ARC Review--The Turn by Kim Harrison

#1 New York Times bestselling author 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.

I received this eARC from the publisher, via Edelweiss, for a voluntary and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.


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