Robots and Vamps

Reviewed by Christel

Disclosure: The Audio version and the paperback version of this novel was purchased by the reviewer’s own hard earned cash.

Narrated by Gigi Birmingham

Audio Length: 16 hours and 28 minutes

I am still working on my quest to catch up in Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan series. Edging ever closer, I have now finished book 6, The Outlaw Demon Wails. I opted for the audio version this time around hoping to pick up the pace a little bit.

Rachel is still reeling from the death of her boyfriend Kisten (as are we all) but trying to move on with her life in as normal a fashion as Rachel can. Al is supposed to be in a demon prison but has managed to find a loophole. He has someone summoning him out of his cell every evening so that he may hunt down and attempt to kill Rachel. Minias has a solution for Rachel, but she would rather not trade summoning names with Al. That would make her a very busy woman indeed.

Marshall has blown into town. He has an interview for a teaching job at the university and is planning to move to town if he gets it. Rachel seems to be one of those girls who is never alone and I guess Marshall is the next man in line for the job of Rachel’s boy toy, sort of. While Rachel can’t usually manage to be alone,  she wants to be alone right now. She is still grieving and not ready for another relationship, which leads us to a strained friendship with Marshall.

Ceri is pregnant, Quinn is ill and possibly dying, Trent is moody as ever, Ivy is still having troubles controlling her lust and/or blood lust for Rachel, and Rachel is being hunted by the demon Al. There is a lot going on in this book, as usual. That is what I love about these stories, never a dull moment. There are revelations regarding Rachel’s past that bring some aspects of her life to light. Things start making a little bit of sense. But not too much yet.

There is a new Vampire master in town after Piscary’s death and things are starting to look up for Ivy. But Rachel is still wrestling with the Demon’s and won’t be able to lead a normal life, off of hallowed ground, until she gets Al to stop hunting her.

This book was narrated by GiGi Birmingham. While Ms. Birmingham does a fine job, I miss Marguerite Gavin narrating these books. The accents and pronunciations seem a bit off on this one and at times I found myself snickering at the way people spoke. For example, scary new Vampire master Rynn Cormel came across sounding like a poor imitation of Joe Pesci. Which made me laugh, and definitely not feel like he was a scary vampire! Al’s fake British accent he loves to use, was way over the top making him also sound harmless and goofy.

As usual the story was great and held my attention as always. I can’t say enough good things about this series. It is a thrill ride every time and it has yet to get stale or boring. I will probably read (rather than listen too) the next two in the series, but I understand that Marguerite is back narrating the Rachel Morgan books and I look forward to hearing her do them justice once again.

Authors Website: Kim Harrison

A big thanks to Wiredset and HarperCollins for sending RaV headquarters a copy of Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison.  I am in the middle of my “hurry up and get caught up” phase regarding the Rachel Morgan series and I am anxious to read this one.  A special bonus… Just click on the cover to read the first 7 chapters – yes I said 7!

Dust Jacket Summary: The eighth bewitching but overly dense Hollows adventure (after 2009′s White Witch, Black Curse) updates the travails of Rachel Morgan, delectable magical jack of all trades. Having recently learned that Rachel is a witch-born demon whose children would be demons, a white magic coven is shunning her and accusing her of black magic. They offer her a terrible choice: sterilization or imprisonment in Alcatraz. Trent Kalamack, drug lord and elf in hiding, offers to get the coven off her back, but her double-crossing ex-rat ex-boyfriend, Nick, shows up and lands her in more hot water. As Rachel battles those she thought were on her side, her survival depends on a paranormal cornucopia of elves, demons, vampires, gargoyles, pixies, and even a leprechaun. This thrill ride celebrates the can-do spirit of one of urban fantasy’s most charming witches.

About the Author: Kim Harrison, dark urban fantasy author of the New York Times bestselling White Witch, Black Curse, was born and raised in the upper Midwest. After gaining her bachelors in the sciences, she moved to South Carolina, where she has remained since. She is currently developing a new young adult series between working on the Hollows books, and is a member of both the Romance Writers of America and The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. When not at her desk, she is most likely to be found chasing down good chocolate, exquisite sushi, or the ultimate dog chew. (For her dog.)

The only girl in a large family of boys, former tomboy Kim Harrison invented the first Brigadier General Barbie in self-defense. She shoots a very bad game of pool and rolls a very good game of dice. When not at her keyboard, she enjoys lounging on the couch with a bowl of popcorn watching action movies with The-Guy-In-The-Leather-Jacket. She plays her Ashiko drum when no one is listening, and is hard to find when the moon is new.

