Who's Your Author? discussion

This topic is open for discussion of The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison. Be prepared for SPOILERS.

Rachel Morgan, sexy witch, independent bounty hunter, prowls the downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night. She can handle leather-clad vamps and a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is an ancient, implacable evil that threatens her very soul.

I just noticed we need to read 3 or 4 books this month to read everything by September 9th. Should we start June 1st? Then do the next June 7th or 8th?

Sounds good.

Okay. Will find my book. Not sure if its a print copy or eBook.

Thoughts on Chapters 1 - 3

Warning, Spoilers Ahead...

"I hate these things. What was wrong with paper? I like paper." - I feel the same way.

Plan B makes its first appearance.

"Jenks was a firefly from hell as he darted from Were to Were, brandishing pencils and throwing them at sensitive parts." - The visual image makes me laugh.

"The wealthy bastard wanted to me work for him or see me dead. It depended on his mood and how well his stock portfolio was doing." - One of my favorite quotes.

"It ticked me off, though, running into a human who had more gall than I did. What was the city coming to?" - A rocky start to a beautiful friendship.

In Dead Witch Walking, Kim Harrison wrote a sentence that foreshadowed Sara Jane's role in this book perfectly. I only noticed it in my most recent re-read. I wonder if she had the plot for the second book in mind when she wrote the first?

I love how Edden admits he looked at the folder's contents - "I peek at my Christmas presents, too." It would take an iron will to resist looking at the folder when you know it contains information about the city's most mysterious resident.

"My roommate thought of him as sort of a friendly uncle, which made me feel oh-so-warm and fuzzy inside." - I bet. Piscary is creepy on an epic level.

"He needs to be taught a lesson."
"He's my son, and I couldn't agree more." - That awkward moment when you realize you've trash-talked someone's relative.

Poor Rachel - she's had to run from Weres, stuck with a human with more gall than her, and forcibly enrolled in school.

The beginning of the chapter has a few details that make the Hollows neighborhood distinct from the normal human variety: "...you noticed the runes in the hop-scotch grid, and that the basketball hoop was a third again taller than NBA regulation. It was quiet. too. Peaceful. Some of that could be attributed to Interland's schools not letting out until almost midnight..."

"Turned out Takata had seen my frizzy hair..." - Foreshadowing for the later revelation.

Glenn was very cute with the pixies - playing catch and allowing his jacket to be used as a fort.

"What was it that Jenks did to persuade me? Oh, yeah. Swear and tell me I was being stupid." - That's Jenks - straight to the point.

Glenn's newness to Interlanders allows us to hear the differences between white & black magic along with the differences between earth and ley line magic. This I found interesting: "...with a clockwise - never withshins - motion. I was a white witch, after all." I don't recall reading in any other fiction that the direction the potion is stirred makes a difference in the type of magic.

I'm going to toggle between this one and Shield of Winter

****Thoughts and Comments on Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

I think I read to page 98 in the paperback version. I'm too lazy to get the book right now. (I'm blaming it on my anemia.)

So we have another banning. It sounded like Rachel was banned from the buses, hence her wish for a car.

A killer nicknamed the witch-hunter who only kills witches with an affinity for ley line magic is spooky.

The old boss is doing the jobs Rachel used to get assigned to? Did someone get in trouble? lol

Glenn seems to have knowledge of Inderlanders, but tends to ignore all warnings and perhaps has a death wish. His actions are rather odd. Edden wants Rachel to break him in? How come he got this particular job? They said no one else would take it. Why did Glenn?

I have to admit, Sarah Jane's requesting help finding her boyfriend does seem pretty suspicious.

I like that we get to see how things aren't easy since leaving the steady income of the IS job. The fish incident will hopefully teach Rachel something.

Ley line magic can cover up a demon mark where earth magic can't--interesting. The class Rachel will take may be beneficial after all.

Sara said, "I bet. Piscary is creepy on an epic level."

He does have SCARY in his name. lol

Witches blood is needed to quicken a spell. Interesting.

The Hallows would be like walking into the Twilight Zone. Initially it seems normal until you realize it's not.

Sara wrote: "Thoughts on Chapters 1 - 3"

Sara, all okay with you?

