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A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows #4)

by Kim Harrison

421 · rating details · 12686 ratings · 461 reviews

The evil night things that prowl Cincinnati despise witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan. Her new reputation for the dark arts is turning human and undead heads alike with the intent to possess, bed, and kill her -- not necessarily in that order.

Now a mortal lover who abandoned Rachel has returned, haunted by his secret past. And there are those who covet what Nick pos

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Mass Market Paperbound, 510 pages

Published May 2007 by EOS (first published October 2nd 2006)

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Jan 15, 2009

Nichole (Dirty H) rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampires, 2009, werewolves

Kim Harrison is a writer with a lot of imagination and a lot of personality. Her world and her characters are very original. Where she stumbles is in her actual writing.
Not only are there tons of typos in this book - spelling errors, grammar errors, etc ("it was a mute point"?! "she had to access the situation"?) - but her actual writing leaves a little something to be desired.
I have struggled with this series, finding it boring at times and hard to follow. I fi...moreKim Harrison is a writer with a lot of imagination and a lot of personality. Her world and her characters are very original. Where she stumbles is in her actual writing.
Not only are there tons of typos in this book - spelling errors, grammar errors, etc ("it was a mute point"?! "she had to access the situation"?) - but her actual writing leaves a little something to be desired.
I have struggled with this series, finding it boring at times and hard to follow. I finally came to the conclusion that the problem is that I don't understand the world that Harrison has created. She is so imaginative and has built a universe really rich in fantasy, but she has failed to make the rules of that universe clear. I do not understand her vampire society, I don't understand her werewolf hierarchy; it's all very confusing. Which makes the interactions and relationships between Rachel and the other characters (particularly Ivy) really hard to understand.

*Potential spoilers ahead* - I will try to keep them very mild so you'll probably be okay, but added a warning just in case.

Basic plot of A Fistful of Charms: Rachel discovers that her old boyfriend Nick, who disappeared at the end of the second book (I think; I don't remember exactly) has taken off to Michigan and gotten into a lot of trouble after stealing a priceless werewolf artifact, taking Jenks's son Jax with him. Rachel and and a human sized Jenks go to Michigan on a rescue mission; but is Rachel going to help Jenks save his son, or is this about her unresolved feelings for her ex-boyfriend? (Hint: it's B.)

What's good: The book is at its most honest and heartfelt when it deals with the unresolved issues between Rachel and Nick. Unfortunately this gets "resolved" pretty quickly, and it was a little convenient.
About halfway through, Ivy shows up for some unexplained reason (or maybe it was explained, but was pretty flimsy), and there are some really great scenes between her and Rachel. (I think this is probably what the book is actually about.)
The magic. This is where Harrison's imagination really shines through; when Rachel is performing spells, it's always fun to read.
Also, full sized Jenks is a lot of fun - though another reviewer complained about Rachel's constant ogling, and I have to agree.

What's bad: Some of the action in the book, particularly at the end, is pretty good. But there are several chapters where Rachel has to scuba dive to this island full of werewolves to rescue Nick, and that whole thing is BORING. It actually put me to sleep a couple times, and I don't think I'm the only one who struggled with it. I finally had to just skim until they got off or I never would have made it through.
My confusion about the structure of the vampire and werewolf societies made a lot of the plot of this book hard to follow. There are three werewolf packs on this island but they're all united under one alpha but only sort of and they're more aggressive because they want this statue... it was confusing. And what was the big deal about the statue? It might start a war? I'm a pretty smart girl, but I didn't get it. I basically came away with "it's valuable and dangerous". And they're willing to kill Rachel over it. I guess that's all I really needed to know, but it was all screwy and confusing.
Also still confused about the whole Ivy/Rachel/Kisten dynamic. And Kisten was missing from a lot of the book. He was at the beginning and the very end, but through the meat of the book he was just mentioned a lot because they seemed to be using all his stuff. Most of the time, though, Rachel didn't even think about him which was disappointing. Kisten is the best part of the seres, IMO!

I will doggedly continue to read this series. It somehow is able to keep me just barely interested enough to carry on, but there are a lot of things that confuse me and bother me about this series and try as I might, I don't think I'll ever understand why so many people love this series so much. Which is nothing against the fans; I'm kind of jealous, in fact. I want to love these books. They're just not really for me, I guess.(less)

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Apr 16, 2009

Anya rated it

Where the hell is Trent Kalamack???

