
Leylined by Kim Harrison (UK version of Waylaid)
Title: Leylined: Rahcel Meets Peri/Waylaid (The Hollows, The Peri Reed Chronicles)
Author: Kim Harrison
Genre: Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Piatkus (19th April 2016)
Blurb:
Worlds collide when Rachel Morgan of The Hollows meets Peri Reed of The Drafter in this exciting new short story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison.
The paranormal and the futuristic meet in this thrilling novella featuring your favorite badass heroines from two of Kim Harrison’s most beloved series: the Hollows and the Peri Reed Chronicles. The magic of the Hollows runs full force into the technological sophistication of The Drafter when a device pulls Rachel, the bounty hunter witch of the Hollows, between realities, marooning her in a world where the supernatural holds no sway. To get Rachel and Jenks home, Peri, the dangerous renegade of 2030, must decide what will chart her future: her blind trust in those who grant her power, or her intuition telling her to believe.
(from Amazon.co.uk)
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:
LEYLINED by Kim Harrison is an e-novella that is a crossover between her The Hollows series and her Peri Reed Chronicles. The novella tells the story of what happens when the two worlds cross by accident, and Rachel gets pulled into Peri’s world.
I gave this novella a try primarily because I wanted a way to try Harrison’s Peri Reed Chronicles, as although I adored her Hollows series sci-fi is not something I tend to get on well with. Reading this novella certainly gave me an insight into Peri’s world. Unfortunately I don’t think I will be reading any more of that series, as there were quite a few times when things from that series just did not sit well with me. Having said that, I do think LEYLINED, or WAYLAID as it is also called, tells an interesting and compelling story. I think Harrison does a good job at mixing her two worlds together. I think it’s actually quite balanced in that regard. I certainly didn’t feel lost going into the story knowing nothing about Peri Reed and her world. I really enjoyed reuniting with some familiar faces, and it was interesting to have a peek at Peri and some of her friends.
In terms of plot, LEYLINED is a fun caper and not a lot really happens. Basically the whole point of this novella is to give fans of both series a chance to see a bit of the other series. From a Hollows fan standpoint, I think that this works well. Harrison provides an interesting and informative glimpse into the world of Peri Reed. Reading the novella certainly helped to firm up my feelings about it. It was interesting to see how similar and how different the universes were. Harrison did a good job telling a cohesive story. If you haven’t read The Hollows series then beware that the novella does contain spoilers – I can’t comment on if it contains spoilers for The Peri Reed Chronicles, but if you know please let me know in the comments.
The stars of the novella were Rachel Morgan and Peri Reed, with Peri taking more of a front seat as the novella is set in her world. I enjoyed re-uniting with Rachel and some of her friends. Peri seems cool and logical in comparison to Rachel. The world seems much more science based too, and there is some interesting technology. I also thought the premise that Peri can change things, but there are consequences sounded and looked interesting. If you are a fan of The Hollows, then I think LEYLINED is a good place to start if you want to try Harrison’s new sci-fi series.