Pale Demon

Kim Harrison

Feb 2011 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

"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.

Ratings and reviews

About two years ago, Ms. Harrison teased her blog followers about an upcoming book involving Rachel, Trent, and Jenks on a road trip out west. Fast forward to now, as Book 9 has finally been released. If you follow Ms. Harrison, you know that she touts this particular book as her favorite of the series. As a fan since 2005, I can say it's without a doubt my new favorite as well. It took six books, but Book 3 has finally been overtaken. We have Rachel and Jenks heading out west for what she tries to convince herself will be a pardon with the Coven of Moral and Ethical Standards for using black magic. Oh yeah, and she has her brother’s wedding to attend too. Trent Kalamack also needs to get to the west coast, though it's for personal reasons. He's keeping mum on the details; however, he will accompany Rachel to her pardon (more like her trial as far as he is concerned) in an attempt to vouch for her. Rachel is banned from flying commercially and Trent is limited to travelling by land. Neither can get out west without the other. If Trent doesn't make his deadline, he’ll miss out on the most important opportunity to help his race. If Rachel loses, she says hello to Big Al and the Ever-After FORever-after. Joined later by Ivy, Pierce, a surprise Coven member, and a few assassins trying to stop either Trent or Rachel in their tracks, we end up with an American Inderlander Road Trip...from Hell. Aside from the banter amongst themselves, they later run into a new demon, a Pale Demon, who can walk in the sun and must eat living souls to sustain himself. He’s so dangerous that even the demons sealed him away, but upon his unexpected release, he causes plenty of ruckus on both sides of the lines in more ways than one, proving to be a bit too much to handle for our favorite witch/demoness. Character development, magic, action, comedy, drama, romance--these elements have been what keeps the storyline going and makes it so special for fans of this series. Harrison hits all of that in her writing. She addresses several particular issues when it comes to Rachel's relationships, as well as the relationships between the people around her. While not trying to spoil much here (feel free to skip this paragraph if you’re worried), you're certainly strapped in for a roller coaster ride in terms of Rachel's love life. If you thought it was crazy before, you’re in for it now. While I’ve been a card-carrying Trent and Rachel supporter since Book 1, there’s attention given to her relationships with him, Pierce, Ivy, and Al too. I doubt that’s too surprising for those who have read the previous books though. It's just all quite complicated and I have a hard time imagining how Kim plans to iron out everything. Like any fan, of course I have certain hopes. Relationship dynamics evolve as much as the characters, and I think it is for the better. Everyone in one way or another is growing in this book, even the demons. New and important characters are introduced as well. You find yourself surprised as you sympathize and even start to like particular characters that you may not have cared for in the beginning. Harrison does well with fleshing out their personalities, revealing them to be more complex than they seem. Throughout this book the lines of black and white aren't so clear anymore, though certain characters do *finally* pay some consequences for their actions. People--and I mean species in general--are who they are, but the issue of nature vs. nurture is still there. Acceptance is a major theme this this time around, along with trust and vulnerability. We see Rachel making smarter choices and tapping more into her demonic nature. She and Trent have to learn to work together and trust one another. If you’re a Trent fan, he’s here in spades and you’ll never tire of him. You can see a mile away any opportunity when Rachel will ogle him, which is all in good fun of course. New questions arise for the demons

Review of the fantasy novel Pale Demon by Kim Harrison. Pale Demon is the 9th book in the Rachel Morgan series (aka The Hollows Series). If you have any interest in this book, please start by reading the first book in the series "Dead Witch Walking". This installment follows Rachel on a cross-country trek in a car with herself (a good witch), a Pixie, a Vampire and an Elf. Throw in a Ultra-nasty Demon dogging their heels, a witches council meeting in San Francisco and an Elf "life-quest" and you have all the components for a fun story. Looking forward to the next installment!

I LOVE these books! Can't get enough! They are so much fun with just enough adventure and romance to tingle the senses like the magic Kim Harrison describes so realistically in all of her books! Im only sad that I have almost read my way through the series in too short of a period of time, so that soon I will have no more of the adventures of Rachel, Ivy and Jenks, and the many predicaments they fight their way through!

About the author

Kim Harrison is best known as the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Hollows series, but she has written more than urban fantasy and has published more than two dozen books, spanning the gamut from young adult, accelerated-science thriller, and several anthologies and has scripted two original graphic novels set in the Hollows universe. She has also published traditional fantasy under the name Dawn Cook. Kim is currently working on a new Hollows book between other, nonrelated, urban fantasy projects.