Shin Lina is an assassin. Forced by her enemy to steal an expensive tapestry from a temple, Lina sets off a chain of events, resulting in a challenge from an immortal dokkaebi: murder the dokkaebi within two weeks, or forfeit her own life. Shin Lina is a good assassin, but she is only human, and it's not only her own life at stake.

For someone who's supposed to be an assassin, Shin Lina spent more time crying over the past than on planning how to murder her target. Actually, she hardly murdered anyone at all until about 70% into the book. That's a lot of emotional angst and no spilled blood. She's just a broken, mourning, young girl rather than a scary assassin.

If that's not exciting enough, this so called assassin was given two weeks to murder a dokkaebi, a super human. Known as the Pied Piper, this dokkaebi is centuries older than Shin Lina, and she ends up falling in love with him. It would be one thing, idiotic though it may be, to fall in love with one's target. But this guy isn't human and is centuries older. She's practically a teenager still. The logistics of this killed the story for me. I didn't like Shin Lina. She was emotionally broken and kept acting on irrational impulses. The combination of those traits with no redeeming factors did not endear her to me.

The Korean aspects were nice. There were Korean mythical places and dokkaebi, among some other creatures.

Maybe a younger audience would appreciate this book more. This one didn't appeal to me.

I wanted to love this book-- the premise was so interesting and I always love checking out a new-to-me author. I just really didn't believe what we were being sold about Lina, there wasn't anything that supported being considered the greatest assassin ever, which may have been intentional? But then if it was I was completely lost by the point, The romance and the love interest were also some of my more unfavored aspects of this book, but from reading other reviews it seems like a lot of people didn't necessarily dislike it as much as I ended up disliking it. I loved the mythology aspect, and honestly was pleasantly surprised by the world-building, but overall I just felt meh about the whole thing. I can absolutely see where other people would love this, though--I think it just wasn't for me!

"Death does not die." I hold my head high, shoulders back, refusing to yield. I am Shin Lina. The Reaper of Sunpo. Death incarnate. "And neither will I."

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC!

⚠️ Trigger Warnings ⚠️:

Death of a loved one, violence, indentured servitude, physical and emotional abuse, smoking/addiction/withdrawal, orphanedhood, drinking alcohol/hangovers, and PTSD all appear in the novel.

Synopsis:

Sophie Kim’s debut follows Shin Lina, the sole survivor of the slaughter of her gang, the Talons, who’s forced to work for the man who is responsible for their deaths in order to protect her little sister. After even given an order to steal a priceless tapestry, Lina incites the anger of the legendary Pied Piper and it must be punished with a game that might end her life. Suddenly, she is taken to a realm like no other, but Lina must figure out how to kill the Dokkaebi emperor, Haneul Rui. But as more unfolds, Lina starts to question the Dokkaebi’s intentions, as well as her own.

I have a very small list of my favourite go to authors, and Sophie Kim is definitely on this list now. This is definitely one of the best books i’ve read this year. A tale of a blood thirsty assassin against a devilishly handsome emperor, sign me up! Our main protagonist, Lina, is a powerful, headstrong, and brutally honest. This book left me rooting for Lina with every page I turned, especially learning about her trauma which ignited her desire for revenge. The beginning of the book was paced a bit slow, but after a quarter through I could not put the book down.

I could not recommend this book enough. An epic fantasy in a East Asian inspired world with a mix of dark romance, Korean mythology and magic left me wanting so much more. I advise you to pick up this book when you get the chance.

4/5⭐️

So I decided not to finish this at 20%.

I was intrigued by the plot description and I saw another review compare it to Guardian: A Great and Lonely God which is a show I adored, but even that wasn't enough for me to finish it. Aside from them being based on similar Korean lore, I didn't see the comparison and was extremely disappointed.

