Best of the Month: January 2015: Talon by Julie Kagawa (Talon Saga #1)

Feb 2, 2015
3 min read

Unknown to most humans, some of the world's most deadly predators lie just under their noses. The organization of Talon has been protecting dragons for decades, and idealy they exsist only is storybooks. However, one group, a human organization called the Order of St. George, is fully aware of Talon's activity and is determined to destroy the group and pick of every last dragon on the face of the Earth.

Enter Ember and Dante Hill. The two are a rare brother/sister pair of hatchlings who are Talon trainees. Taking on a human form, the two are posing as normal teens for the summer in Crescent Beach, a bustling seaside town. The siblings are ecstatic to have a summer of freedom before taking their place in Talon's swelling ranks. But even as theye explore life as a human, they must do their best to fit in. They absolutely cannot stand out. If they slip up, they may be discovered.

Ember is thrilled to learn firsthand what human life entails. But, unlike Dante, who is a good little hatchling, Ember manages to get herself into some trouble. I'm talking breaking some laws. Ember is curious and rebellious, and she starts hanging out with a rouge dragon named Cobalt, who is wanted by Talon for fleeing the organization. And then there's the little matter of her getting mixed up with Garret.

Garret Xavier Sebastian is the model St. George soldier. With a perfect record, his ace sniper fighting partner, Calvin, and his skills in the field, tracking down a young, inexperienced Talon novice should be easy - in theory. But upon arriving at Crescent Beach, he soon realizes that things may be much more difficult than they originaly seemed. Ember is the obvious target but Garret and Calvin cant' take action unless they're absolutely sure. And when it comes down to it, Garret's not sure he could pull the trigger. If she is a souless demon, (Which is offensive, because dragons are awesome.) she's doing an stellar job of hiding it.

I would first like to point out the cover. It's perfect. If you touch it, it has a texture and feels all scaly. And it's so shinny! And red! And also gold!

Ember is spunky and fun, but it's also kind of bittersweet because even when she starts learning some pretty dark stuff about the organization she's trusted her entire life, she still tries to see the good in everything. It's weird how even when she's grown up surrounded by death and hatred, she can still be so innocent like that.

Speaking of growing up on hate, I've got to wonder if Garret had much of a childhood. He's seen so many of his men die out on missions, and I think he may have been raised in the world of St. George. Can you imagine growing up like that, watching your friends die fighting dragons? It's no wonder he hates tham so much. Garret is pretty hardened, and his skills are pretty badass. But he also has some tough walls he's built up over the years, and we get to see some of them come down.

While I'm all "Go Ember!" I can't say the same for Dante. He totally believes everything that Talon has told him, and he would even choose the organization over his own flesh and blood. It's kind of disgusting. He can't seem to think for himself, the perfect Talon zombie.

Now, Cobalt, on the other hand... He wants to try and make sure hatchlings can understand what Talon is and give them a free life. But he's also trying to keep together this big network of escaped hatchlings and rouges, and I have to wonder how long it's going to take for it to all fall apart. He's just one guy against one - Two, if you count St. George - organization with a lot more resources than him. He's determined to help the hatchlings, and I admire him for it. But honestly, how much can he really do?

Like all Julie Kagawa books, this was amazing! Ioved the setting and the characters, as well as the ideas of the organizations of Talon and the Order of St. George. There were plenty of plot twists and action sequences. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down, and I was totally blown away by the ending. You never see much dragon YA, and I'm glad someone finally came around and wrote one, because it's not something overused. I also loved Cobalt's, Ember's, and Garret's triple POVs. I feel like it helped me get to know their characters better. Talon was original and, quite frankly, awesome. Totally a must-read modern fanasy! 5/5 I can't wait for book two, Rogue.