Review and Special Contest--THE HOLLOWS INSIDER by Kim Harrison

Okay, I’m a huge fan of the Hollows series by Kim Harrison. No secret there. So I guess you could take it with a grain of salt when I say this is hands-down the best “companion” guide to any series ever. But then you’d miss out on what is hands-down the best “companion” guide to any series ever. Up until now, that honor went to JR Ward’s The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide, and it remains a close second because I love my ghuys, you know? But still. This is awesome if you haven’t read the series and even awesomer (is that a word?) if you have.

Want to win a special copy of The Hollows Insider? Read on to see what's special about it!

Lydia Dare's paranormal historical romances feature the hottest theme in paranormal combined with the most popular time period in historical romance. This is the third in a trilogy of vampire Regency romances, where the glittering world of English high society is a playground for the rich, titled, and undead. Vampire Alec McQuarrie's heart was broken long before it stopped...more

THE OFFICIAL BLURB: New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison has won legions of fans with her sexy supernatural novels featuring bounty-hunting witch Rachel Morgan. And now comes a unique look inside her beloved Hollows series that no fan should miss. . . . The Hollows Insider. In the Hollows, the supernatural Inderlanders rule, and humanity must abide by their conventions, or else. To survive among vampires, witches, Weres, gargoyles, trolls, fairies, and banshees—to say nothing of demons—humanity needs a guide. And now, written by Kim Harrison herself, here is an insider’s look at the supernatural world of the Hollows, from an overarching new story to character profiles, maps, spell guides, charm recipes, secret correspondence from the elusive Trent Kalamack, and much more.

MY THOUGHTS: So, here’s the premise of the book. Back when witch Rachel Morgan was a runner (aka bounty hunter of sorts) for Interlander Security and screwing up all her runs—at the time of the first book, Dead Witch Walking, in other words—she chased a rogue werewolf onto a city bus and hit him with a charm. The charm misfired, causing an innocent bus passenger to lose all his hair. The passenger? A very irate blogger and reporter for the Hollows Gazette, Devin Crossman, who then made it his very life’s mission to prove Rachel’s incompetence and bring embarrassment to the I.S.

            When he began digging into Rachel’s activities over the course of the next few years—collecting all kinds of information and making a lot of research notes—he crossed paths with Trent Kalamack. And for those of us who love the series, we know crossing paths with Trent isn’t always a healthy thing to do.

            The result of this blogger’s investigation makes up the pages of The Hollows Insider, from “secret I.S. dossiers” telling all the secrets of the Hollows citizens, to Rachel’s spells, to instructions on how to summon a demon, and even to Jenks the pixy’s entry into the “12 Days of Christmas” lyric contest...all kinds of stuff. It’s as funny and imaginative—dare I say brilliant—as the series itself.

            And I have to give props to the folks at Harper Voyager for cutting no corners in producing the book. It’s a hardback, of course, but it’s also four-color throughout (for 300 oversized pages) with tons of art and—dig this—the first printing has a glow-in-the-dark dust jacket!

            (Oh, and where did Devin Crossman’s notes and research all end up, and what happened to him? Well, the poor sod did cross paths with Trent Kalamack. Just sayin’.)

THE GIVEAWAY: I have a copy of The Hollows Insider to give away, complete with the glow-in-the-dark dust jacket. You want it. I know you do. (I should add here that if you haven’t read this series, one of the cool things about the Insider is that it should enhance your reading rather that provide a lot of spoilers.) Have you read the series? You know the routine: +1 for comment, +1 for blog follow, +1 for Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and +1 for Tweet or Retweet or a share on Facebook!