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bobynrutler22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
katyanaish's review
3.0
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did.
First, a little background. I didn't know that Harrison was picking this series back up, so I found out about it when Amazon sent me a release notice. I was excited, because it is one of my favorites, and snapped it right up. Had I known about it with more lead time, I probably would have re-read the series just to refamiliarize myself with all the secondary characters, but since I was late to the party, I just decided to jump in. So I haven't re-read any of it since the last book came out in 2014. I also didn't read my reviews, I just jumped in.
And I was disappointed. Not because I didn't remember stuff - I think Harrison did a good job with easing readers back into the waters without feeling like she was info-dumping, personally, but YMMV - but because Rachel was just ... not like I remembered.
After I finished, I flipped through my old reviews and remembered, oh right. I was really disappointed in the series finale. And all the things I didn't like in that review were present here.
Rachel spent a ridiculous amount of time lamenting that she was holding Trent back. Trent. Ex-supervillain, murdering dickbag Trent. Rachel is holding him back. LOOOOOOOOOOL
I wanted to punch her, honestly.
Elves still face no consequences. In fact, no one does, really. The villain of this book was - again - Landon. Since elves clearly will never be punished - even for attempting genocide and world domination multiple times - why doesn't Rachel just start killing them? I mean really. The world already thinks she's a villain anyway. Which then brings me to ...
... I need a world worth saving. Everyone in this world fucking sucks. And Rachel just takes all of their shit. And when she stands up for herself on the rare occasion - like with Edden, or with Pike - people give her all kinds of shit for doing so, as if she's just causing problems by not letting power-hungry dickheads just walk all over her (in the case of Pike) or happily go along with the assumptions of shitty racist people and working for them to not cause waves.
Fuck them all, at this point, seriously.
My problem is that the world isn't getting better as the series progresses, it is getting worse. The general pop tried to murder her. The elves get worse each book, but never face consequences.
And Rachel is seemingly getting more spineless with each step. In this book, her self doubt was such a constant refrain that I wondered if someone had cast some curse on her to erode her confidence. And the fact that she's defending Ellasbeth and even rationalizing why Trent would be better off with her ... ugh. Firstly, fuck Ellasbeth... that woman is a selfish bitch. Secondly, fuck the elves - they are evil. And while I have my doubts about Trent (I really do, he was a monster, and some things just aren't forgivable).
And fuck Rachel for just going along with it all, at this point. There are so many people in this world just continuing to wreak havoc because they never, ever, ever face consequences. We are freaking 14 books in. Why is there no forward movement? No progress? Why are people like Landon and Weast allowed to continue to shit on everyone? Why is Weast utterly above the law? And frankly, why doesn't Rachel just fucking kill him already? He's a goddamn monster, as bad as anyone else in this shitty world, and he threatens her CONSTANTLY.
STOP PUTTING UP WITH IT.
The world of the Hollows is fucking broken, and as far as I can tell, it always will be, because nothing that occurs in any of these books has shaken the power structure enough to bring justice. And they aren't even trying. Why aren't they front-and-center on the news dumping all the evidence they have about the abuses the elves committed - and the genocides - in front of the whole world? That's the only way the propaganda about the demons will ever stop having weight. Why aren't they telling the world about the Order, a shitty organization run by power-hungry dickheads who operate above the law and are not concerned even one iota about collateral damage.
Why?
It makes no logical sense. And it makes Rachel seem like a goddamn idiot for just letting all this shit happen. A fucking mob almost tore her apart. And she's not doing anything to counter the public narrative. Why? Is she protecting the elves? If so, STOP IT. They are fucking monsters who try and commit genocide on a regular basis, and they need to get taken down MANY pegs so they don't have the power to do this anymore.
It also makes Trent look like an idiot. He's supposed to be the master strategist, but he's just sitting on his hands and letting Landon - fucking LANDON - control the narrative. Fuck off with that.
Ugh.
And then, adding insult to injury, both Al and Ivy were barely present in this book.
Meh. I just don't know. If this is where the series is going, I'm not here for it.
