Into the Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond
Seeing their banter and hangsup and relationship in this book was awesome to behold. It's made clear how sick she was and her lack of self esteem before the Hollows was born. She's certainly grown a lot - one of my favorite stories. Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil - This one was also good but not a favorite. I liked seeing through Ivy's head but she is wrapped up in the strange vampire politics which I find fascinating.
Fleshes her out a lot as a character and I dug her here. Kisten didn't seem like himself but this could be because it's from a different perspective or situation, pre-Rachel for both. There was an incredibly hot scene in here!! Loved the ending and what it hinted toward. Banshees sure sound like a freaky interlander spcies to be avoided. The end held a surprising note for me. The writing with this one was almost hypnotically poetic and hauntingly beautiful.
Nasty creature but she seemed realistic and had added depth and dimension from this telling. One of the shorter stories of the series. The Bridges of Eden Park: I will forever love and miss Kisten. One of the top three best short stories from The Hollows. This sweet line made my heart both melt AND break: Nothing alive will ever hurt you if I have breath in me.
And nothing dead will hurt you if I don't. The story was a scene of sweetness between the two. Makes me recall the bridge from other book moments. Also nice to see Rachel dig into her magic and fighting spirit. Meeting Kisten's sister and nephew also intrigued me. Showed how messed up his life was and how sadly tragic it may have also been meant to end. As for the nephew, I'm curious about him. He reminded her of Kisten then, I wonder if he always shall, and I have to wonder if he'll always remember the woman who stood before vamps defending him, staring at her in awe as she boiled the water?
Bittersweet but wonderful story. Ley Line Drifter - Greatly enjoyed. Jenks has always been one of my favorites. I hope he always stayed Rachel's right-hand man. Ivy may have to move on as situations change but I hope she's always as close to Jenks in the same way she is now. Having him as a focus was great. Ivy was enjoyable here too as a loyal friend and sultry character. Finally good to read about Daryl coming into the picture and who she actually is.
What won this story over so much too is it was told through Jenks POV, so you get that feel of the pixie world that you never did as much before. The perspective is much stronger. Million Dollar Baby - I know this was many peoples favorites. Good story but to me a bit long winded. Almost bordering on melodrama at times but carried out too long with certain scenes, like the grandmother and internal monologue.
The action scenes themselves rocked, though, and Rachel is always right that Jenks is the perfect bodyguard and sidekick. His humor lightened the story and added much needed explanation. Personally I find a lot of the elven traditions a bit disturbing, and this was another one of them. It ended on a happy, powerful note that left good, impressionable feelings.
The Bespelled - The Hollows, 6. The knowledge of who owed him and what was worth a lot in the demon's world, and familiars were known for their loose tongues until you cut them out. It was a practice Algaliarept frowned upon.
Into the Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond
Most of his brethren were bloody plebeians. Removing a familiar's tongue completely ruined the nuances of their pleas for mercy. AL, ladies and gentleman. But appreciation for the finer nuances of pleading asid The Bespelled - The Hollows, 6. But appreciation for the finer nuances of pleading aside, Al is bored. Life has become a drudgery, and he's even contemplating taking a vacation, removing his name from the human world so he can no longer be summoned. Until Ceri summons him, that is. But butterflies like carrion as much as flowers, battlefields as much as gardens.
And Ceri prefers the battlefield. This is one of the shorter stories in this book, but it's one of my favorites. As it is, I already know all the things that went down with Pierce, so I can't fully appreciate the sweetness of his and Rachel's first meeting. He's an arrogant, know-it-all, pompous ASS. And all under the guise of "saving her from inevitable future disappointment. Anyway, Rachel tries to summon her dead father's spirit on Solstice night, and ends up summoning Pierce instead.
They work together to save a pre-teen girl from the clutches of the same evil vampire who had Pierce killed over years ago. And that's pretty much it. Gives insight into her and Kisten's relationship that is continually hinted at in the books. Heads-up--it was Ivy, not Kist, that did it, so that explains her reaction after that whole mess came to light.
