Customer Reviews

A Fistful of Charms

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I love this series. No, I mean I REALLY love this series! A quick rundown of its finer points: It's got action, though not over the top. It has a smidgeon of romance that lends a slight sensitive air to an often dangerous and suspenseful atmosphere. It has amazingly strong characters, from villain to heroine, that make you feel and know who they really are. And finally, though never least, it has a solid plot that advances satisfactorily with each progressive installment.

Rachel Morgan has had some tough issues to deal with in less than one year. She's been marked for death by the organization that she once worked for and survived. She's been marked and almost claimed by a rather nasty demon, yet managed to best even that complex being. And so achingly close to home, she's still coming to terms with her scattered love life, confusingly twisted around her roommate Ivy, her lover Kisten and former boyfriend Nick. It's not a love triangle, but it comes durn close! When her estranged partner, Jenks, comes on board for one last run, they're off to Michigan to pull Nick and one of Jenks' sons out of trouble. As always with our dear, flawed Rachel, she gets way more than she bargained for and soon they're fending off the unwanted attentions of some disturbingly unified Were packs. Why are the Weres uniting and what will it bring as the normally submissive species climbs its way towards top of the supernatural food chain? Nothing good for the vamps, which have much to lose if the packs do unite. With ultra aggressive Weres sniping from every direction, and more undead looking on her with not so subtle lust, what's a poor earth witch to do? With Rachel, it's an open book and fans may be surprised at the lengths she's willing to go to in this one.

If Harrison's new book is on the shelves, every other book I've got waiting to be read will just have to wait longer. Harrison pulls readers right in once again with this excruciatingly enticing installment, which I am completely convinced is the best of the series to date. Told in the first person, we're allowed a depth of Rachel's character that seems so much more personal than with books told in third person. Readers will feel every punch, every wound and recovery effort Rachel takes on throughout the story, as well as every emotion. This is an emotional wringer, with Rachel, Jenks and Ivy's problems laid barer than they've ever been before. There are two levels of betrayal that raised the bar in this one, one towards Rachel, the other towards Jenks that helped set this one apart from the previous books. And of course, the ever suspenseful situation of Rachel and Ivy... Kim Harrison is an amazing author, one I am so happy to see continuing with this thrilling rollercoaster ride we're on with her. Waiting with not much patience here for the next one!

The fourth in this series does mark somewhat of a change from the previous three. Rachel is still caring and daring and in-over-her-head. BUT the plot is focused almost entirely on a single story/problem - saving Nick because of an object he acquired - rather than the complex multiple problems in the previous books. There are complications - Rachel and Ivy explore their relationship, Rachel and Jenks have to deal with their break, and we get more insight into Nick, some of which is only hinted at in the second and third books. Also, we see Rachel continue to struggle between her abilities and her morals. Overall, the book is interesting, a good read, and a good progression of the characters, but it wasn't quite as compelling as the first three. With those, once I finished, I turned right back to the first page for a re-read. Three days later, and I'm still waiting for that craving for this one.

Rachel Morgan is a witch with a flair for getting into trouble. She is forced to use a demonic curse in order to Were so she can maintain her status as Alpha of David's pack and keep her insurance rates affordable. After crossing this line once, it is an easy slide to continue using demonic curses.

Rachel finds out that her former pixy partner, Jenks, has a son, Jax, who is lost somewhere up north. Jax has teamed up with Rachel's ex-boyfriend and ex-familiar, Nick Sparagmos, to steal an artifact that now has the Weres ready to kill him. Rachel once again resorts to a demonic curse and transforms Jenks into a human sized pixy for their rescue of Jax and Nick. The situation quickly gets complicated when it turns out that the stolen artifact is one that could tip the balance of power between the Inderlanders. Rachel, Jenks, and Ivy will have to quickly develop a plan that keeps everyone safe while maintaining the balance of power.

A FISTFUL OF CHARMS shows a more introspective side of Rachel. Rachel uses quite a few demonic curses in this novel and the resulting stain on her soul makes her re-examine her entire life. She is also struggling with her relationship with Ivy. Ivy is obviously attracted to Rachel whereas Rachel is only interested in friendship. However, Rachel recognizes that Ivy needs blood as a living vampire and therefore is hoping to find some sort of blood balance with Ivy. This dilemma results in quite a bit of introspection from both Ivy and Rachel.

A FISTFUL OF CHARMS can be read as a stand alone novel but will probably rate lower to readers new to the series. Fans of the series will enjoy the new depth of the characters and the twists that are occurring within the various relationships. However, the novel may appear to drag a bit with Rachel's angst if one isn't aware of the undercurrents in Rachel's history with Jenks, Ivy, and Nick.

Kim Harrison continues to explore new realms with this fantastic series. Jenks as a human sized pixy is both entertaining and intriguing and it was wonderful to see him working with Rachel again. A FISTFUL OF CHARMS takes the series in a new direction that will only leave readers hungering for more.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

To be honest, compared to Kim Harrison's previous efforts, A Fistful of Charms is a bit disappointing. Rachel Morgan, witch and 'runner,' manages to get Jenks the pixy to return to the team so that they can try to extricate his son, Jax from a difficult situation. It seems that Rachel's ex-boyfriend, Nick, has talked Jax into a life of crime. The pair has started out by finding a sacred werewolf artifact and holding it for ransom. The were have captured Nick and are happily torturing the information from him in Northern Michigan, while Jaz has fallen afoul of a butterfly collector. Rachel, of course, to the rescue.

