Trouble with the Cursed

Kim Harrison’s latest novel in the Hollows urban fantasy series is the sixteenth novel featuring witch-born demon Rachel Morgan. The author is a superb storyteller who kept me on the edge of my sear with gripping scenes, a brilliant plot, and formidable characters.

Rachel is now responsible for keeping the paranormal community in Cincinnati in line. Her best friend, Ivy Tamwood is returning home, but she is bringing a vampire with her who is intent on proving Rachel killed Cincinnati’s master vampire to take over the city. With her friends experiencing problems in their lives, she reaches out to a new ally for help. However, he has his own agenda and things don’t go as Rachel expects.

Rachel is a fiery, bold, and intense protagonist who occasionally needs her self-confidence boosted by her friends. I enjoy the cast of supporting characters who have vastly different personalities and perspectives, but manage to work well together. This novel brings back some old favorites as well as adding a couple of interesting new characters, especially Getty. The chemistry between the characters creates a fun dynamic throughout the difficulties they face in this story. As this is the sixteenth book in the series, settling in with characters who already had multiple adventures can be difficult if one hasn’t read at least some of the previous books.

Kim Harrison’s creativity and great world-building stand out in this novel. The author weaves another installment in this series involving relationships, friendship, lies, deceit, stress baking, new magical techniques, selfishness, and selflessness that keeps readers hooked from beginning to end. The plot is twisty and absorbing with exciting scenes and an antagonist’s personality that is hauntingly memorable. It brings together compelling characters and a rich storyline that had me wondering how much a person could take before giving up trying to make everything right. Nothing is ever as it seems. The conflict moves the story forward and through unexpected events. The tension was so thick that I could almost feel it. My only quibble is that the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly and could have been extended over a couple of more chapters to add depth.

Overall, this was an engaging novel with suspense, action, adversity, and a little romance. This story will help you escape the real world for a day of thrills and chills. If you enjoy urban fantasies, then I recommend that you check out this series. I am looking forward to finding out what happens next.

Berkley Publishing Group – Ace and Kim Harrison provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for June 14, 2022.