He is probably off getting his elf butt married to that cold-hearted lady of the previous installment, but still... Where the heck is he? I am only a few chapters away from finishing the book and still fondly waiting for him to make an appearance. He is by far one of the most interesting characters of this series, along with Jenks, Ivy and of course Rachel herself. (Have to admit I am not precisely too great a fan of Ivy either...)

Nick.....more

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Dec 27, 2008

Lightreads rated it

Shelves: fiction, urban-fantasy, romance, fantasy, lgbt

This is a road trip book, taking Rachel (witch), and eventually Ivy (living vampire), out of town with a newly reconciled Jencks (pixie) to chase after Nick (human) the ex boyfriend and thief, a potentially powerful artifact, and a lot of werewolves. It’s funny, because though things do happen here and the plot carries forward, I am left with the impression of a placeholder book. Which is still not a bad thing, mind you, and I think Harrison’s instinct to get the original three out of the Hollow...more

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Jan 08, 2012

VampireNovelFan rated it

Shelves: vampires, urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance, shifters, witches, adventure, demons, elves, fae, comedy, mystery

Many people loved this book, but this was actually among my least favorite.

Nick, Rachel's ex-boyfriend is a conniving little snot. He adds nothing to this series, except my hate for him. He ends up partnering with Jax (Jenks' son) and they get themselves in trouble with the weres after their attempt to steal the Focus.

The gang take a road trip to save him and Jax, but Jenks needs to be a bit more powerful. Soooo Rachel makes him big! While this particular book wasn't my fa...more

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Apr 01, 2008

Jackie rated it

Shelves: urbanfantasy, 2008reads

In book 4 of The Hollow Series, Rachel and a supersized Jenks head to Michigan to rescue Nick and Jax. Nick has stolen an artifact that the Weres want but Rachel knows that it will be a war between the Vampires and Weres like never before. After rescuing Nick and Jax, Rachel plots to make it appear like the focus is destroy and Nick has died so the Weres will leave her peace and Nick will be saved. She finds out Nick has betrayed her in more way than one.

Harrison has become one of m...more

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Mar 23, 2008

Dannii (lilbob1980) rated it

· review of another edition

I found this book really hard to read compared to the previous three. Whilst there was all the usual excitement and twists and turns i was starting to feel like i had read this all before. Rachel is starting to get on my nerves a bit, i really can't understand how one person can keep making such bad mistakes and never learning from them, and she seems to have the biggest libido in the world. Can she survive five minutes without falling in love with someone? And is she ever going to stop toyi...more

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Dec 14, 2008

Crazy Uncle Ryan rated it

Recommended to Crazy Uncle Ryan by: Stephanie

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I really enjoyed this one. I think this was the best book in this series so far. One part in particularly that I really enjoyed was the conversation between Rachel and Peter when they are Nick’s truck on the way to the bridge. Once again, I’m really looking forward to seeing how the series continues.

There is one problem I wanted to mention. Near the end of the book I noticed a LOT of typos. The publisher might need to invest in some better proofreaders.

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Sep 29, 2009

Mel rated it

Kim Harrison does it again. Just when you think you're actually starting to like Rachel, Harrison turns her into a TSTL whining little girl who seems to be deliberately getting in the biggest trouble possible. All in the mean time while trying to get in the pants of everybody in a radius of 50 miles. And when I say everybody, I mean e-ve-ry-body. Male, female, married, single, big, small, witch, werewolf, vampire...it doens't matter people: Rachel doesn't discriminate. What she does is irritate....more

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Jan 21, 2009

Kristy rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book has quite a few noticeable errors in it and that is slightly annoying since they are just careless proof reading errors that should have been picked up.

I find that Ms. Harrisison often writes Rachel's ideas for runs in a very confusing mess. The goal isn't always clear which leads a reader like myself, skipping through it and then figuring it out while it's happening. There is something about the way she goes through Rachel's thoughts that just seems like she's struggli...more

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Feb 05, 2012

Jan Edwards rated it

· review of another edition

This is one in a series, but thankfully not serial, and while it might be useful to have read previous books (I have only read one other) it is not essential.

The premise if one of built in angst - with a bounty-hunting witch sharing both her home and (vampire) boyfriend with an emotionally disturbed vampire.

