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110-472: The Rachel Morgan urban fantasy series is set in an alternate history in which a worldwide pandemic caused by genetically modified tomatoes led to the death of a large portion of the world's human population. Under the name of Dawn Cook, she writes the Decoy Princess and Truth series, published in the first few years of the 21st century. Harrison has received praise from fellow authors, and has reached

220-485: A river town for cargo shipping by steamboats , located at the crossroads of the Northern and Southern United States, with fewer immigrants and less influence from Europe than East Coast cities in the same period. However, it received a significant number of German-speaking immigrants , who founded many of the city's cultural institutions. It later developed an industrialized economy in manufacturing. Many structures in

330-494: A 'normal' life. As a bisexual vampire, she enjoyed long-time relationships with both Piscary's scion Kisten Felps, a male fellow survivor of the same nightmare she grew up with, and Piscary's young female lawyer Skimmer. She is also attracted to Rachel. Ivy's father is still a living vampire, but her mother is 'undead'. Ivy has one younger sister, Erica, a bubbly teenager whose innocence Ivy is determined to protect. She will kill to preserve those she loves. An eighteen-year-old pixy:

440-527: A black layer covering the aura, can be fostered off onto another but cannot be destroyed. Earth magic filters ley line energy through plants and animals and, although slower than ley line magic, is just as powerful. It is associated with living things, potions, amulets, and charms. Spells can sometimes be stored and called upon later. Earth magic can actually alter one's physical appearance or shape. The effects are permanent unless doused in saltwater. Earth magic tends to be associated with white magic users since it

550-412: A camarilla serves as a support group for the lifestyle demanded by vampires. As for weaknesses, while low- and high-blood living vampires are immune to sunlight or holy items, they can be killed in any normal way: weapons, diseases, poisons, age, and so on. On the other hand, undead vampires have all the traditional vampire weakness: stakes, sunlight, holy items, silver, fire, and decapitation. However, in

660-474: A century and a half, Cincinnati went unchallenged as the most prominent of Ohio's cities, a role that earned it the nickname of "chief city of Ohio" in the 1879 New American Cyclopædia . In addition to this book, countless other books have documented the social history of both the city and its frontier people. The city fathers, of Anglo-American families of prominence, were Episcopalian . Inspired by its earlier horseback circuit preachers , early Methodism

770-424: A crescent around the city: Mount Adams , Walnut Hills , Mount Auburn , Vine Street Hill , College Hill , Fairmont (now rendered Fairmount ), and Mount Harrison (now known as Price Hill ). The name refers to ancient Rome, reputed to be built on seven hills. "Queen City" is taken from an 1819 newspaper article and further immortalized by the 1854 poem "Catawba Wine". In it, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote of

880-547: A four-inch-tall flying man. Jenks is an equal partner in 'Vampiric Charms' freelance runner and security service, together with Rachel Morgan (a witch) and Ivy Tamwood (a living vampire). An intel and reconnaissance specialist, Jenks is a skilled saboteur, swordsman, and electronics expert. He is gifted with an acute sense of smell and hearing. He sees auras without needing second sight. Jenks backs up both Rachel and Ivy on their runs, but can and does provide lethal force as required against what he calls 'lunkers' (big people) as well as

990-643: A front for drug-running and illegal genetic research activities. Not until late in the second book ( The Good, the Bad, and the Undead ) does Rachel discover Trent is secretly an elf, a species thought to have become extinct during the Turn: a 21st-century elven prince of pure blood, charged with healing the elven genome crippled during their ancient war in the Ever After with the demons. Breeds racehorses and hunters as well as maintaining

1100-416: A full pack of hounds — 'The Hunt' pursues two- as well as four-legged quarry — at his vast and heavily wooded estate, which also serves as his primary residence and global corporate headquarters; public tours are available. Trent shares a childhood history with Rachel that neither completely remembers, due to memory blockers in the water at the make-a-wish camp for dying children they both survived. His father

1210-577: A keystone of civic history; and among Methodist institutions were The Christ Hospital as well as projects of the German Methodist Church . One of Cincinnati's biggest proponents of Methodism was the Irish immigrant James Gamble , who together with William Procter founded Procter & Gamble ; in addition to being a devout Methodist, Gamble and his estate donated money to construct Methodist churches throughout Greater Cincinnati. Cincinnati, being

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1320-451: A lean, athletic build, she looks good in leather, but can also dress elegantly as required for work. Rachel appreciates the finer qualities of the male form and does not discriminate based on species. Her gift is improvisation under stress. Her mother, Alice, is still living, and she has one estranged older brother (Robbie) who escaped being born with Rosewood. Rachel's aura color is gold, like both Trent and Algaliarept. A living vampire. She

1430-407: A lifelong and personal level after a deeply traumatic adolescence twisted by Cincinnati's ancient undead master vampire Piscary, which has left her plagued with guilt at past violence and an inability to separate blood from sex. Ivy trusts Rachel to find some way to save her soul. She is highly protective and deeply devoted to both Rachel and Jenks, whom she credits with helping her discover how to live

1540-518: A living vampire and a pixy , as well as her personal relationships with males of different species. Each of the main Hollows novels are written first-person from the perspective of Rachel Morgan exclusively. However, the collection of Kim Harrison's Hollows short stories published in 2012 (between A Perfect Blood and Ever After ) as Into The Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond , ISBN   978-0-06-197432-8 , include one short story each from

