Monday, December 27, 2010

Review: Dead Witch Walking

Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows - Book 1) by Kim Harrison

Publication Date: April 2004
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal
ISBN-13: 9780060572969
ISBN:
0060572965

(E-book from the Library)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Borders, IndieBound

If you live in Morehead, KY or the surrounding area:

Purchase from our local independent bookseller: CoffeeTree Books
Borrow from our local library: The Rowan County Public Library

Kim Harrison on the web: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Website

Excerpt from Dead Witch Walking

Book Trailer: This is a fan-made trailer for the entire Hollows Series



Synopsis:

The underground population of witches, vampires, werewolves - creatures of dreams and nightmares - has lived beside humans for centuries, hiding their powers. But after a genetically engineered virus wipes out a large part of humanity, many of the "Inderlanders" reveal themselves, changing everything.

Rachel Morgan, witch and bounty hunter with the Inderland Runner Services, is one of the best at apprehending supernatural lawbreakers throughout Cincinnati, but when it comes to following the rules, she falls desperately short. Determined to buck the system, she quits and takes off on the run with an I.S. contract on her head and is reluctantly forced to team up with Ivy, Inderland's best runner... and living vampire. But this witch is way out of her league, and to clear her name, Rachel must evade shape-changing assassins, outwit a powerful businessman/crime lord, and survive a vicious underground fight-to-the-death... not to mention her own roommate.

Thoughts:

This is a book I had been wanting to read for a very long time. I finally downloaded it for my e-reader from my local library. I just had a feeling from the cover and what I'd read about Kim Harrison and her writing that this book would be one I would enjoy. It definitely did not disappoint. I have recently really started to get into reading Urban Fantasy and Paranormal books or books with magical elements and this one had it all. Vampires, witches, pixies, even hellhounds.

Rachel Morgan decides that being on her own has to be better than continuing to work for the Inderland Runner Service. She has a tendency to flaunt the rules and it's finally caught up with her, causing her to get the very worst assignments when she is capable to bringing in the worst supernatural criminals. But when she leaves she takes the Inderland's best runner, Ivy with her. Ivy may not be the simplest of roommates and partners though. She's a living vampire and that makes for interesting company around midnight. Rachel has a contract on her head and she has to find a way to pay of her contract and get her freedom back.

Harrison has created some of my favorite characters in the paranormal realm so far. Rachel is a earth witch who can make charms and cast spells and even shape-shift, even though that tends to get her in trouble. I really enjoyed reading about her and all the scraps she gets into. She is a strong character, knowing that she'll be facing a death threat if she leaves the Inderland, she does it anyway. She isn't afraid to go where others fear to tread. She's got guts and determination. But, she has a vulnerable side we are able to see now and then and that makes her a character easy to identify with.

Ivy and Jenks are such wonderful supporting characters as well. I loved the idea of a pixie being a sidekick. Not only that, but Jenks was a tough little dude. And he had Rachel's best interests at heart. He added a lot of really good comic relief to the book and I found myself wondering what Harrison would make come out of his mouth next. Ivy was a very sensual character and created a lot of sexual tension for the book and a lot of mystery. Readers will probably be wondering throughout the book, just exactly what Ivy is up to, what's in it for her.

Harrison did an excellent job of creating the Hollows itself. This place where witches and vampires lived while the rest of the population feared to even go there. It kind of reminded me of a "Chinatown" or a "Little Italy" where those weren't just like everybody else, made a home for themselves and carved out their own niche. I liked the way Harrison was able to explain how the paranormal being were exposed and able to live among humans. I thought the book was very well written and thought out and I can't wait to read the next book in the series... This one is definitely going to make my paranormal top ten of the year!

Dead Witch Walking as well as the other books in the Hollows series is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!






Best known for her paranormal fantasy series starring sexy witch/bounty hunter Rachel Morgan, New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison is one of the leading lights in a burgeoning hybrid genre that combines fantasy, mystery, horror, and romance.

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