Trouble with the cursed

Kim Harrison, 1966-

Book - 2022

"Rachel Morgan must keep her friends close-and her enemies closer-in the next Hollows novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison. Rachel Morgan, witch-born demon, has one unspoken rule: take chances, but pay for them yourself. With it, she has turned enemies into allies, found her place with her demon kin, and stepped up as the subrosa of Cincinnati-responsible for keeping the paranormal community at peace and in line. Life is ... good? Even better, her best friend, Ivy Tamwood, is returning home. Nothing's simple, though, and Ivy's not coming alone. The vampires' ruling council insists she escort one of the long undead, hell-bent on proving that Rachel killed Cincy's master vampire to take over th...e city. Which, of course, Rachel totally did not do. She only transformed her a little. With Rachel's friends distracted by their own lives and problems, she reaches out to a new ally for help-the demon Hodin. But this trickster has his own agenda. In the end, the only way for Rachel to save herself and the city may be to forge a new understanding with her estranged demon teacher, Al. There's just one problem: Al would sell his own soul to be rid of her ... "--

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Subjects
Genres
Paranormal fiction
Witch fiction
Fantasy fiction
Vampire fiction
Novels
Published
New York : Ace, published by Berkley, a division of Penguin Random House LLC [2022]
Language
English
Main Author
Kim Harrison, 1966- (author)
Item Description
Sequel to: Million dollar demon.
Physical Description
449 pages ; 24 cm
ISBN
9780593437513
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Rachel Morgan returns as Cincinnati's subrosa, or demon leader. She secured her position in Million Dollar Demon (2021) by secretly transforming the city's master vampire, Constance, into a mouse, keeping her caged while Rachel's ally Pike runs the city in Constance's name. Unfortunately, the vampires' ruling council believes Rachel killed Constance permanently (which is actually illegal), and they send another vampire, Finnis, to seek proof that Constance is still undead. Meanwhile Hodin, the demon Rachel has been protecting from other demons, shows his true colors as he tries to steal her subrosa position. With her allies distracted by a variety of missions, Rachel ditches one plan after the other for sending Finnis back to the vampire council in DC, scrambling to keep her friends and home safe. Harrison expertly captures the human side to her supernatural creatures, emphasizing their common goals through Rachel's attempts at keeping the peace. Trouble with the Cursed is another delightful read in the Hollows series for urban-fantasy and supernatural fans.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Following 2020's Million Dollar Demon, the 17th installment of Harrison's Hollows series proves that heroine Rachel Morgan's adventures are far from over, with a new set of complications expanding her circle of influence and magical skills. After transforming the vampire Constance into a mouse, witch-born demon Rachel acts in her name while secretly running Cincinnati with her partner in crime, Pike. As the demon subrosa, Rachel is responsible for keeping the city's supernatural population in line, but her position remains tenuous. When a vampire representative from D.C. arrives to meet with Constance, Rachel must find a way to cover Constance's absence without revealing her own involvement and while avoiding accusations of murder. Meanwhile, the local demons start acting up, with Rachel's housemate, Hodin, behaving suspiciously and another apparently kidnapping mortals. And with her closest friends distracted by their own lives, Rachel is especially vulnerable when an unexpected foe makes their true agenda clear at last. More personal subplots--including Rachel's upcoming wedding to the elf businessman Trent Kalamack--move forward at a leisurely pace, while the return of Rachel's best friend, Ivy, offers a welcome adjustment to the cast dynamic. Fans will be pleased to see plenty of life left here. Agent: Jennifer Jackson, Donald Maass Literary. (June)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Rachel Morgan has stepped into the role of subrosa for Cincinnati: a role that makes her responsible for all of the supernatural beings in the city, not just herself. Her life is going well, for once: her relationships with her loved ones and allies are firm; demons are starting to respect her (mostly); and her best friend, Ivy Tamwood, is coming home. But with Ivy comes trouble, in the form of a master vampire whose job is to prove that Rachel murdered the city's master, (which she did not--she just transformed her into a mouse). Hoping for assistance from her new ally, the demon trickster Hodin, Rachel soon discovers that Hodin has his own plans. Adding to the complications, her former teacher Al, the only one who may be able to save Rachel and the rest of the city, would rather see her fail. Harrison's character and world development is showcased once again with Ivy and Rachel's relationship; the shadowy Washington, DC, vampire council; and the interplays of hope and horror in the plot. VERDICT "The Hollows" continues its solid supernatural storytelling, and fans will celebrate the return of its sarcastic witch-born demon.--Kristi Chadwick

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHAPTER 1 It wasn't even ten yet, and the cicadas were already screaming in the hot, muggy air. Uncomfortable, I fidgeted, my sandals scraping the time-warped porch boards as I impatiently waited for Pike to pick the lock of the dilapidated Victorian he'd tagged as an unregistered blood house. It was stifling under the overhang and scraggly street trees. My camisole and shorts seemed woefully inappropriate to be kicking vampire ass in, but Pike had promised it was a five-minute thing. In, out, iced coffee and Band-Aids before noon. Traffic was a distant hum, the bars and restaurants a comfortable two blocks away. It was a perfect location for a blood house where consenting vamps could finish out their evening or, more often, where others could hide from unwanted attention. Working on all levels, blood houses gave the highly charged, highly dangerous vampires a secure place to indulge and find refuge-often at the same time. The age-old dichotomy didn't make sense until you saw it in action, but vamps, both living and dead, had an unfailing need to protect the distressed even as they endangered those they professed to love. When it went bad, the abuse went bone-deep, fueled by the trust these houses engendered. Why it was up to me, a witch-born demon, to ferret out and "gently" correct the problem was a long story with a short motive. I didn't like bullies. Tired, I tucked a strand of hair behind an ear. The humidity was breaking through my anti-curl charm and the red mass was frizzing right out of my braid. "I thought you had a key," I muttered, and Pike, crouched at the lock, softly swore. "Yeah. Me too." Pike's low, intent voice pulled an unexpected pulse of libido from me, and I shifted to put more space between us in the hopes he wouldn't notice. It was the pheromones he was unconsciously kicking out, not a real attraction. It didn't help that Pike wasn't your usual living vampire, his unerring, classic beauty still showing under a disturbing number of scars. There was a hint of gray in his short-cut hair, evidence of his early-thirties maturity. His light shirt and slacks were cut for ease of movement, his languid grace held a definite pull, and when his eyes went black? Da-a-amn. But it was Pike's confidence that elevated him beyond the usual living vampire, and I was secure enough in my relationship with Trent to admit that he was . . . well . . . mmmm. Most vamps were confident on the outside, but Pike was truly comfortable in his skin. It set him apart, as did his numerous scars, most of which had been gained from his brothers trying to kill him as opposed to bedroom fun. Working under my protection was safer than him being on his own, but that's not why he had agreed to do it. In contrast, my few scars were recent, almost hidden behind what passed as a tan for me. I missed my old ones-scars, that is-the ones that had real meaning. My almost-dormant vampire bite hidden under the curse-virgin skin tended to drive the undead wild, something that wasn't actually advantageous in my line of work. "I got up early for this," I grumbled, tucking my sunglasses into my bag before gingerly sitting on the edge of the dusty porch chair. The residential street wasn't busy, and my eyes narrowed as I tracked the passing car, frowning as the black Crown Victoria parked at the curb. Doyle. Pike glanced up, his incredible senses attuned to my sudden unease. Doyle worked for Inderland Security, an I.S. detective now if I remembered right. That the living vampire was watching us break into an unregistered, and therefore illegal, blood house didn't bode well. "So . . . did you ask me to help this morning because Doyle is following you?" I said. Frowning, Pike returned to picking the lock. "He's not following me. He's watching the house. Same as I am." Pike's weight shifted as he tried a new angle. "He's probably waiting for us to do the hard part, then swing in and take credit for it. The I.S. wants this place shut down as much as we do." True. I stood, hands on my hips as I stared provocatively at Doyle. Vampires were weird contrasts. The undead ones did ugly things thinking it was love, the living ones endured ugly things thinking it was love, but they both had a protective streak a mile wide. True, it was a little warped in the long undead, but no one liked