Member Reviews
This book was the best in the series so far. It has witches, demons, elves vamps and weres fight for control of Cincinnati. The non stop action and the black magic kept me on the edge of my seat. This book was amazing.
I could’ve used more demon action, but I still really enjoyed this book!
At book 17 in the Hollows series, Harrison hasn’t lost any steam, and in fact only seems to be getting stronger. There’s such a depth to her characters and world at this point that I feel more connected to them than any others in the genre. The series has a slow-burn plot - she takes her time, she lays the groundwork, and she builds momentum in a way that felt unparalleled until the most recent Dresden releases.
This series is all about celebrating amazing side characters and fun creatures. It’s so creative! I especially love the demons. Enigmatic, moody, self-serving, and delightfully unpredictable – as all good demons should be. I appreciate that they haven’t lost any of their poignancy as the series progressed.
And the spellwork!! For a series about a witch, there’s actually a ton of practicing magic. The spell crafting is detailed, complex, and highlighted often. I love learning about magical things in any context, and this series hits that craving beautifully. This particular installment didn’t highlight it as much as usual, but it was still good.
That said Demons of Good and Evil felt like a bridge novel. It tied up a bunch of loose ends and set the stage to come for one of my personal favorite story threads to finally get a moment… it’s going to be so good. I don’t actually know how many books are planned (or even if there’s yet a set number), but it definitely feels like we’re building towards one hell of a series-culmination banger of a ending. Book 18, “Demon’s Bluff” already has a cover and is slated for October 22, 2024. And she even has a new series-starter, “Three Kinds of Lucky” of the Shadow Age series that came out March 5th. All I’m saying is, I love Harrison – she’s such a trusted author that I’ll be devouring ANYTHING she chooses to write. Auto-buy status: MVP.
Overall, if you’re into a slow-burning, character-driven series that gradually builds to neck-breaking excitement that will knock your socks off… this might be a great pick. It shares a lot of the same attributes as some of my favorite high-fantasy works, which is doubtless why I like it so much.
Recommendations: You can either start the series with Dead Witch Walking -> a great story with just the barest glimmers of the amazingness to come (be patient), or even start with The Turn, a prequel novel that highlights the author’s skills beautifully while also plumping up the world-building and laying the foundation for the entire series. Love.
Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller
Kim Harrison left the hollows, came back to the hollow's and consistently delivers really strong books. It's always impressive when an author keeps a series going this long, this well, and this is an excellent next chapter. One of the strongest UF writer's out there, this series is one of my top recs for people looking. Excellent!
Recommended book which is well-written and will be enoyable fans of the author. Enoyable book and will look forward to more.
I don't know how she does it, but Kim Harrison has managed to keep The Hollows fresh and exciting, blowing past my expectations time and again.
If you like urban fantasy and kick-ass heroines, then Rachel Mariana Morgan is the girl for you. Don't start with this book. Obviously, go back to the beginning and savour every twist and turn and stomach flipping drop. It is worth every minute.
Solid writing. Great dialogue. Characters with depth and flaws that learn and grow and change i highly recommend this series to all who enjoy Urban Fantasy.
It is hard to write a book review for a book that is seventeen in the series. Usually, this far into a series, the plot lines have either become repetitive or the characters have changed and adapted so much that saying anything would spoil the earlier books. With this series, it is the latter. There may be books I like more than others, but there is not one book that does not move the world forward. What I really love is seeing the maturity of Rachel Morgan, the main character. She has gone from a hard, strong young adult to a persistent woman.
Reading this series is like meeting up with friends. I remember picking up these books when I was in grad school as a single parent of three kids, it was my self-care time. And picking up a new volume ten years later it still brings the same joy.
If you like urban fantasy, then I highly recommend this series but start with the first book. If you love this series, then continue on. This book is as great as all the rest.
I will admit I'm a big fan of this series. It's one of my top recommendations for those entering into the urban fantasy. Probably because it was my first real exposure.
Demons of Good and Evil is book 17 in the series. Readers are highly recommended to read the series before picking up this book. There is a lot of references to previous storylines and characters that could potentially leave new readers confused. Like other books, this addition to the series is filled with action, some twists and turns, loses, strained alliances and tense relationships.
Rachel is forced to confront her roles and obligations to Trent, her friends, and the residents of Cincinnati. There is a lot going on in this book to include the Weres, Rachel's past, her future with Trent and his kids, her future as a demon witch, and her relationship with the coven. Readers are thrown into the midst of the action from the get go. In true Rachel style, there is a lot of self pity, frustration, lack of trust and even confidence. This can be a bit grating at times, but if you have read the series, you know it's par for the course. She does have a little growth in this book to include accepting who she is in regards to her demon nature and recognizing her own short comings. At the end she finally puts trust in those who love her and actually listens to some extent. She also begins to recognize her continuous underestimating of her friends' abilities.
