Title: Talon (Talon #1)
by Julie KagawaPublishing Info: October 28, 2014 by Harlequin
Source: Audible
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Find it on the web: Buy from Amazon // GoodreadsDate Completed: August 14, 2017
Related Posts: The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1)
Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.
Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.
Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.
I had no idea what to expect when I started TALON! I picked up it really only because of the audiobook narrators (MacLeod Andrews is one of my all-time favorites) when it was included in an Audible sale and wanting to start something fun a book that wasn’t TOO long (since I’m always behind on my Goodreads challenge).
TALON wasn’t anything super special for me but it was engaging and fun to read (or listen to). The characters were easy to follow and the book felt a little “typical YA” (things that you might place in a YA stereotype) but it was still a fun and enjoyable book. There was a love triangle which I didn’t expect at first but ya know, I didn’t hate it (maybe because there was a bad boy involved… just sayin’) and I would be interested to see where it goes except for the fact that I’m not sure that I’m motivated to continue the series. I wasn’t suuuper sold on the writing but it was still light and easy. There were two main POVs and then a third shows up halfway through the book so I thought it could have been structured better and I felt like the third POV probably should have been eliminated, even though I kind of enjoyed it.
The concept of dragons who can morph into humans was unique and the only thing I’ve read remotely like it, as far as dragons go specifically, was SERAPHINA. This was more on the contemporary side since it takes place in a contemporary time period, whereas SERAPHINA was more deep into the fantasy and a high fantasy world. I enjoyed the different feel that was involved here and it was fun to see the dragons incorporated into modern society. That being said, it also wasn’t the most well-done and there were some super obvious things about the dragons that I thought anyone should be able to pick up — especially a society that specifically hunts them — but I think this is one of those “suspend your disbelief for the sake of the book” kind of a thing.
The plot was fairly predictable but I still had fun with it. I wasn’t in it to be shocked and surprised so that wasn’t something that bothered me. I am curious to see where the rest of the series will go because it ended with kind of a cliffhanger there! BUT I also don’t know if finishing the series will be priority. Maybe Audible will have more sales for the rest of this series and I can finish that way, otherwise I probably won’t continue. It’s a sort of a read-it-because-it’s-there kind of a series and not one that I’ll really prioritize.
Kept Me Hooked On: Dragons! I haven’t read a lot of dragon books and it was interesting to see the dragon-to-human concept since it’s not one that’s done often. It makes you think a little different versus other supernatural-to-human creatures that you see more often in books.
Left Me Wanting More: Maturity. I know I’m reading young adult novels and there’s the whole “teens are the target audience here” but sometimes YA is a little TOO YA for me and that was the case with this book. I’m sure going back to read TWILIGHT (I haven’t in probably… oh almost ten years now) I wouldn’t enjoy it the way that I had when I was much younger and that’s okay! But it’s things like obvious tropes, plot holes, and less mature language that leaves me feeling a bit old for the book when I continue to enjoy so many young adult books out there.
Addiction Rating
Consider it
This book was light, easy, and enjoyable but it didn’t really knock me off my feet. I think it’s something to consider if the concept sounds interesting and fun but I wouldn’t put it first on your TBR.
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1 thought on “Talon (Talon #1) – Julie Kagawa”
I was really underwhelmed by Talon when I read it. It just lacked that something to take it to the next level for me. Like you said, it was a little too typical YA at times so it didn’t really impress me. But I found the sequels really build on the first novel and give a faster and more engaging storyline.