1650-502: A major role in their political structure, revolving around who controlled it. The legend stated that over five thousand years ago, the focus-empowered Weres planned to convert humanity by force. However, the witches crossed over to reality from the Ever-after around that time; driven by self-preservation, the vampires, humans, and witches banded together to remove the Focus and its influence from

1760-510: A male householder with no wife present, and 53.3% were non-families. 43.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 32.5 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

1870-684: A number of hills, bluffs, and low ridges overlooking the Ohio in the Bluegrass region of the country. The tristate is geographically located within the Midwest at the far northern extremity of the Upland South . Three municipalities are enveloped by the city: Norwood , Elmwood Place , and Saint Bernard . Norwood is a business and industrial city, while Elmwood Place and Saint Bernard are small, primarily residential, villages. Cincinnati does not have an exclave, but

1980-454: A population growth, marking the first such increase since the 1950 census. On January 4, 2022, Aftab Pureval assumed office as the 70th mayor of Cincinnati. Cincinnati has many nicknames , including Cincy, The Queen City, The Queen of the West, The Blue Chip City, and The City of Seven Hills. These are more typically associated with professional, academic, and public relations references to

2090-915: A rivertown crossroads, depended on trade with the slave states south of the Ohio River at a time when thousands of black people were settling in the free state of Ohio. Most of them came after the American Civil War and were from Kentucky and Virginia with many of them fugitives who had sought freedom and work in the North. In the antebellum years, the majority of native-born whites in the city came from northern states, primarily Pennsylvania . Though 57 percent of whites migrated from free states, 26 percent were from southern states and they retained their cultural support for slavery. This quickly led to tensions between pro-slavery residents and abolitionists who sought lifting restrictions on free black people, as codified in

2200-611: A spot at the northern bank of the Ohio opposite the mouth of the Licking and decided to settle there. The original surveyor, John Filson , named it "Losantiville", a combination of syllables drawn from French and Latin words, intended to mean "town opposite the mouth of the Licking". On January 4, 1790, St. Clair changed the name of the settlement to honor the Society of the Cincinnati. In 1811,

2310-565: Is 79 feet 11 + 7 ⁄ 8  inches (24.381 m), having crested January 26, 1937. Various parts of Cincinnati flood at different points: Riverbend Music Center in the California neighborhood floods at 42 feet (13 m), while Sayler Park floods at 71 feet (22 m) and the Freeman Avenue flood gate closes at 75 feet (23 m). Frequent flooding has hampered the growth of Cincinnati's municipal airport at Lunken Field and

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2420-476: Is $ 158,200, and the cost of living in Cincinnati is 8% below the national average. As of September 2022, the unemployment rate is 3.3%, below the national average. Several Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Cincinnati, such as Kroger , Procter & Gamble , Western & Southern Financial Group , Fifth Third Bank , American Financial Group , and Cintas . General Electric has headquartered their Global Operations Center in Cincinnati; GE Aerospace

2530-479: Is a magical plane that existed outside the ken of normal humans until the Turn. The main pixy character, Jenks, describes it as "...a drop of time that got knocked out, sitting alone by itself with no past behind it to push it forward and no future to pull it along." Concentrations of Ever-after energy are scattered across the normal plane and are called "ley lines." Ley lines can be felt on the normal plane by magic users and

2640-697: Is a member of the International Thriller Writers. The first two Truth books were originally one book, which was split into two separate books for publishing. That the two are the same, and that Cook was Harrison, was disclosed in a May 2009 Locus magazine article. "I'm glad it's out in the open, because it is hard to maintain these two separate identities, and remind your friends or family when you go out, 'I'm Kim today, so don't call me Dawn.' The division has served its purpose. I'm still going to be Kim, but now if somebody calls me Dawn I won't have to say 'Shut your mouth!'" Harrison has reached #1 on

2750-498: Is a ruddy skinned 18th-Century British nobleman, tall and powerfully built, with green crushed velvet tailcoat and white gloves. The one aspect he finds difficult to hide are his horizontally goat-slitted red demon eyes, so he frequently wears round blue-tinted glasses to disguise them. Had been married in ancient times, to a demoness named Celffnah. The series is set in an alternate history where supernatural beings live side-by-side with normal humans. According to this timeline, after

2860-472: Is already complete and 100 percent occupied as of early 2013. Smale Riverfront Park is being developed along with The Banks, and is Cincinnati's newest park. Nearly $ 3.5 billion have been invested in the urban core of Cincinnati (including Northern Kentucky). Much of this development has been undertaken by 3CDC . The Cincinnati Bell Connector began in September 2016. Cincinnati is midway by river between

2970-518: Is among the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United States. Most of Over-the-Rhine's ornate brick buildings were built by German immigrants from 1865 to the 1880s. The neighborhood has been intensely redeveloped in the 21st century, with a focus on fostering small businesses. Cincinnati is at the southern limit (considering the 0 °C or 32 °F isotherm ) of the humid continental climate zone ( Köppen : Dfa ), bordering

