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

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

by Kim Harrison (Goodreads Author)

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 27,798 ratings · 986 reviews

It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night.

She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pressing the limits.

Confron...more

Mass Market Paperback, 1st Edition, 453 pages

Published February 2005 by HarperTorch (first published January 25th 2005)

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Best "Strong Female" Fantasy Novels

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Jun 30, 2012 Jeann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, paranormal-uf, witches, dark-and-gritty, buddy-reads

The second book in the Hollows series is written much better than the haphazard style of Dead Witch Walking. I'm glad I stuck with the series because it's a really unique and interesting one. Firstly, it seems like the author has done with some good editing and slowly interweaves the world building with what is happening at the time, instead of having huge info dumps at random intervals.

Rachel Morgan slowly learns to stand on her own and develop her powers further in this book. As an FIB consul...more

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Mar 02, 2010 Lady Valee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

WOW! Just WOW.

This book was so different from the first one. I loved it, I would have given 5 stars to it if it wasn't for that very, VERY slow beginning. I mean, the first half of the book I wanted to burn up the book because nothing really happened. It took me 4 days to read the first half and 1 to read the next.
About that second half, I enjoyed it so much I couldn't stop reading it, even though I was full with work for college.

What I loved the most about this book was that you see Rachel turn...more

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Sep 10, 2009 Robin Wiley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've read most of the majors in this genre: Stoker, Rice, Harrison, Harris, King, Hamilton, Meyer, Newman, and Kostova. I've seen Blade, Underworld, Buffy, Angel, Van Helsing, 30 Days of Night, Moonlight and Dark Shadows (not saying they are all good, mind you). So, I think I've consumed enough of the vampire genre to have some opinions.

My theory about Twilight. People with little to no experience with the vampire genre LOVE this series. Most readers who have consumed their fair amount of vampir...more

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Jan 14, 2009 Kristy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Okay this book was a better than the first but it really took me a lot longer than is typical for me to get through the first half of the book. I don't know what Kim Harrison is trying to do in her writing but the first half of her books are really tedious and boring. You make it through it and the second half is interesting, exciting, full of suspence. I wish she'd put as much effort in the first half of her books as she does in the second.

Rachel seems to be a more rounded character in this boo...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Tammy rated it 4 of 5 stars

What can I say about The Good the Bad & the Undead, it was fantastic, it had it all, witches, vamps, pixies, demons, action, fight scenes, an amazing sex scene what else could you ask for, I'm a bit biased because witches are my go to books. This second instalment in The Hollows series is worth the read.

Rachel Morgan earth witch, ex IS runner turned bounty hunter is back after surviving a death threat now trying to make the rent while living in a church with her business partner Ivy a livin...more

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Mar 26, 2008 Meagan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't know what exactly it is that Harrison is doing right, but let's exaime. First off I really like the world/universe/dimension (how ever you want to look at it) that she has created. It seems completely plausible in its own way. Plus it mixes in a bit of science with it's fantasy, which is nice. 2. I really enjoy the charecters. They're beleivable and described so well. THe "hero" Rachel Morgan, is that blessed kind that is easy to get addicted to. She has power and connections way beyond...more

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May 08, 2011 Debora rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fisicamente_posseduto, preferiti

Commento a caldo
Se il primo mi + piaciuto questo secondo l'ho adorato! Per fortuna che tra un mese esce anche il terzo! Una delle mie saghe Urban Fantasy preferite!!! Niente con Kin Harrison è bianco o nero... Tutto si mescola in un'avvincente sinfonia di ambiguità dove perfino il Buono, se tirato per i capelli, può diventare molto cattivo!

****

Che dire di questo secondo capito della Saga "The Hollow?"
Potrei dire che la scrittrice è riuscita a creare un universo assolutamente orginale, affasciant...more

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Apr 16, 2008 Stacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, fantasy

This is the 2nd in a 5-book series I stumbled on at my local used book store (Ophelia's in Fremont). The main character, Rachel Morgan, is a witch in an alternate reality where vampires, werewolves, witches and pixies (Inderlanders) live awkwardly side-by-side with humans, whose population was nearly wiped out by a man-made viral pandemic. Set in modern-day Cincinnati, Rachel is a former bounty hunter now freelance "runner"; her character a cross between Anita Blake and Stephanie Plum. Fun read!