****Thoughts and Comments on Chapters 8 - 14

MPL = Mixed Public License = No blood drawn on the premises; Interesting that you need a license to mingle. Even more interesting is that Piscary's has one.

I think Piscary's appearance is interesting.

The demon bite is worse than first thought.

Pixy's version of a white flag is an interesting addition.

I think Ivy's been replaced by Piscary in the fear factor portion in Rachel's book.

Nick is described as having a "wickedly quick, almost frightening mind."

I like we got to meet Rachel's mom.

"Sneaky bastard," she said. "I knew God had put him on earth to be more than a happy meal."

I love how all bad things now lead to Trent in Rachel's eyes and she's convincing.

Lisarenee wrote: "Sara, all okay with you?"

I was pretty sick last week and I'm still a bit out of it but I'm determined to catch up with my reading this week!

Lisarenee wrote: "Glenn seems to have knowledge of Inderlanders, but tends to ignore all warnings and perhaps has a death wish. His actions are rather odd. Edden wants Rachel to break him in? How come he got this particular job? They said no one else would take it. Why did Glenn?"

Glenn is a bit odd in his first appearance - his reactions tend to be all over the place - ranging from the "get away from me scary vamp" to "pixie kids so cute".

"He does have SCARY in his name. lol"

I've never noticed that before - that's awesome!

Thoughts on Chapters 4 - 10

Warning, Spoilers Ahead...

Glenn is such an Interland newbie in these chapters.

Re-reading the series you can see the progress Ivy has made - in the first few books it seems she loses control every other chapter.

"The last time you took on Trent, you almost died."
"The key word is 'almost'."
"No. The key word is 'died'." - This quote shows the difference in the ladies' personalities - Rachel is more optimistic and Ivy is very much a realist.

"Rachel is dominant?" - I can understand why Glen is dubious over Jenks' proclamation.

"They ought to make you license these things." - Rachel shows off her mad spell paintball skills.

"Something wrong with what I've got on?" - Poor Rachel - everyone feels the need to make a comment on her clothing.

"I had my splat gun but I wasn't a brave person, I ran away from big-bad-uglies. It increased my life span dramatically." - I think Rachel is underestimating her courage.

Sarcophagus is quite the mouthful when you're trying to call your kitty.

"I'd love to have a cat, but Jenks would pix me for a year if I brought one home." - Yep, no cats allowed unless Jenks brings one home.

"You have the sensitivity of a dog in heat, you know that?" - Harsh.

Rachel is going back to school...

"Sift the clues from the dust, from my lives, of my will/I loved you then. I love you still." - Early hints to Rachel's parentage.

"If you thought being in Kalamack's cage was bad, wait until you see mine." - How did the I.S. found out about it?

Poor Rachel - Jenks get more respect from Dr. Anders than she does!

Dr. Anders is such a witch - in more ways than one!

"Don't you know a vamp won't touch you if there's a pixy on your shoulder? It's a well-known fact." - Jenks - the master of BS

I wonder what caused Kisten to adopt a British accent? It seems random for a native of Ohio. An attempt to sound more sophisticated?

"Who gave Tarra the upstairs? I told her to work the lower floor until that Were bite healed over." Is Tara a vamp or a human? Does the bite cause the Weres to have influence over Tarra or is it a psychological thing?

"...get her out of there before she sets them off." - How? Is it related to the bite?

Piscary, the creepiest bad guy in the series, makes his first onscreen appearance.

"A ravaged virgin whose blood has been left unclaimed. What a delectable combination you are, Ms. Morgan. No wonder my Ivy girl has been hiding you from me." - I don't blame Rachel for being speechless - how exactly do you respond to that?

Glenn mans up and eats tomato-covered pizza. That's worthy of hazard pay in the Hollows universe.

"Ivy didn't want to cook and refused to negotiate." - I understand. I wish I had someone to cook for me as well.

"I don't know how you do it, Nick." - Mostly illegally but Rachel doesn't realize or chooses not to acknowledge it at this point.

"I had a feeling the guarded wariness he showed to authority stemmed from here. In spite of myself, I found this as yet unexplored part of Nick deliciously daring." - There's quite a difference in Rachel's attitude toward Nick's criminal tendencies in this book compared to Ever After.

"Don't want to know. Don't want to know." - Ignorance isn't always bliss.

"That's Nick Sparagmos? The one who was a rat?" - Oh, he's still a rat.

"I ate it to stay alive. I went home and prayed to the porcelain god for two hours straight." - Glenn's denial of his enjoyment of the dreaded tomatoes is always amusing - as is Rachel and Ivy's tormenting him over ketchup.

Glenn isn't far off in his assessment of Rachel and Ivy's relationship - granted he isn't aware of all the mitigating factors but you can't blame an outsider observing and coming to the conclusion that it's an abusive relationship.

"What the Turn is wrong with you! I have yet to get in this car and you go where I want you to go." - That's because men like to be in control of the car.

Glenn must have been feeling adventurous that week - first he eats tomatoes and then he buys a stuffed rat from a charm shop. Why would you want a stuffed rat?

Dolphin, tulip, and Monica are three random passwords especially for a man.

Al is the wacky, affably evil mentor in the later books so it's very easy to forget how hardcore scary he is in the first few books. I squirm every time I read the descriptions of the victim's deaths. To summarize:

1) the first victim - "died from complications of rape"..."The woman's insides had been pulled out from between her legs, and were dangling to her knees."
2) the second victim - "...the man had been eate alive from the extremities inward."
3) the third victim "...had been pressed to death."
4) the fourth victim "...the man had been disemboweled, torn apart as if ravaged by animals."
5) "...the fifth victim...died the same way as the first."

Remind me to never make Al angry with me!

I would also have ended up in the restroom after viewing the crime scene photos.

Sara asked, "How did the I.S. found out about it?"

Perhaps a spy?

Sara said, "Oh, he's still a rat." Funny how we get little hints to this, but he seems so into her and helpful at this point.

I think Al was just doing what he'd bargained to do so he wasn't even angry. Remember him trying to find Rachel's worst fear? That is the worst way to go. Piscary's the real monster. Al is also one for doing said deeds. I wonder what Al got in return?

I finished the book, but am too tired to comment. I'll do so in the morning.

**** Thoughts and Comments for Chapters 14 - end ****

“You are your father's daughter,' he said, the skin around his eyes tightening. 'Trent is his father's son. Apart, you are annoying. Together...you have the potential to be a problem.” - Interesting. What does Piscary know?

“Such a pretty pair you make, like matched horses in my stables.” Another interesting quote. Hmmm....

"With witchcraft, it is easy. If you have to slaughter goats, it's probably a good bet it's black magic. Ley line magic required a death payment, too., but it is a more nebulous death take from your soul, much harder to quantify and easier to dismiss--until it's too late.

The cost for white ley line witchcraft was negligible, tantamount to me pulling weeds and using them in my spelling.. But the unfiltered power available through ley line was seductive, It took a strong will to stick to self-imposed limits, and remain a white ley line witch. The boundaries looked so reasonable and prudent when set often seemed foolish or timid when the strength of a line coursed through you. I'd seen too many friends go from the "pulling weeds" analogy to "slaughtering goats" without even realizing they'd made the jump to the black arts." -- Another interesting take on magic.


"I specialize in secrets. As does Nick Sparagmos it seems." Hmmm... Nick is not looking to good.

"Nick Sparagmos is my best student since Benjamin Franklin." Just how long have Nick and Al known each other?

Making Nick her familiar was an interesting twist. Makes me think Chloe Neill perhaps read this series. Can I just say making a fish your familiar seems like a bad choice. Interesting that they take some of your aura and can be used to draw power from the ley lines.

So Rachel's dad died some 13 years ago. For him to ask a college professor to discourage her, how old was she and how old is she?

Interesting how Ivy and Rachel seem to compliment each other when they work together.

I like how Trent and Rachel end up working together. She still doesn't like him.

So Ivy was asked by Piscary to attempt to make Rachel her Scion. Everything was set up by him even the church. That's crazy. Does that mean she has some money? Did he compensate her? Did you ever notice Ivy and Rachel really don't seem to work together? It doesn't seem like Ivy really works.

"Has he sent you into the ever after yet?" Interesting disclosure.

