Kim Harrison - The Good, The Bad & The Undead (#2)

[Kell]

Author: Kim Harrison

ISBN # 0-06-057297-3

 

An improvement on the first book, not not hugely so; still not exactly a rip-roaring read.

 

It seems to me that the first book wasn't really a story in its own right, but a lead-up to this book. Rather extravagant to use an entire 416 pages just to provide background for the next 452 pages. At least this time, Harrison seems to have got a better grip on her writing & the narrative flow is a lot more smooth this time round.

 

The plot is still lacking that something special, though, & the twist revealed ni this one was no surprised as I had already guessed it about half way through the last book, so that was a bit of a let-down.

 

So, not exactly a challenge on the old grey matter, but this sequel was easier to read & I managed to get through it without wishing a demon would appear & rip out my eyeballs, preventing me from forcing myself to read on.

 

Still no clear resolution, which I find annoying to the max, leading me to the conclusion that this book was also just laying down the groundwork for the next one (which, incidentally, I won't be buying, so I suppose I'll never now how the story ends).

 

No odds to me - I found myself completely failing to give a damn about any of the characters, even going so far as to thinking the lead character; the witch, Rachel Morgan, is incredibly dull (in every sense of the word). I find I cannot sympathise with someone who continually puts herself in ridiculous situations due to her own stupidity, then expects others to get her out of it. Her boyfriend, Nick, isn't any better. I completely fail to understand how anyone would be attracted to such a person.

 

I think I would have been happier if she'd been killed off in the first chapter of Dead Witch Walking; then we could have focused on Ivy, the non-practicing living-vampire, who could have been an intriguing character if only Harrison had been a skilled & creative writer. Or perhaps Trent, the attractive underworld biodrug dealer - now there's a character I could have happily got my teeth into; but he was left shallow - barely even two-dimensional.

 

What a waste - of an idea, of characters, & of my time.