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White Witch, Black Curse
The Hollows Series #7

by Kim Harrison

Kim Harrison’s seventh entry in the Hollows series is non-stop action and heart-pounding mystery. But the book is not for those who haven’t been keeping up with the series, for much of Harrison’s personalized terminology, and the workings of her fantasy's characters, will confuse new readers.

Overall, the book was a little bit below par, compared to others in the series. One reason seems to be that storylines begun in other books were not really continued with any satisfaction, and bounty hunter/witch Rachel Hunter has a LOT of work to do to make up for past decisions. However, Kim Harrison’s writing is tightly controlled, and filled with taut plotting and dynamic characterizations. The story sweeps the reader into Rachel’s thrall, and the personalities involved are realistic (for a fantasy!) and multi-dimensional.

Ongoing action involves the mystery of Rachel’s lover’s death, and her intense relationship with business partner Ivy. In many ways, the novel seems like something of a treading water/transitional book, meant to fill some gaps (but not all!) in the story and take Rachel, Ivy and their business to a new level, away from the on-again-off-again sexual tension, and more into a solid companionship and work collaboration. This part is good, but it is hard to read, since you want more action and a quicker pace, as is more typical of Harrison’s previous Hollows books.

The banshees come more into the limelight here, and that is fun, but a bit scary, since they are depicted as apex predators. Those in the know on Harrison’s series will agree that if banshees replace vampires at the top of the "food chain" the series will take a completely new mood. It can be hard to write a good review without spoilers in series such as this, but I will tempt you by saying that there are interesting revelations about Rachel’s mother, and about Kisten. In addition, there are some fun "guest appearances" by characters from the short stories in the Hell anthologies. However, pivotal characters, such as Al and Trent only have walk-on roles in White Witch, Black Curse.

One thing that is tough, (Charlaine Harris of Sookie fame does the same thing) is that new characters from short stories and novellas appear and unless you have read Harrison’s entire body of work, you won’t have a clue as to where some characters came from, what their relationship to Rachel is, or how the portrayals will flow in the future. Something to look forward to? Absolutely. But frustrating if you just want to focus on the Hollows series!

Vampiric Charms (Rachel and Ivy’s business) gets a good workout in this novel, and although the bridging aspect of the book is tough, it is pleasant to see some of the inner workings of Vampiric Charms, and the new texture of Rachel and Ivy’s personal feelings for each other.

Last, but definitely not least, the introduction of a new love interest sparks some serious interest in book eight, Black Magic Sanction, due out in March 2010. I loved Bis, the gargoyle of the church that Ivy and Rachel call home and business, and the clever touches of humor, however dark. If you picked up this book having not read the others in the series, I strongly recommend you start with book one, Dead Witch Walking, and bring a entirely new vampiric fantasy series into your life.

Enjoy!

Reviews of other titles in this series

For a Few Demons More #5
The Outlaw Demon Wails # 6
White Witch, Black Curse #7
Black Magic Sanction #8
Pale Demon # 9
A Perfect Blood #10

Into The Woods (Hallows & Beyond)

The Book

EOS / HarperCollins
December 2009
Mass Market Paperback
978-0-06-113802-7
Urban Fantasy
Amazon

The Reviewer

Laura Strathman Hulka
eviewed 2010
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