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Apr 09, 2013 Miraphora rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Bellooooooo bellobellobello e ancora bello! Finalmente, dopo più di un anno, continua la serie della strega Rachel Morgan e del suo assurdo ed eterogeneo gruppo di amici. Se il primo era un pò difficile ad ingranare, questo secondo episodio è più fluido e facile da assorbire.
Un seria killer sta uccidendo le streghe eteriche di Cincinnati e Rachel è convinta che il mandante sia Trent Kalamack, il cattivo del primo libro della serie. Il pericolo la coinvolge in prima persona, perchè anche lei è i...more Bellooooooo bellobellobello e ancora bello! Finalmente, dopo più di un anno, continua la serie della strega Rachel Morgan e del suo assurdo ed eterogeneo gruppo di amici. Se il primo era un pò difficile ad ingranare, questo secondo episodio è più fluido e facile da assorbire.
Un seria killer sta uccidendo le streghe eteriche di Cincinnati e Rachel è convinta che il mandante sia Trent Kalamack, il cattivo del primo libro della serie. Il pericolo la coinvolge in prima persona, perchè anche lei è in grado di attingere ai flussi eterici, diventando così una potenziale vittima. In più Rachel deve fare i conti con Ivy, la sua collega e amica vampira, che ormai è al limite di perdere il controllo e fare di lei il suo giocattolino.
A complicare le cose si aggiunge Glenn, un sexy detective mandato per aiutarla al caso, e Nick, il suo fidanzato umano che ha il brutto vizio di evocare i demoni. Insomma, gli ingredienti per una bella storia ci sono tutti e la Harrison li ha gestiti a meraviglia, creando un romanzo veloce, serrato ed appassionante, con tante belle scene d'azione, divertimento e un intrigo niente male. I personaggi non cambiano dal primo romanzo: Rachel è sempre la protagonista e la voce narrante ed il suo IO letterario è godibile, divertente e perfetto per la storia; Ivy ha fatto un passo da gigante, se nel primo romanzo era un'ombra, in questo diventa protagonista secondaria importante e parte attiva della storia; Nick svela alcuni dei suoi segreti, ma rimane comunque ancora circondato da un alone di mistero; Glenn, la new entry, ha un grande potenziale e spero che ricompaia nei prossimi libri; Jenks, il folletto, è mitico e spassoso esattamente come nel primo ma quello che, oltre a Rachel, la gioca da padrone è Trent, il nostro bellissimo antagonista che finalmente si scopre per quello che è. Quasi non ci credevo quando la Harrison ci dice la sua vera natura...ma in un certo senso c'era da aspettarselo. Come abbastanza prevedibile era lo svolgersi della trama: non ho mai creduto, dal primo libro, che Trent potesse essere il vero cattivo, anche se rimane un personaggio non esattamente buono e puro (meglio così), è decisamente complesso e non ha ancora scoperto tutte le sue carte. Rimane in sospeso il suo rapporto con Rachel, come rimane in sospeso il rapporto tra Rachel e il demone che l'ha attaccata nel precedente romanzo, Nick e anche Glenn. La fine, però, è fatta bene perchè chiude l'episodio e il romanzo lasciando uno spiraglio abbastanza grande da stuzzicare per la prossima avventura. Spero vivamente che la Fanucci non aspetti così tanto per pubblicarla, perchè è una serie che vale, che mi piace tantissimo, che costa poco e porta una ventata d'aria fresca nelle pubblicazioni fantasy di questi anni. (less)

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Feb 05, 2013 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Heroine’s recklessness and mistakes get her into trouble which is too close to stupidity for me.

If you like to lose yourself in an urban fantasy world, this is a good one. But I want stories where character and plot are the main draws. Here not much happens to support the plot. The setting has a wide variety of paranormals: witches, vampires, pixies, elves, werewolves, and demons. I like the way they live, work, and interact with each other and humans in current day.

My biggest problem is that I...more Heroine’s recklessness and mistakes get her into trouble which is too close to stupidity for me.

If you like to lose yourself in an urban fantasy world, this is a good one. But I want stories where character and plot are the main draws. Here not much happens to support the plot. The setting has a wide variety of paranormals: witches, vampires, pixies, elves, werewolves, and demons. I like the way they live, work, and interact with each other and humans in current day.

My biggest problem is that I don’t enjoy Rachel. She is reckless, impulsive, jumps to wrong conclusions, and makes mistakes. Those character traits are the source of her troubles and conflicts throughout the book. Some of it is stupid. In one scene she tells Trent she doesn’t like him because he is a thief (and other things). Well, Rachel is a thief in this book which bothered me. A thinks B stole a fish. Rachel is hired to steal it back which she does. Then she finds out A was mistaken and B did not steal the fish. So I think Rachel should return the fish to B. She does not. She keeps the fish for herself. Yes ornery characters can be fun. In fact I love some of them in other books, but this didn’t work for me. I couldn’t like her, and therefore I could not enjoy her escapades.

Other Rachel examples:
A wants to take one of Rachel’s books. Rachel says “Let him have it.” After A leaves, B tells Rachel now she cannot do the spell she needs because it was in that book. Rachel says “Oh.”

Rachel is in a dangerous situation and needs to do a chant. She gets distracted in the middle of the chant and says “Oh my God,” then she forgets the last word of the chant, but she has already interrupted the chant, then several moments later she remembers the last word.

