Review: Talon by Julie Kagawa

Title: Talon
By: Julie Kagawa
Source: ARC from publisher
Release Date: October 28th, 2014

Summary: In Julie Kagawa's groundbreaking modern fantasy series, dragons walk among us in human form.

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.

Review:

I grabbed this book at BookCon back in May. It was at the top of my list of books to find while I was there. When I read the overview (provided above) online, I felt an intense need to own this book. I was even more enthralled when I finally picked it up, because the cover is, in my opinion, very eye-catching with its bright red background.

But this book isn’t only nice to look at. I’ve always wanted to read a book about dragons, and here it is. I’m sure many of you have readEragon, and while I haven’t gotten around to finishing that one, I was more than happy enough to have Talon.

Ember Hill. What can I say about this wonderfully rebellious girl? She constantly questions authority and basically does whatever she wants. And I love her for it. She’s independent and makes her own decisions and while sometimes it might harm other people, she is truly a survivor. I can’t wait to see what she does in the series’ next installment, because this girl is a badass with a capital B. Even when she’s making horrible choices, I still love her.

Then there’s Garrett. Stone cold, perfect soldier, kind and caring Garrett. I never knew what to expect from him, but in the end, I was satisfied. That’s all I’m going to tell you! 

I definitely laughed out loud a few times while reading this book. I think that was my favorite thing about it. It was just so… human. For a story about dragons, anyway ;)

Thanks for reading!

-Alyssa

Review: Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

Finale (Hush, Hush saga book 4) By: Becca Fitzpatrick Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary:

“Will love conquer all?

Nora and Patch thought their troubles were behind them. Hank is gone and they should be able to put his ugly vendetta to rest. But in Hank's absence, Nora has become the unwitting head of the Nephilim and must finish what Hank began. Which ultimately means destroying the fallen angels - destroying Patch.

Nora will never let that happen, so she and Patch make a plan: lead everyone to believe they have broken up, and work the system from the inside. Nora will convince the Nephilim that they are making a mistake in fighting the fallen angels, and Patch will find out everything he can from the opposing side. They will end this war before it can even begin.

But the best-laid plans often go awry. Nora is put through the paces in her new role and finds herself drawn to an addictive power she never anticipated.

As the battle lines are drawn, Nora and Patch must confront the differences that have always been between them and either choose to ignore them or let them destroy the love they have always fought for.”

Alyssa's Review:

My first reaction is that this book was a million times more fantastic than I thought it would be. I really liked the first three books in the series, but I was so impressed by the series’ conclusion. The twists and turns in the plot were exciting and horrifying at the same time. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was thrown a curveball. I went through so much right alongside Nora during the whole story, and I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.

I’m a sucker for paranormal romances, so if you are as well, and you’ve read the first three Hush, Hush novels, this book is definitely for you. My attachment to each of the characters grew exponentially from the beginning, and I found myself smiling whenever anything good happened to my favorite characters. Actually I smiled when bad things happened to characters I hated so basically I just smiled a lot.

I also cried multiple times… there was a 30 page section where every other line I was just jolted by the events taking place and the action was insanity. My family members asked me if I was okay because I was so distraught at some points. Every time I think of some of the things that happened, I can feel the tears just sitting behind my eyes ready to spring. But since no one in my house understands being sad over “fictional characters” (they’re real to us, Mom, leave me alone), I must hold back my tears and stay strong!

There really were so many surprises (at least I thought so) and I was pleasantly surprised at how well everything was explained/came together in the end. I pretty much got everything I wanted in the conclusion to this fun yet intense and fantastical series. Remember that saying, “expect the unexpected”? That’s what I should have done… except you can’t really expect what you don’t expect… so… it wouldn’t have worked anyway….

I honestly believe that even if you aren’t hooked at the beginning of the series, you should stick around and trudge on until the end. I definitely enjoyed all of the books in the series but frustration may cause you to quit. DO NOT GIVE IN. Finale is definitely worth it, and is now one of my favorite books. And I’m in love with Patch Cipriano. So. There’s that.

Hope you enjoyed my first review!! I’d love to know if there’s anything I could do better, or change about the way I’m writing. This is just the beginning and I’m still getting a feel of how to do this so we shall see where I go from here!

Marissa will be here next week to do her first review, so I’ll be back in two weeks! Thanks for reading :)

--Alyssa

Review: The Golden Lily and The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

I read these books back to back this week, so I thought I would combine them into one review. There's no major spoilers for either book, but their is spoilers for the first novel in the series Bloodlines.

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) and The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) mainly focus on how Sydney’s torn between two worlds. One being the Alchemists her family and what she is raised to believe and the other is the Moroi world what she learns about them on her own. This is similar to what teens go through every day. While they are not debating whether or not vampires are morally good or bad, but rather in political views, future jobs they want to pursue, or maybe a hobby that their family does not believe in.

I also found Sydney’s slightly eating disorder another aspect that is easy for young readers to identify with, especially with today's media. Sydney is not over weight she even says she’s in a size 4. Yet she is comparing herself to Moroi who are supermodel sized 0. Personally, I can really relate to this. I’m also a size four yet sometimes feel the same way Sydney does.  In the first book her aversion to food seemed weird for a young adult novel and I wasn’t sure where Richelle Mead was going to take it. In the 2^nd book Adrian out right says Sydney is on the verge on an eating disorder. From there she learns she might actually have a problem. I really applaud Richelle Mead for putting this in her series. It's a great lesson for young adults.

The main character is not the only reason I love these books. The plot is always moving forward and interesting. The first Vampire Academy series dealt with the vampire world and didn't really extend much out of that. I loved how Richelle Mead added the witches to the Bloodlines series. It set it apart and gave it a new twist to the world. I also enjoy that each individual book in the series has its own plot. There’s a problem that starts, climax’s and is mostly resolved in each novel while also setting it up for more advance plot points in the following novels. It’s a great way for the series to advance.

Lastly, the romance between Sydney and Adrian has a forbidden Romeo and Juliet feel to it. I’ve been rooting for them since the first novel and can’t wait to see how it plays out in the rest of the series. They have some serious problems to get through if it is going to work out. They are literally not allowed to be together based on the Alchemist laws.

 

Can't wait to read more of Richelle Mead. I'm going to start the next book in the series ASAP!

 

--Danielle