Dead Witch Walking

Rating:
Summary: Flawed but fun--I'll come back for a Sequel
Review: "Dead Witch Walking" is a fun book to read. The structure is not very tightly woven, but the characters are endearing and the suspense is well-maintained. I enjoyed the main character, Rachel (a witch). Her vampire roommate Ivy and the family of pixies in the garden are also skillfully drawn. I can forgive a little sloppiness in plotting if the writer can create characters to care about. I'll come back for a sequel and hope that Kim Harrison improves with experienc.

Rating:
Summary: Not PC
Review: Couldn't get past the first few pages after I saw the author described Ivy as "Oriental." Hello? This is the 21st century. Things are oriental, but people are Asian. I wanted badly to go on, esp. when Charlaine Harris, a favorite author, said she liked this book. But for a southerner, obviously Ms. Harris has more class and respect for other cultures as illustrated through her characters, than Ms. Harrison.

Rating:
Summary: Avid Reader & Reviewer
Review: Dead Witch Walking is a fantastically fun, first novel by Kim Harrison. The world Kim Harrison has created is marred by tomatoes. In our search for genetically engineered food and medicine, we created a nasty virus in tomatoes that has nearly wiped out mankind. This virus has exposed paranormal races to the world as they are immune. Society has splintered with all the upheaval and paranormal races have set-up residence in the Hallows. The Hallows can be compared to a Las Vegas for the paranormal. 'Day-trippers' frequently take a walk-on-the-wild side to meet and mingle in the Hallows with werewolves, vampires, witches, and so on.

Rachel Morgan is a witch and an I.S. runner - similar to an FBI agent but for the paranormal world. Her career is going nowhere. It seems as though she can do nothing right and is given the lowest assignments available. Each day and night of work has become drudgery and Rachel is looking for a way out.

Dead Witch Walking quickly immerses the reader in a vibrant cast of characters. We meet Ivy, a living vampire; Jenks, a pixie with a lot of children; Trent, a businessman who may or may not be human and is believed to be dealing in Brimstone, a nasty drug, and so on.

Dead Witch Walking is a paranormal mystery that can easily be compared to Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series or Laurell K. Hamilton's early Anita Blake novels. Rachel Morgan is a charming character that is very easy to like. She certainly has her issues, but she has none of the angst or brutality of Anita Blake.

Kim Harrison has created a fun book with laughs that are unexpected. The story line is not completely predictable and has many different twists and turns. I hope this is the beginning of a new series.

Kim Harrison describes herself as born in the Midwest. She has been called a witch, among other things, but has never seen a vampire (that she knows of). She loves graveyards and midnight jazz, and wears too much black. Please be sure to visit her website at: http://www.kimharrison.net/

Rating:
Summary: Excellent start to a promising series
Review: Dead Witch Walking is a mix of early Anita Blake and a competent Stephanie Plum. Rachel, the heroine, manages to kick ass convincingly while avoiding Were, witch and fairy assassins out to kill her. If that's your type of book, you might want to check it out.

I bought a copy on the recommendation of Jim Butcher (author of the Dresden Files series). If you like his books, Rachel Caine's, MaryJanice Davidson's or the early Anita Blake books of LKH, you'll probably enjoy Dead Witch Walking.

Rating:
Summary: So many good things to say.......
Review: Dead Witch Walking is Kim Harrison's first novel and she certainly comes out of the gate running full speed. At first glance, Harrison's novel is likely to be lumped in with a few other authors' works that run in a similar vein. Like Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, and Laurel K. Hamilton, Harrison creates a world where the "real world" and the supernatural world mix, a world where all the magic we have ever envisioned and all the creatures who go bump in the night that we have ever feared are solid realities. There are many aspects of this novel that will distinguish Harrison, even among such stellar writers, though.

One of the bright spots of DWW is Harrison's ability to create characters who fascinate the reader. Sure, lots of writers can create protagonists that the reader will care about but that kind of attention is given to just about _all_ of the characters in this work, even including the ones we aren't supposed to _like_. A novel is really only as memorable as the characters who inhabit it, regardless of how good the story it tells is.

And story is definitely another of DWW's many strong points. Harrison effortlessly passes the first hurdle of being able to make the fantastic seem credible... and then she takes a left hand turn and leaves the track entirely. The story that DWW presents is as well thought-out and as well written as the characters are. Just about the time I thought that I had things "figured out", DWW would go in a different direction. And the best part is that in the end, it all made perfect sense.

Well, that is not exactly true. The BEST part of DWW is that it made me hungry for MORE. I want to know more about Rachel and the world she inhabits and I will anxiously be awaiting more.

