Trouble with the Cursed by Kim Harrison

Trouble with the Cursed (Hollows, #16)

by Kim Harrison

Rachel Morgan must keep her friends close—and her enemies closer—in the next Hollows novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison.

Rachel Morgan, witch-born demon, has one unspoken rule: take chances, but pay for them yourself. With it, she has turned enemies into allies, found her place with her demon kin, and stepped up as the subrosa of Cincinnati—responsible for keeping the paranormal community at peace and in line.
 
Life is . . . good? Even better, her best friend, Ivy Tamwood, is returning home. Nothing’s simple, though, and Ivy’s not coming alone. The vampires’ ruling council insists she escort one of the long undead, hell-bent on proving that Rachel killed Cincy’s master vampire to take over the city. Which, of course, Rachel totally did not do. She only transformed her a little.
 
With Rachel’s friends distracted by their own lives and problems, she reaches out to a new ally for help—the demon Hodin. But this trickster has his own agenda. In the end, the only way for Rachel to save herself and the city may be to forge a new understanding with her estranged demon teacher, Al. There’s just one problem: Al would sell his own soul to be rid of her. . . .

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4.5 of 5 stars

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How are we already at book number sixteen in The Hollows series?! Okay, I know the series has been out for over a decade, but I'm still impressed (and shocked) by how far we've come—especially considering that the series was meant to conclude three books ago. I will never complain about getting more of Rachel Morgan and her cast of friends. So let's dive into my review of Trouble with the Cursed, shall we?

Somehow Rachel Morgan and her allies have managed to hold down the fort that is Cincinnati. Her new (hidden) role has made this possible, alongside the support of others like Pike, Ivy, and Jenks. But we all knew that the peace they were experiencing wasn't meant to last.

An old member of the vampire ruling council is making his way to Cincinnati, with Ivy in tow. On the surface, he claims he only has concern for the master vampire of the city, his dear friend. However, given that he's a vampire, it's almost certain he has an ulterior motive.

“It never ceases to amaze me how someone can possess the world or nothing at all, and still have their happiness hinge on the small moments between them and the ones they love.”

You'd think that I would have gotten tired of Rachel at some point over the last sixteen books. You'd be wrong. I dove into Trouble with the Cursed with as much enthusiasm as any of the others. Actually, I might have been even more excited for this novel since I missed the series so much.

At first, I wasn't sure how to feel about Rachel's new position. Trouble with the Cursed erased all of those concerns. It will add a whole new world of complications onto Rachel's plate, including demon and vampire politics – which I adore reading about.

Yep, you read that right. Trouble with the Cursed is full of politics, planning, scheming, and counter-scheming. I loved every. Single. Second. Seriously, can I have more (yes, I know, I'll have to be patient and wait for the next novel)?

While I enjoyed every detail of the majority of this book, there is one moment that stole the show. That moment is the last sentence in Trouble with the Cursed, which I will not spoil. It gave me new life and filled my heart. I cannot wait for any news on the next novel!

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 8 July, 2022: Finished reading
  • 8 July, 2022: Reviewed