in peace. A PERFECT BLOOD set all of these issues down on the table for me, and gave me some confidence that Harrison has answers in store.

There's a plot, which is pretty gripping, about a group of anti-Inderlander humans who want to synthesize demon blood and are willing to commit horrible atrocities in order to do it. But I don't want to talk about the plot. Something about A PERFECT BLOOD put me in a reflective mood. Kim Harrison has made so many choices over the course of this series that turned out right. Like, reviewers often gripe about how annoying it is that every time Ivy walks onto the scene we get a paragraph about how gorgeous and dangerous and irresistible she is. And it's true, I've felt that way myself, "Gah, why must I read another swoony description of Ivy's throat as she drinks orange juice?" - but you know what? The Hollows is the only urban fantasy series I can think of where, ten books down the line, vampires have retained their mystique. Vampires in this world are SCARY. Ivy is Rachel's roommate but she's still strange and foreign, unnerving. And THAT is why vampires retain their mystique in this series. Because Rachel is just as deeply affected by Ivy - by all of them - now as she was way back in DEAD WITCH WALKING. All those descriptions add up to something powerful, something that gives the world integrity.

I think the last couple installments in the series - PALE DEMON and BLACK MAGIC SANCTION - might be better books in some ways, more pulse-pounding and visceral. There were a couple of major plot points in A PERFECT BLOOD where I knew what was coming and I could guess what would have to happen to trigger the necessary event. Like, for example, Rachel's magic-dampening bracelet. She starts the book wearing a bracelet that cuts her off from the ley lines and prevents her from doing any magic. She wants it on so badly that I knew it would come off, and it was pretty easy to guess what sequence of events would provoke her change of heart.

But A PERFECT BLOOD felt pretty major to me. It marks a turning point. The last few books have been about Rachel figuring out who and what she is. Her personal story, from sickly child to badass demon, has told us the story of how her world came to be. And now that Rachel is ready to ACCEPT who and what she is, she's ready to change everything, for everyone else.

I dunno. I just love this series. I love the incredible worldbuilding, the concreteness of all the details, the huge cast of characters, the insane, high-stakes, high-octane moments played off against downtime at the church. I am especially delighted about everything that happens with Trent in this book. Because, seriously, he's got endgame written in big letters on his forehead in A PERFECT BLOOD and as far as I'm concerned, that's how it ought to be. ( )

Disappointing. It really seemed like the character was getting her act together in the last book, but she really lost it here. She could not make one good decision during the course of this book. And it's not just that they were bad decisions--they were stupidly awful decisions. For a woman who has been through what she has, you'd think her "let's not be a complete idiot" survival instinct would kick in. This was so frustrating it made it difficult to enjoy the story. ( )

The beginning of this book was so slow going that I made up a drinking game:

Drink Whenever:

- You are reminded of something that happened in the past (long series - lot of past events to explain)
- The author uses the word Moulage (WTF Harrison? Word of the day much?)
- Rachel feels guilty
- Rachel whines about her magic (or lack thereof)
- Rachel whines about her friends
- Rachel whines about her love life
- Rachel does something INCREDIBLY STUPID (like forgetting to check her gun is working, or that the guy she knocked out is actually knocked out, or running off on her own, leading to the next point)
- Rachel gets herself captured
- Vampire Pheromones are mentioned
- Rachel worries about Jenks being cold
- Rachel mistrusts the good guy and trusts the bad guy

I could have made a much longer list but by the time I was a quarter through the book I would be Jersey Shore drunk and, while my infant son was sleeping I didn't think he would appreciate waking up to Snookie passed out on the couch muttering "Moulage" over and over.

If you can push through the first half of the book it does get better after Rachel takes off the stupid bracelet and starts listening to Trent. It was a decently enjoyable read but, I didn't see much character growth or story progression. In a series as long running as this, we already know the characters and the world building has already been established. As such, I expect the author to use her 400 pages in order to move the larger storyline along rather than let our characters sit stagnant.
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