Rachel is a witch, who is, (almost inevitably) teetering on the precipice with her use of demon (as opposed to other) magic, and here is where maybe reading previous b...more

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Dec 19, 2011

Holly rated it

Rachel has moved on and is dating Kisten, still trying to keep the balance with Ivy, has gotten Jenks back and is keeping her business going (no small thanks to high paying jobs from Trent). When she finds out Nick is in huge trouble she of course has to come to the rescue of her ex-boyfriend, as she loves to help the underdog. Her trip to save Nick is not just to save Nick but Jenk's son who has been led astray and to a life of being a thief by Nick. In order to prepare for the trip she must us...more

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Oct 08, 2011

Kasia S. rated it

· review of another edition

Obviously I would not recommit this book to anyone who has not read the previous three installments, this series is so mouth wateringly good that you cannot miss a beat; it would truly be a loss for anyone to read this out of order. That aside I will keep the narration of this book short and sweet, ruining or giving anything away is the worst favor anyone can do with this series, the surprises emerge like spring flowers through the snow and action builds up with no sights set up on stopping anyt...moreObviously I would not recommit this book to anyone who has not read the previous three installments, this series is so mouth wateringly good that you cannot miss a beat; it would truly be a loss for anyone to read this out of order. That aside I will keep the narration of this book short and sweet, ruining or giving anything away is the worst favor anyone can do with this series, the surprises emerge like spring flowers through the snow and action builds up with no sights set up on stopping anytime soon. This book does not disappoint, there's drama, action, love and lots of good old fashioned fighting. I was enamored with this story and where it took the characters, it promises a good story continuation from here on!

Rachel is still amongst the living even though her luck has been stretching thin and what is in store for her in this novel is a big chunk of adventure. Kim Harrison really puts her all in her books, from the moment I open each novel I feel the warm welcome of the cozy church Rachel, Ivy and Jenks live in. The big kitchen with the wooden counter, large windows overlooking the pixy garden and the pots and pans, brownies baking or pizza sauce simmering and constant foods and spells Rachel is cooking up makes he hungry, she also simmers smells and makes charms, while I can't make those, at least reading about her cozy cooking makes me feel teleported into her world. The real charm of these books is the strength of characters and their bond with each other; Rachel the bounty hunter,then there's Ivy, her slinky hot vampire roommate with her almond shaped eyes, wearing leather and always defending her territory like a lioness and Jenks, mischievous and charming pixy with a great attitude, they are all familiar to but but they have a new problem on their hands. Nick, Rachel's missing ex-boyfriend is in trouble, and it includes an island bathed in mist, occupied by wild packs of werewolves. This book made me salivate and drool; finally the vampires make some room for the real monstrums in this book and with the help of some black demon magic, something that I can just tell will bite her back later, Rachel does the unthinkable, she finds a way to transform into a werewolf. I can not saying one more thing, the tale was sizzling and intense and things that happened between Rachel and Ivy almost made me fall out of bed. Hot hot hot....Something is happening between the powers of the wolves and the vampires and Rachel finds herself in midst of a huge new conflict. Read this and you will know it all!

I was thinking that my only complaint would be how long this book was, but honestly, after I read the last page I was looking up across the room for book five and then at the clock, then decided that 2;30 am is not the best time for starting a new Harrison book, it might lead to reading till my eyes fell and having to call out of work, not fair to others, so here I am, sitting here and trying to restrain myself from devouring the next installment. It's always a battle to try and hold on, the author is not only a generous and wonderful woman but she writes with so much love and humor and passion I hope she lives to be a thousand and writes millions of these books. She's funny like Xena, you know the warrior princess with brains and brawn, well she's just like her but a whole new combination of strong and cool, something you want in a writer that will knock you socks off.
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May 28, 2011

Books-treasureortrash rated it

Shelves: contemporary-fantasy, reviewed

Book Review: 2 Treasure Box rating

Nick, Rachel's ex, has stolen a priceless were artifac, and in the process has gotten both himselp and Jenks son into big trouble. It is up to Rachel and Jenks, along with a bit of help from Ivy to save the day. The book continues to show life with Rachel, Jenks and Ivy, including all the ups and downs.

A Fistful of Charms is the third book in the Rachel Morgan/The Hollows series. Currently there are nine books in the series, with anothe...moreBook Review: 2 Treasure Box rating

Nick, Rachel's ex, has stolen a priceless were artifac, and in the process has gotten both himselp and Jenks son into big trouble. It is up to Rachel and Jenks, along with a bit of help from Ivy to save the day. The book continues to show life with Rachel, Jenks and Ivy, including all the ups and downs.

A Fistful of Charms is the third book in the Rachel Morgan/The Hollows series. Currently there are nine books in the series, with another three or four expected to be relaesed in the future. This series is a modern day story that centers around inderlanders: witches, weres, vampires and others including the occasional demon, so it falls into the Contemporary Fantasy or Urban Fantasy genre. It is told in the first person narrative from Rachel Morgan’s point of view, she is the main protagonist.

