461 pages
English language
Published Dec. 19, 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 …
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.
In a world where dragons pass as humans to secretly grow their numbers, Ember and Dante Hill prepare for destined positions in the world of Talon only to be hunted by a dragon-slaying soldier. The plot contains mild profanity and violence. Book #1
I get the sense that this book is setting up for more exciting instalments later in the series. Could have benefited from a bit more dragon lore. Sometimes the dialogue feels a bit dated and/or cringe.
I just quote and share this blogger's review because it's exactly what I think of Talon, too.
http://jennadoesbooks.com/talon-by-julie-kagawa/
I've never read other Kagawa's books, even though they inspire me, especially The Blood of Eden trilogy, so I can't make a comparison. I simply trust readers' opinions.
I found this one very predictable and banal. Dragons? Where are dragons? Where are dragonshifters?
The protagonist Ember acts like a normal teen chick and she repeats over and over how much she likes the ocean and so on. If you are supposed to be a dragon, first of all you are supposed to have a sort of feral instincts and since you have to blend to the humankind, you are supposed to defy them.
Another main negative aspect is the love triangle. You simply know there will be one since the second chapter.
If you like it, go for it. But this is …
I just quote and share this blogger's review because it's exactly what I think of Talon, too.
http://jennadoesbooks.com/talon-by-julie-kagawa/
I've never read other Kagawa's books, even though they inspire me, especially The Blood of Eden trilogy, so I can't make a comparison. I simply trust readers' opinions.
I found this one very predictable and banal. Dragons? Where are dragons? Where are dragonshifters?
The protagonist Ember acts like a normal teen chick and she repeats over and over how much she likes the ocean and so on. If you are supposed to be a dragon, first of all you are supposed to have a sort of feral instincts and since you have to blend to the humankind, you are supposed to defy them.
Another main negative aspect is the love triangle. You simply know there will be one since the second chapter.
If you like it, go for it. But this is not for me.
I don't even like the fact that the militants of St. George's Order were teenagers. They were supposed to be adult. It just doesn't seem likely.
So, I'm going to be one further reader (in a quite long list of disappointed ones) who couldn't finish this book and ended up not caring of the whole story, because, as the blogger said, nothing has a precise explanation. Everybody acts because they have to act that way without asking why.
PS. If you like dragon shapeshifters with the add of romance, please give a try to [b:Dragon Bound|9637479|Dragon Bound (Elder Races, #1)|Thea Harrison|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312822853s/9637479.jpg|14524855]. I really enjoyed that story.
