This was a good book but I’m not really sure what it adds to the series as a whole. I like reading about Rachel and Jenkins and Ivy but it doesn’t feel like a real series to me. There’s no plot line that follows is through all the books and that’s usually my favourite part of a series. Most of the time it ends up being some big battle but I think this series has the potential to be more than that, I just don’t see how it’ll get there. I’ll keep reading for the characters but I’m in now rush because the plot isn’t hooking me. ( )

Hmmm...the plot thickens! As if it wasn't molasses already. At least we finally find out who Kisten's killer was, and what happened that night. Slow reading on this one, but glad I finally finished. On to the next one! ( )

I had accidentally skipped this one and let me tell you, i was so thrilled to finally know Pierce's story better. Pretty sure the new "Rachel candy" is my absolute favorite.

As always, if you are a Hollows fan, this book won't disappoint. I enjoyed this new type of baddie (a la Banshee) which is a nice change from the standard vamp or werewolf always hogging that role.

Gleefully awaiting the next book! ( )

I really liked this book! I am quickly discovering that I am enjoying this series more and more with each book I read. Rachel has been through a lot and at this point in the series, I am pretty invested in seeing things work out for her. Unfortunately, it seems that she just can’t catch a break so this was another installment full of excitement that made it hard to step away from the book. I am so glad that I am finally making my way through this incredibly entertaining series.

So Rachel has a few things that she needs to work out in this installment. She is still trying to learn what really happened to Kisten and she is determined to find out what it is that she can’t seem to remember regarding his death. When she hears that Glenn has been injured, she wants to find out what happened to her friend within the FIB. Before you know it she is up against an almost impossible force, a banshee. Throw in more problems with Al, a ghost from her past, and some surprises in her family and there are plenty of things to keep Rachel, Jenks, and Ivy more than a little busy.

I had no idea how Rachel would deal with everything going on in this book. I felt so frustrated for her because she is constantly putting herself at risk to protect others and society seems to want to punish her for her efforts. There were some pretty exciting scenes in this book and Rachel found herself in a heap of trouble more than once. I have a strong feeling that a lot of the things that happened in this installment will have a big impact on future books.

Marguerite Gavin was back to narrate this installment in the series. I have to admit that I was really happy to hear her version of Jenks and the rest of the gang, along with pronunciations that were consistent with the early books in the series after listening to a different narrator for the previous book. I thought that she did a fabulous job with this book and really helped to bring the story to life.

I would recommend this series to others. It is quickly becoming a favorite but I would definitely recommend that it be read in order. This was an exciting story that helped to move the series along and kept me glued to my headphones. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. ( )

***zaterdag 23 januari 2021***
Bit of a mess but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

***13 januari 2016***
She likes a lot of dudes in this book... Bit much but oh so entertaining... ( )

A bit blah in the series but it ended with a bang. I couldn't believe that I got halfway through this "sexy witch" book without a sex scene. I may have to start the series over because I think I've lost track of all the demonology at this point. ( )

Fun fluff getting a bit more complex now. ( )

I've been rereadingthe first 7 books in tbis series in an effort to complete the series. I'm now caught up and ready to finish the rest of the series.
This book continues the theme of Rachel and Ivy maturing and making different choices. I hope we are done with the Kisten grief withthis book as well
'The Morgan books seem to be getting better and better thought I have to admit I am not entirely sure where she is going with series.' original review ( )

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: White Witch, Black Curse

Rachel is beginning to heal, yet her memory remains scattered. Brief flashes keep surfacing, and she’s determined to remember what happened the night her lover was murdered. But a new predator stalks the streets of the hollows, and Rachel must put aside her personal quest for revenge. The I.S. has decided the death of a FIB agent is not worth their time investigating, even if it may have been Inderland related. It’s up to Rachel and the team to assist the FIB and tag the new creature. But the odds are stacked against them. And as Rachel begins to stir up the magic needed to bring it in, she might need something stronger than an earth charm. Can she remain a white witch and stir curses at the same time?

Kim Harrison’s characters have so many layers to them. I love the complexity that forms each of them. Rachel’s moral debate hovers in the background of this entire novel as she tries to do her best for the people she helps. She wants to embrace her strengths and use her abilities for the greater good. But society isn’t willing to overlook the fact she has smut on her aura, and without even knowing Rachel, absolute strangers treat her like garbage. Rachel’s plight is the fantasy version of what happens in the real world, where people judge a person for their looks instead of their actions. I connected with Rachel on so many things she had to face throughout White Witch, Black Curse.

But not only does Rachel have to deal with disapproving strangers, she also has to withstand the disapproval of her brother Robbie. Robbie who has been living on the west coast for years and doesn’t have a clue what Rachel has been dealing with. Let’s face it Rachel’s life doesn’t exactly leave room for family dinners. And when Robbie flies in for a visit and sees that Rachel’s life is a bit chaotic, he is quick to judge.

Hit from all sides with doubt, Rachel knows she can at least fall back on Ivy and Jenks to support her. Each of them carries their own burden, but together they hold each other up even when the worst hits them. When this series first began, Rachel was an inexperienced witch who stumbled into a lot of her jobs. Despite everything she has dealt with, she is quickly becoming a confident and capable character. She will do anything for the people she loves, and she is a worthwhile character to follow. ( )

I cried when Rachel got her memory back, but it was good that they got to have some closure for Kisten. I'm still sad he's gone and probably always will be, but it's good he is put to rest now. It was upsetting but not shocking when Marshall left. Pierce don't like him, don't trust him. Ivy kind irked me with her "love" of Kisten (I know crazy right, but the whole Ivy/Rachel love thing irks me half the time anyways). I was happy knowing Kisten still loved Rachel after becoming Undead, and his sacrifice will always be remembered. Al he cracks me up and Trent, I would still lobe to see him and Rachel more. I've always like Trent for some reason, and I think he needs to be more involved in the books, I'm just saying. ( )

Still not getting over Kisten. What can I say, I really liked the guy and I liked how Rachel was with him. She doesn't have the best track record with relationships (see Ivy for a perfect example) but with Kisten she seemed to let go of some of her issues.

Speaking of Rachel's issues, y halo thar, Pierce. I've read the short story he featured in and I can completely understand how he's her standard for a man. It isn't just him or his behaviors, it's all tied into her father, because when she first conjured Pierce's ghost she was hoping to get her dad. Pierce was part of her first big magical adventure and part of one of her biggest sadnesses (that of not being able to see her father again). He means a lot to her.

I also really liked the banshee plotline. I've been fascinated with their portrayal in the Hollows since a short story and I liked getting another look at them. Trying to raise the banshee child as something other than a predator is interesting, though it may ultimately be futile.

It was a bit horrible finding out who killed Kisten and why. It truly was a business transaction, and it was someone from Ivy's past who we read about in a short story. It was a horrible person (vampire) doing horrible things because another horrible vampire (Piscary) allowed it. Kisten was nothing but a pawn and that really hurt. I've read reviews looking for some grand resolution or some "meaningful" death, but death isn't meaningful and this hurt way more.

I'm noticing that the things I liked came out of short stories, so I should note here that if you haven't read the short stories I suspect you'll be floundering. ( )

White Witch, Black Curse
3 Stars

Rachel Morgan continues her quest to regain her memories and learn the identity of the undead vampire responsible for the death of her lover, Kisten. In addition, she becomes involved in an FIB investigation into an attack perpetrated by one of The Hollows most dangerous supernatural creatures - a banshee, and also finds herself confronting a literal ghost from her past. Can Rachel unravel these mysteries without losing her soul or her life in the process?

Another installment in The Hollows series that feels more like filler despite the occasional plot twist or rare moment of character development. It should be noted that many of the story elements in this book have their basis in the different short stories associated with the series. As someone who refrains from reading these novellas, this is exceedingly annoying. It is disingenuous of authors to include important details in these shorts as many readers either choose not to read them or do not have access to them at all.

But on to the actual book...

To begin with, Harrison's banshee is nothing like its namesake from Celtic mythology (i.e., a female fae who heralds the death of a loved one with a keening cry); instead it is more of a succubus that drains its victims life-force in order to survive. Whether this discrepancy is deliberate or not, it results in a tedious and repetitive narrative in which Rachel repeatedly gets her ass handed to her by the more powerful creature.

Similarly, the search for Kisten's killer is comprised of one dead end after another, and the eventual revelation is uninteresting and anti-climactic (probably due to the fact that I did not read the short story that constitutes background for this information). Moreover, Rachel and Ivy are still caught up in their irritating melodrama, which really needs to end already.

While Al and Jenks do provide some much needed comic relief after some of the more emotionally intense events, Rachel's love life is as disappointing as ever. Marshall (who was never a real contender anyway) is revealed to be a weak willed coward; Trent is missing in action for most of the book, and the newcomer, Pierce (another character from a novella - argh!), gives off a profoundly smarmy vibe.

In sum, while the fact that I have made it this far into the series without giving up would suggest that I am more forgiving of the weaker aspects of the characters and the storytelling, White Witch, Black Curse really does not live up to expectations. As always, I am hopeful that the next book will live up to the tremendous potential of the series.


( )

When reading reviews of White Witch, Black Curse, I found it interesting to note many view this as a type of “filler novel.” That’s not always a strict compliment, even if their ratings are relatively high and they still praise the series (how can a fan of it not?) In my mind there hasn’t been a bad book from it yet. And really, to me this is no way is a filler novel at all.

The Hollows is a world with intricate layers, curiosities, and dangers. Harrison clearly enjoys filling the pages with action-filled stories in the imaginary setting that plays such an important role it may as well be considered a type of character itself. But even with engrossing plots, it still stands strongly on its feet as a character-based, character-motivated tale. Not just for the heroine Rachel, but for the journeys with the her companions and enemies as well. To me this point is what makes it so successful as a series.

Rachel fights perhaps the scariest interlander ever in this one, a small mystery tucked within its edges. Mia is truly scary, almost ridiculously over powered, and her smugness (a trait I detest in real life, on the screen, and written on the pages) irritated me endlessly. Thankfully she’s there when she needs to be to pack the proverbial punch, and you’re not really supposed to like a villain anyway (although for strange reasons I sometimes do anyway.)

In between fighting Mia, Rachel deals with issues in her personal life, frantically trying to save the day, dodge enemy bullets, gets a slap in the face from society, and tries to regain her memory from a tragic night. Quite simply, to me this book rocks the plot AND character world and is no way a filler type deal.

Even if it’s a tad slow sometimes in the beginning, the memory recovery interests me. It was not only a major trauma and loss for Rachel, but for myself and other readers as well. The loss of the character is still hard to cope with. I was relieved to see Harrison return with a vengeance to that story with this one, focusing on bringing in bitter resolutions and answering some questions regarding that painful mystery.

I also don’t want another love interest in the form of Pierce. Most readers dislike the guy quite a bit. As soon as he appeared on page the questions arose if this would be a new man for Rachel. Honestly I find his way of speaking amusing, the mystery surrounding him and his morals slightly interesting, and his motivations a welcome change for friendship. But yes, friendship, I don’t want anything more from him. His different and unique existence appeals to me on a level as someone to be there sometimes, but never as a romantic replacement.

Unlike a lot of my Hollows minded friends, I hadn’t read the short stories before reading this book, so this was my first introduction to the brother Robbie, the one who was missing the rest of the books besides mere, occasional mention. I loved seeing the personal family interactions with him and the mother Alice. Alice just tickles me, she really does. She is like an eccentric, haunted version of an older Rachel. Her sense of humor is contagious, I love her protectiveness of her kids, and her open minded viewpoints make it easy to see how Rachel ended up the great heroine she turned out to be. Robbie is certainly flawed – he’s judgmental, disapproving, and a little unbending, but I still enjoyed seeing more of this side of her life, and as a character I in no way dislike the guy. I think it’s because when he is around, I saw another side of Rachel I hadn’t seen before, a younger, vulnerable form. Deeper and different somehow. Rachel’s youth came alive to me and made me smile with sentimentality. I hope Kim brings more of Rachel’s family back for a scene or two before the series finale.