Another problem:
In every crisis, someone else comes along to save Rachel - at least in the first two books. She may do something weird trying to save herself, but it doesn’t finish the scene. It reminds me of “deus ex machina” (a god comes in to move the story forward when the writer can’t think of another way out).

The narrator Marguerite Gavin was ok.

THE HOLLOWS (RACHEL MORGAN) SERIES:
As of 2013 there are 11 books in the series. Sadly it’s not for me, but I gave it a try. The three I read are:
3 stars. Dead Witch Walking, Book 1
2 stars. The Good, the Bad, and the Undead, Book 2
1 star. Pale Demon, Book 9

DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Rachel. Unabridged audiobook length: 14 hrs and 22 mins. Swearing language: moderate but rarely used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: one briefly referred to. Setting: time similar to current day Cincinnati, Ohio. Book copyright: 2005. Genre: urban fantasy.(less)

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Nov 19, 2012 Matt Schiariti rated it 5 of 5 stars

This Hollows series is just an enormous amount of fun to read. As I stated in my review of Dead Witch Walking, Harrison has really created a wildly imaginative universe in such as way that it doesn't feel like a fantasy universe...the intermingling of humans and Inderlanders always have elements of dangers and humor in them that really make this series fun to read..couple that with fantastic characters and interesting plot/ongoing subplots and you have something that's really addicting...

a few m...more This Hollows series is just an enormous amount of fun to read. As I stated in my review of Dead Witch Walking, Harrison has really created a wildly imaginative universe in such as way that it doesn't feel like a fantasy universe...the intermingling of humans and Inderlanders always have elements of dangers and humor in them that really make this series fun to read..couple that with fantastic characters and interesting plot/ongoing subplots and you have something that's really addicting...

a few months have passed since the events of the first book..Vampiric Charms is still up and running if not struggling..Ivy and Rachael are still living together..Rachael and Nick are now full on boyfriend/girlfriend...and as always, Jenks and his massive brood is always right in the thick of it...

This book is slightly darker than the first...as the story goes, there have been a series of brutal murders in the Inderlands...someone has been killing ley line witches....actually, butchering is more like it...this would normally be a matter for the IS, of which Rachael is no longer a member, until Sara Jane (remember the nice secretary that fed Mink-Rachael her lunch leftovers?) shows up at the FIB after her boyfriend, a ley line witch, goes missing...Edden takes on Rachael as his inderlander 'consultant' and thus you have her involvement in the hijinks..

who's been killing these witches and why? The main suspect is a professor at the local university...all the victims had her for a teacher..Edden wants Rachael to help prove that she's behind the murder spree but Rachael's investigation brings up another plausible suspect..one she's got history with and bears a big grudge against..

what's great about this series is when it deviates from the plot for the 'in between' moments it never dulls for a second...the interplay with Jenks, the growing pains of her and Ivy's tenuous relationship, her relationship with Nick.. you never quite know when something can go from mundane to very dangerous...

Harrison also fleshes out more about Ivy's motivations, what Nick does in his spare time and even goes so far as to get into Rachael's family past and when she was a child..

Going back to school, being annoyed at foul mouthed pixies, avoiding being a vamp play thing, having splat ball fights with pixie children, delving into magic that could scar her soul....well, need I say more? (less)

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Oct 11, 2012 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This is the sequel to Dead Witch Walking and shows much improvement. Dead Witch is very much a first novel and has some clumsiness and awkward steps. The GB&U streamlines a little bit more, develops several of the storylines from the first novel, does some great world building and character development and is all around fun. I like these books because they don’t take themselves too seriously. I'd like to compare them to the Anita Blake novels by Laurell K. Hamilton (shelved very close togeth...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Susie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

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

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Dec 19, 2011 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rachel has survived the many assisination attempts and is hated by her old I.S. boss but is tryingto get her own runner business off the ground with roommates Ivy and Jenks. The living situation is dicey with Ivy having issues with her blood lust and attraction towards Rachel. Rachel works hard to make it all work and to keep the friendship going, despite the possibility of dying by Ivy's hands. She gets a job to retrieve a stolen fish from werewolves that leads to mass miscommunication and a cl...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Holjo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book 2 in Hollows Series opens with a flurry of action as we find Rachel retrieving a stolen fish in order to complete a job for her new detective agency. The agency, named Vampiric Charms, is owned by Rachel (witch), Ivy (vampire) and Jenks (pixy), and is in its infant stages of operation. Basically, Rachel will take just about any job she can find in order to pay her rent at the church, buy her witchy supplies, and save for a car.

