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Kim Harrison Books in Order

See all Kim Harrison books in order, with series lists, quick summaries, reading order tips, and where to start with The Hollows, Peri Reed, and more.

Last updated: June 7, 2026

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Kim Harrison books in publication order

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46 books

First Truth

by Kim Harrison

2002

Alissa never believed her father’s stories about the Hold, where Keepers study magic, until her mother sends her there alone before winter. Lost in the mountains with wandering musician Strell, she discovers a nearly empty fortress and an awakening power she barely understands.

Hidden Truth

by Kim Harrison

2002

Now a reluctant student under the Hold’s last Master, Alissa learns that the renegade Keeper Bailic controls the fortress and covets the sentient book called First Truth. As the book’s power tempts her, she must decide how far she will go to stop him.

Forgotten Truth

by Kim Harrison

2003

A spell gone wrong hurls Alissa four hundred years into the Hold’s past, when its halls are crowded with students and Masters. Separated from the man she loves and struggling with her dragonlike raku form, she must find a way home before she loses herself.

Dead Witch Walking

by Kim Harrison

2004

When witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan walks away from her job at Inderland Security, her former bosses put a price on her head. To survive, she teams with vampire Ivy Tamwood and pixy Jenks to expose crime lord Trent Kalamack and buy back her freedom.

Lost Truth

by Kim Harrison

2004

Haunted by dreams that hint other Masters survived, Alissa sails to a distant island and finds a hidden magical society thriving there. Its formidable leader insists on reshaping her future, and Alissa’s refusal may cost her both her magic and her life.

Every Which Way But Dead

by Kim Harrison

2005

Rachel’s deal to help put master vampire Piscary behind bars backfires when demon Algaliarept demands she become his familiar as payment. Caught between demonic contracts, criminal elves, and tangled relationships, she has to outwit the ever-after without losing her soul.

The Decoy Princess

by Kim Harrison

2005

Princess Contessa has always believed she was the rightful heir of Constenopolie, until a coup reveals she is an orphan raised as a royal decoy. Hunted by assassins and schemers, she must turn courtly training and secret magic into tools for her own survival.

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead

by Kim Harrison

2005

A string of murdered ley-line witches pulls Rachel into a case the human FIB cannot handle. Hunting a killer who feeds on forbidden magic, she juggles demon attacks, Ivy’s dangerous hunger, and the growing mystery around Trent’s true nature.

A Fistful of Charms

by Kim Harrison

2006

When her ex-boyfriend Nick and Jenks’s son vanish on a risky job, Rachel heads north with her pixy partner to track them down. The search plunges her into brutal werewolf pack politics and a smuggling scheme that could turn the supernatural Midwest feral.

Dates from Hell

by Kim Harrison

2006

Four tales of truly disastrous dates fill this paranormal anthology, from vampiric exes to demon lovers. Kim Harrison’s novella follows Ivy Tamwood on a case that tangles her love life with a deadly investigation in the darker corners of the Hollows.

Princess at Sea

by Kim Harrison

2006

Now posing as a lady-in-waiting while her double rules, Tess joins Queen Contessa and Prince Alex on their sea-going honeymoon. When pirates seize the royal party, Tess’s hidden magic and gambler’s instincts become their best hope of outwitting captivity on the high seas.

For a Few Demons More

by Kim Harrison

2007

A lethal cursed focus tied to the demon ever-after lands in Cincinnati, leaving a trail of bodies behind it. As Rachel races to contain the artifact and protect her friends, she must decide which demons and elves she dares to bargain with.

Hotter Than Hell

by Kim Harrison

2008

This multi-author anthology gathers thirteen dark, sensual tales of demons, witches, vampires, and other creatures of the night. Kim Harrison’s story adds a Hollows twist, following a banshee whose dangerous hunger makes love, loyalty, and survival equally complicated.

The Outlaw Demon Wails

by Kim Harrison

2008

Still reeling from a devastating loss, Rachel discovers that a rogue demon is using her link to the ever-after to break free. To stop him she digs into her father’s secrets, her own heritage, and forms of magic that may change her forever.

Early to Death, Early to Rise

by Kim Harrison

2009

Madison has inherited the job of dark timekeeper, commanding angels who believe souls must sometimes die early to be saved. Refusing to accept that grim logic, she forms a rogue team and tries to rewrite heaven’s rules before they cost more innocent lives.

Into the Woods

by Kim Harrison

2009

Into the Woods collects novellas and stories from the Hollows and beyond, mixing fan favorites with new work. Side characters step into the spotlight, forests hide unsettling magic, and readers see key moments in Rachel’s world from angles the novels only hint at.

Once Dead, Twice Shy

by Kim Harrison

2009

On prom night, seventeen-year-old Madison Avery is killed by a dark reaper, only to snatch his amulet and wake up still walking around. With a wary light reaper, a sarcastic guardian angel, and a very confused boyfriend, she fights for control of her own fate.

White Witch, Black Curse

by Kim Harrison

2009

Rachel is haunted by the blank space where her lover’s murder should be in her memory. While she hunts a deadly banshee preying on Cincinnati, she follows fragile clues that might finally reveal what happened the night he died.

Black Magic Sanction

by Kim Harrison

2010

Declared an outlaw by the witches’ council for consorting with demons, Rachel faces imprisonment or magical lobotomy. Hunted by her own kind, she must rely on Trent, demon Al, and an ex-boyfriend turned thief to keep both her freedom and her power.

Blood Work

by Kim Harrison

2011

This full-color graphic novel rewinds to Rachel’s first assignment under living vampire Ivy Tamwood at Inderland Security. Their hunt for a killer who preys on Weres tests a new partnership and shows just how dangerous the Hollows streets can be.

Pale Demon

by Kim Harrison

2011

With the coven demanding her execution, Rachel has one last chance to clear her name at a West Coast witches’ conference. A chaotic road trip with Trent, Jenks, and Ivy turns into a gauntlet of assassins, demons, and long-buried elven secrets.

Something Deadly This Way Comes

by Kim Harrison

2011

Able to flash into the moments when a soul begins to die, Madison sees futures that leave her carrying other people’s grief. When she is offered the chance to reclaim her body and live again, she must choose between a normal life and the calling she has claimed.

The Hollows Insider

by Kim Harrison

2011

Part world guide, part story collection, The Hollows Insider offers an in-universe look at Rachel Morgan’s world. Filled with case files, maps, spell notes, character dossiers, and new fiction, it explains the rules and secrets that shape life in the Hollows.

A Perfect Blood

by Kim Harrison

2012

Cut off from her demon magic, Rachel suddenly finds herself vulnerable when a human hate group begins torturing supernaturals to weaponize their blood. Marked as their next experiment, she must stop their campaign using only earth magic and stubborn will.

Blood Crime

by Kim Harrison

2012

In the second Hollows graphic novel, someone is determined to eliminate both Rachel and Ivy, and every case seems to lead back to the same hidden foe. As attacks escalate, the fragile trust between witch and vampire is pushed to a breaking point.

Pet Shop Boys

by Kim Harrison

2012

A weary pet shop clerk finally agrees to a date with a charming customer, only to find himself drawn into a family with a chilling secret. What starts as a flirtatious night out turns into a trap that may keep him in their care forever.

Ever After

by Kim Harrison

2013

The demonic ever-after is collapsing, and Rachel’s earlier mistakes with a ley line are to blame. With a soul-eating demon holding her friends hostage, she races to repair the damage before all magic vanishes and both worlds fall into chaos.

Sudden Backtrack

by Kim Harrison

2014

Told from demon Al’s point of view, this Hollows short reveals how he and Newt spun the curse that toppled the elves. The story peels back the origins of the ancient war that still shapes Rachel Morgan’s world.

