Talon by Julie Kagawa

Series: Talon #1
413 p.
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Published: 10/28/14
Source: Goodreads First Reads Program for review

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.

My thoughts:
I'm a fan of Julie Kagawa so I couldn't wait to get this book! I was lucky enough to get it through the Goodreads First Reads program and I devoured this book pretty quickly. I liked the tension she had going throughout the book. I felt like I was on edge the whole time waiting for that other shoe to drop. Although sometimes I felt it was too much tension, it might have been me just wanting to get the bad part over. :)

I think my biggest complaint of the book is the love triangle. I think that this is more of a successful triangle than in her books in the past. Not completely sure who she will pick when before I was completely certain by the end of the first book. Still not a fan of this trope, but it didn't bother me so much that it drug me out of the story.

I would have also liked more worldbuilding. I especially want more with the dragons, but I think that will come as Ember learns more about her own kind. I am also curious about the secret society of the St. George group. I have a feeling learning about these two groups will throw us a few twists and turns as the series moves along.

I give this book 4 stars. I enjoyed my time here. It felt a bit formulaic, but entertaining nonetheless. I am looking forward to finding out more about this world and seeing how far Ember grows. I recommend it to those that enjoy YA PNR and dragons! :)