3080-409: Is an equal partner in 'Vampiric Charms' freelance runner and security service with Rachel Morgan (a witch) and Jenks (a pixy). A natural detective (compared with the more mercurial Rachel), Ivy's gift is organization and planning. Her personal mantra is restraint and control. Six feet tall, elegantly thin, and very pale, Ivy has long black hair and an Asian cast. She struggles with her vampiric nature on

3190-469: Is an equal partner in the 'Vampiric Charms' freelance runner and security service that she founded with Ivy Tamwood (a living vampire) and Jenks (a pixy), all formerly with the vampire-run federal Inderland Security (IS) police service, although they now frequently work in collaboration with the human-run Federal Inderland Bureau (FIB) on special projects. The three live and work together in a small decommissioned stone church with attached garden and graveyard in

3300-657: Is based in Evendale . The Kroger Company employs over 20,000 people locally, making it the largest employer in the city; the other four largest employers are Cincinnati Children's Hospital , TriHealth , the University of Cincinnati , and St. Elizabeth Healthcare . Cincinnati is home to a branch office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland . Cincinnati was platted and proliferated by American settlers , including Scotch Irish , frontiersmen , and keelboaters . For over

3410-471: Is built upon two premises: the recent open existence of magical and supernatural species , primarily witches , vampires , and werewolves , with the human population; and the historical investment of Cold War military spending in genetic engineering as opposed to the Space Race , which resulted in the accidental release of a genetically modified tomato in the 1960s that killed a significant portion of

Kim Harrison - Misplaced Pages Continue

3520-449: Is extremely powerful and can be used to change one's species and cause huge amounts of damage. For example, a demonic curse can allow a being to "Were" (change into an animal), retain cognition of the original being, yet continue its life as the animal who can even have offspring. Because of the perversion of the laws of physics that demon magic embodies, the cost of this type of magic is extremely high, so much so that demons try to foster off

3630-666: Is home to numerous structures that are noteworthy due to their architectural characteristics or historic associations, including the aforementioned Carew Tower , the Scripps Center, the Ingalls Building , Cincinnati Union Terminal , and the Isaac M. Wise Temple . Queen City Square opened in January 2011. The building is the tallest in Cincinnati and the third tallest in Ohio, reaching a height of 665 feet (203 m). Since April 1, 1922,

3740-652: Is home to three professional sports teams: the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball ; the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League ; and FC Cincinnati of Major League Soccer ; it is also home to the Cincinnati Cyclones , a minor league ice hockey team. The city's largest institution of higher education, the University of Cincinnati , was founded in 1819 as a municipal college and

3850-416: Is more difficult to gain access to the materials necessary for black earth magic. Black earth magic involves the sacrifice of animals and, in some cases, humans or Inderlanders. Ley line magic has less permanence than earth magic, but is much faster and more easily adaptable. Power can be drawn directly from a ley line or through an animal familiar . The energy is either channeled using a focus object or what

3960-455: Is nearing the end of his natural pixy lifespan. This was a major concern to both Rachel and Ivy until Rachel gave Jenks a curse to make him human-size to help protect Rachel on a road trip during a cold month. After he was returned to his normal size, he was rejuvenated and had a new lease on life, adding another 20 years. As the only married member of the team — Jenks and his wife Matalina are successfully raising 54 children (multiple-births being

4070-409: Is not uncommon for them to date outside their species early in life. There is no "werewolf curse" as presented in other lycanthrope stories. Instead, Weres must rely upon breeding to increase their numbers, unless under an external influence. In the series, legends tell of a demonic device which allows Weres to turn a human by bite. The story tells that this device, called the "Focus", once used to play

4180-523: Is now ranked as one of the 50 largest in the United States. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals is based in the city. Two years after the founding of the settlement then known as "Losantiville", Arthur St. Clair , the governor of the Northwest Territory , changed its name to "Cincinnati", possibly at the suggestion of the surveyor Israel Ludlow , in honor of the Society of the Cincinnati . St. Clair

4290-520: Is referred to as "raw magic" in which the power is imprecisely directed by the magic user that drew on the line. Ley line magic can only alter perception and not physical form like earth magic. Demonic magic combines ley line magic and earth magic to create something very fast, very powerful, and everlasting. As its name implies, demonic magic is practiced almost entirely by demons. Demons also use familiars, but instead of animals, they use sentient species such as witches, elves, and humans. This type of magic

4400-407: Is regulated by master vampires, usually in control of the underworld in larger cities. Master vampires have a coterie called a camarilla , to which their followers and families belong, with a complex social hierarchy in which everyone is subordinate to someone else except master vampires, who are the kingpins of the vampire society. Vampires outside of a camarilla often look to become part of one, as

4510-523: Is the result of a demon curse granted to a man (and his descendants) who was afraid to die. ln this series vampires are similar to common portrayals of vampires, with some exceptions. Their saliva contains drugs that make the pain of a vampire's bite feel like pleasure. Vampires can also sensitize their victim's bite so that only that vampire can affect the victim, leaving the victim mentally bound to that vampire. There are two kinds of vampires, living and undead. Living vampires are normal humans infected with