First, a little background. I didn't know that Harrison was picking this series back up, so I found out about it when Amazon sent me a release notice. I was excited, because it is one of my favorites, and snapped it right up. Had I known about it with more lead time, I probably would have re-read the series just to refamiliarize myself with all the secondary characters, but since I was late to the party, I just decided to jump in. So I haven't re-read any of it since the last book came out in 2014. I also didn't read my reviews, I just jumped in.
And I was disappointed. Not because I didn't remember stuff - I think Harrison did a good job with easing readers back into the waters without feeling like she was info-dumping, personally, but YMMV - but because Rachel was just ... not like I remembered.
After I finished, I flipped through my old reviews and remembered, oh right. I was really disappointed in the series finale. And all the things I didn't like in that review were present here.
Rachel spent a ridiculous amount of time lamenting that she was holding Trent back. Trent. Ex-supervillain, murdering dickbag Trent. Rachel is holding him back. LOOOOOOOOOOL
I wanted to punch her, honestly.
Elves still face no consequences. In fact, no one does, really. The villain of this book was - again - Landon. Since elves clearly will never be punished - even for attempting genocide and world domination multiple times - why doesn't Rachel just start killing them? I mean really. The world already thinks she's a villain anyway. Which then brings me to ...
... I need a world worth saving. Everyone in this world fucking sucks. And Rachel just takes all of their shit. And when she stands up for herself on the rare occasion - like with Edden, or with Pike - people give her all kinds of shit for doing so, as if she's just causing problems by not letting power-hungry dickheads just walk all over her (in the case of Pike) or happily go along with the assumptions of shitty racist people and working for them to not cause waves.
Fuck them all, at this point, seriously.
My problem is that the world isn't getting better as the series progresses, it is getting worse. The general pop tried to murder her. The elves get worse each book, but never face consequences.
And Rachel is seemingly getting more spineless with each step. In this book, her self doubt was such a constant refrain that I wondered if someone had cast some curse on her to erode her confidence. And the fact that she's defending Ellasbeth and even rationalizing why Trent would be better off with her ... ugh. Firstly, fuck Ellasbeth... that woman is a selfish bitch. Secondly, fuck the elves - they are evil. And while I have my doubts about Trent (I really do, he was a monster, and some things just aren't forgivable).
And fuck Rachel for just going along with it all, at this point. There are so many people in this world just continuing to wreak havoc because they never, ever, ever face consequences. We are freaking 14 books in. Why is there no forward movement? No progress? Why are people like Landon and Weast allowed to continue to shit on everyone? Why is Weast utterly above the law? And frankly, why doesn't Rachel just fucking kill him already? He's a goddamn monster, as bad as anyone else in this shitty world, and he threatens her CONSTANTLY.
STOP PUTTING UP WITH IT.
The world of the Hollows is fucking broken, and as far as I can tell, it always will be, because nothing that occurs in any of these books has shaken the power structure enough to bring justice. And they aren't even trying. Why aren't they front-and-center on the news dumping all the evidence they have about the abuses the elves committed - and the genocides - in front of the whole world? That's the only way the propaganda about the demons will ever stop having weight. Why aren't they telling the world about the Order, a shitty organization run by power-hungry dickheads who operate above the law and are not concerned even one iota about collateral damage.
Why?
It makes no logical sense. And it makes Rachel seem like a goddamn idiot for just letting all this shit happen. A fucking mob almost tore her apart. And she's not doing anything to counter the public narrative. Why? Is she protecting the elves? If so, STOP IT. They are fucking monsters who try and commit genocide on a regular basis, and they need to get taken down MANY pegs so they don't have the power to do this anymore.
It also makes Trent look like an idiot. He's supposed to be the master strategist, but he's just sitting on his hands and letting Landon - fucking LANDON - control the narrative. Fuck off with that.
Ugh.
And then, adding insult to injury, both Al and Ivy were barely present in this book.
Meh. I just don't know. If this is where the series is going, I'm not here for it.
trudyd's review against another edition
5.0
I will forever been indebted to Kim Harrison for bringing back Rachel Marianna Morgan. I have missed the series and American Demon has brought it back with a bang. I can't believe the trouble that Rachel gets into with Trent at her side. Her antics will keep you engrossed from beginning to end.
There is a lot of evil in this book. There were times I didn't know what she would do or how she would survive. The author spun a tale that satisfied by desire but left me wanting more more more.