Or it might be a rescue if only Rachel would stop trying to commit suicide. She arrives up North with a giant sized Jenks in tow and manages to discover the location of the werewolves by the simple strategy of throwing herself in their path repeatedly. This is the volume in which Harrison has chosen to reveal that Rachel is an adrenaline junky who is turned on by fear. We've suspected it all along, but this time the witch comes out of the wardrobe. In no time Rachel (who is not a werewolf) has twice fought a female alpha for pack dominance, swum Lake Michigan in freezing weather, and been hunted across an island by wolves armed with noses, fangs, and AK-47's.

Then Ivy the living vampire shows up to help out and Rachel nearly manages to be bitten to death by her best friend. The relationship with Ivy continues to be a spastic one, with Kim Harrison dragging out the inevitable courtship for yet another volume. Whether or not Rachel is straight is moot, as it's pretty clear that she's not going to stay that way. The plots are following the same timing as Laurell Hamilton's which means that, in a volume or two all pretense will disappear. I hope it takes a little longer, because this series is also the product of a woman who can write superbly. Sex scenes, no matter how erotic, really contribute little to the plot past the first few.

This book does have a well constructed plot, even if the primary device is Rachel's inability to make a clearheaded decision. One has to relish the comedy of Jenks' discovery of what life is like as a human. He becomes the world's single largest consumer of fudge and the closest thing this book has to a nutty philosopher. Jenks may be a pixy, but he's a wise one. And he obviously cares more for Rachel than she does herself. You'll find this book quite readable, but you may discover that Rachel wears thin as it goes on.

Fans of the Hollows will revel in the depth of character development found in this, the fourth volume in Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series.

Although it is the best installment to date, the first bit of the book is, I reluctantly write, somewhat tedious. The action scenes, while highly imaginative and inventive, drag on with details more befitting the direction of a screenplay than of a novel's narrative flow.

Hang in there gentle reader, because like a vampire seizing its victim's throat the plot suddenly engages around Chapter Nineteen, when it is revealed that Nick, the stereotypically wanker-ish ex-boyfriend has stolen a priceless Were artifact, The Focus: an object which could change the world's balance of power. Rachel, Ivy, Jenks, and Jax must thwart the best efforts of a group of paramilitary Weres ruthlessly intent upon mayhem, murder, and recovery of the icon. Our heros head off in a van, slinking through motels, convenience stores, and middle class America as they seek to destroy the Focus, defeat the Weres, and keep danger away from the Hollows.

The swashbuckling action scenes at the beginning of the book are balanced by the deep introspection of the middle. The road trip becomes a metaphor for each of the character's journeys of self discovery. While on the lam, Rachel undergoes a crisis as she reflects upon her dalliance with the black arts - employed by her as a desperate measure to rescue Nick. This angsty self examination gives us such deliciously corny lines as "My soul was black but my body was perfect".

As Rachel enters this pre-midlife crisis, we are shown a great deal of her companions as they too, reveal their own life struggles and identity issues. Jenks, accusing Rachel of being an `adrenalin junkie', helps her face the fear of her own true identity and source of power all the while facing his own impending mortality. Ivy presents Rachel with even greater pathos and emotional challenge which I won't spoil except to say that sometimes those you love the dearest are the ones you hurt the most deeply. And the fact that you don't know you do it says everything.

Tink's knickers, this is not one to miss. I sense it is the set up to a spectacular fifth story.

When half of the human population of the world was decimated by a genetically engineered virus, the Inderlanders, those creatures of myth and legend such as vampires, werewolves, shifters, pixies and witches came out of the closet. Rachel Morgan a witch, Ivy a powerful living vampire and Jenks a pixie are partners in a runner (similar to Bow Street) agency Vampiric Charms. When Jenk's son Jax disappears and then calls for help Jenks and Rachel rush to Michigan to pick him up.

He tells them that Rachel's ex-boyfriend Nick the thief is being held on an island populated by Weres because he double crossed them after finding an artifact that has gone missing for centuries. After using a spell to shift into a wolf form so she can fight an alpha were for their freedom, she wins the battle and they manage to escape. However Nick has the artifact in his possession and the Weres will do anything to retrieve it. Somehow, Jenks, Rachel and Ivy who joins them later must find a way to elude the Weres and stop Nick from stealing the artifact otherwise a vampire/Were power struggle will break out with many people injured in what eventually will become a war.

Fans of Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris and Kelly Armstrong are going to love A Fistful of Charms. There is plenty of action, a bit of romance and enough death defying escapades to the please fans of many genres. Rachel is a conflicted individual who isn't always sure of her own feelings and actions and sometimes strays into the dark areas of magic to do the right thing. Kim Harrison is a great world builder, who creates fascinating characters and puts them in a realm where humans and Inderlanders live together, not always in harmony.

