A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows, #4) by Kim Harrison

Title: A Fistful of Charms
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Hollows (Book 4)
Format: Paperback; 544 pages
Publisher: HarperTorch (June 27, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0060788194
ISBN-13: 978-0060788193
Author's Website: http://kimharrison.net/
Notes: I bought this one.

Rachel Morgan has gained quite a reputation for herself by leaving the IS (Inderland Security) and surviving their death threat, living with a vamp, and becoming the Alpha of a small two person werewolf pack. Now her reputation is catching up to her and people are taking notice--and not in a good way. She's about to get an education in werewolf politics. One she's unlikely to forget.

On the home front, Rachel and Jenks are still not talking, but when Jax, Jenk's son, ends up in trouble the two set aside their differences and unite to save him. Jax isn't sure where he is only that Nick left and never returned. Being the dead of winter, the situation is dire because winter is the time when most pixies hibernate and many do not come out of it alive. Without a secure warm place to live and a steady food source, Jax's chances of survival are slim. Whatever Nick was involved in most certainly got him into trouble. Never one to leave someone she cares about in danger, she'll attempt to find him, and if he's alive, get him out of whatever trouble he's in.

This was another fun book with surprisingly no finger pointing going on at Trent. In fact, the cookie maker doesn't really make an appearance in this one. Instead, we get to see the darker side of Nick. It's been hinted at throughout the books that Nick had a sordid past and in this book we get a look at the true Nick. He has landed himself in some hot water and without help, I doubt he'd have been able to get himself out of it. Ironically,  Rachel's true character comes shining through as well,  because even though she and Nick are finished, and most would find her justified in wiping her hands of him, she can't abandon him to his fate.

One of my favorite things in this book (spoiler alert) is that Jenks gets biggie sized. Due to the weather, the distance they need to travel, and the need to travel fast, Rachel makes the four inch pixie into a six foot four inch tall man. Kim did a great job with this adding in of little tidbits here and there of Jenk's struggle to adjust to being bigger and unable to fly. Plus, his personality comes shining through in this one and, I admit, I fell a little in love with the pixie. Additionally, the interactions among Ivy, Rachel and Jenks really highlights their friendship, and we get a great look at how these three work as a team--something we haven't seen a lot of so far in this series.

Kim also gives us a peek into werewolf politics, the life of pixies outside Jenk's family, and a personal glimpse of the struggle that Ivy faces on a day-to-day basis against her vampire nature, I have to admit, an incident which happens between Ivy and Rachel get rather intense and a little scary, but it reminds us of the danger that Rachel puts herself in by befriending vampires We also get a little insight into what Piscary did to Ivy and it isn't pretty. I shudder just at the thought. The story also brings to light how amazing it is that Rachel can maintain a relationship with Ivy and Kisten, Most would run away without a second thought after some of the situations she's found herself in. It takes a lot of trust and faith to be friends with a person when the slightest mistake could get you accidentally killed.

Overall, I gave this book 4 1/2 out of 5. I loved watching the world and characters of this series grow and evolve right before my very eyes. I loved the little details included as well as the family feel to Rachel's motley crew. Sherrilyn Kenyon is always talking of how families don't always have to made by blood, but can be chosen, and in the Hollows series, it doesn't have to be said, it's clearly seen. To me this series reads like an adult version of the Harry Potter series. It's beautifully laid out but with more romance (obviously) and more grit. I have to admit while I like Harry Potter, I always thought it was his friends who made him special rather than him being the standout everyone thought him to be. In the Hollows, there is no doubt that while Rachel's friends are special, Rachel is in a class all her own. You can see the difference.

Order of the series: