The Undead Pool Chapter 2 is available with the latest copy of The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (Hollows #2) for $1.99
If any of you have been participating in The Hollows re-read-along with Kim Harrison, they are offering revolving sales for the ebooks as we approach them. A few weeks ago Dead With Walking was $1.99. Now that we’re reading The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (GBU), it is priced at $1.99 until it’s time to start my early favorite once upon a time, Every Which Way but Dead, at the very end of the month. But as an added bonus, at the end of the GBU they include Chapter 2 of The Undead Pool! The whole book isn’t due out until February 25, 2014, but if you want to tease yourself, have at and read it! And if you already have, that last line probably blew your mind!
Hollows Digest! The Undead Pool ARC, Kim Harrison Hollows re-read-along, giveaways and sales
Hi everyone! I apologize for my late post, but Breaking Bad consumed my free time for the past few weeks and I wanted to finish watching it before I was spoiled on the ending. I am happy to announce that I remained spoiler free! What an amazing series. It gets my high recommend, especially in the later seasons.
But now that that’s out of the way, I have even better news. If you’re a fellow reviewer, blogger or librarian you can now request the advanced reading copy of The Undead Pool on Edelweiss! Approval is not guaranteed and there is a waiting period, but you can surely try. I’ve read it and it was absolutely phenomenal. While I won’t post my full review until closer to the release date next year, if you’d like to see a few of my favorite non-spoilery quotes you can check it out on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/644894675
Are they a tease? Yup . But I don’t think it’s much more than something you’d get out of Kim for instance. I have my share of quotes that are outright spoilers too (because so much of this book is damned re-readable), but of course I’ll keep those to myself until the book’s out. *sigh*
Hollow’s Re-read-along with Kim Harrison
I w
as initially planning to do my own personal series re-read, knocking out a book a month starting in January as a final countdown to the final Hollows book. But I guess Harper and Kim had other plans so I’ve decided to jump on board with it. Dead Witch Walking has come and gone, but The Good, The Bad, and The Undead is coming up next week. I recommend you participate if you can carve out some time. Kim has started a Goodreads group dedicate to it and is interacting with us there as well as on her blog:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/115190-hollows-read-along-with-kim
Giveaways and Sales
Harper and Kim are also offering giveaways in conjunction with the read-along. Currently up for grabs is a chance to win the first 5 books signed by Kim. Sign up with you’re interested! Kim also holds her own separate giveaways:
http://harpervoyagerbooks.com/sweepstakes-us/
The ebooks are also on a revolving sale. Dead Witch Walking is currently $1.99 until October 14th. Then the next book will be on sale for its read-along time frame and so on and so forth.
As for me, I’ve been reading quite frequently lately, but not reviewing, so I’ve got a stack to catch up on. I’ll try to get them up as soon as possible in the coming weeks as well as post my own giveaway very soon!
The Hollows: The Undead Pool’s cover is complete! And we get Chapter 1!
Some of you have probably already seen the completed cover. Sorry or the delay. I’ve been a bit under the weather, but I figured I should blog about it anyway. Of course, this cover is a special case because Trent is featured this time. I’m sure we all knew it’d be him, so no big surprises there. Overall, I think the cover is quite nice. While the model’s not bad, he still doesn’t look like how I imagine Trent. I actually think this model would be a better fit as Pritkin from the Cassie Palmer books by Karen Chance. He’s more rugged whereas with Trent I sense more of an air of regality, softer lines, lighter blond hair, etc. You know, like how an elf should look. Though I have my short list he’s almost impossible to place for me, so I’m not surprised that I’m not over the moon about it. I’m pleased with the gesture to put him on the cover though. But to be quite honest, this cover could say “brown paper bag” and pretty much be one and I’d still read this book.
I’m even more pleased with Kim’s gesture of providing the first chapter of the book. I didn’t read it right away, but the curiosity got to me. I need an ARC and SOON! If you’re interested in reading chapter one, you can find it on Kim’s website here:
http://www.kimharrison.net/BookPages/TUP/TUP.html
Just scroll to the bottom. Hope you guys enjoy!
Poll - The Hollows: The Undead Pool Cover Reveal - Slowly but surely
So since yesterday Kim has been revealing the new cover piece by piece. In the back of my mine I suspected there was a chance “you know who” would be on the cover since A Perfect Blood included someone else (though the identity was never confirmed). So it looks like they’ve done it again, but we have a pretty good idea of who it’ll be:
So yeah, it’s very like it’ll be our favorite elf. But now I’m a little scared. What if he’s not hott? How do you guys think he’ll look?
Loading ...The Hollows: Kim Harrison is full of surprises.
Best belated surprise ever! As if Kim Harrison wasn’t *already* my favorite author in the WORLD, I just discovered this. I had NO idea she acknowledged me in the novel’s final print! I cannot believe she did this! I just thought she hooked me up with the ARC of Ever After after I alerted her to a continuity error in the Into the Woods ARC. I had no clue about this until one of my Goodreads friends wished me a happy birthday and said she just finished the book and saw the thank you. Of course I was like, “wait, whut?” Then I immediately sought it out myself. So yeah, I feel like a total idiot for not even looking the first time, but…
Let’s just say I’ve been waiting months for the right moment to use this gif:
KIM ROCKS!! It’s also on Amazon’s preview http://www.amazon.com/
And the wait for The Undead Pool just became that much worse!!
Giveaway Winner Selected! Signed Copy of Blood Crime by Kim Harrison!
Hi everyone! I always wish to have enough for each and every one of you, but unfortunately there can only be one. If you posted in the comment section of the announcement thread, you were entered for a chance (or multiple chances for those following the blog multiple ways) to win. And the winner is:
Nancy
I’ll be sending an email your way soon! Hope you enjoy!
Thanks again to all of you for your continued support, especially for the 3D contest! It really means a lot. My Misfit costume didn’t win the 3D challenge, and as I mentioned before, River and I posed with the Eredar Twins too but Game Spot had technical difficulties. Somehow they still managed to send a 360 degree gif of my session, just to show me what could have been *sigh* Oh well. Maybe next time! Here’s the gif:
The Hollows - The Undead Pool Cover Reveal
Or maybe I should say the lack thereof? We saw A Perfect Blood’s cover sometime in July, Ever After’s probably wasn’t far off either, but Kim has been giddily keeping it under wraps. This post has me curious too. So, what’s the hold up? Do you think maybe Trent will be on the cover this time?
In other news, if you still don’t have The Hollows Insider, the paperback and ebook are now available, and the moon still glows in the dark! (well, for the paper one anyway…):
http://www.amazon.com/The-Hollows-Insider-Fiction-Murders/dp/0062268473/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376535502&sr=8-1&keywords=the+hollows+insider
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hollows-insider-kim-harrison/1100578534?ean=9780062268471
I’m curious as to how the graphics would show up on an e-ink Kindle myself. It certainly added to the experience for me. It’s one of those instances where I prefer a tree book. But maybe I’ll try a sample just to compare.
URGENT GIVEAWAY! Signed copy of Blood Crime by Kim Harrison - Need your help by August 7th!!
Hi everyone! I’m still winding down a bit from Comic Con and in that respect I need your help ASAP! I’m competing in a costume competition for GameSpot! And I figured I could get my wonderful followers in on it with a little incentive. Would anybody want a copy of Kim Harrison’s graphic novel, Blood Crime? How about a SIGNED copy? I’ve got proof!
As a chance for bonus entries I’m straying away a little from the usual and need for you guys to vote for my costume in 3D! The top 10 winners get an action figure created of their image! Pretty sweet, huh? I would go on about how me and my friend River also did this for our eredar twins costumes though somehow the files got ruined on their end, but I won’t . At least there’s this still this one I guess (though the demons would have been way cooler). Ah well.
Click here to vote for me! (Deadline in TWO DAYS!) - no sign up necessary, you just have to Facebook “like”, tweet, pin, or Google+ it.
The GameSpot bonus entry counts through August 7th. After that the other bonus entries are still possible and the giveaway will last until August 17th.
How to Enter (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY): My giveaways are only open to followers of Your Urban Fantasy who are 18 years of age or older. In order to enter YOU MUST COMMENT ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT POST! If you’re a new member, sign up on the right panel to follow my blog via email and/or Twitter. (Make sure you check your email to confirm your subscription. You should receive a notification immediately, so check your spam folder if you don’t see it right away). Current followers can just say so in their post and your entry will be added. Overall, there are up to 3 chances to win:
- “Like” and “Share” my costume on GameSpot (bonus entry through August 7th only)
- Follow this blog via email (THIS IS REQUIRED)
- Follow me on Twitter (bonus entry)
- “Like” Your Urban Fantasy on Facebook (bonus entry)
While I do appreciate RSS subscribers, I cannot confirm your status as a follower so your entry will not count (sorry!); however, you are welcome to sign up by email and Twitter or Facebook. Once again, good luck!