There were several aspects of this book that I really enjoyed. I also found Rachel to be a bit annoying at times, but overall I liked some of the concepts in the book.I also found the storyline of Rachel being part of a pack, when she is a witch and not a werewolf to be a bit of a stretch (although it has been done in other series.) But of course it is always interesting to read about how Rachel gets out of the situations she puts herself in. In some ways it is endearing how loyal she is, but in other ways it does not always make a lot of sense. I found the whole bit about Jenks being upset with Rachel (for not telling him what species Trent belongs to) to be unrealistic and irritating. I did like how it segued into Jenks and Rachel getting back together to save Jenks son Jax.

It was really fun to read about Jenks as a full sized man. I also liked how the Nick storyline played out. The book was a complete story and had a good conclusion. Overall, the book was enjoyable and I will definitely be reading the next book in the series. I reccommend this book and series to anyone who enjoys reading contempory (urban) fantasy with a spunky witch as the main protagonist.

For more of my reviews go to: www.books-treasureortrash.com
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Mar 16, 2011

Ashley rated it

Ok let me just say that I actually really like these books, but man am I really starting to get sick of Rachel. I mean COME ON! Why is it that she almost never uses her powers. I know that she's worried about going black when she'd rather stay white, but if your in deep shit somethings got to give. She has all these powers and when she's in trouble she doesn't use them. She waits awhile to see how bad it get's first and I dont think that's because she likes to live on the wild side a bit too muc...more

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Feb 04, 2011

Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it

Shelves: hollows, urban-fantasy

Is there anything Rachel Morgan can't do? She's a witch & a bounty hunter; she has escaped a hit commissioned by her former employer; she's outsmarted a demon; and now we find she can twist demon curses and "Were" into a wolf. Of course, her personal life is kind of messy, but we'll get to that in a minute.

As the book begins, Rachel and business partner Jenks the Pixie are still on the outs. They haven't spoken for 5 months... ever since Jenks found out Rachel had kept a s...moreIs there anything Rachel Morgan can't do? She's a witch & a bounty hunter; she has escaped a hit commissioned by her former employer; she's outsmarted a demon; and now we find she can twist demon curses and "Were" into a wolf. Of course, her personal life is kind of messy, but we'll get to that in a minute.

As the book begins, Rachel and business partner Jenks the Pixie are still on the outs. They haven't spoken for 5 months... ever since Jenks found out Rachel had kept a secret from him. But now, his son Jax is missing. He ran off with Rachel's ex-boyfriend Nick and now they're both in trouble. Rachel and Jenks are able to finally put aside their differences and work together in a mission to rescue Jax and Nick.

They end up on an island of werewolves who are holding Nick hostage. And they not only have to free him, but deal with the sacred item he stole that all the wolves want so desperately.

As with all the Hollows books, the action is great, but this is fundamentally a character story. Rachel is in a relationship with Kisten, but he is merely a background character here. This is about how Rachel is resolving her feelings for Nick. He abandoned her when he left and hurt her terribly. Yet she maintains loyalty to him. I think Nick really does love Rachel. She is the first person who has ever loved him unconditionally and accepts him. And I think he simply believed that love and acceptance was limitless... that she would accept and forgive all of his bad choices as she always seemed to in the past.

And of course there is Ivy. I know there are people out there who think she is Rachel's HEA. But I've got to tell you, her obsession with Rachel is... well, it makes me uncomfortable. If Rachel liked women and was on-board for a sexual relationship with her, maybe I'd feel differently. But she doesn't. And her sudden open-mindedness about sharing blood felt out-of-character. I know there was a lot of writing about self-realization and I was onboard with the assessment that she was a thrill seeker. But if she was only convincing herself she didn't want to be bitten all this time, she did such a good job that she convinced me too. And the whole scene in the van with Ivy was disturbing. I believe she loves Ivy, that she wants to help her and be a true friend. The rest is a tangled mess. I guess it's supposed to be.

Noticeably absent: Trent and Al. But I know they'll be back. And I'll be back every time there is another chance to revisit the Hollows. A truly great series. 4 1/2 stars.
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Nov 11, 2010

Jer rated it

Shelves: kim-harrison

THIS IS A GREAT BOOK! I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE IN THIS SERIES(PALE DEMON)!
KIM HARRISON IS THE BEST, YOU WILL BE HOOKED WHEN YOU READ JUST ONE BOOK!
SHE WILL ALWAYS LEAVE YOU WANTING MORE...AND WAITING FOR THE NEXT IN THE SERIES!

