The Undead Pool

The Hollows, Book 12

By: Kim Harrison

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Number-one New York Times best-selling author Kim Harrison returns to the supernatural adventures of Rachel Morgan in the penultimate book of the Hollows series.

Witch and day-walking demon Rachel Morgan knows magic - earth, ley line, even the forbidden demon magic - and that knowledge has saved her life more than once. But now something - or someone - is attacking Cincinnati and the Hollows, causing spells to backfire or go horribly wrong while living vampires attack humans and Inderlanders alike.

The pressures build when the city is quarantined to contain the unreliable magic, and Rachel must stop the attacks before the undead vampire masters who keep the rest of the undead under control are lost and it becomes all-out supernatural war.

The only way to do so is through the ancient elven magic, but that carries its own perils - for magic always has a price, and gods do not come lightly when called.

©2014 Kim Harrison (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers

Mystics, cookies and elves - ohhhh myyyyy!!

Hollows fans will not be disappointed. The narration was awesome and the story just rocked.

OMG just doesn't cover the awesomeness of this story. I feel like after almost a decade of fandom I received the ultimate reward for staying loyal to a series.

It is so sad to think of a series coming to it's end with only one more book after this, with each book just keeps getting better and topping the last (when you thought the last was simply the best yet).

Rachel had less Too Stupid TO LIVE moments (thought I do love her dearly - I want to strangle her at times) and is truly - gasp - growing up!!! All the characters simply shined (especially my favorite elf). They evolved and grew but stayed true to themselves. Good feelings abounded, shock and sadness prevailed. It was the Hollows at it's best (or worst in this case) which means surprising turns and plot twists, some expected still didn't happen how you thought they might. Many questions answered and more so to be answered. I'm holding myself to not being spoilery other than I LOVE the cover of the book and it doesn't disappoint.

OMG - now I can't wait for 2015. How will all this end???

Wonderful listen

What made the experience of listening to The Undead Pool the most enjoyable?

The whole nine yards, the story is refreshing and wholly engrossing. Narration by Marguerite Gavin was excellent as always.

What other book might you compare The Undead Pool to and why?

In a class by it's self, the only other books that compare in this genre is the rest of The Hollows.

Which character – as performed by Marguerite Gavin – was your favorite?

I love them all.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me very happy with the relationships and how all of them evolved, not just in this book but in the series.

Any additional comments?

First don't read this book without reading the entire series, it would be like reading Queen of Sorcery before Pawn of Prophecy (David & Leigh Eddings).

Second for all those who have read the series FOR HEAVENS SAKE READ THIS.
You will not be disappointed in the slightest.

Big thanks to Kim Harrison for sharing her amazing imagination with us.

Good

What did you love best about The Undead Pool?

Learning more about the history of the goddess entity and how it all works.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I would have dropped the Trent romance line. I know a lot of people love this pairing, but I still remember how he was introduced as a drug running murderer and while he had his reasons to keep his secrets, the secret of the survival of the elven race he in my mind is still a murdering scumbag.

Which character – as performed by Marguerite Gavin – was your favorite?

Jenks

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

mostly

Any additional comments?

I hope the final books answers more.

Why does it have to be over!!

If you could sum up The Undead Pool in three words, what would they be?

Demons, witches, and an elf

What did you like best about this story?

Rachel never fails at being a good protagonist with an attitude problem, who is slightly oppositional defiant. Kim Harrison created a well written group of characters that you come to know as family. Rachel finally gains acceptance in the strangest places.

What does Marguerite Gavin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Marguerite Gavin is an excellent narrator. She has a great way of making the character's voices completely different from one another. I almost stopped listening to the series when the narrators where changed, but I plugged through it.

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

I just wish they'd make the film.. : )

Any additional comments?

This series was excellent, from the in-depth back story of the tomato virus, to the history of each race representative in the book. I have a difficult time with the run of the mill fantasy, and tend to skip the D&D writers. However, Kim Harrison has provided a story that is both fantastical and appealing to all readers. I highly suggest this book.

Unique story with UNEXPECTED TWISTS

Would you consider the audio edition of The Undead Pool to be better than the print version?

Absolutely!! I normally read a book first then order the audio only if the story is good enough for me to enjoy the story again. However I stopped doing that with the Hollows Books starting with 9 since Harrison proved to consistently deliver a good story and Marguerite Gavin brings to life the characters that I love.

What did you like best about this story?

The shift in Rachel and Trent's relationship and the changes in Trent's character.

Which scene was your favorite?

The fight scene between Rachel and Al. I won't say more not wanting to spoil the fun for you.

great story

a great continuation of a great story. Kim Harrison is the best and the narration is excellent.

great

l love her books! looking forward to the next one. like the info on newt

Never Ending Twists

As usual it is unpredictable excitement. Never a dull moment with Kim Harrison. Her imagination is off the charts! Nice moves Trent.

Changing Voices....

I love the story. The changing names and voices, however, really take away from the listening experience. "Edden" has become "Eden" (as in the garden of Eden pronunciation) and Newt's voice is now all high and girly. Margurite has done an amazing job, and Rachel and Jenks still sound the same. Ivy is a bit off... I get the distinct impression that clips from the previous books aren't listened to prior to recording a new book. Not exactly best practices for the consistency of the characters. Not as bad as a whole new narrator, but irritatingly distracting all the same.

Everyone coming full circle

Great book, 16 hours long and I listened to it in two days, that's how good it was. If you are following this series, you won't miss this installment and won't be disappointed. It brings together many of the characters we haven't seen in awhile, such as David and the pack, along with reminders from previous books, not forgetting Tristen and Ceri. The vampires play a heavy role in this one, with Ivy having a larger role. Jinks is at the top of his game, keeping us in stitches with his blunt outbursts of life as he sees it. Al seems to be the heartbreaker of the book, as we see where his torment lies (demon or not, I felt sorry for him) Things seem to be coming to an end as some of the lives of our friends get settled one way or another. The story mainly folds around Rachel and Trent though with yet another adventure to save the world, as they both struggle with personal emotions for each other.