Ever After

The Hollows, Book 11

By: Kim Harrison

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Length: 18 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Paranormal, 2014

The ever after, the demonic realm that parallels our own, is shrinking, and if it disappears, so does all magic. It’s up to witch-turned-daywalking-demon Rachel Morgan to fix the ever-after before the fragile balance between magic users and humans fails.

Of course, there’s also the small fact that she caused the ley line to rip in the first place, and her life is forfeit unless she can fix it. And that the most powerful demon in the ever after - the soul-eater Ku'Sox Sha-Ku'ru - has vowed to destroy Rachel, and has kidnapped her friend and goddaughter as leverage. If Rachel doesn’t give herself up, they will die.

Forced by circumstance, Rachel teams up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack - a prospect fraught with dangers of the heart as well as betrayal of the soul - to return to the ever after and rescue those she loves.

Both worlds teeter on the brink, one on a possible interspecies war, the other for its very existence, and it’s up to Rachel to keep both from being destroyed.

©2012 Kim Harrison (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers

Good. Better than the last two

I liked this one. It helped tie up some issues that have been dangling out there for a long time, set up some new things for the next book, and really showed how strong Rachel can be. Rachel still drives me nuts a little as she is always yelling and telling people to do things instead of just acting and fixing the problem. It still works though, and is just a part of who she is.

Overall, I liked it and will be getting the next one. Suggested.

Saving the Ever After and the world - Wow!

It has been a long wait since Perfect Blood. I read it at least four times in print and as an audiobook. When Ever After arrived, showing up simultaneously on my Kindle and in my Audible account the day before yesterday, I was dizzy with excitement. Finally!

Casual readers for whom books are just another way to pass the time will never understand the particular excitement of receiving a long-awaited book. This was a joyous event, a happy day. Finally, the next installment of the Hollows.

The thrill isn't gone, not by a long shot. I had just completed "A Memory of Light," the fourteenth and final book of Robert Jordan's (now Brian Sanderson's) Wheel of Time, so I needed to travel from one magical realm to another. It is a testament to my mental agility that I can slide so swiftly between planes of unreality and nary miss a beat.

I always read the audio version first, then read the book in print. Margeurite Gavin is so much the voice of the Hollows I can't imagine anyone doing a better narration. She was perfect as she has been in previous books.

I want to avoid spoilers since the book was released just two days ago and many fans haven't read it yet. I'll update it later when more people have had a chance to read it. In the meantime, I'm not going to tell you what happens, but I will tell you how I feel about it.

I had been enjoying the book. I was missing Ivy -- though not as much as I thought I would -- until I got to the second part of the book. At that point, I went from enjoying it to being enthralled.

After another chapter or two, Ever After had become so exciting and I was so gripped by the story, I trotted out to the living room and announced: "This book is so good you aren't going to see me again until I'm finished." I believe I babbled a bit more, then went back to my office and back to the world of magical Cincinnati, the saving of the Ever After, the world, and the shaping of Rachel Morgan's future.

Two hours later, the book ended.

I sighed, sitting there, absorbing the silence, unwilling to let go of the magic and bump down to my real world. So I stayed there for a while. Then I turned the computer off. It was late, nearly seven and past dinner time. I turned the oven on -- frozen pizza would have to do -- too late for anything more complicated.

Ever After was the most satisfying reading experience I've had in a long time. It scratched all my literary itches. There was magic passion and battles. There was a blooming of love and hope, the sadness of loss, and powerful demons to vanquish. I mourned the fallen, exalted for the living and dreamed about the what might lie in the future.

If a witch, an elf and a demon can work together to save the world, what other dreams may come?

Trent

Any additional comments?

Honestly, can anyone get enough Trent? The answer is no. Thank goodness Kim Harrison agrees. Kim Harrison's tomato-fearful world is back in gloriously full description which enables the reader/listen to really empathize with Rachel Mariana Morgan. Great job to writer and narrator.

Finally!

First off, thank you for dropping the price of this series to 1 credit {I know this was publisher setting the price, not audible's fault}. It should never have been a 2 credit series.