At least it didn't for me. I just can't relate to her. Given how well Harrison consistently gives depth to her characters, I take full responsibility for this one. Ivy has lots of depth. I just have absolutely nothing in common with her. There are plenty of other fabulous characters for me to love in The Hollows. Dirty Magic - The Hollows, 4. The only thing I learned was that Mia the Banshee from Black Magic Sanction is an unreliable narrator and perhaps as big a psychopath as her husband, Remus. Having just finished White Witch, Black Curse , this story makes a bit more sense.
It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but that's what the book said, and that's what Mia was doing here. We already knew that Jenks was a brand new kind of pixy, so creating a situation in which he behaves like a brand new kind of pixy, and beating us over the head with all the evidence that shows how Jenks is a brand new kind of pixy is kind of redundant.
We also knew how worried Jenks is about Matalina's health, and driving that home is just depressing. If Jumoke is pixy backup, then he at least has that to recommend himself when trying to find a wife. BUT despite being pretty cool information, it was overshadowed by Jenks constant questioning of himself in regards to whether or not he was doing the right thing by training Jumoke, or if it would bite him in the ass like it did with Jax.
The constant Jumoke scrutiny got tiresome.
Million Dollar Baby stars My other reviews for this series: Jun 14, Gavin rated it it was amazing Shelves: This was very short, only 35 minutes in audio, but that did not stop it from being a moving and riveting story. It tells the story of how Ceri came to be Al's familiar.
In an even more interesting twist this tale was told from Al's perspective. It was both fascinating and horrifying to read how Al manipulated Ceri into making the mistake he needed to capture her. It's a reminder, because I did need one, that Al is a Demon!. View all 11 comments. Feb 10, Charlie rated it really liked it Shelves: The others ranged from 3 to 4.
Into the Woods has ratings and reviews. VampireNovelFan said: So yeah, revising this to now give it 5 stars. One page. And soAnd no. Into the Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond (A Hollows Novella) [Kim Harrison] on www.farmersmarketmusic.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. A true queen of .
Oct 02, Jess rated it it was amazing Shelves: My disclaimer is that this review is going to focus solely on Million-Dollar Baby , as is it the only one I read from this compilation. I love this guy. I know that Rachel is the heart of this series, but for this Hollows fan, I live for the moments when Trent comes on page. Million-Dollar Baby tells the story of what happened when Trent went to steal some might say rescue his daughter away from her mother.
To do that, he must sneak in, grab her and get out without being caught. He has Jenks as his wingman and they end up needing each other to get through the whole ordeal. I loved the combination of Trent and Jenks. This adventure allowed them both to see the other man in the different light, especially Trent.
He finally sees how smart and loyal Jenks is and he starts to treat him differently, better than he ever has before. He has me laughing out loud on one page and then tearing up on the next. Oct 28, Bookbuyer rated it really liked it Shelves: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Hollows novellas in this book were fantastic! Really glad I read them. The non Hollows 'original' novellas were kind of blah though. Not one sparked my interest and I sped read through them to get to the end.
I was like a really nice Eulogy of someone you cared about. Her brother is still an ass though. I was really happy that he grandma helped Trent and that Trent is worried about being a good father.
He should get some tips from Jenks since Jenks has about 50 kids! Excellent anthology for Hollows super fans. Like most people, I would assume, I rushed headlong to the new content, the first Trent centric novella, Million Dollar Baby. But before that, there are several other novellas and short stories of varying lengths that have all been previously released somewhere before; either in anthologies or at the end of a Hollows release.
The problem I find with those antholgies, of course, is that if you only follow one, maybe two, of the authors included, they w Excellent anthology for Hollows super fans. The problem I find with those antholgies, of course, is that if you only follow one, maybe two, of the authors included, they work out very costly for what you get.
So it's great, then, that all the shorts have been re-released in this format for the super fans to soak up and enjoy. Here's a quick run-down of the previously released stories, some of which I'd read already. The Bespelled is about everyone's favourite demon, Al. The contrast to the Alycakes we know and love today is shocking! He was a nasty piece of work. It also features Ceri and provides an interesting glimpse into their relationship. This story was very short and sweet. Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel is a much longer story about how an year old version of Rachel met the forever soggy Pierce I'm not a Pierce fan, can you tell?