Harriet Klausner

Rachel Morgan is at it again, and it is better than ever! She's still a strong, savy, wonderful character with real depth, and an awesome first person voice.

Harrison has built a rich and complex world, in some ways wonderfully familiar, and in other ways entirely new and original, and has managed to flawlessly blend the two in such a way as to make the entirety all the more interesting, all the more easy to become lost in.

She has peopled her world with full, rich, fascinating, sometimes funny, sometimes sexy, sometimes highly sympathetic characters, and tells of them in an intelligent, insightful, highly believable first-person voice.

Kim Harrison again builds nicely on what's come before, while working in short, pithy, reminders. She does not solve every mystery just yet, maintaining that edge of the seat tension over some details(although you do find out some new and interesting information!) and leaves that delightful trail to follow on to the next story, while still resolving the central issues of the current one.

Sexual tension is high where appropriate. Related scenes are exceptionally well written without being smutty, unbelievable, random, or taking the place of actual plot. Romances and romantic issues are nicely blended, and flow well with the rest of the story.

There are some very good, solid laughs to be had, and the great, often prankish and exceptionally witty sense of humor from the other books carries over well.

Without posting actual spoilers, I will say that Jenks figures prominently in the story line, and that David the werewolf makes a showing, as do Kisten, Ivy, and others.

Although not altogether necessary, I would highly recommend reading the first three books if the reader has not yet had the pleasure before experiencing this one. The story here stands alone well, but some of the richness of detail might be lost for not having read the entirety of the series. Too, the other books are massively enjoyable. I would give them ALL five stars.

If you liked Laurel Hamilton's earlier works, The Harry Dresden Novels of Jim Butcher, LA Banks, Kelly Armstrong, Charlaine Harris, or even the wit of Mary Janice Davidson's Undead series, you will LOVE these, as they combine elements of all of the best of the others in a fresh, new, wholly unique way.

I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough!

-Mo-

This novel takes a step back in terms of writing quality and plot intricacy. The protaganist and supporting characters tend to use narrative repetition to get points across:

"Jenks looks sexy lifesize! Rachel likes to live dangerously! My relationship with Ivy is screwed up. I am doing black magic, and I don't want to!"

This is in lieu of real character interaction, and it grates on the reader. The interesting storylines like Vampiric Charms, the demons, Trent, and the Cincinnati social and political scene are glossed over in favor of a apparently world threatening but abandoned deus ex machina-type relic and a horde of armed werewolves so powerful, two main characters can disarm and drop dozens of them while being attacked in a crowded alleyway.

Add a ridiculously convoluted and drawn out plot resolution and a lot of constant heavy-handed interaction with the northern 'locals', and you can't help buy wonder what happened here. The tension building between Rachel and Ivy built up culminates in the back of a van in a hotel parking lot, and promptly falls into half a book of MTV style angstfest between two jilted, confused girls with superpowers. With the exception of Ceci, David, and some progress with Rachel's magic skills, this book is a black hole of character development when compared to the previous novels.

In conclusion, it was rushed, and most likely a filler novel to capitalize on Ms. Harrison's recent success, since her previous books go at a crisp pace and I doubt the story arcs can go on forever. I hope with the remaining novels, the publishers take a bit more time for editing and Ms. Harrison sticks to the outline she started with for this excellent series.

I really like the world of the Rachel Morgan books, and that's what has kept me reading even though I never warmed to Rachel as a character. This last book, though, has made me wonder if it's worth the bother to get the new volume coming out this month.

Rachel performs demon magic and assumes, without checking, that it's not black magic. Rachel tries to play around with Kisten, knowing what she does about vampires and pheromones, and "doesn't realize" she's pushing him too far. Rachel jerks Ivy around for yet *another* book, this time with nearly disastrous results. Rachel, in other words, is her usual self-centered, short-sighted self. I can't understand why anyone would want to help her/ work with her/sleep with her; I can't understand why anyone wants to *know* her.

As I said, I love the world (though it always leaves me wanting pizza with extra sauce), but the main character is such a selfish, thoughtless person (and not even in an entertaining way) that I just can't recommend the books.

My wife and I discovered this series last year, and after reading the first three back-to-back, we agonized for six months waiting for "A Fistful of Charms." It was well worth the wait. Rachel gets into more scary jams, but as always, she manages to escape, although beat-up badly.

Jenks is back after his virtual absence in the third book, and he's amazing as a human (note: this isn't much of a spoiler, since it happens very early in the book). Nick is also back, although Rachel should have dumped him a long time ago. He's still bad business, but I have a bad feeling we still haven't seen the last of him.

Werewolves are the bad guys in this book, as Rachel rushes off to save Nick from them. They're pretty scary when they join packs for evil purposes.

Ivy? Not going there, that would be a real spoiler.

Bottom line: If you enjoyed the first three books, don't even think about it, just go ahead and get this one.

My prediction: Based on clues in "A Fistful of Charms," I predict that Big Al will be back in a big way in Book 5. I just wish we didn't have to wait.