It is this sense of desperation that causes Rachel to take a job...more

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Jun 05, 2011 CRO rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-urban-fantasy, books-read-in-2011

I'm giving this book 3 1/4 stars - but it didn't start at that level - I had to drag myself through the first third of this book that I definitely consider 2 - 2 1/2 star reading. It's only because I liked the first Hollows book so much that I had the faith to push through so that I could get to the last 2/3 of the book - the last part more than made up for the first.

What I didn't like: Oh God - I hate and deplore the titles of this series - ick - spoofs of movie titles. What is with urban fanta...more I'm giving this book 3 1/4 stars - but it didn't start at that level - I had to drag myself through the first third of this book that I definitely consider 2 - 2 1/2 star reading. It's only because I liked the first Hollows book so much that I had the faith to push through so that I could get to the last 2/3 of the book - the last part more than made up for the first.

What I didn't like: Oh God - I hate and deplore the titles of this series - ick - spoofs of movie titles. What is with urban fantasy authors? Kim Harrison is not the only author in this genre doing this - The Good, the Bad, and the Undead isn't even the only vampire novel with this exact same title. Please - urban fantasy authors - don't make me embarrassed to buy your books or check them out from the library. Really, I completely understand having a sense of humor about your work - but ugh - titles derived from movies is just stupid and unimaginative - and - at least in the case of Kim Harrison - the books are neither.

Also - I'm getting tired of vampires - titillating as they are with their sex, pain, tortured souls, dominance/submission issues, and stupid vampire/ high school politics. I actually started this series to take a breather from vampires (I'd just been on a Charlaine Harris/ Laurel K. Hamilton/ Stephenie Meyers binge). What I liked about the first book in this series was that it focused on the witchcraft; the vampires were secondary. Vampire crap is more center stage in this installment - I was really hoping that the undead in the title was referring to zombies - seriously. It bothers me that sex and intimacy are so often depicted as power struggles(in popular lit in general not just in this book) - not that it's not fun - believe me I can trip on the Laurel K. Hamilton as much as the next girl - but whatever happened to harmless, sexual romps where nobody's soul was in peril? Yes, I know, I should stay away from urban fantasy if that's what I want. Somewhere along the line it was as if political correctness dissolved the human bad boy in pop lit - we (women and girls) are supposed to only be attracted to sensitive boys now - but getting rid of the human bad boy/girl only brought him/her back stronger and more violent - now disguised as vampires and werewolfs.

OK - I digressed and I'm ready to get off my soapbox and finish talking about this book. The strange - sort of sexual - sort of not - dangerous relationship between Ivy the vampire and the book's protagonist (a witch), Rachel is getting old. Rachel says she doesn't want Ivy to bite her and make her a vampire play thing - but why does the character do so many things (training and sparring) that bring her into such close physical proximity to Ivy? Sometimes it even feels as if the author is conflicted about which way she wants her character to sway. Rachel is depicted as clearly knowing her mind about her sexual preferences (male) and her feelings about vampire relationships ("friendship" but nothing more) but why are the scenes between Ivy and Rachel as Ivy wrestles her vampiric urges to seduce and bite Rachel the most sexual and emotionally intense? The actual sex scene between Rachel and her very lame, human boyfriend, Nick fizzle in comparison.

What I liked about this book: All the magic stuff - cool very cool. All of the scenes with Big Al the demon. All of these things keep the last 2/3 of the novel zipping along with a lot of excitement and intrigue. And of course there is Jenks, the pixie. At the start of the first book I thought I was going to find him trite and annoying, but Harrison has done a remarkable job of fleshing out this character and fantasy species in an original way. In Harrison's world, pixies are not at all what you think they should be. And truth be told, Jenks has become my favorite character.

And then there is the matter of Rachel. The main character is just - well - stupid. As clever a witch as she is, she is just empirically and without question - stupid - both in her ill-planned actions and poorly thought out conclusions. You might think that this would be a draw back in a main character - not really. It's refreshing to have a character that is not perfect - she's not by a long shot the biggest bad ass in the room - in any room for that matter (and those of you who read the Anita Blake series will know what I'm talking about). She's not super smart, super talented, super strong (well she is a little she has been working out with a vamp), super cocky or- the gods save us - super good (like our morally superior, holier than thou Bella Swann who can make loosing your soul to become a vampire seem like an ascent into angel-hood). Rachel Morgan is deeply flawed - just like the rest of us. To me, that just makes her more accessible and more interesting. Also, her stupidity leads to some interesting hijinks and some interesting situations where she is able to prove herself. I don't need my heroines to always make the right moves and say and do exactly the right things - I like that Rachel Morgan can trip and bungle her way through danger but somehow turn her graceless fall into a super cool ninja roll halfway to the floor.

