My hubby has been trying to get me to read Kim Harrison for years. I like the look of her books and most of them sound like they would be up my alley, so when I saw this one on Netgalley I thought, why not give it a try.

Almost immediately I felt like I made the wrong decision.

It started off good but then took a dive. I enjoyed the relationship between Trisk and Kal and their rivalry and the fact that they had so much to hate about each other. Quinn was another interesting factor but there again although I liked how he worked with Trisk the relationship felt strange.

The rivalry, that I thought was there, was suddenly gone and then Trisk and Kal are into each other. It left me feeling very odd. These are basically sworn enemies. Why would they be into each other after being apart for three years?

Then there is Daniel. He’s like a lovesick puppy! So, we have Kal, Quinn, and Daniel all vying for Trisk for various reasons. On top of that as the story progresses there are a lot of different factors that come into the story and more and more characters are introduced that basically have nothing to do with the plot. They DO have something to do with Trisk and Kal but the way they were introduced seemed convoluted and made it difficult for me to keep up.

After reading other reviews I realize that this is the beginning of a story that I have no idea about so all of these people probably make a lot of sense to fans that have been reading this series! One reader even said that after reading this the entire series makes much more sense to her.

That said, although this did not work for me, it seems that others have really enjoyed it. I am glad I stuck with it, although it was tough for me, but now I can try the first in the series and see if I can finally read something of Kim’s!

In short: Not for me, but I am sure Kim Harrison fans will love this.

I loved the Rachel Morgan books and was so excited when I saw this. In the Hollows books there is a background story of a virus caused by tomatoes and The Turn gives you whole story of the virus and of the interlanders coming out to the humans. We meet some new and a few old characters. I hope there will be more, as I'd love to know what happens to Trisk and Trenton.
I loved this book 5*

Absolutely seamless prequel to the beloved Rachel Morgan series. I was (mildly!) concerned that it would be too difficult to write such a story, but Harrison's a pro. The Turn has it all: new information, grace notes, callbacks, and everything a fan of Rachel Morgan could desire. Two thumbs up. Can't wait to buy my own copy.

The Turn by Kim Harrison adds more facets to the Hollows saga. And now I'm going to have to go back and re-read all the books in the series yet again. It's going to be fun to fill in the new details into the entire storyline. Guess the Hollows wasn't quite finished after all or else the readers just wouldn't let it go. Readers will enjoy this book from the first word, “Trisk” to the last, “away”. And probably beg for more.

I was given a copy of the book by the publisher and NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Sometimes, when a book is highly anticipated, the actual story doesn’t meet your expectation. This is absolutely NOT the case with The Turn. Hollow fans have guessed, speculated and surmised ourselves crazy but the wait is over. Harrison has gifted us with the undiluted truth about the tomato plague, as well as Kal’s, Quen’s and Trisk’s beginning…not to mention that amazing cover with soul smut. Not only did I want to re-read the entire series over all over again, I was left wanting more.

For any Hollows fan, The Turn is a must read. If you never picked up a Hollows story, this would be a great time to check it all out and you get to start from the very beginning.

I received this ARC copy of The Turn from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books in exchange for a honest and voluntary review.

My Rating: 4 stars

Written by: Kim Harrison
Series: The Hollows
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
ISBN-10: 1501108719
ISBN-13: 978-1501108716
Genre: Urban Fantasy

