Happy Happy HOLLOWS DAY!!
Hi everyone! Today is the big day! Ever After (The Hollows #11) is out a whole month early for our reading pleasure. Since I pre-ordered the hardcover through Amazon, I actually received my book yesterday, which was pretty sweet! And while I can’t wait to read the final product, I have decided to repost my review of the ARC for this book that I read back in October. So yeah, I think it’s been long enough that is refresher is in order, not that I could forget much ~_^! I doubt my sentiments will change. Thank you all for voting on my poll from this weekend. The strength of ebooks is really telling, especially for a series that was established well before this format came to fruition! I myself prefer reading ebooks these days, but I started reading and collecting The Hollows in paper form and I own every hardcover since Book 5 (For a Few Demons More), so I think it only fitting that I collect them all. There are only TWO books left after all. I hope you all enjoy it. I guarantee most of you will, and I encourage you to share your thoughts! HAPPY HAPPY HOLLOWS DAY!!
Review: Ever After – Like the finest of wines, The Hollows gets better with age
As you can see, I present definitive proof that I’ve indeed read the book! And man oh man is it fantastic! It’s my new favorite! I normally worry about using that term too loosely because it could diminish the potential quality of the series as a whole, but I genuinely think it’s the best book thus far. Kim Harrison has done it yet again and all signs point to her doing it two more times, and in epic proportions.
This time the Ever After, home of the demons, is shrinking at an alarmingly fast rate, placing the existence of magic in a pretty vulnerable position; without one there couldn’t be the other. So as if our favorite itchy witch, Rachel Morgan, didn’t have enough problems, this just sprang up to #1. If she can’t solve this one, she won’t have any others. If she can’t fix it, the demons want her head as her botched leyline creation caused this mess in the first place. And no one wants to see that happen more than her old buddy, Ku’Sox, the former day walking demon who had the misfortune to cross Rachel and lose. He even resorts to abducting her friend and goddaughter as insurance…and boy is it effective. Thankfully she’s got Trent Kalamack and Algaliarept by her side to restore balance and take him down once and for all. But the price may be too high for things to ever be the same again.
I know there was criticism about not a lot happening in A Perfect Blood, though I personally enjoyed the old-school Hollows style mystery. But for those of you who didn’t, for EVER AFTER I think a better question is what didn’t happen! There was so much going on that I genuinely can’t recall a dull moment. I think I felt and continue to feel every emotion possible, but I ultimately finished the book in pure euphoria. In case you needed a little reminding, Harrison presents really harsh realities and difficult decisions that prove she’s an author with guts. I don’t think I’ve experienced so many pulse pounding moments since For a Few Demons More (book 5). This book left me reeling like no other.
The scenes that take place in the Ever-After were some of the best of the series. The race against the clock really made this book so intense. Learning the history of the demons and the elves and the eventual degradation of their relationship was great, though I would have loved even more insight. I just can’t get enough of it.
And that brings me to Big Al, who was totally amazing. Fans will absolutely adore him in this book as we learn more about his personal back story. He’s much more prominent here than in A Perfect Blood and that’s fine by me because he literally lights up the pages and keeps things exciting in his own peculiar way.
After having read Trent’s POV in the bonus chapter of A Perfect Blood, I saw everything he did in a whole new light, and boy was it refreshing. He’s got his own personal demons to work through and it really makes you feel for the guy. He is in a rock and a hard place, accepting his actions that have led to certain consequences while still working to find the best solution possible. I loved seeing him use more magic. I feel like elves have a pretty powerful arsenal that deserve more exploration, so it was nice to see Harrison skim the surface here with the insinuation of even greater things. Magic is amped up for the elves, while more human qualities are amped up for the demons, so it was an interesting trade off.
His teamwork with Rachel was one of my favorite parts of the book. The tension was insane and placed so well all throughout. It’s seriously amazing to go back and read passages from Dead Witch Walking and then look at them now. Their progress is usually one step forward, two steps back, but the slow burn for this ship is probably what will make it my all-time #1 favorite if they end up together *fingers crossed*.
This book was just about everything I could ask for, but it wasn’t 100% flawless. With so much ever after, elf and demon action, the story manages to throw in a smidgeon of development in vampire politics. Unfortunately it felt very much like an afterthought and briefly broke the overall flow. We know vampires won’t get a lot of focus until the final book 13, so 10 or so pages of development came off a random at best and forgettable at worst.
