Reviews
Holy cow! I have felt kind of iffy about the last few books, but this more than made up for it.
Ever After is the 11th book in The Hallows/Rachel Morgan series. Throughout the series the reader watches Rachel struggle and grow in both her powers and her maturity. However, this feels like the first time that Rachel has really come into her own, and making decisions while considering the consequences and potential impact on the people she cares about. Both Jenks and Ivy have limited roles in this novel, Ivy is very limited but it fits the plot and carries through from the last book “A Perfect Blood” in demonstrating how their relationship dynamic is changing. In some ways the change in the dynamic makes me a little sad but at the same time the continued maturity of Rachel and her changing relationship with Trent, Al, and Newt make up for the feeling of loss. I don’t want to leave any spoilers in this review but I will say there is plenty of unexpected turmoil and betrayal. It’s rare that I ever go back and read a book but I am seriously considering re-reading the prior 2 books, Pale Demon and A Perfect Blood just to see if I missed anything.
Rating: 4.5 to 4.75 This hovered pretty much at 4 stars for me throughout most of the book until the last half and that was mainly because they touched on plot line that has been a running theme throughout some of the past books and it sort of threw me out of the main plot for this one. I realize why Kim Harrison included this small side plot (because it will be a big theme in either the 12th or 13th book I am sure), but I was really engaged with the plot of this book (and sort of sad and unhappy with one of the twists that I did not see coming!) and then all of the sudden it was like, *blip*, I am going to just stick this right here, throw you off of the main story, and toss you right out of your groove. So, needless to say I was not happy about the little detour, but the book ended up redeeming itself with a killer last quarter of the book and I am excited to read #12 and counting down the days to the grand finale #13! Hopefully I will find time to post a more in-depth review.
Another great addition to the series. Ever After was non-stop action. All of my favorite characters from the other books in this series were involved and I like the new character additions. There are really great characters that I just can't get enough of. Al and Jenks! This was one of those books I couldn't wait to get back to. Rachel developed so much during this book. I love that I can still be surprised by this series. Harrison's writing addictive, I was hooked early on in this series and I keep expecting a decline in the series but this may be my favorite in the series so far. I don't want to go too much into the plot because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. Rachel embraces her demon magic, more out of need than want, and the Ever After is being destroyed. Harrison's never-ending creativity makes this series amazing. I can't wait for the next book.