So, if you are a lover of mysteries or genre fiction or of good writing in general, don't fail to pick up this novel. I am certain that you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: First in an amazing new series!
Review: Dead Witch Walking is the first book in an amazing new series by Kim Harrison, bringing a fresh style of writing to the genre of fantastical alternate reality popularised by such authors as Jim Butcher with the Dresden Files (coming soon as a SciFi Channel miniseries) and Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series.
**** **** ****
In the recent past, scientific research led to a catastrophy, leading to the emergance of the previously secret societies of Witches and Warlocks, Vampires and Faery-folk - the Interlanders - into the modern world.
From the criminal element through to the Criminal Justice system, business to recreation, the unbelievable has become real, and, while conflict, as ever, exists, society is forever changed.
Prepare to take a trip into a alternate reality so consistant and absorbing you might end up dreaming you are there.
Filled with characters you can relate to and plots to intrigue you, I couldn't put this book down until I finished it, and eagerly await the future books in the series.
Dead Witch Walking will make your mind bend and, in the nature of all great mysteries, keep you guessing, then kick yourself at the end as the pieces fall into place.
**** **** ****
Kim is destined to become one of the leaders of the Fantasy genre, I cant recommend this book highly enough for Fantasy fans.

Rating:
Summary: Not Even Suitable as a Guilty Pleasure
Review: Every fiber of my being wants to call this book a travesty of genre literature, but that would be a gross hyperbole that I would not be able to back up with any sort of evidence. Dead Witch Walking is the first book I've read in the `Chick Horror' category and will most likely be the second to the last book I read in this category if it is an accurate representative of the type of storytelling one can expect in this genre.

First, Kim Harrison deserves to be lauded for creating a truly interesting and compelling world. One of the hardest things for a writer of speculative fiction to do is to craft a world that the reader can suspend-disbelief long enough to establish characters and setting. One of the reasons I read speculative fiction is for the escapist aspect, and Kim Harrison's version of Cincinnati and the Hollows worked. Her crafting of Inderlanders, the term used to classify Witches, Warlocks, Weres, Pixies, Vampires (living and dead), and just about any other odd entity that could exist is interesting and establishes a milieu and mythos in which many future stories can unfold.

Second, Kim Harrison deserves praise for crafting a plot that is compelling. A woman fearing for her life because her ex-employer wants her dead and her only hope is to take down the city's most powerful politician. The plot is elegantly simple plot with so much possibility.

Unfortunately, despite these two strong positives, the negatives of the book are numerous. The negatives stem from characters, setting, and style.

The main character, Rachel Morgan, supposedly is a hot shot `runner' for a police type agency called I.S. Her job is to bring in Inderlanders who practice black magic, suck people's blood without permission, and evade taxes on pots of gold found near rainbows. We are led to believe that she is good at her work, real good. She is a witch, white witch, who practices magic through charms and potions. As developed, she is a whiny barely competent investigator who appears to live by the seat of her pants and is barely in control. As written, she apparently investigates by putting herself in the middle of danger and hoping some good comes out of it. For being an Inderlander who works at dealing with lawbreaking Inderlanders, Rachel Morgan barely has knowledge of the Inderlanders she supposedly hunts. Perhaps Rachel is getting low-level tasks by I.S. because she doesn't even understand how vampires hunt, that Pixies have the ability to pix people, and vampires can `ride' others called Scions to bypass the restrictions their lifestyle mandates. Additionally, Rachel is a deeply flawed individual who willingly accepts the services of a fellow runner and living vampire named Ivy but never trusts Ivy. Rachel takes Ivy's food, takes Ivy's assistance, takes Ivy's clothes, and even considers taking Ivy's bike at one point but when Ivy rushes to wake Rachel up in the middle of the night because Fairies have come to kill Rachel, Rachel slugs Ivy in the gut. What follows touches more on writing style than character, but assuming it is a character thing - Rachel gets Ivy to admit that Ivy deserved to be punched for behaving like a vampire.

The only friendship that develops that makes any sense is Rachel's relationship with Jenks that goes through turmoil.

The friendship Rachel develops with Nick seems to form out of thin air with Rachel siding with Nick against Ivy almost immediately after meeting him. And Nick, coming into a situation where he doesn't know the exact nature of Rachel and Ivy's relationship seems eager to pick unnecessary fights with Ivy. None of this rings true. All of it feels forced. I'll discuss this more when I touch on the writing style.

An additional problem I had with Rachel is her level of lust. A man has trapped her when she transformed into an animal and put her in a cage. This man from the very start was known to Rachel as a `bad man' yet she spends time in the cage lusting after his body. At the very least, she could have commented that a handsome physique was wasted on such a corrupt soul. I was left with the impression that if he had made a move on her, she would have enjoyed it. This case of lust in the cage wasn't the only time Rachel's amorous desires seemed out of place. When Nick is first met, he was not in his true form. As Rachel is waiting to see his true form she fantasizes about what kind of hunk he might be. This bit of fantasy occurs as events around Rachel really dictate she should be thinking about more important things like staying alive. Even the first time Rachel transforms into an animal, she sees the pixie Jenks more from his point of view and fantasizes about making him bigger (though he is married with kids) or herself smaller for some sort of weekend fling. It is just disturbing and unnecessary. There is nothing wrong with a woman expressing sexual/romantic desire, having a bit of lust in the heart, but for me to like the character, I have to know that it is tempered or at least it is based on passion. Rachel lacks passion of any sort except at moments when Ivy is attempting to help her and Rachel irrationally flies off the handle, though there is a bit of back story that sort of/kind of/maybe explains it but it is contrived.

