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A Fistful of Charms
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A Fistful of Charms
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A Fistful of Charms
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A Fistful of Charms

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this ebook

From New York Times best-selling author, Kim Harrison, comes the fourth book in her brilliant series, The Hollows; packed with vampires, werewolves and witches – don’t miss out on this sexy urban fantasy.

There's no rest for the wicked, even when the taint on your soul isn't your fault.

It would be wise for witch and bounty hunter, Rachel Morgan, to keep a low profile right now. Her new reputation for the dark arts has piqued the interest of Cincinnati's night-prowlers, who despise her and long to bring an end to her interference, one way or another.

Nevertheless, Rachel must risk exposure. Her ex-boyfriend, Nick, has stolen a priceless Were artefact, and, as tempting as it may be to let the Weres him apart, Rachel feels obliged to attempt a rescue. But other sinister forces also covet the relic Nick has hidden. Some who desire it so badly, they will take the city – and everyone in it – apart to wield its frightening power.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 24, 2010
ISBN9780007301843
Author

Kim Harrison

Kim Harrison is best known as the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Hollows series, but she has written more than urban fantasy and has published more than two dozen books, spanning the gamut from young adult, accelerated-science thriller, and several anthologies and has scripted two original graphic novels set in the Hollows universe. She has also published traditional fantasy under the name Dawn Cook. Kim is currently working on a new Hollows book between other, nonrelated, urban fantasy projects.

Read more from Kim Harrison

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Rating: 4.026666666666666 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Rachel's obsession about the smut on her soul is starting to drive me crazy. I wish she'd just get over it and realize that dark magic is hardly the worst of the things she's done or may have to do.

    I'm also getting fed up with her teasing of Kisten. She knows how he reacts, she knows from him and from Ivy, but she never stops. Rachel can be very self-centered.

    Jenks and his family remain win.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The premise: ganked from BN.com: 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. And suddenly more than Rachel's soul is at stake.My Rating: Worth Reading, with ReservationsIt may have been me, but this book was a slower read. Part of it was, like I said, me: lots of stuff going on and not enough time to read. Yet certain sections felt like they were dragged out slightly longer than necessary, and when it comes to Rachel ruminated over the same facts or fears over and over and over, I could always use less of that. Still though, some pretty big things happen in this book, and I suspect Harrison's setting up for something much bigger. What, I'm not sure, but I know I'll be finding out soon enough.That being said, I'm taking a brief break from the series before moving on to book five, which is the last book in the series that I own. I think part of the slowness was the simple fact that I'm feeling overly familiar with the world and characters, so I wasn't as eager as I could've been to find out what happened next. Still, with the exception of book two, which really wore on my nerves, the series has been pretty enjoyable. Not perfect by any means, but interesting with an ever-expanding cast of characters who are increasingly enjoyable. I definitely look forward to continuing, but right now, I need a slight break. :)Spoilers, yay or nay?: Yay. Lots of spoilers actually, so if you're not caught up through this sucker (which is book four in the series), don't read the full review, which is located in my blog. For those of you caught up, feel free to check it out. The full review is linked to below, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome.REVIEW: Kim Harrison's A FISTFUL OF CHARMSHappy Reading!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I've really enjoyed the development of the relationship between Rachel (a straight witch) and Ivy (a lesbian-leaning bisexual vampire). I've never encountered a story before that attempts to delve into the complexities of friendship between women when one is straight and the other isn't. Ivy is in love with Rachel, but Rachel doesn't simply dismiss her but instead tries to find a way to make love work... without sex. Add in the complications of Ivy's living vampire status and the story gets satisfyingly complex!