POLL! The Hollows - Real Life Trent Kalamack? How about Armie Hammer?
We’ve been over this before. He’s a very hard character to pin down with a universally acceptable actor! I have a very short list of actors who could satisfactorily portray our favorite elf. It includes (click their names for more pics):
Travis Fimmel
Jensen Ackles
Chris Evans (a la Captain America)
Trevor Donovan
I’d now like to add Armie Hammer, the new Lone Ranger, to that list! I guess it takes a billionaire to play one! I’ve been discussing this a bit over on Goodreads and so far people are preeeetty pleased! Thanks to Diva for choosing these specific pics:
http://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/2590827/armie-hammer-prestige-cover-01/>/
http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/armie-hammer-american-spirit/#1
And she also pulled this caption
“He’s tall (six feet five), handsome, lean, intelligent, and blessed with the well-spoken graciousness befitting the scion of a distinguished family (his great-grandfather was the billionaire philanthropist Armand Hammer).”
So I have presented all of the evidence. Who is your favorite choice?
Loading ...Movie Review! The Lone Ranger
Native American warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice. I’d like to think that remakes are a great way of introducing a new audience to an age-old, but beloved franchise. I personally didn’t grow up watching or following this show, but I knew a few things about it. Unfortunately, I don’t think this film did the franchise any favors in terms of capturing a new audience, and I have a hard time believe it would please the old one. I will outright admit that this film briefly put me to sleep at least 3 times. Even still, I didn’t miss much story or plot. You will feel every minute of its 2 and a half hour run time and that’s never a good thing. The film tried to do a little too much. There were serious moments, but it was offset by light-heartedness and comedy as well. I tend to prefer my westerns be on the dramatic side, and MAYBE even include Leonardo DiCaprio (ie: Django Unchained and The Quick and The Dead).
I found myself mostly interested in the action scenes that would justify how it racked up a $250 million price tag. Perhaps they were banking on a lot of international success because this just didn’t seem like a smart move to me. Can you do that for an Avengers or Iron Man or Superman or Fast & Furious film? Absolutely. They make the dough because the demand is there. You can do that for a Pirates of the Caribbean film too even with its waning popularity. But for this, I can only think they are setting themselves up for a 2013 disaster a la 2012′s John Carter. I guess they just never learn! I doubt this film will perform very well overseas and I feel like it’s not going to perform well domestically. Oh well, it’s not my money.
I have been and remain a Johnny Depp fan, but it becomes hard to defend him lately. It’s like he will only work on Tim Burton or Disney films where he can play weird and quirky characters for a guaranteed $20-$50 million per film. Can I blame him? Not really. We all want to make more by doing less. It’s just becoming so rinse and repeat these days with him that I question if the passion is even there. I know he owns an island, so perhaps he needs to fund that. I just wish he would take on more interesting projects. I loved him in Blow as much as I loved him in Edward Scissorhands. It’s just that this “eccentric” shtick is no longer interesting for me. I did enjoy the 4th pirates film more than the second and third, but the last film I genuinely loved and can watch again and again would be Sweeney Todd and that was 6 years ago. He’s a great actor and I just wish he’d take more roles to stretch different muscles. That said, I did not have a problem with his portrayal of Tonto. He did a good job. And at 50 he looks absolutely amazing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LERFx8cl-Zw
One highlight of the film was actually the title character. This was my first time seeing Armie Hammer in action (he is Armand Hammer’s great grandson-as in, the baking soda) and it’s nice to know he actually has some pretty good acting chops. I thought he performed the role very well and with a stronger tighter story it would have been even better. I like being pleasantly surprised. I understand he would like to be involved in sequels, but I’m going to make an early prediction that future sequels won’t be green lit. That said, I went in wondering “Who is Armie Hammer” and came out wanting to see him in more roles. It turns out he will be co-staring with the new Superman, Henry Cavill, in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.! They both are easy on the eyes and pretty good actors, so I’ll be looking forward to that one!
POLL! HOLLOWS NEWS! The Undead Pool (Book 12) has a synopsis!
Loading ...Earlier we got a title announcement and I polled you guys asking how you liked it. Now we know what it’s about!
Source is goodreads:
Witch and day-walking demon Rachel Morgan has managed to save the demonic ever after from shrinking, but at a high cost. Now strange magic is attacking Cincinnati and the Hollows, causing spells to backfire or go horribly wrong, and the truce between the races, between Inderlander and human, is shattering.
Rachel must stop the occurrences before the undead vampire masters who keep the rest of the undead under control are lost and it becomes all-out supernatural war. However, the only way to do so is through the ancient elven wild magic, which carries its own perils.
Can. Not. Wait!
And for those of you who REALLY can’t wait, you can pre-order it now on Amazon! Though I would happily pay full price for these if I had to (they are worth every penny), I think I’m going to wait until the pre-order goes down a little. I plan to own this one in all formats, so I’ll try to save where I can!
So what are your thoughts? Think this book will top Ever After or any other favorite?
POLL! The Undead Pool (The Hollows, #12) by Kim Harrison
So we have a title folks! The Undead Pool is the name for the penultimate entry of The Hollows. In typical Clint Eastwood fashion, it’s likely playing off the film, The Dead Pool. I’ve decided to create a new post on the matter and deleted my previous one as I’ve mulled it over and found new info. So apparently Kim’s original title would have been Mystic Impact, reflecting the introduction of a new species, the mystics, but the publishers and their marketing team liked this one better. I have a degree in marketing and I think Mystic Impact sounds fine. The Undead Pool works too though! Brings me back to the original 3 books that used “dead” and its variants 
.
Though personally, I’m kind of glad the series titles eventually switched up starting with A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows, #4). There are a number of long series where, while I might recall what happens book by book, the actual titles are so similar that I can’t distinguish them if my life depended on it (ie: series that use “grave” or “dead” or “witch” other popular urban fantasy terms ad nauseam in EVERY title), so I think the powers that be should also keep that in mind. Do they really think readers are that dumb? For The Hollows, I can name every one in my sleep. The play on Clint Eastwood titles was a great move. Either way, I know book 12 is going to be phenomenal. I am seriously counting the days until it’s in my mitts, hopefully with an ARC this fall. So which title do you like more?
Loading ...Ever After (The Hollows #11) now $7.99!
What a surprise! Usually we don’t see a price drop until the fall, but for ebook readers it’s come early! I’m not sure if this is temporary or not, but based on my poll a number of you were planning to wait for a price drop. Well, now you have it:
Amazon Kindle Users
Barnes & Noble Book Users
Kim Harrison - Facebook Chat Takeaways (Major Ever After Spoilers Ahead)
So if you didn’t have a lot of time to read through the Facebook chat Kim held at Harper Voyager’s page on Friday, you’re in luck. Here are the top 5 important things you need to know (in no particular order):
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
- Jenks and Belle will not become a couple. Though they are getting closer, it will be more of a comrade in arms type of relationship.
- Ceri and Pierce’s deaths will impact the series, but it will not be on Kisten’s level.
- When the last books hit re-write mode, there’s a chance we’ll learn more about Al’s wife (no guarantee though). But in other news, he apparently also knew Trent’s mom and her death is why there are no pixies in Trent’s garden.
- Gonna direct quote this one. Take it for what you will:
Renee Martin: Okay my question is, are you ever going to let Rachel and Trent do it already? It’s driving me around the bend
Kim Harrison: Hi Renee. OMGosh, you’re going to like book 12.
- The last scene of the final Hollows book was originally going to end on a beach. But it’s recently been changed to Trent’s stables.
Hollows Digest - Kim Harrison Q&A This Friday! She’s been all over the place!
Hi everyone! Just giving you a heads up that Kim Harrison is doing a Q&A at Harper Voyager’s Facebook page this Friday from 2-3pm EST. She’s currently polling at her page as to whether spoilers will be allowed:
https://www.facebook.com/questions/10151462492864940/
I vote “yes” to spoilers of course. If I can attend I’ll be there! And besides, the book has been out a few weeks already! Most people willing to carve out an hour in their afternoon on a Friday have probably read it. Friday you can check in here:
https://www.facebook.com/HarperVoyagerBooksUS?ref=ts&fref=ts
She’s also done a ton of interviews. I can hardly keep up!
http://www.wyso.org/post/book-nook-ever-after-kim-harrison
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/harper-voyager
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/video_chat/59
That’s just to name a few! Thankfully she’s listed a bunch herself at her website:
http://www.kimharrison.net/
I watched the ustream and goodreads interviews and I plan to listen to the radio interview. Has anyone checked out the others? Please feel free to share any juicy tidbits!