Thankfully, rumor has it, another book is just a calendar year away.
I think it is time to listen to the audiobooks again all the way through American Demon.
8/19/2020 This book just keeps getting better and better. I just listened to the Audiobook. Mh my word!!!
There is a lot of evil in this book. There were times I didn't know what she would do or how she would survive. The author spun a tale that satisfied by desire but left me wanting more more more.
Thankfully, rumor has it, another book is just a calendar year away.
I think it is time to listen to the audiobooks again all the way through American Demon.
8/19/2020 This book just keeps getting better and better. I just listened to the Audiobook. Mh my word!!!
kitty_moffett's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
eg_m's review
3.0
3.5 Stars
Although I enjoyed the Hollows 1-13, by around book 10 I was getting tired of Rachel constantly making bad decisions and being a hot mess. When the author restarted the series, I was ambivalent about returning to the Hollows. When this volume showed up in a BookBub deal, I decided to give it a chance.
A lot of the central 'magical' threat is designed to illuminate/validate how Rachel and Trent went from enemies to lovers. Although Rachel's decisions are marginally better, her incessant angst continues to wear. The secondary characters, (particularly Jenks and Biss) continue to charm to a degree that leaving the fate of a beloved secondary character up in the air was a blatant attempt at promoting the next book. Which I may read at some point--either borrowing from the library or if it shows up in a BookBub deal.
Although I enjoyed the Hollows 1-13, by around book 10 I was getting tired of Rachel constantly making bad decisions and being a hot mess. When the author restarted the series, I was ambivalent about returning to the Hollows. When this volume showed up in a BookBub deal, I decided to give it a chance.
A lot of the central 'magical' threat is designed to illuminate/validate how Rachel and Trent went from enemies to lovers. Although Rachel's decisions are marginally better, her incessant angst continues to wear. The secondary characters, (particularly Jenks and Biss) continue to charm to a degree that leaving the fate of a beloved secondary character up in the air was a blatant attempt at promoting the next book. Which I may read at some point--either borrowing from the library or if it shows up in a BookBub deal.
ssternbergh's review
I really enjoyed the original series and had mixed feelings about additional books. I bought the hardcover not long after it came out but never got around to it until recently. I really tried, but I just couldn't do it - DNF about 20% in. I couldn't get into it. Rachel was whiny and seemed to lack confidence. I just didn't like her. This series should not have been resurrected.
amybraunauthor's review
5.0
It’s so great to be back in the Hollows world! I’ve missed the quirkiness, the fun, the world building, and the characters all so much!
This story is familiar for long time fans, and it didn’t take long to become reacquainted with the world. Old faces made their appearances, some more briefly than others which led to some surprise, but there were also plenty of new characters and challenges. I find Hodin to be quite interesting and complicated, and I would love to see more of Zack.
Rachel, as always, adapts to her struggles and never lets anyone push her around. She is a strong character, even in her vulnerable moments, and I missed her banter with her friends and sass to her enemies.
The story had plenty of exciting moments, though there were a lot of situations of adapting to personal dramas, trying to cope with a semblance of normality, and being faced with the reality of demons in the Hollows. All of which lead to the series’ signature charm.
Harrison leaves her book open for more adventures in the Hollows, and I personally cannot wait to experience them!
This story is familiar for long time fans, and it didn’t take long to become reacquainted with the world. Old faces made their appearances, some more briefly than others which led to some surprise, but there were also plenty of new characters and challenges. I find Hodin to be quite interesting and complicated, and I would love to see more of Zack.
Rachel, as always, adapts to her struggles and never lets anyone push her around. She is a strong character, even in her vulnerable moments, and I missed her banter with her friends and sass to her enemies.
The story had plenty of exciting moments, though there were a lot of situations of adapting to personal dramas, trying to cope with a semblance of normality, and being faced with the reality of demons in the Hollows. All of which lead to the series’ signature charm.
Harrison leaves her book open for more adventures in the Hollows, and I personally cannot wait to experience them!
jemmacweir's review against another edition
5.0
Getting back into this series was like never being away. Rachel is as impressive as ever in this continuation of the series, and I could barely put this down.
mpyff's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0