All in all, this is an absolute MUST READ for fans of the series. Since Black Magic Sanction and Pale Demon the series has been invigorated and manages to improve as we reach the final stretch. That is a rarity for 95% of series that make it this far. I think it helps a lot that Kim Harrison has an end in sight and continues to write towards that. Many others have jumped-the-shark by this point. The Hollows is absolutely revving up for a grande finale and I cannot wait to be there.
Poll: How will you be purchasing EVER AFTER (The Hollows #11) on or after this Tuesday?
It’s no secret that we’re all Hollows nuts around these parts. I’ve actually been noticing a bit of a calm before the storm when it comes to the interwebs. Though I didn’t have time to hold a proper giveaway (though I hope you’ll like the consolation prize), I am a little curious about evolving buying habits and want to know how you all plan to get your mits on your copy. I’ve been pre-ordering hardcovers since my closest bookstore closed down, and same day delivery means it works out pretty well.
Ever After Chapters 1-6! You want it, You got! And a note to followers…
It’s taking a slightly different approach than the usual Harper Voyager link, but it’s easy to access all the same to read chapter 3:
Of course if you’d rather read through part of chapter 6, then by all means go here:
http://www.harpercollins.com/browseinside/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061957918
Enjoy!
P.S. And forgive me for being a little slow on the posts lately. Assassin’s Creed has pretty much occupied all of my free time! Ezio Auditore is just that amazing (and hott). And this is why I’m glad I’m not a big gamer. But I’ve finished his trilogy and things should return to normal soon (because I doubt Assassin’s Creed 3 will be as addictive)!
New Short Q&A with Kim Harrison
While the wait is probably getting even harder the closer Ever After’s release date becomes, Kim Harrison has provided a little insight about the series from here on out.
Hollows Alert! Ever After Chapter 2!
Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a Happy Holiday Season! Kim Harrison has certainly tried to make it better for us by posting Chapter 2 of Ever After! If you were able to hold out from downloading it with a Fistful of Charms, you can now see it on her website. Just check it out here:
Fistful of Charms for $1.99 with an Excerpt of Ever After!
I heard this straight from the horses mouth on her blog today, but thanks to Jisha for the heads up as well! For the remainder of the holiday season, Book 4 will be offered for $1.99. Get it as a gift, or get it for yourself if you want to read the first TWO chapters of Ever After! Chapter 2 won’t be released until Christmas day, but if you just can’t wait, you can get it here.
Barnes and Noble (NOOK)
Amazon (Kindle)
Books-A-Million (Nook?)
Kobo (Download options: Adobe DRM EPUB)
iBookstore (iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch)
Keep an eye out for additional excerpts here:http://harpervoyagerbooks.com/2012/12/17/excerpt-chapter-one-of-kim-harrisons-ever-after-jan-2013/
Ever After – Like the finest of wines, The Hollows gets better with age
As you can see, I present definitive proof that I’ve indeed read the book! And man oh man is it fantastic! It’s my new favorite! I normally worry about using that term too loosely because it could diminish the potential quality of the series as a whole, but I genuinely think it’s the best book thus far. Kim Harrison has done it yet again and all signs point to her doing it two more times, and in epic proportions.
This time the Ever After, home of the demons, is shrinking at an alarmingly fast rate, placing the existence of magic in a pretty vulnerable position; without one there couldn’t be the other. So as if our favorite itchy witch, Rachel Morgan, didn’t have enough problems, this just sprang up to #1. If she can’t solve this one, she won’t have any others. If she can’t fix it, the demons want her head as her botched leyline creation caused this mess in the first place. And no one wants to see that happen more than her old buddy, Ku’Sox, the former day walking demon who had the misfortune to cross Rachel and lose. He even resorts to abducting her friend and goddaughter as insurance…and boy is it effective. Thankfully she’s got Trent Kalamack and Algaliarept by her side to restore balance and take him down once and for all. But the price may be too high for things to ever be the same again.
I know there was criticism about not a lot happening in A Perfect Blood, though I personally enjoyed the old-school Hollows style mystery. But for those of you who didn’t, for EVER AFTER I think a better question is what didn’t happen! There was so much going on that I genuinely can’t recall a dull moment. I think I felt and continue to feel every emotion possible, but I ultimately finished the book in pure euphoria. In case you needed a little reminding, Harrison presents really harsh realities and difficult decisions that prove she’s an author with guts. I don’t think I’ve experienced so many pulse pounding moments since For a Few Demons More (book 5). This book left me reeling like no other.
