American Demon (The Hollows #14)

Well if there were ever the perfect occasion to dust off the old blog, this is it!! It’s been six years since we said “see you later” to Rachel and the gang, but that later is NOW and I am so glad to have The Hollows back. It was my flagship series for many years and honestly when the series ended, I was feeling a bit of urban fantasy burnout? I also went to get a masters degree so I had to table reading for fun for a few years and it never really quite picked back up to what it used to be even after I was done with school. So is this the time to reel me back in? The short answer: YES! You would think, after a baker\’s dozen or so of books that the Hollows well of ideas may have run dry. But really it doesn’t. The book comes in at a hefty near 500 pages so there is plenty to chew on. Kim threw in just about everything and the kitchen sink from the previous books to show that, indeed, the Hollows can be a gift that keeps on giving. Everything feels so fresh! The cover alone is probably my favorite Hollows cover ever as the colors and atmosphere are beautiful! Thankfully the book is more than just a pretty cover. The world building and imagery are truly top notch and the characterization is as strong as ever. We learn about what’s happening with our old friends while making some new ones in the process, too. Certain dynamics are changing, but they are what feels like a natural course in Rachel’s life if you base it off how the prior book ended before the epilogue. In terms of the new friends (or foes?), I really enjoyed their addition to the story. I think there is potential for even more character development for them as the series continues and I’m really looking forward to it. While it’s still a great read, I do think there are a couple of faves that some readers are going to miss this go ‘round, but it allowed for our new additions to get the proper introduction and development. I care about them in just one book because of it. I’ve been a Trent/Rachel shipper since basically the dawn of time so there is ample development in their relationship. Kim doesn’t shy away from addressing their checkered past. She faces it head on but the question is, will they be better off or worse off for it? Just when we thought we knew all there was to know about the Kalamacks and the elves, we’re in for more fascinating surprises. We take a deeper dive into demon and elf magic. The neverending war of which type is truly superior keeps you glued to the pages. I really don’t know where Kim comes up with all of this stuff! Honestly it’s definitely worth a reread to digest the science behind magic itself. If there is one downside, it’s my own fault. I hadn’t read this series in years and if there’s one thing I wish, it’s that I took part in the reread leading up to this release. This book builds so much off the prior books without giving you too much backstory (which I do appreciate as I really dislike it when stories give you overly long summaries of prior books). I didn’t feel lost as I remembered what happened, but a reread would have been beneficial to put me back into Hollow’s mode from the start. Overall, it’s a great ride and The Hollows proves it still has a lot to offer in this genre. The possibilities are truly endless, so I am already looking forward to the next entry. Welcome back, Rachel and friends!

Having read all the previous books, I was not disappointed with what was supposed to be the series finale. Since all of our favorite characters were in the final epilogue, you can breathe easier knowing someone you love won’t up and die. Since we also know 25 years later that Rachel and Trent are together, there’s no worry that they break up. having said that, this is much like watching the Star Wars films out of timeline chronology or reading the Hobbit after the Lord of the Rings. It just misses the mark. This installment picks up after the events of the last book but before the unofficial epilogue 25 years later. I liked the new character introductions and the last 50 pages were excellent, but too much of the story was focused on Rachel thinking Trent should be with Ellasbeth and how she’s bringing everyone down. If all new installments reflect 25 years of more insecurities when we already know they end up together, we’ll then no thanks. Unless we are to believe that the first ending of the series was just a dream…. in which case, no thanks again. Aside from that, too much time was spent in labs experimenting with new spells and did not hold my interest until the end. It was very much left open to continuation which I will be passing on from here on out. I would have much preferred if the series started off where the epilogue left off. There’s so much that could have been tackled, especially with the prospect of demon/elf babies, Rachel getting pregnant, More Rosewood characters, human hate groups preventing cross species breeding, new politics as a result of such things, etc…. Overall, I’m disappointed that Ms Harrison did not up her game in resurrecting a closed series.

After Kim left the Hollows behind, I bought all her new books as they were published, read and enjoyed them. But the Hollows series has a special magic, unsurpassed, and I was excited when I learned that Kim was writing installment #14 after all these years. When the book was finally released and I lept into it, I discovered that I was very nervous and apprehensive. Was the old magic still there? I questioned every sentence, afraid that something essential had been altered or was missing. And suddenly I realized that I had just read about 20 pages in what felt like a blink of an eye. Kim is at the height of her writing powers in American Demon. It is truly one of the best of the series. Rachel has lived such a hard life, but she is finally, tentatively, to experience the benefits of consistent love and stability through her relationship with Trent. It is a struggle for Rachel to accept a positive outcome, and she grapples with insecurity. She explores themes of motherhood through her relationship with Lucy and Ray, Trent and Qeon’s children that are being raised together as sisters. Trent is a changed and much happier man, and his love for Rachel gives him a solid foundation and inspiration. Jenks has achieved a degree of healing after his wife Maddie’s death, and is creating a new chapter as one of the longest living pixies ever. Ivy is finding fulfillment in her rather odd relationship with Nina. Rachel observes that Ivy needs to be needed, and that she no longer needs her, but Nina does. All the characters that we love are starting to find their places, and achieve glimmers of stability and happiness. It is very satisfying. But no worries, troubles and crises abound, and at the end of the book, it is Rachel’s gargoyle, the sweet and winsome Bis, whose continued existence is at risk. Book 15! Immersing myself in the Hollows for 2 days had been a great antidote from all the stress and negativity of a pandemic and police brutality. Would that the Hollows books could accompany me the rest of my life.

Loved it, excellent as usual but I was a bit mixed up because the ending of the previous hollows book 13, went 25yrs into the future with Rachel and trent attending Ray\’s wedding and a cure for demons and elves to have children, but in this new book it carried on from the end of the previous one without the 25yrs into the future. Am I the only one who is confused by this or have I missed something?Regardless of that I cant wait for the next one, it\’s so good to read a good author, not many of them left

I think it\’s been left open for another book. I really didn\’t Like the ending as a major thread was left unresolved. Also Rachel was quite whiney in this book even if most of the self analysis was in her head. Other than those issues it was nice to re-visit the Hollows.

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