A review by laurenjodi
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
3.0
Dead Witch Walking
3.5 Stars
Good premise and solid world building but the first half drags and the main character has several TSTL moments.
Narration: listened to this after Some Girls Bite and Marguerite Gavin's narration probably benefits from the inevitable comparison. Cynthia Holloway is borderline monotonous and she fails to differentiate between the characters. In contrast, Gavin has a variety of voices with their own tone and inflection (Jenks is particularly well done although Ivy's voice is a little too deep and masculine).
The gritty world of the Hollows is very compelling with the variety of supernatural creatures and an alternate human history. The interactions between humans and supernaturals, the animosity between the Pixies and the Fairies, and the ominous threat posed by the vampires are all quite original. The idea that human ingenuity almost resulted in the annihilation of their race with genetically altered food is very apropos given the current trend toward messing with genetics and DNA - a dire warning, perhaps?
Rachel fails to come across as a particularly intelligent or successful witch nor is she a fearless, kick-ass heroine. She is extremely stubborn (not always in a good way) and consistently makes ill-informed choices that lead her into sticky situations from which she needs to be rescued. Moreover, her constant panic around Ivy is irritating and does not evoke respect or faith in her maturity.
Jenks, the loquacious pixie, is the highlight of the book. His sarcastic one liners and witty comebacks had me laughing out loud at inopportune moments. Trent is another intriguing character with an ambiguous morality that has you questioning notions of right and wrong, good and evil.
Overall, not the best beginning to a series but it has potential and there are numerous unanswered questions that I am eager to learn more about.
3.5 Stars
Good premise and solid world building but the first half drags and the main character has several TSTL moments.
Narration: listened to this after Some Girls Bite and Marguerite Gavin's narration probably benefits from the inevitable comparison. Cynthia Holloway is borderline monotonous and she fails to differentiate between the characters. In contrast, Gavin has a variety of voices with their own tone and inflection (Jenks is particularly well done although Ivy's voice is a little too deep and masculine).
The gritty world of the Hollows is very compelling with the variety of supernatural creatures and an alternate human history. The interactions between humans and supernaturals, the animosity between the Pixies and the Fairies, and the ominous threat posed by the vampires are all quite original. The idea that human ingenuity almost resulted in the annihilation of their race with genetically altered food is very apropos given the current trend toward messing with genetics and DNA - a dire warning, perhaps?
Rachel fails to come across as a particularly intelligent or successful witch nor is she a fearless, kick-ass heroine. She is extremely stubborn (not always in a good way) and consistently makes ill-informed choices that lead her into sticky situations from which she needs to be rescued. Moreover, her constant panic around Ivy is irritating and does not evoke respect or faith in her maturity.
Jenks, the loquacious pixie, is the highlight of the book. His sarcastic one liners and witty comebacks had me laughing out loud at inopportune moments. Trent is another intriguing character with an ambiguous morality that has you questioning notions of right and wrong, good and evil.
Overall, not the best beginning to a series but it has potential and there are numerous unanswered questions that I am eager to learn more about.