Will definitely be reading the next one:)

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Jun 02, 2011 Sheilagh Lee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-thriller

I have to start off by saying thees books Kim Harrison are totally addictive. I read the book directly after this and because I did without reading this one I was slightly puzzled by the storyline.so when I found this book I was pleased so I could understand the story better.
Without giving out too much of the story Rachel is a witch who use to work for a government agency and now she has gone on her own to work as a bounty hunter.She lives with a Vampire and a family of Pixies(one of which is...more

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Feb 04, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hollows, urban-fantasy

A price put on your head? Child's play --and sooo last season for bounty hunter & witch Rachel Morgan. In fact, Rachel has recovered quite nicely in the wake of leaving her old employer and surviving the hit the bosses put on her. She is happily dating Nick, a human who dabbles in magic. She is still living her with the partners in her business: Jenks the pixy and Ivy the vampire. And she is running independent jobs.

Things seem pretty great. Until she gets pulled into a case involving a wit...more A price put on your head? Child's play --and sooo last season for bounty hunter & witch Rachel Morgan. In fact, Rachel has recovered quite nicely in the wake of leaving her old employer and surviving the hit the bosses put on her. She is happily dating Nick, a human who dabbles in magic. She is still living her with the partners in her business: Jenks the pixy and Ivy the vampire. And she is running independent jobs.

Things seem pretty great. Until she gets pulled into a case involving a witch murderer. Of course, there are ties to the mysterious and dirty councilman Trent Kalamack. Rachel still holds a grudge against him since he held her captive and nearly killed her in the city's rat fights. (It's a long story --and really, you should read "Dead Witch Walking" first anyway.) So she starts investigating along with the human authorities. Ivy hates the idea of Rachel putting herself in danger and takes the news very poorly. There is still something very uncomfortable and sexual going on between the women. And it's made even more volatile in the wake of that demon/vampire attack Rachel survived in the last book.

Once again, Harrison's complex world of the Hallows is fascinating and captivating. Even more interesting to follow are all the relationship threads Rachel is weaving. Of course, with Ivy, as mentioned above... With Nick, who is clearly more than just an average guy. He seems to really care for Rachel. But he's got some shady things going on... With Trent. We finally find out what he is. But we still don't know WHO he is. There is an undefinable pull between him and Rachel, and a history we're just learning about too. We also have several other side characters who become more and more vital to the series with every book: Jenks, Kisten, Edden, Glenn, Piscary, and the glorious demon Al (who makes me laugh more than he should.)

Each book in the series draws me in a bit more, with love, betrayal, loyalty, honor, and danger. And of course, Rachel, herself. I love her as a heroine because she is good, but not perfect. She is impetuous and often short-sighted, but almost always motivated by friendship or honor. 4 stars.

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Jan 28, 2011 readinrobin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read the first book in this series, Dead Witch Walking, in April 2008, and have been collecting the other books as I came across them. As I started, I was a little worried that since it’s been two and a half years since reading the first book I might feel a little lost, but as little references to that storyline were mentioned my memory picked up and I was able to get involved in this one very quickly.

Rachel Morgan is a very likable heroine. She’s young and impetuous, and sometimes leaps into...more

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Nov 05, 2010 Patrick D'Orazio rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was able to read Dead Witch Walking and this book back to back, allowing for a smooth transition into Rachel's second adventure. She is free of her contract now but still seemingly facing death every day from many different sources: Were's who want their property back that she stole, Trent Kalamack, who she suspects is once again the bad guy in her main case, Piscary, one of the oldest and most powerful vamps in the city, her human boyfriend who can't seem to resist the urge to keep summoning...more I was able to read Dead Witch Walking and this book back to back, allowing for a smooth transition into Rachel's second adventure. She is free of her contract now but still seemingly facing death every day from many different sources: Were's who want their property back that she stole, Trent Kalamack, who she suspects is once again the bad guy in her main case, Piscary, one of the oldest and most powerful vamps in the city, her human boyfriend who can't seem to resist the urge to keep summoning a demon, and even her vamp roommate, who is waging a war against herself to resist the urge to drink blood after being on the wagon for several years and has a hankering, now and then, to sink her teeth into Rachel's throat.

This story is much more structured and tighter nit than the first story, which introduced us not only to Rachel but to her world where witches, vamps, and plenty of other creatures are real and the humans in the world have to cope with them. The world, both at large, and inside Rachels own existence, continues to get fleshed out and more complicated here. The author has done a great job at weaving a nice little mystery. There are plenty of different things revealed during the course of the plot that will satisfy a reader who was left wanting to know a lot more about Rachel and the other characters in the introductory novel. While there are plenty of answers, there are even more promises of things to come with the ever more complicated arrangements Rachel has with her roommate, her boyfriend, a certain demon, and Trent, a man who seems to confound and puzzle Rachel but also is a good foil to her that I look forward to seeing in future books.
Jenks, the Pixie with an attitude, remains my favorite character in this book, though he is not as involved as he was in the first story. He is still the most likeable and most sly member of the cast and has a lot of fun with Rachel and everyone else he comes upon.