Ever After Tour Signing - Diva and Kim in Austin!
Since Kim Harrison is not stopping close enough to me this year, and won’t be attending San Diego Comic Con, I have decided to live vicariously through some of my lucky followers and friends. Our very own Diva was able to meet Kim during her stop yesterday in Austin, Texas. Diva was so kind as to provide a write-up that I’ll post below. There’s definitely some food for thought in there!
Last night I had the pleasure of meeting Kim Harrison for the first time as her book tour brought her to Austin, Tx. A friend and I, said friend also being a devoted Hollows fan, made the hour long drive to see her and the trip was completely worth it. The signing was held at Book People, which is a very cool independent bookstore and if anyone is ever in the Austin are I highly recommend checking it out. We arrived a little over an hour early and that was plenty of time to secure second row seats right in front of the speaker’s podium.
Kim appeared right on time and even though she has often said that speaking in front of people is slightly outside of her comfort zone, she appeared fresh and relaxed. She began with the usual reading of a book excerpt. This time around it was another Trent/Rachel scene which marks at least the second year in a row that she has selected a scene with the two of them. Good omens, perhaps, for fans of the duo. Once the reading was done Kim began the Q&A portion of the evening. She fielded the usual questions that seem to pop up at every event, i.e. the correct pronunciation of Al’s name, what authors inspire her, why the play on Clint Eastwood titles, why did she kill Kisten. Apparently there is a significant segment of the population that never goes online for this information, lol.
There were a few nuggets of interesting information however. Kim revealed that the pilot/tv adaptation
that the CW network had been working on had cut out Jenks. Blasphemy, I say. The chrysalis that
Rachel snatched from Al and that has long sat on her windowsill will, in fact, come back into play and
we will find out its significance. By the sounds of it this may happen in the final book but whenever
it happens it will shed some light into why Al has been so “bitter” and “vindictive” (Kim’s chosen
adjectives), and why he sees himself in Rachel. So some good stuff in store for Al fans everywhere.There were, surprisingly, no real character based questions so I ponied up the one and only Trent
related question. Looking back through the series, I’ve always been curious about the two times that
Kim was seemingly prepared to pair Trent off with someone. The first time of course being his marriage
to Ellasbeth and the second time being when Ceri was introduced. If you recall, Ceri thought that Trent
was handsome and she seemed like a perfect fit for Trent, on paper. Kim acknowledged that it had
been her intention to pair Trent off both times, that she has tried to toss these women at Trent but it
never stuck. Maybe like none of Rachel’s men have ever stuck? Hmm? Anyway, Kim said that Ceri is
much happier with Quen. Ellasbeth, however, is another story and hang onto your hats people because
Kim confirms that Ellasbeth will be around for the rest. Of. The. Series. Is that a collective groan I hear?
Thought so. According to Kim, Ellasbeth is too strong and determined, has too much money and too
large of an ego to just go quietly into that good night. She also reminded the audience that Trent is
“very duty oriented” sooooo…make of that what you will. Personally, I still refuse to believe that she
would sentence Trent to a marriage with that harpy, shrew of a woman. That’s my story and I’m sticking
to it.Once the Q&A was over Kim took a brief moment to take a group picture with everyone who was
wearing a tour t-shirt. I had mine on! Then signing began and my friend and I were lucky enough to be
in the first batch of people. Kim’s husband was there and he was just as gracious and personable as Kim.
He entertained us all while we waited our turns in line, answering more personal questions about Kim
and their home life – all with Kim’s blessing, of course. While I was in earshot I learned that Kim’s eldestson is currently serving in the United States Marine Corps and that he is due to get out of the military
the same date that their youngest son will be graduating from high school. He joked that he’s not sure if
they’ll be empty nesters that day or have a full house again.Since she seemed so open and friendly, I wasn’t nervous at all about getting some one-on-one face time
with Kim when it came my turn to get my book (and Nook!) signed. She recognized my name as being
one of the occasional posters on her Drama Box and she gave me a big hug, which just totally made my
night. I didn’t ask her any additional questions, just told her that I was going to trust her on the whole
Ellasbeth thing. She laughed but hey, at least it wasn’t the evil, maniacal type of laugh.So there you have it. The Ever After book tour is officially in the history books for me and Kim did not
disappoint. Here’s to looking forward to 2014 and book 12. And to all the Ever After re-reads until then.
Thank you, Diva, for sharing the experience!