I'm still looking for some more growth from the main character, but I think, while slow going, she's making some progress. I also adore Harrison's writing and the Hollows world. She has a lot of consistency in both her writing, the characters and the world. Overall, I liked the book and thought it a nice addition to the overall series. It grabbed my interest from the very beginning and I was engaged for a large majority of the story.
I would very much like to say that if you have not read Kim Harrison's Hollows series, you should re-examine your reading schedule and slot in enough time to read all 17+ books in order in one binge. You have been denying yourself for too long. From book 1 when we are introduced to Rachel and Ivy to the newest Hollows book, number 17, but who's counting, the series has built a world populated with a family of characters that have grown into their own community of super heroes. When asked for recommendations in the paranormal genre, Kim Harrison's Hollow series is always in the Top 5 of readers recommending to other readers. Her legion of fans could not all be wrong. Try the first one and you'll be hooked with the rest of us, waiting for book #18.
thank you so much @netgalley & @berkleypub, Ace for the eArc!
This is a story about a good witch, who is also sometimes a bad witch.
As a fan of the series, I continue to find this series super entertaining & I look forward to each and every installment. Kim Harrison’s storytelling prowess, hilarious but compelling characters, and fun world-building ensure that I will keep reading this series for as long as she writes it. One of the highlights of this book is Rachel’s inability to access her normal allies bc they’re also under fire- it made it twistier! I’m super curious what other readers will think of the alliances here.
I am always excited when I get a chance to read a new Rachel Morgan installment! This book had it all! Rachel, Ivy, Jenks, Al, Biz, Trent. Rachel faces a lot of trouble in this book! It took me a while to find the time to read this book, but once I started, I didn't want to put it down!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
Rachel’s back with another magic-slinging adventure! Demons of Good and Evil started off a bit slow for me, but stick with it because everything ramps up to a satisfying conclusion. As usual, this installation was action-packed, with Rachel putting out fires all over Cincy. The weres are the main focus in the first half, but trouble is brewing everywhere for Rachel and the Gang.
Now for the highlights! I loved the villain in this instance—great motivations, sneaky dealings, irredeemable actions (no spoilers here 😉) and can’t wait for them to get what’s coming to them! Another thing Harrison always gets right is the dynamic between Rachel and Trent. Their relationship binds the series together and I was so pleased with all the love and respect they’ve built into their hard-won enemies-to-lovers romance! I am definitely biased, but any book with a lot of Trent is a winner for me! I was also shocked and awed that for once in her life, Rachel comes up with a plan that actually goes off without a hitch (a MIRACLE, I tell you). I won’t spoil where and when…you must read and find out!
I would recommend this series to any urban fantasy readers--we've got witches, weres, vamps, demons, oh my! However, The Hollows builds on itself, so to get the most out of it, read from the beginning (otherwise you'll probably be pretty lost). As always, I can't wait for the next of Rachel's adventures!
With book 17 of the Hollows series, Demons of Good and Evil, Kim Harrison continues her story with a mesmerizing plot that will keep readers engaged and riveted by the plot. As usual Rachel Morgan is a believable and fun character, constantly trying to protect her town and the citizens of Cincinnati with the help of her allies.
One of the elements I liked the best was the twists and turns in the plot, especially how matters end up resolved at the conclusion. Not only does Rachel make a deal with an unlikely ally but the characters surprise you and the ending itself is an interesting twist in the world. I found the ending fantastic and the story solid. Even if you don’t remember all the details of the previous 16 novels, you will find this a fun and engaging read. It is a mesmerizing plot.
This was fantastic! I loved getting the chance to spend a little bit of time with Rachel, Trent, Jenks, and the rest of the gang. Trouble always seems to find Rachel and there is someone determined to get their hands on the focus and “The Mage” is causing trouble at every turn. This installment was just as exciting as I had hoped it would be which kept me glued to the pages.
This is the seventeenth book in The Hollows series which really should be read in order since each book builds on the preceding events. It seemed like Rachel was in the middle of trouble every time she turned around in this book. The werewolf community is at odds and certain individuals will stop at nothing to get their hands on the focus. Rachel is framed for the murder of an important coven member. And the vampires are threatening to send in a new master vamp. I was confident that Rachel would be able to work things out in the end but it didn’t look good for a while. There was plenty of action and enough mystery to keep things really exciting in this installment.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that Marguerite Gavin did a great job of bringing this story to life. She has become the voice of these characters over the course of the series and I love how consistent she is with the various voices. I find her voice incredibly pleasant to listen to and had no problems listening to this book for hours at a time. I do believe that her narration only heightened my enjoyment of this book.