It also provides a glimpse at the strained relationship between Rachel and her brother Robbie.
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Undead in The Garden of Good and Evil is another decent length novella, this time following Ivy and Kisten and touches on some of the abuse Ivy has suffered at the hands of master vampire Piscary. Dirty Magic is a short story about Mia the Banshee, who ended up being an antagonist on one of the main hollows stories. The Bridges of Eden Park is a very short story, more like a short scene, actually, with Kisten and Rachel. I was never the biggest Kisten fan in existence, but he was a nice, amiable kind of guy and this story shows that side of him, so will be bitter-sweet for truer Kisten Fans.
Ley Line Drifter is a Jenks centric with a little side order of Bis. I wonder if Rachel ever will find out how her smallest spell pot got its dent This was very good. It's written in third person following Trent on his Elf Quest with Jenks by his side or on his shoulder, or under his hat. For anyone who's curious to know just how Trent managed to get Lucy away from the Withons, here's your answer. Now, for the Rachel-Trent 'shippers out there like me!
But, even though Rachel isn't in the story obviously it's telling just how often she's in Trent's thoughts and how much her opinion of him matters. Trent's an incredibly complex character. I am a bit in love with him as many of you will know, not only because I'm dying for something to happen with him and Rachel in the main series, but also just because his character is so unique!
He's an insecure, slightly nerdish, constantly blushing, tight-ass Suit one minute. Then the next minute he's doing these amazing ninja moves and pulling a total James Bond on the Withon's fortress. The level of preparation alone is staggering. He may not be the most badass book hero out there, but he utilises what resources and skills he does have like no other. I thought he was incredibly brave and selfless in this story. It's easy to be brave when you aren't scared, and it's fair to say that Trent was absolutely terrified, which makes it all the more awesome that he was willing to do what he did, to do anything, actually, including dying, to get his daughter away from that cold-hearted bitch Ellasbeth!
At the end of all the Hollows stuff there was a couple of new bits and pieces that Kim Harrison has been working on, including Pet Shop Boys which you can also get as a separate Kindle ebook with a bonus chapter from the upcoming Ever After in it. It's fair to say I'll probably read anything Ms. Harrison produces from here on out, and she certainly seems to have some interesting avenues to explore, while staying firmly in my beloved Urban Fantasy genre.
All together a real treat for fans of the Hollows, especially if you've never read the other anthology stories before. Oct 07, Cathy rated it it was ok Shelves: Overall the book was a mixed bag. A couple of the Hollows stories were pretty good, but I'm not sure if I enjoyed them because they were good short stories objectively or because they're or because they were about familiar characters that I already was prepared to enjoy.
Would a new reader have enjoyed them as much? I can never tell. And a bunch of the stories were quite disappointing. The Bespelled - first published in the mass market edition of The Outlaw Demon Wails, that's what I get for getting the hardbacks from the library, huh?
So I finally found out how Al trapped Ceri. It wasn't a long story or one that would be of interest to non-fans, but for fans it was fun to fill in the blanks. But it was interesting to go back and see Pierce from the beginning again and it was a very well-developed story. And not so short at 83 pages. Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil - It wasn't a good story the first or second time around. Ivy should be intense and raw but she feels distant and passionless.
Dirty Magic - Another story about Mia, whatever, doesn't do it for me. I know it was for an anthology so she was trying to write a story that could stand alone for fans and non-fans alike but it was pretty boring. The Bridges of Eden Park - another mass market edition story. I guess I'm glad I got this out of the library after all. Mostly it just showed why Kisten had to go one way or another.
He and Rachel and Ivy made each other all too happy and safe, which doesn't lead to good books. Uncertainty and growth and chance leads to good books. Harrison had to shake things up. But it's another story for fans only for sure. Ley Line Drifter - it was my second reading of this one as well and it was still nice to read a story from Jenks's perspective and learn more about the pixy culture.
But overall it isn't a great story. Especially because it's still only half a story. A good short story should be complete in and of itself, especially one that was published in an anthology. Million-Dollar Baby - "Trent quashed a sudden feeling of angst. How introspective and annoying. All of Trent's internal angst was a bit much in this one. I finally know for sure that he's a bad guy who regrets being a bad guy, does that make it ok?