The scenes that take place in the Ever-After were some of the best of the series. The race against the clock really made this book so intense. Learning the history of the demons and the elves and the eventual degradation of their relationship was great, though I would have loved even more insight. I just can’t get enough of it.
And that brings me to Big Al, who was totally amazing. Fans will absolutely adore him in this book as we learn more about his personal back story. He’s much more prominent here than in A Perfect Blood and that’s fine by me because he literally lights up the pages and keeps things exciting in his own peculiar way.
After having read Trent’s POV in the bonus chapter of A Perfect Blood, I saw everything he did in a whole new light, and boy was it refreshing. He’s got his own personal demons to work through and it really makes you feel for the guy. He is in a rock and a hard place, accepting his actions that have led to certain consequences while still working to find the best solution possible. I loved seeing him use more magic. I feel like elves have a pretty powerful arsenal that deserve more exploration, so it was nice to see Harrison skim the surface here with the insinuation of even greater things. Magic is amped up for the elves, while more human qualities are amped up for the demons, so it was an interesting trade off.
His teamwork with Rachel was one of my favorite parts of the book. The tension was insane and placed so well all throughout. It’s seriously amazing to go back and read passages from Dead Witch Walking and then look at them now. Their progress is usually one step forward, two steps back, but the slow burn for this ship is probably what will make it my all-time #1 favorite if they end up together *fingers crossed*.
This book was just about everything I could ask for, but it wasn’t 100% flawless. With so much ever after, elf and demon action, the story manages to throw in a smidgeon of development in vampire politics. Unfortunately it felt very much like an afterthought and briefly broke the overall flow. We know vampires won’t get a lot of focus until the final book 13, so 10 or so pages of development came off a random at best and forgettable at worst.
All in all, this is an absolute MUST READ for fans of the series. Since Black Magic Sanction and Pale Demon the series has been invigorated and manages to improve as we reach the final stretch. That is a rarity for 95% of series that make it this far. I think it helps a lot that Kim Harrison has an end in sight and continues to write towards that. Many others have jumped-the-shark by this point. The Hollows is absolutely revving up for a grande finale and I cannot wait to be there.
Blood Crime – Felt like familiar territory
I.S. cops Ivy Tamwood and Rachel Morgan were having a pretty good week, working their beat, busting brimstone street dealers left and right. That is until they realize someone may be gunning for them directly. That’ll put a damper on anyone’s week. Fortunately dodging risky attempts on their lives, it’s up to Ivy to figure out whose targeting them and why. Could it be Piscary? Does he want to eliminate Rachel to get Ivy back in his clutches faster? Or could it be a new big bad with something else in mind entirely?
My favorite format of The Hollows will forever be in written novel form, but I’ll take it any way I can get it. Ivy fans will enjoy this book as much as the last, Blood Work. It’s told from her POV even though Rachel maintains a consistent presence. It’s not a requirement, but it will help to have read the short story told from Ivy’s POV, Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil, because certain characters and events become relevant again.
Considering that this is a graphic novel, I’ll start with the graphic part. The cover is actually a bit disappointing. The cover of Blood Work was one of my favorite parts about the novel. The colors and badassness really made it pop. This one? Not so much. It’s dark and vaguely mysterious, but it’s not interesting. I feel like the model should be wearing a more sinister expression.
It’s no secret that I’m not particularly fond of the artwork. Even though there’s a new illustrator, they implemented the original artwork so the overall style is unchanged. After reading this one, I’m still not a fan but it is definitely improved over the first one in a few areas. For one, the coloring is more professional. It’s more vibrant and saturated, giving it an all around better look. Interestingly enough, I think Ivy looks better in this one than in Blood Work. But on the other hand, I thought Rachel looked prettier in Blood Work than she does here. Piscary looked pretty spot on to how I envisioned him in my head, and a new character, Celeste, actually had a pretty cool design. The artist definitely does better work with her own original creations.
The story itself was pretty good, if a bit short. It’s natural to feel that way when a usual Hollows entry is over 400 pages. Though I’m pleased with the direction the later books have taken, I do miss the old I.S. runner days when they had to solve mysteries and tag bad guys. This book brings a little bit of that back. I liked how it continued the plot lines from Ivy’s short story because it expands the vampire world just a bit more when it comes to their politics, connections, and the domino effect that comes with certain actions. There’s a lot of inner turmoil with Ivy, fighting her attraction to Rachel, fighting her vampiric nature, fighting Piscary’s mind games. That’s pretty much all the poor girl does! Not to mention actually physically fighting the bad guys. Piscary was pretty scary at times, especially when pulling auras. He’s certainly one you love to hate. Kisten’s role is even smaller here than in Blood Work, but we do see enough to know how strong of a bond he and Ivy shared. Rachel wasn’t quite as funny as she was in the first novel, but she still felt like Rachel, kicking butt, taking names. And seeing her cherry red splat gun in action again was pretty cool too.
