Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Black Magic Sanction
    Black Magic Sanction
    Black Magic Sanction
    Audiobook19 hours

    Black Magic Sanction

    Written by Kim Harrison

    Narrated by Marguerite Gavin

    4.5/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    “I wouldn’t miss a Kim Harrison book for anything.”
    —Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels

     

    Black Magic Sanction 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.  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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateFeb 23, 2010
    ISBN9780061953712
    Author

    Kim Harrison

    Kim Harrison is best known as the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Hollows series, but she has written more than urban fantasy and has published more than two dozen books, spanning the gamut from young adult, accelerated-science thriller, and several anthologies and has scripted two original graphic novels set in the Hollows universe. She has also published traditional fantasy under the name Dawn Cook. Kim is currently working on a new Hollows book between other, nonrelated, urban fantasy projects.

    More audiobooks from Kim Harrison

    Related to Black Magic Sanction

    Titles in the series (13)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Money Box

      Jun 10, 2022

      This is not a morality tale. It’s simply a story. It began innocently enough, over a lunch of beef pho in the Financial District, when my friend Paolo first mentioned the Money Box. Paolo was a pupa of industry then, waiting to emerge as a titan. He

      19 min read

    • Article

      Penny

      Jul 2, 2020

      Penny
      6 min read

    • Article

      I, Von Economo

      Oct 10, 2022

      I’d never seen a Bentley Mulsanne in the flesh, not even in the chop shops where I sold the luxury cars I boosted. Yet there it was, parked behind an inner-city soup kitchen with its signature hood ornament of silver wings stretched wide to the heave

      12 min read

    • Article

      Good Bones

      Mar 19, 2020

      Good Bones
      18 min read

    • Article

      Cast Out

      Jul 10, 2021

      Verity pushed back the quilts, rolled off her straw mattress onto the floor, felt for the poker, and stirred the ashes. The embers glowed. She wouldn’t have to go fire-borrowing again. Her chilled hands were clumsy. One glowing bit of wood rolled fro

      21 min read

    • Article

      A Temporary Arrangement

      Oct 2, 2023

      A Temporary Arrangement
      19 min read

    • Article

      The Bridle

      Oct 10, 2021

      Saliva pooled on her tongue beneath the rusty depressor. She endured a constant urge to swallow, afraid of choking on her own fluids. The taste of metal and blood are so akin, it is easy to mistake one for the other. This early in the day, blood was

      11 min read

    • Article

      Cricket League

      Sep 1, 2022

      First prize 10 and under Tang Li, age 9 Palmetto Bay, FL My name is Anisa. I was in Hawaii on vacation. I enjoyed sipping refreshing drinks, overlooking the turquoise ocean, and dancing with others, before I overheard that the priceless Fire Ring wa

      10 min read

    • Article

      The Education of Mrs. R.

      Sep 6, 2022

      An adolescent shriek woke her. Cockerels, she thought, cockerels, with a wry twist to the word. She lay in the dark listening. There was no use in covering her head; the screaming still came through. The soloist was suddenly submerged in the chorus.

      13 min read

    • Article

      The Pain Jar

      Dec 3, 2020

      The Pain Jar
      7 min read

    • Article

      Don’t Have A Bird

      Aug 2, 2020

      There are so many rites of passage you’ve already missed out on, and the school ball is destined to become another item on that ever-growing list. You try to delay the inevitable until every breath from your lungs sounds as if cystic fibrosis is cack

      12 min read

    • Article

      Erotic, She Wrote

      Jun 10, 2021

      Erotic, She Wrote
      4 min read

    • Article

      Stay and Fight

      Jul 9, 2019

      Stay and Fight
      16 min read

    • Article

      Two Poems

      Nov 1, 2023

      I settled for the reverse narrative. The after ever, happily. I’d purchased a dragon, a handful of teeth in a tin (they’d advertised it as arattle!), a surgeon’s veil, some Oil of Olay, a few parasites. The water rippled, and I stood very close to it

      2 min read

    • Article

      Howl Palace

      Sep 15, 2019

      Last week, I finally had to put Howl Palace up for sale. Years of poor financial planning had led to this decision, and I tried to take some comfort in my agent’s belief in a buyer who might show up with an all-cash offer. My agent is a highly organi

      25 min read

    • Article

      Notes From A Nothing

      Feb 14, 2020

      Notes From A Nothing
      13 min read

    • Article

      THE CYBER Saviour

      Feb 10, 2021

      THE CYBER Saviour
      3 min read

    • Article

      Let’s Play Dead

      Mar 3, 2020

      There was a man, let’s call him Henry VIII. There was his wife, let’s call her Anne B. Let’s give them a castle and make it nice. Let’s give her many boy babies but make them dead. Let’s give him a fussy way of being. Let’s make her smart and sneaky,

      17 min read

    • Article

      Planetesimal

      Aug 15, 2022

      Planetesimal
      3 min read

    • Article

      Two Poems by Phillip B. Williams

      Dec 15, 2017

      The masters are yet dead. Wanting to be human,I tried to rewrite The Waste Land. The canon’s reachcasts ruinous light. The masters’ pens breachthis page where, above, my own hand spectates. Babylonrisen, exorcism in reverse, whose nature upended now?

      6 min read

    • Article

      What The Magpie Says

      Oct 16, 2022

      What The Magpie Says
      8 min read

    • Article

      Jack of Knives

      Jun 3, 2021

      WINNER £100 Jennifer is the author of four middle grade children’s novels published by Maverick (writing as Jenny Moore). Her latest book, The Misadventures of Nicholas Nabb, is set during the same period as her winning story and also includes a scen

      6 min read

    • Article

      Dark Tales

      Dec 2, 2021

      Dark Tales
      6 min read

    • Article

      Sweet Sorrow

      Aug 19, 2019

      Sweet Sorrow
      8 min read

    • Article

      Best Of The Best

      Oct 29, 2022

      Best Of The Best
      8 min read

    • Article

      Jason the Heat Guy

      Jan 11, 2021

      Jason the Heat Guy
      11 min read

    • Article

      Concerning The Future Of Souls

      Mar 19, 2024

      As a toddler she had caused a sensation in her family when she announced she wanted to live in a little hole like the ant. Not an ant, the ant. This might have been misheard. She was an easygoing child, not particularly thoughtful and stubbornly inar

