A review by laurenjodi
White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison
3.0
White Witch, Black Curse
3 Stars
Rachel Morgan continues her quest to regain her memories and learn the identity of the undead vampire responsible for the death of her lover, Kisten. In addition, she becomes involved in an FIB investigation into an attack perpetrated by one of The Hollows most dangerous supernatural creatures - a banshee, and also finds herself confronting a literal ghost from her past. Can Rachel unravel these mysteries without losing her soul or her life in the process?
Another installment in The Hollows series that feels more like filler despite the occasional plot twist or rare moment of character development. It should be noted that many of the story elements in this book have their basis in the different short stories associated with the series. As someone who refrains from reading these novellas, this is exceedingly annoying. It is disingenuous of authors to include important details in these shorts as many readers either choose not to read them or do not have access to them at all.
But on to the actual book...
To begin with, Harrison's banshee is nothing like its namesake from Celtic mythology (i.e., a female fae who heralds the death of a loved one with a keening cry); instead it is more of a succubus that drains its victims life-force in order to survive. Whether this discrepancy is deliberate or not, it results in a tedious and repetitive narrative in which Rachel repeatedly gets her ass handed to her by the more powerful creature.
Similarly, the search for Kisten's killer is comprised of one dead end after another, and the eventual revelation is uninteresting and anti-climactic (probably due to the fact that I did not read the short story that constitutes background for this information). Moreover, Rachel and Ivy are still caught up in their irritating melodrama, which really needs to end already.
While Al and Jenks do provide some much needed comic relief after some of the more emotionally intense events, Rachel's love life is as disappointing as ever. Marshall (who was never a real contender anyway) is revealed to be a weak willed coward; Trent is missing in action for most of the book, and the newcomer, Pierce (another character from a novella - argh!), gives off a profoundly smarmy vibe.
In sum, while the fact that I have made it this far into the series without giving up would suggest that I am more forgiving of the weaker aspects of the characters and the storytelling, White Witch, Black Curse really does not live up to expectations. As always, I am hopeful that the next book will live up to the tremendous potential of the series.
3 Stars
Rachel Morgan continues her quest to regain her memories and learn the identity of the undead vampire responsible for the death of her lover, Kisten. In addition, she becomes involved in an FIB investigation into an attack perpetrated by one of The Hollows most dangerous supernatural creatures - a banshee, and also finds herself confronting a literal ghost from her past. Can Rachel unravel these mysteries without losing her soul or her life in the process?
Another installment in The Hollows series that feels more like filler despite the occasional plot twist or rare moment of character development. It should be noted that many of the story elements in this book have their basis in the different short stories associated with the series. As someone who refrains from reading these novellas, this is exceedingly annoying. It is disingenuous of authors to include important details in these shorts as many readers either choose not to read them or do not have access to them at all.
But on to the actual book...
To begin with, Harrison's banshee is nothing like its namesake from Celtic mythology (i.e., a female fae who heralds the death of a loved one with a keening cry); instead it is more of a succubus that drains its victims life-force in order to survive. Whether this discrepancy is deliberate or not, it results in a tedious and repetitive narrative in which Rachel repeatedly gets her ass handed to her by the more powerful creature.
Similarly, the search for Kisten's killer is comprised of one dead end after another, and the eventual revelation is uninteresting and anti-climactic (probably due to the fact that I did not read the short story that constitutes background for this information). Moreover, Rachel and Ivy are still caught up in their irritating melodrama, which really needs to end already.
While Al and Jenks do provide some much needed comic relief after some of the more emotionally intense events, Rachel's love life is as disappointing as ever. Marshall (who was never a real contender anyway) is revealed to be a weak willed coward; Trent is missing in action for most of the book, and the newcomer, Pierce (another character from a novella - argh!), gives off a profoundly smarmy vibe.
In sum, while the fact that I have made it this far into the series without giving up would suggest that I am more forgiving of the weaker aspects of the characters and the storytelling, White Witch, Black Curse really does not live up to expectations. As always, I am hopeful that the next book will live up to the tremendous potential of the series.