Into the Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond

The Hollows series featuring Rachel Morgan is one of my favourite urban fantasy series so I couldn’t resist picking up Into the Woods. This anthology includes a combination of reprinted Hollows short stories, and a new novella featuring Trent and Jinks, as well as a handful of tales unrelated to the Hollows.

All of the stories were new to me, though those related to the Hollows simply flesh out events and characters a reader of the series would already be familiar with. I don’t want to share too much of each story except to say I really enjoyed the entire collection, though I did have my favourites.

‘Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel’ was first published in the Holidays Are Hell anthology and is the story of the first time Rachel met show more Pierce. I loved this look at the genesis of their relationship as I’ve always had a soft spot for Pierce. The story also adds to Rachel’s character, giving a glimpse of her early power and strength.

Most Hollows fan’s would have paged straight to ‘Million Dollar Baby’, this is an original novella that provides insight into the quest undertaken by Trent and Jenks during Pale Demon. Trent is such a complicated character and in this story, Harrison explores his motivations more fully. Of course I love Jenks, and I really enjoyed the back and forth of their reluctant partnership here.

Of the unrelated stories, it was ‘Grace’ that captured my imagination and one I can see being developed into a new series though I also liked Spider’s Silk as a capsule story.

Into The Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond is a satisfying collection for fans of the Hollows, and proof, I think, that Harrison will be able to develop a new series after it’s demise. But it’s not over yet, Hollows #11, Ever After, is due out in January 2013 – I can’t wait! show less

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
allthingsuf.com

I’m not a huge fan of short stories, I usually preferred full length stories to their shorter brethren. Kim Harrison is one of the authors that can turn my reluctance into eager anticipation, as her shorts always spark possibilities in new worlds or provide insights into beloved, familiar characters. Harrison’s writing, no matter the length, offers a window into worlds so rich the characters and stories spill off the page.

As an inveterate Harrison fan, most of the Hollows stories that had been published prior to INTO THE WOODS were familiar to me, but not all (and a few are published here for the first time). Even readers more diligent than I will find more than enough here show more to keep them happy. I really enjoyed Harrison’s introductions to each story as well, a few sentences that gave me a sense of place and purpose before diving in. With each new short story I felt like I was getting a glimpse into Harrison’s writing process, seeing the seedlings that didn’t grow into full series… yet.

Though I have all of the Rachel Morgan books on my shelf, I’ve been more haphazard about collecting Harrison’s short fiction. INTO THE WOODS offered me the opportunity to own some old favorites as well as add some new ones. Above and beyond prompting an urge to go back and reread WHITE WITCH, BLACK CURSE or A FISTFUL OF CHARMS, getting precious glimpses of Al’s inner thoughts or Rachel’s early days or Kisten so heartbreakingly alive makes INTO THE WOODS a treasure in it’s own right. Seeing the start of Al’s and Ceri’s relationship, in particular, was very powerful. Even knowing the pain and abuse that would follow, and knowing how far away and uncertain any redemption was, I hated to have their story end.

Much like Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews, Harrison’s short fiction provides character growth, action, and often romance. I liked how this collection balances Hollows stories with new fiction. INTO THE WOODS left me itching to get my hands on EVER AFTER, and the last few stories in the anthology piqued my interest in Harrison’s potential offshoots. Spider Silk, one of the several variations exploring dryads and forest dwellers in this book, offers three generations of strong women and both magic and dangerous uncertainty. Grace established an interesting world mythology, strong main character, and potential love interest, all of which have me panting for more. A slam-dunk for Hollows fans with enticing new fiction hinting at Harrison’s future projects, INTO THE WOODS is a great read.

Sexual Content: Sex scenes. show less

I actually finished this last week, but haven't had the time or the dedication to give it a proper review until now. Part of the reason, honestly, is this CHAIR! My computer chair broke so I'm using an armless one that leaves no support for my elbows when I type. Apparently I have some wimpy ass elbows because I can't type long without my arms really bugging me now.

Cannot. WAIT. To. Get. Another. Chair.

Being the big dork - and rabid Hollows fan - that I am, I wanted to start this book in the back and work my way to the front. This way I got the Non-Hollows stories out of the way first and then ended with stories from the Hollows series as the big bang. I was curious about ALL the stories of course, but the Hollows spoke to me the show more loudest, exciting me the most.

An easy five stars for the wonderful short stories told in different perspectives or different stages in Rachel's life. The other shorts - four of them - all tell different tales that are original and intriguing.

I had it pre-ordered before it's release and started it in October, so finishing in December is quite sad. I think I wanted to slowly savor every word and drag it out since once it was done, I knew it would be done. That sad feeling when a beloved series is at the last page of the newest book? Yeah, that feeling.

NON-HOLLOWS STORIES:

Pet Shop Boys:

The main character, a man, had an awful lot of hang-ups. First he didn't want to date the woman because she was too pretty and he thought it wouldn't work, then he didn't want to because she had a kid. He then thought she might have an ex and come with too much baggage. At the party, he found she had another kid and then still didn't want to be with her because that's even more baggage. Sheesh. The guy really overthinks a first date and must be looking for the perfect life or something.

He was an okay person to read about, but clearly not the most charming color in the palette. I actually felt more for the “baggage” woman, a beautiful lady who despises her life due to her (avoiding spoilers here) bizarre nature, needs, and world. The kids were charming as much as they could be considering what they turned out to be.

I dug Harrison's writing style and tone with this one. It's not filled non-stop with relentless action or anything, but it really doesn't need that either. I almost felt like it was not a planned story, but she was writing it as it went along, coming up with ideas for it along the way. The story slowly unfolds at a make-sense pace, and even if the ending was a bizarre wrap-up, I could see how this one could possible evolve into a full length book if done right. The story behind the circumstances of the “villains” is unusual enough to stay interesting and want me to keep reading further.

Temson Estates:

Unusual story with Dryads. This one almost felt more like a few scenes to prove an emotion rather than a short story. It was written well and I loved the impact the characters felt through the lure and mystery of the legend. Overall it was okay but probably the one I enjoyed least in the book. An interesting tale that was told, but nothing too dynamic happened if this makes sense. A happy sort of story, almost like a romance in a way. I realize Kim Harrison must be incredibly interested in Dryads as she has two stories with different viewpoints on them, and also a different sort in the Hollows series as well. She also seems enamored with the woods and spirits, stories surrounding them.

Spider Silk:

What a yummy story! This was my favorite of the non-hollows. The villain? Brr. Imaginatively wicked, unusual, exciting, and the family thrust in the middle of it fascinated me. THIS is a story that would make a cool full length book as well. There's a lot that can be done with this type of creative villain. It's almost like a blend of fairy tale and poetry.

There is one thing about this that bugged me though, and I almost hate bringing it up. But the writing style itself greatly bugged me until halfway through. It's almost as if Kim Harrison was hesitant or a new writer with this one. I saw a lot of repetitive mistakes with writing skill that took me out of the story. She doesn't write like this with the Hollows and her other stuff so I have no clue what was happening here! It was just awkward.

That twist at the end, too - man! I would have loved to be able to read more of this one. The writing did improve as the story progressed. It was stunning. Would completely buy a book like this one if she wants to take this idea and run with it for a full-lengther.

Grace:

She created a very different sort of Urban Fantasy type world here. Even more than any of the others, I could see not only a full length book, but a series being born. You have the unusual world, the lead female heroine with flaws and strengths, a potential romance angle you want more of when the story is over and done, a beginning that spurs changes you want to keep reading about. It almost read like the first part of an Urban Fantasy book rather than a short story. I didn't fall in love with Grace - she was likeable enough but very average. It was the story and the possibilities I fell in love with.

THE HOLLOWS STORIES:

Bespelled -

I'm a huge Al fan and I devoured this one. Set in the time when Ceri was first taken by the demon. It adds an interesting background on more reasons she went with him and was in the situation. Also told some backlore with the elves back then, and all told through the point of view of Algaliarept, emotionaless, self-driven, and cruel over 1,000 years ago. The only thing I can say about this story is I wish it had been longer! I was excited about this one and it exceeded all my expectations.

Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel -

This story was amazing. I've seen lackluster comments on it but I don't understand why. Maybe it's because a lot of people dislike Pierce so he turned them off in the story. I found him endearing here. I loved seeing Rachel in a younger, much more innocent light. She was vulnerable and untainted. It's great to see her then and know how far she evolved by the time you opened the first page of the first Hollows book. I don't want Pierce as a romantic interest, but I do like him in general and it's clear in this story what a massive role he played in turning her into who she became. Her mother - always loved her quirky mother and can see where she gets her strength from. Digs very deeply into her emotions over her father's death and how this also spurred her on to follow in his footsteps. Her brother is rarely mentioned and not often interacted with. Seeing their banter and hangsup and relationship in this book was awesome to behold. It's made clear how sick she was and her lack of self esteem before the Hollows was born. She's certainly grown a lot - one of my favorite stories.

Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil -

This one was also good but not a favorite. I liked seeing through Ivy's head but she is wrapped up in the strange vampire politics which I find fascinating. Fleshes her out a lot as a character and I dug her here. Kisten didn't seem like himself but this could be because it's from a different perspective or situation, pre-Rachel for both. There was an incredibly hot scene in here!! Loved the ending and what it hinted toward.

Dirty Magic -

Told through the point of view of the minor villain Mina (from Black Magic Sanction). Banshees sure sound like a freaky interlander spcies to be avoided. The end held a surprising note for me. The writing with this one was almost hypnotically poetic and hauntingly beautiful. Nasty creature but she seemed realistic and had added depth and dimension from this telling. One of the shorter stories of the series.

The Bridges of Eden Park:

I will forever love and miss Kisten. One of the top three best short stories from The Hollows. This sweet line made my heart both melt AND break: “I told you, Rachel,” he said in my ear to start a warm spot in me. “I've got your back. Nothing alive will ever hurt you if I have breath in me. And nothing dead will hurt you if I don't.” Beautiful.

The story was a scene of sweetness between the two. Makes me recall the bridge from other book moments. Also nice to see Rachel dig into her magic and fighting spirit. Meeting Kisten's sister and nephew also intrigued me. Showed how messed up his life was and how sadly tragic it may have also been meant to end. As for the nephew, I'm curious about him. He reminded her of Kisten then, I wonder if he always shall, and I have to wonder if he'll always remember the woman who stood before vamps defending him, staring at her in awe as she boiled the water?

Bittersweet but wonderful story.

Ley Line Drifter -

Greatly enjoyed. Jenks has always been one of my favorites. I hope he always stayed Rachel's right-hand man. Ivy may have to move on as situations change but I hope she's always as close to Jenks in the same way she is now. And, I LOVE Bis but find him terribly underused in the series. Having him as a focus was great. Ivy was enjoyable here too as a loyal friend and sultry character. Finally good to read about Daryl coming into the picture and who she actually is.

What won this story over so much too is it was told through Jenks POV, so you get that feel of the pixie world that you never did as much before. The perspective is much stronger.

Million Dollar Baby -

I know this was many peoples favorites. Not mine. Good story but to me a bit long winded. Almost bordering on melodrama at times but carried out too long with certain scenes, like the grandmother and internal monologue. The action scenes themselves rocked, though, and Rachel is always right that Jenks is the perfect bodyguard and sidekick. His humor lightened the story and added much needed explanation. Personally I find a lot of the elven traditions a bit disturbing, and this was another one of them. It ended on a happy, powerful note that left good, impressionable feelings. show less

The first half of this book contains a series of short stories set in the Hollows world. And I think they do some excellent jobs as short stories – filling in the gaps of the character’s development. They tell the story of things we know happened in their past that we’ve heard about, that has often been mentioned, but which we haven’t actually seen. Because we’ve read the Hollow’s series we know that they are pivotal moments in the character’s past and really add to what makes them the characters they are and what motivates them.

So we see Rachel when she first summoned Pierce. Her struggle in still recovering from her illness and the constant battles against fatigue which, in turn, drive her to prove she is as strong and show more physically capable of those around her. Her resistance to a quiet “academic” life as, in some way, giving in to that weakness. It also really characterises and adds depth to her relationship with her brother.

We see Ivy first framing Arthur, her supervisor which certainly becomes a major element in later books as well as her interviewing Mia the Banshee for the first time. I think this story is excellent not just for showing us two iconic events in the Hollows series, but also for displaying vampire culture at its most blatant. I don’t think we learn over much about Ivy, certainly not beyond what we already do – the broken, damaged person that Piscary abused and the problems that left her with – but it did really show how much such abuse fits into the vampire world and how it is an expected part of vampire politics and, through that, the IS. The expectation that a rising living vampire has an obligation to give up their blood and their bodies, and how harmful this exploitation and abuse can be to their psyches.

The stories I thought were most revealing were both looking through Jenks’s eyes – just seeing things from the point of view of the Pixie, their culture, their size, their power and seeing through Trent’s eyes as he claims his daughter back. After so long with him being the cold hard manipulator, the almost antagonist, it’s such a change to actually see who he is, his motivations, his beliefs, his worries – and through them to gain an insight into Elven culture, perhaps the Inderlander species we’ve seen the least of. The same applies to seeing Ceri first becoming Al’s familiar – these were the 3 stories that shed more light into corners of Inderland we hadn’t seen very much.

At the same time, if you have read the Hollow’s series, this book won’t add anything. Everything in these books has been referred to or inferred to some degree in the main plot line. The extra information added does nicely flesh things out and let us see their pasts rather than merely hear it reported or remembered; but it adds nothing new, nor, particularly, does it develop the characters since we know this about them. It is still nice to see these moments we know defined their lives, nice to hear it from their own mindsets and especially nice to step outside of Rachel’s POV and see what the characters around her think – gaining gems like Ivy’s respect for witch magic or Rachel’s determination to overcome her physical weakness and definitely Jenk’s pixy-eye view.

It’s also worth noting for people who have bought anthologies that these short stories appear in different anthologies Kim Harrison has contributed to. Double check if you don’t want to buy the same story twice.


As these stories did occur in anthologies for readers unfamiliar with the series, there are moments when the lore has to be explained. Unlike some, I think this is really well done in most of the stories with minimal unnecessary exposition or clumsy info dumping. But Ivy’s story is still full of not just a lot of personal angst, but also a fair amount of info-dump to fill in the world.

This book also contains a section “Beyond the Hollows” which are stories not set in the Hollows universe. And I, honestly, didn’t enjoy them very much.

Read More show less

The Hollows

The first seventy percent or so of Into the Woods collects a number of stories set in Kim Harrison's Hollows world. One of them, Million Dollar Baby, the story of Trent's elf-quest told from his point of view, is new to this collection. The others are reprints, collected from other sources.

The Hollows stories gave me a deeper, better understanding of characters I thought I knew pretty well. They do exactly what you most hope an ancillary short story or novella will - enrich and enhance your understanding of the books, take nothing away, spoil nothing. I finished these stories impressed by Kim Harrison's craft.

The Bespelled: the story of how Al takes Ceridwen as his familiar, from Al's POV. Mostly interesting for the hints of show more honest affection Al feels towards Ceri.

Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel: Novella-length story about Rachel summoning Pierce as a teenager. I was never a Pierce fan, so I could take or leave his presence in any story. But the insight into Rachel as a teenager was really fantastic. She's in the process of applying to work at the I.S., still struggling to overcome the effects of her childhood illness, and we get a really clear picture of how her character was formed, why she became the Rachel Morgan we all know and love. Neat.

Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil: Novella-length story with Ivy as the POV character.This one started out really, really slow for me. I love Ivy, but her intense angst can be exhausting One of my favorite parts of the story comes when Ivy is interviewing the banshee Mia in her office. Ivy angsts so hard that Mia, full as if she'd gorged herself at an all-you-can-eat buffet, asks Ivy if she wants to be roomies.. The story picked up for me with the arrival of a banshee subplot and finished strong, with a great explanation of how Ivy ended up as Rachel's partner at the beginning of DEAD WITCH WALKING. I ended up really enjoying this novella.

Dirty Magic: brief story about Mia, the banshee. Fun, short, with a great twist. Especially enjoyed Harrison's intro at the beginning, where she explains how she re-imagined banshees as "apex predators".

The Bridges of Eden Park: Short interlude with Rachel and Kisten and a little action to liven things up. In her intro, Kim Harrison describes this story as a farewell to Kisten and we really see him at his best - troubled but solid, sweet but strong. It's been a long time since I missed Kisten, but this story is wonderfully bittersweet.

Ley Line Drifter: longer short story/not-quite-novella about Jenks taking a case on his own. In so many ways, Jenks is the heart and soul of all the Hollows books and reading a story from his perspective is heartwarming and heartbreaking. He's such a family man, he takes pride in such little things - teaching his children to read, for example - and seeing his happiness with Matalina, and how badly he wants her to live, might bring a tear to your eye (it did to mine). I'd love it if Kim Harrison did a whole spinoff series from a pixy's perspective - maybe one of Jenks' kids?

Million Dollar Baby: Trent's elf-quest with Jenks. Story is made of awesome because Jenks' proximity to Trent naturally results in many hilarious expletives involving Tinkerbell's privates. But, in all seriousness, this story catches Trent at a turning point in his life. If we're only going to get one peek into Trent's mind, this is the one to have.