      13 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Black Magic Sanction

    4.5/5

    873 ratings48 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Rachel Morgan has gotten herself in trouble again… but it’s not her fault. The coven has shunned her for being a black witch, but she is only doing what she thinks is right, which usually involves saving peoples lives, including her friends. She is still Al’s (the demon) student; Pierce is still around, although this time he has a body, and a nice one at that. There is a little crush or romance going on here, but it doesn't overshadow the story at all.... Rachel is being very cautious with her heart this time around since she is still so distraught over the loss of Kisten. She is bound and determined not to get her heart broken again.In this installment of the latest Kim Harrison book, there is humor, edge of your seat drama, some seriously sad things, and just all around one big joy ride of entertainment. The characters are so intense and intriguing. This has to be one of my all time favorite series, and even though I’ve sworn not to buy hardcover anymore, I couldn’t resist this and didn’t even try. And was not disappointed.Kim Harrison has a way of weaving an unbelievable story into something believable. I couldn’t put the book down. Not only is Rachel and amazingly strong character, although you can easily see her humanity and the chinks in her armor, she has the best friends in the world in Ivy, a live Vampire, and Jenks, a pixie…who would do anything for her, and have, just as Rachel would go to the ends of the earth for them. The angst and competition between Trent and Rachel is still there, stemming from childhood and it’s hard to believe they haven’t killed each other yet, but there is a respect there that will keep them playing the “I hate you” game for some time to come. For some reason I really like Al. The demon is funny, rude, and scary...but it's obvious he cares about Rachel in his own way, despite having no compunction about killing anyone, possibly even her some day. Rachel does spend a little too much time dwelling on things like whether she should do certain things to people who are attempting to kill her. She is trying to retain her humanity, but she really needed to be spending more time on self defense, even if it meant killing... such as a group of vicious fairies... who are a huge part of the tragedy that happens in the book that changes the lives of all 3 of them. Jenks especially.If you have never read a Kim Harrison book, you should. I was hooked from the start… get the first one, and don’t stop until you’re done.
    • 4/5
      I was a little disappointed to see that Rachel and Ivy have adjusted to the status of "friends only," which significantly reduces what I'd found most compelling about their relationship. But I enjoyed the storyline more than the previous book in the series and was pleasantly surprised to discover that I can look forward to several more books before I read the last in the series, which was recently released. I've read a lot more urban fantasy since I first started this series, but it remains one of my favorites.
    • 5/5
      Marguerite Gavin brings this story to life. I’m so happy she’s back reading this series.
    • 3/5
      Not my favorite of the series. I think it was the Coven that brought this book down a little for me. Something about them rubbed me the wrong way. Not sure why, since they weren't any more evil than the vampires, banshees, elves, etc. that we've come across in the last seven books. But there it is. I really didn't like them and thus I hesitated to pick the book up each time I put it down. Everything else was normal fine. Not sure what I think of Pierce yet, but I'm leaving my mind open. Trent still fascinates me, and Ivy, Jenks & Al are all still favorites. I'm looking forward to more!
    • 4/5
      I had a great time with this book! I read the first few books in this series years ago but am just now getting around to reading further in the series. I am definitely late to the party but am glad that I finally decided to dive in. This is a series that I would highly recommend reading in order since each installment builds on the events in earlier books. I found this book to be very entertaining.Rachel can’t catch a break. She has been shunned by the witch community and now a group wants her to suffer a much more extreme punishment. Needless to say, she wants to avoid that fate. On top of that, she has to deal with Al, who has sent Pierce to be her babysitter for the time being. Things will get pretty intense in this installment and there were times that I was really worried for both Rachel and her friends. Rachel will be forced to work with a few characters that I am not sure should be trusted which added to the drama.Marguerite Gavin does a fabulous job with the narration for this series. I love all of the voices that she uses for the various characters in the story. They just seem so real and really come alive during the audiobook. I think that she was able to add just the right amount of emotion and excitement into her reading. I definitely think that her performance added to my enjoyment of the story and believe that audio is the way to go with this book if at all possible.I would recommend this series to others. This is a really well-done story in a series that just seems to keep getting better and better. I cannot wait to see what is in store for Rachel and the rest of her group in this next book.
    • 5/5
      Sit down and take a deep breath Rachel is taking you on a rolling ride. The action kick starts at the first page and does not let up. Rachel Morgan, shunned Witch/Demon (?) is hunted by the Coven of Moral and Ethical Standards and her friends are drawn into the fight with horrible consequences. She finds herself in Alcatraz facing a lobotomy.
      AL shows a new side and endears himself more to me (I love AL) Pierce in human skin, tries to save her and things change between them. Trent he and Rachel have a very complicated relationship and maybe something more. They've known each other since they were kids at camp. The charm given to her helps her remember some of it. One of the characters has something horrible happen to them, tears will flow.
      Wow is the reaction I have to this book, a fine read !
    • 5/5
      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!
    • 4/5
      I could sympathise with Rachel in this one. She was sick and tired of always running and fighting, of having people die around her and never having a normal life, a normal boyfriend, she even missed doing her job.

      Pierce is trouble but ultimately he is too much like Rachel but at the same time I'm not sure if he would sacrifice himself for her, in the end I think it will end in betrayal. Crap-for-brains (Nick) deserved to be hunted, the scoundrel! He's a continuing threat, I hope something nasty happens to him.

