A fantastic prequel to the Hollows series! Kim Harrison is such an incredible writer and has once again written a book that I was unable to put down. I love the world that she has created with the Hollows books and it was so great to finally get the story of how it all began, so to speak. The characters were great, the writing was addicting, and it was such a pleasure to get to read this book!

I, too, was a fan of The Hollows series, but gave up The Turn at about 26%. At that point, it was more a workplace sabotage drama (oppressed female/work credit stolen, etc.) than the action packed story lines I was used to. It was set in the 60's and while there is some reference to the clothes and some expressions used then, it could really have taken place at any time.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

It’s no secret that I’ve been a huge fan of this series, and I admit, I’ve missed the characters so much since the series came to an end. As much as I was very happy with how the series ended, on such a high note and without dragging the plot, I was extremely giddy to be getting more from this world. While THE TURN didn’t give us Rachel Morgan, it was just as amazing as any of the previous novels in this world had been. A page turner from the moment I started.

This story centers around Trisk, and Trent. If you don’t know, they are both elves. Ruled by their society and traditions while Trisk has been trying to have more of a role in her field of work (it is the 1960s after all) and Trent has been her lifelong nemesis. The actions they take during this story sent the world as they knew it out of control. While taking a peak at their relationship was an interesting look back. It was so very nice to get to know more about Trisk and it really made me admire her!

Fans of The Hollows series, THE TURN is another can’t be missed novel by Kim Harrison! While this is actually a prequel, detailing how The Turn actually happened causing the human world to know about supernatural beings and ban tomatoes, if you are new to the series I would recommend you wait until you’ve actually read the series and read this in the order it was released. You’ll enjoy it so much more! Why, you may ask? I think knowing what this story will tell you about the characters involved will be a disservice to how the actual first few books should make you feel about them. So that’s my suggestion.

Kim Harrison continues being one of my favorite urban fantasy authors. Her ability to creative vivid, complex and imperfect characters while weaving such a magical tale sucks me in every time. No matter what. I wasn’t sure how THE TURN was going to be, but I should’ve just trusted her completely. It was riveting, interesting and eye opening. As much as I thought I would struggle without Rachel and Jenks being included, there was not one page where I felt anything was missing as I was reading. Excellent job! And as happy as I was to revisit them, is it bad to hope that we can get even more in the future? I just can’t let go.

Loved this book. A big hollows series fan and it was fascinating to see how it started. Kal is a bastard of the first order. Starting a plague so he can destroy someone's career and take credit for all of her work is despicable. The fact that it was accidental doesn't matter. He didn't care about stopping it just making sure that he wouldn't take the blame for it. Trisk did everything she could to help stop the plague. She made some mistakes but I feel sorry that she ended up with Kal for a husband. She deserved someone better than him. The journey she went on is gripping and keeps you interested. It was nice to see some brief appearances of characters that will become important in the hollows series.

In this prequel to The Hollows Series, we get to see Trent's parents and how they met and what went down between them and the rest of the world. Rachel isn't born yet and as much of an ass as Trent is, his daddy is way worse!
I loved this book. But then I haven't missed any of Kim's books. Especially the Hollow series. It was great to see how the characters we now either love or hate got to be the way they are. And now I get the tomato thing!
I really don't want to give anything away here. Especially because my fellow readers over here aren't quite done with the book.

Yes, I loved it and yes, I would buy it again. Can we just talk about how beautiful the cover is? Thank you Ms. Harrison for this peek into the past!

Review is live on the blog and will show up later on Goodreads

In a Flutter: Interesting!
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: We’re all familiar with the world of the Hollows, full of fantastic paranormal elements like elves, demons, shifters, vampires, magic, politics, and overall awesomeness. Add to that a 1960’s feel, with an emphasis on women struggling to gain equality, and you’ve got a winner for sure as far as I’m concerned.
Characters: Trisk was easy to like for me, because in a way I found a lot of myself in her. I obsess over people getting recognition for merits they don’t actually posses, cheaters in general get on my nerves, and so on. I actually kept finding a lot of me in her options and actions, I always got her reasoning, always appreciated her strategic and pragmatic way of seeing things. Is she a bit of an asshole too? Maybe. But I like assholes who stick to their guns and get the job done, as long as they don’t cheat but play their hand strategically. So yeah, I liked Trisk a lot in fact. She was smart, educated, strong, resourceful, and pragmatic.
Plot: The story was interesting, giving us a new perspective on the whole tomato thing which I always found kind of hilarious (in a good way). There was a good blend of tension – romantic and otherwise -, action – though not as much during the first half of the novel -, some romance. I enjoyed the experience overall.
Writing: Third person, past tense narrative, Trisk’s POV mainly. While I still enjoyed the style, it was less snarky and fun than when Rachel Morgan is the MC. But then again it’s a different historical setting, and I found Trisk pretty daring for her time.
Curb Appeal: Cool cover, hooking blurb – autobuy series/author name for me.

