*Gizmos Book Reviews* Talon (Talon #1) by Julie Kagawa

*Synopsis*

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*

Talon is the story about 16-year old Ember Hill who, along with her brother Dante, is sent to Crescent Beach to learn how to assimilate into human society while training for their expected roles within Talon. Ember and Dante have spent 16 years being controlled and having their futures set out for them by someone else. Even though they were hatched together, and they couldn't be more different.

Ember is a girl who loves to push the limits on what she is able to get away with and is sick of being restrained. Dante is the good boy who follows rules to the letter. Ember loves to surf, and spending time with new friends. Dante knows his place within Talon and doesn't question what he is told. When Ember's world is twisted by revelations about Talon and her place within it, Ember will have to make a decision of a lifetime.

Talon is also the story about 17-year old Garret Sebastian who has spent the better part of the past 3 years hunting and killing dragons for the Order of St. George. Garret and his partner Tristan are sent to Crescent Beach where the Order believes Talon has sent dragons to assimilate into human society. Their mission is pretty simple: Find the Talon spies, and eliminate them.

Along the way, Garret begins to question what he has been told about dragons and finds that he actually enjoys being around a certain redheaded spark plug with green eyes who allows him to enjoy life for the first time in a very long time. But, what is the price of this happiness? Can Garret manage to take charge of his own life, or will he pay the ultimate price?

In simplistic terms, Talon is the story about a Boy who meets Girl who is not what she seems. It's about a Girl who falls for Boy who may be the biggest threat to her existence. The Boy and Girl just happened to be on separate sides of a centuries old war for world supremacy. Misunderstanding and hatred persists on both sides which leads to a finale that is both predictable and expected.

Oh, and let's not forget about the triangle, shall we? I mean, we can't ignore Riley's presence in Talon or what he represents or his desires towards Ember! We can't ignore that Riley is filled with information about Talon that Ember deserves to know. We also can't ignore that Talon is the first novel in a 5 part series and therefore, there are plenty of holes, missing back stories, and questions that remain to be answered.

I am not a screeching, screaming, OMG I am going to lose my shit if I don't read this book kind of reader. I've had some ups, and some downs when it comes to Kagawa's past works. I didn't much care for Meghan Chase, while I did like Allison Sekemoto. The settings of the series could not be more different. Talon is more or less a contemporary romance with dragons thrown in for entertainment.

I do enjoy books about dragons, which is why I was happy that a fellow blogger shared Talon with me. I was hoping beyond hope that Talon would not become another Firelight by Sophie Jordan. I am saddened that the stories ARE similar when it comes to heroines (both are redheads with green eyes), love interests (both human), triangles (both dragons), and hatred between dragons and humans who hunt them.

Since Kagawa leaves an interesting ending to Talon, and the fates of Ember, Garret, and Riley have not been settled, I will be patiently waiting for the  next book called Rogue which released April 28th 2015 by Harlequin Teen. After that, I am not sure what is happening with this series. Goodreads apparently says that book # 3 won't be released until 2017! That is utterly ridiculous!

Author - Julie Kagawa
Title - Talon (Talon # 1)
Published by Harlequin Teen
Released: October 28, 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Dragons
Format: Paperback. 413 pages