The Undead Pool

by Kim Harrison

2014

When uncontrolled magic makes spells misfire across Cincinnati and undead vampire masters fall into comas, the fragile peace between humans and Inderlanders starts to crack. Rachel must trace the source using perilous elven wild magic before all-out war erupts.

The Witch With No Name

by Kim Harrison

2014

In the climax of Rachel’s first long arc, she searches for a way to return souls to undead vampires without destroying them or the ever-after. Saving Ivy, preserving demonkind, and protecting Cincinnati may demand the greatest sacrifice she has ever faced.

Sideswiped

by Kim Harrison

2015

Set before The Drafter, this novella follows rookie drafter Peri Reed on a supposedly simple training job that quickly goes wrong. Testing the limits of rewinding time, she learns how easily an Anchor can reshape her memories to hide dangerous truths.

The Drafter

by Kim Harrison

2015

In a near-future Detroit, government agent Peri Reed can rewind the last seconds of time when a mission fails, losing her own memories in the process. Branded a traitor by the agency that trained her, she must reconstruct what really happened before they erase her for good.

The Operator

by Kim Harrison

2016

Hiding from the remnants of Opti, Peri is trying to build an ordinary life when a black-market drug promises to let drafters keep their memories. Dragged back into espionage, she has to choose between the safety of forgetfulness and a power that could cost her everything.

Waylaid

by Kim Harrison

2016

A powerful device yanks Rachel out of the Hollows and into Peri Reed’s high-tech Detroit, where magic officially does not exist. To get Rachel and Jenks home, Peri must decide whether to trust her own agency or a witch from another reality.

The Turn

by Kim Harrison

2017

Set decades before Rachel’s adventures, this prequel follows rival elf scientists Trisk and Kal as a genetically engineered tomato and a weaponized virus combine into a deadly plague. Their desperate attempt to contain it becomes the catastrophe later known as the Turn.

Perfunctory Affection

by Kim Harrison

2019

After her mother’s death and a brutal car accident, artist Meg Seton is drowning in anxiety and grief. A new medication and an enigmatic couple who befriend her seem to offer a way out, until their interest slides from flattering to predatory and reality begins to warp.

American Demon

by Kim Harrison

2020

After saving both worlds, Rachel expects a quieter life. Instead, a rash of zombie-like attacks and ritual murders suggests that a new demon has slipped through the cracks her last battle opened, forcing her to confront the unintended cost of her victories.

Million Dollar Demon

by Kim Harrison

2021

A ruthless undead master arrives in Cincinnati and decides Rachel is bad for business. Driven from her church and hunted through her own city, Rachel must either challenge centuries of vampire power or watch everything she has built torn apart.

Trouble With the Cursed

by Kim Harrison

2022

Serving as Cincinnati’s demon subrosa, Rachel finally has a fragile peace to protect when Ivy returns escorting an ancient undead. Accused of killing the city’s former master vampire, Rachel must navigate vicious vampire politics and a trickster demon ally to clear her name.

Demons of Good and Evil

by Kim Harrison

2023

As Cincinnati’s demon subrosa, Rachel expects trouble, but not a shadowy mage dismantling her support network piece by piece. With friends under attack and alliances crumbling, she must risk new, uneasy bargains to keep both the city and her found family intact.

Demon's Bluff

by Kim Harrison

2024

Accused of twisting a forbidden curse, Rachel faces exile or an Alcatraz cell unless she can reverse the spell. A botched time jump strands her and a young coven leader two days before Kisten’s death, forcing Rachel to resist changing the past to save the future.

Emergence

by Kim Harrison

2024

Public fear spikes after a viral conspiracy theorist twists August’s words, turning Renee into a convenient scapegoat and placing her under house arrest. Escaping through the labyrinth, she discovers she has been using Neighbor magic herself, a truth that could decide which world survives.

