The Outlaw Demon Wails (Hollows, #6)

by Kim Harrison

[tellemonstar]

Cross-posted at Book Reviews With the Blogmonstar

Finally, Rachel is learning to think before she makes a decision. The Outlaw Demon Wails tosses her into some pretty hairy and in some cases down right surprising situations, and it’s pretty action packed.

So first of all, Rachel is asked by Trent to go into the ever-after to grab a Elven DNA sample for Trent. However, she isn’t asked by Trent – she’s asked by Quen, because he realises that he can’t go into the ever-after with his vampire bite from Piscary. Trent however, is seriously pissed that Quen asked her – he has decided to go himself, which as Rachel points out, is ridiculously stupid, because he doesn’t know anything about the ever-after.

However, in The Outlaw Demon Wails, it would be particularly dangerous for Rachel to go into the ever-after because Al is back and trying his damnedest to kill her. He has made an agreement with someone we have met previously, that essentially allows Al to roam the regular world between sunset and sunrise, causing as much havoc as he likes, and if he can, kill Rachel. In order to save her butt – and those of whom she loves, Rachel is going to have to make a few difficult choices.

Rachel is called to see Quen – who is sort-of dying. He had taken a potion that wasn’t 100% complete yet, in order to negate the influence any vampire could have over his mark. Unlike Trent, who can’t believe in an 11% chance of survival, Rachel can, and so Quen wants her to help him through. Fortunately for his and Ceri’s child, Rachel manages to see Quen through.

We wind up in the ever-after, when Rachel agrees to take Trent through, because she has discovered a deposit for demon DNA that will allow her to outsmart Al again. Unfortunately they get caught and wind up in demon jail – then Trent is left behind because Rachel is ‘beamed’ out of there, having completed her plan to outsmart Al. I can’t say to much of what happens, because of spoilers, but by the time Rachel gets back to the ever-after and then has to go through with her plan to save Trent, she has crossed some pretty major lines in the sand. To the point where Trent is now afraid of her.

Rachel finds out some things about her father in this book. Just wait until you get to that part – it’s a total out-of-nowhere surprise. Which is why I am not saying too much about it here, other than it happens and it throws Rachel for a pretty big loop. She also finds out her dad gathered his demon library for her – he knew she would probably need it in the future.

All in all, The Outlaw Demon Wails moves faster than some of it’s predecessors, and is better for it.