    I've enjoyed all the books in this series, but so far this was my favorite.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the fourth installment in the Rachel Morgan series, a fairly successful paranormal action/romance/fantasy type book. I've enjoyed the series to date, and this book did not dissapoint.I found the plot well thought out and forward moving, the characters like old familiar friends, and the tension in the book was palatable.The basic plot is that Rachel ends up helping out a friend to rescue his son, who is involved with Rachel's ex-boyfriend. While on task she learns about herself, her ex-boyfriends, and her situation at home. I think that the story was well crafted, and had a great (and appropriate) ending. It wasn't a great cliffhanger, nor was it a closed ending, but left a terrific segue to the next book.This book had the regular cast of characters, Rachel, Ivy, Kisten, Nick, Jenks, Ceri, etc. No Trent or Big Al, so that was interesting. I can't wait to see what happens with those two next!Anyway, this was a pretty good book, with no major sex (a sexual type scene happened, but it wasn't "sex" per se), a fair amount of cussing and violent and gory scenes. I would say that this book is definitely for 16 year olds and up.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Direction of series changes a bit, as protagonist gets a bit more gray in thought and practice. Feeling that nothing is sacred to the author adds an edge of uncertainty as well. Enjoyable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I will admit I am more of a werewolf fan than vampire fan. This book finally brought out more Were's! Yippee...but it also brought out more the Vampy politics and rules! Not so Yippee!I liked the plot and especially liked that Jenks got to be a McHottie for awhile! But I am so over the Ivy thing and hate the whining by Rachel! I really is a good book and if you're a fan, you'll like it! And, if you've never read a "Rachel" book, by all means pick it up! The characters are colorful and likable, the story fast-paced and the Hollows are awesome!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Rachel Morgan is one of my favorite heroines of the urban fantasy genre. She's willing to do the terrible, but she still gets upset about doing the terrible. But she gets over herself and doesn't whine. I really appreciate that. Add to it an awesome pixie sidekick and what's not to like?Okay, well there are a few things not to like. I do appreciate that they go out and address Rachel's "obsession with danger." Usually the heroine is just stupidly attracted to it, but it's interesting how they bring it out into the open like that. The whole Ivy/Rachel subplot thing is weird, and I don't know if I like it. We'll just see where it goes, I guess.The plot itself of this novel really is great. The Focus gives me chills, and Rachel using all the black curses and turning into a wolf and stuff is awesome. And the con plot at the end? Love it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really liked this book, but I probably should have written this before reading the two after it, which were pretty fantastic and far better.This one deals mostly with werewolves that Rachael winds up confronting in Michigan in order to save Nick. Somehow, Nick has turned into a total jerk between the last book and this one, which is something I don't quite understand since he didn't really display all these criminal tendencies before... he was just a little shady.Easily the most awesome thing about this book was the fact that Rachael does this entire mission with Jenks, and uses magic to make Jenks... more useful. The novelty of this through the entire book never quite wore off, especially since Jenks is easily one of my favorite characters.Also, I believe the final confrontation takes place on the Macinac Bridge, something I have a bizarre obsession with. The setup for this con, both on Rachael's end and Nick's, is pretty impressive.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Rachel Morgan is back, and her life just keeps getting more complicated. Jenks and his family have moved out, and he won't talk to her, things are getting more complicted with Ivy, and heating up with Kisten. She joins david to help him out with his insurance business, as well as insuring herself without costing a fortune. And then, here come the problems. David's company puts her up in a fight against a Were, since she signed on as David's alpha. Jenks talks to her, after she hears from her ex-nick, sort of. Seems when Nick took off, he took one of Jenks' kids with him, and they are in trouble in Michigan. doing her own run, Rachel now works on twisting 2 demon curses with ceri's help, one so she can Were, and the other to make Jenks human sized. Nick has gotten in bad with some Were's by finding something all though was lost, and that could start an all out superntural war and power struggle. In one of her most harrowing runs yet, Rachel gets closer to a lot of people, and learns she's managed to create her own family, granted, one thats just a little off. Like most families ;-)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If you like to cheer for the underdog, this is your series. She just keeps making these crazy choices, and never backs down. Makes for an interesting life, that's for sure!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another excellent showing from the ever more complex tales of the Hollows of Cincinnati. In this installment Rachel travels to rescue Nick (her ex-boyfriend) and Jax (her partner Jenks's son) from four were packs who are looking for an artifact that Nick stole for them. I really enjoy this series and for some perverse reason I really like the fact that Rachel is getting a little darker. Life isn't always black and white and this shows that neither is magic. Also Jenks getting his "big" legs is hysterical. These novels get ever more complex and well thought out as the series goes on. I hope Ms. Harrison has tons more stories to tell about Rachel and her friends.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another Great Addition to this wonderful series! Drop Anita Blake and Grab on to Rachel Morgan!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    So back to the Hollows.....Book 4 of my favorite series. Rachel really steps in it this time. Things just come back and bite her literally. She turns were and Jenks turns BIG! I loved that I got to see a new side of Jenks. Let me just state that Nick is a loser and Rach should just let him rot! Missed Kist in this one. All in all another must read by Kim Harrison!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This one is awesome! Hysterical cuss words by the fairy. I highly recommend this series. Especially if you like Vampires and Werewolves
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another great book by Kim Harrison. Very fun continuation of the series. I would recommend this book to others, a nice fun fluff read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The series keeps improving - this one was actually pretty good. There's a couple nice changes of dynamics - the bulk of the action takes place out of town, Trent's not in the picture, Jenks is temporarily human-sized, and the focus is on Weres mostly, rather than vampires. The first half is a little slow, as Nick being in peril is not exactly pulse-pounding (and Jenks' son makes for a plausible secondary motivation, it's clear throughout he's written as secondary - they find him pretty much immediately and while he has a part to play later, he's a minor character.) But the second half is quite engaging, between the Weres, who are fairly credible opponents, and Ivy.