Love the cookies and note to Trent. Priceless.

Interesting how Rachel and Kist seem to be attracted to one another. Rachel seemed to do a fine job resisting him.

I like the drinking of holy water.

Like how she bested Piscary with AL.

Glenn's obsession with ketchup is funny and I can totally relate to him. When I was little I had a bunch of allergies. I think in the end it came out to eight or more items I was allergic to and one of the things they suspected was tomatoes. They quarantined me from them as a trial. I was so upset. A lot of my favorite foods use them--Spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, ketchup, BBQ sauce, etc. Luckily, after they did the testing with needles and different solutions, tomatoes did not make the list. I was relieved beyond measure.

"You're afraid of desire." I wonder if he was right?

The theft of the candles was interesting. I wonder what else Nick's taken since he's known Rachel.

The apartment Nick has...Do you really think the circles were there when he moved in? I'm thinking not. What are the odds?

Nick, interesting enough means to cheat someone of (something, typically a sum of money).

Sparagmos means to tear, rend, pull to pieces in ancient Greek.

What was his middle name?

I almost forgot about the jelly jar cups. They had those, minus the witchcraft circles, when I was a kid:

I had this huge reply typed out and then the window closed and I lost it - so frustrating!

If I remember correctly, Rachel was around 13 years old and Trent was 15 years old when they lost their fathers.

Monty knew Rachel was a demon - he asked the professor to flunk her out of the ley line classes but I think it's sweet that he kept a collection of demon magic classes in case she ever discovered her heritage.

Trent's father had to know about Rachel's heritage too - it's interesting that he never left any documentation in her files as Trent was completely blindsided about the revelation in later books. I'm guessing Kalamack Sr. omitted that due to his friendship with Monty.

I love the information on Nick's name. I think his middle name is Gregory. Kim definitely left a trail of hints to indicate he was an untrustworthy slimeball.

Thoughts on Chapters 11 - End...

"Whoever was doing this was an itsy-bitsy-skitzy. Trent filled that description nicely." - Not really. He's more of a magnificent manipulative bastard.

Where did the blood from the Olympic swimmer's tub come from?" Al is suppose to tailor their deaths to fit their worst fears - drowning in a tub of blood is a rather specific - and unusual - fear.

It's funny how Rachel and Edden are focused on their own suspects (Dr. Anders, Trent) and both are wrong.

"Sneaky bastard. I knew God had put him on earth to be more than a happy meal." - Ivy, Spike - what is it with vampires comparing humans to happy meals?

Ivy has another freak out and it's Nick to the rescue - and it really pains me to say that.

"I spend the afternoon with Glenda the Good trying to calm him down after you yelled at his dad, then I come home to find Ivy having hysterics on the bathroom floor." - Rachel is keeping Jenks busy.

Alice makes her first onscreen appearance. Alice is one of my favorite characters in the series.

We find out that Rachel's treatment for her childhood illness is supposed to have shortened her lifespan by ten years. Of course, Rachel will discover later that she won't have to worry about a shortened lifespan.

Rachel discovers she's a product of genetic manipulation. - "What had Trent's father taken from my dad in payment for the life of his daughter? Had he exchanged it for his own?" - Rachel continues her trend of thinking the worst of the Kalamacks.

Rachel binds Nick as her familiar and Al makes an appearance.

"But I know what frightens you. Let's keep that a secret, hum? No need to let Nick Sparagmos know. Not yet. He may want to buy the information." - A speech that should have sent warning bells off in Rachel's head.

Rachel's blind spots concerning her men is a running theme in the book. It seems fitting that Trent, the man she is hardest on, will end up being her happily ever after.

"And I'm not going to let you blame this on the demon." - Too bad Rachel never kept up the hard line with Nick.

"I've only entered into a trial contract." - Nick's arrogance ended up being his undoing. Only idiot would think it's wise to make a deal with a demon - even a "trial" one.

"...the more power you can channel, the smarter your familiar needs to be. I have an African gray parrot as my familiar." - I wonder how a horse compares to a parrot in terms of intelligence.

"Demons use people as familiars." - An early hint of Rachel's true species.

