The Turn
The Hollows Begins with Death
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4.6 • 152 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
#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 you to a whole new side of Rachel Morgan’s world, featuring Harrison’s signature “spellbinding blend of sharp wit and vivid imagination” (Kelley Armstrong, New York Times bestselling author).
Can science save us when all else fails?
Trisk and her hated rival, Kal, have the same goal: save their species from extinction.
But 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 rises, giving the paranormal species the choice to stay hidden and allow humanity to die, or to show themselves in a bid to save the human race.
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. Not everyone thinks humanity should be saved, though, and Trisk must fight the prejudices of two societies to prove not only that humanity does have something to offer but also that long-accepted beliefs against women, dark magic, and humanity itself can turn to understanding; that when people are at their worst, the best show their true strength; and that love can hold the world together as a new balance is found.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this somewhat clunky prequel to her bestselling Hollows urban fantasy series, Harrison (The Operator) goes back to the 1960s to depict the drastic event known as the Turn. Elf Trisk Cambri yearns for success and glory as a geneticist but is overlooked due to her gender; when given a chance to work on a human-led project as an industrial spy, she accepts it, taking the opportunity to help perfect a tomato that could change the world. When her rival, fellow elf Trent "Kal" Kala mack, sabotages the project, he inadvertently unleashes a plague that wipes out a billion humans (to which the survivors' reaction is weirdly understated) and threatens the rest, only sparing the supernatural races hiding in plain sight. Now Trisk and her fellow Inderlanders must somehow stop the plague and save the world without revealing their true natures. While chronicling the collapse of civilization and the rise of the supernatural races, Harrison focuses on industrial espionage and science, in contrast to the romance-heavy books that follow; this one does have a forced romance plot between Trisk and Kal, but it's hard to view an unintentional mass killer as a romantic hero. It's a fantasy that feels more like a thriller, set in a 1960s that doesn't entirely ring true, and crammed full of appearances and cameos by numerous familiar characters. It works well as fan service but relies heavily on the rest of the series to give its events meaning.
Customer Reviews
Mistress of pacing
Harrison’s books rocket along, and even when the characters are gasping for breath and swaying on their feet from exhaustion, she cracks the literary whip until you come to the last page, surprised that this is the end.
Great prequel
The turn is a great prequel to the Hollows books. You learn about the parents of Trent Kalamack and you also meet all of the ancillary characters from the books from Picard, to Takata.
A must read, although read it in the order it was released.
The Turn
I thought the book was really interesting. I look forward to reading more of her books.