Bean and the RaV sorting hat are getting a work out!

After vigorously mixing and tediously plucking the names out of the RaV sorting hat…

The 2 Lucky winners of a copy of Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison are…

elaing8 & Marianna!

Congrats to you both and thanks to all who entered.

Reviewed by Christel

Disclosure:  This novel was purchased by the reviewer.

I am determined to get caught up in this series. I love Rachel Morgan and I want to be able to read the newest installment as soon as I can. Thus far I have enjoyed every book by Kim Harrison that I have read and For a Few Demons More is no exception.

This time we find our heroine in as much trouble as ever. She is getting visits from demons and a Were mass murderer is on the loose. Of course the FIB wants her to help figure out who the killer is and the IS is after her as usual. Little do they know that Rachel & David are still in possession of The Focus. All of Cincinnati’s supernatural creatures want to get their hands on it. The Were’s, the Vampires, Demons etc… Whoever holds The Focus, holds the power. Wheeling and dealing with Cincinnati’s underworld is always a treacherous thing, but our heroine takes on the challenge with ferver. And it helps when you have friends who have your back.

The church that she lives in needs to be re-sanctified but as we all know, home repairs cost a lot of money, especially this one. While Ivy may be wealthy, Rachel is not. So he takes on a run to pay for it. Trent Kalamack is getting married, but he is also being stalked by Algaliarept the demon and he needs protection. Reluctantly, Rachel takes the gig and as we all know, there is no such thing as a simple run for Rachel.

As usual there are several story lines seemingly happening independently of one another, (except for the fact that they all have something to do with Rachel) but they all come together in a twisted complicated plot by the end. The reason I enjoy these novels is because of this complexity. Rachel is usually dealing with what she thinks are several separate issues but she uses her investigative skills to put the pieces back together. And then there is the fact that she is a strong willed, independent smart ass, which I love.

We suffer a great loss in this book. One of my favorite characters is gone. I cried, literally. The emotional loss felt by the remaining characters comes through in Ms. Harrison’s writing and I felt a little bit of their pain. I cried even though I was warned (or really I was spoiled) and I knew it was going to happen. The aftermath of dealing with the loss but trying to be as normal as possible really hit me too. Because I think that is what people really do. Even if they are sad, they have to move on with their lives.  They still need to have something as normal as birthday parties for those that remain, despite their pain or maybe even with their pain. The way these supernatural beings tried to get on with their lives just seemed so real to me. Thank goodness Ms. Harrison softens the blow by adding a short story after the end of the book which centers around the character we have just lost.

With a series of novels there is always the overlying story arc that continues throughout. One such arc is the Ivy/Rachel relationship, blood balance thing. I am feeling the beginnings of annoyance with this whole storyline and I am hoping that it gets figured out soon. It’s  just more of the same angst that we find in other stories of Vampires but only this time the Vampire is a female. Why are Vampires so angsty anyway?

If for some reason you haven’t started reading this series, or you are just way behind like I am, I highly suggest it. Action packed and humorous, I am always entertained and I never loose interest. The characters are delightful and plenty. Being that just a few books ago Rachel was practically alone, her support system has grown exponentially. It is almost like she has her own little dysfunctional family now, made up of all kinds of creatures. I am looking forward to the next installment The Outlaw Demon Wails. I have already purchased the audio version and plan to get right to it. Hopefully I will be all caught up in time to read Black Magic Sanction. 5 down, 2 to go.

Authors Website: Kim Harrison

REMINDER: This GREAT giveaway ends Friday February 19!

We’ve got a great giveaway for you guys today.  2 lucky RaV readers will win a copy of Kim Harrison’s new book Black Magic Sanction!  The book hits shelves February 23rd and this is your chance to get your hands on a copy for free!

Black Magic Sanction (On Sale February 23) is the most complex and emotionally charged adventure yet in author Kim Harrison’s New York Times bestselling series featuring bounty hunter-witch Rachel Morgan.

Rachel has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter—and lived to tell the tale. But she’s never faced off against her own kind . . . until now. Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment—at worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom, but trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and an ex-boyfriend turned thief.

It takes a witch to catch a witch, but survival bears a heavy price.

A spellbinding story set once again Cleveland’s vampire, demon, and other supernatural beings-infested Hollows, Black Magic Sanction has the intrepid Rachel trapped in a life-or-death battle against her own kind in a sensational urban fantasy that shows why Kim Harrison deservedly stands in the superstar ranks alongside Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, and Laurell K. Hamilton.