"And no, he didn't use a ley line charm to make him look that good. It was all him." - It's funny how Rachel will always make a favorable comment about Trent's appearance even when she's ranting at him.

"...changing his title Sa'hanu", mid-speech." - Did Kim Harrison change her mind on the name after this book was published shortening it to "Sa'han"? Or it could be a typo in the book.

"He was looking for something - the way the sparkles embedded themselves in his main aura indicating that he had dedicated his life to this search. The money, the power, the drive, was all to serve a higher purpose." - We discover that Rachel & Trent have similar auras but we don't learn until later the purpose of Trent's search.

"Not much of a witch, staggering in a power drunk at noon."
"It would be if she were tapping it like most people. She's not using a familiar, Sa'han. She's channeling the entire bloody line by herself."
"Kill her. Tonight. She's not worth the risk anymore."
"Jonathan, you don't kill something because it's stronger than you. You find a way to use." - Edden must have been oblivious to this entire conversation. Jenks as well because I can't imagine him passing up the opportunity to comment on it.

"You don't mind if I be this one, do you? He's got the balls of a bull." - I think this is the point in the series where Al starts to show his more charming, humorous side.

"They never forget their quarry." - A subtle threat by Trent.

"You are an evil witch, so evil, you could - could fire God!" - An odd insult.

"Hey, I heard Glen kicked you out. I told you not to go up there. But did you listen to me? No-o-o-o-o-o. No one listens to me. I've got thirty some kids, and the only one who listens to me is my dragonfly." - I don't blame Glen for reading Rachel the riot act. Arresting someone with Trent's wealth and connections requires that every regulation is followed to the letter.

Ninja Quen would intimidate me too.

Edden gives Rachel a well-deserved talking to about her behavior at the crime scene. One of the things I love about Rachel is how she evolves over the course of the series - not only her powers but her maturity and beliefs as well.

"Witches aren't related to demons." - More foreshadowing of Rachel's genetic heritage.

"He's an elf. They didn't die out in the Turn. He's an elf. Trent is a freaking elf!" - I would put this in the Top 5 Big Revelations of the series to date. The other four would be: Rachel's a demon, Tanaka is Rachel's father, the elves enslaved the demons, and Trent is a father. I would fit Rachel & Trent's fathers' friendship and Piscary as their killer as #6. The revelation of Kisten's killer was underwhelming and out of left field. Am I forgetting any other contenders?

"It was a Were, with black hair to his shoulders and a trim body that said he ran on two legs as much as he did four." - Early David sighting.

"Yesterday I had sent a bag of cookies to Trent by special messenger with a card that simply said "I know." - Kiebler cookies has to be the most gentle threat ever.

"Sure enough, I was awoken that morning by the phone ringing. Then ringing again when the machine clicked off. And ringing again. And again. And again." - Jonathan would be petty and persistent enough to hit re-dial for hours until the phone was answered.

"And I can't read your mind either, just your face." - Trent seems to be the only one to comment on Rachel's lack of poker face. Does he have the advantage from their childhood friendship?

"Sharps was playing wit the ducks, pulling them under to blob to the surface and fly away quacking." - I don't think the ducks are having as much fun as Sharps.

"I've never forgiven you for making me cry in front of my father." - Way to hold a grudge, Trent.

"Next time you recall her name, I would appreciate it if you write it down and send it to me." - It amuses me how Trent transitions from death threat to asking for a favor.

"...though I tried to protect him." - It would be very hard to protect someone against a demon - especially if you are unaware that a demon is the killer.

"I'm reasonably confident that it's a master vampire." - Trent is half right. I wonder why Trent didn't suspect Piscary if he was confident that it was a master vampire. The feud between Piscary and the Kalamacks started in the previous generation.

"It was good to argue with someone who wouldn't bite me if things got out of control." - Never mind that he could order an assassination attempt.

"For the first time in my life I was glad my dad was dead and couldn't ask my "why"." - Rachel is being naïve or willfully blind if she thinks Monty was unaware of Kalamack Sr's shenanigans.

"Cincinati's underground is very fluid. All of my usual contacts have gone quiet or dead." - Early foreshadowing of Lee's arrival?

"Or that he had responded the exact same way as I had after gaining control over Algaliarept." - An early hint that Rachel and Trent are more similar to each other than they would like to admit.

