The Book Diva's Reads

Have you ever read a book and can't quite decide if you liked it or not? Well, that's where I am with Pale Demon by Kim Harrison. Don't get me wrong, I don't 'hate' this book but I simply didn't like it as much as the others. There's plenty of action and familiar characters, but this was the first time I had to force myself to read a book in this series. Jenks, the pixie, is still grieving the death of his wife but is taking the first steps to moving on with his life. Ivy, the vampire, has come to grips with the notion that there will be only friendship between her and Rachel. Rachel, the witch, is coming to grips with the idea that she is or may be a demon (or at least descended from demons). Trent, Rachel's frenemy, is openly embracing being an elf and sets off on an elf quest. Others join this strange quartet as they drive cross country to attend Rachel's hearing before the Coven.
In previous books Rachel had been shunned as a black witch (a witch performing black or demon magic), and although she thinks that she can have the shunning removed she is also aware that she may never be openly accepted for what she is...witch and demon. She must battle a day-walking demon, definitely something new, while dealing with the stress of what awaits her at and after her trial. For a brief moment I thought that this might be the end of Rachel and her escapades, and I had to ask myself if I was ready to be through with Rachel and her troubled life. The answer is no. Although there are some series that play out after a few books (but the authors keep plugging away for a few more books just to keep the series going), Ms. Harrison and the Rachel Morgan series do not fall into that category. All things considered, this was a decent read and a nice twist to the series. I anxiously await reading about Rachel's fate in future books.