Incredible YA fantasy, full of dark romance and Korean mythology. This one was enemies to lovers gold! Kim did a fantastic job with the vivid imagery. I loved being able to see the scenes play out before my eyes.

I enjoyed that Lina's backstory was told in detail through flashbacks; it functioned to develop Lina's character without bogging down the present storyline. As someone who is unfamiliar with Asian mythology and terminology, I had to Google several different things whilst reading that didn't have a good enough description for me to fill in the gaps and figure out what exactly was being referenced. This definitely reads YA, which justifies the youthfulness of some of the characters conversations. The storyline and worldbuilding was intriguing and left me wanting just a bit more depth.

I loved the premise of this book. The Korean-based mythology and world-building are what kept my attention. I've heard of the American version of the "Pied Piper," but never an Asian one. I like that Kim expanded on this creature and gave us a world underneath the nursery rhymes and children's follies.

I had a love/tolerable relationship with some characters and their developments. Rui, Yes! Shin Lina... I'm side-eyeing you.

Two aspects of the book—the aging and the romance—made me question my feelings about the book's overall story. Though this is a young adult fantasy, and the main character is 18, most of the time, it felt like I was reading about a 15-year-old acting too grown for her age. As for the romance addition, it didn't feel natural. Again, I'm side-eyeing Shin Lina on this one.

3.5 and checking out the sequel

More like a 2.5. Made it about 80% before I just started skimming for the highlights. The characters just felt very surface level to me— I did not feel any connection to them whatsoever.

Last of the Talons is a cute, YA, Korean mythology, story with interesting characters. It was a nice entry into Korean mythology and I would like to read more. Though the romance was.predictable, I liked him enough that I didn't mind and there is a high chance of me reading the next in the series.

This was just an okay read for me - I really liked the mythology, but the plot and characters felt very formulaic. From the beginning i felt that the MC was described as so talented and we were never actually shown that.

The world building was done right and it was exciting. It’s a very easy read and the characters were likeable. However, i had a hard time just staying engaged.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Promise me that you will let yourself live. Truly live."


Last of the Talons was a lot to deal with and could be somewhat intense. In this, you will meet Shin Lina. At eighteen years old, she had no idea she was going to be forced into a 'kill-or-be-killed' deal with the kingdom's most-fear crime lord. With her little sister hanging in the balance, she has no choice but to accept it.

Lina was an interesting character. She has the weight of the world on her shoulders and is barely hanging on as it is. There's so much pain, regret, and grief surrounding her that one can only hope she will find the light at the end of the tunnel. Not death, no, not that. Just happiness and a will to live once again.

Throw in some romance with a certain emperor, and I was completely hooked. I mean, the whole Korean mythology inspiration was cool too, but I was here for the romance as well. Rui was simply adorable, and I love him. He's a true gentleman and basically a member of the book boyfriend group.

In the end, some things were a bit predictable but in a good way. Also, some reveals towards the end made it easier to understand how and why Lina acted the way she did throughout the book. I'm hoping the next book in this series is just as good, if not better. I can't wait to see what's going to happen next.

I received an ARC of Last of the Talons just before the second book was released. I enjoy reading books based on myths and traditions of cultures I am less familiar with, and this is based on a Korean story. Although I admit I struggled a little with some of the Korean words (and probably was pronouncing them wrong), I really enjoyed the plot and characters. It enticed to me get the second book as well, to continue the story.

After getting caught in a trap, Lena’s street gang, the Talons, is wiped out. Now under the thumb of the Blackbloods, she’s forced to steal and shred a sacred tapestry for the jewels woven into the design. Her thievery angers Rui, the Emperor of the Dokkaebi, a magical man who steals her away and offers her a challenge—she must kill him within 14 days. At stake is the life of her 8-year-old sister, not to mention her own beheading.

The plot is way more complex than the above summary and it kept me engaged. Time is of the essence, and there are some mysteries to be revealed about what happened to the Talons and why Rui gives her such a strange way to save herself. There’s a strong romantic undercurrent to the story that works at odds with the murderous dynamic. That was fun. My only disappointment was that the ultimate solution seemed completely out of the blue.

The story unfolds in Lena’s POV. She’s a richly developed character, plagued by guilt about the Talons and determined to save her sister at all costs. I understood her murderous agenda even though Rui was my favorite character. Their natural attraction kept me rooting for both of them.