All in all, I don’t think these are the best that The Hollows has to offer, but it is worth a read and fans will appreciate the story.
*Review copy provided by the publisher
Who is my favorite Author? Kim Harrison, that’s who! Ever After ARC is MINE!!
Though I gave my copy away last year, this one is priceless for this very reason:
But don’t worry! I will be holding a giveaway for the official release!!
NEW and EXCLUSIVE! Hollows Short Story – Trouble on Reserve
Hi Hollows fans! Ms. Harrison certainly surprised us today (or yesterday for those of us in the know) with the new Hollows short, Trouble on Reserve. The good news? IT’S NEW HOLLOWS MATERIAL!! The bad? It’s only available to iPad, iPod Touch (with the later iOS), and iPhone users who download the Sony Reader App.
While I am typing this blog from my beloved MacBook Pro, I happen to be a Droid girl with an outdated iPod touch *Le Sigh*. But knowing me, that certainly wasn’t going to get in my way. Thanks to a WONDERFUL coworker, I was able to read the story on her iPhone. It. Is. FABULOUS! Our favorite elf and demon witch team up once again with a wonderful twist. While great, I noticed a few significant spoilers from Ever After, so beware!
Book Release day! Into the Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond – A little bit of old, a little bit of new
Just a friendly reminder to you guys that Into the Woods was released today! Below is my review that was previously posted. While the anthology was awesome and I loved Trent’s short story, Million Dollar Baby, I have to say that I liked the bonus chapter from A Perfect Blood even better.
Review
Even being the Hollows snob that I am, I admit a couple of stories have slipped through the cracks for me over the years. That’s why I was quite pleased to hear that the stories would finally be included in an anthology! I’ll be honest and say that when I opened it I immediately skipped to “Million Dollar Baby”, the story centering on Trent and Jenks’s elf quest in Pale Demon, and it didn’t disappoint! Everything else for me was a bonus, but it was all worthwhile. Here’s a breakdown of the stories and my general feelings:
“Million Dollar Baby”– this was easily the premiere story for this publication. It was essentially priceless getting into Trent’s head and learning quite a few things that we never knew before. It makes him so much more “human” this way. Trent and Rachel fans eager for anything to support development of these two may be disappointed a smidgen (though not entirely), but I think it’s important to remember when this story took place and what it’s about. While I loved reading about Trent, I admit that I missed Rachel. I’m really attached to the itchy witch and they play off one another so well. No worries though because the bromance that blooms between Trent and Jenks is plenty entertaining. We see why pixies and elves get along so well. Overall, I thought this was a well done story and I wish we could get more stories from Trent, though I know that won’t be happening much.
As for the reprinted Hollows short stories:
“The Bespelled” – a short story focusing on Al and how he ensnared Ceri of 1,000 years ago. I always enjoyed this read. But it has Al so that makes it pretty easy…
“Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel”– a Robbie/Rachel/Pierce novella going back in time to when Rachel was 18 and struggling with her decision to join the I.S. This story was new to me. I was not the biggest fan of Pierce in the main novels, but I must admit that he is a little better here.
“Undead in The Garden of Good and Evil”– a novella focusing on Ivy in her earlier I.S. days. Another entertaining novel with excellent doses of Kisten. If you thought he and Rachel were hott together, you should read this to see vamp on vamp action. I read this some time ago, but I forgot how hott he and Ivy can be together.
“Dirty Magic”- short story about Mia, the banshee from Book 7. While not my favorite I found it interesting to read about her and her complex thought processes.
“The Bridges of Eden Park”– a Kisten and Rachel short that no doubt makes you miss him all over again.
“Ley Line Drifter” – a novella focusing on Bis and Jenks. It introduces the character Daryl who we meet again in the later Hollows novels. I will say it’s sort of weird to read A Perfect Blood and then go back to reading this. My favorite parts were the moments between Jenks and Matalina since we never get to see that first hand.
