A Fistful of Charms (Rachel Morgan, Book 4)
HarperTorch - HarperTorch
Release date: 2006-06-27
Mass Market Paperback
Author: Kim Harrison
Science Fiction And Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction - Fantasy, Fantasy, Fantasy - General, Fiction / Fantasy / General, Fiction / General
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A Fistful of Charms (Rachel Morgan, Book 4)
Date undefinedThis one was so full of events...I think someone should make it a movie. I would certainly go see it!
A Fistful of Charms (Rachel Morgan, Book 4)
Date undefinedA Fistful of Charms, the 4th entry in Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series, is easily the best story in the series. (At least so far; I haven't had a chance to read books 5 or 6 yet!) The story is wonderful, and this stellar entry elevates a solid series into a great one.
Ironically, it's not the main plot that makes this book shine. (Although it is a good one.) Instead it's the sub-plot involving the personal relationships between Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks that makes this book a "page-turner." The author finally gives us some real insights into the reasons behind Ivy's emotional struggles as well as why she is so obsessed with Rachel. Seeing Rachel come to terms with these revelations and begin to open herself up to Ivy is sweet, touching, and even a bit erotic. (No spoilers! You'll have to read the book for all the juicy details.)
Jenks is back, which makes the book very fun to read. (I sorely missed him and his sense of humor in book 3.) Jenks's efforts to rescue and reform his son Jax really adds depth to his character, and you get the sense of someone who may look young but is actually very world-weary.
It's especially nice to see Rachel making better decisions about who to trust and how to run her life. It is sometimes irritating in the earlier books to see Rachel constantly resisting her friends' efforts to help her. It's was especially wearisome to see Rachel get in over her head and barely manage to survive over and over again. One of the strong points of this book is that you (and Rachel) finally get some insight into WHY she often finds herself in those situations.
That is also a strong selling point for the main plot. For once, Rachel (with Jenks's help) manages to complete a run without everything spiraling COMPLETELY out of control AND without getting beaten to a bloody pulp. (Both of which seem to happen with alarming frequency.) Seeing Rachel rescue Nick and Jax and then successfully fend off several packs of Werewolves was very interesting, and the author did an excellent job with it. It was also nice to have a break from the seemingly constant threat of Demons gunning for Rachel. Having the bulk of the story take place in Mackinac was icing on the cake for a Michigan native like me!
For the first time with this series, I can't wait to get the next book! While the fist book was excellent and the second book was decent, the third book was a bit of a chore to read. (Except for the well written love scene between Rachel and Kisten.) I was ready to relegate this series to the "nice but not worth the price" category until this fourth entry. Now I'm hooked for good!
A Fistful of Charms (Rachel Morgan, Book 4)
Date undefinedThe audio cds for the first five books in the Rachael Morgan series by Kim Harrison are read with great skill. They hold your attention. The different voice pitches are right on the characters, the emotions, the plot. If you have any of the first five audio books, you are going to want this one and the rest. UNFORTUNATELY, for me and for any otheres who have to listen to audio books rather than having the pleasure of reading, the sixthy book in the series The Outlaw Demon Wails is terrible. A new reader has taken over. Her voice is irritating and childish. Her characters sound ridiuclous. The demons sound more like a cartoon, Jenks sounds like a faiie..and if you'rve read the previous books, you'll know what an insult that is. Sometimes for no reason, a character YELLS. I don't know if that is the read, which I suspect, or engineering. Also, Demon Wails is horrible. As wonderful as the first five are, Demona Wails is almost impossible to listen to without a lot of head shaking and eye rolling. The Rachael Morgan books went from wonderfully dramatic, humorous, emotional readings to a sad, sad 'I wish I had not wasted my money' flop. Some of us are going to be forced to buy the poor reading to continue the exploits of Rachael. If I can possibly find someone who has read the book, I'd settle for them simply telling me what happened. "The Outlaw Demon Wails" is that bad, and the first five are that good. Oh...and in Demon Wails, the reader not only cannot pronounce the characters names, but she cannot pronounce basic vocabulary. Sad but true.