Is it better to know? So now there's no more mystery, which had been one of the major fun aspects of the series, but the series is wrapping up and the mystery has to be resolved eventually. Is it ok to have it all revealed here in a short story and not in a main novel with Rachel actually involved? I'm not so sure about that. I'm sure it will have to be repeated somehow in the books too. But most of all, I'm just not so thrilled with who he is. He's just a male Ivy, so self-hating. If, as the books seem to be leaning, Harrison was going to get Rachel and Trent together, then she has to reform him somehow, but to do it she turned him into this angsty wimp.
Trent should be a dynamic bastard, he would much better than this guy. I'd rather that than a happily ever after with Rachel and this guy, she'd be fine on her own, HEA isn't everything. Plus there was a huge editing error - the means did not justify the ends?
Did she mean the means were not justified by the ends? Whatever, it makes no sense. Pet Shop Boys - what boys plural? There's only one boy. The end was such a disconnect. Temson Estates - it needed n extra big paragraph break or something near the end to show the change in scene, it was really confusing. And why would she go with him? It was a weak little story. Harrison said in the intro that she's fascinated with her idea about dryads but they're barely in it, I just don't get it.
Spider Silk - huh? What was the point of that? The dryad element was ok, I get that part, but again ended so badly that it negated the value of the whole story.
It was just weird. I can see wanting to leave it in suspense even, but it was so awkwardly done, it just felt really amature. And again with the title, what does that have to do with it? She could have named it any random thing that was mentioned in the story, how about fireflies? Grace - Harrison is just annoying the heck out of me now. I really liked this story until almost the end. It has another great concept. Until the woman screw everything up by insisting that she's in love with a guy that she says is a jerk that she hasn't even seen for four years.
And the whole story ended up being about that. Again, the stupid human elements being mangled ruined what should have been and almost was a really good story. This one was painfully close to being good, it just sucked. View all 4 comments. If you are a Hollows fan, you'll love this. If you are a true Hollows fan, you've probably read a lot of these stories previously.
But don't despair there is a little something extra that will make this all worth it. In my opinion, this might not be the best book if you haven't read the Hollows series, however. I think because the short stories cover a wide span of time and books, you'll be getting some sp This review was posted at Under the Covers If you are a Kim Harrison fan, you'll love this.
I think because the short stories cover a wide span of time and books, you'll be getting some spoilers while reading this. Another thing that I loved was Kim Harrison's commentary at the beginning of each story. She gives a little background of how that story came to be or why she decided to do certain things with the series or characters. I truly enjoyed that. Al was not a nice guy and this was the story to prove it for a while. He had no heart then and you can really see how much he's changed and evolved in 1, years. Enjoyable read all over again! First published in The Outlaw Demon Wails.
This was back when I actually liked Pierce. So during the Solstice, and while Rachel is still a teenager, her brother Robbie dares her to summon their dad to ask him if she should join the IS. But Rachel ends up with Pierce instead and all the troubles that causes. First published in Holidays are Hell. Right before Ivy goes to work as Rachel's partner.
This story gives us a view of the vampire world and politics that come into play. Kisten is the Scion but at times he leans on Ivy's strength and support to get through. I loved reading Ivy's and Kisten's relationship and remembering. Dirty Magic - 3. I have to say that I personally don't have a fascination with banshees and this story was ok but I didn't connect in any major way. We are just in Mia's head, Mia who is in love and can't help but suck all the energy and life out of everyone and everything.
First published in Hotter than Hell. That's all I'm going to say. First published in For a Few Demons More. Ley Line Drifter - 3. They are hired to investigate a mysterious presence in a statue at a park. I love Jenks and almost forgot how much I love Bis! Then there's Matalina, who I just love to read about.
This was a fun story but I thought was a bit dragged out. First published in Unbound. When Trent and Jenks go off on their rescue mission during Pale Demon and then come back with his baby, didn't you wonder what happened? Plus it's written from Trent's POV and I am quickly becoming addicted to being in his head and understanding how he thinks. Pet Shop Boys - 4. This one should become a full length novel or even a series. A whole new look at vamps from Ms. Temson Estates - 3 Stars I felt that this story was gearing up to go somewhere and then it stopped right in the middle of getting there.