Stories beyond The Hollows:
“Pet Shop Boys” – I admit that every time I see this title I just want to sing “West End Girls”. Though I promise that the story is completely unrelated. It’s actually about vampires, but they are completely different from our Hollows vamps. I think she could have had something going, but The Hollows vamps are better and more developed, not surprisingly. They have an unfair advantage of having novel after novel of development. I would like to see this become a full novel or two to even the playing field. This was my favorite entry of the non-Hollows stories.
“Temson Estates” and “Spider Web”-a short story and novella focusing on dryads. I don’t think they are my favorite supernatural creature, but I would have liked to have seen a little more regarding the Spider Web story.
“Grace” – novella introducing new powers relating to people who hold special energy capable of destroying electronics. Their powers can be intense enough that, if left unharnessed, they can be a danger to society. This one is more borderline Urban Fantasy to me. It could be categorized as something else.
Overall, I enjoyed this book but normally I don’t enjoy anthologies very much simply because I prefer to read a whole novel as opposed to several novellas (just a personal preference). I found myself putting the book down more often for this reason, but I was definitely engaged enough to read the old stuff all over again along with the new stuff.
I follow Kim Harrison’s work more closely under the Rachel Morgan series than anything else, but the non-Hollows stories give the reader a taste of her skills as an author. It’s a good way to test yourself as a fan, determining whether you plan to follow Rachel Morgan or Kim Harrison in general. The beginnings of the stories were sometimes a little hard to get into because I didn’t always want to switch gears from story to story, especially going from Rachel Morgan to something totally different. But if you stay the course, each read is quite rewarding and interesting, even with such a short window of opportunity to tell the story. I see myself following Harrison throughout The Hollows and beyond.
A Perfect Blood Paperback is out! And OH-EM-GEEE!!
“When this is over, can I fix that?”
My fingers, he realized, shivering when she brushed his palm. She’s talking about fixing my fingers. “If you like,” he said with a false calm, then pulled away, stifling a spun-sugar feeling as her hand slipped from his. It’s the adrenaline, he thought, not meeting her eyes.
Yeah, that. just. happened. Now READ!!
EDIT: I got it for my kindle, but those who already have the book and don’t want to purchase it again can read the whole thing in the browse feature on B&N. It’s free and all you have to do is click the first “Teaser Chapter” link:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/sample/read/9780061957901
Thanks to our very own VirginiaHouston for bringing this link to my attention. The Harper Browse doesn’t offer it at this time.
As you may or may not know, the mass market paperback was released this Tuesday and Kim added a special bonus which included a change of POV from a previous chapter. She decided to use Trent’s POV for the office scene where (spoiler ahead)……………Rachel takes off the demon bracelet that he put on her in Pale Demon. I just read the excerpt and well…
I’m about to go on a Goodreads quoting spree. Who wants to join me?!
It’s been a pretty good week for me. I scored front row tickets to the Madonna concert this past Sunday (I’d never been to one of her shows before), and now I read this MIND BLOWING excerpt from this book! Honestly, I’m speechless. If you want to read it yourself (and believe me, you’ll want to), you could stop by your local bookstore and read the MMP, you could buy the ebook like I did. I like having ebook and hardcovers for this series, so I purposely held out for the ebook until now. Kim NEVER goes for the jugular like that. She’s usually way more subtle. That last paragraph was just… As I said, I’m speechless right now and that NEVER happens with The Hollows.
HOLLOWS ALERT!!! Excerpt of Ever After (Book 11) is here!
If you guys purchase (now for 99 cents though before it was free) the Pet Shop Boys short story, it includes the first excerpt of EVER AFTER! See, I love you guys so much I told you before reading it myself 😛 *now rushes off to read*
Edit: I just finished the excerpt. Bah! There’s NEVER enough Hollows! And I honestly was thinking about Carew towers recently so it’s right on time that Kim brings it up again.
Into the Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond – A little bit of old, a little bit of new
Even being the Hollows snob that I am, I admit a couple of stories have slipped through the cracks for me over the years. That’s why I was quite pleased to hear that the stories would finally be included in an anthology! I’ll be honest and say that when I opened it I immediately skipped to “Million Dollar Baby”, the story centering on Trent and Jenks’s elf quest in Pale Demon, and it didn’t disappoint! Everything else for me was a bonus, but it was all worthwhile. Here’s a breakdown of the stories and my general feelings:
“Million Dollar Baby”– this was easily the premiere story for this publication. It was essentially priceless getting into Trent’s head and learning quite a few things that we never knew before. It makes him so much more “human” this way. Trent and Rachel fans eager for anything to support development of these two may be disappointed a smidgen (though not entirely), but I think it’s important to remember when this story took place and what it’s about. While I loved reading about Trent, I admit that I missed Rachel. I’m really attached to the itchy witch and they play off one another so well. No worries though because the bromance that blooms between Trent and Jenks is plenty entertaining. We see why pixies and elves get along so well. Overall, I thought this was a well done story and I wish we could get more stories from Trent, though I know that won’t be happening much.