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4620-592: Is the sole female survivor of the Rosewood Syndrome, a normally fatal genetic blood disorder that occurs only in witch children. Eventually, it is revealed that witches are in fact demons that have had their magical potential reduced by an ancient curse, and Rosewood Syndrome is the result of witch children being born with the full potential of demon magic. Described by Trent as "five-foot-eight inches of bothersome redhead", Rachel has green eyes and red, shoulder-length frizzy hair which seems to have life of its own. With

4730-443: Is there at their moments of death to bring them back as undead by giving its blood. Unlike traditional vampires, low-blood vampires don't have fangs and aren't pale. High-blood vampires are vampires who were born already infected by the virus, which has influenced their development in the womb. They have increased strength and speed, more so than low-blood vampires, but not as much as the undead; they do however have some abilities that

4840-501: The New York Times Best Seller list and is generally recognized as one of the most successful and influential creators of urban fantasy. Her writing has garnered praise from numerous peers. Authors Kelly Gay and Courtney Allison Moulton have cited her as an inspiration. The Hollows series has also gained recognition from The New York Times and Amazon.com . In 2007, Amazon.com noted that Harrison had become "one of

4950-571: The Coney Island amusement park. Downtown Cincinnati is protected from flooding by the Serpentine Wall at Yeatman's Cove and another flood wall built into Fort Washington Way . Parts of Cincinnati also experience flooding from the Little Miami River and Mill Creek . Cincinnati consists of fifty-two neighborhoods. Many of these neighborhoods were once villages that have been annexed by

5060-551: The Indiana counties of Dearborn , Franklin , Union , and Ohio . Metropolitan Cincinnati has the twenty-eighth largest economy in the United States and the fifth largest in the Midwest , after Chicago , Minneapolis–St. Paul , Detroit , and St. Louis . In 2016, it had the fastest-growing Midwestern economic capital. The gross domestic product for the region was $ 127 billion (~$ 160 billion in 2023) in 2015. The median home price

5170-648: The Miami and Erie Canal began on July 21, 1825, when it was called the Miami Canal, related to its origin at the Great Miami River . The first section of the canal was opened for business in 1827. In 1827, the canal connected Cincinnati to nearby Middletown ; by 1840, it had reached Toledo . Railroads were the next major form of commercial transportation to come to Cincinnati. In 1836, the Little Miami Railroad

5280-602: The humid subtropical climate zone ( Cfa ). Summers are hot and humid, with significant rainfall in each month and highs reaching 90 °F (32 °C) or above on 21 days per year, often with high dew points and humidity. July is the warmest month, with a daily average temperature of 75.9 °F (24.4 °C). Winters tend to be cold and moderately snowy, with January, the coldest month, averaging at 30.8 °F (−0.7 °C). Lows reach 0 °F (−18 °C) on an average 2.6 nights yearly. An average winter will see around 22.1 inches (56 cm) of snowfall, contributing to

5390-419: The "Black Code" of 1804. In the pre-Civil War period, Cincinnati had been called "a Southern city on free soil". Volatile social conditions saw riots in 1829 , when many black people lost their homes and property. As the Irish entered the city in the late 1840s, they competed with black people at the lower levels of the economy. White-led riots against black people occurred in 1836 , when an abolitionist press

5500-538: The #1 spot on the New York Times Best Seller list . Kim Harrison was born and raised in the Midwest . A self-proclaimed "former tomboy," she grew up the only girl in a family of boys. Despite her love of writing, she took an unorthodox approach to it, and claims to have avoided English courses beyond the basic requirements in high school and college. Harrison began her career with writing traditional science fiction , but began writing contemporary fantasy after deciding to focus more on character development. She spent

5610-545: The 'happily ever after' that often occurs at the end of modern fairy tales; due to mistranslation and omission, the factual "in the Ever-after" (referring to a place) became the figurative "happily ever after" (referring to time). The Ever-after, once a beautiful land filled with fog and forest, was destroyed by the imbalance of the Elf-Demon war, leaving a desert-like wasteland stinking of burnt amber. We learn in Ever After that

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5720-473: The 49- story Carew Tower , which was the city's tallest building upon its completion. Cincinnati weathered the Great Depression better than most American cities of its size, largely due to a resurgence in river trade, which was less expensive than transporting goods by rail. The Ohio River flood of 1937 was one of the worst in the nation's history and destroyed many areas along the Ohio valley. Afterward

5830-483: The Goddess of Wild Magic, is one who appears in the story. Her laughter or her gaze often accompanies Wild Magic. Many wielders often feel that promises of moral behavior to the Goddess allow them skill in wielding wild magic. There are four known branches of magic in the novels, earth magic, ley line magic, demonic magic, and wild magic. All magic draws its power from ley lines, sources of energy that are scattered across

5940-452: The Goddess's laughter. Cincinnati Cincinnati ( / ˌ s ɪ n s ɪ ˈ n æ t i / SIN -si- NAT -ee ; nicknamed Cincy ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Ohio , United States. Settled by Europeans in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line with Kentucky . The population of Cincinnati

6050-414: The Hollows district outside Cincinnati. Initially practicing only simple herb-based earth magic, as the stories progress Rachel is forced to learn and master progressively more difficult ley line and even demon magic to do her job and protect the lives of her friends and family. Yet even as her power grows, Rachel never loses her moral center; she frequently risks her own safety to avoid harm to others. Rachel

