A Perfect Blood

A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison, 2012 HarperVoyager

     After Ku'Sox was banished into the Ever After, life slowly finds a new normal for Rachel Morgan. The magical community removes her Shunning and she manages to stay afloat Running for both private entities and the FIB. She has, however, been declared dead by the government because of her changed status as a demon. She has no legal status as a demon, which creates just as many problems as Ku'Sox's defeat solved.
     While Trent and his army of lawyers work to grant Rachel her rights the government holds her citizenship hostage in exchange for a list of demon curses. Rachel meets the living vampire Nina who channels Felix, an ancient undead vampire who tries to keep his identity under wraps. Felix-in-Nina brings Rachel to a crime scene: the terrorist organization Humans Against Paranormals Assoc. appears to be killing witches in grotesquely public ways.
     The murders appear done by demons and Inderland Security wants to contain the investigation. Rachel calls in the FIB, wrenching jurisdiction away from the IS and their ability to pin her down as scapegoat. Though she was forced into the investigation, Rachel, Ivy, Jenks, and their friends battle to find HAPA and stop them before someone else gets hurt.
     Rachel worries that HAPA is attempting to turn witches into demons and use their blood. When Ivy does some background work on the victims the team discovers all three witches killed were carriers of the Rosewood Syndrome--the disease which Rachel survived and making her a demon.
     The search for HAPA and their genetic manipulations heats up until Rachel is attacked and her survival is linked to that of HAPA's latest victim. With her maverick style and no-holds-barred persistence, Rachel is the best chance of catching a terrorist organization while under the scrutiny of two corrupt law enforcement agencies. With her signature passion and verve Rachel searches for a solution.

Pale Demon

Pale Demon by Kim Harrison, 2011 Harper Voyager

     After the Coven agreed to grant her immunity for the black magic she'd used, Rachel Morgan, independent runner, spunky smart-ass, and day-walking demon, leaves Cincinnati to attend her formal pardon at the annual witches' meeting in San Francisco. She ends up ferrying Trent Kalamack, and her roommates Ivy and Jenks across the country in her mother's Buick.
     In St. Louis Trent releases the genetically engineered demon Ku'Sox from his prison. Like Rachel, Ku'Sox is a day-walking demon, but unlike Rachel he has no soul. Ku'Sox creates trouble along the way and very nearly kills Rachel. He was intended to be the bridge between witches and demons, but went crazy and was trapped magically and physically under the St. Louis Arch. Ku'Sox follows Rachel and her carload West to the Witches' Convention creating havoc.
     Rachel insists on believing the Coven will keep their promise, despite Ivy, Jenks, and Trent telling her otherwise. When she picks up the Coven's spy and the menagerie makes it to San Francisco Ku'Sox continues to cause problems for Rachel. Trent disappears on some Elven quest and all hell breaks loose.
     Despite everything the Coven of Moral and Ethical Standards has done to show Rachel they have no intention of upholding their deal when they can kill her, Rachel believes they will. When the Coven requires her aid to survive they have no choice but to agree to her terms. Rachel continues to battle internally with what it means to be a demon and whether she can remain a good person while still protecting her friends, family, and society as she knows it.
     Readers will enjoy the fast-paced action of Pale Demon along with its dose of inappropriate humor, uneasy friendships, and unexpected romance, all shoved into a Buick traveling from Cincinnati to San Francisco.

Black Magic Sanction

Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison, 2010 Harper Voyager

     She hasn't quite accepted that she is a day-walking demon, but the Coven of Moral and Ethical Standards is after Rachel anyway. After the shunning, a woman attacks her in the grocery store while she and Ivy shop. Vivian is a member of the Coven, using her white magic with deadly consequences. Rachel is sent to the FIB and made to pay for damages while Vivian is absolved of her part.
     On her way home from the FIB offices, Rachel is summoned to San Francisco where the Coven attempts to railroad her into either being magically neutered, or literally neutered. Rachel is sent to Alcatraz when she refuses where she learns some of the ways the Coven manages trouble-maker witches. The church's gargoyle, Bis, finds Rachel and comforts her until Ivy can summon her back home to Cincinnati.
     Thus begins the tug-o-war between Rachel and the forces who want to control her. Trent Kalamack is still itching to get her under his control, Algaliarept (her demon teacher) attempts to keep her in the ever-after whenever he gets the chance, Pierce (the ghost brought back to life in a previous book) leverages attraction to influence her, and the Coven is on the prowl for her ability to kindle demon magic.
     After several near-death excursions and the loss of a close friend, Rachel makes her stand, accepting her place as a step between witches and demons but refusing to let it be the reason she dies.
     Rachel Morgan doesn't want to use black magic, but her blood is having difficulty kindling standard magic. She is becoming a different entity, and the consequences on her life spiral out of control. Through her friendships and faith in herself Rachel holds her world together and manages to get out okay. Like her reader, Rachel deals with the mess of everyday life as it comes to her and hopes what comes tomorrow won't kill her.

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. 