Lina was a frustrating and borderline annoying main character and none of the other characters appealed to me at all either. They were all dislikeable to me, even characters in Lina's flashbacks. I wanted to try and finish it at least for the sibling plot with Lina and her sister, but Lina's internal monologue was too frustrating to read about. It felt like a lot of telling instead of showing in regards to Lina's skills as an assassin and the way it was absolutely drilled in how much suffering Lina had gone through in a year and the cigarette and the sweets and the palace and the clothes, etc. were all so fancy. The reiteration wasn't needed. Maybe I'll pick this up someday and finish it to find out what happens to Lina's sister, but for now, I am okay not knowing.

I am still giving this two stars because I think it had potential in its plot and having fantasy stories based in other cultures is important and it might appeal to other people, but it wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with and ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This right here is my favorite type of book. There are a lot like it but they all tend to have their own charms. An amazing debut!
The writing was pretty and made the book a joy to read.
I wanted a lot, lot, lot, more from Lina but the romance was really making up for some of the issues I have with her.
I wish she had done a better job showing the readers how great she was instead of us merely being told.

Shin Lina is the last of the Talon gang and had to become a weapon for the kingdom’s most-feared crime lord to keep her little sister safe. When ordered to steal from a Dokkaebi temple, Lina begins a game against a legendary immortal. Within their realm, she can win her life if she kills Haneul Rui. Lina must be clever to outplay the king and save her sister before time runs out.

Last of the Talons is a novel that incorporates Korean mythology and stories about spirits, which Sophie Kim painstakingly researched before writing this book. She includes a great intro and where to find the originals so you can see the stories that she brought into this one; the Pied Piper name is obviously Western, but Haneul Rui is still a Korean figure and a bigger name within the fairy tales. We're still grounded in a Korean-inspired kingdom where Shin Lina is forced to work for a crime lord that managed to kill the Talons and force her to work for him. Her younger sister is that collateral and the only reason why she hasn't tried a fruitless revenge plot against them. It's also the reason why she's the one that stole a jeweled tapestry from a temple and cut it apart; for this trespass, the boss was kidnapped and essentially held for ransom. While she doesn't care about him, his second will kill Lina's sister if the boss isn't returned. This is a compelling start, and I loved seeing her mind work and how she interacted with the immortal beings of the underworld. They all have motives and emotions of their own, giving them a "human" sense as well as their otherworldly powers.

Even though I liked the sound of the book, it just didn’t give me what I wanted unfortunately. I think that it had a lot to do with execution and maybe would have been better if it wasn’t bogged down by so many things happening.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Shin Lina. She is an assassin for a gang and must do their bidding if she wants her sister to stay in good health. It’s a lot of pressure on her but she will do anything to keep her safe. Yay for sister bonds! I’m always down for that, but her sister was very much only used for that sole purpose and I really wanted to see more between them.

Lina as an assassin wasn’t it for me. I have a hard time with teens having this job in general, but it makes it even harder when they are talked up as the “greatest” assassin ever and then they fall short and start screwing up. I get that everyone has their bad days but give me something to work with here. Don’t hype up someone if they can’t live up to the expectations.

The whole romance didn’t do anything for me and it’s a real shame because it does involve tropes that I do like. I do think that other books have done it better and this one was just average. It’s not bad per say but just not to my liking. I think that others will like it though so don’t take my words to heart especially if it sounds interesting to you.

The love interesting was kind of weird. He really lived off of her trying to kill him and I’m not really sure how to take it, haha.

I did really enjoy the world-building and seeing her find her way to the emperor. Mythology retellings are always fascinating to me and I will give this author props for that! It was well done.

Overall, this wasn’t for me but it could be for you. I had some issues with it and it ultimately led me to just not being able to vibe with the story.

**thank you netgalley for the digital arc!**

this was such a wonderful and culturally rich story! i adored the descriptions of nature, lore and food. it was kind of a rocky beginning (the flashbacks confused me sometimes and took me out of it a bit), but the longer you read the more you want to know what happens. it was also great to see a story like this where the assassin doesn’t give up after a single try, and that ultimately made their relation more authentic and believable.

this was a great debut novel and i am definitely going to be picking up the sequel when it comes out!

