Pale Demon

The Hollows, Book 9

By: Kim Harrison

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Condemned and shunned for black magic, Rachel Morgan has three days to get to the annual witches' conference and clear her name, or be trapped in the demonic ever-after - forever after.

But a witch, an elf, a living vampire, anda pixy in one car, going across the country? Talk about a recipe for certain disaster, even without being the targets for assassination.

For after centuries of torment, a fearsome demon walks in the sunlight, freed at last to slay the innocent and devour their souls. But his ultimate goal is Rachel Morgan, and in the fight for survival that follows, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.

Listen to more in The Hollows series.

©2011 Kim Harrison (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Incredible Internal Consistency

A good book in any genre is internally consistent. It's a matter of editing and proofing. However, no one expects a series to be internally consistent. We're talking many years, sometimes a decade, of book after book. Kim Harrison is shockingly consistent throughout the series. Early in Pale

Demon, Rachel is attacked by an elf for the first time with what she calls "wild magic." The method of attack is kind of strange: Rachel is attacked by elves singing. This is book nine, and while I listen to this, I'm thinking of my favorite scene from the series in book three, Every Which Way But Dead, where Trent saves Rachel from hypothermia.

"The car picked up speed, and the sound seemed to lull me. I could relax, I thought as I felt the tingling of circulation in my limbs. I was in Trent’s car, wrapped in a blanket, and held in his arms. He wouldn’t let anything hurt me. He wasn’t singing, though, I mused. Shouldn’t he be singing?"

When I first listened to Every Which Way But Dead, that last sentence stuck out for me. Why singing? Now I know. Kim Harrison was able to foreshadow a magical element in Pale Demon 6 years and 6 books ago. This is something that needs to be celebrated.

On Narration:
If you are familiar with Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville series or the previous audiobooks in this series (with the exception of The Outlaw Demon Wails, which is narrated by Gigi Bermingham), you are well-acquainted with Marguerite Gavin's voice. If not, she has a strong radio-like voice, which has a sing-song quality to it. It takes about an hour to get used to the cadence that draws out the end of sentences, but once you do, it becomes part and parcel of the way you hear the story. She does fantastic accents and convincing male voices. Also, Marguerite Gavin sings certain parts of the book that require it, which is quite a bonus. She has a good singing voice and I don't suppose Kim Harrison actually had a song in mind when she wrote down what Trent sings.

LOVED IT!

I love this series! I thought the action was intense, a little more so than in the previous books. There are moments, as said in previous reviews, where you lol and look around to see if anyone is looking at you do it! The characters really draw you in! I can't get enough of Al or Trent! I have to say the end did surprise me. You aren't used to Raechel trying the easy/safe way. Leaves you hanging until the next book...can't wait...a year....(sigh). As far as the credits go.... they must be crazy! If you do the 1 credit a month at 14.95 you are paying about 30 bucks for one book???!!! Cheaper to buy elsewhere. Good thing I got this book when it was on sale!

I call shotgun!

What do two witches, one elf, one vampire, one demon killer and a pixie have in common? The roadtrip from hell and a really peeved demon LOL Have you ever gone on a roadtrip and everything go wrong? Well this one will make you feel better about yours.

This is a GREAT book in the series. All the characters we've come to know, love and hate... in a car....together....lord have mercy! Totally worth the listen!!

My favorite..so far

Would you listen to Pale Demon again? Why?

I would probably listen to the entire series again! I love the characters and this book had more Trent and more Al, I like these dangerous guys. I am so hopeful that Rachel and Trent are going to be together. I'm tired of Rachel wasting her time with losers and she is always convincing herself they are ok. I liked this book a lot and up until now I felt kind of frustrated at the end of a book. Mostly because I felt there was so much potential and unexplored territory. I'm eager to see Rachel develop her skills, find the love she needs (hopefully with Trent) and change the lives of the various mythical beings. I have a few more books to listen to...but I feel the happily ever after on its way.

Great book, lousy price

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

What I like about Kim Harrison's books are her consistency but her unpredictability!Listening to Ms. Gavin's narration makes it worthwhile. Even though this is the type of book (vampires, witches, elves...) that I did not think I'd read in a million years, I will if the future audio books in the series are 2 credits. Much too expensive!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

These books would make an excellent tv series.

Awesome story!

Any additional comments?

Very good series and book! Plenty of witchy and vampire action. Character development and world building is phenomenal. The narrator did a great job too!

Fun book

Being so far in the series, this is another funny adventurous Rachel Morgan book. I gave the performance only 4 stars, because while this stand alone performance was great- in comparison with others in the series read by the same voice actor, some accents keep changing for the characters, and/or pronunciations of same words is changing alas we get further along in the series... It's nothing terrible, but it does interrupt continuity a bit...

Great Book!

Love this series! This book was highly entertaining. I really enjoy the narrator, Marguerite Gavin. She does great voices. Can't wait for the next one!

Witches are buttheads...

A Witches Conference. Black Magic. Elven quests. Day walking demons... its a paddock full of crazy. This book sends us in three different directions at once. It's a wild ride of craaaaazy!

Rachel, Ivy and Jenks are on a mission to get to the west coat for the witches conference. But as plans go, nothing ever makes a way to do things the easy way. After being black listed from the flights they run into Trent. he'd already wanted her to travel with him so... lets just say they are all wrapped into the a burrito of chaos. The Coven is still after Rachel. Elves are after Trent and with them both being in one place... they make easy arsed targets.

Fighting is a given. And when a demon on the loose that can walk and function completely in the daylight things take a bad turn. Kusox... is a bad, bad idiot of a demon. He's smart, trendy and all out to cause trouble. he eats people for their souls. So needless to say.. he is a bad mamajama. But when he comes face to face with Rachel, he learns he isn't the only day walking demon. Even is Rachel doesn't think she's a demon.

When things go south at the conference.... a real battle of wills starts. Rachel is brushed off into the ever after. Al, of course is thrilled. It's while she is there that Rachel's life truly takes a turn. She is truly a Day Walking Demon. Then, when Kusox attacks again, she is summoned back (in the daylight hours) to be of a service to the Coven things get twisted... and if not for Biz and Trent, Rachel will meet her maker, so to speak.

In the end, things have evolved to the point of calm, but you never know how long such a thing will last. Rachel has to adapt to letting Trent in, to get closer to her in order to help. The Coven has to resend her shunning after she has offered help and... life at it was.. is no more. It's a new day, and a new life for the day walking demon, formally known as Rachel Morgan, White Witch.

loved this one

I'm so enamored with this series. I'm reeling from the last bit! it's been so obvious that Trent loves her and she's been so oblivious until then. I'm gonna need the next book and I'm telling you if they don't become a couple I'll scream!