Three and a half stars, rounding up to 4.

I'd been losing interest in the Rachel Morgan series for a while because she was too static a character. Her emotional reactions in book #8 were virtually identical to book#1 (self-doubt, compensating rush to intimacy, fear and pulling-away, self-berating, failed attempt to regain intimacy), and I just think it's time for her to grow up. Frequently had a bipolar reaction during confrontations, and that's still present here: pretending to be disinterested/in control, then disdainful, then flirty and escalating to shouting/violence. Same stuff, different books. Maybe because I've let the series slide, or because Rachel is growing up a little bit, I enjoyed this book a bit more. She is still making the mistake of refusing to do something on principle, but then ending up doing that very thing moments later. Thankfully, once she gets in the car with Trent, that moment is over. I'm not sure if that's the only way Harrison knows how to write Rachel's motivation, or if that's all her character's got. As I said, it's one of the main reasons I've lost interest in Rachel, and she no longer comes close to favorite UF heroine.

Readers might also have trouble with Trent's mysterious elven quest and it's results. An attempt is made to modernize the quest analogy, but it falls a little flat, since it's so mysterious, no one can know anything about it until it's over. It's a quest of dubious ethical standards, and it's unfortunate that Rachel falls for the result. I don't think Harrison set it up enough that the reader can feel confident Trent and Jenks acted by a moral standard, and Rachel becomes complicit in the results. I also question to what extent his success will allow him to "control the future of the elven race." If he is sincere, Rachel should run, run, run, because he is still viewing other people and entities as means to an end. The fact that he released an "ultimate evil" kind of demon as a means to manipulate the witches' council into forgiving Rachel is a perfect example of how he has crossed the line into scary. I've always kind of liked Trent and thought Rachel/ Harrison has a soft spot for him as well; we've been able to see the lonely, sympathetic side. I've never really bought him as the evil Brimstone dealer, but this is proving to be worse anyhow--he truly is willing to sacrifice anyone (and I do mean anyone) to his grand scheme.

Otherwise it was written well, with nice integration of the landscape--I think this is the first we've heard about deserted towns and the desolation of middle to west, but it makes sense in the America Harrison created. There's also a very neat twist on demon magic that merits applause. It's a new development for the world, and yet fully integrated with the magic system in place. That's a nice trick to pull off in book 9 of a series.

Overall, I enjoyed it and finished it within a couple of days. To me it felt like a nice balance of action and down time--it's just not realistic or fun to be careening from one disaster to the next all the time. I enjoyed the world-building in the demon bar a great deal. It doesn't work very well as a stand-alone book at this point, but I'm sure most people wouldn't pick up book 9 without having read one or two other books in the series at least. Harrison does make an attempt to do a fast background/ context for readers, but it's very light on background. PNR fans might be disappointed as there is little emphasis on developing romantic intimacy. In all, it will definitely merit a re-read at some point, and might make it into my permanent collection. ( )

My only complaint is that I BADLY need some romance by this point. I’m going crazy over here. Plot-wise I think this is one of my favourites in the series. ( )

Pale Demon
4 Stars

In need of protection during his mysterious elf quest, Trent Kalamack cajoles Rachel into allowing him to join her as she travels west for a Coven meeting, and the situation goes downhill from there. With assassins and demons on their trail. Rachel and company will be lucky if they arrive in one piece.

The road trip format of this installment is very entertaining and allows readers to gain some real insight into Harrison's characters, especially Trent whose actions and motivations have been quite obscure until this point. As a fan of Trent's from the first book, it is rewarding to see the humanity lurking beneath his cold and haughty facade, and to realize that his actions, however misguided, have noble intentions.

Jenks and Ivy also join in although neither plays a significant role in this book. In fact, for the first time, they are both rather superfluous in the narrative and function as nothing more than the ubiquitous sidekick and damsel in distress. This is unfortunate as they are both compelling characters in their own right, especially Ivy whose backstory is so appealing, and it is a pity to see their potential being wasted.

Algelirept, on the other hand, becomes more interesting with each installment. The cruel and sadistic demon of the first few books has become both a mentor and a champion for Rachel (although he still reveals his diabolical tendencies from time to time). Moreover, there is some sort of secret in his past that is hinted at and I am hopeful that the details will be forthcoming sooner rather than later.

The villains in this one are both decidedly nasty. Whether it is Oliver, the cowardly and hypocritical leader of the Coven of Ethical Standards, who is not above murdering an innocent witch for his own self-righteous reasons, or the sick and twisted day-walking demon with a huge chip on his shoulder. Both appear to get their just desserts; however, it is still possible that we have yet to see the last of them.

Finally, Rachel is in her element here whether she is fighting off elven assassins, murderous witches, bloodthirsty pixies, or demented demons. She is also beginning to accept her true nature and the powers that come along with it.

In sum, Pale Demon is an action packed and exciting read. The developments in Rachel and Trent's relationship are so intriguing and I cannot wait to see what happens between them. ( )

This book was a cross country action packed story. Rachel, as always, is making a big mess of everything. Characters in this book: Rachel, Ivy, Jenks, Pierce, Vivian Trent, Al, some other demons, and a few new characters. No Ceri this time, since is expecting and "due any day".
While reading this book, it becomes clear that Rachel is a good person, her character is Multi-dimensional. I am glad the Jenks is back to his regulär old self.
If you have read the series so far, contine reading up to and including this book. I, for myself, am advancing to the next volume and i hope that the author will continue to write at this level of storytelling. ( )

I loved this book! I have been having a great time working my way through this series. I am only made that I waited so long to read these books. This book takes Rachel and the rest of the crew on a road trip. Road trip books in a series can really be hit or miss for me but this one was a definite hit. I was glued to my headphones once I started reading.

Rachel needs to get to the west coast and it turns out Trent does as well. So Trent, Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks pile into Rachel’s mom’s car and head out. Of course, they run into more than a few problems along the way. I was especially thrilled to see them visit my hometown of St. Louis and they definitely made their mark during their stay. Once they get to their destination, things become even more intense and I was quite surprised by some of the turns that the book eventually took.

Marguerite Gavin does a fabulous job with the narration once again. She does such a great job with all of the various character voices and flawlessly brings the story to life. I love how she is able to add just the right amount of emotion to her voice to really help the story have the biggest impact possible. I do believe that her narration added to my enjoyment of the story.

I would highly recommend this series to others. This is the ninth book in the series which I would highly recommend reading in order. This book was a ton of fun and there were a lot of big developments that should have some major impacts on future books. I cannot wait to read more of this fantastic series. ( )