Book Review…Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim

After the destruction of her entire Talon gang, eighteen-year-old Shin Lina is forced to become a weapon for the kingdom’s most-feared crime lord. All that keeps her from turning on her ruthless master is the life of her beloved little sister. But the order to steal a priceless tapestry from a Dokkaebi temple incites the wrath of a legendary immortal. Now a terrible game of life and death has begun. Lina will have to use every weapon in her arsenal if she wants to outplay this cunning king and save her sister before the final grain of sand leaks out of the hourglass.

Last of the Talons is the debut novel, and first book in the Talon’s series, by Sophie Kim and I enjoyed it! It was a little rough in the beginning but as the story progressed it became better and better! It has a unique worldbuilding with a nice mix of magic, mythology and folklore. The main character and the secondary characters are well developed.Lina is a dagger wielding assassin with an absolutely adorable little sister! There were a few questions left unanswered so hopefully the release of the next book won't be too far! Thank you Entangled and Sophie Kim for sharing this book with me!

I didn't realize when I started this book just how addicting the story was going to be. I couldn't read fast enough, and every new chapter was a balm of amazing storytelling and lush scenery. In some ways it reminds me of the Daevabad trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty with being whisked off to a new realm, separate from humans, and learning that there's a whole different people with magic so different from what you've just left behind. It's also the perfect assassin story, and I loved everything about the rivalry between the Talons and the Blackbloods.

If you love books with the "who hurt you?!" trope, look no further. If you need a new enemies-to-lovers story, this is the one for you. Everything about this book is superb, and I can't wait for Lina's next adventure.

This novel contained quite a few of my favorite things: Korean culture, mythology, enemies to lovers, underdog to hero, and action. The main characters, Rui and Lina, had a lot of depth, were likable, and unique, making me want to learn more about them. I was a bit hesitant about the romance as it seemed a bit too insta love for one of the characters, but it was still swoony and I was really happy rooting for the couples future. Rui and several characters followed characteristics of mythic beings and as a lover of mythologies, I really enjoyed hearing more about the Korean culture, version of the underworld, and a different telling of the Pied Piper. While the plot was full of action and adventure, I found myself enjoying some sections more than others and wanting it to move faster in some areas. The last part of the book definitely held my interest more. I loved how the ending came together and the lead in to the sequel, which I will definitely be waiting for. A great fantasy debut!

i DNF'ed this halfway through.I didn't really vibe with the writing and found the characters to lack bit of dimension. Sadly I just wasn't excited or invested while reading the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book single-handedly got me out of my fantasy reading slump, it was truly what I needed right now and I loved every single page of it.

Last of the talons is part of a new YA fantasy trilogy by Sophie Kim, it’s a retelling of the pied piper myth. The book centers on Shin Lina, an assassin who makes a deal whith the Dokkaebi emperor to kill him; to save her sister, but falls for him instead.

While the first chapters of the book dragged a little for my taste, once I got more into it and started understanding the characters and the world more, it all started to make a lot more sense. The writing style carried the first chapters (and the whole book) for me.
The main characters are great, I loved Lina a lot, and the emperor and the humor he brought into the the story were a delightful change of tone.
The tension this two had was delicious. Like so much TENSION. The romance was a 100% tension and oh my god I lived for every minute of it.
Although I guessed some of the plot twist, it didn’t make the experience less enjoyable.

4.5/5 stars

I can’t wait for book 2.
Last of the talons comes out September 27 of 2022.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

It was a bit slow to start for me but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it. Loved the storytelling and world building. Super curious to see where the next one goes!

"For I am Shin Lina. The Reaper of Sunpo. The Last remaining Talon. Orphan. Assassin. Thief. Warrior."

