Naomi's Reading Palace: Review ~ Talon by Julie Kagawa

Title: Talon
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Talon #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Published: October 28th 2014

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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A new Kagawa series! I am excited! Featuring Dragons… Yes please!

This was a fantastic introduction to the Talon series, as I was able to meet and get to know a few of the characters quite well. There was a lot of detail also introduced, to get a great understanding of the world and what Talon is.

Ember has been looking forward to this summer break, as it will be her last hurrah before settling into her role in the Talon community. All dragons are raised with certain futures already set for them and she is no exception. She is lucky though because she has had her brother Ethan with her for the whole journey. But things don’t remain as peaceful as Ember hoped and she is thrust into more training. She meets a few people that also make her question what she knows about Talon, and I loved seeing her hesitate as it meant she is not just a yes girl. You could see her mind swaying all throughout the story.

With dragons, you can expect hunters, so that is where Garrett comes into it. He is part of St.George, the elite hunting team that bring Talon operatives down. He and his friend Tristan are sent on an undercover mission to flush the dragon out, but nothing could prepare him for the emotional turmoil this assignment would put him through. I really liked Garrett; his connection with Ember built slowly and they both felt the pull to one another. He has never had a normal life so is unsure how to deal with his feelings and I found that quite interesting to watch.

Talon is split in 2 parts; Ember and Garrett's perspectives were in the first part and another POV was introduced in the second part, which gave us more insight into the overall picture. I liked all three of these characters and could see the bonds between these characters getting stronger the more time they spent together. I think that Julie has done an amazing job setting up this series. I’m really not sure who the real villains are, and how this will all unfold, which shows you how clever Julie is to have you on your toes. I am keen to see where things go after that epilogue… I really want to see where their loyalties truly lie!

Complimentary copy provided by the Publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.