It’s worth mentioning that I really enjoyed the enriched perspective on the world of elves and their politics.

Anyways…I really enjoyed this different perspective on the same fabulous world, the historical-ish air about it was interesting, the struggles strong independent women went through were interesting to navigate from Trisk’s POV, and that ending was pretty evil and thereby awesome, haha.
I recommend The Turn to fans of UF with more historical-ish settings that approach issues women dealt with at the time, and to readers who like their MCs daring, pragmatic, and a tinsy bit evil maybe. I wouldn’t go so far as to say Trisk is an antihero, but she’s pretty nuanced and complex and totally fun.

Woohoo! We’re back in the Hollows! Only, this time we take a step back in history and discover what actually went down during the infamous Turn. What exactly caused tomatoes to become the carriers of death and destruction? And just who is really at fault.

This was so stinkin’ good! I love how the story unfolded while connecting so many threads to the main part of the series, all the way to the very last book. I wasn’t sure how much I’d like his without Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks, but my worries quickly went out the window once I started reading. Harrison did a great job with Trisk, Kal, and Daniel. Kal is exactly how I would expect him to be. I can’t stand his ass, but that’s perfectly fitting!

You don’t have to read the whole series first, but it’s so much better if you do. I loved discovering how certain situations turned out and how decisions in this book impacted things in the future. Even small things, like what paved the way for Rachel having the ability to be an I.S agent. It’s also really cool seeing what roles certain characters from the series played in those early days. Harrison seriously tied it all together amazingly well!

I really hope we get more prequels. There’s still a lot of story that can be told involving these characters. Harrison could also jump further back in time to Trisk’s grandma, because I’m SUPPER curious about what’s up with that story!

The Turn is an absolute must read for fans of the series!

The Turn: The Hollows Begins with Death Kindle Edition
by Kim Harrison 
She shoots! She scores! From the Three-point line of a prequel.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Prequels are difficult – just ask George Lucas. Particularly when dealing with a fully formed mythology and characters that appear in the future and their parents and previous incarnations! But of course the mighty Kim Harrison handles it with ease!
The Turn is both a fantastic mystery and a apocalyptic thriller with an urban fantasy flavor.
Kal is a perfect foil for Trisk. He is both a man of his time – the 1960's – in which women are just winning the proper place in the workforce and man of his people – prejudice against any form of dark magic. He is also borderline sociopathic, the only other creature he cares about is his pixie companion Orchid. He cares more about his theories than about the protection of his people and certainly more than that of humans. As such he plays with Trisk's work as a geneticist who has used a virus to alter DNA. As he does this, he creates a worldwide plague.
The authorities of the Hollows force Trisk and Kal to work together in a cross country race to stop the plague before it can wipe out humanity, removing a food source for the vampires.
Trisk is a excellent 'predecessor' for Rachel Morgan. She is feisty, sure of herself and willing to do what is called for in the situation, even if it means harming her own soul.
The truly wonderful part are the Easter eggs and the 'old' friends we meet along the way.
It was also nice to see what the Turn was all about. To see how quickly the devastation happened, so that acceptance of the Others is understood
As usual, Kim hits it to the stands and beyond with her plotting and her characterizations. The way she slips in so much so deftly is amazing, she could teach many Hollywood screen writers how to handle both sequels and prequels. Kim is truly the master of the genre of Urban Fantasy.
5 out of 5 – a perfect novel in all ways!

https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Hollows-Begins-Death-ebook/dp/B01INMZKKG/The Turn: The Hollows Begins with Death Kindle Edition
by Kim Harrison 
She shoots! She scores! From the Three-point line of a prequel.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Prequels are difficult – just ask George Lucas. Particularly when dealing with a fully formed mythology and characters that appear in the future and their parents and previous incarnations! But of course the mighty Kim Harrison handles it with ease!
The Turn is both a fantastic mystery and a apocalyptic thriller with an urban fantasy flavor.
Kal is a perfect foil for Trisk. He is both a man of his time – the 1960's – in which women are just winning the proper place in the workforce and man of his people – prejudice against any form of dark magic. He is also borderline sociopathic, the only other creature he cares about is his pixie companion Orchid. He cares more about his theories than about the protection of his people and certainly more than that of humans. As such he plays with Trisk's work as a geneticist who has used a virus to alter DNA. As he does this, he creates a worldwide plague.
The authorities of the Hollows force Trisk and Kal to work together in a cross country race to stop the plague before it can wipe out humanity, removing a food source for the vampires.
Trisk is a excellent 'predecessor' for Rachel Morgan. She is feisty, sure of herself and willing to do what is called for in the situation, even if it means harming her own soul.
The truly wonderful part are the Easter eggs and the 'old' friends we meet along the way.
It was also nice to see what the Turn was all about. To see how quickly the devastation happened, so that acceptance of the Others is understood
As usual, Kim hits it to the stands and beyond with her plotting and her characterizations. The way she slips in so much so deftly is amazing, she could teach many Hollywood screen writers how to handle both sequels and prequels. Kim is truly the master of the genre of Urban Fantasy.
5 out of 5 – a perfect novel in all ways!

https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Hollows-Begins-Death-ebook/dp/B01INMZKKG/

Kim Harrison revisits the much-beloved universe of The Hollows in THE TURN, the prequel to Rachel Morgan and co.’s adventures that’s sure to please long-time fans and newcomers alike. This is the story of how supernatural or Inderland society revealed itself to humanity…and the truth about the infamous tomato that started it all.

Dr. Trisk Cambri, a dark elf and a brilliant geneticist, has been working undercover in a human lab monitoring their scientific progress and keeping a lid on discoveries that could impact Inderland. Her colouring works against her in elven society and her gender (yep, we’re in the 1960’s) is seen as something to be overcome by both Inderlanders and humans alike. Needless to say, she’s got a lot to prove.

But her hard work pays off when she engineers a tomato that could basically end world hunger, on top of assisting a colleague with developing a virus that could be weaponized against the U.S.A.’s enemies. Suddenly, Inderland is very interested in Trisk and representatives from all the major species – weres, witches, vamps, and elves – decide that Trisk’s assurances aren’t enough. They’re sending in someone to double-check her work to ensure its safety and benefit for Inderland society: one Dr. Trenton Kalamack. No, not that Trent Kalamack, this guy goes by Kal. And of course, Kal is Trisk’s biggest rival and he’ll stop at nothing to bring her down, even if it means fabricating problems with her work.

Trisk and Kal narrate the majority of THE TURN and peeking inside their heads is…interesting, to say the least. They’re both totally dedicated and brilliant scientists who’re desperate for recognition, but that’s where the similarities end. While Trisk can be a bit of an ass, she’s not devoid of redeeming qualities the way Kal is. Sure, Kim Harrison tries to make him seem a bit more sympathetic by introducing an adorable pixy as his only friend (Orchid was the true star of the show) but it’s not enough. In the three years I’ve been blogging, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a main character more motivated by self-interest than Kal. The things he does would be unbelievable coming from anyone else, but his colossally stupid decisions actually make a weird kind of sense given his motivations. He makes Trent from the first few books in The Hollows series look like an absolute peach.

Despite how much I enjoyed revisiting the world of the Hollows and diving back into Harrison’s unique brand of humour, I struggled with THE TURN at times. Characters are the most important part of a book for me, so when I’m not really feeling any of the protagonists it can be a bit tricky for me to enjoy a story. That said, it was awesome to sort of “see into the pasts” of some of my favourites from The Hollows, like elven security expert Quen. This one is more for the action lovers out there, and the plot progresses at a breakneck speed once the deadly tomato hits the streets. If you’re looking for a page-turner, you’ll have a lot of fun with this one even if you haven’t read the rest of the books in The Hollows series.

From all my griping it may seem like I didn’t enjoy THE TURN, but that’s not the case. I think my expectations were just a little too high for me to love this the way many other fans of The Hollows seem to. This may be a case of it’s not the book, it’s me. Still, I did enjoy this one and found it satisfying. After all, I’ve been curious about that damn tomato for thirteen books!

If you’re interested in The Hollows but intimidated by such a long series, THE TURN is the perfect way to try out Kim Harrison’s work.

