Witches, vampires, werewolves and other supernatural beings lived quietly among humans for centuries, taking care to hide their existence. Everything changed when a virus decimated a large portion of the human population; someone needed to step up to manage the chaos and many “Inderlanders” chose to do so, revealing themselves in the process. With the revelation that the world possessed all manner of paranormal cravings and powers, the appropriate agencies were created to oversee supernatural activity: Inderlander Services was established to enforce the law alongside its human-run counterpart, the Federal Interlander Bureau.
Rachel Morgan is an I.S. bounty hunter: it’s her job to apprehend supernatural lawbreakers in the Cincinnati area. Lately her apprehensions haven’t been all that smooth and she’s been relegated to runs normally reserved for rookies. Her latest assignment, a tax-evading leprechaun, is the last straw. Rachel decides to quit; unfortunately for her, the I.S. doesn’t like losing its runners without some sort of hefty payment in return. Rachel’s short on cash which means that she’s a dead witch walking unless she can hand over something big, something like proof that Councilman Trent Kalamack is running Brimstone.
What an excellent beginning to a series! Reviewers have compared it to Stephanie Plum meets Anita Blake and it’s a fair comparison if we’re referring to early Stephanie Plum. While Rachel has the skills to do her job, her plans tend to backfire. Rachel has two sidekicks: Ivy, a vampire, and Jenks, a pixie. Even though they are business partners, Ivy’s vampiric nature makes her as much of a danger to Rachel as the assortment of were, witch and fairy assassins trying to collect the I.S. bounty on her head. Jenks may be tiny but he’s a force to be reckoned with and he’s already one of my favorite characters ever.
Trent is a curious villain: first of all, no one can figure out exactly what he is, well aside of ruthless to the core, that is. For all of his cruelty though, he has an aversion to black magic and that seems odd—unless of course, that’s the only way someone like him can be killed?
Harrison has created an exceptional world and intriguing characters. Three types of vampires, several types of witches, and a fierce antagonism between fairies and pixies are just the icing on the cake. The mythology is fascinating: detailed and layered, it flows with the story instead of bogging it down.
Looking forward to The Good, the Bad, and the Undead!!!
anneelliot said,
February 14, 2012 @ 9:38 pm
It’s funny that you reviewed this, since I recently read one of her books. It was one of the much later ones, ‘The Outlaw Demon Wails’. I’d been pressed for time, at the library, and in dire need of something—anything—to tide me over until one of my holds came in.
I found it incredibly fascinating. While there are plenty of things that sound cheese-ball when trying to explain it to someone else (yes, I tried, so I know how bad it sounds out loud), it has a great deal of originality. I know that there are revelations and information in the one I read that are certainly not going to be in the first few, but I love the novel ideas she’s decided to employ.
I’m happy to hear someone else who read it and enjoyed it, since I finally feel like I have a comrade who understands.
Also, I think the best feature of her style is the constant use of smells, which is rarely used in most writing. If for nothing else, I would recommend her for that.