I would definitely recommend this series to others. This is a group of characters of very likable characters that have grown on me over the course of the series. The ending of the book has left me very eager to see what might happen next!
I received a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group and Penguin Random House Audio.
I will never tire of reading the Hollows. Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison is the seventeenth novel in the Hollows series and it was so addictive. Non-stop action, beloved characters, traveling the ley lines and witchy problems kept me reading into the wee hours.
After the events of Trouble with the Cursed, Rachel is still having troubles with jumping ley lines. She has a mouse living in her church and cannot access Holden’s quarters. However, all of this will pale in comparison when wolves and a Mage come into town. She’ll have to save her spelled friend, unlock a curse and stop the Mage from framing her before the DC vampires come to reclaim the city.
Poor Rach. Never a dull moment for this witchy demon. As always, I slipped right into the story and was delighted to see Trent, Jenks, Al, Ivy, and all the characters I love in this series. For new readers, I recommend starting from the beginning. After all, you’ll want to know about the tomatoes, the relationships, Rachel and more. Not to mention a bombshell that was dropped at the end of the book.
Harrison gave us quite the tale and tied it to previous characters and circumstances. We’ll learn a little more about Rachel and Trent’s childhood, enjoy some tender moments, and kick some ass. It was bliss!
The world and characters are fantastic. The pacing and build up make it unputdownable. You’ll see some new tricks, worry about Al and see growth in Rachel. I am curious about the changes that occurred, and the reveals. Once again, Harrison has me drooling for the next book.
I’ve left this spoiler free and if you haven’t read the series, I highly encourage you to do so. You’ll carry these characters with you, and quote them. I’ve laughed, cried, gotten angry and called out sick on release day.
Kim Harrison's Demons of Good and Evil is the 17th installment in the authors Hollows series. As a warning, there may be minor spoilers ahead since a lot of characters that show up in this book, have show up on and off throughout the series. Rachel Morgan is a witch-born demon who has recently defeated the demon Hodin, and turn another nemesis into a mouse. She, along with her crew which includes David Hue (Alpha Werewolf), Ivy Tamwood (Vampire) and Pike (Vampire), with help from Trent Kalamack (Elf) are the power core behind keeping Cincinnati's human population safe from things that go bump in the night.
But it’s rapidly becoming way more trouble than even she could have imagined. With a little help from her mentor, Gally (Demon), who was damaged by the Baku along with Bis (Gargoyle), agreed that they would try to help Rachael learn to line jump so that she can escape from where ever she may be, including Alcatraz. If someone grabs her summoning name and sends her away from Cincinnati, she should be able to escape to the Ever After. She has tried to keep both the vampires and the witches in line and that means trying to peacefully co-exist with Vivian Smith (Witch).
However, there's still a whole lot trouble on the horizon. Demons would love to revert to their old ways of tricking people like Vivian to serve them, and certain Elves still want to control the world while humans are just trying to survive. Then, as she is training with Bis and Gally, Walker Vincent and his fellow Male and Female Alphas directly challenge Rachel and David Hue and really up the ante on characters who are both powerful and hate Rachel. Walker is still angry that Nick stole the focus from him, and ended up in David. If they can get the focus, they can control Cincinnati and all the Were's.
Then a "mage" shows up and Rachel knows that her time as the power behind the paranormal community in Cincinnati might face it's first and most deadly challenge to date. The Mage, who if you pay attention, you will easily know who the person is, is eager to finish what Hodin started, beginning with taking down Rachel’s power structure piece by piece. First is David, then comes Trent who is busy trying to keep his business clean, then comes Rachel being sent to Alcatraz for using dark magic, and even more darker actions.
With her world falling apart, Rachel desperately needs help. Thankfully for Rachel, she has some allies who are willing to stand with her or behind her and that comes from some surprising characters which I won't spoil. So, me finish my review by saying that you should read this story and expect the unexpected. But you should know enough about Rachel and her friends to know why the ending of this story is both shocking and heart breaking. Loyal fans of this series will immediately know who Rachel is talking about in the last line of this book. READ IT!!!
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
So, The Hollows series was the very first Read-along I hosted in my early days of blogging at Yummy Men & KickAss Chicks. I chose it because I had heard so many great things about it but had never read the series. It was also 2014 and the year the "final" book was released, Witch with No Name.
I'm really enjoying the extension of this series. I almost like it more than the original books. Because so many of the characters and relationships have histories, I would read this series in order. There will likely be spoilers for the series here.
Rachel is demon subrosa for the city. She is a balance of sorts between all the factions of vampires, wolves, pixies, elves, demons and more. Jenks is with her always and they protect each other well. Her relationship with Trent is steady and lovely now. It is still slowly developing. Al is talking to her again after the whole Hodin mess. Hodin is still "locked away."