You will not be disappointed! Kim Harrison's characters come alive, you will laugh and cry with them!
I reread the entire series every new release and LOVE every last one!!!

YOU TOO WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH KIM HARRISON, RACHEL, IVY, ...more

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Nov 05, 2010

Patrick D'orazio rated it

The latest installment in this series has Rachel heading up to Michigan to help Jenks retrieve his son and help her save Nick, her ex-boyfriend, who has been captured by some were's who hired him to find them a very powerful artifact that he refused to give to them when he discovered what it could do.

The character development here continues to be impressive and the tension between Rachel and Ivy gets boosted when she begins to falter about the tightrope they seem to be walking about s...moreThe latest installment in this series has Rachel heading up to Michigan to help Jenks retrieve his son and help her save Nick, her ex-boyfriend, who has been captured by some were's who hired him to find them a very powerful artifact that he refused to give to them when he discovered what it could do.

The character development here continues to be impressive and the tension between Rachel and Ivy gets boosted when she begins to falter about the tightrope they seem to be walking about sharing blood and a deeper relationship with the potential for Rachel to become Ivy's scion.

Black magic seeps into Rachel's life as well as she is forced to use it to turn Jenks into human sized and allow herself to turn into a were. While we don't see any demons in this story the taint on her aura is a disruptive enough force in Rachel's life that she has to continuously work to convince herself that she is casting these curses for all the right reasons.

The plot here is solid and we continue to gain further insights into all the main characters. Jenks as a full sized being is pretty interesting but I have to admit that the repetitive commentary Rachel makes about how hot he is and how she needs to remember that he is a married Pixie was getting on my nerves after about the tenth comment. While I enjoyed the opportunity to see how he would operate as a full sized guy, I definitely prefer him in the four inch variety. He is simply a lot more fun in that size range.

I did enjoy the story here but I have to admit that Rachel's endless stressing out about virtually everything and feeling the need to detail those stresses on every page is getting old really quick. It seems that the author can't go more than a few paragraphs without reminding us about how tough Rachel has it when dealing with her personal life. Certainly there are plenty of things to stress her out and it is ongoing and every changing but to have her repeat, page after page, everything that is bothering her (and its the same stuff over and over) sort of made me want the story to just move on and come to a conclussion after a while.

I do definitely still like this series and have enjoyed it thus far. My criticisms are not major ones and I do look forward to discovering what comes next for Rachel and the gang.(less)

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Sep 05, 2010

Serendipityxxi rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 16, 2010

Amanda rated it

Shelves: bought-copy, series, urban-fantasy

"Let's take a look at my track record. I live in a church with a vampire who is the scion of a master vampire who would just as soon see me dead. I date her old boyfriend, who used to be said master vampire's scion, and my ex-boyfriend is a professional thief who calls demons and trades information about me for tips to steal artifacts that can start an Inderland power struggle." This is the shape of Rachel Morgan's life as we go through the fourth book in Kim Harrison's series about th...more"Let's take a look at my track record. I live in a church with a vampire who is the scion of a master vampire who would just as soon see me dead. I date her old boyfriend, who used to be said master vampire's scion, and my ex-boyfriend is a professional thief who calls demons and trades information about me for tips to steal artifacts that can start an Inderland power struggle." This is the shape of Rachel Morgan's life as we go through the fourth book in Kim Harrison's series about the Hollows and the Inderlanders who inhabit it.

In fact, in this story we take a road trip away from Cincinnati - Rachel receives news that Nick (her old flame) and Jenks' son Jax are in trouble, and sets out to help them. Since Ivy is supposedly unable to leave Cincinnati - otherwise Piscary gets pissed - Rachel invokes black demon magic in order to make Jenks...more useful. In the course of the story Rachel beats two Were alphas, discovers the existence of the Focus which could cause widescale warfare between Weres and Vamps, takes her relationship with Ivy to a new stage, and ogles Jenks......a lot!

There is a lot going on in this book, and it rapidly became my least favourite so far. I enjoyed the interaction between Rachel and Jenks - particularly because his presence was so missed in the previous book - and the uniqueness of his situation in this book. It was also heartbreaking to realise along with Rachel that Jenks actually counts as an old pixy. I liked the set up of the plan, and cheered the double cross of Nick.

