The Turning

by Jennifer Armintrout

Pros: Good writing style
Cons: Lacking depth

I picked this up based on a review I read somewhere which stated this was a strong new vampire series. Respectfully, I must disagree and say I find it a little weak.

The writer’s style is good, and the characters are distinctive. However, I found myself wondering at how easily the main character let her normal life just slip away and yet at the same time, she keeps trying to act like a regular human. The first time time she tries to bite and drink from a victim is well described and, I felt, a very realistic depiction of how a person might react. But then, after that one time, it’s just no big deal. She continues to have trouble with the biting, but just slugs down blood out of a glass as if she’d been doing it all her life.

Lots of little instances like this – only a quick token resistance to whatever her new life brings, and then she’s off to the races. I did not find that this was realistic, nor did it truly fit the type of character the author was attempting to portray. There was a disconnect here.

However, despite these problems, the story is interesting. The hero is quite appealing and frankly, I couldn’t understand why the heroine even hesitated – kind of Mr. Perfect, as vampires go.

I wouldn’t call the vampire world the author created here totally original, nor would I call it a rip-off. It’s kind of middle of the road in that respect. Perfectly acceptable, but not stunning.

For big vamp fans, this may be a good choice to feed the habit, but it doesn’t inspire me to run out and get the sequel right away.