WHITE WITCH, BLACK CURSE
by Kim Harrison
In book seven of a near-future urban fantasy series (The Outlaw Demon Wails, 2008, etc.), it’s business as usual for Cincinnati witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan: Her personal problems are equally as difficult and dangerous as her caseload.
Rachel’s sea of troubles include the recovery of disturbing memories about the circumstances of her vampire boyfriend Kisten’s murder; a visit by her bossy older brother; confusion about the progression of her relationship with Marshal, the new man in her life; continual aggravation from her demonic instructor in magic; and fears that she might be part demon herself. To top it all off, a murderous banshee family has surfaced, and in the chaos of tracking them down, Rachel gets shunned by the witch community, who (not entirely incorrectly) believes her to be trafficking in black magic. There are certainly pleasures and the occasional giggle to be found here, but Harrison seems to revel in making the life of her protagonist ever more difficult in each successive volume of this series. Implausibly, Rachel keeps bouncing back with a smile.
Some readers will continue to enjoy the series, but if Harrison keeps piling on the agony in future installments, others may eventually find the byzantine predicaments tedious.