Hollows (series)

The Hollows series (also called the Rachel Morgan series) is a set of detective/mystery novels in an alternative history setting by Kim Harrison that take place in the city of Cincinnati and a nearby enclave across the Ohio River named The Hollows. Novels in the series are told in the first-person point-of-view of Rachel Morgan, a detective witch who works with local law enforcement agencies and faces threats both mundane and supernatural in origin.

Background

The series is set in an alternate history where supernatural beings live side-by-side with normal humans. According to this timeline, the discovery of the double-helix by Watson and Crick involved a third person. Shortly after the discovery, genetic manipulation becomes a possibility, changing several events in the history of this alternate universe. A virus nicknamed the Angel virus resulted from genetic manipulation of a tomato, and quickly spread around the world.

The Turn

The virus killed a quarter of the human population, revealing the existence of several supernatural races - the vampire, Were, witch, pixy, fairy, elf and more. The supernatural beings decide to reveal themselves to humanity (hereafter referred to as 'The Turn') and establish themselves in open communities across the world.

The supernatural beings become known as Inderlanders. As laws and societies are dramatically changed by factors relating to these new sentient species, in the United States all levels of law enforcement break down. Two new organizations, the Inderlander Security service (consisting entirely of supernatural beings) and the Federal Inderlander Bureau (consisting primarily of normal humans) replace the former law organizations at all levels.

The ever-after

The ever-after is a magical plane that exists outside the ken of normal humans until the Turn. Ley lines represent concentrations of the magic that exists in the ever-after and can be felt on the normal plane by users of magic and the races that formerly dwelt in the ever-after. The only race that currently dwells in the ever-after are the demons, having driven out the elves nearly two thousand years prior to the current events in the series. Witches also formerly dwelt in the ever-after but fled to the mundane plane approximately five thousand years prior to the events in the novels.

The ever-after presented in the novels is referred to as the basis for the 'happily ever after' that often occurs at the end of modern fairy tales; due to mistranslation and omission, the factual ever-after became the figurative 'happily ever after'.

Supernatural races

While the novels use Inderlander to refer to all of the supernatural beings that revealed themselves during the Turn, they are divided into two main groups: those that are derived from humans and those that are definitely non-human in origin.

Non-human:

• Witches - An Inderlander race that is long-lived. Look and appear human but have a different genomic background, preventing mixed-birth children.
• Pixies - A small humanoid race that lives in gardens and have an intense rivalry with their close relatives, the fairies. Pixies have a tendency to act as humans and larger Inderlanders, including dietary habits.
• Fairies - A small Inderlander race that lives in gardens and have an intense rivalry with their close relatives, the pixies. Fairies tend to eat insects and work as mercenaries.
• Elves - An Inderlander race that migrated from the ever-after nearly two thousand years ago. Trying to preserve and restore their heritage, they closely mingled and interbred with humans, which led to their demise during the Turn as they fell susceptible to the Angel virus. They are believed to be extinct.
• Leprechauns - A small Inderlander race (approximately the size of human midgets) that can grant wishes when captured.
• Trolls - A vaguely humanoid race that live under bridges and can be a public nuisance as they eat the mortar that holds bridges together.
• Demons - A purely magical and aggressive race that dwells only in the ever-after. Can be summoned to the mundane plane and ordered around by ley-line magic users, but often at a price. Similar to the djinni of the Bartimaeus trilogy, they have no definite appearance and change shape frequently. Their shape often depends upon the base fears of individuals they interact with.

Derived from humans:

• Vampires - Similar to the common portrayal of vampires. In the series, they are split into two groups, the living and the dead. Dead vampires are those that have died after a natural lifespan while living vampires are those that have been turned or sired by vampires and have not died a natural death. Vampires can be purebred (born of two vampires) or mixed-blood (turned by a vampire) due to their human ancestry. Dead vampires often take on a living vampire as a scion that serves as their primary representative during daytime and in dealings with other beings.
• Weres - Weres are lycanthropes with bestial attributes but are otherwise human in appearance. The origin of the Weres lies in a demon's curse upon several humans nearly five thousand years prior to the events in the series. The common presentation in the novels thus far is that of a werewolf although werefoxes have been mentioned. Although not seen, there may be other types of Weres as well.

*Of note is that in the novels there is no 'werewolf curse' as presented in other stories. Instead, Weres must rely upon breeding to increase their numbers. Weres live and operate as natural wolves do: there are packs, alphas and loners in their society.

Characters

Main characters

• Rachel Morgan - A purebred witch-detective formerly working as a runner for the Inderland Security service. After creating the Vampiric Charms freelance detective agency, she works with partners the vampire Ivy Tamwood and the pixy Jenks to solve various crimes. At the same time, she works to remove a death bounty placed on her by her former employer as well as freeing herself from a demon's curse.
• Ivy Tamwood - A living vampire that worked with Rachel at the I.S. and followed her into freelance work. Tamwood struggles with her vampiric nature on a personal level, as well as attempting to keep Rachel from being attacked by fellow vampires. She harbors a deep longing and affection for Rachel.
• Jenks - A pixy who joins Rachel and Ivy in their freelance business. He often provides the comedy in the novels as well as working as a saboteur, electronics expert and spy. He's always watching after Rachel, worried about her and Ivy's interaction. Nearing the maximum life expectancy for pixies, he worries about what will happen to both his family and his partners after he's gone.
• Trenton Kalamack - An elf who hides his heritage. Currently on the City Council, he operates in the Hollows underground and runs several illegal operations on the side. He serves as the primary antagonist for the series, as Rachel knows of his crimes and repeatedly attempts to bring him to justice. He and Rachel have a shared heritage through the work of their fathers. His title among fellow elves is Sa'hanu.