For  a preview check out the first chapter here for free!

To enter just follow these simple rules.

1. Only open to U.S. Residents with a valid mailing address.

2. Only one entry per contestant will be accepted.

3. Send an email to robotsandvamps@gmail.com by Friday, February 19, 2010 to be entered into a random drawing.  Please put Black Magic Sanction in the header.

4. Bean will randomly pick the winner out of the RaV sorting hat and we will notify you by email.

The next book in the Rachel Morgan series entitled Black Magic Sanction comes on on February 23rd, 2010.  I wish I could get all caught up in this series so that I could enjoy this new book with you guys, but I will probably have to buy it and sit it on the shelf until I can get to it.

For a sneak peak, click on the cover to read the first chapter for free!

Reviewed by Christel:

There are Dark Reapers and there are Light Reapers. Then there are things in between. Madison Avery falls somewhere in the latter category. You see, Madison is dead. Killed by the Dark Reaper Kairos on her prom night. Somehow, Madison managed to snag his amulet on her way out of this world, which has made her something different. Not quite a ghost, she has an illusion of a body. The Light Reaper, Barnabus was assinged to save her from her fate but he failed. Now he is charged with training her to be a reaper.

Dark reapers and Light Reapers are not as black and white as they sound. One would surmise that Dark Reapers are evil and Light Reapers are good. But that is not that entirely true, they all fall somewhere in between, in the gray areas. There are Light Time Keepers and Dark Time Keepers. The Time Keepers are humans who can live for centuries as the amulets they wear stops their aging. They make the amulets for the Reapers and remain on earth as their leaders until a new Time Keeper is born to take their place. Kairos is the current Dark Time Keeper and Chronos is the current Light Time Keeper. Since Madison took the amulet of Kairos he has begun aging again and he is not happy about it. Kairos is hunting Madison to retrieve his amulet.

When Madison’s Light Reaper/ trainer Barnabus, has to leave her to speak to the Seraphs, she is left with only her mortal friend Josh and her limerick singing Guardian Angel Grace. Together they have to figure out Madison’s new powers and just what the heck is actually going on! All while dodging the detection of the black wings. The black wings look like crows to human eyes, but in fact they are black sheets that can track a person by their aura. You do not want to be caught by a black wing! Trust me!

What I liked:

Just when things start to get serious, you get to see what Madison is thinking.  Being a witty 17 year old, she delivers some much needed antidotes and she really puts things into perspective. I pulled one example that comes toward the end of the book.

“I’m sitting at a table with an angel on the other side of the world. How freaky is that?”

There are many wonderful characters in this story but Grace the guardian angel is a riot. I just loved her!

What I didn’t like:

I would have liked to learn a little more about Barnabus’ and the other Reapers’ history.
A prequel perhaps?

Last word:

When I began reading this book I said ” hmm I feel like I am reading the novel of Dead Like Me”. (I loved that show) But as I read on, the story became more complex and turned out to be nothing like that show. About the only thing the 2 have in common is a dead girl and reapers. I love them both!

Kim Harrison is one of my favorites and she delivers again with her YA debut.  There is always plenty wit and humor to make her novels really fun to read.

Authors website: Kim Harrison

To discuss this book, please visit Robots and Vamps Book Club

Reviewed by Christel

Rachel is at it again.  And this time trouble hits a little too close to home.  Jenks’ son, Jax has gone missing.  Last we heard from Jax he was living at Nick’s apartment and taking care of his plants while he was away.  Nick recently fled the Hollows to put some distance between himself and Rachel.  Thinking her ex-boyfriend and ex-familiar was out of her life for good, Rachel hears from Matalina  that Jenks needs her help to find thier son,  and she can’t just sit idly by.  Jenks moved out of the church  after he found out Ivy and Rachel were keeping a really big secret from him.  So she tracks  him down to patch things up between them.  Jenks has always been her back-up, but now it’s Rachel’s turn to help him out.

Nick left Cincinnati to take a job in Michigan, which turns into a heist to nab “The Focus”, a rare and powerful Were artifact.  Nick has plans to sell ” The Focus” to the highest bidder, but his plan backfires on him when he is abducted and tortured by a group of Were’s who learn that he has taken possession of the artifact.  Jax is left to fend for himself in the cold near-winter weather of Michigan.  Pixies don’t do well in the cold weather, so in order for Jenks to be able to go on the run, Rachel twists a dark curse to turn Jenks big.  Standing at a handsome 6’4″, Jenks has to learn how to function as a human sized inderlander and save his son at the same time.  While she is twisting dark curses for Jenks, Rachel twists one for herself.  It is a curse that allows her to Were, and on this particular run, that could really come in handy.

When Rachel finds out that Nick has been captured, she feels as though she can’t leave without saving him. And so, Rachel and Jenks embarq on another whirlwind run.  What could possibly happen?  Plenty…

What I liked:

Big Jenks is awesome! He is hilarious when he is trying to find his “people legs”  and down right butt-kicking once he does.

In general, I love this series.  Supernatural P.I.’s make for very interesting adventures.  These books are so fun to read, I can fly right through them.  There is never a dull moment.   I always think I know where the plot is going and then it takes a left turn.  I wouldn’t say this was my favorite book in the series, but I really liked it and can’t wait to read the next one.

What I didn’t like:

Not enough Kisten.  I am pretty sure I know what happens, but please don’t spoil it for me.  I am just going to sit back and enjoy Kisten while I can.

Last Word:

I really love this series.  I am mid-mission (my mission to read all of the Hollow’s books thus far)  and still going strong.  If you like Urban Fantasy and you haven’t read this series, run (don’t walk) to your local booksellers to get your own copies.  Every book is action packed and full of adventure. You won’t be disappointed.   On to the next book For a Few Demons More.  Until next time… try not to get pixed.

Authors website: Kim Harrison

To discuss this book, please visit Robots and Vamps Book Club

Reviewed by Christel

In my review of The Good, The Bad and The Undead, I stated that I was on a mission to listen to all of the audio books in the Rachel Morgan series… Well, that mission has come to an abrupt and screeching halt. I was listening to these books the old fashioned way (CD’s I checked out from the library) when right in the middle of a good fight scene the darn thing started skipping like a school girl on a playground! Do you know how maddening that is? I took the CD out and cleaned it several times to no avail. So it was off to the book store where I picked up the book so I could read the rest of the story. Now that I have one, I must purchase them all! I can read faster than listening to the audio version so my new mission is to hurry up and read all of the books preceding White Witch Black Curse, because I am dying to read it and I am having the darndest time avoiding all of the reviews out there.

In Every Which Way But Dead, Rachel Morgan finds herself bound to Algaliarept as his familiar and her boyfriend Nick is still bound to her as her familiar. Which is really bad. Familiars are usually animals and human familiars are frowned upon. Nick can’t take it anymore as every time Rachel uses Ley line magic it is drawn through him and can be very painful. So he makes himself scarce for a while.

It is solstice in the Hollows and amid the holiday shopping and celebrating Rachel is challenged by Kisten to go on a date with him (which turns into a run), hired by a rock star named Takata to work security at his Solstice concert, hired by Quen to protect Trent at a meeting with one of the Inderland crime lords, and she is still running from Algaliarept to keep him from pulling her into the Everafter to serve as his familiar. And I thought the holidays were stressful for me!

We meet some new characters in this book, David the Were insurance adjuster, Ivy’s dad, her little sister Erica and an old friend named Skimmer. We also meet Ceri, Algaliarept’s former familiar.

What I liked: There is a lot going on in this book. Poor Rachel just jumps from one problem to the next. I am never bored nor do I find myself waiting to get to the good parts, because every part of this book holds my attention.

What I didn’t like: That darn skipping CD. Well, I was going to have to invest in these books sooner or later. Might as well be sooner.

Previously, I mentioned that the vamps in these books aren’t my favorite characters, and they still aren’t… mostly. I am not saying that I don’t like them, I am just saying that I find the witches and pixies and elves more interesting in these particular books. So, I have to amend my previous statement. I don’t love MOST of the vamps in these books. There is one vamp in particular that I really do like! A LOT. And because I am so late reading this series, and have been spoiled, I know that I am going to be crushed sooner or later.

Last Word: So now that the mission has changed, I am ready to read the next book, Fist Full of Charms. I love these books and they have quickly jumped into my top 5 favorite series’. Hopefully I can power through them and get to White Witch Black Curse quickly.

Authors website: Kim Harrison

To discuss this book, please visit Robots and Vamps Book Club

Author Kim Harrison discusses her new book, White Witch, Black Curse, which goes on sale today. She also discusses her forthcoming YA novel, Once Dead, Twice Shy. Enjoy.