      I enjoyed the new closeness between Trent and Rachel but again I don't think it will last. I think the next book will be a brilliant one considering Rachel and Trent will be going on a road trip together. I can't wait to see the sparks fly!
    • 4/5
      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.Prison and lobotomies. Interesting combination. Rachel has to learn that those you should be able to trust are not always worthy and sometimes the ones that you think will throw you under the bus, are the ones who really have your back.
    • 4/5
      I found this series last year and have been steadily reading through it ever since. It's so exciting to find a new series that I love so much, especially one with so many books already written! In Black Magic Sanction, Rachel has to deal with being shunned and the Coven trying to destroy her (literally). There were some things in this book that I would have been as happy without. Such as the little skill/physical talent that Rachel discloses after she makes love to Pierce. I think that little tidbit was supposed to be funny, but just came off as stupid to me.As always, there is a lot of action in the book and things move along quickly. Bis, the teenage gargoyle, gets a larger role in this story. I really enjoyed that as he is so cute and sweet - and there aren't that many cute and sweet characters in this series!While not my favorite book in the series, Kim Harrison still has the ability to make me laugh and cry when I read her work. I'm still in love with her characters and hope to read the next book in the series soon.
    • 4/5
      This book was like one long game of fight-or-flight, mixed in with multiple escape plans when Rachel could not avoid getting caught. Being Rachel Morgan must be quite exhausting. Being eight books in now, I have been able to come up with many reasons why I enjoy reading this series so much. For starters, I love how Kim Harrison plays off of Clint Eastwood films for her book titles. I also love how each race of supernatural beings are so creatively developed to be both unique and intriguing, right down to the intimate biological makeup. I especially love how Rachel operates "by the seat of her pants" so to speak. Her instincts are nearly always spot on, and she's got reflexes that put a cat's to shame. Even though her deceased father inadvertedly put her in this position of power, able to change the course of history on her version of Earth, she still strives to be "normal" and refuses to be anyone's puppet.
      This book was all about crossing moral lines for the right reasons and how far Rachel is willing to cross them to protect those she loves and be free herself. The plot was exciting and fast-paced almost from cover to cover, except for a sad note that had me shedding a few tears - even though the series has given the reader fair warning of what would eventually happen - as well as a hot-and-heavy interlude - because it wouldn't be a Rachel Morgan book without it. I love the mental, unvoiced quips that Rachel dreams up to convey her thoughts, which are so much more entertaining than just base cussing. Case in point: "Are frogs coming from the sun in shapeships, too?" How can a person not laugh at that? Jenks' frequent quips about Tinkerbell can be quite hilarious, too. The ending to the book holds quite a bit of promise for the next one, Pale Demon, especially in regards to Rachel's relationship with the elf, Trent. Speaking of relationships, I am rather intrigued by Al's obsession with Rachel, especially after he changed his appearance with his gargoyle Treble. While I admit my interest may be heavy on the icky, one must admit the potential for certain interludes is strong and highly possible, given what Rachel is becoming. Plus, Al makes no secret of his interest in Rachel, trying three times to convince her to move in the ever-after, though I have my suspicions that his interest is more than just physical. The close look that the reader got of the Coven of Moral and Ethical Standards shows some interesting possibilities given that Pierce is a past member of it. Oh the havoc that Rachel can cause will keep me interested in this series for as long as Kim Harrison keeps writing it!

    • 3/5
      This was a great book. It seems that Rachel might actually be getting her life on track. Makes me really want to read the next book to see if she can continue on this path.
    • 5/5
      I love Rachel Morgan! Now I can read Pale Demon and not have missed anything.
    • 3/5
      Another good, fun read. I'm glad some threads were tied up as there were too many hanging out there. The suspense was almost too much for a while, but it finally came together. She would have lost me if she'd dragged some of it out much longer.
    • 5/5
      Reading the opening chapter of PALE DEMON sent me back to re-read BLACK MAGIC SANCTION to tide me over until the next book in the series comes out. I was not disappointed, each reading of the Rachel Morgan books is a joy. I love re-reading the special moments that I remember, and feel like I discover anew details that had slipped my mind. Not only do I love the friendships, but Harrison is unique in making villains as compelling as the heros. Rachel's confrontations with Trent, Al, and Nick are riveting, and watching her grieve for Kisten while falling in love with Pierce is one of the most touching storylines I've ever read. Jenks once again steals the show, his character continuing to grow and deepen. Unfortunately, re-reading BLACK MAGIC SANCTION has only heightened my anticipation of PALE DEMON's release. It can't come soon enough!
    • 5/5
      I often find it difficult to review a new book from a favorite series because my feelings are pretty simple. They boil down to, "I love this series, I love this book, I wish I didn't have to wait a year for the next one!" That's how it is with Kim Harrison's books anyhow. I am totally hooked on The Hollows.

      I figure if you're reading this review you're probably not new to Kim Harrison. The Hollows is not a series that can be read out of order (for any newbies who've found there way here: start with Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book 1)). If you've enjoyed the direction that the series has been heading over the past few books, Black Magic Sanction will fill you with glee. If not, what's wrong with you?

      What are some little plot teasers I can throw out. Well, the villain of Black Magic Sanction is the coven of ethical and moral standards. As judge and jury to the witch population, members of the coven tend to be ruthless and power hungry...so it shouldn't be any surprise that these ruthless, power-hungry witches have found a way to use white magic for dark purposes. I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel - seeing a witch with an aura as clean freshly windexed glass use white magic to do some pretty black deeds, for selfish reasons, really drives home the point that however ugly Rachel Morgan's sooty aura is, she's the one fighting the good fight. Sometimes appearances really are deceiving.