Supporting cast

• Nick Sparagmos - Rachel's former boyfriend and demonologist/thief. A normal human that practices magic, he has made deals with the demon Algaliarept for knowledge and power. Has betrayed Rachel by passing personal information about her to the demon.
• Captain Edden - The captain of the local FIB office. Arranges for the FIB to pay off Rachel's death bounty in exchange for her becoming a freelance operative aiding the FIB in their attempt to keep up with the IS.
• Glenn - Detective and son of Captain Edden, he works with Rachel on several cases.
• Matalina - Jenks' wife and mother of his many children. Has served as a nurse for the Vampiric Charms agency.
• Kisten Felps - A long-time friend and former lover of Ivy's, Kisten is a living vampire and at one point, Piscary's scion. Kisten and Rachel become involved after Nick's departure from Cincinnati.
• Jax - A pixy, eldest son of Jenks and Matalina. Partners with Nick in stealing a significant Were artifact, then is rescued by Rachel and Jenks when the thief's plan goes awry. Later sets out with Nick, against the wishes of his parents.
• Jih - A pixy, eldest daughter of Jenks and Matalina. She takes care of Keasley's garden.
• Ceri - An elf who used to be Algaliarept's familiar. Rescued by Rachel from the ever-after. An adept in demon magic. Stays with Keasley.

Antagonists

• Francis - A fellow runner at the I.S. during Rachel's tenure there. He curried favor with his supervisors, often to Rachel's detriment. Attempts to provide information on Kalamack, killed along with several FIB officers prior to giving substantive information.
• Denon - A vampire lackey and Rachel Morgan's former supervisor at the I.S. He is demoted following her and Ivy Tamwood's successful departure from the I.S.
• Algaliarept - A high-level demon. Summoned to kill both Rachel and Trent in the first novel, he becomes a familiar figure in the second after making deals with Rachel and Nick.
• Piscary - An ancient Egyptian dead vampire. An ancestor of Ivy Tamwood, he runs most of the Hollows illegal and underground activities. Attempts to remove both Rachel and Trent from the picture by many means. Organizes the death of many ley line witches to prevent Kalamack from gaining more power; this series of crimes leads to his imprisonment for five centuries. Still tries to exert control of his domain thru Ivy, who has become his scion in order to protect Rachel.
• Jonathan - Trenton Kalamack's chief subordinate. Despises Rachel Morgan and works against her in the series.
• Walter Vincent - A Were alpha who figures prominently in A Fistful of Charms.
• Skimmer - Real name, Dorothy Claymor. A female living vampire and former lover of Ivy's. She is a lawyer who attempted to get Piscary out of prison.
• Lee - A black witch, practicer of ley line and demon magic. The only person known (other than Rachel) that can do so.
• Saladan - One of many individuals trying to move in on Piscary's territory while the vampire is in prison.

Other characters

• The Howlers - A local prominent baseball team made up of Weres. They hire Vampiric Charms to track down their mascot in the second novel.
• The Rays - A rival Were baseball team.
• Quen - Trent's security chief and gardener. Has on occasion saved Rachel's life.
• Sara Jane - A personal secretary working for Trent Kalamack.
• Keasley - A neighbor of the Vampiric Charms agency. A practicing witch with a hidden past.
• DeLavine - A master vampire in Michigan.
• Peter - A living vampire from Michigan.
• David Hue - A Were insurance claims adjustor who takes on Rachel as his alpha when going independent.
• Brett - A Were subordinate in Walter Vincent's pack.
• Pam - The Were alpha female in Walter Vincent's pack.
• Karen - A Were female that challenges Rachel for the right to be David Hue's alpha.

Bibliography

Novels

1. Dead Witch Walking (April 2004, ISBN 0-06-057296-5)
2. The Good, The Bad, And The Undead (January 2005, ISBN 0-06-057297-3)
3. Every Which Way But Dead (June 28, 2005, ISBN 0-06-057299-X)
4. A Fistful of Charms (June 27, 2006, ISBN 0-06-078819-4)
5. For a Few Demons More (March 20, 2007, ISBN 0-06-078838-0)
6. The Outlaw Demon Wails (coming February 2008)http://www.amazon.com/Outlaw-Demon-Wails-Rachel-Morgan/dp/0060788704/ref=sr_1_1/103-1400526-3778202?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189120768&sr=8-1)

Anthologies

• Dates from Hell (April 1, 2006, ISBN 0-06-085409-X) – anthology with Kelley Armstrong, Lynsay Sands, and Lori Handeland, includes the novella, Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil, a prequel to the Rachel Morgan books, centered around the character Ivy Tamwood.

Omnibus editions

• This Witch For Hire (February 2006, ISBN 0-7394-6380-2) – Science Fiction Book Club Omnibus Edition, includes Dead Witch Walking and The Good, The Bad, And The Undead
• Dead Witches Tell No Tales (July 2006, ISBN 0739470833 - Science Fiction Book Club Omnibus Edition, includes Every Which Way But Dead and A Fistful of Charms

References

Category: Sequel novels Category: Science fiction book series Category: Novel series

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