I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
"Sudden Backtrack"
by
Kim Harrison
It is part of the The Hollows series and is a urban fantasy in a Kindle edition that was published by HarperVoyager Impulse on October 28, 2014 and has 21 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dates from Hell, Pale Demon, Unbound, Something Deadly This Way Comes, The Good, the Bad, and the Undead, Every Which Way But Dead, A Fistful of Charms, For a Few Demons More, The Outlaw Demon Wails, White Witch, Black Curse, Black Magic Sanction, A Perfect Blood, "Pet Shop Boys", "Trouble on Reserve", Into the Woods, Holidays are Hell, Ever After, The Drafter, "Waylaid", The Operator, The Turn: The Hollows Begins with Death
While this is 13.1 in the publication order, it’s more like .00001 chronologically in The Hollows paranormal fantasy series.
My Take
It’s a brief peek-in at two demons who appear prominently in The Hollows with Harrison using third person protagonist point-of-view from Gally’s perspective.
The best I can say for it is that we finally discover how Newt becomes so deranged. It also shows the elves in a very black, soured, and rotting light.
The rest I can say is that Harrison has made the most confusing collection of words that really doesn’t say anything that makes much sense. I think I’ve read this story four times trying to make sense of it…and parts of it even more!
It appears that the demons need to have contact with the ley lines to have any power. And I’m wondering if Harrison saying that the demons traveled the lines means they actually used them as a type of transport or it’s a metaphorical way to say the demons used the power of the lines.
I’m also thinking…maybe…that the Everafter is beginning to transform. Who knows???
The Story
It could be a deal, if Kalla accepted Newt’s offer…to let the demons walk away from their chains.
The Characters
Newt is a demon on the run with her son, Gally. Dali is another demon.
Celfnnah is someone whom Gally loves and who loves Gally, but who was taken.
Kalla is the elves’ best slaver and a hunter tracking down escaped demons.
The Goddess is worshipped by the elves. Someone whom the demons believe as well. Much to the dismay of the elves! Sa’han is a title indicating respect.
The Cover and Title
The cover is split between the flaming red sky above a black ground with its silhouette of trees — the Everafter. With a pink mottled moon to the upper right of a flaming circle of yellow. At the very top is an info blurb in white with the author’s name immediately below it, in white. The title is below the fire circle with a gradated orange-yellow-black fill. Below this is series info in white.
The title is what Harrison does, a “Sudden Backtrack” to show us how awful the elves are and how/when/why Newt goes nuts.
