Rating: Five Burning Bunnies and a Box of Milk Dudes
Pale Demon by Kim Harrison is the ninth book of the Hollows series (released February 22, 2011, HarperCollins; ISBN: 0061138061). As a fan of the series, I have been anticipating this book for almost a year. I was not disappointed. I have read it three times so far, and I need to put it away so I can get back to work.
Pale Demon builds on the previous books. This book may not be the best stand-alone novel. I recommend that people start at the beginning of the Hollows series and read the books in order.
Pale Demon delvers fun and excitement with a satisfyingly level of character and relationship development. Fans of the series know the basic description of Rachel's wild road trip from the book's blurb. This review will have a sightly spoilery discussions of some of the major themes of the series.
Laws, Morality and Shades of Gray
In Pale Demon, Rachel notes that everyone makes sacrifices for what is important to them. She may have been thinking of how Jenks killed to protect his family and how Ivy killed to survive, but there are many more moral compromises in this book. Oliver breaks his word for what he sees as the greater good. Trent endangers innocent lives so that he can keep a promise (although he may have underestimated the danger at the time he made his choice). Rachel embraces her black magic powers because she sees it as necessary for survival.
Pale Demon demonstrates how what is legal is not always what is right. Oliver leads both the coven and the witch community with his view of strictly following the rules, even if circumstances are changing so that those rules no longer protect them. Rachel condemns Trent's use of illegal spells, but Trent justifies the compel and forget spells when his survival is threatened because the other option is to hurt or kill people. Rachel herself uses black magic again when it is the only way to stop a demon who is eating people. Rachel has been moving into shades of gray since the series began, and she continues to broaden her perspective.
In Pale Demon some characters see black magic as sometimes necessary in special cases (ends justifying the means). Others cannot let go of the idea of evil as a state of being (i.e. a demon must always be evil, therefore if a person can do demon magic, that person is evil). Still others accept that all magic is a tool, and that distinctions of "white" or "black" are not as important as how the magic is used. Many of the choices take place in an atmosphere of fear and desperation, but some characters act for love and to protect others. Survival and guiding the future take center stage for the Rachel and those closest to her
It's For the Children: What Parents Do to and for Their Young
Pale Demon continues the theme of parent-child relationships. Some make sacrifices to protect the young, and others manipulate their children to make them into better tools. A child can become a prize to be won or the face of redemption. Rachel sees her own mother's love again even as all other witches turn away from her, and also receives an oddly motherly tutelage from Newt. Newt regrets past mistakes made for the love of a child when she sees what that child has become. In revealing that demons are cursed by their mothers while in the womb in order to ensure their survival, Newt exposes the harsh conditions that may have come from war with the elves or from a power-driven "might makes right" society.
In the Hollows, saving the lives of the enemies' children seems to be a path for peace. Rachel's dad worked with Trent's dad because the elf saved Rachel's life. Trent comes to accept Rachel because she saved the elves' chance for future generations (and he becomes closer to her because she helps him to win his own daughter). Jenks accepts a fairy in his garden because she saved his children when he was away. Cooperation for mutual survival seems to offer a future that Rachel may embrace.
Dying children are a special concern in the series. Much of Rachel's character is formed in the “Make a Wish” camp where she was cured of a terminal condition. In parts of Pale Demon, Newt appears looking like one of the dying children Rachel knew from the Cancer Ward, and while Rachel is appalled, she sees that the form somehow fits Newt. Both elves and demons are on the brink of dying out, but each now have new hope. At some point each person in the book must face the question of what he or she would do for the survival of a child.
For the Shippers: How Many Nasty Little Men Do You Need?
Those readers who enjoy exploring Rachel's romantic options will love Pale Demon. This book has something for everyone, with the possible exception of Nick fans (are there still Nick fans?). In Pale Demon, Rachel kisses Al, Ivy, Pierce and Trent (though Trent's kiss may have had the most impact). She thinks of Kisten briefly (though he remains, alas, dead dead). She wishes she were small enough to hug Jenks, though there are no lusty thoughts involved. For a shunned witch, Rachel gets a lot of action. Of course nothing gets resolved, but we leave Rachel tingling with all sorts of possibilities.
Good natured shipper-wars can be fun, but it would be a mercy to some readers if at some point the major contestants will be limited to those characters we already know. Although I find these "dodecahedron of love" subplots to be entertaining, I hope there won't be many new love interests added in books to come. I have trouble keeping up with Rachel's current crop of hopefuls. In the interest of full disclosure, I was a Kisten fan, but I never warmed up to Pierce. Maybe I have an anti-new-guy bias, but I could see Trent or Ivy ending up with Rachel, or even Al or Jenks--just not someone new. Naturally Kim Harrison can and should do whatever she sees fit, because she does it so well. I just hope she gives all the main characters a satisfying happily ever after when and if she decides the series should come to an end.
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