Definitely no sophmore drop off for the author here, this is a great continuation of the Hollows series.(less)

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Jul 18, 2010 Nicole Roberts rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this book (second in the series), Rachel (main character) again comes into contact with a Mr. Trent Kalamack (a.k.a the bad guy), as she tries to solve the murders of several witches in her city of Cincinnati . There are Master Vampires, demons, and all the other fun fantasy types of “monsters” involved. There’s even a troll.

In short I think this whole series, so far. The use of a witch as the lead character is a kind of relief from all the other books of this genre. She’s flawed and more h...more

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Jul 16, 2010 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bought-copy, series, urban-fantasy

This is the second book in the series about Rachel Morgan, ex-IS runner, white witch and now paranormal investigator. The first book was a solid enough read, introducing the reason behind humans and Inderlanders and the characters which inhabit the Hollows, while being nothing spectacular. This book ramps up the action, suspense, excitement, eroticism, terror - it is a whirlwind of a story that doesn't let you breathe until the last page has been turned.

Here Rachel is experiencing trouble meetin...more This is the second book in the series about Rachel Morgan, ex-IS runner, white witch and now paranormal investigator. The first book was a solid enough read, introducing the reason behind humans and Inderlanders and the characters which inhabit the Hollows, while being nothing spectacular. This book ramps up the action, suspense, excitement, eroticism, terror - it is a whirlwind of a story that doesn't let you breathe until the last page has been turned.

Here Rachel is experiencing trouble meeting her rent payments and suffering from a lack of cases that would provide her income. So she ends up taking on a case through the FIB through necessity - someone is killing leyline witches in a gruesome manner and the FIB want to know who. Rachel finds it easy enough to accept the case, since it seems as though she'll also be able to return to her investigation of Trent Kalamack, a mysterious figure who managed to evade being taken in by the FIB in the first book of the series.

In the course of her investigation Rachel manages to gain a familiar, find out Kalamack's heritage, come to the attention of the master vampire Piscary, take Nick to meet her mother and meet again the demon she dubs Big Al. There are a number of twists in this book that kept me guessing, and I was glad to see the characters gain more and more dimensions.

I particularly love the little details that help to flesh out the world of the Hollows - everything from the fact that Jenks the pixy wears red if he is travelling across the territories of other pixies and fairies to show his harmless intentions; to the fact that humans have an innate distrust of tomatoes since they carried the Angel virus that caused a quarter of humanity to die out. Harrison has also created a menacing otherworld in the form of the ever-after, which lends power to leylines and happens to be where demons roam - I enjoy the way she turns fairytales on their head by showing that rather than finish 'and they lived happily every after', they actually finish 'and they lived in the ever-after'.

As well as the excitement, the violence is ramped up in this book - and some of it is not for queasy stomachs. The descriptions of the witch deaths and Ivy's nasty experience left me with raised eyebrows.

All in all, Harrison has produced a book that is heavy on the entertainment and light on any of the issues I had with the first book. The characters are intriguing, especially Al the demon and Trent, about whom we learn a great deal more in this book. In fact, a lot of the niggling little mysteries from the first novel are cleared up here in an outstanding fashion. I simply cannot wait to move onto the third in the series! (less)

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Sep 05, 2009 Ashleigh Cartmill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, humor, vampires

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Jan 10, 2013 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

I would give this a 4.5 if possible, but I rounded up for the sake of fairness. This book takes the premise set up by the first and runs with it full bore. Some parts are exceptionally frustrating to read, mostly due to Rachel's difficulty in seeing past her own biases on anything. However, this is part of what makes her an interesting heroine. She is also self-aware enough to acknowledge and act to change her own personal failings, so I have to give the author kudos on that.

I have to say that...more I would give this a 4.5 if possible, but I rounded up for the sake of fairness. This book takes the premise set up by the first and runs with it full bore. Some parts are exceptionally frustrating to read, mostly due to Rachel's difficulty in seeing past her own biases on anything. However, this is part of what makes her an interesting heroine. She is also self-aware enough to acknowledge and act to change her own personal failings, so I have to give the author kudos on that.

I have to say that I don't always enjoy the continuing side-story between Ivy and Rachel. There seems to be a constant "she was asking for it, even if she didn't know it" thing going on there, and it sometimes gives me a skeezy, rape apologist vibe. Vampires are set up to be extremely different than other Inderlanders in both social interaction and social queuing, but I don't know if I can really accept that as an excuse for some of the full fledged sexual assaults going on. It's annoying that it continually happens, and that Rachel continually takes the blame for instigating it, yet continues to do the same damned things over and over again. I don't mind the idea of Ivy and Rachel having a relationship, I am just particularly annoyed by the setup in these novels.