Rachel discovers the motives of the witch hunters - and Trent said her intuition only works forward and not backward!

"You had another thought. You are such fun, Ms. Morgan. Watching you is like watching a five-year-old." - Thanks for the compliment?

"Nick thought it was funny; that I was worried about it showing up unsummoned, not that I called it Al." - Nick's an overconfident idiot.

"Your blood is common, Rachel Mariana Morgan. Tasty with subtle flavors I don't understand, but common." - More hints of the alteration to Rachel's genetics. I wonder why Al didn't pick up on the demon "flavors"?

"I should have known you would be as your father. He rang the bells, too. Once. Before he died." - I would like to see the story behind this statement.

"Ptah Ammon Fineas Horton Madison Parker Piscary?" - Is that Piscary's birth name? It's quite a mouthful. I wonder if Piscary added names as he aged? Names are power in magical worlds - perhaps he felt that adding to him name would increase his protection against certain types of magic.

Nick's overconfidence bites him in the butt. You can't out-trick demons - it's what they do for a living.

Ivy's blood-rape is one of the four hardest chapters to re-read in the series. The others would be the deaths of Kisten, Matalina, and Ceri.

"Someone died and got carted off to the city's temporary vaults. See? He got his picture on the wall and a coupon for a free dinner." - That is the worst "we apologize for any inconvenience" comp gift ever!

Kisten & Rachel's intimate moment makes me think of "Love In An Elevator" by Aerosmith.

"He wanted me to kill Piscary, and he was worried about my boots on the carpet?" - Everyone has their priorities. Of course, after Rachel and Quen were done, mud on the carpet was the least of the damage done to Piscary's quarters.

"You are your father's daughter. Trent is his father's son. Apart you are annoying. Together...you have the potential to be a problem." - Very true as we have been discovering over the course of the series.

"They were getting too close to solving the Elven riddle." - I wonder why Piscary cares. I understand it's about a balance of power but the Elves are so depleted it will take generations before they are fully recovered. I suppose if you are immortal you take the long-view on any subject.

Piscary's conversation with Rachel is nice foreshadowing of Rachel & Trent's trip into the Everafter to retrieve the sample.

"My mouth dropped open and I looked from the vision of the Egyptian god of death to Piscary..." - In Al's early appearances he was in the habit of appearing in the guise of a person's greatest fear. Is death Piscary's greatest fear or is Al doing it to mock him?

"It wouldn't have hurt the first time had you not tried to stitch it up. What you felt was the fiber burning away. I'm a demon, not a sadist." - I think Al's witch victims would disagree but he could use the argument that he was under summoning restrictions. Al's statement could also be an early hint that demons aren't entirely evil either.

"You don't think I survived this long by telling my children what can really kill me, do you?" - He has a point. I think this is the only time in the series where it's implied that certain vampires can only be killed in a specific way. Piscary probably created it to add to his mystique.

Quen to the rescue! He also knows how to make a dramatic entrance.

"This is for trying to kill me. This is for raping Ivy! And this is for killing my dad." - Rachel should have kept hitting Piscary with the metal rod. I'm sure she could have kept coming up with reasons.

"Sa'han is wrong about you. If you can't survive a vampire without help, your value is questionable. And your unpredictability makes you unreliable and therefore unsafe." - We should keep a running tally of Quen's opinion on Rachel - positive one minute, negative the next. I do like the fatherly mentor role he plays in her life.

"I did not believe this. I was pimping ketchup to the son of the FBI's captain." - Ketchup blackmail is always hilarious.

"I'm not a thief. And I don't mind manipulating you into working for me when I need it. I enjoy it, actually." - It's all about the challenge.

Thoughts on Chapters 11 - End, Part 2

Warning, Spoilers Ahead...

"If it means anything, I'm sorry now for putting you in that rat pit." - I quoted this because a long-running complaint I've read in various forums is that Rachel & Trent can't be together because he never apologized for the rat pit. Here's the apology - in book two.

"You can drive me home if we keep to one topic on the way."
"Your father?" - Trent's desire to drive is a nice indication of his need for independence. I wish we would have been able to witness Rachel & Trent's conversation.