The Hollows

Series: The Hollows

Author: Kim Harrison

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Books: 11

Genre: Urban Fantasy

All the creatures of the night gather in “The Hollows” of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party … and to feed.

Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond imagining – and it’s Rachel Morgan’s job to keep that world civilized.

A bounty hunter and witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she’ll bring ‘em back alive, dead … or undead.

I tell myself that I’m reading these books because I really want Rachel to be gay. And that’s definitely a part of it. But if I’m being completely honest, I’m reading them because once I start I can’t put them down. Kim Harrison tells a great story!

Rachel Morgan is a witch, and she lives in “The Hollows”. Most non-humans in Cincinnati live in the Hollows. And after “The Turn” (where a genetically engineered tomato killed 40% of the human population) in the 60s, all of the non-humans were forced out of the closet because they were able to survive the deadly ketchup. These non-humans that are running about are witches, weres, vamps, pixies, etc. I really like Harrison’s description of what each species is like. They each have their own very specific set of traits and behaviors that mark them as a species. You know, aside from the whole DNA-thing marking them as separate and other.

Well they said it, not me. But yes, these books have serious sex appeal. What I like about them is it’s not the brash, in-your-face romance novel. It’s sensual and sexy without ever actually having a sex scene. Because at it’s heart this is not a romance. It’s a little bit of crime drama mixed with some supernatural beings for funsies.

And I mentioned that I want Rachel to be gay. I definitely want her to be with Ivy. Ivy is a vampire who is stalking Rachel. But they live together, and she doesn’t want to take advantage of Rachel. It’s all very dramatic. The relationship between them is a constant game of cat and mouse where you can never quite tell who has the upper hand. You can also never quite tell who is seducing whom. So far Rachel just “isn’t wired that way,” and she’s had 2 boyfriends already; I’m obviously still holding out hope.

Overall, this is a super cool series. Rachel fights bad guys/demons/werewolves and does it in skimpy leather outfits. It’s a fast-paced, easy-to-read escape. And it has a neat spin on some classic supernatural staples. I think you have to really love fantasy to get as enthralled as I am, but I would definitely recommend these to someone who does! Also, Dead Witch Walking is book number 1... because you're interested!

Ratings

Covers: 3/5

Characters: 5/5

Plots: 4/5

Writing: 4/5

Individuality: 5/5

The Whole Shebang: 4.2/5