White Witch, Black Curse

White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison, 2009 Eos

     Rachel is a demon, well, kind of. When Trent’s father altered her DNA to save her from Rosewood Syndrome he reversed the elf curse that made demons unable to reproduce. Rachel continues the agreed-upon lessons with Al, learning to become a demon in exchange for Trent’s life and release from the Ever After.

     When Glenn, a FIB officer, is sent to the hospital during an off-book investigation Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks are called in to figure out what happened. Rachel and Ivy discover the woman they’re searching for is a banshee, Mia Harbor, sucking the emotion from the people around her and feeding her banshee child.

     In between hunting down the banshee, searching for Kisten’s killer, and spending time with Robbie, Rachel’s brother, Rachel, Ivy and Jenks discover a ghost from Rachel’s past has been haunting the church for nearly a year. Jenks is irate at the discovery of a spy in their midst. Ivy is ambivalent, and Rachel is excited at the prospect of Pierce’s return.

     The FIB finds Mia and calls Rachel to help bring her in. Rachel is sent to the hospital when the child sucks her aura and life force away before Rachel can escape. While her aura is regenerating Al kidnaps Pierce from the ley line he’s talking to Rachel in and Rachel goes after him, or tries to.

     The witch community decides to shun Rachel when Mia causes a riot between inderlanders at the mall in order to feed her child (the same incident that sent her to the hospital) and the media blames it on Rachel. Rachel discovers the Shunning when the FIB brings in another banshee, “The Walker”, to find and bring Mia in.

     Meanwhile Ivy and Rachel try to get Skimmer to reveal to whom Piscary sold Kisten, in order to find his killer. Skimmer is in jail for Piscary’s murder and won’t talk to Ivy unless Rachel is there. The visit becomes a power play, bringing some of Rachel’s memories to the surface and kicking Ivy’s hard-won control out of gear. However the memories that reappear after the incident lead to justice for Kisten.

     Ivy, Jenks and Rachel manage to find Mia and her child. After the child nearly kills Rachel again, Ford (the FIB psychologist) gets custody of the girl, who can keep him from experiencing every emotion from the people around him.

     Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks fight to complete the job, find the banshee child and bring her mother to justice through the many challenges in the way. Their friendship brings them through every obstacle they face; White Witch, Black Curse is about accepting and loving our friends and family through both the good and bad times. Rachel’s story flirts with her boundaries: what makes a black witch, how strongly does she care about Ivy and in what way, who is Rachel, and what do her decisions say about her?

     Some content of White Witch, Black Curse makes it a book better suited for older readers—sixteen and older. It is the eighth book in Harrison’s Hallows Series.