White Witch, Black Curse (The Hollows, Book 7)
by Kim Harrison
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Book Summary Information
Author: Kim HarrisonEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-02-24
ISBN: 0061138010
Number of pages: 512
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Book Reviews of White Witch, Black Curse (The Hollows, Book 7)
Book Review: Best in series, best in class, w/Major Transition
Summary: 5 Stars
All around, with some caveats, this is the best book by far in the series. BUT if you can't handle some change and the author growing the purpose and intent, substance of her work, think hard about opening up for a different read than before.
Quick points:
1. Many reviewers comment that you need to read other works of her's outside the story. That may be a big reason for a lot of the negative reviews. Remember, the author knows the short stories on her character, they ARE a part of the character's world so should read them if you want to understand it all. Do the suggested reading: Holidays are Hell, Dates From Hell, Hotter Than Hell before reading this book.
2. This book is big picture and Kim is developing HER series differently than the standard. I love it. I'm tired of same stuff writers. I can get that from the last few crap books of Anita Blake/L. K. Hamilton. That being said the book is disjointed at times. I think the author must have had a traumatic experience or flashback to painful times in her life and it definitely came into this book.
3. You simply don't get what you expect in this book. Everyone thought it would be more about her demon wrestling, dark curse spell cooking ever-after and Kisten revenge. NOT. Soooo you either luv it or hate it. She did drop several clues in previous books and is still going in the direction she clued us into regarding Al and her family and Ivy so it's NOT too much a stretch. Her different approach was obvious to me early and got my mind digesting on what Harrison was aiming for fairly early. I was into new deal well before two major plot lines were wrapped up and thoroughly enjoying trying to ID the character development clues as well as say YESS I KNEW IT when I guessed right. The more daft readers won't get it and pan her...
4. Con: Kisten situation wrapped up anti-climatically as if Kim just didn't want to deal with it anymore, leaving readers thinking 'so this butcher job is what happens to a major character and plot line?'
5. Pro: It made her a different author in that she was ripping the expected satisfaction away from us to hit us with a dead wet fish about our socio/political machinery. You don't like the wet fish as a reader untill you wash ur face and ask WTF did she do that for? Once I perused the entire book in my memory I gained loads of respect for her move, but hope she doesn't do it again as most times we like a predicted butt kicking showdown that rings all the bells for miles around.
The up side is that the Kisten conclusion WAS used as a power trip AND opened a whole new area of future action between Rach and her vamps IF you manage to comprehend the obvious. It was just too abrupt for me and made me totally miss the power trip rush I read these books for as I was still confused by the sudden closure. So I agree there are things to DISLIKE in how she handled Kist's stuff. I want to read bone twisting fights/throat ripping fights, not smell putrid wet fish on my face, lol...
6. You must be willing to let your author take you for a improved ride (or stop reading books). Artists develop (thank god) so should their series and what it's about. If you can't see that what happens at/to her mother('s) place isn't a HUGE GIANT Bullhorn telling you the series is changing as the character is maturing, then go read standard romance novels. And no, I looked forward to a Mom teaches Rach cool things as they take on the world, so I didn't LIKE how that was dodged. But Harrison has mixed family things a bunch...there is still hope.
7. So this is a "transition" book on many levels. You can in enjoy it or whine about not getting the exact same spaghetti sauce as last week/year/decade. I loved it for the closing off of tired story lines, the big move up to graduate school with the characters, the cold vs. warm sides of things, and lastly the breath of fresh air.
8. Many reviewers just seem to miss things like that the Ivy/Rachel thing DOES have significant developments. You can't do everything on all the anticipated events, so some will tread some water like the Ceri baby thingy while Rachel deals with major events. If you're a fan of this series you MUST read WWBC to be prepared for what's coming and SHOULD read the anthologies be4 u read WWBC.
In general...
It was very well rounded with a some-what unusual and even painfully-awkward-for-the-reader at times wrap-up. I use the term "wrap-up" to mean that there are almost 2 endings here that seem disjointed. The kick here is that when I put it down and puzzled over it all I was impressed with the bigger picture I think this book was about. It left me more satisfaction from a book than I've had in a long time.
Like others I expected more spelling/curse cooking adventures with Al. We got some serious Al development (he's a lot more than the same old Al Rachel loves to hate) with a fairly sneaky next-book teaser with symbolic twist on what their relationship will be like in the future.
SKIP TO "SPOILER OVER" I mean is Rachel and their relationship is clearly metamorphosing, but is she getting a deadly ice butterfly or is he getting soft and appreciative with a cool new gift/familiar???
SPOILER OVER
This book was like that most of the time, refreshingly side-stepping the predictable with some hard twists while others (the big news) are more like a slow slide where you eventually raise ur your head up and say how did we get HERE Kim, WTH???. So you shouldn't go into it with a "I know what's gonna happen and I luv to get my fix" attitude. This book is more of a artist telling a more big-picture story and changing the series to a new stage (characters should age/change in a long series) than just another installment of action packed/slam bam she's a bad mofo/watch her kick butt in a tricky jam.
Don't get me wrong our witch picks up some significant power tools and of course more dragging anchors/obstacles for the future. So I got my fix while being highly impressed by all the changes in the characters' relationships, particularly a feeling that this boy toy will be around for a while. Kim is really putting some serious legs not only Rachel's jogs but this series IMHO. Our favorite witch has moved into the graduate level spell world, shows us world-class line magic that impresses the hell out of Ivy. Our HOT witch is set to become a powerhouse particularly with the new man-meat despite the judgmental attitudes surrounding her demon work. Harrison deftly uses that judgmental attitude to make two major changes in character availability, and adds one that really opens up lot's of fun with her new white witch/dark world buddy as well has holds open the chance for the world to be educated about the real Rachel. Don't you just love the chance to anticipate a good "I told you so" comeuppance?
Yes there is Rachel whining and other things I generally have on 'auto skip' edit mode while I read as almost all authors over do something in thier books.
The humanity lessons in this story very strong. You get some real feel-good here along with the villainy and crap in her life. I dropped some tears due to the touching parts. The was a heavy dose of well-done compassion and relationship richness in this one. Kim moved up to first class in my list. She casually drops a major but slow-burn bomb early leaving you to figure out how important it is as you begin to understand this book is a different horse than the previous rides.
Kim definitely made a strong decision to take her series well beyond the standard adventure installment series. She makes a unmistakable statement that her work is more than a great kick-butt preternatural power trip. She was sneaky in this book by sledge hammering on other thing IMHO. I loved that she left out some of the clues on where she was going, giving us with a hard left, then right turn in the story at then end. I just keep peeling the onion layers to her messages and character interaction. I got to puzzle a good bit in this book. Refreshing.
Needless to say Kim Harrison has my full applause and I'm stilling fishing in the depths of where's she going with Al and their new Witch/Boy Toy, Trent and the possibilities she's created with Ivy.
Enjoy!
Summary of White Witch, Black Curse (The Hollows, Book 7)
Some wounds take time to heal . . . and some scars never fade.
Rachel Morgan, kick-ass witch and bounty hunter, has taken her fair share of hits, and has broken lines she swore she would never cross. But when her lover was murdered, it left a deeper wound than Rachel ever imagined, and now she won't rest until his death is solved . . . and avenged. Whatever the cost.
Yet the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and when a new predator moves to the apex of the Inderlander food chain, Rachel's past comes back to haunt her.
Literally.
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