Trisk sat at her booth hoping to find an employer. She was a geneticists. It had been four months since Trisk had graduated. It was like a reverse job fair post graduates came from all over the country to see if there was a place in their company for the graduates. There wasn’t that many of Trisk’s people left- elves. The population would drop a lot more if they couldn’t halt the ongoing genetic degradation caused by an ancient war. Trisk and her dad had only entertained three employers at their table and they were only interested in her minor in security rather than her major in genetic research. After the fair was over a man from the Conclave told Trisk to put her application in for Global Genetics which was a human ran lab. Trisk would make enough to be free and afford to live and not have to marry. At least she could do what she loved doing at Global Genetics. It had been three years trisk still yawned at noon but no longer fell asleep during lunch as elves were most alert at sunrise and sunset. But Trisk had to follow a human schedule now instead of then naps her body wanted at noon and midnight. Angie was Trisk’s lab assistant. Trisk was helping design tactical biological weapons. Trisk had let Sa’han know of Daniel's research almost eighteen months ago. Trisk had tweaked it and daniels work could not hurt any paranormals. Then Trisk ran into the new CEO at Global Genetics and he was a vampire but he was not undead but a living vampire. Rick- the CEO told her he was making sure the tweaks she had made on Daniel’s virus wouldn’t hurt vampires. He knew she was an elf and that she worked for Sa’Han and rick told her that was why she and Dr. Pluck were still alive. There was a man who was a witch from the military another who was a vampire with Sa’Han and the were talking to Trisk’s nemesis Kal.. Kal was to go to Global Genetics and check Trisk’s work. Kal wants to take Trisk’s research and use it as his own as well as get rid of her.
I couldn’t get into this in any way I tried a couple times and it just bored me .

This is the very extensive prequel to The Hollows series by Harrison. Saying that I would suggest reading it after the rest of the series, as opposed to before or as the start to the series. I believe the author recommends doing exactly the same thing on her website.

Why? Well I think the prequel assumes that the reader will know the characters and where the story will eventually lead. Personally I don’t think it does The Hollow series the justice it deserves.

What the prequel does do is inadvertently shed a light on a can of worms called genetically modified crops. In this case it is woven into the deaths, extinction and survival of certain supernatural species and of course just normal old human beings.

It shows the positive side of being able to feed the world, and yet also the dangers of eating something that has had its basic code changed. Hopefully we won’t find out a century down the line.

I am still shaking my head at the whole Trisk and Kal scenario, especially the ending. If, as a new reader, you don’t know where the series ends up then it all might seem a wee bit exaggerated. If you do then you’ll probably have an aha moment or two during the read.

What Harrison does excel at is the bursts of creativity and plotting that any urban fantasy author needs to keep their audience captivated.
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of The Turn.*

I’m really conflicted about reviewing this book. In retrospect, maybe I should have just left the series finished in my mind and never re-entered the world of the Hollows. Sure, this book takes place before the start of that series, but the collection of magical creatures still persists. The characters, however, are so… young!

As someone who rooted for Trent and Al in the later series, this story was so hard. Trent is firmly in his jerk phase, even more spoiled and arrogant than I could even imagine (and I watched him grow through the Hollows series!). It was pretty frustrating to have to deal with him in that timeframe again, but Trisk was a bright light in all that yucky darkness. Trisk was a great addition to the story, and I found myself rooting for her even when I knew where her research had to end up. This book was definitely cringe worthy in that respect. There has to be a trigger for the world of Rachel Morgan, so you know that for every happy moment we get to see, an even bigger sad moment is on its way.

Another highlight was the cameos from characters we know and love. It definitely messed with my timeline when I saw their relative ages and mannerisms, but supernaturals are always tricky that way. I expected this book to end with everyone lined up to take their ultimate places from the start of the Hollows series but that is definitely not the case. Don’t expect this book to answer all your questions or leave you with warm, fuzzy feelings for… anyone. Except maybe Orchid. Like I said, this is a hard book to review because on one hand I want to know what happens so I’ll eagerly devour all the books set in this world. On the other hand, it’s painful knowing everyone’s futures and having to suffer through it all slowly.

I’ve long been a fan of Kim Harrison’s Hollows series and so the opportunity to read the prequel about how the whole Tomato plague got started, and how the Inderlanders came out into the open was fantastic! I had always wondered how events had happened, and this prequel answered many of my questions. I think a bunch of those questions remain unanswered but the book is a complete story in its own right and there’s no cliffhanger.

