Black Magic Sanction (The Hollows #8) by Kim Harrison

I can devour Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series like popcorn, but I try to force myself to go slowly so I can appreciate the details that are put into it. The heroine is the feisty, honorable, goofy witch with serious genetic issues. I'm afraid to spoil details in the series for those who haven't started, but suffice it to say that the main character is always full of surprises, but she hasn't reached god-level ridiculousness to her growing list of powers. She also has her flaws; she's a little vain, stand-offish, and doesn't use her brains as much as she should. She's also a little more reactive than proactive, so her list of problems is long enough to maintain a decent plot throughout the long series.

More than Morgan, I love the universe that Harrison has set up. Humans have been partially wiped out by a virus contained in tomatoes. To save them and protect their own species from persecution, the Inderlanders (witches, werewolves, vamps, leprechauns, really any magical creature you can think of) came out of hiding. Add near-extinct elves and deadly demons and you have a fantastic set of beings.

Tomatoes were then abolished. Can you imagine a world without pizza?!

Harrison navigates her readers through inter-species politics and the rules of magic with skill. And since Morgan has good friends like Jenks (a pixie who likes to swear on Tink's panties) and the troubled vamp Ivy, readers fall in love with this series very quickly. Black Magic Sanction keeps the high level of quality form the previous books.

Goodreads link

NOTE: I just finished Pale Demon, which is next in the series, and I love how complicated the relationship between Trent and Rachel is becoming. I suspect that he will push her to new boundaries, and in surprising ways. Her new standing with the demons is going to interfere, however (thank God because that means 3 more books). I love that Kim Harrison's books never leave me thinking, 'dear God I have to read three more" but instead I'm always looking forward to more plot twists and development.