Saturday 31 January 2015

Talon

Talon (Talon, #1)

Talon by Julie Kagawa is the first book of the series of the same name.

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary soceiety 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 dargonkind.  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 change 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.  Face 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.

The Breakdown:
1.  Talon is a book full of secrets.  Everyone has a secret, and it is pretty amazing to watch each character deal with their own secrets and how they play into the relationships between the characters.  Kagawa was excellent at keeping the surprises coming, and I loved reading as the story unfolded.

2. Ember is a wonderfully vibrant character.  She is so excited to finally have freedom, and to be a part of the world.  She really embraces life, and I loved reading about her enthusiasm for everything from surfing to video games.

3. Kagawa has set an interesting love triangle in this series, with two very different males.  First there is Garret, the human, whose life has been all about following the rules set out by the Order of St. George.  I enjoyed his character, and it was interesting to watch him deal with normal life and falling in love.  Then there is Cobalt/Riley, a rogue dragon, who left all he has known in Talon because he no longer believed in their cause.  I am very curious to see how these relationships will play out, especially since the human side of Ember is drawn to Garret and the dragon is drawn to Cobalt.

4. The things that Kagawa reveals at the end will make the next book interesting.  I am dying to know what side Dante will ultimately end up choosing.  He is such a straight laced Talon guy through out this book, I am dying to know how Ember's choices will affect him.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read

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