However, there were many things I disliked or got tired of. Weres aren't really my thing, and so I found it difficult to stay interested in the main part of the plot. I ended up wanting to shake Rachel, because she came distinctly whiney in this book. Everything needed double or triple analysing and, because we're stuck in her head since it's all first person, we got to hear it all again and again and again. The Focus was suddenly thrust in as a new point having never been mentioned at all in any prior books, and hence came across as an extreme plot device. I also disliked the way Nick was treated - I mean, I never really liked the guy from the get-go and was relieved when he upped and left in the last book and paved the way for Kisten. But no one deserves to become such a jerk from being a fairly nice guy - it's almost as though Harrison got sick of the character herself or wanted to open the path for something else to happen in Rachel's future and so needed to get rid of Nick.

Still, with all that said, this is still a great series and it sounds like there are explosive events ahead of Rachel - especially now that she has more of a handle on what makes her tick. (less)

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Mar 31, 2010

Amanda rated it

Book 4 in the Rachel Morgan series, this one takes place almost entire out of Cincinnati. Rachel, having been "dead", is now the Alpha in David's pack. Since it's just the 2 of them, and Rachel is a witch not a were, it's all a formality. Members of other packs don't see it as such and end up challenging Rachel to a fight. She nearly loses without use of her magic and is determined to find a spell to change her to a wolf so she can fight again.

In the meantime, Jenks and famil...more

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Nov 12, 2009

Jennifer rated it

Shelves: fantasy

Kim Harrison always produces reliable escapist literature, so that didn't let me down. I had a few complaints with this book, the most central being that Harrison is playing the lesbian erotica card, even while denying she is denying her main character's potential bisexuality. Rachel is SO sure that she is exclusively straight, but, reading her reactions to Ivy, I am not. Here's the thing, I know Harrison wants me to be unsure. I get it, wavering sexuality is exciting. This is maybe true fo...more

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Jan 23, 2011

Sonia rated it

This is so far my least favourite book in this serie. I missed some characters - Kisten, Kalamack, even the demon Al. The were storyline didn´t grab my attention as much as the previous ones. But I really enjoyed seeing the big Jenks :-)

Rachel developes her abilities further in this book. In order to save Nick and Jax and also herself she is forced to use demon magic. She sees the consequences of her every act but can´t find another way to save her friends. In the end we know the c...more

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Nov 05, 2011

Mervi rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

The fourth book in the Hollows Urban Fantasy series. I bought this one first and didn’t know that it’s a part of a series. I really like the book titles which all allude to Westerns. The stories don’t resemble them, though.

Rachel Morgan is again in trouble. She became part of David’s pack in order to get cheaper health care but right at the start another Werewolf alpha challenges her. Rachel has to fight her surprised and weaponless while six other alphas back up Rachel’s challenger....moreThe fourth book in the Hollows Urban Fantasy series. I bought this one first and didn’t know that it’s a part of a series. I really like the book titles which all allude to Westerns. The stories don’t resemble them, though.

Rachel Morgan is again in trouble. She became part of David’s pack in order to get cheaper health care but right at the start another Werewolf alpha challenges her. Rachel has to fight her surprised and weaponless while six other alphas back up Rachel’s challenger. Rachel manages to win but only barely and she knows that she has pissed off several Werewolves. So, she searches for a way to defend herself in the future – and finds one in a demon curse. The curse allows her to change herself into a wolf but takes a toll on her soul. Rachel convinces herself that she will only do it once.

Jenks is still angry to Rachel and doesn’t want to talk to her. However, when Jenks’ wife Matalina tells Rachel that Rachel’s former boyfriend Nick has convinced Jenks’ oldest son Jax to leave with Nick and help him steal something, Rachel realizes that she has to help Jax – and at the same time Nick. Nick and Jax are out of town and as a small pixie Jenks can’t go after them. Rachel manages to convince Jenks to work with her again and together they go after the thieving duo. However, Nick is in a lot more trouble than Rachel could have imagined.

In order for Jenks to travel to another city, Rachel uses a demon curse (just this once!) to make him six foot tall. Jenks turns out to be a really handsome young man and Rachel drools over him several times. However, we also find out the real reason why Jenks has distanced himself from his previous partners. It turns out that he’s actually quite old and he’s worried that his skills are going to deteriorate soon.

Ivy and Rachel’s relationship seems to come to a turning point. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really change anything as they are both just as angsty about each other as before, if not more so. Poor Ivy has to also do a pretty bad thing to bail out Rachel and she seems to be more messed up than before. Rachel is now with the vampire Kisten but she still has feelings for Nick and Nick wants her back, so there’s also lots of angst about them. She’s also increasingly confused about Ivy and insists that she’s strictly hetero while wanting to ”filling in the emotional void” inside Ivy. So, the soap opera content is high. The unresolved plot thread is Kalamach doesn’t continue. Also, Ivy and Jenks call Nick “crap for brains” and constantly threaten to mutilate or kill him. I think he deserved it but it got old quickly.