6160-454: The Hollows series there is one original weakness: sharing the blood of another undead vampire will result in death Weres are lycanthropes with bestial attributes who are otherwise human in appearance. According to legend, the origin of the Weres lies in a demon's curse upon a group of humans. The demon used a spell to turn into a wolf, then proceeded to have intercourse with them, and werewolves were

6270-505: The Ohio flood stage at Cincinnati has officially been set at 52 feet (16 m), as measured from the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge . At this depth, the pumping station at the mouth of Mill Creek is activated. From 1873 to 1898, the flood stage was 45 feet (14 m). From 1899 to March 31, 1922, it was 50 feet (15 m). The Ohio reached its lowest level, less than 2 feet (0.61 m), in 1881; conversely, its all-time high water mark

6380-678: The Rachel Morgan series, (most with titles punning off Clint Eastwood movies) and contributed to multiple anthologies, with prequels to the Hollows books, and one with a young adult story. After the success of her first novel, Harrison was able to resign from her day job, devoting herself to writing full-time. Her favorite author is Ray Bradbury . She references music as one of her strongest writing influences, providing song lists for several of her characters. In her spare time, she communicates with fans via her self-maintained website and blog. Harrison

6490-557: The United States break down. Two new organizations, the Inderlander Security service (consisting entirely of non-humans) and the Federal Inderlander Bureau (consisting entirely of normal humans), replace the former law enforcement agencies at all levels. The convention that allows both agencies to operate forbids Inderlanders from being on the F.I.B. payroll, although consulting jobs mostly are allowed. The Ever-after

6600-570: The United States until its sale to Norfolk Southern in March 2024. In 1884, outrage over a manslaughter verdict in what many observers thought was a clear case of murder triggered the Courthouse riots , one of the most destructive riots in American history. Over the course of three days, 56 people were killed and over 300 were injured. The riots ended the regime of Republican boss Thomas C. Campbell . At

6710-452: The Weres' possession. It was said to have been destroyed, but was only kept in hiding. The Focus plays a role in the middle books of the series. Unlike vampires, Weres can enter holy ground but choose not to because of their beliefs. They are apparently vulnerable to silver. The existence of ghosts and spirits is made plain by references to fears by characters. Ghosts are disembodied souls that are in limbo have not "moved on" according to

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6820-517: The ability to use magic, skeptical as she is. With Friends Like These Hollows (series) The Hollows series (also called the Rachel Morgan series ) is a series of 18 urban fantasy novels, eight short stories , two graphic novels , and one compendium resource by Kim Harrison , published by HarperCollins Publishers , in an alternate history universe and set primarily in the city of Cincinnati and its suburbs. The alternate history

6930-549: The beginning of the 20th century, Cincinnati had a population of 325,902. The city completed many ambitious projects in the 20th century starting with the Ingalls Building which was completed in 1903. An early rejuvenation of downtown began into the 1920s and continued into the next decade with the construction of Cincinnati Union Terminal , the United States Courthouse and Post Office , the Cincinnati Subway , and

7040-481: The better part of a decade struggling as an aspiring author before meeting her current agent at a writing convention. He then introduced her to Diana Gill, who became Harrison's editor. Together, they produced Dead Witch Walking , and her first book was published in paperback by HarperTorch in 2004. Since then, she has written twelve more books, two graphic novels, and extensive world book in the Hollows series , also called

7150-461: The children of witches, are genetic demons. Wild magic, also known as Elven or Celtic magic, incorporates a religious system grounded in nature and practised by Elves. Wild magic is powerful but unpredictable, almost alive at times. It will do the task it is meant to do, but the how is unpredictable and dependent upon the Trickster Goddess. Wild magic uses singing when cast, often accompanied by

7260-468: The cities of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , and Cairo, Illinois . The downtown lies near the mouth of the Licking , a confluence where the first settlement occurred. Metro Cincinnati spans southern Ohio, southeastern Indiana, and northern Kentucky; the census bureau has measured the city proper at 79.54 square miles (206.01 km ), of which 77.94 square miles (201.86 km ) are land and 1.60 square miles (4.14 km ) are water. The city spreads over

7370-611: The city as the Queen City. Cincinnati's location, on the border between the free state of Ohio and the slave state of Kentucky , made it a prominent location for slaves to escape the slave-owning south. Many prominent abolitionists also called Cincinnati their home during this period, and made it a popular stop on the Underground Railroad . In 2004, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

7480-415: The city built protective flood walls . After World War II , Cincinnati unveiled a master plan for urban renewal that resulted in modernization of the inner city. During the 1950s, Cincinnati's population peaked at 509,998. Since the 1950s, $ 250 million has been spent on improving neighborhoods, building clean and safe low- and moderate-income housing, providing jobs and stimulating economic growth. At

7590-650: The city government does own several properties outside the corporation limits: French Park in Amberley Village and the disused runway at the former Blue Ash Airport in Blue Ash . Cincinnati has many landmarks across its area. Some of these landmarks are recognized nationwide, others are more recognized among locals. These landmarks include: Union Terminal , Carew Tower , Great American Tower , Fountain Square , Washington Park , and Great American Ballpark . Cincinnati