Beyond the Hollows

Reading these stories set outside of the Hollows world reminded me a lot of the first time I started Dead Witch Walking - I hated it. In fact, I set it aside unfinished for quite a while before, in a bored moment, I picked it up again, finished the novel, and became completely enthralled &, of course, now I pre-order every new Hollows book the second Amazon throws up the button.

Something about the way that Kim Harrison starts a story just doesn't capture me. In these non-Hollows stories, I found the initial chapters off-putting...but by the time the novellas were done, I was ready to keep reading, and I was disappointed that they couldn't continue. I especially enjoyed Pet Shop Boys and Grace. Temson Estates and Spider Web didn't quite capture me.

Pet Shop Boys: shortish novella set in a world featuring a vampire/fairy hybrid species. Starts off a little slow, with a hapless guy who gets caught up in events he doesn't understand, but by the end I was wishing I had a whole novel to read instead of just a short.

Temson Estates: Another short, only a few chapters long. This one's about a young man who inherits a forest. He plans on having the trees cut to finance his graduate studies, until he discovers there are dryads in the trees. The mythology is interesting but the story itself is very rushed, the characters thinly drawn, and there's a fair bit of infodumping. Could be interesting if it were worked into a proper story, but it's not.

Spider Web: A novella about three generations of women - grandmother, mother, two young girls - who live on a property inhabited by a dangerous forest spirit. Intergenerational squabbling leaves the women vulnerable to the spirit's manipulations. The story just didn't work for me; Harrison's descriptions of the farm and woods were incredible, and while the trials and strained relationships among the characters felt real to me, the characters themselves didn't stand out as interesting or unique.

Grace: Urban fantasy novella about a special subset of the population who can "throw" electricity, for purposes as varied as blowing out lights to re-starting hearts. The throws themselves are either drafted into a government organization or "deadheaded", stripped of their abilities. The heroine, Grace, has stalled in her career because she's so good at what she does that nobody wants to promote her up the line. Her job is to collect unregistered throws; in this case, the target is older, with a fair amount of control over his ability, and absolutely does not want to be forced to tow the party line. There's a subplot involving an ex who moved up in the ranks faster than Grace, and another about her aging partner.

I received a free copy of Into the Woods from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review show less

I'm usually not one for short stories, yet I keep requesting the collections of them. However, Into the Woods was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed each story, and this collection is a must-have for the millions of Kim Harrison fans out there! These stories will grab you and not let you go! There are some new and some old stories in here, and while you may have read some of them, you haven't read them all. Also, not all of these are Hollows stories, and it's nice to see Harrison branch out and create other worlds. You won't want to miss this anthology.

My favorite story was "Ley Line Drifter," mainly because I love Jenks so much. I really enjoyed getting to see Jenks and Matalina interact. It added a whole new level to the series for show more me. I also enjoyed "Million Dollar Baby," even though it also crushed my hopes a bit. I enjoyed seeing things from Trent's perspective, and I adored his interactions with Jenks. As far as the non-Hollows stories, I think I liked "Pet Shop Boys" the best, and not just because it reminds me of the band. I really liked learning about new vampires. These guys were extremely interesting, and I'd love to see her write at least one full-length novel about them.

Overall, I'd recommend this to all Kim Harrison fans. I really believe there is something for everybody in this collection. I enjoyed each of the stories, and I hope to see Harrison branch out further into some of these new worlds in the future. show less

This book is a collection of already published short stories together with a few new ones. As a big fan of Kim Harrison, I couldn’t resist. I hadn’t read any of the already published stories yet (I don’t read many anthologies), so everything was new to me.

Most of my favorites were, of course, the Hollows-related stories. I liked seeing things from other characters’ perspectives, because normally we see everything through Rachel’s eyes. But the other star of the show was “Grace”, which was a completely new world including a different sort of ability — electricity manipulation. This is the sort of story that I would love to see her turn into an entire series, because it’s unlike anything else I’ve read in urban show more fantasy. Much preferable to yet another fae story, which is what “Pet Shop Boys” boils down to. I didn’t dislike the story, but it really didn’t excite me like “Grace” did.

On the other side of the coin, dryads don’t ring my bell like they obviously do Harrison’s. I found her dryad stories rather boring, and skipped most of “Temson Woods” and “Spider Silk” entirely.

Overall, this did a great job of filling in the time gap between one Hollows novel and the next for me. And my ARC of Ever After arrived shortly after I finished, so the timing couldn’t have been better! show less