    A moment about Ivy. I was super excited, the first time I read this book, that Rachel and Ivy would finally manage to sort out their differences. And the way it's played in this book is mostly great - there are some real revelations about both of their core motivations that make both of them much more sympathetic. But I cannot quite buy Rachel's dogged insistence that she's too straight to make it work - too much is made of a vampire's bite being irresistibly orgasmic. I am depressingly monosexual myself, but if I met a dude who could get me off by breathing on my neck, who I had a deep mutual friendship with, who was incidentally smoking hot, I could make an exception. I just don't buy it. It feels like a marketing decision, not an organic outgrowth of the characters.

    The whole book feels a little bit like a side trip - none of the previous themes are touched on much. But it's a fun side trip - the best so far, I think.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Rachel has found her way into more trouble - okay, trouble found her this time. Rachel returns to defend herself and her decision to help a Were friend after joining his 'pack.' She quickly learned that no good deed goes unpunished (even if it was for selfish purposes too - he,he). Her relationship with Kistin continues and seems to find a tentative calm - for the time being. Though, I missed Kistin for much of this book. Rachel also finds herself discovering that the black and white of using demon magic isn't always to perfect and that there are definitely shades of gray that she has found herself slipping into. She also discovers an ugly truth about Nick - one that cuts her to the quick. Even though he has done some bad things - I still felt bad for him. One character that I missed dearly was Trent. That was probably why I have this book only 4 stars rather than 5. I enjoyed the tension between those two even though I'm enjoying the Rachel and Kistin's relationship and all the tension that goes along with it. The other thing that bothered me about this book was the constant harping that Jenk's would soon die. It is a sad thought, but it seems like the author is trying to prep us for the inevitable a little too much. I have a sad feeling that it will take a little away from the event whenever it does happen.Over all, I enjoyed this book - so much going on, but not so much that it seemed to desensitize me like the last book seemed to do. What's the deal with the constant need for coffee?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is an entertaining, engaging read. I absolutely have grown to adore Jenks, Ivy, etc. Rachel does some self-realization in this book that we, the readers, realized a long time ago. Unfortunately Rachel comes across more as a self-pity party than anything else. The action is packed, and the scenes of her with her friends are among the best. Here she reunites with her estranged partner Jenks to rescue her ex-boyfriend Nick, who has turned into a class A jerk. (Ok, maybe he has always been a jerk, but now even Rachel can't deny it) Her feelings for Nick ring true, as many women will tell you. Even when a relationship is beyond done, even when you know your ex isn't a good person, there are still those past flames that you would go through hell and high water for, and Rachel does. Jenks and his son Jax provides some much needed comic relief. Kiston is missing from most of this book and Rachel's relationship with Ivy takes a turn. We are left with some teasers for the next books, but they aren't exactly uplifting. I will go into her next book eagerly, if slightly apprehensively.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great series! Rachel is snarky and a kick a$$ chick! Jinx is hysterical and Ivy is a real bada$$! I may be crushing on Al, I know he is a demon but he is just so funny!

    Terrific concept and truly entertaining tale!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another great Hollows adventure. A little over the top in places, but overall great fun.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This grat entry in the series plunges Rachel Morgan right in to the fray of things. In this one Rachel finds that her ex Nick has recruited her partner Jenk's son in some scheme that's gotten them both kidnapped by were's in Michigan. Through magic Jenks is able to take on human sized form and accompany Rachel to Michigan to rescue him. Harrison's world is complex and the series just keeps getting better as it goes.And I love the ode to spaghetti westerns in her titles.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A Fistful of Charms
    3 Stars

    White witch Rachel Morgan is trying to keep a low profile when she learns that her ex-boyfriend has not only lured her partner Jenk's son into a life of crime, but the two have run afoul of a werewolf pack after stealing a rare were artifact. Now Rachel and Jenks must travel to Michigan to rescue the pair before the wolves tear them apart.

    The weakest installment in the series so far. The writing is drawn out with excessive descriptions of inconsequential settings, characters and objects. The action scenes are exciting, but these are too few and far between the boring sections.

    There are some interesting insights into the conflict between the Weres and the Vampires. However, neither species is particularly appealing. The Werewolves are manipulative and dishonest, and the vampires make my skin crawl.

    The character development, what little there is, also leaves much to be desired. Rachel's relationship with Ivy is as disturbing as ever and Nick remains an untrustworthy miscreant. The only saving grace here is that Rachel has finally realized just what a self-serving and egotistical rat he really is.

    In the romance department, Rachel and Kisten are hot and heavy, but it doesn't seem to have much of a future considering the blood drinking issue as well as the fact that the true undead vampires lose what little humanity they possess.

