A Fistful of Charms

This is the first time that I can write that I enjoyed the audio versions of this series more than reading the books themselves. The narrator is perfect. When reading on my own, the sarcasm and wit does not come as clear as when this narrator, Marguerite Gavin, reads the emotions and humor into the words. I've listened to every book in the series except the last one (because they switched the narrator) merely because I loved her reading.

This story, and all the previous, are very funny and are an original slant on the paranormal/romance genre. The pixies, the vamps and of course, the witch/demon Rachel Morgan are loads of fun.

Having already enjoyed the first 3 books in this series in rapid succession, I was eager to start this one. There was a lot I liked, but some elements of the plot (particularly in the 2nd half of the book) disappointed me.

On the plus side, the personalities of the major characters are developed even further as they face challenging new situations. The growth (in one character's case, literal) seems consistent with what we already know of them. Rachel continues to push the envelope as she begins to explore new types of magic. She exclusively used nature based earth charms in the first book of the series, but as she continues to tally up demon marks and increasingly rely on other forms of magic, you may wonder whether this "white witch" is gradually becoming a gray one.

The relationships between the characters are interesting to follow throughout the entire book, but the major plotline from the 2nd half of the book didn't work well for me. I felt that the plan developed by Rachel and company didn't seem well thought out, considering its complexity. Their scheme seemed full of holes and likely trouble spots, and I expected they could have arranged a solution that involved less risk and effort on their part.

The narrator from the previous three books returns again, and she continues to do outstanding work. As the number of recurring characters in the series continues to increase, she does a great job of giving each of them a distinctive voice and attitude.

If you've enjoyed the previous entries in this series, I suspect you will also enjoy this one (as I did). If you're new to the series, I'd strongly recommend starting with the first book, Dead Witch Walking. The author does a decent job of recapping key details from earlier books as needed, but understanding the characters, the world they live in, and the details of the magic they use may still be a challenge.

The final audio recording was poorly edited, with jarring, abrupt changes in volume, voice/tone, and strange sections where it seemed to be playing on a fast speed, as if I'd pushed the 1 1/2 speed on my iPod (which I confirmed each time I hadn't, and only happened with this audiobook.)

Also, the narrator made lots of mistakes, like saying FBI instead of FIB. She also kept ending her sentences before. They were done. She just kept taking on the ending parts of the sentence, even after she had finished. Saying the first part.

It drove me crazy.

Also, Rachel became more and more of a martyr, assuming guild and responsibility for EVERYTHING, to the point of ridiculousness. It would have been tolerable if it was just her neurosis, but everyone else blamed her for those things as well, which made no sense at all.

Lastly, the relationship between Rachel and Ivy has just gotten annoying and unbelievable. Rachel keeps narrating things about how she feels, but none of those things are ever evident in the story. It was the same with all the conclusions Rachel came to; there was no hint of those things, but she just kept suddenly narrating what she had figured out.

The only thing I liked about the story really was the plot line with Rachel and Kisten.

I had been hooked on this series, but I'm losing interest. I already had the next audiobook in the series, so I gave it a try as well. It was better narrated, but was MUCH worse as far as Rachel's personality, how everyone blames her for everything, and the ridiculousness of Rachel and Ivy.

No

This book is action packed and full of adventure! Rachel Morgan becomes more involved with demons and her relationships with Ivy Tamwood and Nick evolve. The gang actually leave Cincinnati on a rescue mission which causes a unique set of challenges. We get to see Jenks in a whole new light which makes this my favorite in The Hollows series so far.

I listened to this on audio and while I enjoy Marguerite Gavin's narration many sentences were halting and broke the flow of the book. She even made mistakes with character's voices a few times which was terribly distracting. Whoever was in charge of production really dropped the ball but I still loved the book.

This series is an amazing series but this is by far the best. I could not stop listening. The characters become even more real and I laughed non stop. There are so many twists and turns that you may feel dizzy but in the best way possible. Don't miss out! Download it!!!!

they are so fun and keep you interested

I can not get enough Rachel Morgan! High intensity with lots of twists and turns. I am always left wanting more! Please let Rachel live forever!

This is the best book yet in this series! I really enjoyed it with its new twists. If you've been listening, this installment won't let you down!

Loved this one, really brings the relationship between Ivy and Rachel forward, explains the dynamics between them better from Ivy's perspective. If you love Jenks though, THIS is the one to read!!!

I picked up the first book on a lark and have now listened to all six back to back. Whew! This is an addicting series & "Fistful" is my favorite of them all. The story is fastpaced and taunt; I couldn't put it down. The dynamic between Rachel and the other characters is really enjoyable. The tension between Ivy and Rachel has me in knots!! I've become an "Adrenaline Junkie" by way of my addiction to these darn audios. And Ms. Gavin is fantastic as narrator. I wish she narrated #6! In fact, I'm listening to this one again & enjoying Gavin all the more for having missed her interpretation in #6.