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Ok if you are already a fan of the Hollows series than this prequel is a must read as so much is revealed. If you are new to these books than shout hip hop hooray because it's a fabulous introduction to a world that is frankly addictive. Like many I'd always wondered just how the humble tomato could cause so much damage and be vilified until the pretty ordinary fruit became public enemy number one! Open this book and get pulled into a story of pride and vanity that leads to catastrophe but with a hint of greater things to come as there's always hope.
Briefly this book tells of the rivalry between two elves Trisk, a dark elf and Kal, the supposed golden elf. It's set in the sixties but the sexism and belittling of females in general in the elven society means Trisk is never given the acclaim her work deserves. Trisk is sent to work undercover with humans enabling her to make huge scientific strides. Unfortunately Kal is sent to make sure the projects Trisk has worked on are safe but sadly his blinkered ideas and selfish attitude sets in motion something that will necessitate those who are paranormal stepping out of their hidden world before everything is lost.
I was hooked from the first page but it's not exactly black and white and frankly the end left a nasty taste in my mouth. Trisk is truly gifted with a strong backbone but her choices at times just amazed me but then I live in 2017 with all its freedoms so perhaps shouldn't judge too harshly. Kal is very hard to like admittedly but he does have one or two things that help save his character. One he really wants to help his fellow elves although I couldn't help but think he wanted all the credit and two he clearly has an emotional tie to someone who perhaps lacks physical stature but not courage. I've no wish to spoil this book but will state that I so enjoyed spotting characters who I'm used to reading about in later years. With its elves, witches, vampires, shifters, pixies and even demons this turned out to be a fabulous book. Perhaps though it was the willingness of so many to sacrifice that made it a standout story for me but alas to say more would ruin the fun.
A copy of this was provided with no requirement for a review and I voluntarily read it which means my comments are my honest opinion

I was blessed enough to be approved by the publisher via Netgally to receive a free ebook copy of the book in exchange for my honest review which is as follows:

I want to start this review off by saying that this series as a whole(I have read all of books) will always have a very special place in my heart because it has helped me through some very hard times in my life that happened over the time in which the books came out. I was blessed enough to be able to meet the author in person at a book signing in San Diego in '08. I said all of that to be as upfront and honest about my personal history with the series/the author so that you can hopefully tell that this review(along with all of my other reviews) is my honest opinion on the book.

Now that I know who "Trisk "is (Thanks to some new info from GoodReads that I found out after I had finished reading the book) and that the "bad guy" in book is "Trent's" dad I understand things a lot more. I feel like if you are a big fan of "Trent" and you want more info on his back story this book is for you for sure.

I think that my favorite character in the whole book is "Orchid" she is as bad ass as "Jenks" is in my personal opinion. Towards the end of book a few more characters from the "Hollows" make an appearance(I don't want to give away who they are) which was fun to see.
I definitely see(Now that I know who everyone is) how history tends to repeat it's self so to speak, especially for at least the first half of "The Hollows" story arc as a whole.

I think that my favorite character in the whole book is "Orchid" she is as bad ass as "Jenks" is in my personal opinion. Towards the end of book a few more characters from the "Hollows" make an appearance(I don't want to give away who they are) which was fun to see.Overall I personally rate this book a 7/10.

Ok, so I'm a huge dork. I didn't realize Kal is Trent's dad. Please discard my prior review into the nearest flaming dumpster. With the new added insight (thanks fellow reviewers!) this book is considerably more enjoyable than I thought it was. It give a great insight into how Trent (yes, the actual Trent junior from the Hollows) ends up starting as the character he is. We've always known Trent was a beautifully damaged character, and this glimpse into who his parents were is fantastic. <spoiler> Particularly, Trent's motivation for genetic research for the benefit of all of the non-humans. Also, Quin's love for Trisk is also probably the reason he cares so deeply for Trent. My guess is that he sees Trent almost as a son. </spoiler> I'm excited to see more about how this story unfolds.

Thanks NetGalley for the awesome opportunity to read this book!

Two elves, a vampire and a human walk into a genetic research facility and...

No wait; I know it sounds like the beginning of a really bad joke, but please hear me out:

Thinking back to the very beginning, when I first developed an (almost unhealthy) obsession with the Hollows, I remember thinking that the killer tomato storyline was sightly... ahem ... silly. Well, guess who got the last laugh?! This is THE Kim Harrison after all, a woman who can turn fuzzy, red killer tomatoes into pure gold... storywise.