First Contact

by Kim Harrison

2024

After a total solar eclipse tears open a portal, scientist Renee Caisson is drafted to study demonic-looking refugees called Neighbors. As one of them, August, adapts at an impossible pace, she begins to suspect their strange "technology" is a dangerous form of magic.

Three Kinds of Lucky

by Kim Harrison

2024

Petra Grady cannot work spells, but she can see and safely sweep away dross, the hazardous magical waste others leave behind. When a lab accident with researcher Benedict Strom turns dross volatile, the two must flee St. Unoc and seek a banished weaver who knows its true power.

Totality

by Kim Harrison

2024

Now serving as interpreter between humans and Neighbors, Renee helps manage a permanent gateway between worlds. When commander Noel uncovers proof that her people once tried to conquer Earth, Renee must navigate lies, politics, and looming disclosure to prevent history repeating.

New

Secondhand Luck

by Kim Harrison

2026

Months after bonding with sentient shadow Pluck, Petra has finally found a place at St. Unoc University. A new weaver arrives carrying the influence of ancient shadow Thoth, and when his schemes are pinned on them, Petra and Pluck must clear their names before the mage courts erase them both.

Where to start with Kim Harrison

If you want classic urban fantasy: Dead Witch WalkingThe Good, the Bad, and the UndeadEvery Which Way But Dead.
If you prefer to read the Hollows chronologically: The TurnDead Witch WalkingThe Good, the Bad, and the Undead.
If you like high-tech time-twist thrillers: SideswipedThe DrafterThe Operator.
If you’re picking up her young adult novels: Once Dead, Twice ShyEarly to Death, Early to RiseSomething Deadly This Way Comes.
If you want her newest non-Hollows world: Three Kinds of LuckySecondhand Luck.

Eclipsed Evolution books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Emergence"

    Emergence

    by Kim Harrison

    2024Eclipsed Evolution, Book 3
  2. Book cover for "First Contact"

    First Contact

    by Kim Harrison

    2024Eclipsed Evolution, Book 1
  3. Book cover for "Totality"

    Totality

    by Kim Harrison

    2024Eclipsed Evolution, Book 2

Eclipsed Evolution books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "First Contact"

    First Contact

    by Kim Harrison

    2024Eclipsed Evolution, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Totality"

    Totality

    by Kim Harrison

    2024Eclipsed Evolution, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Emergence"

    Emergence

    by Kim Harrison

    2024Eclipsed Evolution, Book 3

Madison Avery books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Early to Death, Early to Rise"

    Early to Death, Early to Rise

    by Kim Harrison

    2009Madison Avery, Book 2
  2. Book cover for "Once Dead, Twice Shy"

    Once Dead, Twice Shy

    by Kim Harrison

    2009Madison Avery, Book 1
  3. Book cover for "Something Deadly This Way Comes"

    Something Deadly This Way Comes

    by Kim Harrison

    2011Madison Avery, Book 3

Madison Avery books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Once Dead, Twice Shy"

    Once Dead, Twice Shy

    by Kim Harrison

    2009Madison Avery, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Early to Death, Early to Rise"

    Early to Death, Early to Rise

    by Kim Harrison

    2009Madison Avery, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Something Deadly This Way Comes"

    Something Deadly This Way Comes

    by Kim Harrison

    2011Madison Avery, Book 3

Peri Reed Chronicles books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Sideswiped"

    Sideswiped

    by Kim Harrison

    2015Peri Reed Chronicles, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Drafter"

    The Drafter

    by Kim Harrison

    2015Peri Reed Chronicles, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Operator"

    The Operator

    by Kim Harrison

    2016Peri Reed Chronicles, Book 3

Peri Reed Chronicles books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Sideswiped"

    Sideswiped

    by Kim Harrison

    2015Peri Reed Chronicles, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Drafter"

    The Drafter

    by Kim Harrison

    2015Peri Reed Chronicles, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Operator"

