Pale Demon (Hollows Series #9)

by Kim Harrison

Overview

"I wouldn’t miss a Kim Harrison book for anything."—Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels

New York Times bestselling urban fantasy superstar Kim Harrison is back with Pale Demon—her ninth electrifying adventure featuring contemporary witch Rachel Morgan. This time Rachel's leaving the Hollows, on a cross-country road trip with a pixy, an elf, and a vampire, as she races to clear her blackened name at a California witches' convention in order to avoid an eternity of torment at the claws of a soul-devouring demon. Pale Demon is Kim Harrison at her gothic best—combining mystery, action, intrigue, paranormal romance, and breathtaking dark fantasy in a delicious witches’ brew that fans of Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Stephenie Meyer, and Jim Butcher simply will not be able to resist.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062065766
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/22/2011
Series:	Hollows (Rachel Morgan) Series
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	528
Sales rank:	58,840
File size:	713 KB

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison was born and raised in the upper Midwest. Her bestselling Hollows novels include Dead Witch Walking; The Good, the Bad, and the Undead; Every Which Way But Dead; A Fistful of Charms; For a Few Demons More; The Outlaw Demon Wails; White Witch, Black Curse; Black Magic Sanction; Pale Demon; A Perfect Blood; Ever After; and The Undead Pool, plus the short-story collection Into the Woods, The Hollows Insider, and the graphic novels Blood Work and Blood Crime. She also writes the Madison Avery series for young adults.

Editorial Reviews

Harrison's intriguing ninth Hollows novel (after 2010's Black Magic Sanction) lives up to the earlier books, which established Harrison as a major urban fantasy player. Witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan needs to get to her brother's wedding. This leads to an uneasy alliance with her elven frenemy Trent Kalamack, who's being pushed toward Seattle by a quest. Meanwhile, Jenks the pixy is recovering from the loss of his wife, Matalina, and needs distraction. The result: "A witch, an elf, and a pixy on the Great American Road Trip" through a landscape reworked by magic, facing down terrifying foes en route. Elegant and taut as a gymnast's cartwheel, Harrison's polished prose drives a story that will have readers swerving in their seats every time Rachel turns the wheel. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Elegant and taut as a gymnast’s cartwheel, Harrison’s polished prose drives a story that will have readers swerving in their seats every time Rachel turns the wheel.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“With more than 2.5 million “Hollows” books in print, Harrison has definitely tapped a nerve — or a magical ley line.” — San Antonio Express-News on Pale Demon

“An excellent entry that is guaranteed. … The Rachel Morgan series is fast becoming one of the hottest tickets in the urban-fantasy subgenre.” — Booklist (starred review)

“You’ll love this bounty-hunter team. . . . A fun-fair ride through a fascinating version of our world.” — Charlaine Harris on Dead Witch Walking

“Blends the best qualities of Anita Blake and Stephanie Plum. . . . Kim Harrison carries it off with style.” — Jim Butcher on Dead Witch Walking

“Dead Witch Walking is a wonderfully fun romp through the supernatural world, a spellbinding blend of sharp wit and vivid imagination that left me eagerly awaiting the sequel.” — Kelley Armstrong on Dead Witch Walking

From the Publisher

Blends the best qualities of Anita Blake and Stephanie Plum. . . . Kim Harrison carries it off with style.

Jim Butcher on Dead Witch Walking

You’ll love this bounty-hunter team. . . . A fun-fair ride through a fascinating version of our world.

Charlaine Harris on Dead Witch Walking

With more than 2.5 million “Hollows” books in print, Harrison has definitely tapped a nerve — or a magical ley line.

San Antonio Express-News on Pale Demon

An excellent entry that is guaranteed. … The Rachel Morgan series is fast becoming one of the hottest tickets in the urban-fantasy subgenre.

Booklist (starred review)

Dead Witch Walking is a wonderfully fun romp through the supernatural world, a spellbinding blend of sharp wit and vivid imagination that left me eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Kelley Armstrong on Dead Witch Walking

With more than 2.5 million “Hollows” books in print, Harrison has definitely tapped a nerve — or a magical ley line.

San Antonio Express-News

"An excellent entry that is guaranteed. … The Rachel Morgan series is fast becoming one of the hottest tickets in the urban-fantasy subgenre."

Booklist

What do you get when a witch, a pixie, a vampire, and an elf go on a road trip? If the witch is Rachel Morgan (Black Magic Sanction), chaos is likely to ensue. Rachel's headed to the annual witches convention in San Francisco to defend herself against charges of using demon magic, and her friends Ivy and Jenks aren't going to let her travel alone. Rachel's longtime frenemy, Trent Kalamack, needs to get to the West Coast for his own purposes—an elf quest to take back something that was stolen by his ex-fiancée. The unlikely group bands together for a cross-country trip that is anything but a cheery jaunt down Route 66. Harrison's alternate America is creepy and desolate, with large swaths of abandoned territory and ghost towns galore. And trouble, in the form of a dangerous demon named Ku'Sox, follows them wherever they go. VERDICT As in Harrison's previous books, this one features plenty of action and a strong central character, but it is a little bit lighter in tone than the last few installments in the series. Urban fantasy and paranormal romance fans will undoubtedly place plenty of holds, so purchase accordingly. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/15/10.]—Nanette Donohue, Champaign P.L., IL

Library Journal

Magic, sexual tension, bloodshed and convoluted plotlines color this urban-fantasy road trip, the ninth in the series featuring Cincinnati witch/incipient demon Rachel Morgan (Black Magic Sanction, 2010, etc.).

Rachel's ability to invoke demon magic has gotten her shunned by her fellow witches, and put her at risk of life imprisonment—or worse. Since she's on the no-fly list, she's forced to drive to the witches' convention in San Francisco for a slim chance at a pardon, accompanied by her vampire roommate Ivy, her pixy sidekick Jenks and, unexpectedly, the elven druglord Trent Kalamack, who has promised to plead Rachel's case, and (as always), also has his own agenda. En route, they're pursued by rogue pixies, the only coven member sympathetic to Rachel's predicament, assassins targeting Trent and a mysterious demon, who, unlike others of his kind, can appear during the daytime. It's always fun to watch Rachel outthink and outfight what appear to be overwhelming odds. Those who have followed the complex love/hate relationship between Rachel and Trent through several books will be glad to see it finally making some significant progress. However, the method Trent employs to help Rachel retain her liberty is stunningly ruthless. It's amazing, given her rock-solid sense of morality, that she can still be attracted to him, particularly since the core of the series concerns Rachel's retention of that morality through her extensive travails and personal transformations. Although Trent exerts himself and suffers significantly to redeem the horrific consequences of his actions, readers may be somewhat put off—probably not enough to skip the next volume, however.

An exceptionally enjoyable ride, if at times somewhat ethically and logically questionable.

Kirkus Reviews