      We see a lot more of Pierce, the former ghost, who serves as this book's dangerous love interest. We don't see enough of Trent, who makes a couple of brief yet crucial appearances. Nick turns up again, and boy, if you thought you couldn't hate Nick any more than you already did, you will find out that you were wrong. That little snothead is just about the most despicable fictional character I've ever encountered. But the sexy/evil enemy/ally that really shines in this book is Algaliarept. I've always thought Al was a great character; when he appears in a scene, I know it's going to be fun to read (even if I know Rachel won't enjoy what happens very much). But until Black Magic Sanction I was never even slightly tempted by him as a romantic interest for Rachel. That's right, I said "until," and no, I am not explaining any further.

      There's one really major thing that happens in Black Magic Sanction that all of Harrison's devoted readers have been dreading for a while now. We know that pixies have short life spans - and Jenks and Matalina have reached the ripe old age of 20, the sunset years of their species. But just try to imagine The Hollows without Jenks. It's impossible, right? He's the magic ingredient. Him and his whole family. Well, we get a day of reckoning in Black Magic Sanction so keep your tissues handy. I cried big fat tears over this one.

      That's about it. Ugh, another year until the next book!
    • 4/5
      Very nicely done. The last few books have been building up to this climax, but there's still enough left over to allow for more growth in the series. I'm actually really looking forward to the next book this time.
    • 3/5
      I really don't want to like these books any more. The main character is high-strung, immature, and whiny, and it's clear that the hot witch/vampire lesbian romance is never going to go anywhere. I still stayed up til 1pm finishing it. Dammit.

      Additional thoughts after a series reread:

      The pace of the book is great, the plot is the usual jumble of loosely-connected events, Rachel remains largely unsympathetic, and Al is actually becoming a character at whose appearance I do not cringe.

      And then there's Pierce.

      He's exactly the same type of feckless, egotistical asshole that Nick was, but he appears not to be an actual traitor. Also the sex is better. But the "accent"... dear God.