The Turn takes us back to the simpler times; when humanity was blissfully unaware of the supernats who shared their world. When men were men and women were women... to be kept barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen... Even if the female in question is in reality an elf, seeking gainful employment in a field normally reserved for men: NASA (Secretly run by Elves, of course;-)

Elyotrisk; a young and brilliant dark elf, is dismissed not ony because of her coloration, but also her gender. She is not, however, content to stay in the shadows and let men hog the glory. Even if that means working under cover in a low tech human run facility while developing her (in)famous fuzzy tomato.

Just like Rachel, Trisk, our brilliant dark elf scientist is about to discover that petty minded men named Kalamack are the bane of every self-assured woman's existence.

As a fan of the Hollows, you most likely know what happens next, but this time you will learn exactly why things went so catastropically wrong. Characters you love (and hate!) will make cameo appearances as their younger selves.

Will *he* make an appearance, you ask? *Cough, cough – tries to get rid of the stink of sulphur and brimstone* Well, you will just have to wait and see, won’t you? ;-) *wink, wink*

The Turn was truly a wonderful page-turner. Frankly, I coudn’t care less if humans were dying left and right as long as I got the chance to reaquaint myself with Kim Harrison’s wonderful world full of pixies, vampires, shifters, witches and elves. In fact; seeing how some of the races struggled to survive prior to the outing I almost felt the human carnage was for the best;-) (Sorry, not sorry!)

I’m not going to spoil you any further, but let me just tell you right now that you're in for a February treat. And remember; beware the tomatoes, people!

4.5 stars!

***This review will also be posted on Amazon.com as soon as they open up for reviews
Thank you for allowing me to read and review The Turn!***

The Turn, The Hollows Begins with Death,  Kim Harrison

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Sci-fi and fantasy

I’d just been thinking it was maybe time for a reread of Kim’s Hollows, a fab series, one of the first I bought when I got Kindle number 1.
Its not a light, fluffy, romance + alpha hero tale, but one with some dark moments, demons that aren’t all romantic underneath, vampires who’re out only for themselves, and will kill without a second thought if they think they need to, werewolves, witches, pixies and fairies, and ley line magic, lots of that. And yet wrapped up in that IS a romance, the story isn’t some dark, macabre horror as it sounds, and there’s so much fun, so much mystery as to what can and will happen. Great characters and it’s a series you can read over and over.

So seeing a prequel I was excited, its several years since I first read it but I can remember feeling confused about parts of The Turn, what exactly happened, and how and why, so this is just perfect for both folk new to the Hollows, and for those of us who’ve read it but got questions.
We meet mainly Trent's parents, see how they got together and I’m ashamed to say I can barely remember anything of them from the main series. They’re both clever scientists, leaders in their field and have a fierce rivalry.
Trent's dad Kal is a total jerk, viciously cruel, totally amoral, made me see a bit where Trent got his initial prejudice from. He’s always done his best to knock down Trisk from when they were kids, his jealousy knowing no bounds. I did feel for him a bit when we read about how much of his childhood was spent in pain, knew about the constant surgeries and tweaks to his genetic code he’d had. That’s tough on any child.
Doesn’t excuse the way he was so cruel to Trisk though, always reminding her she was an upstart Dark Elf, not like the Kalamacks with their long heritage keeping them pure. Trouble is though those Pure Elves, the bloodlines they were so proud of, was what was helping them die out, they were having huge issues reproducing.
Poor Trisk is hampered too by the 60’s view of females, little women that should be chained to the kitchen popping out babies, certainly not leading scientific advancements, that should be left to the men. If by chance they did make a break through, well they should be pleased a man would take over and get it published and maybe let their name be credited as one of many helpers....Gah! that was so spot on, I was just a kid then but is so how life was! I love Trisk, one of the good people, who wants to do what’s right, regardless of personal cost.
Her human colleague Daniel is another like her, and he was a terrific addition. Made it easy to see how the whole coming out to humans part was decided. There were people for and against, but with Daniel in front of them, the way he’d dealt with such a lot in a short time and still helped those not human as well as the humans helped sway the decision.
Along with Orchid of course, who was a great character and help fill the missing shoes of Jenks. I can’t write his name without thinking “Tink’s little red panties” – he had a phrase for every occasion, and Orchid has a similar curse ridden mouth!
We meet Quen too, a young Quen and maybe an explanation for why he’s always been so loyal to Trent. I love Quen, always the man in the background, always there protecting, overseeing and yet unseen much of the time.
Alongside that there’s Al the demon of course, Piscary, Rhynn, and a few others from the main series.
Another reviewer mentioned Rachel’s dad, and I can’t recall much about him, and missed that – I need to go back and look...I’m sure there’s other nods to the main series I’ve missed.