I could not put this down!

A retelling of the pied piper!
Korean Mythology!
Smouldering Dokkaebi emperor!
Enemies to lovers!
A bad ass FMC!
Revenge/Redemption

What more could you want?!

** possible spoiler**

Cons
I can't wrap my head around how the Talons were the most feared gang of Sunpo with only 5 members.

Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review

dnf @ 50%

I really wanted to like this one but I just could not get into it...usually I try to power through a book if I get halfway through it but it was such a struggle for me to even get that far. I thought it might've been a mood thing, but the farther I got, the more I realized that I just did not like the book.

It felt very stagnant and that nothing was happening. I don't think it helped that there were too many flashbacks; as much as they added to the back story, I feel like the constant nature of them (and how it was confusing to fall into a flashback all of a sudden) undermined the emotion they were trying to convey. And honestly, the more I'm thinking about it, I just don't like the voice of the novel.

But those are just my opinions! I probably might've liked the book if I had finished it but I'm trying not to make myself suffer for little reward. Hope this book works for you even if it didn't for me 3.

Thank you to NetGalley/Entangled Publishing/Entangled Teen for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I put down the book after reading the beginning–I found it slow but it started to pick up quickly and I was glad I held on.

I found the mythology interesting and the characters multifaceted with a lot of depth. It stood out compared to the other YA novels and YA fantasy novels I've read this year. Ultimately, I really enjoyed Lina's character–she flawed, relatable, and truly made the story. There were some instances where characters and moments could have been fleshed out better but overall, an enjoyable read.

I didn’t quite finish this, but I got enough of the way through to determine that it’s worth the 5 stars and more that I want to rate it. The main character is smart, witty, and such a powerhouse of feminine energy. The emperor is sensual, and feels like he would be her love interest. It’s Korean mythology I think, and I’m here for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing/Entangled Teen for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Lina is the lone survivor from the Talons gang, and has been taken prisoner. One of her tasks is to steal a tapestry for her "boss." In doing so, she exposes herself to a different evil: the Pied Piper. He makes Lina a deal: she has 30 days to try to kill him. If she wins, she goes back to life as normal. If she loses, he kills her, and her younger sister isn't safe either.

There was a lot going on in this story, and the action held me captivated. This story is perfect for those who love fantasy, mythology, and revenge. Lina was beautifully complex, and Rui became harder to dislike as the story went on. I enjoyed it!

CW: death, violence

This was a fun read. It has a bit of a rocky start, and I wasn't sure if it was going to be good or just okay, but it kept getting better and better as it went on.

There were some scenes that I loved so much and that were five star worthy, but as a whole this book is more four stars than five. I don't doubt that the sequel will hit five though, if it continues like this.

So, it's not just the slower start that's stopping it from being five stars, it's parts of the plot too.

Lina makes this bargain with Rui, if she kills him in fourteen days then she'll get to live, if not she dies. At first it felt like another inconvenience to derail her from her goal, but now that I finished the book I'm wondering why the bargain even had to happen in the first place. It doesn't make much sense.

And her original deal with someone else was a bit anticlimactic too.

I like Lina, even if she's a bit too trusting for who/what she is. Shes haunted by the ghosts of her past, and has self destructive ways to cope. Rui helps her through that, but she also helps herself (or maybe the Gods do? Depends on how we interpret that one scene).

Rui is perfectly fine as a love interest, but he purrs. Why does he purr? Once is okay, maybe even twice, but he keeps purring and every time he does I can't help but laugh. I like how much he cares for Lina though, it's sweet.

The rest of the characters were okay too, nobody really stood out to me, except Eunbi. She's adorable.

The best part is of course the mythology, the magic and that thing with the scales. I think that'll make the second book very chaotic and I'm so ready for that.

This one works fine on its own, it's pretty self contained so if you want to stop reading here you can, but it'll probably be more fun if you read the whole series. I know I sure will.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*