As for the reprinted Hollows short stories:
“The Bespelled” – a short story focusing on Al and how he ensnared Ceri of 1,000 years ago. I always enjoyed this read. But it has Al so that makes it pretty easy…
“Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel”– a Robbie/Rachel/Pierce novella going back in time to when Rachel was 18 and struggling with her decision to join the I.S. This story was new to me. I was not the biggest fan of Pierce in the main novels, but I must admit that he is a little better here.
“Undead in The Garden of Good and Evil”– a novella focusing on Ivy in her earlier I.S. days. Another entertaining novel with excellent doses of Kisten. If you thought he and Rachel were hott together, you should read this to see vamp on vamp action. I read this some time ago, but I forgot how hott he and Ivy can be together.
“Dirty Magic”- short story about Mia, the banshee from Book 7. While not my favorite I found it interesting to read about her and her complex thought processes.
“The Bridges of Eden Park”– a Kisten and Rachel short that no doubt makes you miss him all over again.
“Ley Line Drifter” – a novella focusing on Bis and Jenks. It introduces the character Daryl who we meet again in the later Hollows novels. I will say it’s sort of weird to read A Perfect Blood and then go back to reading this. My favorite parts were the moments between Jenks and Matalina since we never get to see that first hand.
Stories beyond The Hollows:
“Pet Shop Boys” – I admit that every time I see this title I just want to sing “West End Girls”. Though I promise that the story is completely unrelated. It’s actually about vampires, but they are completely different from our Hollows vamps. I think she could have had something going, but The Hollows vamps are better and more developed, not surprisingly. They have an unfair advantage of having novel after novel of development. I would like to see this become a full novel or two to even the playing field. This was my favorite entry of the non-Hollows stories.
“Temson Estates” and “Spider Web”-a short story and novella focusing on dryads. I don’t think they are my favorite supernatural creature, but I would have liked to have seen a little more regarding the Spider Web story.
“Grace” – novella introducing new powers relating to people who hold special energy capable of destroying electronics. Their powers can be intense enough that, if left unharnessed, they can be a danger to society. This one is more borderline Urban Fantasy to me. It could be categorized as something else.
Overall, I enjoyed this book but normally I don’t enjoy anthologies very much simply because I prefer to read a whole novel as opposed to several novellas (just a personal preference). I found myself putting the book down more often for this reason, but I was definitely engaged enough to read the old stuff all over again along with the new stuff.
I follow Kim Harrison’s work more closely under the Rachel Morgan series than anything else, but the non-Hollows stories give the reader a taste of her skills as an author. It’s a good way to test yourself as a fan, determining whether you plan to follow Rachel Morgan or Kim Harrison in general. The beginnings of the stories were sometimes a little hard to get into because I didn’t always want to switch gears from story to story, especially going from Rachel Morgan to something totally different. But if you stay the course, each read is quite rewarding and interesting, even with such a short window of opportunity to tell the story. I see myself following Harrison throughout The Hollows and beyond.
Into the Woods (The Hollows Anthology) Excerpt is Available
I gotta say I’m loving all of the new Hollows updates these days. While the pull of the upcoming anthology’s release has motivated me to finally finish the ARC of this novel (I’ve had it since June, I’m a terrible Hollows snob, I know), I figured you guys would love to get a taste of the premiere story, Million Dollar Baby, that showcases what happens during Pale Demon as Trent and Jenks go on their bromance-filled quest. To read it, just click here.
I’m finishing up the whole thing myself (I’m about 70% done now, made good progress today), but I made sure to read Million Dollar Baby the second I got my paws on it. Priorities are priorities. Either way, I can guarantee Hollows fans are in for a rare treat and some pretty interesting insights.
So, how are you liking the excerpt so far?
Cover Reveal – Ever After (The Hollows #11) by Kim Harrison
Can’t really find a larger graphic quite yet, but there it is! It reminds me a bit of the cover for The Outlaw Demon Wails (the last Ever After focused novel). This one is cool, but I think I like the previous one better because it seemed a little more mysterious. And if you want a synopsis:
The ever after, the demonic realm that parallels the human world, is shrinking. If it disappears completely, so does all magic. It’s up to witch-turned-daywalking-demon Rachel Morgan to avert catastrophe and keep life from changing… for the worse.