Don’t Forget! Kim Harrison Live Goodreads Q&A Tomorrow!
Tune in at 2pm EST/11am PT on Wednesday to see Kim live! I will totally be at work but I think I can take a later lunch for Kim!
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/video_chat/59
And if you haven’t seen it, you can catch her Q&A from the other night here:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/harper-voyager
Key takeaway: Rachel is technically a virgin after every reset curse!
Happy Happy HOLLOWS DAY!!
Hi everyone! Today is the big day! Ever After (The Hollows #11) is out a whole month early for our reading pleasure. Since I pre-ordered the hardcover through Amazon, I actually received my book yesterday, which was pretty sweet! And while I can’t wait to read the final product, I have decided to repost my review of the ARC for this book that I read back in October. So yeah, I think it’s been long enough that is refresher is in order, not that I could forget much ~_^! I doubt my sentiments will change. Thank you all for voting on my poll from this weekend. The strength of ebooks is really telling, especially for a series that was established well before this format came to fruition! I myself prefer reading ebooks these days, but I started reading and collecting The Hollows in paper form and I own every hardcover since Book 5 (For a Few Demons More), so I think it only fitting that I collect them all. There are only TWO books left after all. I hope you all enjoy it. I guarantee most of you will, and I encourage you to share your thoughts! HAPPY HAPPY HOLLOWS DAY!!
Review: Ever After – Like the finest of wines, The Hollows gets better with age
As you can see, I present definitive proof that I’ve indeed read the book! And man oh man is it fantastic! It’s my new favorite! I normally worry about using that term too loosely because it could diminish the potential quality of the series as a whole, but I genuinely think it’s the best book thus far. Kim Harrison has done it yet again and all signs point to her doing it two more times, and in epic proportions.
This time the Ever After, home of the demons, is shrinking at an alarmingly fast rate, placing the existence of magic in a pretty vulnerable position; without one there couldn’t be the other. So as if our favorite itchy witch, Rachel Morgan, didn’t have enough problems, this just sprang up to #1. If she can’t solve this one, she won’t have any others. If she can’t fix it, the demons want her head as her botched leyline creation caused this mess in the first place. And no one wants to see that happen more than her old buddy, Ku’Sox, the former day walking demon who had the misfortune to cross Rachel and lose. He even resorts to abducting her friend and goddaughter as insurance…and boy is it effective. Thankfully she’s got Trent Kalamack and Algaliarept by her side to restore balance and take him down once and for all. But the price may be too high for things to ever be the same again.
I know there was criticism about not a lot happening in A Perfect Blood, though I personally enjoyed the old-school Hollows style mystery. But for those of you who didn’t, for EVER AFTER I think a better question is what didn’t happen! There was so much going on that I genuinely can’t recall a dull moment. I think I felt and continue to feel every emotion possible, but I ultimately finished the book in pure euphoria. In case you needed a little reminding, Harrison presents really harsh realities and difficult decisions that prove she’s an author with guts. I don’t think I’ve experienced so many pulse pounding moments since For a Few Demons More (book 5). This book left me reeling like no other.
The scenes that take place in the Ever-After were some of the best of the series. The race against the clock really made this book so intense. Learning the history of the demons and the elves and the eventual degradation of their relationship was great, though I would have loved even more insight. I just can’t get enough of it.
And that brings me to Big Al, who was totally amazing. Fans will absolutely adore him in this book as we learn more about his personal back story. He’s much more prominent here than in A Perfect Blood and that’s fine by me because he literally lights up the pages and keeps things exciting in his own peculiar way.
After having read Trent’s POV in the bonus chapter of A Perfect Blood, I saw everything he did in a whole new light, and boy was it refreshing. He’s got his own personal demons to work through and it really makes you feel for the guy. He is in a rock and a hard place, accepting his actions that have led to certain consequences while still working to find the best solution possible. I loved seeing him use more magic. I feel like elves have a pretty powerful arsenal that deserve more exploration, so it was nice to see Harrison skim the surface here with the insinuation of even greater things. Magic is amped up for the elves, while more human qualities are amped up for the demons, so it was an interesting trade off.
His teamwork with Rachel was one of my favorite parts of the book. The tension was insane and placed so well all throughout. It’s seriously amazing to go back and read passages from Dead Witch Walking and then look at them now. Their progress is usually one step forward, two steps back, but the slow burn for this ship is probably what will make it my all-time #1 favorite if they end up together *fingers crossed*.