I really empathised with Trisk’s character and the frustration of sexism and classism depicted in the story’s 60s timeline. It pings immediately believable as an alternative history timeline, and yet I can also see how things evolved to Rachel’s time and how much and how little changed.

I was especially interested in the story of the pixies and that their struggle against extinction was so fraught! It’s such a change from Rachel’s time! I appreciated all the ways in which the historical story came alive for me and made sense in my understanding of how the series itself unfolds for Rachel, Ivy, Trent and Al.

Al remains one of my favourite characters in that hate to love kind of way, I definitely want to read more of his story. Kal is… wow, at once an interesting protagonist, who isn’t ‘all bad’ but he’s so caught up in himself, his position and privilege that what sympathy I had for him was always fleeting. His ruthlessness was horrifying to me and the only thing that bothers me about the outcome of things was that he actually still ends up coming out of it relatively unscathed, while Trisk loses most everything.

Prequels can often be disappointing, but The Turn manages to be a fully fledged story in its own right, there’s plenty of story to tell and while it ties strongly into the beginning and history behind the series of The Hollows taking place, you can read it as a stand alone fantasy novel just fine I think. That said, I do think those who’ve also read some of the series will love it more.

This is the prequel to "The Hollows" series and it explains a lot! Very well written. A great example of how jealousy and pride can result in a truly horrible outcome.

For readers of Harrison's The Hollows series this book is a must read. An origin story that doesn't just explain the beginnings of the series but does so in such a way that you want to go back and reread the entire series to see how all the pieces fall into play.

Amazing to finally get the story of what led to the the Turn. Harrison, as always, delivers a well-written, edge of you seat story. That said, it reminded me of how much of an ARSE Trent was...and I'd come to semi-like him by the end of the series. Oh well, I know he gets redeemed in the end.

Kim Harrison returns to her beloved Hollows series with The Turn, the official prequel to the series that will introduce fans and readers to a whole new side of Rachel Morgan's world as they've never seen it before!

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.

Review:

A big Rachel Morgan/Hollows fan, I was soooo excited to see this book coming out and even more excited when I got an advance reader copy.

This really is one of my all time favorite series. This is the prequel to the Rachel Morgan series. In this story we find out the story behind tomatoes and the virus that decreases the human population, which you know about if you have read the other books in the series. Things get really interesting when stuff starts to go bad, that is when I got really engaged in the book. I thought the Author did an excellent job of getting me back in the this world and gave me insight into everything that leads up to the series. The characters are all lovable or you love to hate them. Even though this story happens before Rachel we get some characters that are familiar showing up in this book...read it to find out who. Plus, I don't want to give away too much of the story. Now, that we have one prequel maybe we can have more :) Love and miss my Rachel.

Perfect companion to the Rachel Morgan, Hollow series!

5Stars

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

4.5/5 stars.

The Turn is the perfect prequel to the Hollows series. It adds depth, complexity and gravitas; grounding the series in the past. It's an origin story that is told with incredible skill and gives the reader a completely different perspective on Inderlander life than that of Rachel Morgan. Essential reading for any urban fantasy fan.

Gallery Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Turn. This is my honest opinion of the book.

The Turn is the first prequel to the very successful Hollows series. Trisk Cambri and Trent "Kal" Kalamack want to save their species, the elven community, from extinction. When a genetically modified tomato, created to feed the world, ends up host to a lethal virus, the ensuing plague provides the paranormal among the humans with a choice. Trisk's involvement in the project, as well as Kal's, brings with it serious implications and suspicion. Dabbling in black magic as a way to keep what is hers, will Trisk's association with Algaliarept ultimately help or hurt her? With so many half truths, lies, and insinuations, will Trisk be able to figure out who is on the side of right before it is too late?

Considering that The Turn contains the background of one of my least favorite characters in the Hollows series, Trent Kalamack, I was surprised at how much I ended up enjoying this book. Now that some of Trent's motivations and actions are starting to make sense, The Turn has helped me to see the character in a very different light. As far as Trisk Cambri goes, I am on the fence about her. She is smart and intuitive, but also rash and impulsive, not unlike Rachel. My only criticism is that the book is quite long and got bogged down a bit towards the end. I almost wish that the author had trimmed some of the pages and added them to the next in the series. Regardless, readers who enjoyed The Hollows series will be happy with its continuation, as it will help them to gain perspective.