The pace is moderate. Despite the consistent action, there are lots of flashbacks to Lena’s life among the Talons, and the narrative is full of beautiful, but slowing description. The story’s end is satisfying with a few threads left open for book two. Recommended to readers who enjoy a good fantasy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

⚫️ Dark Romance
⚫️ Korean Mythology
⚫️ Enemies to Lovers

Shina Lin becomes an assassin for the feared Talon gang after everyone is murdered. Her mission is to steal a tapestry from the Dokkaebi temple. This creates total chaos and where the adventure truly begins. In order to save her sister’s life, she must kill the Emperor of Dokkaebi.

In this book you’ll learn a lot about Korean mythology and experience a true enemies to lovers, dark romance style story. Overall, the story was great, but it starts off slow and only pics up around the last 25% of the story. Definitely worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While this was generally an enjoyable book, it definitely read as a debut novel. I think it could have used some more refinement and would have benefited from less breadth in the content and more depth.

I loved it!

It was an enjoyable and captivating read! At first, I had slight trouble getting into the story at the beginning but once I got into the flow of the story, it was a page-turner.

The enemies to lovers was written well. It made me want to read book 2.

What a great young adult fantasy read! I absolutely loved this book and did not want to put it down. I loved the main characters Lina and Rui in this book and really enjoyed their enemies to lovers relationship. Last Of The Talons is a Pied Piper retelling that incorporated lots of Korean mythology. The author did a wonderful job at telling this story and had me completely captivated. This was an amazing debut by Sophie Kim and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series.

Read this if you like:

📖 Retellings
📖 YA Fantasies
📖 Enemies To Lovers
📖 Korean Mythology

Thank you to Entangled Teen for sending me a copy of this book for review.

The started off slow for me and hard to get into, but it did draw me in about halfway through. I liked the characters and the storyline, but I felt that Shin Lina wasn’t what I thought she would be. She is described as a fierce assassin, but we never see that. She seems a little mature in her actions. I really enjoyed the mythology and lore, however, so I gave it 4 stars. If you like stories with action, mythology, lore, and a little romance, you will like this.

Book Review

Title: Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim (Talon Book 1)

Genre: Fantasy, Folklore

Rating: 3.75 Stars

The opening to Last of the Talons was interesting as we are dropped right into Shin Lina taking part in a heist to steal a tapestry from the Temple of Ruin. Shin Lina is working with a crime lord named Kalmin because he is threatening to kill her sister, Eunbi if she refuses. The temple is in the region of Sunpo, a place that is inhabited by mortals and immortals known as Dokkaebi, who she is trying to steal from. She finds the tapestry and takes it back to Kalmin but can’t shake the feeling that nothing good will come from taking it.

Read more: Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim (Talon Book 1)
The pacing the first 100 or so pages wasn’t great since a lot happens and very little is explaining or even shown in detail to us which was quite frustrating. After stealing the tapestry and taking it to Kalmin, Lina is ordered to take it apart for the gems which Kalmin is planning to sell and she does but we see she is a prisoner in Kalmin’s care after the death of her own gang, the Talon’s. We don’t know who killed the Talons or why, but it seems that they wanted Lina, the Reaper of Sunpo to work for them. During a deal for some of the gems, Lina encounters a Dokkaebi but he doesn’t do anything to her. However, she soon learns that Kalmin was taken by this Dokkaebi who turns out to be the Dokkaebi emperor, the Pied Piper. Asina gives Lina 30 days to bring Kalmin back or she will kill Eunbi, but she doesn’t have to wait long since the Pied Piper comes for her to. In his realm, he explains he is fascinated by Lina and makes a deal with her where she will kill him in 14 days or he will kill her and Kalmin, which would also result in Eunbi’s death. Lina accepts knowing she doesn’t have another choice but she knows she lacks the power and ability to kill a Dokkaebi but she is going to try.

She is staying in the Dokkaebi realm during this time, but she needs to recover her strength since she has been starved and beaten repeatedly by Kalmin, taking away most of the strength she had when she was with the Talons. Lina is beginning to learn more about her opponent in this game, but she is overly rash and ruled by her emotions which goes against her identity as an assassin, in my opinion. She now has two failed attempts on Rui’s life, both failed because she didn’t learn anything about Dokkaebi and how they differ from humans. However, she has learnt of a rebellion in the kingdom and is planning to use them to help her kill the emperor, which is the most sensible plan she has come up with so far. She might also have found a way into the rebellion with Jiwoon if my instinct about him is correct.