7700-497: The city itself. Subsequently, substantial transformations unfolded, particularly in the process of gentrification within the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. In 2018, MLS announced the inclusion of FC Cincinnati , becoming the city's third professional sports team. TQL Stadium , located on Cincinnati's west end, was subsequently constructed and opened its doors in 2021. Notably, the 2020 census revealed that Cincinnati had witnessed

7810-593: The city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female. As of the 2022 census estimates , the Cincinnati metropolitan area had a population of 2,265,051, making it the 30th-largest metropolitan statistical area in the country. It includes the Ohio counties of Hamilton , Butler , Warren , Clermont , Clinton , and Brown , as well as the Kentucky counties of Boone , Bracken , Campbell , Gallatin , Grant , Kenton , and Pendleton , and

7920-446: The city was 50.3% White , 41.4% African American , 0.1% Native American , 2.2% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.2% from other races , and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.2% of the population. There were 138,696 households, of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.2% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had

8030-536: The city, including restaurant names such as Blue Chip Cookies , and are not commonly used by locals in casual conversation, with the exception of Cincy, which is often used to refer to the city in absentia. "The City of Seven Hills" stems from the June 1853 edition of the West American Review , "Article III—Cincinnati: Its Relations to the West and South", which described and named seven specific hills. The hills form

8140-574: The city, with many retaining their former names, such as Walnut Hills and Mount Auburn . Westwood is the city's most populous neighborhood, with other significant neighborhoods including CUF (home to the University of Cincinnati ) and Price Hill . Downtown Cincinnati is the city's central business district and contains a number of neighborhoods in the flat land between the Ohio River and uptown. These neighborhoods include Over-the-Rhine , Pendleton , Queensgate , and West End . Over-the-Rhine

8250-596: The city: And this Song of the Vine, This greeting of mine, The winds and the birds shall deliver, To the Queen of the West, In her garlands dressed, On the banks of the Beautiful River. For many years, Cincinnati was also known as "Porkopolis"; this nickname came from the city's large pork interests. Newer nicknames such as "The 'Nati" are emerging and are attempted to be used in different cultural contexts. For example,

8360-409: The cost onto their familiars or other willing parties. Witches with the gene to wield demonic magic were cursed long ago by the elves so that any witch with the genetic mutation usually dies before his or her first birthday from Rosewood Syndrome. Only two witches have been seen to practice demon magic: Stanley Saladan and Rachel Morgan. It is later revealed that Rachel Morgan and Stanley Saladan, while

8470-475: The dark arts enough to make them marketable, then abducting them when they made a mistake in order to sell them to his peers [demons] into an extended lifetime of servitude" — a Purveyor of Fine Familiars. Personally remembers, with great bitterness and much hatred, the elf-demon war which transformed the formerly eden-like Ever After into a red hell and trapped the demons there forever. Survived slavery to an elf in ancient times, by killing his master. Still hates

8580-534: The dawn of the 2000s, Cincinnati's population stood at 331,285. The construction of Paul Brown Stadium (currently known as Paycor Stadium) in the year 2000 resulted from a sales tax increase in Hamilton County , as did the commencement of construction for Great American Ball Park , which later opened its doors in 2003. The city experienced the 2001 Cincinnati riots , causing an estimated $ 3.6 million in damage to businesses and $ 1.5–2 million in damage to

8690-500: The discovery of the DNA double-helix by James D. Watson , Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin , genetic manipulation becomes a possibility, changing several events in the history of this alternate universe . A virus nicknamed the T4 Angel virus attached itself to a flaw in the genome of a genetically manipulated tomato (its lab identification being T4 Angel tomato), and quickly spread around

8800-612: The elves with passion, today. Trapped an elf princess (Ceridwen Merriam Dulciate) for 1,000 years as his personal familiar and sex slave. Clever, resourceful, conniving, yet honorable enough in his own peculiar twisted way. Like all the surviving demons, has shape-shifted through spells for so many thousand years that he no longer remembers his original form. Takes particular pleasure in adopting whichever persona his current target fears most — whether male, female, or not even humanoid — pulled from that target's deepest subconscious. But his own personally preferred persona of self-representation

8910-492: The hottest authors in the incredibly popular genre of sexy supernaturalism." The Turn Novels The Hollows Novels The Truth series is about a young woman whose mother tells her she needs to leave home to find a mythical fortress called 'The Hold.' Along the way, she falls into a ravine and is brought out of it by a plainsman. On the way to the Hold, she dreams of her dead father and learns about her true heritage, that she has

9020-405: The human population. The series is set approximately 40 years after this plague, referred to as ”The Turn“ within the series. The series is told in the first-person point of view of Rachel Morgan, a bounty hunter witch who works with local law enforcement agencies and faces threats both mundane and supernatural in origin. The series also focuses on Rachel's relationships with her partners,

9130-438: The introduction of steamboats on the Ohio River opened up the city's trade to more rapid shipping, and the city established commercial ties with St. Louis, Missouri , and New Orleans downriver. Cincinnati was incorporated as a city on March 1, 1819. Exporting pork products and hay, it became a center of pork processing in the region. From 1810 to 1830, the city's population nearly tripled, from 9,642 to 24,831. Construction on