Next, I have to admit, I've dropped this series twice in the past only to be sucked back in. Surprisingly I think this is the best of the series. Rachel actually had some growth. Little to no inappropriate lusting of *many* other characters during battle scenes. No strong *too stupid to live* moments for Rachel. Some wonderful growth in the secondary characters. A lot of new angles to explore in the world with the reveal of some information on the war between the demons and the elves. And also BLESSEDLY little Ivy time. Angsty Vamp plots are LONG over. Please let Ivy go. One of the best things about this book was so little Ivy time.

Characters that had some really good and informative page time, Trent, Quen, Biz {and other Gargoyles!} Jenks, Al, and Newt.

For the first time I had no problems with Marguerite Gavin's performance. In the past she had a odd way of emphasizing certain words in sentences. It worked for Jenks but not with the other characters. That seems to have stopped.

I had several people ask me as I was listening how I felt? For the first 2/3 of the audio I said, "I don't hate it yet" Finally, by the end, I could actually say I liked it.

Ever Evolving!

When I read the first books of this series I had mixed emotions about how well I was going to like it. However, having now read each and every book and short story associated with it, it has become a must-read in my ever growing library! I love Rachel, Jenks, his kids and the ever growing circle of friends and enemies. Marguerite Gavin is a great narrator who makes the stories come alive.

This series just keeps getting better!

Would you listen to Ever After again? Why?

Yes! This series has blossomed into an almost "real" place thanks to the words of Kim Harrison. Additionally, I am a native Cincinnatian, and enjoy the fact that this alternate reality takes place in a landscape that is near and dear to my heart. Most importantly, Ms. Harrison has done an amazing job building on former plot lines in an absolutely believable way. Her character development has created realistic, likeable/unlikeable people to live in this amazing place called The Hollows. There is always something new to pick up on when I relisten to books in this series.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ever After?

I don't want to give anything away, but one of the characters "remembers" a lost friend in the story. The words describes this lost friend in a fond way that made me smile and also remember the lost character just as I would a deceased friend or relative myself. Very well done!

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

Ms. Gavin does a wonderful job on all the voices. Rachel would probably be my favorite in all the books and that is a good thing since she is the main character. However, I did quite enjoy Al in this book. I think the baby talk from Lucy and Rae also translates better in a listening situation. It must be difficult to write "baby talk".

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

I always laugh out loud during many scenes in stories of the Hollows. Rachel Morgan and her compatriots may live close to the edge much of the time, but they are basically optimistic in their outlook and humor is often the way they deal with their stress. While I didn't cry, there are some extremely touching moments in the story as well. It is plot lines like this that make The Hollows seem "real" to me.

Any additional comments?

I had the fortune of meeting Ms. Harrison at a book signing once. I told her I read the first book in the series because it took place in Cincinnati. I've read the rest of the books because they are so well written. I thank her for continuing this series. I strongly recommend this series.

Never a dull moment.

Rarely does a fantasy novelist create such colorful, interesting, and enjoyable characters. Even more rarely does one craft such an intricate, believable and rule-bound world as this. Kim Harrison sets herself appart by doing both and making it look easy.

I've loved this series since the beginning and have a fondness for it that simply will not die. Kim listens to her fans and she doesn't dangle things out of reach. Consequently, Ever After brings everything to the table that a Hollow's fan craves, while still following the hearts of the characters it contains.

You will not be disappointed.

amazing as always

I loved every minute of it. Always amazing. Never boring. I can not wait for the next book.

i love kim harrison.

her books are amazing...dramma suspense fantasy romance..everything rolled into one and more...im always on the edge of my seat with her books..and i love margarite galvins voice.

Listened 2X!

I loved this book! Had to listen to it twice! Didn't think Kim could top the last one... but than I say that after ever one of them! She has ruined me for any other urban fantasy series. Just hate that I will have to wait a year for the next one! I think I will listen to the whole series again! I was planning to do this before the last one comes out (# 13)... but I can probably do it then too! P.S.... I knew Rachel would somehow end up with Trent the first time they met!