      I have a suspicion that Harrison actually did some research to cobble together something that may actually have some historical veracity, but unfortunately she stopped after finding half a dozen slang phrases and verbal tics and making sure that every time Pierce opens his mouth, one of them comes out. It's grating, tedious, and does the character an active disservice. And the fact that she refers to it as an "accent" is bizarre - nowhere does anyone suggest that he actually pronounces words differently, he just has a very odd vocabulary that sounds a third stereotypical Old South, a third Mark Twain, and a third pure what-the-hell. The sooner he gets dumped and/or killed off the better, because reading his dialogue is actively painful.
    • 4/5
      Really nice further development of the main characters and the background for their choices. Makes me what to read the next book to see where this all leads Ivy, Jenks, and Rachel.
    • 3/5
      I am not sure why I keep reading this books. I suppose they are fast and dependably entertaining. More of the same in this one... I am still sick of the whole Ivy bit, but there was less of that in this installment.
    • 4/5
      Rachel seems to go from one crisis to another is this the eighth book in the Rachel Morgan series. We begin the book with Rachel shunned by the Coven - an association of white witches - for using demon magic. They want her dead or, if not dead, at least sterilized and lobotomized (which probably isn't a word even though it doesn't raise a spelling flag). Naturally, Rachel is not in favor of this action. She is also busy learning more about her demon heritage, discovering new talents, and frantically pretending to be "normal." Al, the demon who has taken Rachel as his student, assigns Pierce to be her bodyguard. Pierce is also a black witch and Al's familiar. He is way to eager to use black magic for Rachel's tastes but she likes him. She doesn't want to get close to him because of her previous bad experiences. The men she loves either die or betray her. Rachel is cautious in choosing those she can trust. Ivy and Jenks are the inner circle. This book kept Ivy as very much a side character but Jenks got a larger role. This is the story when his beloved Matalina dies. But unlike most pixies, Jenks doesn't follow her into death. Rachel isn't willing to let him leave her and uses extraordinary measures to convince him that she needs him.The story was exciting and twisty. It both resolves some old issues and sees Rachel learning and accepting her new powers. Fans of the series won't want to miss this one.
    • 5/5
      I think I preferred this book over the last couple in the series... While Rachel still suffered inner turmoil over the choices she was forced to make, she actually seemed to mature somewhat this time - choosing to be who she is rather than who she thinks she is.Though this is not to say there weren't moments when I wished I could reach through the pages and smack her for her stupid choices...I'm still mad at Trent. I've been mad at him for several books now and wish she'd left him with the demons, but anyway, that's a tangent...I'm starting the next book immediately because I need to find out what Rachel does next with her life.
    • 4/5
      I remember the earlier books as being more fun, but this one certainly was better written and it felt like it mattered more. Rachel has grown up, as have her friends. The stakes are higher now than they were in the first books, she's grown in power, and now she's going up against a coven of powerful white witches who are determined to see her stripped of her powers and permanently confined in a solitary prison for life - or some of them are.Seeing Rachel try to figure out who she could trust and what her mistakes might cost the people she loves was touching. In earlier books she felt very young and fairly callow, and I really didn't care much for her. She's much more likable now, which surprised me. That speaks well for Harrison.
    • 4/5
      This was one of the slower reads of the series. I didn't really get into it as much as I did the previous books. It seemed like there was a lot of stretching for plot in this book. Hopefully the next book will be better.In this installment, Rachel has been shunned and now the coven is out to get her. She manages to survive the coven attacks, thanks to her demon teacher, Al and his familiar, a former ghost named Pierce. Of course, she still has Jenks and Ivy, but we also see nick back again. I think that seeing him was the only upside to this installment.As per usual, Rachel ends up in bed with her 'hero', Pierce. The only one left for her to sleep with is Jenks or Al, I think.
    • 3/5
      One of the prevailing themes in Kim Harrison’s “The Hollows” series is prejudice. The main character, Rachel Morgan faces off against it in every book, often realizing that she is just as prejudiced as those she judges for being prejudiced. Always, Rachel faces the prejudice against her based on her abilities which don’t fit neatly into anyone’s categorized world. Is she witch? Is she demon? If she’s witch, why can she cast demon magic? If she’s a demon, how can she use ley line magic and “white” spells? How is it she can live with a vampire and a pixie? That Rachel Morgan is just plain dangerous with her friends of all different species and her weird skill set.More than anything, this is what drives the coven to shun her and try to put her in prison (nice re-purposing of Alcatraz) or give her a lobotomy so she can never use her skills again. As if escaping from that wasn’t enough, her ex-boyfriend scum Nick makes a return and demon Algaliarept tries to keep her on a short leash while she works off her mark with him. And she fights falling in love, again, as always.While I enjoyed reading this one, I thought it was the weakest of the lot. That does not mean, however, that I don’t recommend it. Even at her weakest, Kim Harrison still knows how to write a good adventure story.
    • 5/5
      Looks like The Hallows has drawn to a close... or has it? Hard to say with Rachel Morgan. The reported last installment in the series ties up a lot of loose ends, but leaves just as many open. Sorrow, hearache, betrayal, backstabbing, and plot twists galore decorate Harrison's last work of the series, and once you start it, forget trying to put it down. Rachel is faced with a dilema, hunted down by the coven of ethical and moral standards (yep even the name of it rings with utter bullsh!t - just like most government agencies), trying to be controlled by Trent, and harassed by Al, all whle trying to NOT be a black witch, rachel has to finally come to terms with what she really is. One of a kind, and different, which makes her VERY dangerous. But with a good set of friends, and a good head and heart, she searches for the right path, and her freedom.
    • 4/5