    The Operator

    by Kim Harrison

    2016Peri Reed Chronicles, Book 3

Princess books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "The Decoy Princess"

    The Decoy Princess

    by Kim Harrison

    2005Princess, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Princess at Sea"

    Princess at Sea

    by Kim Harrison

    2006Princess, Book 2

Princess books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Decoy Princess"

    The Decoy Princess

    by Kim Harrison

    2005Princess, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Princess at Sea"

    Princess at Sea

    by Kim Harrison

    2006Princess, Book 2

The Hollows books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Dead Witch Walking"

    Dead Witch Walking

    by Kim Harrison

    2004The Hollows, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Every Which Way But Dead"

    Every Which Way But Dead

    by Kim Harrison

    2005The Hollows, Book 3
  3. Book cover for "The Good, the Bad, and the Undead"

    The Good, the Bad, and the Undead

    by Kim Harrison

    2005The Hollows, Book 2
  4. Book cover for "A Fistful of Charms"

    A Fistful of Charms

    by Kim Harrison

    2006The Hollows, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "For a Few Demons More"

    For a Few Demons More

    by Kim Harrison

    2007The Hollows, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Outlaw Demon Wails"

    The Outlaw Demon Wails

    by Kim Harrison

    2008The Hollows, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "White Witch, Black Curse"

    White Witch, Black Curse

    by Kim Harrison

    2009The Hollows, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Black Magic Sanction"

    Black Magic Sanction

    by Kim Harrison

    2010The Hollows, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Pale Demon"

    Pale Demon

    by Kim Harrison

    2011The Hollows, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "The Hollows Insider"

    The Hollows Insider

    by Kim Harrison

    2011The Hollows, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "A Perfect Blood"

    A Perfect Blood

    by Kim Harrison

    2012The Hollows, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Ever After"

    Ever After

    by Kim Harrison

    2013The Hollows, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "Sudden Backtrack"

    Sudden Backtrack

    by Kim Harrison

    2014The Hollows, Book 15
  14. Book cover for "The Undead Pool"

    The Undead Pool

    by Kim Harrison

    2014The Hollows, Book 13
  15. Book cover for "The Witch With No Name"

    The Witch With No Name

    by Kim Harrison

    2014The Hollows, Book 14
  16. Book cover for "Waylaid"

    Waylaid

    by Kim Harrison

    2016The Hollows, Book 16
  17. Book cover for "The Turn"

    The Turn

    by Kim Harrison

    2017The Hollows, Book 17
  18. Book cover for "American Demon"

    American Demon

    by Kim Harrison

    2020The Hollows, Book 18
  19. Book cover for "Million Dollar Demon"

    Million Dollar Demon

    by Kim Harrison

    2021The Hollows, Book 19
  20. Book cover for "Trouble With the Cursed"

    Trouble With the Cursed

    by Kim Harrison

    2022The Hollows, Book 20
  21. Book cover for "Demons of Good and Evil"

    Demons of Good and Evil

    by Kim Harrison

    2023The Hollows, Book 21
  22. Book cover for "Demon's Bluff"

    Demon's Bluff

    by Kim Harrison

    2024The Hollows, Book 22

The Hollows books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Dead Witch Walking"

    Dead Witch Walking

    by Kim Harrison

    2004The Hollows, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Good, the Bad, and the Undead"

    The Good, the Bad, and the Undead

    by Kim Harrison

    2005The Hollows, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Every Which Way But Dead"

    Every Which Way But Dead

    by Kim Harrison

    2005The Hollows, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "A Fistful of Charms"

    A Fistful of Charms

    by Kim Harrison

    2006The Hollows, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "For a Few Demons More"

    For a Few Demons More

    by Kim Harrison

    2007The Hollows, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Outlaw Demon Wails"

    The Outlaw Demon Wails

    by Kim Harrison

    2008The Hollows, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "White Witch, Black Curse"

    White Witch, Black Curse

    by Kim Harrison

    2009The Hollows, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Black Magic Sanction"