Stars: Five, a fabulous story, well worth reading before or after the main series.  

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

As the long time Kim Harrison fan that I am, I was positively elated when I heard she was writing yet another installment in this world, but this time, she would go back to before the beginning! The Turn takes place long before Rachel makes it onto the scene, before she was even born for that matter. As any Hollows fan will tell you, there was a time in this world when the paranormals weren't "out" and that tomatoes, or at least one particular brand of tomato, was deadly. The Turn is that story, that historical moment in Rachel Morgan's world.

Trisk is a dark elf and has been working undercover, so to speak, at a human run engineering lab. She's been working for three years on a tomato that could basically end world hunger and just bring all good things to the world. Then the powers that be seem to want to bring poor Trisk more heartache as Trent Kalamack--no, not that one!--is brought onto the scene to "help" prove Trisk's project is actually as amazing as it sounds. But Kal, as he prefers to go by, has other plans.

Trisk and Kal have always been rivals. Kal had it all backed by money and power while Trisk had to work for everything she wanted. There was no love lost between these two. And it seems each of them decide to play the other in this tangled web they weave.

Then there's Daniel who is Trisk's coworker who is a little sweet on her. He's been developing this virus that the military plans to use to make their enemies sick once ingested, but then heal a few days later, leaving plenty of time for a peaceful conquering. And it's when a certain someone decides to cause a little chaos and combine this life saving tomato with the life altering virus and resulting in a mass murder of humans that things start to get dicey.

Firstly, I want to say again, how amazingly awesome this book was!! It was just delightful in all the right ways! It's been way too long since I last read a Hollows book, so my memory is faulty in some areas, but I have enough memory to know when particular characters walked onto the scene! For a few of our slower aging paranormal peeps are in this book! And even a few other appearances of people we already know but who are younger! I don't want to name names and ruin that delightful joy of seeing a familiar face will do to all you previous fans! That being said, I think a new reader to the Hollows could still pick this one up and follow along just as well. It's just the familiar faces that you see won't have a big impact on you. Nor would a few other things and ways of life mean anything, because previously invested readers will already know the outcome. And so could new readers theoretically by having read the backs of any of the previous books!

I think it's safe to say that this book isn't the start of a new prequel series or anything like that. It reads very standalone like. We watch these characters and can safely realize who they are by the end. We know what course will be taken after the events play out here. So again, safe call in saying this is it. Unless Kim cooks up something else like a YA series featuring Rachel! Who knows! Its not to say that the Hollows is over, because we all thought that back at The Witch with No Name!

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book! It was positively delightful and incredible fun! I especially enjoyed the pun that says something along the lines of "that's as crazy as a man walking on the moon!"! The book tales place roughly 5 years or so before this actually happens in our world! LOL! Thanks to Ren Stevens for having that year cemented in my mind forever! Heehee...he went to the moon...

This is a book meant to delight the previous fans of the series and even hook in new fans who want to read something totally chronologically! It's a beautiful thing my friends!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars


The Turn releases February 7, 2017

Crap on Toast!

A new Hollow’s story! WOOHOO! I have long wondered about the turn and the cause. Well, other than those damned tomatoes. Diving into the world before Trent and Rachel’s tumultuous, adventure-filled life. I don’t know how many times I caught myself shaking my kindle in frustration. The actions of one person affects the entire world. A tomato that was meant to feed the starving world become something so much worse.