While saving the world is important, it isn’t Rachel’s only motivation. There’s also the small fact that she caused the ley line to rip in the first place, setting off a chain reaction of unfortunate events. That little mistake has made her life forfeit unless she can fix it. It’s also made her more than a few enemies, including the most powerful demon in the ever after—a terrifying entity who eats souls and now has an insatiable appetite for her. He’s already kidnapped her friend and goddaughter to lure her out, and if Rachel doesn’t give herself up soon, they’ll die.
But Rachel has more than a few impressive and frighening skillls of her own, and she isn’t going to hand over her soul and her life without one hell of a fight. She’s also got a surpise: elven tycoon Trent Kalamack. With this unlikely ally beside her—a prospect both thrilling and unnerving—she’s going to return to the ever after, kick some demon butt, rescue her loved ones… and prevent an apocalypse before it’s too late. Or, at least that’s the plan…
I want it now! I want it now! I WANT IT NOOOOOOW!!!
So who do you suspect gets kidnapped? Ceri and Rae or Lucy? Maybe it’s Quinn this time? I am SO curious. I know I’m not the only one super relieved that the novel is out one month early this time! I guess it’s time to update my side panel! Maybe I’ll hold out…at least until I hopefully get my paws on an arc.
No Jenks for The Hollows CW adaptation?
http://kimharrison.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/so-i-wrote-a-little-fan-fic-this-morning/
Kim Harrison posted her own little piece of fan fic this morning with a bit of a cryptic message for those of you with your brains turned on. It looks like there’s a big chance there won’t be a Jenks. I can’t say I’m surprised since this is a new show; if you look up the definition of “cheap” you’d see the CW logo, but it’s still pretty disappointing.
I will watch this anyway to support Kim and The Hollows. She is just as good, if not better than the handful of authors that have made it big. I know The Hollows is my Urban Fantasy drug of choice compared to Twilight and The Vampire Diaries for sure, and we all know how big they are. But it’s just really hard not to imagine the Hollows without our staple foul-mouthed, but loyal-as-all-getout pixy. What are your thoughts?
Update from Cheri:
Okay folks, Erika asked me to post this update.
I tooled around all the comments on FB and on wordpress. That’s over 300 comments, lol, anyway, Kim’s hubby Guy made a comment with hints as to what Kim meant on her fanfic. I took the hints, ran with it and came to the conclusion that the deal with the CW on the Hollows show is over. In other words it sank. She was disappointed of course, her rabid fans- not so much. She was describing what the writers were going to change from the series. First, Kisten would have been a witch and still dating Ivy. No Jenks whatsoever. Trent a crazed Rachel stalker and you can see what this would have done to the fans! Needless to say we are all sad for Kim and Guy and what this would have meant for them in financial gains not to mention a much wider future fan base. Would we have been supportive of her book-based show? Of course. Maybe sometime in the future someone with a better brain than the producers/writers with the CW will come along and make this great for the Harrison’s!
My thoughts: I just don’t get why they can’t do it how it is in the books. They have clear guidelines that keep them from needing to think too much. Even if they took out or modified Jenks’ character, what is wrong with what we already have? I just don’t get it…
ATTENTION HOLLOWS FANS! So I’ve got some good news and I’ve got some GREAT news!
For those of you who follow Ms. Harrison’s blog this may not be a surprise. But for those who don’t, we are getting Ever-After (Book 11) ONE MONTH EARLIER! I for one am SUPER excited about that!
Next up, I saw The Avengers this weekend (and I know I’m not alone since it grossed a record-breaking $207 million in 3 days). And I don’t know about anybody else, but I think a blond Chris Evans would make a damn fine Trent Kalamack!
I saw Captain America last year as well, but it didn’t hit me until I saw this film. Anyway, if you haven’t seen The Avengers yet, GO SEE IT! IT’S AWESOME!
Which piece of news was good and which one is great? I’ll leave that to you to figure out. 😛
The Hollows makes me bipolar, and tsk tsk Linda Larsson!!
So while I’d been whining a little bit a few days ago about The Hollows getting a 13th book, my biggest harp was that I thought it’d mean we had to wait yet another year for Rachel’s HEA. But if we still get it in 12 and 13 is a bonus, then I’ll take it! Though Kim could change her mind, if she sticks to this then I’m totally on board now :-D. She also confirmed for me that book 12 won’t be a cliffhanger so that’s another plus!