      Kim Harrison you get me again! This series is the perfect one to grab your attention and keep you hungry for more. This book was a bit slower than others in the series, but still keep you aching to read. I would recommend this book to those loving fantasy, wit, and a strong female lead.
    • 5/5
      There are few series that have captured me the way this one has. I’ve been thinking about this review for over a week, and I’m afraid the only way I can explain is in fractured points.I love that Harrison throws us directly into the action. We’re mere pages into the book when things start to go south for Rachel. This isn’t one of those series you can just jump into at any point and understand. And that’s perfectly alright.If you *do* jump in without reading the books before, Harrison is adept at weaving in the relevant back story without it feeling ham-fisted, forced, or completely out of place. It’s also a nice reminder for when there’s a year or more between the reading of volumes.I love that Rachel is far from perfect. She repeats her mistakes. She has questionable taste in men (though I happen to like Pierce). She’s protective of others to a fault. She has irrational attachments. She’ll push forward with plans she should know won’t work. She sometimes trusts in the wrong people. And she has an infuriating stubborn streak, not to mention her inability to see in shades of gray instead of black and white. Even though she sees that white magic can be just as dangerous as black, she still treats black magic (and those that practice it) as the scum on the bottom of her shoe. But a lot of the enjoyment of this series is watching what she does and then yelling at her for it. I wouldn’t have her any other way.I love Trent Kalamack. Yes, the ruthless, conniving elf is one of my favorite characters, even more than Ivy. His relationship with Rachel has many levels, and I’m not sure either of them really understand it. But he won’t rest easy until she’s under his thumb.I’ve even developed a certain amount of respect for the demon Al.Most of all, I love Rachel’s fight. Even when she’s misguided and wrong, tired and hungry, hurt and lost, she never stops fighting.A bonus is Marguerite Gavin’s incredible narration on the audiobook. She will always be the voice of Rachel for me.
    • 2/5
      I have loved the Hallows series for a very long time; its always been a favorite. But this book really annoyed me. As the series has progressed, many reviewers have complained that Rachel is whiny but I haven't seen. Until now. Positives: I really like how the Jenks/Matalina thing was handled. The entire sequence was painfully said but fitting. We knew this was coming but it didn't make it easier to bear. (Except Pierce going with Rachel to comfort Jenks...he had no business being there. Jenks doesn't even like him). I also really enjoyed the first several scenes of the witches's coven trying to capture Rachel. These were well written and fun. Unfortunately, there were too many of them. Seriously how many times in one book could Rachel and company pull out of these situations? I also want to stress how much I admire Rachel's affection and support of both Jenks and Ivy. They are a great trio...I hope they continue to be for a long time to come. I also thought the climactic scene at the end, during Trent's speech rocked. Very good stuff. Also the look back at Trent and Rachel when they were younger was nice and offered some new insight. Negatives: Pierce is completely unlikeable. He is a horrible match for Rachel and he isn't hero or even anti-hero material. She called him out for it in the book (yes!) but he drops the ball far too often. Plus he just comes off kinda greasy like a shady used car salesman. The fight with the fairies in the garden was really entertaining however, I hate that Ceri was used as an obvious plot device. She appeared out of nowhere only to do her thing and leave and not be heard of for the rest of the book. I hated Nick being brought back and Rachel trusting him only to end the way it did. Stupid and pointless. We've been there, done that. The trips down the ley lines don't seem as interesting as the did in the past either. I like Al, but something really needs to get moving with his plotline. And now my biggest pet peeve: Rachel all of a sudden has this horrible conscience where she can't kill or injury someone because she is a 'white' witch. She falters time and again. Her indecisive action has some pretty awful consequences in this book. She needs to realize sometimes to take care of the people you love (especially in sci-fi world :) you have to make sacrifices to protect the ones you love. Wishy-washy Rachel doesn't cut it for me. Still this book was the first one I really didn't care for and I am hopeful that things will pick back up and be exciting again in the future. Harrison has loads of talent and a lot of good characters to work with. This is an amazing world she has created
    • 4/5
      I can't resist a new Rachel Morgan book. I'm so addicted and so completely sucked into this series that I even pre-ordered the book online so it that it showed up on my doorstep on the day of release. I'm honestly even a little embarrassed that it took me this long to finish it! It's a combination of being busy and not being quiet as engaged as I hoped...In the eighth installment of Rachel Morgan's adventures the local white magic coven, after discovering Rachel's demonic nature, are shunning her and accusing her of black magic (which she comments far too many times throughout the novel that she is not a practitioner of) and offer her two terrible alternatives. Rachel must rely on an odd bunch of people including demons, pixies, elves and leprechauns to help clear her name, leading to an enjoyable and fun (at times, giggle-worthy) thrill ride with action, adventure, fun and even romance.Despite the fun, I had just a few little nit-picky issues with this book. First, the action seemed even uneven at several parts, almost like the book should have been edited down more to help the pacing. Also, some of the plot points just felt too convenient and (probably the biggest problem to me) Rachel's insistent need to whine about something drove me nuts. She really just needs to get back to butt-kicking (the whining seems to mostly be post-Kisten's death in book five and forward). The ending, to me anyway, was a tiny bit unsatisfying, because it was just a bridge into the next book. I'm starting to think that this series may be getting stuck in some kind of drawn-out state that can happen to authors with popular series.On to the good -it was great to see all of my favorite supporting characters, particularly Jinks. Rachel also did some really unique things in Black Magic Sanction, such as shrinking down to go into Jinks' home to be sure that he is alive. The fun was still there, and there were several lines that brought a giggle to my lips. I wouldn't say that reading this book (or even pre-ordering it) was a waste at all, but just not up to the very high standard of previous novels in the series.Better than the last two books, for sure, and definitely fun, but I hope the next one is better!