When the situation does not revolve around Rachel and Ivy sorting their shit out, the story flows very nicely. Trent is an nice, multi-faceted antagonist, who continues to develop a personality beyond the initial "evil" portrayed in the first book. Harrison does a great job making her mundane, or human characters interesting as well. Glenn is a stoic kind of dude, but he's kind of cool deep down. His unusual love of tomato based products is a cute touch that adds a little depth to his relationship with Rachel.

Al is given a bit more page time in this book, and despite being a demon there seems to be a bit more there than just mindless, slavering evil. Portrayal of demons/demonology varies by author, but I prefer the more intelligent form of evil that Harrison has gone with. I suspect that future books will grant more glimpses into the ever-after and the hierarchy of demon society.

With eight or more books to go in the series, I'm hoping that Kim Harrison can continue to deliver the same type of quality. (less)

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Jan 27, 2010 Lianne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, audiobooks, paranormal-urban-fantasy

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May 05, 2012 GamerChick rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'll start off by saying getting through the first half of this book was extremely difficult. Not to say it was not good but it was just so slow and not much happened in it really but after reading the whole book I do understand that a lot of what happened in that first half was important but it still could have been written a little more interestingly. Once you get through that first half the book takes off very fast with lots of interesting twists and turns that even I did not see coming. By t...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Shannon Mawhiney rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rachel Morgan, witch bounty hunter extraordinaire, no longer has a price on her head in this second book of The Hollows series. At least, not in the same sense: This time there's a serial killer out to murder witches in horrific ways... all of whom have talents similar to what Ms. Morgan seems to be developing. With intriguing information about her friend/roommate/coworker Ivy's vampiric relations, Rachel's family and past, and who the heck Trent Kalamack is, this book is a definite step up from...more Rachel Morgan, witch bounty hunter extraordinaire, no longer has a price on her head in this second book of The Hollows series. At least, not in the same sense: This time there's a serial killer out to murder witches in horrific ways... all of whom have talents similar to what Ms. Morgan seems to be developing. With intriguing information about her friend/roommate/coworker Ivy's vampiric relations, Rachel's family and past, and who the heck Trent Kalamack is, this book is a definite step up from the first book in the series.

The author definitely improved her game for this book after the good-but-also-disappointing beginning to the series. The writing is more focused and solid, and for that I am most appreciative. Like the first book, the plot and action kept me reading, but this time it didn't meander as much as the first book did. There is a serial killer to catch, and while the previous mysteries are still open (who/what Kalamack is, what happened to Rachel's dad, etc.), they aren't in the forefront. A lot of these mysteries still aren't solved by the end of this book, similar to the first book, but at least we're given some information and I don't feel like I was left hanging, and for that reason I'll keep reading the series.

But of course, I have to have some complaints. ;) [WARNING: A few possible spoilers ensue.] The main one being Rachel as a character. For the most part, she's an understandable, relate-able character... but then she has her moments when she's not. For one, her constant forgiveness of her living-vampire roommate, Ivy, is perplexing. Like in the first book, Ivy constantly comes close to killing Rachel (in a literal, non-figurative way), who then constantly makes excuses for Ivy's behavior after the fact. I don't get it. I understand that Rachel likes Ivy, that when she's not a psycho she's a good friend; but they could be good friends who don't live together, since the close quarters are essentially what drive Ivy to near murder. If this weren't a worry, they would be fine. I just don't get it.

Then there's Rachel's sophomoric moments that make me want to smack her. Most visibly, one of these moments occurs when Rachel is participating in the police investigation of the serial murders and wants to see a crime scene. They tell her to wait, they need to document/photograph/do police stuff first, or else the crime scene could be considered contaminated and the guilty party could get off scott free. So what does she do? Sneaks in to see the crime scene while they're working on it and gets in trouble... and then yells at everyone who's angry with her and pouts about the fact that she's in trouble. And on top of this, she never feels guilty for having possibly ruined the investigation. Really? I can understand the morbid curiosity, but never once realizing what she's done wrong (when it is entirely obvious to the reader) doesn't make any sense.

However, even with those complaints, I still really enjoyed the book. I want to know what happens to every one of the characters and I want to find out more about their backgrounds, as well as about the fantastic world the author has created, and that's impressive. One warning I will add for the queasy: this book is gorier than the last (almost surprisingly so). But when you're dealing with a supernatural serial killer, I suppose that's to be expected.(less)

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Nov 05, 2011 Mervi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Much to my surprise, this book was in my local library. As far as I can tell, it’s also the only book of the Hollows –series which is in the Finnish library system. Sigh.

The book starts with Rachel Morgan and her pixie partner Jenks undercover trying to steal a fish. One of the local baseball teams suspect that a rival has stolen their mascot, the fish, and hired Rachel to steal it back. Things don’t go exactly as planned but Rachel and Jenks manage to get away with their prize. A F.I.B agent re...more Much to my surprise, this book was in my local library. As far as I can tell, it’s also the only book of the Hollows –series which is in the Finnish library system. Sigh.