The settings represent an additional problem for this book. Very little of the settings where the various scenes take place feel `realized'. Even the church in which Rachel and Ivy set up shop lacks strong description. I got the feeling the author knew what the areas looked liked but never got around to conveying the description to the readers. The author does not need to provide a map, but a better sense of ambience and placement of critical elements would be nice. For example, near the end of the book Rachel is sitting in the office of the chief of a rival police agency when a secretary brings in some aspirin. As the assistant left, the chief reaches out with his leg and kicks the door closed. How tiny is this office? Yes, this is a small point but situations like this kept coming up. Jenks loses a wing in a fight, yet a moment later it is written that he fans the back of Rachel's neck with his wings. It is sloppy and provides a perfect segue into the writing style.

This book feels like a `Mary Sue' with cheap paint put on it to prevent it from looking like a `Mary Sue'. The book moves along based on a series of accidents and contrivances. Catching a leprechaun allows Rachel to leave her service contract but Ivy (I.S.'s best runner... note that, their BEST, that Rachel acknowledges as the BEST but never listens to) wants to leave with her. The freelance pixie backup Jenks also decides to go with them, even though he has no reason at this point to have any loyalty to Rachel. In fact, Rachel up to this point had been less than gracious to him.

While I.S. is glad to get rid of Rachel, they aren't happy to lose Ivy. For some reason based on Ivy's heritage, she can't be assassinated by the agency (the idea that the agency assassinates people who break their contract is yet another contrivance in and of itself) so that punishment is transferred to Rachel. This brings into question why the agency has a need to assassinate those who leave its service. If it is to keep them quiet, then Ivy is a threat. If it is a punishment, then what does transferring it to Rachel have to do with it, and if it is just revenge, then that is just plain absurd.

When Rachel transforms herself into an animal and is maliciously placed in an illegal animal-fighting contest, she finds herself lucky enough to be fighting against a person transformed against his will, which allowed her to escape. Rachel lives only due to deus ex machina. Every encounter is filled with contrivance and rarely flows naturally from the situation the author had set-up. And every time the author appears to throw Rachel into the crapper, Rachel comes out smelling like roses.

There is a moment in which a kindly neighbor tells Rachel that whether she likes it or not, she is the leader of the rag tag bunch, but up to that point, she had done nothing that even remotely looked like leadership. She blusters her way into situations and hopes something good comes out of it, and luckily for her, the author makes sure something good does occur.

Overall, this is a weak book lacking in true substance. It can't even be considered a guilty pleasure because there is very little titillation in this book. In fact one of the things this book desperately needs is a bit of noir beau fatale if I may coin a phrase. Rachel is being set up to be a detective type character (and through another bit of author created luck will get to be a contractor with I.S.'s rival agency the F.I.B.) but the author seems woefully ignorant of a lot of great detective story elements that would allow her to make a much more compelling story. The world that has been crafted is reminiscent of a society that is racially divided and where witch-hunts, lynchings, and corrupt justice systems are common.

I guess that is the one true problem with this book. The potential was immense and it failed miserably.

Rating:
Summary: Kim Harrison Best Fantasy Writer Yet!
Review: Hi. I don't know if anyone will bother to read this review, but I just wanted how much i appreciate this piece of work. Kim Harrison is a breath of fresh air to the fantasy and speculative fiction league. I mean with so much hop light fantasy out there Kim Harrison gives the reader a chance to think, "What if genetic manipulation had happend 20 years earlier," "What could the world be like?" This is also a great environment to bring in the existance of every paranormal and fantasy creature that human kind has dreamed up over millenia.

For myself personally and this is only what I have to say Kim Harrison is to Fantasy what Steven King was to Horror 20 years ago. She has put a completely new light on a woman as an individual trying to survive in the real world. Even if it's filled with pixies and vampires. I'm happy with this book because the characters are really written and the main character is a littel scatter brained.

I can connect personally with her, because my mind wonders off to more pleasant persuits when my proffesor just drones for an hour in my chemistry class.

So yes in conclusion I think this is a great book. The world of the Hollow's is always butting into my mind when I should be working. Just like the The Dark Tower does when I should be studying.

Thanks for the 20 seconds you can go back to surfing now!

Rating:
Summary: Good Paranormal Book
Review: I liked this book. If you enjoy supernatural/paranormal books you will enjoy this one. It does not have a romantic element that so many of this genre has, and is not as sensual as some others. It has a touch of humor and keeps the reader entertained.

The book leaves the reader with a lot of unanswered questions. Does this mean a sequel is coming?

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Debut nove......................
Review: I ordered this book just because I liked the cover and when I recieved it I wasn't sure if it was what I was looking for, but from Pg1. I was hooked. Rachel Morrigan witch, flanked by her partner Jenks have more explosive escapades than I can mention. She is after Trent an I.B. agent who is exchanging Brimstone for drugs. I highly recommend this book I fully enjoyed it, loved Jenks her Pixie,his wife Matalina, Ivy a vampire and Nick wizard,and new love interest. Can't wait until Feb.2005 when the next book in the trilogy comes out. Read this book you will enjoy it.