Yeah, not exactly my thing. Spider's Silk - 3. I would've liked it to be a bit longer and know what happens next. She seems to have a fascination with dryads. It was ok but I can't say I loved the ending. Maybe it needed to be developed more and could be a good story.
Aug 29, Heidi rated it really liked it. An anthology of all The Hollows short stories packed into one informative and riveting read. I am a big fan of The Hollows Series by Kim Harrison, but I know I am not up to date on all the novellas and short stories so I was thrilled to see them all bundled into one book. At last, I could piece together all the missing story lines and have a better understanding of my favorite characters. Best of all, this book has a double dose of Jenks and I loved both of his stories.
Of course, it Four Stars: Of course, it is always hard to review an anthology as there are always stories you like better than others, but I can say that I was entertained by all the tales. I think my favorite story was Million Dollar Baby that tells how Jenks and Trent managed to steal his baby. I admit in the beginning I was not a fan of Trent, but as the series progressed, I found myself liking him more and more, and now dare I say I hope that he and Rachel will get together?
It was nice to get into his head and see how he felt about Rachel. Sure, he is still a bit pompous and he certainly has a thing or two to learn about pixies, as he didn't fully realize what an asset Jenks was at first, but by the end of his adventure he knows that Jenks is a valuable and indispensable partner. Besides, without Jenks what would a Hollows book be without all of the pixie curses? Needless to say, I love Jenks and Trent more than ever after reading this. It was nice to get more on Kisten as well, even though it made me miss him all the more.
I also liked the stories featuring the deadly banshee.
What can I say? They were all fun and unique and I was so happy to be immersed back into The Hollows with all of my old friends. Harrison also includes several stories outside of The Hollows that were all completely divergent from her beloved series. I particularly liked the last story, Grace. These additional tales gave me some insight into what we might see from Ms. Harrison once she finishes The Hollows These stories showed me what a talented and diverse writer Ms. My only complaints for this book was that I found myself missing Rachel.
She is only in two of the stories and for some reason, I just felt like the stories without her presence were lacking. I also wished that there was more of Al. He is always fascinating and I would love to know more about him. If you have not delved into Ms. Harrison's series, you need to check it out. She presents a fascinating paranormal world with all kinds of supernatural entities from witches, vampires, pixies, elves, demons, banshees, gargoyles and more.
I love this series and I cannot wait for the next release. This anthology was a nice way to tide me over until Ever After releases in January At sixteen, you're convinced they know nothing at all. By thirty, if you haven't figured out they really did know what they were doing, then you're still sixteen.
What is that, a one-fifty thread count? My three-year-old can weave better than that. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review and all opinions are my own. Posted Rainy Day Ramblings. But what a sad story it is I hate Piscary even more after reading it. I really hope Ivy and Kisten will be able to break away from his influence! It was a bit too short to really get to know Mia and get what the life of a banshee is all about.
Loved meeting Kisten's sister and nephew and I hope I'll get to see them again in the full novels. Her brother Robbie is home and she wants to convince him that she is healthy enough to join the I. It was amazing to read about Rachel before she became a Runner. And I loved Pierce, the ghost witch! A pixie buck asks Jenks to help with a problem. Pixies helping each other is not common but with Jenks being part of a team that solves problems he is willing to help the pixie buck fearing for his family.
As much as I love Kim Harrison's writing style I don't like to read short stories that aren't part of a series so the rating is for The Hollows short stories only. May 20, Armina rated it really liked it Shelves: Yeah, Al, the bastard, is sexy! But he is not short. Actually I don't remember any details of his height: Al is naughty demonic and Ceri is not much of an angel herself. Kids, don't play with demons or you will get burned!
In her intro, Kim Harrison describes this story as a farewell to Kisten. It is probably set chronologically just before Short and sexy. It is probably set chronologically just before the beginning of For a Few Demons More. The story starts with a short interlude with Rachel and Kisten and finishes with a god action. We see Kisten at his best - troubled but strong and sweet. It is very bittersweet and makes you miss Kist all over again. Nov 08, Veronica rated it really liked it Shelves: Seeing two of my favorite Hollows characters bond was a little slice of heaven for me.
