Review: Pale Demon

Pale Demon by Kim Harrison

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There is no easy way to review the ninth book in a series. If you're reading this review, odds are that you fall into one of three camps. You're my friend on Goodreads, and you read all of the reviews that show up on your update screen. You've read books in the series, and you want to see how the later books compare to the first few (people in this camp may either enjoy or despise the series--they're doing the equivalent of looking into the last chapter to see if the book is worth reading). The third camp is composed of fans, and nothing I can say will stop you from reading this book. The only relevant question for the third camp is hardcover or paperback?

Last year, I was lucky enough to see Kim Harrison while she was on tour for Black Magic Sanction. At the time, she said that the Rachel Morgan books were heading toward a finale, and that she didn't envision that many more of them. Once again, I was able to see Harrison on tour. This time, she said that she sees this series ending with book 12 or 13. She knows Rachel is heading for her Happy Ever After, and once she arrives at it, the series will end. Since this is book nine, we're not that far away from the end.

As I look back on the series, I am consistently amazed by the character development. Each of the major characters--as well as a few of the minor ones--have grown and changed throughout the series, sometimes in surprising ways. Much of that growth becomes evident in this book. Rachel, Jenks, Ivy, and Trent go on a road trip to San Francisco for the Annual Witch's Convention. Rachel, as readers understood from the last book, will be speaking and trying to mitigate the damage of her past deeds. Jenks and Ivy are there for support. Trent, on the other hand, is riding with Rachel as a part of an "elf quest." His security, Quent, can't leave Cincinnati for family reasons, and the only person that Quent trusts to get Trent to the West Coast is Rachel. He's not heading for SF, but he's also not willing to tell Rachel much about his final destination. He can't hide the fact that others of his kind are out to kill him, though. Throughout their time stuck together in a small vehicle, the changing nature of their relationships becomes clear. While Trent doesn't fully fit in, he gradually becomes part of the Vampiric Charms family while on his quest.

Nothing is quite as it seems. Rachel's trip to SF will have far-reaching, messy implications for the future. Trent's quest will change everything readers know about him. And no one will walk away from these events unmarked.

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking back to a line from T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufock." Prufock questions if he has "the strength to force the moment to its crisis?" The characters in this series--Rachel, Ivy, Jenks, Trent, even Al & Newt--find themselves at a moment where they have to decided if they have that strength.

I could not have enjoyed this book more thoroughly. Harrison says that it's her favorite to date, and I can see why. Pale Demon is the work of one the best in urban fantasy at the top of her game. I simply cannot wait to read what happens next.



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