As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, we do see some more kind moments between Rui and Lina, but it doesn’t overshadow what hangs in the balance for the Reaper, her sister’s life. Despite this she continues to be haunted by memories of her past and the death of her friends, it seems that the Blackbloods took the Talons sponsor and in response Lina was sent to kill someone, possibly Kalmin and failed which is why the Talons were killed and herself imprisoned, which would make sense but we don’t know for sure yet. Also, despite having a lot of elements I normally enjoy, I wasn’t loving the book because nothing is really happening besides this cat and mouse game between Lina and Rui but the reason behind why hasn’t been revealed to us, so it doesn’t make much sense now. Lina having officially joined the rebellion learns that there is an enhancer that can be made that will give her the strength of a Dokkaebi, allowing her to overcome the biggest difficulty in killing Rui. However, she soon begins to admit to herself that she is undeniably attracted to the man she is trying to kill and that might cause some issues in the second half.

So far, I was a little bored with the book as the pacing up to Lina joining the rebellion was off and a lot of the main motivations haven’t been explained or explored at all. The only thing that might be able to redeem this for me is more action and maybe a spicy romance between enemies. While Lina needs to wait for Jiwoon to finish the concoction she needs to take down Rui, her relationship with the emperor is beginning to change. When Rui uncovers her addiction to halji, he freaks out without much reason, but it soon becomes clear that he is attracted to Lina, the same way she is attracted to him. However, he also knows more about her activities than she thought although it remains unclear whether or not he knows about her working with the rebels and cautions her. In on of their outings, we see the pair have a passionate makeout session which leads me to hope we might get some spicy scenes later or in the next book but Lina remembers what she has to do despite now knowing she doesn’t want to kill Rui but she needs to to in order to save her sister and find a way to free herself from the Blackbloods once and for all, but also to fulfill her promise to the rebels.

The biggest issue I had with the book was for most of it, it doesn’t know what it wants to be. At the beginning, it seems like a revenge story, which then morphs into a fantasy romance and then to a much darker kind of story in the end. The action also doesn’t kick in until the ¾ mark which left me bored and waiting for nearly 300 pages. The ending, however, did really make up for the issues I had, packed with betrayal, backstabbing and a little bit of metamorphosis but I still can’t give it 4 stars or higher because of how unsure it was. I am looking forward to the second book which seems to be pitched a revenge story, bringing Lina’s story closer to a conclusion.

Special thanks to Entangled: Teen for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars

TL;DR: Despite my first attempt at reading this being unsuccessful, I'm glad to say that the second time's the charm and I found myself enjoying this more than I expected to. Kim offers a lot in this upper YA fantasy debut—plenty of stabby action, deaths, found family moments, rebellion, deception, and a forbidden enemies-to-lovers romance. That said, much of the characters, relationships and world-building was kept on a surface level and at over 400 pages long, I think we could've got a lot more development! Overall though, this wasn't a bad debut and I'm curious to see how Kim evolves as an author throughout the series and what happens next with Lina and her thirst for vengeance!

Last of the Talons is told from Lina's POV and the story is set in two main locations: the human realm and the Dokkaebi realm. I'm a sucker for all types of Asian mythology in a fantasy setting so I knew, in this respect, this book would have something for me to enjoy. This story is infused with Korean mythology and I loved learning about the different deities, Dokkaebi, monsters, lore and how mythology influenced the Dokkaebi realm of Gyeulcheon. Even though, as I mentioned earlier, the world-building was very surface level and Gyeulcheon wasn't as well-developed as I think it could've been, it was enough for me to imagine this picturesque magical kingdom. I was intrigued by the Dokkaebi and found myself wishing more of them would feature in the story but I hope we get more of that in the second book. The writing and plot were rather straightforward although it could've done with some editing. The plot itself was a bit outlandish but I was able to suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy the story.

Although there's only one POV, we learn more about Lina through flashbacks when she was an assassin for the Talons, a powerful gang that owned the city of Sunpo. I'm not normally a fan of this style but it worked for this story and kept me on my toes with dread and anticipation having already known what's going to happen to them. It also helped paint a clear picture of Lina's rage and why she is driven by it to the point of recklessness. She has endured so much loss and hardship from an early age and she found renewed hope for herself and her baby sister Eunbi when she was taken in by the Talons. She's ruthless, cunning, stubborn and prideful, as well as a cutthroat assassin feared by all who cross her path, but now she is weighed down by guilt over the loss of her Talon family and it's no wonder that these emotions keep her going. However, being driven by such rage meant she tended to be rash, to act first and think later, and it closed her off to anything else unrelated to her mission. IMHO, it made her a weak one-dimensional character and sadly, I found it impacted all aspects of the story, as she lacks any sort of curiosity beyond fulfilling her goal in any way possible. I found myself getting quite frustrated by the missed potential there… As a reader, I had so many questions about the other characters and their motives, especially Rui and what he was (and still might be) hiding from Lina. I feel like there's so much bubbling just beneath his surface and I desperately wanted her to probe more rather than just accepting everything at face value! 😂

Coming to the romance, I have to say that I honestly didn't mind it! Again, it's slightly underdeveloped but I genuinely enjoyed the interactions between Rui and Lina. It's filled with taunts and barbs and there's a vicious playfulness with plenty of "kill me if you can" moments that they both thrived on. Sure, it might not be the healthiest dynamic (lol) but as they try to one-up each other, there are plenty of close encounters that allow each other brief glimpses of a more genuine side. I'm very curious to see what becomes of this budding romance and I would love more moments where they show their vulnerability, especially Lina, so I hope we get to see that in the sequel!

