I thought this book was great. However, there is a big turn around in Trent's character. I wouldn't have minded but it was so abrupt and left unexplained. One minute, he is the snobby spoiled and entitled man, the next he is caring. It felt a little too late for me. It just didn't mesh with his previous characterizations and I guess the lack of other points of view made the book suffer. It wasn't really convincing to me. Even when he proposed the plan, I wanted to smack her for agreeing to him. He had done nothing to earn her trust, in fact, he did a lot of questionable things. A lot of interactions between them revolved around Trent playing power games. On the rare occasions that he reveals his raw honest self, Rachel sees him looking at her with utter hatred. It was just so abrupt and left unexplained that the ending to their rivalry felt like a cop out. I hope it gets explained later. As it stands, I actually like Bis or Al over him. I felt really bad for Al. They developed a friendship that neither has spoken out loud. I thought it was particularly sweet when Al felt conflicted about the comfortable relationship they developed while they were exiled. It was supposed to be a humiliating state but they made a home of it. I actually liked his attempts to fit his present situation with his past ideologies. He genuinely cares about Rachel despite starting their relationship with an attempted murder. I felt really bad when he thought Rachel was brain-dead. I could sense his dread and worry over her being summoned and to find her practically dead must have been painful for me. He got attached to his little witch and I actually believe their relationship. I saw it develop gradually. I saw him soften under Rachel's unflagging optimism and it is just too sweet. I actually hope they find their ever after. It doesn't have to be a sexual relationship, I just wish they could reconcile their friendship. The story revolves around the upcoming trial. The coven are trying to stop her from reaching San Francisco so they can keep her shunned status. She gets banned in a lot of places and her only ticket out was with Trent. Unfortunately for her, he is under attack. He is on an elf quest to claim his daughter. On the way, he freed a day walker demon. They basically had to deal with trust. Trent is as questionable as ever. They also travelled with Vivian, who is caught between her ideas and reality. She is ready to condemn black magic but when an encounter with a demon proved it to be the only defense, she finds herself considering the other side. Jenks is dealing with Madelina's death and he is trying to find his way. Pierce is conflicted about Rachel but still loves her. He ends up hurting her inadvertently but he ends up saving her in the end by sacrificing himself. Al almost gets killed and Rachel saves him. He softens immensely towards her. Newt takes her on as a mentor, sort of. Ivy is still Ivy, sexy but distant. They travelled by car encountering pixie clans, a daywalking demon, Las Vegas goths, corrupt coven members, a fixed trial. After that, Rachel gets banished to the Ever After. I actually like the Ever After. Rough as the demons are, they have character. I thought it was particularly sad that they haven't seen the sun. Newt's tears were heartfelt and I could sense that there is a reason for her madness. I think it is borne from living a long and absurd existence. The hope that the demons felt from the possibility of Rachel creating new worlds was touching since they were living in a word that is shrinking. Rachel finds a life where she isn't reviled for what she is and actually is setting up a comfortable life with Al...until she is summoned back. Apparently, Ku'Sox had been going on a rampage. They brought her in to stop him. They promised her everything and ended up denouncing her as a demon in the end. Rachel damages her soul very badly during the process and she is saved by Bis who brought her to Trent. He bottled up her soul and kept her in a coma until her soul was recovered. In the meantime, Al appeared and attacked Trent. Pierce took the blame for Rachel's injury knowing that if Al killed Trent, she would be dead. They kept it a secret that she was in a bottle and Pierce was taken in. She wakes up after she exchanges a passionate kiss with Trent. They go back to their lives with Trent naming her a godmother to Lucy.The book concludes with a lonely Trent. A witch, a pixy, a vampire, and an Elf are in a car... sounds like a bad joke but it really was an enjoyable story arc. Rachel, Jenks, Ivy and Trent set of on a cross-country road trip from Cincinnati to San Francisco and Seattle. Rachel is heading to the Witches convention to have her shunning revoked while Trent is on a mission of his own. This was a much better installment of the Hollows series than the last one. The plot unfolded at a consistent pace with lots of action and not just for the sake of having it. It really was part of the storyline. It was a light, engaging and quick read and I hated putting it down. I am looking forward to reading the next in the series.
What do You think about Blutdämon (2011)?
Well this book finally answers up some of the questions. At least we know where we stand.
—aprilynn
No time to review, must keep reading next book.
—crystal