This book was just about everything I could ask for, but it wasn’t 100% flawless. With so much ever after, elf and demon action, the story manages to throw in a smidgeon of development in vampire politics. Unfortunately it felt very much like an afterthought and briefly broke the overall flow. We know vampires won’t get a lot of focus until the final book 13, so 10 or so pages of development came off a random at best and forgettable at worst.
All in all, this is an absolute MUST READ for fans of the series. Since Black Magic Sanction and Pale Demon the series has been invigorated and manages to improve as we reach the final stretch. That is a rarity for 95% of series that make it this far. I think it helps a lot that Kim Harrison has an end in sight and continues to write towards that. Many others have jumped-the-shark by this point. The Hollows is absolutely revving up for a grande finale and I cannot wait to be there.
Poll: How will you be purchasing EVER AFTER (The Hollows #11) on or after this Tuesday?
It’s no secret that we’re all Hollows nuts around these parts. I’ve actually been noticing a bit of a calm before the storm when it comes to the interwebs. Though I didn’t have time to hold a proper giveaway (though I hope you’ll like the consolation prize), I am a little curious about evolving buying habits and want to know how you all plan to get your mits on your copy. I’ve been pre-ordering hardcovers since my closest bookstore closed down, and same day delivery means it works out pretty well.
Ever After Chapters 1-6! You want it, You got! And a note to followers…
It’s taking a slightly different approach than the usual Harper Voyager link, but it’s easy to access all the same to read chapter 3:
http://harpervoyagerbooks.com/2013/01/15/exclusive-chapter-three-of-kim-harrisons-ever-after-122/
Of course if you’d rather read through part of chapter 6, then by all means go here:
http://www.harpercollins.com/browseinside/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061957918
Enjoy!
P.S. And forgive me for being a little slow on the posts lately. Assassin’s Creed has pretty much occupied all of my free time! Ezio Auditore is just that amazing (and hott). And this is why I’m glad I’m not a big gamer. But I’ve finished his trilogy and things should return to normal soon (because I doubt Assassin’s Creed 3 will be as addictive)!
New Short Q&A with Kim Harrison
While the wait is probably getting even harder the closer Ever After’s release date becomes, Kim Harrison has provided a little insight about the series from here on out.
http://harpervoyagerbooks.com/2013/01/07/a-quick-qa-with-kim-harrison/
2012 Year in Review!! My top books and series of the year!
If you have any favorite reads for this year please share! 2012 has been quite a year for me. I’ve read some incredible books, some great books, some not so great books, some terrible books. But overall it contributed to read count of over 131 stories this year. It’s kind of funny because I feel like a slacker compared to some other Goodreads friends who I’ve seen read over 400+ books; one even read over 900. But good or bad, I’ll take it as a victory. Communiting to and from my job takes a good 2 hours of my day, which allows me to and dedicate most of that to reading. A broken iPod has helped quite a bit too, but Christmas kind of rectified that so I’ll have to see how my read count in 2013 compares. But in the meantime, I want to narrow things down and present my favorite urban fantasy/paranormal books of 2012.
1
Ever After ARC (The Hollows #11) by Kim Harrison
I debated listing this one because it technically doesn’t come out until 2013, but it rocked my personal socks this year, and I’m sure it will rock yours in January, so I’m going to list it.
2
All Dorina Basarab novels, including Fury’s Kiss by Karen Chance
Though I was fairly familiar with its original sister series, Cassandra “Cassie” Palmer, I was really surprised to find that I love this series infinitely more. It’s got all of the pluses, none of the annoyances. Dory is a riot, but she kicks ass too. It just pains me that it take 2 years between books.
3
Wicked as They Come (Blud #1) by Delilah S. Dawson
Early on in the year this was my favorite book. The world was new, interesting and exciting. And Criminy was awesome! I definitely can’t wait for the next book featuring him and Tish, but much like Karen Chance, this author alternates from book to book.
4
A Perfect Blood (The Hollows #10) by Kim Harrison
Yes, the Hollows takes two spots on my list. In addition to the Ever After ARC, with all of the different publications this year from Into the Woods to Blood Crime to Trouble on Reserve to Trent’s POV from the paperback of A Perfect Blood, two spots can’t be surprising. However, while good, this book wasn’t quite in the same class as Ever After, but I did love it. And like most Trenchers out there, Trent’s POV left me speechless! Oh and it’s also pretty awesome anytime I can meet Kim Harrison!