Someone from their childhood comes to town. Lee is also a Rosewood baby like Rachel, which means he is also a demon with witch knowledge. He is the other big player in the Brimstone trade. Trent wants to convince him to sell a clean product so people won't die. Lee is up to no good though.
Walter, the lunatic werewolf, is also in town to try to get the focus from David. He and his wolves abduct David and curse him. Rachel, along with others, works to locate and save him. Walter has a mage doing curses and Parker, his second, is another lunatic who loves to torture others.
Rachel's friend Vivien, from the witch coven, wants to see all her spells, particularly the one cast on Pike's brother, Brad. It was a illegal curse but Rachel didn't know it. Hodin created it and Stef, under Hodin's thumb, put in the dark ingredients. Rachel alternates between trusting Vivien and worrying Vivien will send her to Alcatraz.
There is a big power struggle and it looks like Rachel and Trent will be arrested or have to live in the ever after. There are a lot of battles and trying to figure out curses and magic. But Rachel has friends and allies. They come up with a plan and a coalition to continue ruling and put everyone on better terms.
I love having more time with these characters in this world. Rachel is strong and better at taking only reasonable risks. Since others got away, no doubt there will be more problems in the future. The witch coven is now young and not really happy with Rachel, so no doubt that will continue to be an issue. The ending brings up a possibility of another character from the past and I have mixed feelings about this being a possible new plot line.
I really enjoyed this installment of The Hollows series. It picks up a couple of months after the last book ended. Rachel doesn't get much of a break in this book, she has a lot going on and several different problems to solve/get out of. We get a lot of Rachel and Trent together in this book, I love it. I'm looking forward to the day they don't have to put so many things ahead of their relationship. We get to see all of the characters we have grown to love. If you have been reading this series and enjoying it, you will definitely enjoy this installment. If you have not started this series yet I would recommend you start with book one, you will not regret it.
3.5 STARS
Rachel Morgan is often a trouble magnet extraordinaire and, in this story, that moniker holds true. Although she banished the very nasty and duplicitous Hodin, it seems he had an acolyte who is out to cause trouble by trying to take Rachel and her allies down. The witch council is out to get Rachel as well accusing her of illegal activities that would send her straight to the witch prison at Alcatraz. Rachel’s job as Subrosa of Cincinnati is to protect supernaturals; however, said supernaturals, especially the Weres, have a faction supporting the unknown mage who continually throws attacks at her and the packs especially David, her alpha were friend. Rachel’s significant other, Trent, has some issues with their old childhood frenemy and now business rival, Lee Saladan, who keeps popping up to cause trouble always wanting to best Trent.
As usual Rachel and company seem to be under attack from all sides including some weres, vampires, the witch council, and assorted other enemies. Al has lost much of his abilities after helping Rachel capture his brother, Hodin, in the previous book. Rachel’s main problem is that she treats others, especially supernaturals, with a conscience giving everyone the benefit of the doubt until they prove otherwise but by then, terrible things may have happened.
Rachel has so many balls in the air trying to juggle her job, her relationship with Trent and his girls, and everyone else who wants to see her fail so she is constantly bouncing from one disaster to the next. She does not even get much peace at home with the vampire mouse, Constance, running around being naughty as well as her inability to get in Hodin’s sealed off room without being seriously injured or worse. Jinx and Getty are trying to work out some garden duty issues as the weather gets colder since this story is set the week before Halloween.
Bis the gargoyle is finally back in the picture although he and Rachel are not quite in sync magically yet. At number seventeen in the Hollows series, readers will know what to expect and look forward to seeing some of their favorite characters as well as the ones they love to despise. While this book does not exactly end on a cliffhanger, Rachel finds out some vital information about a long-time issue that will have loyal readers hooked and very excited while possibly moaning and groaning for the wait to see the potential and possibilities in the next book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the gift of an early copy. Below you'll find my honest review.
This one was INSANE. It was a total rollercoaster, and completely shook the world of the Hollows, down to the very last words. It had demons, weres, witches, pixies, vampires, politics, danger, love, family, death, and sooo much more.
And the way this one set up for the next one? Let's just say I'm not pleased to have to wait!!! I need it NOW!
Highly recommended, but also not recommended if you're jumping in here. There is WAY too much history in this one that won't make sense without reading the series. If you haven't read this series yet, why not? Get started!!
I mean, if you're a fan of the Hollows, this is AMAZING. I MISSED BIS!!!
Ahem........sorry, I digress.
Hands down, this is my favorite series, and I NEVER hesitate to recommend Kim to ANYONE. This will be no exception, however, I WILL suggest reading the backstory, this isn't a standalone. LOVE Kim, LOVE Rachel, and Company. I can't recommend this series highly enough!