Review: A Fistful of Charms (Rachel Morgan/The Hollows #4) by Kim Harrison

Description (from Goodreads)

The evil night things that prowl Cincinnati despise witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan. Her new reputation for the dark arts is turning human and undead heads alike with the intent to possess, bed, and kill her -- not necessarily in that order.

Now a mortal lover who abandoned Rachel has returned, haunted by his secret past. And there are those who covet what Nick possesses -- savage beasts willing to destroy the Hollows and everyone in it if necessary.

Forced to keep a low profile or eternally suffer the wrath of a vengeful demon, Rachel must nevertheless act quickly. For the pack is gathering for the first time in millennia to ravage and to rule. And suddenly more than Rachel's soul is at stake.

I took a mini break after reading book 3 of The Hollows series, Every Which Way But Dead. I was rushing through them as per usual and I always end up regretting it, so I decided to read a different book in between. The book I chose took me a few days to finish so I was more than ready to get back to this series.


Jenks was kinda getting on my nerves at the beginning. I wanted to get hold of him, give him a rough shake and shout at him to get a grip. I didn't see the point of his sulking. Yes, small Pixies have massive egos but what was Harrison's point of having him run off at the last 1/3 of book 3 and just disappear? It didn't benefited the plot any, not as far as I can see anyway. It just made me annoyed with him. He's a blabber mouth, everyone knows it, even him and we love him anyway. He really needed to get over it more quickly. I forgave him not long after, though :)


I was a little shocked at how Kist went from bad ass to domestic kitten in the space of 5 months. Yes he's still dangerous (he's got sharp teeth, duh) but he just seemed like 'the boyfriend' and not a very interesting one at that. I want to see bad ass Kisten!


The first half was a little slow for me. In fact, it felt like it went on forever. It wasn't until I looked on goodreads that I realised how long it was (500 odd pages). I'm still liking Rachel but I'm noticing that she's really quite selfish (I may be late to party with this). I don't think she realises it, though, or that it's done consciously. She just is. It's most obvious with her treatment of Ivy.


And what the hell happened to Nick? Okay, fair dues, I didn't particularly like him anyway but wow he really did get the shitty end of the stick in this book. He went from being an okay kinda guy to a real slimy jerk. I also have to mention the weres. I love werewolves. I really, really do, but they are horrible in this book. Yes, okay they are the bad guys, but come on, really?!


Overall I did really like this book, although I do think it would have been better if the werewolves had more character. They could have been fleshed out better.


Rating: 5/6 - Really Liked It

Review: Stolen (Women of the otherworld #2) by Kelley Armstrong

Description (from Goodreads)

Even though she's the world's only female werewolf, Elena Michaels is just a regular girl at heart -- with larger than normal appetites. She sticks to three feasts a day, loves long runs in the moonlight, and has a lover who is unbelievable frustrating yet all the more sexy for his dark side. Like every regular girl, she certainly doesn't believe in witches. Then again, when two small, ridiculously feminine women manage to hurl her against a wall, and then save her from the hunters on her tail, Elena realizes that maybe there are more things in heaven and earth than she's dreamt of.

Vampires, demons, shamans, witches -- in Stolen they all exist, and they're all under attack. An obsessed tycoon with a sick curiosity is well on his way to amassing a private collection of supernaturals, and plans to harness their powers for himself -- even if it means killing them. For Elena, kidnapped and imprisoned deep underground, separated from her Pack, unable to tell her friends from her enemies, choosing the right allies is a matter of life and death.

This is the second book in the Women of the Otherworld series, and another great read.

I'd read some reviews before I started this (I know but I couldn't help myself) and I was a little apprehensive. I'm reading this series for the werewolves and some reviews imply that there wasn't much of the wolves. But I needn't have worried. There was plenty.

I got totally absorbed. Again. I love clay and elena and I'm going to miss them until I can read Broken.

I adore Armstrong's writing style (well the style these first 2 books are written in at least). She doesn't seem to waste words, or emotions. She doesn't repeat things over and over until her point is slapping you in the face. She doesn't spoon feed you, she expects you to feed yourself, and I like that. I definitely like that.

That's not to imply that it's devoid of emotion, it's so not. Infact I teared up a few times, its just that Armstrong make you work for them. It makes reading her books (or these books) such a pleasure. I don't think it was as good as Bitten, but it still great.

Rating: 5/6 - Really Liked It

Review: River Marked (Mercy Thompson #6) by Patricia Briggs

Description (from Goodreads)

Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She’s never known any others of her kind. Until now.

An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River—one that her father’s people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help

I've been waiting for this for aaaages. I really love me some Mercy Thompson... and Adam, of course.

Mercy sure did talk more than usual in this installment :) she seemed to be a little more open and relaxed. Her relationship with adam is obviously going well and it seemed to be doing them both some good. It was great to have some Adam and Mercy time. Usually Adam's the rescue guy, but here he's right beside her and it's wonderful. I did miss the pack though, and funnily enough, Ben. I love the growing relationship Mercy has with him, and with Darrell as well but we at least we got a glimpse of that right at the beginning.

This time around we get to read about Mercy's heritage. I really loved the Native American mythology, and meeting Coyote. It didn't seem to be as action packed as the books that came before it, but I think that's to be expected. They are on their honeymoon! But trouble sure does follow Mercy around.

You really cant go wrong with this series, and this is another fabulous addition.

Rating: 5/6 - Really Liked It

Review: Bitten (women of the otherworld #1) by Kelley Armstrong

Description (from Goodreads)

Ever since her parents were killed in a car accident when she was five, Elena Michaels has longed for a normal family life. Smart, beautiful, and engaged to be married, Elena hopes to fulfill that dream when disaster strikes. Not only has her fiancé lied about his secret life as a werewolf, but he's made her one, too. She has no choice but to join him at Stonehaven, the upstate New York home of an elite pack of werewolves.

In an attempt to break away, she moves to Toronto to lead a normal life. Working as a journalist, Elena now lives with her new architect boyfriend, works out in the basement gym of their high-rise apartment, lunches with girlfriends from the office, and —once a week, at four in the morning —runs naked and furred through a downtown Toronto ravine, ripping out the throats of her animal prey. But when a band of outlaw werewolves threatens the Stonehaven pack, Elena's feral instincts drive her back there to join the defense. What follows is a war for territory, for pride, and ultimately for Elena herself.

I'll be blunt; I LOVED this book. I loved Elena, in fact I loved all of the characters. Armstrong writes wonderfully. The emotional pull you feel is subtle. Armstrong doesn't give it to you easy, the clues are there you just have to see them. She doesn't tell you, she shows you. You feel everything Elena feels.

I must admit I'm apprehensive about the rest of these books. I don't know how this series is going to pan out; the reading order seems confused; the otherworld, women of the otherworld, short stories; are they seperate yet together? I read a short (rebirth) Which starts these books (or did it, did it start the men of the otherworld?).  It was okay, not my style but then again shorts aren't my style. So this series may take a wrong turn for me somewhere along the line but I'm willing to try. I have to try. I loved this book too much not to try. I just hope the rest are as good as this.

Rating 6/6 - It Was Amazing