Ever After by Kim Harrison

I think I read somewhere that Harrison is going to be wrapping up this series pretty soon. The overall tenor of this book would tend to support that, as some of the major conflicts work their way towards resolution, and she seems to cease introducing as many new twists in this one - though there's an issue with a certain master vampire that's probably going to have to be dealt with in an upcoming episode, if it hasn't already been done in the "apocrypha."

I found it amusing that Rachel seems to have undergone a personal evolution with respect to some of her enemies at the beginning of the series, e.g., Trent Kalamak and Algliarept "Al" the demon. She began the series believing Trent to be an evil drug dealer, but eventually came to view him as an ally at first, then a friend, and now we begin to see the possibility of romantic attraction there. In most series, we'd  move from the stage where two characters spark conflict immediately and by the end of the novel, they're madly in love, but Harrison has brought us a bit more slowly and laboriously to the point. When Rachel summons Al in the early going, it is clear that he is a very dangerous demon, lusting for control of her soul (and body?), but Rachel has gradually come to know him and the other demons better, and understand their history, and now the two are definitely allies, if not friends. Of course, finding out that she is actually genetically a demon, too, might have made some difference in her attitude.

The plot? Oh, yeah. Quen wants Rachel to help him to keep Trent safe when Quen is unable to perform his duties. Rachel declines. On a trip to Trent's estate shortly after that, they are all surprised when the demon Ku'sox attacks Quen and Ceri in order to kidnap Luci, Trent's daughter, Ku'sox is already responsible for the abduction of a number of other babies with the same syndrome which Rachel has alone survived.

Ku'sox has big plans to make all the other demons subservient to him, and messes up all the ley lines that lead to the Ever After. Rachel is blamed for it, and unless she can fix the ley lines, rescue the babies, and vanquish Ku'sox, she's in big trouble.

Fun stuff, though there is some sadness as Harrison kills off a couple of major players.