73 of 84 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's Never Enough--More, Please!, March 30, 2007
In many ways, Rachel Morgan's problems come full circle in this fifth installment of the Hallows series. With enemies drawing closer than they ever have before, her palette of choices is fast becoming slim to none. In one power play after the next, Rachel's about to fall behind enemy lines, instead of the one step ahead we've been seeing.
It's back to Cincinnati after her desperate attempt to save her pixie partner's son and her ex-boyfriend, Nick. Rachel harbors a rather nasty curse trapped in a bone prison, the focus, which threatens to twist the realities of Weres and vampires alike, both of whom squabble over it like children. With Trent vying for it, someone killing for it and our favorite demon Al lusting after it, Rachel once again has to find a way to undo another problem forced upon her. As the delicate balance between her and Ivy begins to come to a roiling boil, it's all the earth witch can do to stay this side of good, acceptable magic. With her special blood and desire to help others though, it's near impossible for her to deflect the trouble that comes looking for her with a vengeance. Unable to unload the focus on just anyone, she'll have to decide who's the best choice...and none of them are looking particularly stellar.
The first of Harrison's series to be offered in hardback, it's a worthy installment for it, tipping the scales even further towards excellent. For a Few Demons More wraps up some of the problems that Rachel has been having over the course of the other books while of course unraveling others even further. Trent comes back into play and it's a totally different side of him than readers have read before. Ceri, the powerful ex-demon familiar, shows Rachel just how much she respects her and Rachel's pack mate David takes on a major role. The demon Newt is back and we get some interesting information and insights into that character too, though whether they help or hinder the outlook on Newt is the reader's choice. Ivy's dilemma with Piscary is excruciatingly dealt with and it was a struggle at certain points to get past the powerful emotions Harrison has written surrounding Ivy and Rachel. As always, Harrison manages to insert a shocking twist, one I never saw coming, involving Rachel and another of her closest friends. For a Few Demons More is inundated with its fair share of pain, angst and utter despair and readers most certainly may feel closer to Rachel than ever before because of it. It's not without it's glimmer of hope though and some very interesting new characters are introduced that I hope will continue to make appearances in the next book, most notably a mysterious organization of demon practitioners and Dr. Ford Miller, a psychiatrist for the FIB (Federal Inderlander Bureau, the human division to deal with Inderlanders). In the end, as much as Rachel has had to deal with, she's never appeared stronger to me. As always, the once-a-year release of Harrison's Hallows series just can't come fast enough and I only hope that there will be many, many more to come.
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41 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Major Disappointment, November 17, 2007
This review is from: For a Few Demons More (The Hollows, Book 5) (Hardcover)
This book is a major MAJOR disappointment. Alas, another series bites the dust.
I almost didn't read this book, as I had a sinking feeling, based on the slow downward spiral in the series. Unfortunately, this trend has hit a new low with this book.
The actual plot threads are confusing, overly plotted, in most cases not resolved. Almost all the action takes place off-screen (and reported to us later), while we are treated to a series of lectures about how Rachel should have sex with Ivy. Also, the editor/proofers seem to have taken a couple of days off, as the errors (blue eyes - no - brown eyes; you for your; unneeded words left in when a sentence was rewritten; etc.) were shockingly sprinkled throughout the book - unusual for a series this prominent.
Spoilers alert
This series started out great, but each book fell off a bit. The characters, so interesting in the initial book, just didn't develop.
I'd hoped characters that showed promise but were underdeveloped would blossom, but except for quirky, sudden changes, they remained stock characters. Ivy - the tortured vamp friend with angst coming out her pretty little ears until you want to choke her. Kisten, the weak, needy vamp lover who never gets a chance to develop. Piscary, the evil master vamp - we know he's evil, because people tell us things he does off-screen. Trent, the conscience-free rich elf scientist - is he good? evil? both? David, the stalwart alpha were. - call central casting! Etc.
I'd hoped story arcs would resolve, while allowing characters to become fleshed out. To be blunt, neither of these things happened. The major story arcs just keep arcing like fireworks, while an occasional new element is suddenly plunked down like a dead fish.
There are all sorts of little ends sticking out. When I start going - wait a minute, that couldn't have happened - there wasn't time - why didn't he say something to her - etc. - there is a problem with the book. For example, Piscary is let out of prison to catch Al because "Rachel won't catch him," says the news. We are to believe that in the time it takes her to get home on the bus from a party (where Trent, who is a city bigwig, was with her), Al leaves that same party, creates havoc, the city goes wild, yet no one calls Rachel. Instead they leap to a conclusion, have a city council meeting, and get Piscary out of prison. Long bus ride? Bad plotting.
When there is a story element I find interesting, it gets dropped or put on the back burner, often not resolved by the end of the book. When there is action (Al ripping and burning The Warehouse; Piscary selling Kisten out), we are riding the bus home with Rachel or hearing about what happened later.
Here is the major disappointment - Kisten got built up as an interesting character, intriguing many readers, while Ivy was basically an angsty thorn, pissing many readers off. I was hoping for dynamic development in the relationship with Kisten and Rachel and a wakeup call for Ivy, who was getting on my last nerve. Man, I should have known better.
Instead of scenes, action, and movement in EITHER relationship, we are treated to a series of dialogues where virtually every other character in the book tries to talk Rachel into having sex with Ivy! This is madness! I was expecting little old ladies on the bus and talking dogs in the park to come up to Rachel and say "have sex with Ivy." Each character in effect becomes a sex therapist for Ivy, sagely advising Rachel that she should do it to help Ivy have self-worth. Never mind that Rachel isn't even latently bisexual! Never mind that having sex when you don't want to because third parties tell you to is a bad idea! Everyone wants Rachel to have sex with Ivy. Everyone except the readers! What the heck is this about? It's just insane - oh, and borrrring.
Then the one character I really care about - the one character that is interestingly complex, where you wonder what he will do, where you feel that he and Rachel would make a good team - is killed off by person or persons unknown. Suddenly. As an afterthought - at least that's how it feels. Rachel is left with Angsty Ivy and elderly Jenks, and we don't even know who killed Kisten!
Frankly, I am glad I borrowed this book. I would not have bought it, after the downward spiral mentioned above, and I almost didn't read it but decided to give it a shot. I will not bother again, even if someone offers to lend a future book to me.
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27 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing!, November 25, 2007
I was a huge fan of the first few books of the series. However, this book is horrible. I am really happy I didn't buy the hardcover, as originally planned.
One of the strengths of the earlier books was the way the realistic way the characters were handled. They were flawed and capable of both good and bad. So, a sore point in this book was the way Trent was written. In the previous books, he always straddled the morality line. He was ruthless (but possibly for a good cause),yet at his most lonely and vulnerable, you could empathise with him. In this book, he inexplicably crosses the line, and shows that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. I went from loving to hate him, to even liking him, to just finding him a detestable character.
I am now sick of the way the relationship between Ivy and Rachel is being handled. Harrison has stretched this issue out long enough, and sadly there is still no resolution at the end of this book. Rachel needs to make a decision once and for all whether she wants to be with Ivy romantically or not. It's also frustrating that every other character in the book keeps telling Rachel that she needs to be with Ivy for Ivy's own good. I find it odd that Rachel goes back and forth between pursuing a long-term relationship with her roomate and noting how good looking every guy that she interacts with is. Really. Down girl, down.
Finally, the whole storyline does not seem to be advancing at all, and Rachel's character doesn't seem to be showing any emotional maturity as time passes. She never seems to learn from her mistakes. It's all becoming very tiresome.
I don't see myself wasting any more hard-earned cash on this series.
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