One of the man characters thoroughly angered me. There were times I wanted to flick those elven ears of his in hopes it would knock some sense into him, but that’s something I love about this series. Harrison doesn’t sugarcoat the past, and after I calm down, I enjoy the emotional rollercoaster ride that is the Hollows Series. New readers will have a great foundation going into the main series and long-time fans will finally have those early questions answered.

Now, for the love of Tink’s panties, PLEASE give us a post series story. I need more Trent and Rachel in my life!

Dr. Trisk Cambi has created a tomato to feed the world. Dr. Trent Kalamack has always been jealous of her and her work. Now, the Elven Enclave has sent him to evaluate her work and that of Dr. Daniel Plank to see if it is safe for Inderlanders as she claims. Kalamack has other ideas. If he can discredit her work, he can steal it all for himself. But, something goes terribly wrong, and the fate of humans is at stake. I LOVE the Hollows series!! I was so sad when it ended. Needless to say, I was super excited when I saw this book. As with every book in this series, it left me wanting more!

Holy crap! I almost fell out of my chair when I saw that I'd been approved by NetGalley for this review. I admit... I'm a total fan girl when it comes to Kim Harrison's books. I've been reading her books ever since she wrote under the name "Dawn Cook". Now... fan girling aside... this book...

IT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!!!

Seriously, hand's down... AWESOME. Talk about a terrific way to start out the new year. I was the teeniest bit hesitant about how this was going to work since it was a prequel and the series has ended. I'm not a huge fan of prequels, but Kim Harrison pulled it off beautifully! It takes place back in the 60s, so the most of the characters that you know and love aren't there (no Rachel or Jenks), but...

We get an exciting and thrilling ride with non-stop action that takes us down memory lane and shows us how it all happened... with a sneak peek at some of the supporting cast members of the main series. It was incredible being able to read the original series and then read the prequel, guessing (but never quite knowing) how their actions would affect things. I can't tell you how many times I screamed at my Kindle, "Don't do it! Don't do it! It's gonna go bad!"

Readers new to the series can jump right in and won't miss a beat. Things are explained in a terrific way and it's a great introduction to the Hollows series. Fans who have already read this series will love it because you'll find out the answers to some of those questions about how it all began. I **highly recommend** this book for Paranormal/Urban Fantasy fans. If you haven't picked up this series, you're really missing out. From the moment I started reading it, I couldn't put it down.

Now excuse me while I go read the full series again...

Trisk is an elf struggling to be a successful scientist during a time when genetics was an old boys club.

She's trying to come up with the answer to her species' genetic problems, and monitor human science so it doesn't accidentally annihilate her people.

She's come up with a genetically hardy species of tomato, and successfully worked with a human scientist to make sure the tactical virus weapon he's created isn't a threat to Inderlanders--the different species hiding within human kind (witches, vampires, weres and elves).

The only problem is Kalamack. He wants to either sabotage her work or steal it for his own.

This book is the prequel to Harrison's Hollows series, and it shows the genesis of the T4 Angel virus and the 'coming out' of Inderlanders to human society. The T4 Angel tomato Trisk creates is genetically bridged by Kalamack to combine with the tactical virus, and it wipes out a substantial portion of humankind.

We discover that Trisk and Kalamack are Trent Kalamack's eventual parents--Trent is the sort of mob boss that Rachel clashes with throughout the Hollows series.

One thing is super clear in this book--Trent's dad was an epic dick.

Trent (junior, from the rest of the Hollows books) seems to be a nice balance of his dad and his mother--he's a ruthless jerk outwardly, but has a heart where no one can see it. You end up rooting for Trisk and her friends in this book, and booing his dad throughout.

It was great to finally get the full background on how the Turn came to be. There's a lot of characters from the Hollows books that make an appearance here and there as well. Fans of the series will be pleased with this prequel.