The book starts with Rachel Morgan and her pixie partner Jenks undercover trying to steal a fish. One of the local baseball teams suspect that a rival has stolen their mascot, the fish, and hired Rachel to steal it back. Things don’t go exactly as planned but Rachel and Jenks manage to get away with their prize. A F.I.B agent rescues them from the rival team’s werewolves. It appears that the F.I.B. need a consult in Interlanders affairs and because Rachel had worked with them before, their Captain Edden decided to employ her again.

Trent Kalamack’s secretary Sara Jane has tearfully reported that her fiancé is missing. Rachel feels that she owes Sara Jane for what she did for Rachel in the previous book and agrees to investigate. Dan is witch and Captain Edden believes that he was murdered by a notorious serial killer who is targeting lay line witches. Edden’s primary suspect is Dr. Anders because many of the victims were on her classes and he offers Rachel a chance to go into the Anders’ class undercover. However, Rachel is convinced that Kalamack is behind the killings but she agrees to take the class despite the fact that when she took it the first time, also under Dr. Anders, she failed it. To say the least, Anders doesn’t want Rachel in her class.

Rachel’s roommate, the living vamp Ivy, is horrified that Rachel agreed to work a case that’s connected to Kalamack. However, something else is also bothering the normally cool and level-headed Ivy. To make matters worse, Rachel finds out that her human boyfriend Nick seems to be dabbling into summoning demons. Also, she has trouble getting around because one of her spell went awry in a bus last year and the bus drivers are trying to avoid her. She doesn’t own a car.

I rather enjoy Rachel’s circle of friends: Ivy, Jenks, Nick, and even captain Edden and agent Glenn. They are all distinct from each other and rather dysfunctional as a group. Ivy is an upper class vampire who is “slumming” with Rachel and this time we come to see quite a bit more about her decision to leave I.S. and to stay with Rachel. The pixie Jenks is a very entertaining character: curious, loudmouthed, opinionated, and yet fiercely protective of his own. His clouds of children are also entertaining.

We also get more info about the lay line magic when Rachel is forced to use more of it. Dr. Anders requires her to have a familiar so that she can continue the class and so she has to find a way to bind one to her. The demon which was seen in the previous book has a large part to play in this book as well. I guess I have to admit that I’m a bit frustrated with how little Rachel seems to know about magic which is supposed to be her specialty. She mostly muddles through with luck and guessing.

The plot flows out more smoothly this time than in the previous book, Dead Witch Walking. However, it still somewhat relies on characters doing stupid thing such as not listening to others or doing something in the heat of anger. Rachel is quite impatient and not subtle at all. Still, it strikes me a bit odd that she would be so impatient to arrest Kalamack that she would ignore proper procedure which might lead to Kalamack not being sentenced even if he was arrested.

There’s also a change in the mood in the last part of the book which I found a little jarring. The start and the middle feel to me quite light hearted. Then, near the end the stakes are raised dramatically and the mood becomes much darker. At the end, Rachel is in even more trouble than when she started and her circle of friends will probably not trust each other as much as before. I have mixed feelings about it but I’m curious to see what happens next.

Oh, there’s one sex scene in the book but it’s relevant to the characters and the plot.(less)

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Jul 23, 2011 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars

C2005. Even pacier than the previous book (Dead Witch Walking). Great development of the main characters with quite a few unexpected turns in the plot. I like Rachel Morgan and Ivy. The demon is a great addition and although thoroughly evil - is a great character (Algaliarept) This book sadly kept me awake and caused me to wake up in the middle of the night to finish it. The excerpt from Amazon is as follows "The second book in the New York Times bestselling urban fantasy-thriller series starrin...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Karalee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

This is the second book in the Hollows series featuring witch Rachel Morgan. The world in the Hollows is richly imagined -- after a unusual virus derived from, of all things, the tomato plant, kills off two-thirds of the human population, the supernatural (Inderlander) community decides to "come out" and live visibly among humans. After "the Turn" (as this development is called), the world will never be the same again. In this book, Rachel becomes involved in the investigation of an Inderlander...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 The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Ame...more

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Books by Kim Harrison

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

The Outlaw Demon Wails (The Hollows, #6)

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“I told you, computers are like women. If you shout at them or ask them to do too many things at once, they shut down and you won't even get a sniff" pg. 4” — 191 people liked it

“Come work for me, and I’ll tell you.”
My eyes went to his. “You are a thief, a cheat, a murderer, and a not-nice man,” I said calmly. “I don’t like you.”
He shrugged, the motion making him look utterly harmless. “I’m not a thief,” he said. “And I don’t mind manipulating you into working for me when I need it.” He smiled, showing me perfect teeth. “I enjoy it, actually.” — 75 people liked it

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

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