But yeah, Linda, being a resident Your Urban Fantasy follower (yes, I’m calling you out, missy) didn’t shout this info from the rooftops! Our other fellow follower, Diva, actually showed it to me. Still, thank you both, Linda for asking the question and Diva for sharing the answer!
And while I was there on Kim’s Facebook page I found this…
So it looks like there will be 13 Hollows books after all. *SIGH*!! I may be in the minority but I was really hoping she’d cut it off at 12 since we HAVE to wait until the last book for her HEA. I’m a little bummed, I gotta say. And now with her being more tight lipped about everything from here on out, it’s going to be nearly impossible to listen to her now, lol.
More Hollows Fun! A Kim Harrison podcast interview
Check out Kim’s interview with the Agony Column where she shares a ton of insight about the series overall, it’s development, the future, and more.
http://bookotron.com/agony/news/2012/03-19-12-podcast.htm#podcast031912
If you don’t want to listen to the entire thing (I myself was multitasking in the process so it wasn’t a big deal), I took a few notes and noted the approximate time if you want to skim to that point yourself. Sorry if it’s not perfectly formatted:
15 minutes – very good insight on Al and his evolution.
21 minutes – we have Kim’s editor to thank for Bis’s creation
22 minutes – how she crafts the plot. Kim has an idea of Rachel’s HEA and she thought it was going to be during Book 3. She only plots the book she’s working on, not a whole long story arc across books. She just picks up threads in the next book from the previous book.
24 minutes – Because she works so far ahead of schedule, she can work in some things that the fans want to see.
Kim NEVER dreams about her characters!
27 minutes – the richness of Urban Fantasy, chicklit, mysteries, crime scene, etc. Very good insight.
29 minutes – great discussion on her vampire development. We will see Nina again.
30 minutes – Trent discussion and his history with Rachel. Nick getting his comeuppance in the next book!
35 minutes – she discusses her research in developing the spells.
Still doesn’t know is Kal (Trent’s dad) saved the demons by accident or on purpose!
38 minutes – brought in kids to flesh out Trent’s character and background. And Rachel is seeing him differently now. She didn’t want to give Rachel kids herself because she feels like the series is over once that happens. Giving supporting characters kids allows her to push this envelope.
41 minutes – If Kim did a spin off series, she would do it with Glenn! He has a lot going on.
42 minutes – Ivy is rebelling against her vampire responsibilities.
47 minutes – Her editor suggesting using humans for APB
48 minutes – Discusses her process for writing action and sex scenes. She uses the same approach for both, wanting to know where everybody’s hands are at all times and she wants an action and reaction from both parties.
49 minutes – romance readers helped Kim get her work out there. Again notes how some UF are heavier on romance, some of heavier on mystery. Romance readers like a lot of things UF is known for. With a strong-willed heroine. She didn’t know her romance following was so large until she killed Kisten. She felt she lost a lot of readers for a book and the readers told her she was breaking the rules.
54 minutes – new book is will be UF because that’s what she loves. She tries to write a chapter per day. It takes 8 hours.
58 minutes – the idea to do a GN was her agent’s idea. She was worrying that her writing was getting stale. If there are other GNs someone else will be scripting them. It’s too limited.
59 minutes – the show won’t follow the books. It will follows what’s *between* the books.
Into the Woods (Rachel Morgan) by Kim Harrison – Cover Reveal
Please excuse the Technocrati token 8TCRFGW463NP.
Anyway, ain’t she a beaut! Honestly, I was searching online for this like…yesterday and saw that this picture was posted on another site, but since Kim Harrison hadn’t announced it I wasn’t sure that it was official (though I had a feeling it was).
If you didn’t know, Into the Woods is a Hollows anthology that will be a compilation of all short stories, old and new. It will also include the new “Million Dollar Baby” story which shows us what Trent and Jenks were up to during Pale Demon when they went on their mission to get Lucy. I, for one, am soooo looking forward to this BROmance! I’ve already got it pre-ordered myself.
Dead Witch Walking eBook Sale – Get it now for 99 cents!
Pick an ereader, any ereader! The deal is across the board!
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/spotlight-featured-author-nook-books/379002742/
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Dead-Witch-Walking/book-GtTYhS4zyU-69smhFJixEA/page1.html
This is great for new potential readers or even us well established Hollows fanatics who just want it as an ebook. I can personally say that I love the the text search feature.
Kim Harrison at her lovely Drama Box also notes that the book is highlighted.