5
Kingmakers (Vampire Empire #3) by Susan and Clay Griffith
This was another fantastic finish to a wonderful trilogy. I was fortunate enough to read the ARC for this series and I loved it! If only there was more!
6
Dead Morning Sky (Experiment in Terror #3) by Karina Halle
I wanted scary and I got scary! Just a little more than I bargained for with the weird crap that was happening OFF the pages while reading it. And funny enough, there was no repeat of that peculiar activity after I was done. I have since stopped here, but there are definitely more books with Dex and Perry’s adventures. I plan to get to them after catching up with the Night Huntress series that I’m currently reading.
7
Ashes of Honor (October Daye #6) by Seanan McGuire
I read this book at a pretty difficult time. I started reading it and then I got my hands on the Ever After ARC. I was riding too much of a high for anything else to compare, including this. But in hindsight, this book rocks and I bet the next book will be my favorite of the series!
8
Tale of the Vampire Bride by Rhiannon Frater
I was gripped from beginning to end on this one. It’s not an easy read, and do not mistake this for a romance. It’s more like one of those train-wrecks that you can’t look away from. Unfortunately the sequel was nowhere near as good, but I hope this series continues eventually. I would love to read a third book if it could get back to the level of book 1.
9
Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee
I have a bit of an aversion when it comes to the Young Adult genre, but this is an exception. I LOVED this book and I often find myself wondering how long it’d be until the second book is released. That’s definitely a sign of a book worthy of this list. Even better, it’s probably the best $0.99 I’ve spent on a book!
10
Love is Fear (Valerie Dearborn #2) by Caroline Hanson
Though this trilogy arc is complete, this book is probably my favorite of the three. I finished wanting more, more, MORE!
Honorable Mentions
Iced (Dani O’Malley #1) by Karen Marie Moning - I definitely didn’t inhale this one as fast as the original Fever novels, but it did leave an impression. Honestly though, I just want more Mac and Barrons!
At Grave’s End (Night Huntress #3) by Jeaniene Frost - The review is pending right now because I wanted to post this year in review first, but I did enjoy it the most of the three novels thusfar. This series isn’t really among my favorites, but it seems to be positioning itself in the tier of series that are right below my favorites. Not a bad place to be. There’s Bones to thank for that.
Fire Baptized (Habitat #1) by Kenya Wright - I inhaled this book as well. This fresh take on the urban fantasy genre was just what I needed at the time and unlike some series where the sequels don’t measure up, its sequel certainly did and I look forward to book 3!
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion - I enjoyed this book quite a bit, as well as the movie. It presented a different take on the genre that I found refreshing.
A Blood Seduction (Vamp City #1) by Pamela Palmer - an alternate Washington, DC gets some bonus points! This book introduced a pretty intriguing world. I read it in a day and enjoyed it, so that’s why it gets a mention. Just beware that this isn’t true romance. If you go in with those expectations you’ll likely be disappointed.
The Fire Lord’s Lover (The Elven Lords #1) by Kathryne Kennedy - I read this particular book in one day and I loved the world building and build up to the eventual romance. Unfortunately the sequels never really struck the same chord.
So all in all it’s been a good year! This blog has been good to me. YOU guys have been good to me. And I hope 2013 is even better!! The great thing about books is that there’s something for everybody. I wish you all a very Happy New Year!
Hollows Alert! Ever After Chapter 2!
Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a Happy Holiday Season! Kim Harrison has certainly tried to make it better for us by posting Chapter 2 of Ever After! If you were able to hold out from downloading it with a Fistful of Charms, you can now see it on her website. Just check it out here:
http://www.kimharrison.net/BookPages/EA/EA2.html
Fistful of Charms for $1.99 with an Excerpt of Ever After!
I heard this straight from the horses mouth on her blog today, but thanks to Jisha for the heads up as well! For the remainder of the holiday season, Book 4 will be offered for $1.99. Get it as a gift, or get it for yourself if you want to read the first TWO chapters of Ever After! Chapter 2 won’t be released until Christmas day, but if you just can’t wait, you can get it here.
Barnes and Noble (NOOK)
Amazon (Kindle)
Books-A-Million (Nook?)
Kobo (Download options: Adobe DRM EPUB)
iBookstore (iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch)
Keep an eye out for additional excerpts here:http://harpervoyagerbooks.com/2012/12/17/excerpt-chapter-one-of-kim-harrisons-ever-after-jan-2013/
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