Pale Demon
By Kim Harrison
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Price: $14.20
Publisher: Eos
Plot Synopsis: Condemned to death for black magic and shunned, Rachel Morgan has three days to somehow get to the annual witches convention in San Francisco and clear her name. If she fails, the only way she can escape death is to live in the demonic ever after . . . for ever after.
Banned from the flight lists, Rachel teams up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack, headed for the West Coast for his own mysterious business. But Rachel isn’t the only passanger along for the ride. Can a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car survive for over 2,300 miles? And that’s not counting the assassin on their tail.
A fearsome demon walks the sunlight, freed after centuries of torment to slay the innocent and devour souls. But his ultimate prey is Rachel Morgan. While the powerful witch with nerves of steel will do whatever it takes to stay alive, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her
Review:
Assassins, assassins everywhere
Rachel has to go to her brother’s wedding, but Trent pays her a visit and while he’s not here to kill her, he’s not exactly there for a friendly afternoon chat to catch up on old times. Trent and Quen are offering to help Rachel, because although the coven has said they won’t come after her as long as she keeps quiet, he knows they’re going to attack her while she’s en route to see them. Or so he claims. Trent has never been the most trustworthy of characters, and the reader will smell “secret evil plan” from a mile away. Trent is going on trial and Rachel has to help him though it’s against her better conscience. People try to kill them along the way, but Rachel’s humour helps. It’s a strong element and didn’t irk me as much as it has in previous books because it felt more natural.
Another plus: the action scenes are taut , crisp, and engaging as ever, which is always a plus. As the book progresses, we find out that Trent is a demon’s bitch, like Rachel was with Al. And he wants out, naturally. Personally, I love Al. He’s a great addition to the series, my favourite character without a doubt, and someone who makes me smile whenever he walks on stage. He’s like a nicer version of Crowley from Supernatural, but he’s not always Mr. Nice Guy.
The “pale demon” from the title comes in the form of Ku’Sox, who is basically a soul-eating demon and a genetic experiment gone horribly wrong. Even other demons are afraid of this guy. One of the most enjoyable traits of this book is that it focuses more on demons and Al rather than Rachel’s romantic dalliances. Pierce also has a very strong role in this volume, and Rachel still considers him a black witch. Without a doubt, his actions fall into a grey category.
Rachel uses some of the most powerful magic in this instalment in the series, which is another plus. I also like that there’s realism in that when Al shows up, it physically hurts Rachel because they’re so interconnected. He doesn’t just show up with a snap of the fingers.
When you find out what Trent was after all along (he’s the kind of guy whose web of lies have multiple reoccurrences and they get very tangled), you can’t believe it. The trial, when it takes place, though, is a bit long, but it has some exciting moments, especially toward the latter chapters.
We also get to see much more of the ever after in this book, which is neat, because it’s always a place that fans want Harrison to go into. As well, the demon showdowns in this novel are highly entertaining. And Al reveals a caring side to himself. Vulnerability. It makes him more fleshed out, and even more solid as my favourite character.
Longtime followers of the series will love this volume, and I think it will attract even more readers to Rachel’s world.
Rating: 4.5/5