    Black Magic Sanction

    by Kim Harrison

    2010The Hollows, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Pale Demon"

    Pale Demon

    by Kim Harrison

    2011The Hollows, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "The Hollows Insider"

    The Hollows Insider

    by Kim Harrison

    2011The Hollows, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "A Perfect Blood"

    A Perfect Blood

    by Kim Harrison

    2012The Hollows, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Ever After"

    Ever After

    by Kim Harrison

    2013The Hollows, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "The Undead Pool"

    The Undead Pool

    by Kim Harrison

    2014The Hollows, Book 13
  14. Book cover for "The Witch With No Name"

    The Witch With No Name

    by Kim Harrison

    2014The Hollows, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "Sudden Backtrack"

    Sudden Backtrack

    by Kim Harrison

    2014The Hollows, Book 15
  16. Book cover for "Waylaid"

    Waylaid

    by Kim Harrison

    2016The Hollows, Book 16
  17. Book cover for "The Turn"

    The Turn

    by Kim Harrison

    2017The Hollows, Book 17
  18. Book cover for "American Demon"

    American Demon

    by Kim Harrison

    2020The Hollows, Book 18
  19. Book cover for "Million Dollar Demon"

    Million Dollar Demon

    by Kim Harrison

    2021The Hollows, Book 19
  20. Book cover for "Trouble With the Cursed"

    Trouble With the Cursed

    by Kim Harrison

    2022The Hollows, Book 20
  21. Book cover for "Demons of Good and Evil"

    Demons of Good and Evil

    by Kim Harrison

    2023The Hollows, Book 21
  22. Book cover for "Demon's Bluff"

    Demon's Bluff

    by Kim Harrison

    2024The Hollows, Book 22

The Hollows Graphic Novels books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Blood Work"

    Blood Work

    by Kim Harrison

    2011The Hollows Graphic Novels, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Blood Crime"

    Blood Crime

    by Kim Harrison

    2012The Hollows Graphic Novels, Book 2

The Hollows Graphic Novels books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Blood Work"

    Blood Work

    by Kim Harrison

    2011The Hollows Graphic Novels, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Blood Crime"

    Blood Crime

    by Kim Harrison

    2012The Hollows Graphic Novels, Book 2

The Shadow Age books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Three Kinds of Lucky"

    Three Kinds of Lucky

    by Kim Harrison

    2024The Shadow Age, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Secondhand Luck"

    Secondhand Luck

    by Kim Harrison

    2026The Shadow Age, Book 2

The Shadow Age books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Three Kinds of Lucky"

    Three Kinds of Lucky

    by Kim Harrison

    2024The Shadow Age, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Secondhand Luck"

    Secondhand Luck

    by Kim Harrison

    2026The Shadow Age, Book 2

Truth books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "First Truth"

    First Truth

    by Kim Harrison

    2002Truth, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Hidden Truth"

    Hidden Truth

    by Kim Harrison

    2002Truth, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Forgotten Truth"

    Forgotten Truth

    by Kim Harrison

    2003Truth, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Lost Truth"

    Lost Truth

    by Kim Harrison

    2004Truth, Book 4

Truth books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "First Truth"

    First Truth

    by Kim Harrison

    2002Truth, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Hidden Truth"

    Hidden Truth

    by Kim Harrison

    2002Truth, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Forgotten Truth"

    Forgotten Truth

    by Kim Harrison

    2003Truth, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Lost Truth"

    Lost Truth

    by Kim Harrison

    2004Truth, Book 4

Kim Harrison collections, short stories, and related book types

The Hollows Collections

  1. Book cover for "Dates from Hell"

    Dates from Hell

    by Kim Harrison

    2006
  2. Book cover for "Into the Woods"

