Review: The Turn – Kim Harrison

*I received a free copy of The Turn from via Netgalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *

The Turn Series: The Hollows #0.1
on 7 February 2017
Pages: 448

Can science save us when all else fails?
Trisk and her hated rival, Kalamack, have the same goal: save their species from extinction.
Death comes in the guise of hope when a genetically modified tomato created to feed the world combines with the government's new tactical virus, giving it an unexpected host and a mode of transport. Plague takes the world, giving the paranormal species an uncomfortable choice to stay hidden and allow humanity to die, or to show themselves in a bid to save them.
Under accusations of scientific misconduct, Trisk and Kal flee across a plague torn United States to convince leaders of the major paranormal species to save their supposedly weaker kin, but not everyone thinks humanity should be saved.
Kal surreptitiously works against her as Trisk fights the prejudices of two societies to prove that not only does humanity have something to offer, but that long-accepted beliefs against women, dark magic, and humanity itself can turn to understanding; that when people are at their worst that the best show their true strength, and that love can hold the world together as a new balance is found.

The Turn was very enlightening on many points, even as it brought me to question many others.

There is something so very special about The Hollows, and reading more about what actually happened prior to the action in the main series was quite thrilling! The reason why humans were so afraid of tomatoes, and what happened to make the paranormals come out, so to speak. The Turn was more than ‘just’ a way to explain the world and those living in it, though. True to form, Harrison painted some very vivid characters who evolved in a storyline that was well done and quite complicated. And there were some sightings of characters who were part of the series as well.

Trisk was a strong-minded and smart character, one who knew she had to fight twice as hard as the men in order to be taken seriously. Added to this, she was a dark elf, and she was not afraid to use her magic in order to further her agenda, and keep both humans and paranormals safe. The Turn was nicely paced, not too fast, even if the plot managed to move forward fairly quickly anyway. There were no downtimes, and there was a little bit of everything to make a great story. There was a hint of romance, a lot of action, a fight, a mystery, loyalty and – my favorite – there was a pixie!

If you have enjoyed The Hollows, The Turn is a must-read! Even without Rachel and Ivy, there are characters who will make you want to know more, and as you get to know them better, you might even hope there will be more books set in the prequel-era of the series. I enjoyed a trip back to The Hollows before it was The Hollows I came to love and know, and I loved how everything was tied together with the main stories of the future, and how it set up some characters to go on the path we found them on there.

Written in third person point of view, past tense, with dialogues and some inner thoughts from Trisk’s perspective, The Turn left me both satisfied and wanting more at the same time.

Trisk and her father had entertained only three employers at her table, all of them more interested in her minor in security than her major in genetic research.

A witch, a vampire, a were, and an elf go out for lunch, he thought sourly, hoping he wasn’t the punch line. That he was by far the youngest man at the table didn’t bother him half as much as the fat that all four major Inderland species were represented.

★★★★☆ The Turn thrilled (un)Conventional Bookviews and brought new information and a lot of action to the plot! Share on X

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• COYER Blackout

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