But this book also pulls together all the previously released Hollows related short stories into one book so if, like me, you've never expended the energy to hunt them down separately then this is the book for you. The author also showcases some new, non-Hollows short stories here however and they go a long way towards showing that she's not just a one trick pony. Apr 25, T. Day rated it liked it. Individual reviews for each story posted below. The overall rating is based on an average of all stars.
Algaliarept craves more excitement in his life and is given exactly what he wants when Ceri, thinking she may be in love with Al not to mention her desire to know more about magic and escape her arranged marriage makes a mistake and releases Al from her summoning c Individual reviews for each story posted below.
Algaliarept craves more excitement in his life and is given exactly what he wants when Ceri, thinking she may be in love with Al not to mention her desire to know more about magic and escape her arranged marriage makes a mistake and releases Al from her summoning circle. The nickname Gally, the image of Algaliarept in his formal English coat and lace, and the blue butterflies are given an origin as we discover just how the Elven royal Ceridwen became Al's familiar. Rachel doesn't summon her father but the spell is still done somewhat correctly, bringing a very confused eighteenth-century ghost named Pierce back from the dead.
Together, Rachel and Pierce fight off a vampire and rescue a missing girl from her captor. A very smitten Rachel gains closure she's on the right path and a brief sense of hope as she realizes someday, she'll be stronger. The emotion in this is very high as we view a much younger Rachel, one who strives to feel alive in her weakest moments. Though Ivy is not one of my favorite characters in the series, she plays a big part as the interchanging friend, partner, and rare romantic interest to Rachel.
In this story, we see her as dark and abused as she struggles to figure out how to free herself from everything she hates and loves simultaneously. I've never been a big fan of "abused" characters but since I know Ivy gets better later in the series, I bypassed my feelings for it by focusing on the story. And we get to see Kisten again, who's got a more romantic link to Ivy than he does later.
I did love the investigative part of the story and how they both get revenge on Art. The banshee is seeking love - not the anger she receives from her baby's father, Remus. So instead she turns to what must be an old friend and musician, Tom, who gives her the desire and love she's craving, even if it kills him.
I love how Mia sees emotions as colors, I've always been fascinated by that concept. Readers are introduced to Kisten's sister and nephew, and the bad guys that they're involved with are put to justice. It's a cute little story where Rachel and Kisten get to fight side by side and share kisses. With the help of Ivy, his son Jumoke, and the gargoyle Bis, he has to save the pixy's daughter from a demon-possessing dryad named Sylvan.
But nothing goes as planned and soon, he's face to face with a nymph named Daryl who can control the winds. Jenks's point of view was interesting, just as sarcastic and filled with "Tink" related cursing as I expected it would be. His interaction with Mattie is sadly sweet; and of course, his fatherly instincts are cute too. This is an exciting little story and I like the introduction to Daryl and the history behind her kind. This is the story untold in Pale Demon and then continued with the rest of the series.
Trent only has a short time to sneak off to Seattle, break into his ex-fiancee's castle, and steal his child from Ellasbeth. Not only will him taking Lucy enable him to secure the future outcome of all elves, but it will grant him the opportunity to change. Trent doesn't want to become like his father and although he makes a bad judgment call, his later decisions affect the outcome of how he manages to get his daughter.
It was full of action and adventure. The description of wild magic is fascinating, relying on a different branch of magic - one that relies on a Goddess for help. I love that Jenks and Trent work together and that Trent sees how valuable the pixy can be. Fascinating story and definitely one of my favorites. Cooper is the lead character and human, who works at a pet store. He meets a pretty woman interested in getting a cat for her daughter, who then asks him on a date to a nightclub.
Once there, however, he sees the woman and her strange family for what they really are. With some luck and help from slayer Kay, he barely manages to escape. Though this story had a unique premise, I found it too fast paced and it ended with not enough answers. The pace makes it confusing and the momentum crashes. From what I gathered - William's grandfather has died and left his estate to his grandson, despite his grandfather's sister's Ms.
