I was distinctly hampered in reading Turned - it's the third book in the Blood Lily Chronicles, and I haven't read the first two books. The net effect is that there was a large cast of characters and a lot of background information which it was difficult to get my head 'round. It also means that character development took second place to plot, an increasingly complicated plot in which our heroine, Lily, needs to save the world (of course) but knows that there are other options as well.

As the story progressed, I started to work out what was going on. The oddly named Deacon is the love interest hero (although he's a bit unheroic in this story, as well as absent most of the time). Lily's sister, Rose, is apparently of first importance to Lily; I found Lily's continual shouts of 'Rose! Run!' rather wearing.

Although Lily seems to care for her sister (if a bit irritatingly), she doesn't seem to care much about anyone else. We learn that she's responsible for many deaths - collateral damage in her quest to save the world. Regardless, that fact still rather turned me against this heroine, especially as she seems to mourn little for those who die, even those who have been close friends.

The energetic narrative owes much to Lily constantly rushing around looking for salvation. The occasional appearances of the angel Gabriel didn't really shed much light on the story to me, and I found myself a bit bored at times reading this. I imagine the story would have been much more enjoyable if I were familiar with this series, but as it is I found it a bit of a trial to get through, and it is too obviously one installment in a long series.