The Outlaw Demon Wails

The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison, 2008 Eos

    Rachel is back! It's been a couple months since her boyfriend's brutal murder and she seeks resolution when she isn't struggling to get out of bed. Rachel and Ivy share their grief and struggle to find a new normal. 

     Unfortunately, Rachel has voluntarily practiced forbidden demon magic and is experiencing the effects of working with a demon. Someone is releasing Algaliarept from his prison in the Ever After to hunt down the witch. Rachel and her family (both chosen and given) must hide from Al's revenge. In keeping her friends and family safe Rachel discovers her mother has been keeping secrets. 

     David, a friend, coworker, and Rachel's were alpha, encourages Rachel to develop her relationship with their pack and by extension her witch family. He helps her investigate who is releasing Al from his cell and endangering all of Cincinnati. 

     Trent returns and Rachel faces his criticism for dabbling in demon magic, but elven princess Ceri's friendship and support help Rachel stand strong. Ivy and Jenks are still the foundation for Rachel's continued fight even as they deal with their own loss and angst. Ivy has lost her childhood friend and Jenks is dealing with his growing awareness of his limited lifespan. 

     Not only does Rachel uncover personal secrets, but also secrets as to the history of the race of witches. The black and white nature of her relationship with Trent becomes more nuanced as Rachel works with Ceri, Quen, and Trent to solve not just the problem of the Rosewood babies, but also the elves. 

     In The Outlaw Demon Wails Rachel and her friends deal with the loss of one of their closest companions. As an adult novel, the story deals with death and ambiguous morals which create depth in the characters and their universe. 

A Fistful of Charms

A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison, 2008 Harper Voyager

     Rachel Morgan has just finished dealing with one supernatural problem in the Hollows when another slinks its way into her life. David is a werewolf who agrees to form a pack with Rachel--for insurance purposes only. He also happens to be an insurance adjuster. Rachel is challenged for her place as Alpha female, and she must learn to fight as the weres do to maintain her place.
     But something is happening with the Weres. They've been creating larger and larger packs and the infighting which keeps packs to a manageable level is quelled. When Rachel steps in to investigate, her ex--Nick--rises to the front of the queue.
     Nick is on an island which appears to be the center of the normal pack dynamics breakdown. When Rachel sneaks her way past the militant guards she discovers Nick has, not surprisingly, gotten himself involved with demon artifacts which cause these weres to form a single pack.
     With David's help, and some iffy magick of her own, Rachel wrests the magic away from the weres who hired Nick to retrieve it. Then Rachel must discover a way to protect the artifact and keep its uncertain power from tipping the balance of power in the Hollows.
     Away from Ivy's influence and with a human-sized Jenks, Rachel is a loose cannon. Her already unconventional way of surviving the feuds of the Hollows has begun to chafe by this, her fourth adventure. While she still maintains that her magic practice is morally good vampires, weres, and even demons are knocking on Rachel's door with more and more forceful offers of employment. Rachel Morgan continues to fight back and mature readers who enjoy a strong yet imperfect female lead will enjoy Rachel's sassiness. 

Every Which Way but Dead

Every Which Way but Dead by Kim Harrison, 2005 HarperTorch

     In exchange for testifying against the undead vampire Piscary, Algaliarept convinces Rachel to become his demonic familiar and is on his way to collect on the deal at the beginning of the third Hollows novel. Rachel has yet to tell her friends Jenks and Ivy the night of her first journey into the Ever After, and hopes a loophole in her contract with the demon will keep her safe.
     Al and Rachel meet in a small circle of blasphemed ground in Rachel's back-graveyard where they will perform the ceremony to transfer the familiar bond from the elf-woman Ceri to Rachel. Al whines about Ceri's transformation from the spunky and spicy Elf Princess into the shell of a person she has become after a thousand years of servitude, and his dismissive attitude drives Rachel into a fine temper. Rachel convinces Al to return Ceri's soul, and through a twist of his own dealings, keeps her own soul from his grasp.
     Thus begins the tumultuous relationship between Alaliarept and Rachel. The trio stashes Ceri with Keasley, the mysterious witch from across the road, and continue to squeak by with security jobs and private runs. Rachel continues to keep her familiar-ship with Al a secret from Jenks and Ivy, and her personal life is a shambles. When her relationship with Nick cools and the connection with Kisten heats up, Rachel is in for some friction from a jealous Ivy.
     New allies and friends prove their worth in Ceri and David Hue, a werewolf reprising his role from the second Hollows novel. Kim Harrison brings forward the same characters in a new pattern to push Rachel through yet another personal battle, while gradually turning her into one of Cincinnati's movers and shakers. Every Which Way but Dead is an adult novel that older teen readers will enjoy.

