American Demon (Hollows, #14)

by Kim Harrison

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of American Demon in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Can it be? Are my eyes deceiving me, or are The Hollows actually back with a new story! Okay, so I already know that this is the truth, but I'm still stupidly excited about that fact. Kim Harrison is back once again in her world of The Hollows with American Demon.

Rachel Morgan saved the world, and for a time it seemed like she was done. But now she's back, and her adventures are bigger and better than ever. Proof that even the greatest among us are sometimes not allowed to rest.

Rachel is a witch-born demon, and that brings about plenty of trouble on its own. Add in the fact that she's dating an elf, best friends with a pixie and a living vamp, and you can see just how complicated her daily life has become.

Then there is the rash of murders hitting the city. For the first time in years, domestic murders are on the rise, and naturally, the world is keen to assume that demons are behind it. Now it's up to Rachel to prove the truth, and then deal with the threat herself.

“'I'm sorry,' David said into the stretching silence. 'Everything ends.'”

Holy cow! I can't believe it! I was so insanely excited about the news of American Demon coming out. Naturally, I had fairly high expectations on the matter. Expectations that were more than met.

American Demon is a novel worth celebrating. Rachel is back after her mini-retirement, and Kim Harrison doesn't shy from the fact that the series has already ended once. Nor does she shy away from the political ramifications of Rachel's actions.

That's right, we're home, with all of the details that make The Hollows feel so fantastic and real. This novel was everything that I could have asked for, and then some. It was tense, it was emotional, it was dramatic.

Before I go on, I want to take a moment to talk about something real quick. We all remember the ending of The Witch With No Name. It was so sweet and serene, giving each character the ending they deserved.

Kim Harrison acknowledges this ending she gave the series, and wraps it into the plot quite nicely I think. It isn't what I expected, but it does prevent her from being trapped in the path created by that ending. It also adds the tension back in the series; after all, we can no longer safely assume the status of any single character.

Now, onto the rest of this beauty. It felt so amazingly good to dive back into a Rachel Morgan story. Here she is, throwing herself into the middle of a mess once again, and not once thinking about the impact it could have on her later.

Harrison really delivered here, this story felt right at home with the rest of the series. It was fascinating to see a world after the dramatic events in the previous novel, and all of the ramifications that came with it.

Likewise, the new character was a brilliant introduction. Through him, we were allowed to see a different side of Rachel, an intentional juxtaposition between her and the rest of the characters. I don't know where his plot will lead, but it will be fun to find out.

Maybe it's just because it's been a while (it hasn't- I've been re-reading the series in preparation for this), but it seemed like there was more politics in this novel. I absolutely loved that fact. It makes sense though, the demons are free, the elves lost their magic (sort of), and Rachel is the epicenter of all of it. Avoiding covering this element would be to deviate from the heart of the series, and we all know that Kim Harrison would never do that.

As always, there were several moments that truly shocked me. Okay, one of those moments did more than that. It sort of broke my heart. But that's The Hollows for you. It's a series that will get you invested in what is happening, that is for sure.

All things considered, I really enjoyed reading about this “itchy witch” once again. I can't wait for any news about the next novel, as there are so many questions left in the air. Until then, I think I'm going to finish my series re-read.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks