Kim Harrison (1) (1966–)

This was the make or break book for me for this series. The first book, "Dead Witch Walking" showed promise but left me wondering if I really cared what happened to the main character, Rachel Morgan. The second book, "The Good, The Bad And The Undead" sealed the deal for me.

It is better written, faster moving and has a much better plot than the first book. It starts with an action scene, Rachel on a Run to capture... a koi? Fast action mixed with dry humour set the tone for the book. At show more least I thought it did. Then, about halfway through, things got darker and much, much better.

What cranked up the quality was the relationship between Rachel and her vampire roommate. In the first book, this had been stylish and cool and intriguing. In this book, it becomes central to the plot and becomes much more about an intense relationship between two strong women struggling with secrets kept and confidences betrayed.

In this book, Rachel has finally stopped whining and started to take responsibility for herself and deal with her situation. She starts to accept that she should be using her abilities as a witch and not just stumbling along.

Unfortunately, she does this just at the point that witches are being killed across the city.

Just about everything I learned in book one is revisited in a new context with more information and shifts into a new pattern. This is very well done and the final pattern is much stronger than I expected it to be.

The baddies in this book are less black and white and the goodies turn out not to be who or what we thought they were.

Overall, "The Good, The Bad And The Undead" is a step up from its predecessor and delivers a solid but still stylish piece of Urban Supernatural Fantasy.

As usual, Marguerite Gavin does an excellent job with the narration. Click on the SoundCloud link below to sample her delivery

https://soundcloud.com/harperaudio/the-good-the-bad-and-the-undead-kim-harrison show less

Thanks goes to Netgalley for this ARC!

And maybe that should be double because I fell out of my chair when I discovered that I was approved. So here comes the total honestly: I'm a total fanboy of the series. I always have been. So when the series ended and I had nothing new to look forward to in this universe, I felt so sad. So sad.

But now? So happy!

We're in the sixties now. Yup, too early for most of our favorite characters to show up, but here's a little surprise for you: soooooo many of show more the supporting cast happens to be worked right into the tale. I didn't even have a single qualm about any of them showing up. Not even Rachael's teenager dad. :)

This is a backstory novel in the very best sense of the word. We get all of the downfall of humanity and the rise of the tomato-immune peoples, the elvish and vampire involvement in the tragedy, but more importantly, we get to learn all about another certain MC's parents. I can't say it's a particularly happy tale despite the ongoing need to put a brave and optimistic face on things from Trisk's PoV, but she's having to fight many battles on many fronts and my heart goes out to her. Mysogyny rears its nasty 60's head.

And then, of course, is the supernaturals deciding to come out of the closet and we get that story as well.

But there's one main character from all of the Hollows series that gets a nice big chunk of a role in this one that I just had to squeeeeee about.

And I refuse to reveal his/her/its name here.

But I loved it. I really really really loved it. :)

The whole novel was a perfect companion to the rest of the series and there's a lot to connect with even though most of the characters are either seen in new light or are fleshed out a ton. I geeked-out about it all. This goes well beyond nostalgia. It's a real Hollows novel. :) show less

Ley line witches are being murdered in Cincinnati. Rachel has been hired as an Inderlander consultant to help track down the killer. But Rachel will have to use magic she loathes in order to discover the truth. And where it leads her, there is no coming back from. If she isn't careful, she may just end up in debt to a demon and lose her soul.

The dynamics of Kim Harrison's characters have always been the reason I continued this series. Rachel alone would not be enough to carry the story. Her show more impulsiveness makes her wind up in entertaining situations, but she isn't a strong enough heroine. She's still learning, fumbling about and without Ivy and Jenks, I doubt she would make it far. As a character, Rachel has a lot of development to go through, but that's the point of reading a series right?

I do have to admit Ivy is my favorite character. I always fall for the torn and conflicted ones, and Ivy fits that bill. She is the strong female character I always gravitate towards, and seeing her in a secondary character role makes me savor the moments she is on the page. I also love the friendship between Rachel and Ivy. Rachel won't abandon Ivy, despite any hiccups that may happen between the two of them. This makes me appreciate Rachel more as a character. Kim has built a world where living vampires are slaves to their instincts, and watching Ivy continue to struggle against her basic instincts, all in a fight to just be a normal friend to someone tears me up.

I'm glad to say I am enjoying this series just as much as I did ten years ago when it first hit the shelves. If you want a series filled with action, friendship, sarcastic comedy, and demons, pick this one up. show less

Brought on by the death of her mother, Meg has been suffering from severe anxiety for years. Every day is a living hell as she fights her way through panic attacks and irrational fears. All Meg wants is to be a normal person again. To be able to be around people without worrying about when her anxiety will throw her into a panic attack and make her run home. When Meg's therapist, Dr. Jillian, suggests an experimental drug called Fitrecepon, Meg jumps at the chance and begins taking them. show more While it isn't immediate relief, Meg slowly starts to handle day to day life easier. Until she meets Haley, a guest teacher at the university. Suddenly it's as if life is ready and waiting for Meg, as Haley pulls her into a whirlwind of activity she would never have been able to achieve on her own. But are things too good to be true? A man lurks in the shadows, watching Meg, warning her that Haley isn't what she seems. Is Haley the friend Meg needs to pull her free of her crippling anxiety, or is it an illusion?

The way Kim Harrison paints Meg's anxiety is spot on to what I know my anxiety to be like. A few reviews I have read spoke about the confusing beginning and how they didn't know what was going on. Welcome to the life of someone suffering from anxiety. Your thoughts race, irrational fears, and questions begin to pop up out of nowhere and you suddenly find yourself unable to do anything but breathe. Meg does all she can to just walk out of the house to meet a few friends. Hell, there have been times I've been so crippled up I can't even accomplish that.

There is a good deal of blurring reality with illusion in this novel. The reader is never sure if what Meg is seeing is real, or just a side effect of her new medication. This does allow the fantasy elements to come into play as hints are dropped at whether or not there are fey involved. Having read the novel I can't honestly tell you if they are real or not. It makes me want to read it one more time and pick apart everything to make a more informed decision on the matter.

I do wish there had been a bit more build up with some characters. Aside from Meg, you don't learn much about anyone else. I think seeing the other characters on the page more would have added to the twist Kim threw towards the end. Dr. Jillian was the therapist, only seen during therapy. Haley was the friend only seen when shopping and going out to dinner. It was a very closed minded approach compared to her other novels where she flushed out each and every character over time.

As much as I love The Hollows series, I enjoyed seeing Kim Harrison experiment with a different type of writing. While this book is intended for adults, I can easily see young adults enjoying it as well. show less