    All in all, not a success but the world building and the continuing mystery surrounding Rachel and Trent is maintaining my interest in the series.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I've read the first couple of Kim Harrison books, but this one was difficult for me to get through. The almost-constant references to how "yummy" every guy was really got on my nerve, and I finally just had to put it down. This book, more than the first ones, is written by a girl, FOR a girl.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    -Rachel’s up to her ears in trouble when she runs to her ex-boyfriend and Jenks’ (her pixy partner) son’s rescue from disturbingly focused werewolves. The weres have Nick and Jax because they’ve stolen a statue called, The Focus, something with the power to help all the different packs of weres join together, an event which could cause full-scale war between the weres and vampires. As Rachel struggles to keep herself and her friends alive, she gets deeper and deeper into black magic, using it to help, but taking the stain on her soul all the same. There were too many threads to this story – it lacked cohesion and I started getting bored. It was okay, though…
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    First, Ms. Harrison and / or EOS needs to get a better proofreader. There were several grammatical mistakes which slowed the flow of reading. Also disconcerting, in what I thought was a big mistake but isn’t, was the difference between Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw) and Mackinaw City. As the characters moved between the two, the subtle difference was lost on me. I’ll put that down to ignorance on my part.Harrison characters continue to evolve in rich and complex ways. Rachel encounters her own pattern of emotionally destructive relationships when she confronts her ex-boyfriend. She also adds Were alpha to her roster of titles. She continues to learn new and interesting things about her powers and her friendships with Ivy and Jenks become deeper and more complex. Nothing’s easy in Rachel’s life but she handles them, if not with grace and aplomb, very well all the while admitting she often has no idea what she’s gotten herself into. Harrison’s Rachel Morgan is an all too human witch and that’s a bit part of her appeal. I enjoyed this one as much as the previous books in the series, although I teared up unexpectedly at several points on the story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love, love, love this series! It is easily in my top two that I’ve read in the last couple of years. There’s tons of action, a little bit of romance, and more witches, vamps, weres, and pixies than you can handle. Harrison has created some surprisingly complex characters that grow, change, and adapt in book after book. Especially Rachel, who continues to find out that some people aren’t what they seem, and that it’s hard to live your life in black and white — sometimes those shades of gray are necessary. Jenks takes a pretty (ahem) big part in this one as he searches for his wayward son, something that could have been really gimmicky but instead worked seamlessly. There’s so much packed into this book, it’s hard to believe it only takes place over the course of a week. I have a feeling I’ll be listening to the next book sooner rather than later.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    In this book they go on the road to save Jenk's son, and leaving town should be a good thing for the series but it did not work that well for me. Rachel is a bit more broody and thoughtful. I really did not like that either. Overall the story is good and continues to build the mythology. I think I need a break from the series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Instead of growing to like Rachel Morgan more and more as this series progresses, I like her less and less. As plenty of others have said, and as even Rachel herself has said, she really is too stupid to live. Not only is she stupid, but she is also careless and reckless, and she seems to have lost whatever moral compass she started out with. She is a merciless tease and can't make up her mind what she wants. She doesn't want Ivy to bite her. She does want Ivy to bite her. Which is it? The situations that Rachel gets involved in and survives are becoming more and more implausible as the series progresses as well. Not only did the characters and story line disappoint me in this one, but the editing was also a mess. The highlight of this book was Jenks (as always), and for that alone I gave 3 stars. I'm not sure at this point if I'm going to continue reading the rest of the series, but if I do, it will be just to see what happens to Jenks and his family.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love the whole hollows series. Rachel, Ivy and Jenks pull it off time and time again. Magic, mystery and danger follow them where ever they go.Harrison just keepings getting better. This is my least favorite book in the series, mostly because it lack a certain character in the story line. Fantastic series for people who like urban fantasy but find the sexual overload necessary. I look forward to each and every book.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    The Hollows series started off solidly, with the main character, Rachel, seeming like the kind of tough, feisty, smart character that I'd like to follow. By the end of this book I wanted to punch her in the face because she had become so amazingly stupid that I couldn't even understand what motivated any of her actions. It was as if every time there was some sort of conflict, the dumbest possible idea would pop into her head and she would insist that was the action that HAD to be taken without considering any other options or putting any thought into the matter.

    In all fairness, she has acted stupid before- (spoiler if you haven't read #2) breaking into Trent's office, getting caught, then trying the exact same thing again, getting caught, then trying the exact same thing again. Because if at first you don't succeed, keep doing the same thing over and over again.

    However, this time, her stupidity knows no bounds. What would you do if your ex had been kidnapped by hundreds of psycho werewolves? Knowing that last time you were attacked by just ONE werewolf, the only reason you didn't get killed was because you had a chance to shoot it with your gun that contains about 5 shots of spells, of course the rational response would be to go over the island yourself and rescue him, with one mere pixy and said gun capable of putting a few of the wolves to sleep for backup. Great plan Rachel!

    I can't even begin to reflect upon the plan at the end, her romantic choices, her living arrangements and her complete ignorance of magic despite being a witch, for fear that my head will explode from the non-sense of it all!