If this is a return visit, please reload to see latest additions. This month's first review is by a relatively new, and very prolific author on the Horror/Dark Fantasy scene; yet her voice and her world, with its very gothic, funny, irreverent, and yet, classy air, have become instant favorites among readers--and an instant favorite for us, as well. We hope you will agree. Read on, dear patron and enjoy. A Review of Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison The world of the Hollows is the darker section of Cincinnati where all the vampires, werewolves, witches, faeries, trolls and pixies call home. They are the majority of society, since a batch of biologically altered tomatoes wiped out half the human population; Inderland Security is like the Hollows version of the FBI and they keep order, make sure the witches and warlocks aren't practicing black magic, the vampires aren't turning people without their consent, and all the leprechauns are paying their taxes and calling rainbows according to the rules, and so forth. Rachel Morgan, witch and once a runner for Inderland Security (abbrev. IS), decides to break her contract with the agency and strike out on her own. And while her boss and her co-workers hate her and are all too happy to see her go, they're decidedly unhappy that she takes her living vampire friend Ivy with her--they seem to care less about her pixy sidekick Jenks. So as she, Jenks, and Ivy are setting up their new digs in an abandoned church, the IS sends assassins after Rachel, left and right. So she gets the brilliant idea of busting esteemed business man and councilman Trent Kalamack for Brimstone and bio-drug running. Disguised/transformed into a mink, she infiltrates his headquarters, hoping to get more evidence of his dirty dealings. But her plan fails and she ends up as Kalamack's prisoner. As a mink, caged and fed rodent food until she can figure out a way to escape, and return to Ivy and Jenks with all the good dirt she overhears during her tenure as Kalamack's prisoner. Alas, that's not as easy as it sounds, and she's headed for a grisly death in the city's illegal rat fights. But she makes a friend, in the ring, in the rat-once very sexy geeky college student Nick, and with him, a plan to bring Kalamack down. Meanwhile, Rachel desperately wants to keep Ivy from biting her--or killing her, or turning her over to the IS. On the other hand, Ivy's decidedly turned on by, and territorial over, Rachel, and that in itself puzzles Rachel. With time running out, and everyone out to get her, will Rachel be able to survive long enough to accomplish this? Or will the assassin faeries get her when she's not looking? or the few vamps who wouldn't mind taking Ivy's wrath, after the fact,? Or Kalamack? Or the IS? Will the FIB believe she's anything but dead? Or can she find one perfect spell or potion to save her hide? Or will Jenks, Ivy, and Nick have to do it for her? You'll have to read to find out! This was a fun, read, with well-crafted, sometimes mysterious, adorable and strange characters this reader fell in love with. More "The Fugitive" than a horror novel, which leads me to wonder why it's popped in with the horror section of the bookstore, Dead Witch Walking is a fine, fun story that is well worth reading, and a series I look forward to revisiting. :) To visit the very talented Ms. Harrison's site, and become a member of the Burning Bunny Brigade, ;) click the church doors: *~*~*~ cLick here to return to Immortal Grace Or Click here, to return to Raven Queen's Domain Set by webmistress, for the exclusive use of Immortal Grace. Please do not snag. Artist of picture above unknown. No copyright infringement intended. Cover art of DWW owned by... um, unknown? I guess, Kim Harrison and Harper Collins/Harper Torch