What many were waiting for (me included – anxiously!) finally happens. Her memory of that horrible, good-bye night surfaces. I cried. I’m not ashamed to admit it. I cried in the book when it happened, I cried the next day, and I cried at the memory in this one too. It was depressing, emotional, had to be done. He went down with honor, the memory lining up with my previous impressions of his personality. It’s depressing that he died, but this proves he died a convincing hero in his own way. Magical stuff that’s helped along with Ford’s techniques and reliance, the surreal dream like quality as the memory attempts to emerge and then finally bursts through.

I approve that the author pays proper credit and mourning to characters. Lots of series have grief pass within the book it’s in and don’t mention it as much in the next one. Since Kim has written a realistic world she gives it a few books and time period to realistically play it out – not to dwell, not to overdo it, not to whine, but to show a natural, unforced character progression. It would be unrealistic only if Rachel was not heavily and forever impacted from such a major tragedy. Written any other way would be a poor choice – bad writing or else poor characterization, where it would not change her future choices and courses of action dramatically.

Every Hollows book holds a bit of humor in it’s pot, but this book – and the last few – are much grimmer as life has turned that way as well. Harrison has created a fascinating world with characters I’ve fallen in love with. Kudos. She shines with a dream-life quality which works well for the grief and flashbacks. Her way of creating convincing grief makes it that much more outstanding of a read.

Other characters get to shine as well. We get some Ever After and Al time (yes, yes!), and the scene at the end where they bring in the New Years together is one of the best scenes of the long standing series. Hilarious. Rachel, Trent, Al, Pierce, Jenks, and even Ivy bring in the New Year together, filled with violence and chasing, killer black dresses and heels, trickery and deals, what could be better?

“Pierce jerked his hand from Trent and pushed himself straight. “Kalamack Industries,” he said, expression twisted as he wiped his hand on his pants. “I knew your father.”

“I do not freaking believe this,” I said, shifting to stand where I could see both of them.

Al beamed. “Amazing who you can meet in an elevator.”

The short story at the end of the paperback definitely needs read when this story is done. What an awesome tribute and it brings even more to light.

As always, I recommend this Hollows book to all readers. Just be sure to read the ones which came before it. There wouldn’t be nearly the impact otherwise and you’d be lost in a sea of characters you know too little about and motivations wouldn’t make enough sense to you. Another great addition to the series.
( )

Lots of deja vu moments in the book where sections are reused again in different parts of the book.

We do find out who killed Kisten and why. Rachel also gets on better footing with Trent and has Pierce to deal with.

Big problem for Rachel's future is her shunning. Should be fun to see how that it handled!

Looking forward to her book signing 03/03/09! ( )

Let me just start out by saying: if you haven't read ALL THREE of the short stories that Kim Harrison has published in various anthologies, then don't bother reading this book until you do so. I haven't read them yet, and I was so confused. And maybe I'm not even missing that much, but it's that feeling of "Huh? Should I know more about this?" that irritated me throughout the whole dang thing.

I'm not generally a fan of anthologies, because I don't like paying $8 for one 30 page story that I care about. Apparently this book is the author's pop quiz to reward her *true* fans.

Other than that, it's a good story - I think. I really was lost through most of it, and I don't know if I should blame that on the writing itself or the fact that I haven't read the short stories. So there you go. You've been warned. ( )

Kim Harrison has surprised me again ! Her plots are always changing with the charaters, growing with them. It is easy to get lost in this book. Many new twists, with fantastic new stories...ghost/love, Banchee ? Ivy is becoming what she wants to be. Jenks is strugling with life.All is in all his glory, doing his best to survive, in the abuse of others. Kisten, we finally find out what happened. ( )

I like this series a lot., however, this particular book took me forever to read. It just didn't have the same zing for me as her others in this series. ( )

Great series! Rachel is snarky and a kick a$$ chick! Jinx is hysterical and Ivy is a real bada$$! I may be crushing on Al, I know he is a demon but he is just so funny!