I was so confused at Diana's role in this and Ms. Temson are crushed, though Diana seems to take it harder. Convinced William is going to butcher the woods, Ms. Temson invites him to see the trees once more so that they can plant one before he does. He meets her and in the meantime, encounters several dryads. The dryads convince him not to do away with the woods and he really wanted to go back to his own country anyway, so he instead sells the woods to Ms.
Somehow along the way, Diana and he grow fond of each other. This story really didn't flow well. I got the main gist obviously but there were a lot of details left out and I had to piece things together on my own. The flirty romance between Diana and Will was a distraction. Stories of the dryads were told and even though I assumed they'd be the main topic, they weren't. They were around for like two seconds and then gone. Also, there's a terrible, terrible break between scenes that I had to reread to understand they were now on a different day entirely. Definitely not my favorite.
Emily is a little on the strange side, which upsets Lilly when she tries to teach her daughters about a wicked spirit named Penn that Meg has been singing too. Convinced her mom is crazy, Lilly gets mad, but then she meets Penn for herself and though she doesn't necessarily believe the magic of his existence is real, she does believe he can harm her daughter Meg. She sets out to stop him and does. Only when she returns home, her mother makes the same claim and readers are left wondering who really got rid of Penn.
This was an interesting read with a sexual encounter I wasn't expecting. The kind of "urban legend" story that goes around about an evil being who can lure away innocent children. I wasn't a big fan of Lilly but her often angry and misunderstanding point of view didn't mar the story for me. Also, the dog Pepper just randomly appears you have to read the whole story to figure out he's a dog because it never says until about five pages from the end so that kind of threw me off because I didn't know that it was a dog and assumed maybe this was a character only Lilly could see.
Besides that, I have no complaints. It's about a woman named Grace who can control energy she's called a Throw. She and her partner are tracking down a kid throw who isn't using his power in the right way. Things go badly and they both end up in the hospital. Her old boyfriend shows up - he's the guy that got the promotion into the Elites that Grace wanted - and offers her a job if she can get the kid into their league. Well, that mission doesn't go well either but things play out for the best near the end. I was kinda confused at the promotion Grace got because she refused it but then got it, so I'm not sure.
Either way, it was a pretty great set up for a story. Jun 26, Liv rated it really liked it. The Bespelled - 2. What should I say about Al? I have a love-hate relationship with him. Near the first few novels in the Hollows series, I hated him. What surprised me most was th The Bespelled - 2. Harrison gave us a little short story to shed a different light on Al and Ceri.
I could see it being read as a standalone short story. Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel - 4 stars I really enjoyed this novella featuring an year-old Rachel, not yet a badass witch in the way that we came to know her as in the Hollows series. I actually read this piece work already in Holidays are Hell, the anthology from which this novella was originally published.
I remembered really liking it, so I read it again this time and augmented my original review of this story. I never ceased to be amazed at the troubles that Rachel seemed to get herself tangled in. It was even more amusing when it occurred at a tender young age of 18!! The family dynamics and relationships amongst Rachel, Robbie, and their mom would be described as awkward, to say the least.
Her tenacity and strong beliefs have led her in the right direction. It was mentioned in the main series novels that Rachel and Gordon had some history, but it was never made apparent until this novella. Even though they were only together for one night, there was definitely a connection and a special moment — their sharing of their first kiss Pierce actually wasn't my favourite male character from the Hollows series, but I continued to harbour some soft feelings for him. I truly believed that he loved Rachel despite the fact that the feelings weren't reciprocated.
I felt somewhat sorry for Pierce after Pale Demon, but that'd be a separate issue all together. Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil - 2. Her relationship with Kisten was akin to two broken children comforting each other. It was sad to see them as they were in this story, but it was good to know that they were different people all together after they met Rachel. She really changed their worlds later in their lives. The struggles and politics that she had to deal with at the I. Her outsmarting her boss, Art, was artfully arranged and I thought it was hilarious.
The key thing about this story was the element of surprise. Then at the end, we saw the true evil nature of Mia, and the truth was that she was just a despicable, malevolent being, whose purpose was survival and enjoyment at the expense of others. I was devastated when Kisten died, and so when I read this story, it brought back bitter sweet memories, and things lost and regretted. Sean was attempting to kidnap her son, Audric. Audric was such a sweet little boy, who reminded so much of Kisten.
Ley Line Drifter - 4 stars I actually read this one as part of the compilation, Unbound. The following review was captured in my review of Unbound, and I just copied it here for completeness purposes only. As a long-time fan of the Hollows series, it was absolutely refreshing to get a novella with Jenks being the central character!!!
He decided to take some pixy action on his own against the supernatural, with Bis the gargoyle as his backup. There was a theme or a primary mystery that the lead character was attempting to resolve, and meanwhile, dangers lurked in the corners or in the least expected places. Of course, I also enjoyed seeing Matalina again. I did miss her very much in the last Hollows instalment, and seeing Jenks being so in love with her even knowing that she was dying, was just so much more heartbreaking.
Besides Bis and Matalina, a few other characters made an appearance as well. We got to learn more about all the pixie children and their interesting naming conventions. Ivy also showed up to help Jenks out with the final showdown. A great, quick read overall!!! It told the events of Trent and Jenks rescue of Lucy from the west coast.
There were lots of actions, challenges, and assassins lurking around waiting to kill off Trent on his mission. The dynamics between Jenks and Trent while they worked together on the mission was also something different and amusing to watch. There was definitely a lot of bonding that took place — not sure if they realized it — and their association transformed into something like camaraderie or friendship.
It was really fun to see them connect with each other. Jenks seemed to be able to read Trent pretty clearly and figured him out rather quickly. This novella would be a must-read for Hollows fan!!! Dec 21, Dark Faerie Tales rated it really liked it Shelves: Wonderful collection of short stories, some action-packed adventurous fun to some dark and depressing.
Into the Woods is a collection of old and new stories by Kim Harrison. Al is feverishly trying to figure out how to overcome Ceri as his emotions go from panic to love to ecstatic happiness as he gets what he wants. Rachel is very much a strong willed girl and she knows what she wants to do with her life and is very much on the right path to make it happen. This is the second time reading this story for me so I really enjoyed seeing Pierce again when he was all cute and awkward with his 18th century ways. This Ivy is certainly not the Ivy from the beginning of the Hollows series.
She drinks blood and because of that she is much more blood thirsty and temperamental although that can be argued. My only complaint about Ivy is about how much she complains about having to fight her emotions so much. I really like Ivy but sometimes I have a hard time with her vampiric emotions.
I think she comes off quite a bit self-absorbed and bitchy. Also, Kisten appears in this story, which is always a plus. After many years of loneliness Mia has finally found love but when you can soak up their life energy that love cannot last long. This is a dark and emotionally rich story fit for a banshee who lives off powerful emotions.
Rachel even gets to learn more about Kisten and his family. This was a wonderful story, but like all things Hollows, I would have loved this to be a little longer. Jenks is hired to help a fellow pixy take care of a spirit that has been possessing his children, even burning one child from the inside out.
This story was a fun, inquisitive look into Pixy family life and structure while still showing the dark side of the Hollows world. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this story, but after reading the rest of the series, I felt there was a bigger secret hidden in this story a secret between Trent and Jenks but I think I missed it.
Cooper is very easily distracted by the pretty women around him. Pet Shop Boys is an eerie and slightly confusing story until the very end when everything is brought to light. Both main characters were a little too childish as the story played out. This is the 3rd story in this collection featuring these rare creatures. Will has inherited land from his grandfather.
The novella length stories are much better, they work on their own, as well as a part of a series. Each story features a different character in the lead role so I suspect personal preference will come down to which character a reader loves best. The two stories featuring dryads and the one set in the world where some people have the ability to bend energy seemed more filler than killer, if you get my drift. Into The Woods is generally entertaining and exciting. Just remember that only one Hollows story is completely new to this collection.
You can read excerpts from all of Kim Harrison's books at her website. Read the Magic Rises review. Subscribe to the LoveVampires email newsletter and get site news, reviews and information delivered direct to your mailbox. Join the mailing list. LoveVampires - the website dedicated to vampire fiction.