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Black Magic Sanction (Rachel Morgan, Book 8) |  | Author: Kim Harrison
Publisher: Eos
Category: Book
List Price: $25.99
Buy New: $12.29
as of 9/8/2010 01:36 CDT details
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New (48) Used (23) Collectible (7) from $10.93
Seller: newhomesforgoodbooks
Rating:  132 reviews
Sales Rank: 4988
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 496
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.5 x 1.5
ISBN: 0061138037
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780061138034
ASIN: 0061138037
Publication Date: March 1, 2010
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison's most complex and nuanced adventure yet, bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan fights a deadly battle—mind, body, and soul Black Magic Sanction Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter—and lived to tell the tale. But she's never faced off against her own kind . . . until now. Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment—at worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom, but trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and an ex-boyfriend turned thief. It takes a witch to catch a witch, but survival bears a heavy price.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 132
 One more series bites the dust.. August 31, 2010
C. Wheeler
I stopped buying the series after book 4, but this is the book where I stopped reading about Rachel et al. How many more occasions could there be of Rachel getting knocked out and waking up surrounded by handsome admiring men vying to save her. Dear Ms. Harrison, Please review the Wikipedia entry for "Mary Sue". Here, I'll give you the short version: The term is more broadly associated with characters who are exceptionally and improbably lucky. The good luck may involve romance ("Mary Sue" always gets her man); adventure ("Mary Sue" always wins a fight or knows how to solve the puzzle) and popularity (the "right people" seem to gravitate towards the character).
 3.5 stars August 24, 2010
Matthew Schiariti (new jersey)
I've been a big fan of the Rachael Morgan series since I got hooked on Dead Witch Walking several months ago and have enjoyed the series as a whole pretty consistently since then. I will say that while I haven't entirely enjoyed the last two offerings as much as the early/middle novels as much, it's still a fun and imaginative series.
In this outing Rachael is in trouble again (duh!), only this time it's the Coven of moral standards that's out to get her. They see her as a threat being that she communes with demons and often performs black magic. That she twists demon curses to get out of impossible situations that aren't of her doing isn't their concern. They want her gone.
That's the overall plot of the book and it's a good one. Being that it's a Rachael Morgan book though it deviates from that here and there and we go into the minutia of Rachael's day as well as her learning more about ley lines from her teacher, Big Al. Al, by the way, is still one of the highlights of the series. On a more personal/emotional note for Rachael, there are heavy doses of Pierce in this novel and I admit that the character is growing on me. I thought his importance was a bit thrust onto the reader in the last book, considering he was just from a short story, but his 18th century way of speaking and his outlook on the use of his skills and insight into how Rachael really is has me liking him all the more the more he appears in the novel.
I've seen people say that they haven't liked this series because they feel it doesn't 'get to the point', and I think that's why I haven't liked this and the previous novel as much as the first six novels. I used to love the day to day of her life when it was all new. Learning about how she spells, pixie culture, living vamps; the whole world Harrison made was new and fresh at that point and even when the books strayed away from the central plot they were still entertaining. Now, however, it seems to be getting a little stale. While the central plot and the action and character interactions were all enjoyable, a lot of the same ground gets retread. More learning about ley lines. More lamentation about how everything isn't 'her fault', her getting into trouble and summarily beaten up only to wake up to a chorus of 'Rachael, are you ok??' from her all too protective friends. There's even one segment in the book where it's if she leaves for a change of venue/scenery for a while, the entire cast acts as if their collective world will end. It is nice that most of the Ivy drama is over.
So, the point of the previous long winded paragraph was just to point out that I felt that the book does drag nowadays when it strays off the central plot for the most part, usually with things that seem entirely too familiar. I was going to rate it a 3 but the clever ending really made up for it.
So, while not quite a four star book, it's decidedly better than just a three star. I'm still a fan of the series and have grown fond of the characters and the alternate universe Harrison has created!
Kim Harrison needs to rethink her plot direction August 23, 2010
Lona Hansen (Des Moines, Iowa United States)
This book felt as if it got back on track. However, we really need to lose Pierce (after he uses his membership in the coven of moral and ethical standards to help remove Rachel's shunning). Pierce strikes a discordant note for me as a character who does not feel as if he flows naturally from the alternate universe on which the books are based. Pierce feels very Mary Sueish as if Kim Harrison imagined the perfect romantic male witch and just inserted him into the story for her own imaginings. To me, every scene with Pierce felt contrived and no other characters do.
Otherwise, Rachel seems to be trying to grow up and learn from her mistakes which is positive. Unfortunately, she is not learning enough to save her friends from continuing to die for her. SPOILER *** Matalina's death to save Rachel felt contrived to let us see the inside of the pixy stump and have another scene with Pierce. It would have been more in line with previous books for her to be killed by Rex when she could not fly fast or high enough because she was aging.
I would also like to see more of the other characters' lives, especially Ivy's family (including her mother!). Even though the series focuses on Rachel, it is stronger when it is more inclusive of the other characters' lives because it has more plot options.
A thrill ride of captures and escapes August 19, 2010
Jacob's Beloved (Alberta, Canada)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book was like one long game of fight-or-flight, mixed in with multiple escape plans when Rachel could not avoid getting caught. Being Rachel Morgan must be quite exhausting. Being eight books in now, I have been able to come up with many reasons why I enjoy reading this series so much. For starters, I love how Kim Harrison plays off of Clint Eastwood films for her book titles. I also love how each race of supernatural beings are so creatively developed to be both unique and intriguing, right down to the intimate biological makeup. I especially love how Rachel operates "by the seat of her pants" so to speak. Her instincts are nearly always spot on, and she's got reflexes that put a cat's to shame. Even though her deceased father inadvertedly put her in this position of power, able to change the course of history on her version of Earth, she still strives to be "normal" and refuses to be anyone's puppet.
This book was all about crossing moral lines for the right reasons and how far Rachel is willing to cross them to protect those she loves and be free herself. The plot was exciting and fast-paced almost from cover to cover, except for a sad note that had me shedding a few tears - even though the series has given the reader fair warning of what would eventually happen - as well as a hot-and-heavy interlude - because it wouldn't be a Rachel Morgan book without it. I love the mental, unvoiced quips that Rachel dreams up to convey her thoughts, which are so much more entertaining than just base cussing. Case in point: "Are frogs coming from the sun in shapeships, too?" How can a person not laugh at that? Jenks' frequent quips about Tinkerbell can be quite hilarious, too. The ending to the book holds quite a bit of promise for the next one, Pale Demon, especially in regards to Rachel's relationship with the elf, Trent. Speaking of relationships, I am rather intrigued by Al's obsession with Rachel, especially after he changed his appearance with his gargoyle Treble. While I admit my interest may be heavy on the icky, one must admit the potential for certain interludes is strong and highly possible, given what Rachel is becoming. Plus, Al makes no secret of his interest in Rachel, trying three times to convince her to move in the ever-after, though I have my suspicions that his interest is more than just physical. The close look that the reader got of the Coven of Moral and Ethical Standards shows some interesting possibilities given that Pierce is a past member of it. Oh the havoc that Rachel can cause will keep me interested in this series for as long as Kim Harrison keeps writing it!
 Barely OK July 25, 2010
Sheena (Tappahannock, Virginia United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed the beginning of this series, but it seems like the more of these books I read, the less I enjoy the story. This book was so dull that when I picked it up again after a week, I actually thought I'd finished it, only to realize I was barely half way through. It's that anticlimactic and forgetful. The one and only sex scene was so pitiful it should have been taken out in the editing process. The characters of Nick and Trent are set in stone, and Rachel is surprised yet again, that both of them have betrayed her. It's just frustrating.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 132
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