Review: Talon (Talon #1) by Julie Kagawa

Published: October 28, 2014 Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy
Format: ebook
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary

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.

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"Observe and blend in"

I read the first chapter a while ago, and have been on pins and needles to get this one ever since. I’ve loved everything I’ve read of Kagawa’s so far (The Iron Fey and Blood of Eden series) so a series about dragons from an author I love is hard to pass up. Did I mention DRAGONS?

Nothing but Sunshine

I haven’t read a book about dragons that can appear as humans yet, so this one was unique for me in that aspect. I’ve enjoyed the fantasy books that have to do with dragons and how they think so I’ve been looking forward to seeing this take on these huge mystical beasts. Ember and Dante are twins which never happens for the dragons. They are teenagers who are now being thrust on the human world from a life of isolation and training. Watching them adapt to their new environment (a beautiful beach setting) mingling with normal teenage humans was a fun experience.

The characters are well developed and easy to love. Ember is head-strong yet flexible. She forms her own opinions and then does what she thinks is right. Dante is the by-the-book, straight-laced one and actually quite boring, but truth be told, he’s not in the story a lot. The POVs are between Ember, Garrett, and Riley. Garrett is a disciplined soldier through-and-through and is forced to experience life as a normal boy through going undercover. Riley is the bad boy you can never tame with a soft side.

One of my favorite things to read is when enemies come together to fight a new enemy. I love seeing that adaptability that even though you are in a particular ‘group’, the individuals and the bonds formed matter more.

Flames Die Eventually

Oh the inevitable love triangle. It definitely makes an appearance. I also found some of the actions in Talon predictable.

Fire in the Heart, or Fire in the Soul

Ember has never had any sort of romance in her life since she mainly spent time with her brother and trainers growing up. She is now faced with two options who on the surface seem like they couldn’t be more different but deep down they both have the same drive to protect what they think is right. Both enemies to Ember, but both friends. One she is drawn to through her dragon side, and one through her human side. It seems apparent how this one will pan out in the end.

A Fiery Start, an Inferno in the Making

This is an excellent start to what is a must-read series for me. Talon kept my interest from beginning to end and I read it very quickly. The characters are easy to love, there’s plenty of action, and the setting is fun. The world and the groups of Talon and the Order of St. George are explained well. It all concludes in a way that I absolutely have to know what happens next. Very recommended.

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Excerpts

"Rnesh karr slithis," I hissed back, which was Draconic for eat your own tail, the dragon version of go screw yourself. No extra translation needed.

“Shark!" I yelled as my feet hit the wet sand. "There's a shark out there! Everyone get out of the water!"
Man, you want to see humans move fast? Scream that on a crowded beach and watch what happens. Its amazing the fear people have for a scaly, sharp toothed predator. I watched the water empty in seconds, parents scooping up their children and heading to shore, desperate to get out of the ocean, and found it a little ironic. They were so terrified of the big, nasty monster out in the water, when there was a bigger, nastier, deadlier one right here on the beach.

“Because you're exactly like me- you don't want your whole life planned out. You're tired of following Talon's rules, of not having any say in your future. You want to know who Talon really is, but it's even more than that, isn't it? You want to be free." His eyes gleamed, golden and brilliant in the shadows. "And I can show you how.”