This is the twelfth book in The Hollows series by Harrison. There are thirteen books planned for this series with the last book in the series expected to release in 2015 (as yet it is untitled). This was an absolutely excellent book in this series. This series lagged a bit for books 7-9, but it is back in full swing again and the most recent books have been spectacular, I am so happy I kept reading it.

Rachel is working security for Trent and when she tries to stop a stray golf ball from hitting him her curse goes horribly wrong and explodes. Quickly she realizes that all over the city magic is going horribly wrong. There seem to be waves of something disrupting magic charms and curses alike. Then it is found out that the same magic waves have caused the Master Vampires to go to sleep. Now not only is magic causing chaos but rogue vampires are too. The tension between the human and Inderlander populations is climbing and threatening to tear the city apart.

This was a fantastic book in The Hollows series. This was a wonderful story in this world involving lots of interesting things. Demons, elves, vampires, and all of their history play a big part in the story. Of course Rachel is the only one with the unique ability to straddle all of these worlds.

Rachel and Trent are in the story a ton and I loved watching the way they have both changed over the course of the series. Rachel has finally started to trust those around her and accept their help. Trent has started to question his place in Elven society and how that runs his life. The tension between the two is delicious, this is a pivotal book for this couple.

Although I will admit watching Rachel and Trent interact was my favorite part of the story, romance wasnt the only driver for the story. There are a lot of other things going on here too. Politics between demons and elves have always been tense and that comes to a head in this book as we learn more behind the history and reason for their hatred.

All of our favorites are in here too: Ivy, Jenks, David, Bis. It was a wonderful addition to the series. Things end in a great spot and it makes me curious as to what the upcoming (and final) book in the series will be about.

Overall a fantastic addition to The Hollows series. I highly recommend this whole series if you are looking for an excellent urban fantasy series that is action packed, has great world building, and has a fantastic cast of characters. I really enjoyed this book and cant wait to see what the final book in the series holds for us!

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Not my favorite, not my least.
Trent's one of those characters I didn't like at all at the beginning of the series. But there is something about him that appeals and he does change throughout the series. One thing I didn't like in this one, was he was still with Ellasbeth when he and Rachel began "dating." I don't mean to pick, but that's cheating and something I really hate.
I didn't like Rachel as much in this one. She was too angsty and too focused on Trent's body/attractiveness. I got tired of reading about how could he possibly want her, he belongs with Ellasbeth, blah, blah, blah.
I'm not sure how I feel about some of the developments in this one; Ivy, Al, the mystics. I liked the revelation about Newt. Good plot twists and phenomenal writing. I fluctuate between a 3 and 4 for this one (I initially rated a 3, than changed to 4, so how about 3.5?)

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Not that the book was bad...technically, but I struggled quite a bit with this story. Maybe my expectations are too high, but I committed to this series as soon as I started Dead Witch Walking and was determined to stick with it even though some of the books in the series didn't leave me with a thrill or excitement for the next one. Rachel, Ivy and Jenks have come a long way from that first book and they all have been through a lot. I get that. I try not to demand too much of them, but I haven't felt that thrill with this series for a while and I really want to. I am really hoping that the next book, which is the last book really packs a punch and knocks my socks off.

So here I am, with the next to the last book in the series read and all I can keep thinking about is Al. I knew he is the last living organism in Heaven or Hell, on Earth or in the hereafter who will raise a glass and toast Rachel and Trent hooking up. I would have been right there with Al, spewing venom. Trent has not been a good guy or even a nice guy and though I have observed a change in him and a definite softening in Rachel where he is concerned, I didn't trust it. I didn't trust him. They have been at war for the entire series and actually even before that. I'm just surprised that Rachel has let her guard down, among other things, with Trent. He has redeemed himself so I really hope that it's genuine. The last thing on Earth that Rachel needs is a big fat I Told You So from Al. So, I'm not completely unhappy that this is the direction the series has gone with Rachel and Trent. She has had her share of bad luck where men are concerned and even with this twelfth book, I am still very angry at Nick and his betrayal.

My heart still hurts for Jenks and the loss of his wife, though he appears to be doing well and I get such a kick out of him. He is truly my favorite character and he deserves his own series. I love everything about him, from his hundreds and hundreds of kids, his odd relationship with Belle, his protectiveness of Rachel, his refusal to think even for a moment that his pint-sized, cute pixie self isn't big enough to handle some of the crap that comes Rachel's way. I love it when he gets drunk on honey and his Tinkerbell curse words. Ms. Harrison, if you find yourself reading this review, I am hoping you are considering something special for Jenks down the road.

I have been less sure of Ivy. Didn't really care for the direction her relationship with Rachel was heading a few books back with the whole blood relationship thing and I am so happy that they have moved away from that and Ivy has Nina now. Am I rooting for her? Not really. Don't get me wrong. I don't dislike her, I just don't pine for her when she is absent like I do for Jenks. I am not looking around wondering where she is and when she will make an appearance. Rachel cares for her so I don't wish bad things on her, though I often thought it would be really interesting if she did die and what she would be like as an undead vampire.

The other supporting characters of Quen, David and Detective Glenn are all interesting characters that I enjoy seeing Rachel interact with.

I found this story to be just OK. Rachel seems to have her hands full trying to figure out what is going on with the undead Master vampires and why so many spells are going wrong. The story just seemed to meander from one plot point to another without any strong sense of direction or purpose. Even finding out who is behind the latest mess Rachel has to clean up didn't leave me with an "oh boy, here we go" feeling. It was just kind of an "meh" feeling. In spite of the less than exciting response this book gave me, I am looking forward to the next book so I can hopefully get closure. Overall, I have enjoyed this series. It's been a great ride and I am sad to see it all come to an end.

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