In my ongoing re-read of Kim Harrison’s Hollows series, I’ve just finished book #4, A Fistful of Charms. As mentioned in previous posts, beware of spoilers if you haven’t read this book/series. Consider yourself warned.

Here’s what Audible.com has to say about the book:

The evil night things that prowl Cincinnati despise witch and bounty-hunter Rachel Morgan. Her new reputation for the dark arts is turning human and undead heads alike with the intent to possess, bed, and kill her – not necessarily in that order.

Now a mortal lover who abandoned Rachel has returned, haunted by his secret past. And there are those who covet what Nick possesses – savage beasts willing to destroy the Hollows and everyone in it if necessary.

Forced to keep a low profile or eternally suffer the wrath of a vengeful demon, Rachel must nevertheless act quickly. For the pack is gathering for the first time in millennia to ravage and to rule. Suddenly, more than Rachel’s soul is at stake.

Be prepared for those aforementioned spoilers!

Despite enjoying much about this book, there were parts of it that I really didn’t care for. I loved Jenks being big. Really, really loved it! With that side plot alone, Harrison explored a wealth of ‘new’ material as Jenks learned to navigate this unfamiliar, smaller world. Every situation was a new experience for him and he went from not liking being big to stating near the end of the book that “Being big is good!”

Rachel was bad-assery incarnate in this book with her newfound skills at cooking up ‘charms’. She has to defend her alpha status as part of David’s pack, wrestle with her conscious over the means she uses to obtain a desired end and, oh yes… rescue Jenks’ son Jax and her ex-boyfriend, Nick. She and Jenks travel to northern Michigan to find Jax and Nick and land in a heap of trouble with some were packs. The run was full of action and adventure and was classic Rachel fun.

I have to say though, that I really didn’t enjoy the events that transpired once Ivy arrived. I do like Ivy… I feel for her character and I think she’s got some great lines but I didn’t care much for her in this book and I really didn’t like the change in her relationship with Rachel. Still, the book had enough ‘charm’ to keep me listening and indeed, I flew through this one.

Also, am I a sucker for feeling kind of sorry for Nick throughout most of this book? His raw grief when recalling how he thought Rachel was dead after the boat explosion in book #3 was touching, in my opinion. And while he proved to be a right ass by the end of the book, I still had a soft spot for him though I by no means was rooting for him where Rachel was concerned.

Despite missing Trent and yes, Al… I enjoyed this quick listen and look forward to the next installment! Next up: Book #5, For A Few Demons More.