underage predation, and that's why we were here. Unlike the I.S., I didn't need three days on a missing person's report before I opened up a can of ass-kickery. So when Kip, Pike's number one, had failed to report in after tracking three missing teens here, Pike had called me. I didn't know the small woman well, but Pike both trusted and relied on her. "You think Doyle will give us trouble?" I said as Doyle grinned, showing me his short but sharp canines as he took a picture of us. "We have probable cause." "No." Pike frowned. His eyes lost their rim of brown as his pupils dilated, and the delicious scent of vampire incense rose in the stifling air, reminding me of when I had been younger and stupid. Still smells good, though, I thought, a pheromone-induced quiver of angst and desire rising before I stifled it. Sensing it, Pike smirked. I liked working with Pike, even if resisting his vampiric charms was often a challenge. I loved Trent, but finding someone to kick ass with was difficult, and Ivy had been stuck in DC for months. "Maybe I should have brought Jenks," I muttered, and his smile vanished. But truth be told, I didn't need my usual backup for this. It was part rescue, part reminder to a few uppity vamps that the law was there for the living and dead. Still, I was beginning to regret telling Jenks to stay home. Standing outside a door this long looked unprofessional. "You need some grease?" I said as I checked my phone for the time. "I've got this." Frustrated, Pike angled the pick another way. "I can check to see if there's a back door," I offered, wanting a coffee. "There's no back door," he said flatly. "Will you shut up so I can concentrate?" Well, excu-u-u-uuse me. I stood, going to the dirty window to put a hand to my face to peer in at the front room. Jenks could have been in and out by now, verifying the floor plan that Ivy would have dug up online somewhere. But this was Pike's run, not mine. I was here to help. If we ever got in. Frustrated, I checked my phone again, attention returning to Doyle as I tucked it in my pocket. Damn it, he was laughing. "Maybe Doyle has a key," I said sourly. Pike exhaled heavily. "Yes. Why don't you go and ask Doyle if he has a key." Ooh, sarcasm! I'd had enough, and as the cicadas sang in an irritating whine, I strengthened my grip on the nearest ley line and mulled over which "find" spell would work best. Nearly all worked on auras, and the undead didn't have much of one unless they had just fed-and then it wasn't even theirs. Most finding charms didn't work well underground, either, which was where this was going to end up. I knew it. Many of Cincinnati's original homes had sub-basement floors, and this was one of Cincy's older "ladies." The ley line slipped into me like sunshine, warm and tingling to my toes. I let the unfocused energy pool up in my chi, then spindled a wad of it in my thoughts before I let the energy find a path back into the ground and make me part of a circuit. "Invenio," I whispered, feeling the energy take direction and the charm invoke. With the force of creation running through me, I opened my second sight. Distorted as if by flame, the image of an open field in the ever-after wavered into existence, overlaying reality in a disjointed double vision. The front room became indistinct, almost like colored chalk lines. I wasn't exactly seeing through walls, but they didn't exist in the ever-after, and the effect was the same. Pike's aura was obvious beside me, but nothing else. The upstairs was clear as well. If Kip or the kids she was trying to find were here, they were downstairs. "We're clear aboveground," I said as I let my second sight drop-and the image of an open field vanished and reality returned. I held on to the line, though, letting it continue to run through me like a second sun. "Excuse me," I said as I picked up the porch chair. Gut tight, I slammed it into the big front window. Glass shattered inward in a satisfying feeling of give, and then the chair rolled across the faded, crushed carpet to thump into the wall. Smirking, I reached in to unlock the door from the inside. Pike slowly got to his feet, his dark eyes going from the broken window to me. "You are no fun when you're in a hurry, you know that?" Excerpted from Trouble with the Cursed by Kim Harrison All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.