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Dead Witch Walking

Book 1 in the series:The Hollows

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'Dead Witch Walking' by Kim Harrison is an urban fantasy novel that introduces readers to Rachel Morgan, a witch who decides to leave the Federal Inderlander Service to become an independent bounty hunter with her vampire co-worker Ivy and pixy friend Jenks. The story is set in a world where a virus has wiped out a large portion of humanity, allowing supernatural beings like witches, vampires, and pixies to come out of hiding. As Rachel navigates the dangers of her new career, she faces threats from her former employer and must find a way to pay off a death note placed on her head.

The book is praised for its imaginative world-building, complex characters, and fast-paced action. Readers appreciate the addition of fey characters and the unique setting in Cincinnati, where humans and supernatural beings coexist. Despite some initial challenges with pacing and character development, the story quickly picks up speed and keeps readers engaged with its intriguing plot and dynamic interactions between the characters.

Characters:

The characters are well-developed, with Rachel being a flawed but relatable protagonist, Ivy adding tension with her complicated feelings, and Jenks providing humor and support.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is engaging and humorous, with effective world-building; however, it contains some inconsistencies and clunky exposition.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around Rachel Morgan, a witch who quits her job with Inderland Security to start her own agency, only to face a death threat from her former boss. She must navigate the challenges of a supernatural world while trying to take down a drug lord.

Setting:

The setting is a contemporary alternate reality centered in Cincinnati, where supernatural beings coexist with humans, shaped by the aftermath of a viral catastrophe.

Pacing:

The pacing starts off slowly due to world-building, but picks up significantly in the second half as the plot and action become more engaging.
I stood in the shadows of a deserted shop front across from The Blood and Brew Pub, trying not to be obvious as I tugged my black leather pants back up where they belonged. This is pathetic, I thought...

Notes:

The world is set in an alternate reality where a virus from genetically modified tomatoes decimated the human population.
Supernatural creatures like vampires, witches, and pixies coexist with humans due to the virus's impact.
Rachel Morgan, the protagonist, works as a bounty hunter for an agency called Inderland Security (IS).
Rachel quits her job at IS to start her own detective agency with her living vampire roommate and a pixy partner.
The book has a mix of action, humor, and romance, though it is not primarily a romance novel.
The series explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and self-discovery as Rachel navigates her life in a world filled with magical beings.
Rachel struggles with self-doubt but ultimately grows as a character throughout the series.
Secondary characters like Jenks the pixy provide comic relief and depth to the narrative.
While there are romantic interests, the relationships do not dominate the plot, allowing for character development and action-driven storylines.
The series has a total of 15 books, with various plotlines and character arcs evolving over time.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include violence, sexual tension, and themes of betrayal and trauma.

Has Romance?

While the book features romantic elements, it is not the central focus of the plot, allowing for character and story development.

From The Publisher:

"It isn't easy to write a protagonist that blends the best qualities of Anita Blake and Stephanie Plum, but Kim Harrison carries it off with style. This is a fun book! Read it!"

- Jim Butcher, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

In the Hollows, the vampires come out to play… and it's always witching hour.

The first book in #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison's Hollows series!

All the creatures of the night gather in "the Hollows" of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party . . . and to feed.

Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond imagining-and it's Rachel Morgan's job to keep that world civilized.

A bounty hunter and a witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she'll bring 'em back alive, dead . . . or undead.

Ratings (130)

Incredible (28)
Loved It (49)
Liked It (34)
It Was OK (12)
Did Not Like (7)

Reader Stats (232):

Read It (134)
Currently Reading (3)
Want To Read (56)
Did Not Finish (10)
Not Interested (29)

3 comment(s)

It Was OK
1 week

A paranormal novel about a bounty hunting witch with a serious attitude to go along with it. It didn't quite charm its way to my paranormal loving heart but it was entertaining enough and I might continue with the series but I would have enjoyed reading it as an ebook instead of an audio. But it was okay too

 
Loved It
2 weeks

Re-Read Review:

First read (MMP): Oct 2005

Re-read (Audio): Jan 2015

Rating stands at ★★★★☆

Re-read as a part of SOS' group series read

It was a lot of fun returning to the beginning. I'd forgotten quite a bit, but that's to be expected after ten years and hundreds of books in between reads. I gotta say, I did not remember how whiny Rachel could be. Geeeeeeez! But, I love her, so I overlooked it and continued on.

I can understand how this may land on some people's DNF list - it does suffer the first-in-a-series syndrome in spots. But, knowing what's to come, I was able to sit back and enjoy Marguerite Gavin's narration.

Some of the things I'd forgotten, but loved:

~ How delightfully ruthless Trent and Jonathan are in the beginning

~ How sultry Ivy is when we first see her alone with Rachel

~ Just how unique Kim's living/undead vamps were at the time

 
Loved It
11 months

Great FMC, nice and believable world building, humour, great side characters, action packed, well written, story grabs you, entertaining and interesting story arcs, addictive, re-readable: in my all-time favourites

 
 
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