A Fistful of Charms product reviews

In this, the fourth instalment of 'The Hollows' saga, Rachel Morgan is again putting her life on the line in an effort to do what's right, even if it's far from smart, and even if it requires a touch of Demon magic - which is something only she can kindle to life this side of the ley-lines. The mystery deepens, and the trouble expands drastically, in this book.

The book opens with Rachel discovering one of the consequences of signing on as David's pack alpha female, when she is challenged for her position in an attempt to teach David a lesson for bringing a non-Were into the fold. A surprising outcome not only strengthens Rachel's confidence when it comes to dealing with Weres, but also gives her the tools needed to turn the frightful experience to her advantage later in the story... when the impact will do her the most good in the direst of circumstances.

With plenty of thrills, more than a few mistakes that end up complicating her life even more, and a devastating - all more so for being anticipated - betrayal of trust, Rachel's life could only get more complicated if she managed a walk-on roll on Shortland Street! The world Rachel inhabits is close enough to our own that it's easy to empathise with and understand it, and yet for all the strangeness of it's inhabitants, it's so self-consistent that I found myself easily able to fall into it and accept it's foibles and strange politics. It actually reminds me a lot of the 'Allie Beckstrom' series by Devon Monk.

Overall, another exciting offering from Kim Harrison, and though I need to take a break from this storyline in order to get other things reviewed, it's going to be a hard world to shake loose from in my head. I will be all too happy to be diving into Book 5 - "For a Few Demons More" as soon as I possibly can!