Review: SKIP IT - Not up to authors usual standards
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 09 25, 2012
What is most disappointing is the author (Kim Harrison) can write enthralling , exciting well thought out books. This just isn't one of them.  First off it is a short story, not a whole book.  But that is OK because that is all it ever claims to be and the price reflects this.But the plot is disjointed, many actions are never explained, you never know who is "good" versus "evil", magical powers & rules are very unclear and there is no conclusion.  It leaves you with an unsatisfied taste as to what did you bite into.The "hero" works in a pet store.  He has a sexy yet unattainable boss.  One evening a little girl with a rich gorgeous mother arrives just at closing time.  She wants a kitten and already has a pet bat.  Her attractive mother aggressively pursues our hero, inviting him to an exclusive party.  While he wonders what she sees in him, he goes anyway.  The party seems odd with well dressed redheads (like his date) hanging out with poorer companions (like him).  His date has a cryptic argument with her father that hints at subjects but does not explain all.  The red heads start to bite their guests and things degenerate as expected from there.  But when he tries to run he finds the door locked and looks like it opens to the wrong world.  He drops his key chain with a tiny bell attached and somehow this counteracts the magic.  Outside his boss waits and enters with a flaming sword.  Who or what is his boss is another mystery.  After all this he goes to work the next day.Are all bloodsuckers ("vampires") inherently evil worthy of killing?  Is the little girl evil?  If there is conflict between the vampires is one side good?  What magical powers do the vampires have?  We have to make a tremendous leap of faith that somehow bells hurt the vampires's magic?  Or is it just this one bell?  Where did this weakness come from?  Vampires don't like dogs?  Why?The "hero" is a n ordinary slob.  He starts as a boring loser and stays that way.  Aside from being lucky enough to have a bell on his key chain and stupid enough to keep working with a boss who is some form of unknown monster he has no charisma, no interesting thoughts, and you barely care if the vampires eat him. What is his boss?  what gives her the right to whack off "peoples" heads?The biggest problem with this short story is some people will use this as an inexpensive means to sample Kim Harrison's writing .  They will then decide the author is terrible, missing some awesome books in the magic  Hollows series.