    Into the Woods

    by Kim Harrison

    2009Tales from the Hollows and Beyond

Short Stories/Novellas

  1. Book cover for "Pet Shop Boys"

    Pet Shop Boys

    by Kim Harrison

    2012A Short Story

Standalone Kim Harrison books

  1. Book cover for "Hotter Than Hell"

    Hotter Than Hell

    by Kim Harrison

    2008
  2. Book cover for "Perfunctory Affection"

    Perfunctory Affection

    by Kim Harrison

    2019

Author bio

Kim Harrison is the pen name of American writer Dawn Cook, who built a devoted following with her mix of sharp-edged urban fantasy, classic secondary-world adventure, and near-future thrillers. She was born and raised in the American Midwest, the only girl in a family of boys, and happily calls herself a former tomboy. Growing up around Michigan, she spent as much time with books and music as she did outside, and those early science fiction stories and late-night radio playlists never really left.

As a teenager she started writing for herself, long before she thought of it as a career. She has joked that she dodged advanced English classes even while filling notebooks with scenes, characters, and bits of dialogue. Instead she gravitated toward science, earning a bachelor’s degree and working in lab settings, including jobs that involved caring for delicate coral colonies and other painstaking, hands-on work. The precision science demanded ended up feeding the way she constructs magic systems and rules on the page.

Before anyone knew the name Kim Harrison, she was publishing traditional fantasy as Dawn Cook. The Truth quartet follows Alissa, a young woman pushed toward a legendary fortress called the Hold, while the Princess duology begins with The Decoy Princess, where a royal decoy discovers she is not who she thought she was. Those early novels lean into coming-of-age journeys, stubborn heroines, and carefully built magic, all hallmarks that continue in her later work.

Over time she realized she was more interested in character and voice than starships or distant kingdoms. That shift led her toward contemporary fantasy and, eventually, the world that would become the Hollows. After nearly a decade learning the business as an aspiring writer, she met the agent and editor who would help bring Dead Witch Walking to print. Set in an alternate Cincinnati reshaped by a plague triggered by genetically altered tomatoes, the book introduced witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan and quietly launched one of urban fantasy’s longest-running series.

Across more than a dozen Hollows novels, graphic novels, novellas, and the full-color companion The Hollows Insider, Harrison has followed Rachel, living vampire Ivy Tamwood, pixy scout Jenks, and elf tycoon Trent Kalamack through shifting alliances, demon bargains, and the messy work of building a found family. The series blends supernatural crime, political maneuvering, and small domestic moments, often pausing between battles for coffee in a church kitchen or a night in a garden.

Harrison has never stayed in one lane. Her Madison Avery trilogy starts with Once Dead, Twice Shy and brings reapers, angels, and questions of fate into a young adult setting. The Peri Reed Chronicles, beginning with The Drafter, move into a slick, near-future Detroit where special-ops agents can rewrite the last seconds of time at the cost of their own memories. Recent projects like Perfunctory Affection, the Eclipsed Evolution sequence, and Three Kinds of Lucky in The Shadow Age series show her interest in psychological suspense, first contact stories, and new forms of magic.

For years she kept the Dawn Cook identity separate from Kim Harrison, a split that finally went public in the late 2000s. Being open about the connection simplified her life and let readers follow her across genres without worrying about which name sat on the spine. She still talks about the two names as different facets of the same creative itch rather than as a marketing trick.

Music remains a big part of her process, and she has mentioned building playlists for particular characters or books. She is equally likely to draw on old horror films, crime fiction, or the quirks of Midwestern city life when she is stitching together a new story. What ties the work together is a steady focus on consequences: magic always has a cost, power complicates relationships, and even the most outlandish creature still has to live with yesterday’s choices.

Harrison has lived in both South Carolina and Michigan, and in recent years she has settled back in Michigan, closer to the landscape that shaped her early memories. When she is not at the desk, she might be out in the garden, walking a golf course, or restoring details on an old Victorian house. Between those projects she keeps returning to the Hollows and to new worlds, giving both longtime fans and new readers plenty of places to jump in.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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