#35 Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison
The following reviews has spoilers for previous books in The Hollows/Rachel Morgan Series. There are no real spoilers for Black Magic
Sanction.
Rachel Morgan doesn't know what she is anymore. She always considered herself to be a white witch, but as new darker abilities have surfaced, Rachel finds herself wondering if she may be more demon than witch. Her dealings with demons and black magic have resulted in her being shunned by The Council, and now they are serving her an ultimatum. Rachel knows that Trent's father's tinkering with her genetics has one horrible result: her children will be demons. The council demands that she volunteer to be sterilized, or spend the rest of her life in prison.
Black Magic Sanction is the eighth book in Kim Harrison's series, The Hollows. I'm happy to report that the series appears to be gaining back some of the charm that made the first four books in the series such page turners. Black Magic Sanction has some really exciting moments. I completely flew through the first two hundred pages as Rachel must figure out how to escape from an impossible situation. The novel also finally touches on a subject that I've been waiting for since volume six, Rachel's apprenticeship under the demon Al It also develops the shunning storyline in really interesting ways. Black Magic Sanction casts some serious doubts over the idea that Black Magic is always evil, and White Magic is always good, and by extension, people who practice either white or black magic are purely good or evil.
It's true that Black Magic Sanction also has it's flaws. I will admit that the character of Pierce is growing on me. Unlike in White Witch, Black Curse where he seemed kind of useless, he does play an important role in Rachel's development here. At the same time, I can't help but ask myself why is it necessary for Rachel to have yet another romantic interest? It seems like almost half the cast of this novel is either in love with Rachel, has been romantically linked with Rachel, or just wants to sleep with her. Having a heroine with a million love interests is one of the biggest flaws of the paranormal genre, and I'm kind of disappointed that The Hollows has fallen into this trap as well. I also found Rachel's plan at the end to feel a little illogical, but it was exciting enough to read, so it didn't bother me too much.
Black Magic Sanction may be a flawed novel, but it's quite an exciting one. Harrison seems to have a better handle on juggling her multiple plot lines, and I enjoyed reading about Rachel's changing views on herself and magic. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series will be going next with it's ninth volume, Pale Demon.
Rating: four stars
Length: 432 pages
Source: paperbackswap
Similar Books: For more fun works of urban fantasy that take place in American cities, check out Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, and Vicki Pettersson’s Signs of the Zodiac
Other books I've read by this author: Dead Witch Walking, The Good, the Bad, and the Undead, Every Which Way but Dead, A Fistful of Charms, For a Few Demons More, The Outlaw Demon Wails, and White Whitch Black Curse. I’ve also read the novella “Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil” from Dates from Hell, and “Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper” from Prom Nights from Hell. I've also read all of the fantasy books she writes under the name Dawn Cook.
Next up I will be reviewing A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz.
Xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads
Sanction.
Rachel Morgan doesn't know what she is anymore. She always considered herself to be a white witch, but as new darker abilities have surfaced, Rachel finds herself wondering if she may be more demon than witch. Her dealings with demons and black magic have resulted in her being shunned by The Council, and now they are serving her an ultimatum. Rachel knows that Trent's father's tinkering with her genetics has one horrible result: her children will be demons. The council demands that she volunteer to be sterilized, or spend the rest of her life in prison.
Black Magic Sanction is the eighth book in Kim Harrison's series, The Hollows. I'm happy to report that the series appears to be gaining back some of the charm that made the first four books in the series such page turners. Black Magic Sanction has some really exciting moments. I completely flew through the first two hundred pages as Rachel must figure out how to escape from an impossible situation. The novel also finally touches on a subject that I've been waiting for since volume six, Rachel's apprenticeship under the demon Al It also develops the shunning storyline in really interesting ways. Black Magic Sanction casts some serious doubts over the idea that Black Magic is always evil, and White Magic is always good, and by extension, people who practice either white or black magic are purely good or evil.
It's true that Black Magic Sanction also has it's flaws. I will admit that the character of Pierce is growing on me. Unlike in White Witch, Black Curse where he seemed kind of useless, he does play an important role in Rachel's development here. At the same time, I can't help but ask myself why is it necessary for Rachel to have yet another romantic interest? It seems like almost half the cast of this novel is either in love with Rachel, has been romantically linked with Rachel, or just wants to sleep with her. Having a heroine with a million love interests is one of the biggest flaws of the paranormal genre, and I'm kind of disappointed that The Hollows has fallen into this trap as well. I also found Rachel's plan at the end to feel a little illogical, but it was exciting enough to read, so it didn't bother me too much.
Black Magic Sanction may be a flawed novel, but it's quite an exciting one. Harrison seems to have a better handle on juggling her multiple plot lines, and I enjoyed reading about Rachel's changing views on herself and magic. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series will be going next with it's ninth volume, Pale Demon.
Rating: four stars
Length: 432 pages
Source: paperbackswap
Similar Books: For more fun works of urban fantasy that take place in American cities, check out Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, and Vicki Pettersson’s Signs of the Zodiac
Other books I've read by this author: Dead Witch Walking, The Good, the Bad, and the Undead, Every Which Way but Dead, A Fistful of Charms, For a Few Demons More, The Outlaw Demon Wails, and White Whitch Black Curse. I’ve also read the novella “Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil” from Dates from Hell, and “Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper” from Prom Nights from Hell. I've also read all of the fantasy books she writes under the name Dawn Cook.
Next up I will be reviewing A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz.
Xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads