A VAMPIRE, A WITCH AND A PIXIE GO INTO A CHURCH....

Reading fantasy is unique in that if I told you I was reading a book were a with arrests an elf at a wedding  assisted by a pixie you would think I was reading a children's story (except for the arresting part) or a comedy.  But in fantasy, you could read such and actually find yourself as I did; in tears at the end  of  For A Few Demons More, Kim Harrison's fifth installment in The Hollows series.  This series bring s us in on the life of a Witch in post-bio-apocalyptic America about 40 years after a virus from a genetically engineered tomato killed 40% of the human population.  Because of the "Turn" Supes were able to come out from centuries of living with and as humans.  Witches, Were, Demons, Pixies, Elves and Faeries are all species separate from human, and Vampires are created by a virus and are living or undead.  Living vampires are either made or born, and undead is what becomes of a living vamp on death.  Undeads are not nice.  Elves are dying out, fairies are pests, Pixies are the gardeners of the world, Witches are licensed, Were descended somehow from humans but, unless affected by a special spell a human cannot be made Were.

     Kim Harrison 2008 Blue Heron Photography

As the books have progressed the main character has (so far ) fallen in love twice, left a career in law enforcement with a price on her head, moved in with a friend who is in love with her but for whom she does not feel the same way, and so on.  A lot of character development and discovery.  Things that seriously change the relationships between the books characters happen.  In other words, it is a series in which things actually progress, and not the same story told a slightly different way as are some series.

Also in the first book of the series there were no adult situations but these have become more a part of the plot  as the series has progressed.  The  love scenes are well written, a bit scant on description, perhaps. It depends on whether you prefer grapyhic description of the acts over the emotional quotient.
And, I must have come to care about the characters if I got all weepy.Kim Harrison 2008 Blue Heron Photograph

Fair Warning:  Typographical errors abound in the Kindle version.


So, I was excited when UPS rang my bell with my hardcover copy of Charlaine Harris' new book Dead in the Family.  Yes, an actual book.  Amazon is fighting with Mrs. Harris' publisher, Penguin so my pre-order for the Kindle version was canceled. Grrrr.  It is quite light at 309 pages in a largish font size. I have only been waiting a year for it (not four or five like with Diana Gabaldon's books).  I suspect I will have it read by morning. If I were good I would read but nine pages a day until the season premiere of True Blood.  But, alas, since I will probably read it instead of getting groceries, we can determine that I am not good.


Images courtesy www.kimharrison.net