Terrific concept and truly entertaining tale! ( )

I love the whole hollows series. Rachel, Ivy and Jenks pull it off time and time again. Magic, mystery and danger follow them where ever they go.

This was one of my least favorite of the books. i just couldn't get in to the story of the banshee and with the flash backs a Rachel tries to remember the death of a friend. It just lacked the energy that the other novels have. ( )

White Witch, Black Curse (Rachel Morgan Series #7) RATING: 2.5 stars
 
ATENÇÃO: SPOILERS DE LIVROS ANTERIORES!
 
E... mais um livro em que a Rachel anda de um lado para o outro mas faz muito pouco. Mais um livro em que a Rachel se ilude e diz a si própria que não é uma bruxa negra. Mais um livro cheio de drama devido à relação tensa entre a Rachel e a Ivy. E no meio temos o Jenks com os seus 500.000 filhos.
 
Neste livro, como em todos os outros, acontece muito pouco (e lá estou eu a escrever isto outra vez). Aliás, parece que acontece mais entre livros do que nos livros. Este sétimo livro abre com Rachel cheia de problemas, porque foi afastada da sociedade das bruxas e é agora a estudante do demónio Algaliarept. Para além disso começa a recordar-se de pormenores da morte do seu namorado.
 
E mais, aparece uma nova raça de sobrenaturais, as banshees. Poderia ter dado uma história interessante mas nunca se torna interessante porque rapidamente o mistério é resolvido e porque nunca percebemos muito bem as motivações da banshee vilã. Também aparece uma gárgula, mas é-lhe dada pouca importância. Só gostei das últimas páginas, em que a Rachel e o Trent vão para o ever-after. 
 
Achei este livro um pouco parado e pouco imaginativo. O drama foi apenas uma repetição dos livros anteriores e para uma série que vive do drama e das personagens, isto fez com que o livro fosse muito menos viciante do que os outros.
 
No geral, continua a ser uma série fácil de ler, mas este livro ficou aquém dos restantes. Em termos de desenvolvimento do mundo e das características sobrenaturais do mesmo a série "The Hollows" deixa um pouco a desejar (pois o desenvolvimento é quase nulo), mas continua ser de leitura compulsiva. ( )

f you liked the first six you will like this one. If you are new to Harrison, you really need to start at book one. ( )

Steadily improving. Some lingering storylines are wrapped up nicely. There are one or two still to be resolved, and I actually got teary at one point (poor Jencks!), but this time I'm actually eagerly anticipating the next installment rather than planning on reading it mostly because I've read the rest of the series. ( )

Another messy, rambling adventure, but the momentum is holding, more or less. There's some good stuff - Rynn Cormel is a great vampire lead, much better than the unnuanced, kind of disgusting Piscary, and Ford the empathic therapist is a fun minor character. There's a lot of neutral-to-blah stuff - yet another magical species whom Rachel's adventures have inadvertently altered, Tom the least interesting reoccuring villain ever, Pierce the utterly implausible, and the anticlimactic and poorly-foreshadowed resolution to the interminably mystery of who killed Kisten. This would be a much better book in a much better series if Harrison wrote more outlines. ( )

I am a bit tired of the concept here and kind of wish that Harrison would move on. However, I was fascinated with Kisten's character and was glad to see that Harrison resolves the issue in this novel. I miss him! I wish that she hadn't killed him off! ( )

Little frustrating for the first part of the book - Rachel is a big girl and yet still feels guilty for her decisions. She needs to pull up her big-girl panties and live her own life, whatever that might entail. She tiptoes around people in her life rather than just tell them to get over it.

A lot of the angst feels forced. Particularly around Trent - she saved his life and his knickers are in a knot over it. I'd have left him with Al, but anyway. I had high hopes when I read that Kisten's death was resolved in this book, but found that resolution a bit on the lame side. And I have no idea why Rachel took on another curse in order to "seal" the truth of his death - not sure how what she did sealed it, or why she'd do a black curse to do it, etc.

But anyway, none of this means that I didn't like the book - I did like it, quite a bit... I just wish that Rachel would act her age and live her life. ( )