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison, 2005 HarperTorch

     After agreeing to help the FIB to keep her roommate from being arrested, Rachel receives a call. The FIB needs her help with a missing persons report. Rachel is paired up with the inderland specialist, Detective Glenn Edden (Cheif Edden's stepson), and they go in search of the missing witch.
     When they go back to the church to prepare Glenn insults Ivy and nearly gets himself eaten. The vampire insists on joining them when they finally begin to question the missing man's former co-workers at Piscary's pizza. Piscary uses Rachel's scar to manipulate both women, and tries to convince Ivy to bind Rachel to her.
     Rachel meets with a former professor, who is offended when people believe she is the one killing other ley-line witches to whittle down the competition, Dr. Anders believes Rachel is in her class to accuse her of the deaths. Anders's class is only one of the connections between the dead witches: they have all associated with Trent Kalamack.
     When Edden won't let her investigate Trent, Rachel takes her anger out in a sparring session with Ivy. Things get out of control when Ivy starts to play on her unclaimed scar under the guise of protecting her. Rachel rejects the offer and Ivy takes it personally requiring Nick to knock her out while they run. Rachel, Nick and Jenks visit Rachel's mother's home and, while going through photo albums in a stereotypical parent way, Rachel discovers she was genetically manipulated at a summer camp Trent's father ran.
     The trio returns to the church. Rachel and Nick attempt to create a familiar bond with Rachel's fish, but things go wrong when the demon Algaliarept shows up and tries to kill them again. When she brings the fish into Anders's class the next day, Rachel discovers she didn't bind the fish; she bound Nick as her familiar! Anders is appalled and admits to failing Rachel because her father had requested it--for the safety of the other students.
     When Glenn calls to tell Rachel that Dr. Anders is dead and they have a warrant to search the Kalamack Estate Rachel tags along. She discovers a ley-line running through Trent's office and realizes he can use it narrowing the list of species he could be. Using a spell she finds the corpse of the missing witch, but nothing to indicate Anders's body. When Rachel begins to accuse Trent of murder she is evicted from the crime scene and taken off the FIB payroll.
     Trent hires Rachel to discover the real murderer, knowing she'd find him on her own. The clues lead to Piscary who admits to summoning Algaliarept to kill both Rachel and Trent, and any ley-line witches working for Trent. The demon returns and Rachel barely survives the encounter, yet manages to get herself into a temporary lull in the threats against her.
     Rachel is persistent and while she questions her values as she is pushed into steadily grayer and grayer situations she fights to remain who she always has been. Her foray into ley-line magic gives her power to protect the ones she loves, but she must still weigh the pros and cons of using magic that could easily become black. Rachel fights for justice while trying to just live her life, despite the forces fighting against her. While younger readers may enjoy the fantasy aspect of The Good, the Bad, and the Undead it is more appropriate for older teen and adult readers.

Dead Witch Walking

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison, 2004 Harper Voyager

      Rachel Morgan is a runner for Inderland Security--the I.S. for short--hunting down and arresting the bad guys. But when she decides to get out and start her own firm, the I.S. is not pleased. Rachel's vampire partner, Ivy, and pixy backup, Jenks, follow her and the trio become partners in Vampiric Charms. But in the midst of the changes, the I.S. puts out a contract for Rachel and the demon Algaliarept begins chasing her down.
   Rachel and Ivy move into an old church, renting it from Piscary, the city's master vampire. To thwart her death threat, Rachel moves to take down Trent Kalamack and his illegal Brimstone trade. Trent is a powerful inderlander, holding a seat on Cincinnati's city council but of indeterminate origins, and when he catches Rachel sneaking into his compound as a mink he captures her and forces her to fight in the underground rat fights.
     Before she ends up in the fights, Trent keeps Rachel in his office where she slowly starves herself (she doesn't want to eat poisons or something that will affect her magic) until Trent's new secretary feeds her carrots from her own lunch. Rachel learns about the inner workings of Trent's compound and discovers other, more unsavory business dealings than just illegal Brimstone.
     Rachel is even more determined to escape the rat fights and take Trent down. She discovers the reigning champion is another human-turned-rodent and together they arrange to escape. But even she realizes that she'll need stronger magic to complete the task. She considers black magic and the rat, a human named Nick, helps her get into the restricted books at the local university.
     Just as Rachel and Nick find a book that might be helpful Algaliarept appears to kill Rachel. Nick manages to command him to return both of them to the church where Jenks' wife Matalina and Keasley, the mysterious witch across the street, patch Rachel up. Ivy goes to the Federal Inderland Bureau (the F.I.B. is the human-run equivalent of the I.S.) trying to get Captain Edden to go after Trent.  Edden cannot touch Trent, but Rachel makes another foray into his compound and finds security that prevents Trent from killing her. Trent is unhappy that his attempts at damage control fail and continues trying to get Rachel under his control.
     Rachel Morgan has her own ideas about how the world should work; though she plays within the rules she gets results the "good guys" can't always get. Her tenacity and independence are remarkable, yet they are what also pushes her into the vat of trouble she inevitably finds. Rachel is a strong woman living in a difficult world and surviving. Mature readers will be able to understand more of the gray reasoning behind some of Rachel's exploits, and some content is more suitable for older readers
.