9240-474: The local Keep America Beautiful affiliate, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, introduced the catchphrase "Don't Trash the 'Nati" in 1998 as part of a litter -prevention campaign. The city is undergoing significant changes due to new development and private investment. This includes buildings of the long-stalled Banks project that includes apartments, retail, restaurants, and offices, which will stretch from Great American Ball Park to Paycor Stadium . Phase 1A

9350-434: The next sundown. Their appearance as undead is more like traditional literary vampires such as Bram Stoker's Dracula, so they then have longer fangs and paler skin. When vampires become undead, they gain the full physical benefits of the vampire virus, but lose their souls and their ability to keep their aura in the process. They now have the ability to turn humans into vampires and bespell even unwilling hosts. Vampire society

9460-488: The norm with pixies. Their children's extraordinarily high survival rate is the result of what is in pixy terms a veritable "castle of oak" —Jenks and his family live in a stump within the church's lush garden). Jenks unstintingly offers brash and unsolicited—but usually accurate—relationship advice to both of his work partners (Rachel in particular, as he thinks her relationships need "particular help") as well as anyone else who will listen. Jenks and his family move indoors into

9570-491: The old church sanctuary during the cold winter months to avoid hibernation, which normally results in several children dying. This allows them to provide on-site security for the whole building and grounds all year round, which also makes his family the first pixies in Cincinnati to experience snow. Billionaire businessman and politician, peculiarly mysterious for one of Cincinnati's most powerful citizens, whose global empire of legitimate businesses and public philanthropy serve as

9680-405: The other kinds don't: living high-blood vampires are empathic and can "pull an aura" to influence, intimidate, or control others. They have sharper and slightly longer canine teeth than humans or low-blood vampires. They also have a greater craving for blood than low-blood vampires, but it is not essential to their existence. When high-blood vampires die, no matter the cause, they rise again as undead

9790-404: The perspectives of the other four major characters: In addition, the two graphic novel prequels which explore how Rachel Morgan and Ivy Tamwood first happened to work together — Blood Work , ISBN   978-0-345-52101-9 , and Blood Crime , ISBN   978-0-345-52102-6 — are both written first-person from the perspective of Ivy Tamwood. A 25-year-old witch-born, day-walking demon. She

9900-569: The population has begun recovering: the 2020 census reports a population of 309,317, representing a 4.2% increase from 296,943 in 2010. This marked the first increase in population recorded since the 1950 Census, reversing a 60-year trend of population decline. At the 2020 census, there were 309,317 people, 138,696 households, and 62,319 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,809.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,471.0/km ). There were 161,095 housing units at an average density of 2,066.9 per square mile (798.0/km ). The racial makeup of

10010-404: The races that formerly dwelt in the Ever-after, such as the elves and witches. The only race that currently dwells in the Ever-after is that of the demons, having driven out the elves nearly two thousand years ago. Witches also formerly dwelt in the Ever-after but fled to the mundane plane approximately five thousand years ago. The Ever-after presented in the novels is referred to as the basis for

10120-586: The result. The common presentation of Weres in the novels is that of a traditional werewolf although werefoxes have appeared. Reportedly, the main difference between werewolves and werefoxes is werefoxes can control the size they turn, while werewolves' sizes are converted over from their human weight and relative size. Also, werefoxes are descended from elves rather than humans, which may explain their size-changing ability. In society, Weres live and operate much as natural wolves do: they form packs with alpha pairs, betas, etc., and there are also loners as well. It

10230-428: The series mythos. One character is the ghost of a dead witch. He is released from purgatory when his tombstone is cracked. Later he is given corporeal form through a deal with a demon. Although many claim none exist, religious artifacts have a great deal of power and several characters of note are religious. It is suggested that it was not unusual for Inderlanders to convince humans to worship them. The Trickster Goddess,

10340-438: The six-inch and fearsomely carnivorous fairies, who are the natural and mortal enemies of pixies. Jenks' dragonfly-like wings change color with his emotional state due to changes in blood flow. With a wicked sense of humor, Jenks is a blunt speaker who is unafraid to say anything to anyone. Even though he looks like a healthy college-freshman-in-miniature with his athletic form, laughing green eyes, and curly bright blond hair, Jenks

10450-595: The supernatural species quickly seized the opportunity to make themselves known. The fact the structure of the civilization remained somewhat intact during "The Turn" is attributed to the fact many of the supernatural beings being in (or seizing) positions of power, including a vampire named Rynn Cormel acting as the president of the USA (but never sworn in). The supernatural beings are known as "Inderlanders". As laws and societies are dramatically changed by factors relating to these new sentient species, all levels of law enforcement in

10560-436: The surface of the world. A magic user is labeled as either white or black, depending upon how the magic affects his or her soul. White magic is not damaging to the practitioner's soul, while black magic is. The stain upon the magic user's aura (energy emanated from the soul and that which protects one's soul) depends on how much the magic distorts the natural and causes an imbalance. The stain or smut, named because it appears as

10670-686: The survival and recovery of the elven people. Rachel and Trent have a love/hate relationship, because of his worldview that that End (preservation of his species) must justify the Means — even, if necessary, death. A brilliant, clever, and resourceful man ... but morally ambiguous. Trent is very attractive, tall, lean and athletically built, with baby-fine blond hair and green eyes. He employs his personal charisma and low melodious voice as effective weapons. (Also known as "Al" or "Gally".) An ancient demon at least 5,000 years old. In his own words, "a dealer in flesh and seducer of souls, skilled in training people in

