White Witch, Black Curse

White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison

Rachel Morgan/The Hollows

ISBN# 978-0-06-113801-0

Available now

Published by Eos/HarperCollins

Format: HC, 504 pages

Genres: fiction, urban fantasy

This is the seventh book in the Rachel Morgan series, also called The Hollows.  There is just not enough Trent time in this book although Rachel's first love does pop up in this book, and no it's not Nick.  So far these are the only books she writes, but that will change in May when her YA book, Once Dead, Twice Shy is released.  To get a sneak peak of the heroine and her world in this book read the novella entitled, "Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper", which can be found in the anthology Prom Nights From Hell.  If you love Kim Harrison and her books she also has her own Yahoo! Group, The Hollows.  If you're mad that Kisten's dead there's also a Yahoo! Group for that, Bring Back Kisten Felps.  Who knew people were that pissed off?

As this book begins Rachel is still trying to regain her memory of Kisten's killer while maintaining her platonic relationship (a first?) with Marshal, and starting to think her life's finally coming together.  It was a nice dream.  It all starts to go downhill with a phone call from the FIB while Rachel and Ford, the human mood ring, are on Kisten's boat trying to jog her memory.  Once Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks arrive at the crime scene all signs point to one or all of the missing family being Interlanders (supernaturals).  The woman and child are soon found to be banshees (apex predators that feed on emotions often with fatal results), but the FIB make the situation even worse by bringing in another banshee to bring in the first two.  Rachel discovers that The Walker is just an assassin out to kill Ms. Harbor so she can take her child.  While all this is going on Rachel manages to make a move on Marshal and a ghost, literally, from Rachel's past shows up only to get snatched by Al.  So now she's trying to rescue a friend from Al and save the city from hungry banshees only to find herself suddenly shunned for being a black witch.  So much for getting her life back on track huh?

So, I like the story and I like most of the characters.  The series is very readable and sucks you right in, but Rachel doesn't seem to be growing up at all.  Her ho issues may, in fact, be getting worse.  She messes around with Marshal in this book and then, "Look!  What's that?", a sexy ghost appears.  Say no to the sexy ghost and yes to sexy Trent!  It's been seven books now, where is the Trent and Rachel hook-up?  Now that Kisten's gone I am all about Trent and I will have you know he was only in this book for like three pages!  Ok, back to the book... this book gets a little bogged down in the middle with tons of stuff going on all at once, but it picks back up fairly quick.  So, great series if you love urban fantasy and want to read about more than just your average vampire or werewolf.  If you're still hoping Rachel will grow up sometime in this series I am here to tell you, not yet.

Zhye