This, the official Hollows prequel takes us back to the '60's, before Rachel, Jenks and Ivy were even thought of. This is the missing part of the Hollows series and tells the back story of how genetically modified tomatoes almost bring about the destruction of society as we know it. And how Inderlanders are faced with the choice of staying hidden or coming out and trying to save humanity.

Brilliant, it has a host of new characters but oodles of old favourites as well. It's simultaneously all new and comfortably familiar at the same time. It made me realise how much I've missed the Hollows, Kim Harrison, long may you reign!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Welcome back to the Hollows! Even though this is a prequel, you really should read the rest of the series first (just as a mini-disclaimer). Knowing about the world of the Hollows prior to this book makes it about a bazillion time better, at least in my opinion. In a departure from her normal writing style, Harrison wrote The Turn in third person. I don’t think it takes anything away from the story, in fact, having the multiple perspectives is rather key. This isn’t the story of Rachel Morgan’s life as the rest of the series is, it is the story of the turn and all of the people that had a roll in it. So we begin in the mid-1960s and Harrison did a great job of subtly reminding the reader that they were in the past. The hair, the clothes, the carpeting all lent themselves to years gone by. The elves are still openly in Inderlander society and genetic research is king.

The main characters are Trisk, Kal, and Daniel, with a smattering of Quen. (yay!) I loved Trisk. She is a woman who knows she is fighting an uphill battle in a man’s world. If you thought being a supernatural creature would make life more egalitarian, think again. But she works ridiculously hard to succeed and is really good at what she does. I wanted to bitch slap the men in this book, Kal most of all. I could not stand Kal and it was made worse by my being a complete and total idiot while reading most of the book. Kal of The Turn is Trenton Lee Kalamack not the Trent of later Hollows books. (Curse you people for being so vain as to name your kids after yourselves!!!) I am ashamed at how long it took me to realize that this was Trent’s dad. I was sitting there hating Kal/Trent and Harrison for writing this total douche character (who is also strangely insecure) and who was coloring my view of Trent forever, when I figured out the relationship like ¾ of the way through the book. We all know that Trent is kind of a douche too but while Trent has only killed a few people that we know of, his dad killed millions with the T4 Angel Tomato and virus shenanigans. I felt like Trisk especially was trying to excuse Kal’s role in the virus as release as an accident but it was horrid and there really isn’t any excuse. The only slightly redeeming thing about Kal is that he later saves a ton of children with life threatening diseases through his quest to fix the elven genome. The kids were probably more of a side effect than actual altruism but they were saved all the same.

So once I was done being an idiot, what was a really good story became a great story. The science was awesome and very well explained. The relationship of using each other over and over again that Trisk and Kal have was very strange and in the end I felt like they kind of deserved each other just a little. Though if it hadn’t been for the claiming credit for research thing, I doubt that Trisk would have stayed involved with Kal. She was a very “stand on your own two feet” sort of character. Daniel’s character was a mix of sad and “aww” feels about him on repeat. He was kind of pale in comparison to the vibrancy of Trisk & Kal. Only toward the end of the book did he begin to shine.

The pacing of the story was interesting. The first part of the book was fairly slow. You knew the virus was going to be released and were basically waiting for the other shoe to drop for more than 150 pages. I did find myself hoping rather naively that it wouldn’t happen but my hope was in vain. Once the virus was released, the pace picked up significantly. Almost every scene after that was someone getting something done or running for their lives. The end was mostly satisfy if only because it had so many cameos from the later series and it was great to read about the Hollows characters again. Once I was finished, I immediately picked up Dead Witch Walking for a re-read and continuity check. Harrison did a great job on DWW leaving room for this story. Since the Hollow series is from Rachel’s perspective and she was born after the turn, there is no reason for her to know any details of the cover-up around the release of the virus and why the elves went underground. It gave Harrison free-rein to get as messy as she wanted with the details.

All in all, an awesome read, especially for fans of the Hollows.

Loved "The Turn" by Kim Harrison!! It was great to go back to the beginning and see how it all started :)

http://fkrants.blogspot.com/2017/01/some-other-books.html