10780-596: The top of Mount Auburn that year.   In 1889, the Cincinnati streetcar system began converting its horse-drawn cars to electric streetcars . The Second Annual Meeting of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union was held in Cincinnati in November 1875. In 1880, the city government completed the Cincinnati Southern Railway to Chattanooga, Tennessee . It was the only municipally-owned interstate railway in

10890-530: The urban core have remained intact for 200 years; in the late 1800s, Cincinnati was commonly referred to as the " Paris of America" due mainly to ambitious architectural projects such as the Music Hall , Cincinnatian Hotel , and Roebling Bridge . Cincinnati has the twenty-eighth largest economy in the United States and the fifth largest in the Midwest , home to several Fortune 500 companies including Kroger , Procter & Gamble , and Fifth Third Bank . It

11000-434: The vampire virus. They are divided into two groups: high- and low-blood. Low-blood vampires are normal humans that have been infected by the bite of an undead vampire, and have only a small amount of the benefits the virus grants, such as increased strength and speed, as well as the craving for blood. When low-blood vampires die, be it of natural causes or otherwise, they simply die like any other humans, unless an undead vampire

11110-616: The war was caused by a break in the alliance between Elves and Demons. The Elves enslaved the Demons, and the Demons, in return tried to trap the Elves in the Ever-after. This led to them being bound there in yet another war, until the Elves migrated to reality. The novels use Inderlander to refer to all of the supernatural beings that revealed themselves during the Turn. They are divided into two groups: those that are derived from humans and those that are non-human in origin. Vampires The vampire virus

11220-486: The warmer months, and tornadoes , while infrequent, are not unknown, with such events striking the Metro Cincinnati area most recently in 1974, 1999, 2012, and 2017. See or edit raw graph data . In 1950, Cincinnati reached its peak population of 503,998; thereafter, it lost population in every census count from 1960 to 2010. In the late 20th century, industrial restructuring caused a loss of jobs. More recently,

11330-428: The world. As a result of the plague, all biogenetic research, including reverse engineering and genetic splicing, has been outlawed. Additionally, the human race has developed a cultural fear of tomatoes and tomato-based food products such as pizza sauce and tomato ketchup. The T4 Angel virus killed a quarter of the human population. Upon noticing the combined number of their various species now neared that of humanity,

11440-620: The yearly 42.5 inches (1,080 mm) of precipitation, with rainfall peaking in spring. Extremes range from −25 °F (−32 °C) on January 18, 1977, up to 108 °F (42 °C) on July 21 and 22, 1934. While snow in Cincinnati is not as intense as many of the cities located closer to the Great Lakes, there have been notable cases of severe snowfall, including the Great Blizzard of 1978 , and more notable snowstorms in 1994, 1999 , 2007 , and 2021 . Severe thunderstorms are common in

11550-447: Was 309,317 in 2020, making it the third-most populous city in Ohio after Columbus and Cleveland and 64th in the United States . The city is the economic and cultural hub of the Cincinnati metropolitan area , Ohio's most populous metro area, and the nation's 30th-largest , with over 2.265 million residents. Throughout much of the 19th century, Cincinnati was among the top 10 U.S. cities by population . The city developed as

11660-423: Was also important. The first established Methodist class in the Northwest Territory came 1797 to nearby Milford . By 1879, there were 162 documented church edifices in the city. For this reason, from the beginning, Protestantism has played a formative role in the Cincinnati ethos. Christ Church Cathedral continues the legacy of the early Anglican leaders of Cincinnati, noted by historical associations as being

11770-518: Was at the time president of the Society, made up of Continental Army officers of the Revolutionary War. The club was named for Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus , a dictator in the early Roman Republic who saved Rome from a crisis and then retired to farming because he did not want to remain in power, becoming a symbol of Roman civic virtue . Cincinnati began in 1788 when Mathias Denman, Colonel Robert Patterson , and Israel Ludlow landed at

11880-655: Was chartered. Construction began soon after, to connect Cincinnati with the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad, and provide access to the ports of the Sandusky Bay on Lake Erie . During the time, employers struggled to hire enough people to fill positions. The city had a labor shortage until large waves of immigration by Irish and Germans in the late 1840s. The city grew rapidly over the next two decades, reaching 115,000 people by 1850. During this period of rapid expansion and prominence, residents of Cincinnati began referring to

11990-570: Was completed along Freedom Way in Downtown, honoring the city's involvement in the Underground Railroad. In 1859, Cincinnati laid out six streetcar lines; the cars were pulled by horses and the lines made it easier for people to get around the city. By 1872, Cincinnatians could travel on the streetcars within the city and transfer to rail cars for travel to the hill communities. The Cincinnati Inclined Plane Company began transporting people to

12100-410: Was responsible for curing Rachel's Rosewood Syndrome. Orphaned as a teenager, Trent had two older siblings who failed to survive infancy. Though less than two years older than Rachel, Trent has been raised since birth by fellow elves his chief of personnel (the six-foot-ten-inch Jonathan Davaros) and chief of security (magic and martial arts master Quen Hanson) to use 'whatever means necessary' to ensure

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