Perhaps it sounds like I didn't enjoy this book as much as I said I did but at a certain point, I found myself simply enjoying the ride and the vibe and didn't let myself get too bothered by the elements I found lacking. I still have so many questions that I hope the second book gives us answers to and I'm excited to dive back into this world especially since where we left off, our characters are feeling more vengeful than ever!

Genre: YA Romantasy
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review in one word: maehogjeog-in

I knew nothing about the book & I chose to jump in blind into Jeoseung! GODSDAMN this book for being so good! I nearly went blind reading it (not an exaggeration, I was lightheaded thrice). You wouldn't believe me if I told you this is a debut novel. Sophie writes with an assured vision, replete w a storyline & vibrance, nailing every trope she attempts.

In a cluttered romantasy genre, Kim sets her novel against a Korean backdrop. Since this was my first time reading about Korean mythology, I offer my genuine gratitude to the author for keeping it light, interesting & fascinating for a reader like me. In that regard, this book forms a great gateway halji (drug!!) for venture into Korean pantheons, much like Percy Jackson offered one into Greek.

Coming to the worldbuilding, oh how I wish there was a map! Regardless, there're multiple mortal-non mortal realms & gangs within them, w a constant fight for imperial control. The author keeps the politics perfectly reigned in telling you only what is required. The magical beings & elements captivate you beyond wit. From the palace to meadows & the Black Sea (🤭🤭), I found myself wishing upon a life in Gyeulcheong even if it is as a black eyed mush brained human servant 🛐🛐

My favourite aspect to the story ofcourse is Shin Lina & the Pied Piper (🤤🤤). Lina is an assassin, who's grumpy & stomps around w a great backstory while the Pied Piper is VERY VERY HOT & HANDSOME & I WISH HE WAS MY VERY VERY BEST FRIEND😩
The chemistry bw the 2 is off the charts since they fall in love under the garb of assassination attempts 🥹👉👈
If you're still confused, IMAGINE RHYSAND FROM ACOTAR & CARDAN FROM THE CRUEL PRINCE = THE EMPEROR OF GYEULCHEON 🥰

*he owns the black silver aesthetic 😚
* he also drops her in a lake 😚😚

& I ate all that UPPPP LIKE IT WAS A SUGAR ROLL!!

The climax is an action packed roller coaster ride, with a a very wholesome final chapter 😭

In sum, if you like mythology, classic YA fantasies like The Cruel Prince & TV series like Arcane, this one's for you!🤍

4.5/5⭐️

It has a very slow start but once you get about 65-70% through it goes so fast that it honestly makes up the build up worth it. Lina is a badass assassin and she definitely earns her name as the reaper and her character development was amazing!!! Rui is definitely being added to my list of book boyfriends. We are still left with questions about Rui even after getting some details throughout the book. The Ending Omg!! Amazing!!!! Without giving too much away I was not expecting that ending to happen. I am ready for book two and Lina’s revenge; I am starting it right now!

*Actual rating is 3.5 stars*

Last of the Talons is a darker and gritty YA fantasy book inspired by the tale of the Pied Piper. Shin Lina is a deadly teen assassin, who after losing her gang in a gang war now has to serve the rival gang. But after a heist to retrieve an otherworldly art piece attracts the attention of the otherworldly race Dokkaebi, Lina is taken to their dream world. Here she is given 14 days to kill their ruler and return her boss to the human world. If she fails she will not only lose her life but also the life of her younger sister.

The premise of the story is really cool, and especially the deadly assassin parts were very entertaining to read. There’s mythology, magic and so many different twists and turns. All this was great. The problem was that Lina tried so hard to be the cold, tortured character that it starts to feel almost comical after a while. Especially since the story tends to be a bit repetitive, which made the story drag a bit. Also the romance could have been executed in a better way. Also it’s more spicy than I was expecting from a YA book.

But the latter part of the book was by far the most interesting bit, and there were some very cool events happening near the end. So I will give the sequel a go, as the set-up of it has me very intrigued about what's to come.