After being angry with Rachel for a long time, Jenks starts to quickly trust her again and becomes extremely loyal to her. He’s also very effective fighter even though his size has changed drastically. We also get to see the more savage side of the pixie up close and personal. Even though we’ve been told about the bloody fights between pixies and fairies, it didn’t really feel real to me, or supposed wild fighting between four inch people felt even humorous, until Jenks kicks werewolf ass with just a lead pipe.

The main plot starts fast-paced but slows considerably once Ivy shows up. Unfortunately, there’s little character development. Rachel is still doing stupid mistakes; somehow she assumes that demon curses aren’t black magic and she still doesn’t know much about vampires even tough she lives with one and is dating another. She’s also again keeping secrets from her partner and walking around with a vampire bite.

The book has as much humor as the previous books; the people in the small town aren’t used to Interlanders and they are really racists towards Jenks and Rachel. However, the duo get their revenge. As pixie, Jenks has to constantly do something and that’s amplified when he’s so large. The local ladies are also very attracted to him. And of course, Rachel has her humorous lines.(less)

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Jul 23, 2011

Ruth rated it

c2006. Fourth in the series and the first thing that comes to mind is that it is not as good as the preceding three. But then I start mulling it over and I change my mind. True the main plot is not the most original (out of the normal environs of the preceding 3 novels) but there is a lot more character development, background, mythplanation etc, that is certainly worth a place in the series. A few things irked me - one of which is Rachel seemingly being very "aware" of the larger Jenk...more

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Jan 25, 2012

Regina Martinez rated it

Finished!!! I have to say that Fistful of Charms has to be my favorite of the Hollows series so far. All of the main characters make an appearance and I was especially happy that Rachel and Jenks had patched things up from their misunderstanding about Trent. Loved the fact that the story had lots of action with butt kicking and sexual tension…omg sexual tension….I held my breath in a scene with Ivy and Rachel, you could feel the love, pain and bliss all wrapped into one in that scene…wow…Jenks...moreFinished!!! I have to say that Fistful of Charms has to be my favorite of the Hollows series so far. All of the main characters make an appearance and I was especially happy that Rachel and Jenks had patched things up from their misunderstanding about Trent. Loved the fact that the story had lots of action with butt kicking and sexual tension…omg sexual tension….I held my breath in a scene with Ivy and Rachel, you could feel the love, pain and bliss all wrapped into one in that scene…wow…Jenks was awesome, this time in a 6’4” sarcastic package. Rache and Jenks go on a run to save Jax (Jenk’s eldest) from the trouble Nick got him into. Rache wants to save Nick as well because she still loves the bastard (ugggh don’t I know what this is like!), Jenks is changed into a full size person in order to be able to handle the cold and survive their run. They get Jax back but they aren’t done yet…now they have to rescue Nick from some Weres who have him stashed on an island, seems Nick found a statue and decided to be a greedy thief (again) and not sell it to them. The Weres want it and are holding him captive, Rache and Jenks get to the island and are captured, Rache must now use her Alpha status from her pack affiliation and challenge one of the Alphas for their freedom…as you can imagine a lot action ensues and I don’t want to spoil it all…I loved it though when at this time Jenks comes up with my favorite nick name for Nick “crap for brains” and they escape…Ivy finds them and they hatch a plan to get these Weres off their backs. Ivy and Rachel take a step towards deepening their friendship (again wow!!). Murder, deception, more betrayal, and heartache occur, it is so action packed I couldn’t put it down. We get more insight into the characters and I finally have understanding for them with their flaws and all, I had a hard time before with Rachel, she often times seemed too whiny for me but this book she was someone I could actually identify with. So much happens in this story that all I can say was I loved it!! (less)

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Aug 16, 2011

Yazzie rated it

The Hollows series started off solidly, with the main character, Rachel, seeming like the kind of tough, feisty, smart character that I'd like to follow. By the end of this book I wanted to punch her in the face because she had become so amazingly stupid that I couldn't even understand what motivated any of her actions. It was as if every time there was some sort of conflict, the dumbest possible idea would pop into her head and she would insist that was the action that HAD to be taken without c...more(less)

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Feb 07, 2011

Megan rated it

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. All I can say is WOW! I mean I knew Nick was a dick, but really? This book made me feel very vindicated in my dislike of the little moron. This time Rachel and a recently resized Jenks are off to Michigan to save Nick from a greedy pack of werewolves who want something that Nick is alleged to have found.
So far this is my very favorite book in the series. I loved reading about big Jenks. It was so amusing everytime Rachel had to remind her self that he was a 'married pixy' and that he had 5...moreAll I can say is WOW! I mean I knew Nick was a dick, but really? This book made me feel very vindicated in my dislike of the little moron. This time Rachel and a recently resized Jenks are off to Michigan to save Nick from a greedy pack of werewolves who want something that Nick is alleged to have found.
So far this is my very favorite book in the series. I loved reading about big Jenks. It was so amusing everytime Rachel had to remind her self that he was a 'married pixy' and that he had 54 children. I could't stop giggling everytime Rachel or Ivy would point out how hot Jenks was and it really reminded me that he is only 18 years old. All the talk about him dying was so depressing I could hardly read it.
I'm very glad that Rachel finally gave in and let Ivy bite her. I realize that she nearly died but it was pretty apparent that she'd been wanting her too for a while. Plus it was really hard on Ivy being around something all the time that she couldn't have. I'm looking forward to seeing where their relationship goes.
I was a little worried about Rachel going all the way to Michigan to save Nick because as I've said in all of my previous reviews concerning this series I'm a Kisten fan and I wouldn't want to see Rachel screw up her relationship with him for some little twerp like Nick. I couldn't believe that after everything that Rachel went through in this book for Nick he still does what he does. I hope we see him in the future and that Rachel beats every square inch of him.
I think this whole focus thing is pretty interesting. What would The Hollows be like if the werewolves ruled everything? I think it would be incredibly dangerous just from what I saw with all those wolves on the island and how vicious they were being under one Alpha.
I'm uncertain as to how I feel about the smut that Rachel now has attached to her soul. I mean all the curses she used were completely necessary and she didn't use them for personal gain. She used them to save those she cares about so I hope when the time comes for Rachel to answer for what she's done that she is given leniency.
Very excited for the next book. I know it has something to do with the focus that was uncovered in this book and so I'm curious to see what is going to happen.(less)

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Jun 28, 2009

Sterlingspider rated it

Shelves: borrowed-have, borrowed-returned

Picking up the series after a several month hiatus made it a bit difficult to drop back into the world but in all the characters and major plot points of the earlier books were memorable enough that it didn't take too long to ease back into things. I suppose this is a bit of an up-vote for the series as a whole, but in general his book wasn't particularly notable itself except to show that it's rapidly devolving into the classic urban fantasy angst-fest (particularly in matters of the naughty ki...more

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Jan 27, 2011

Aimee (Coffee Table Reviews) rated it

Shelves: 2011

I'm liking this series more and more with each book, but unlike the previous books so far, this put me in a very melancholy mood. It had an underline sadness as they talked about Jenks' life expectancy. I really enjoy this character and I hope to see him in plenty of books.

The story was a good one. I really didn't like Nick after the last book and it turned to hate after this one. But it will be interesting to see what happens with him, if he shows up, in the next books. I thought...more

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Aug 20, 2011

Marsha rated it

Rachel has found her way into more trouble - okay, trouble found her this time. Rachel returns to defend herself and her decision to help a Were friend after joining his 'pack.' She quickly learned that no good deed goes unpunished (even if it was for selfish purposes too - he,he). Her relationship with Kistin continues and seems to find a tentative calm - for the time being. Though, I missed Kistin for much of this book. Rachel also finds herself discovering that the black and white of usi...more

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About Kim Harrison

Kim Harrison, dark urban fantasy author of the New York Times bestselling The Outlaw Demon Wails, was born and raised in the upper Midwest. After gaining her bachelors in the sciences, she moved to South Carolina, where she has remained since. She is currently developing a new young adult series between working on the Hollows books, and is a member of both the Romance Writers of America and The ...more

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Books by Kim Harrison

Every Which Way But Dead (The Hollows, #3)

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (The Hollows, #2)

The Outlaw Demon Wails (The Hollows, #6)

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“Plan B?' Ivy said. 'What is plan B?'
Jenks reddened. 'Grab the fish and run like hell,' he muttered, and I almost giggled.” — 126 people liked it

“A witch, a vampire, and a pixy walk into a bar, I thought as I led the way into the Squirrel’s End. It was early, and the sun had yet to set when the door swung shut behind Jenks, sealing us in the warm air smelling faintly of smoke. Immediately Nick yanked it open to come in behind us. And there’s the punch line.” — 56 people liked it

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A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows #4)

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