YIKES.

I was really excited to read this book and within the first few chapters I saw the downfall was imminent. I love books that have more dialogue than not. And it took 5 chapters for any major dialogue to actually start occurring. This became a theme throughout that made me start passing over paragraphs of incongruous information.

With an enemies to lovers romance I was hoping to latch on to, I was let down here as well. Lina continually came off as immature while Rui was really into her, but without a good basis for the attraction? These two did not connect well, but apparently he wanted to kiss her from the moment he saw her and I don’t believe it for a second.

The relationships (platonic and not) weren’t here either. I wanted to see Lina have one friend, a true bond, someone for her to move forward with and nobody became that person for her. The side characters were one dimensional and only placed in to further the plot occasionally.

There’s other issues I had with some of the sub-plots and OH, YES. The flashback chapters?! Were always out of nowhere and had no merit into the current timeline. Instead of showing us Lina’s character as the book progressed, random flashbacks were thrown in to show that she used to have a found family? IT DID NOT WORK.

Anyways, I’m frustrated with this book clearly. High hopes were dashed and I won’t be continuing the series.

Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: make-outs & an implied night together
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of friends, murder, kidnapping, poisoning, near drowning and other near death experiences, weapons violence

LAST OF THE TALONS is a lush and enchanting YA fantasy. Lina is known as the Reaper of Sunpo, a title bestowed upon her as the assassin of the Talons, a gang in Sunpo. After a terrible night for which she feels responsible, her gang was destroyed and she was captured by the Blackbloods from whom she is forced to work under threat of her little sister's life. After being forced to steal and destroy a tapestry from a Dokkaebi temple, she incurs the wrath of the Dokkaebi emperor, the Pied Piper.

When she is captured and taken into the Dokkaebi realm, she is offered a chance to save her own life - she must kill the Pied Piper within 14 days or her life is forfeit. If she dies, her little sister will be too, at the hands of the Blackbloods. As she spends time with Pied Piper, Lina will find herself in the middle of rebellion as well caught between her task and her heart.

What I loved: This is a lush fantasy with plenty of atmosphere and world-building. The mythology and folklore around Sunpo and the Dokkaebi was fascinating, and we learn some of it through stories and information passed during the story. This larger context was so important to building and understanding humanity, the Dokkaebi, and their shared history.

Lina is a really compelling character. She is dealing with grief, angst, and a broken heart from the loss of the Talons and the ways in which her life has changed and is challenged. Her life has been revolving around self-recrimination, hate, and a fierce need to protect her sister for so long. As she experiences the Dokkaebi realm and gets to know Rui, she begins to find other purposes, and her changing perspectives challenge her in new ways. Her character growth throughout the story really endears her to the reader, as she begins to take account and control over her life and her plans. This also lends itself to a strong romance, and I loved the dark and angsty build of it all, caught in a cat-and-mouse game with rules that neither seems to fully understand - an incendiary relationship building into an inferno.

Rui is also a fascinating character, and his story is building as he tells it to Lina. There is still a lot that we as the reader do not yet know, and I am curious to understand more of the separation between the worlds and the sacrifices made that have led to his role as the Piper. Although the reader gets tidbits, more story is clearly forthcoming, and I am so excited to see that this will a series, so we can learn more in the future.

The main plot is riveting with themes of family, loss/guilt, survival, the power of the heart, the importance of self-determination, what really makes a monster, trust, and healing. The lush world-building and setting of Sunpo, the Dokkaebi realm, as well as another realm which we glimpse later, create a really strong and potent story that will consume the reader. The pace is really perfect, balancing between the background, present, and action/adventure so well. This is a book that hooks the reader from the start and keeps them turning pages until the end.

Fans of dark, angsty romance reads with a fascinating plot and world will definitely need to pick this one up. Although it is part of a series, the major plots of this first book are wrapped up, so there is not a huge cliffhanger. I really appreciated this as it is a very satisfying conclusion to the first book, and I cannot wait to see where these characters and world will go and what will happen next.

Final verdict: With lush world-building and compelling characters, LAST OF THE TALONS is an unforgettable YA fantasy with elements of adventure, romance, and mystery that are sure to thrill readers. Highly recommend for fans of THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US, RAYBEARER, DANCE OF THIEVES, and TO KILL A KINGDOM.

Please note that I received an eARC. All opinions are my own.

4,5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

As a person who’s not familiar with the original mythology, I very much appreciated the author’s note at the beginning of the book, as Sophie Kim tells the reader, this story has creative spins in many aspects and is not intended to be a Korean mythology guide of any sorts. With that being said, you can still tell that the author cares deeply about it and did the necessary research on the topics.
Last of the Talons is an epic fantasy retelling of the Pied Piper tale that tackles Korean mythology, missing gods, dokkaebi, other realms and more. It is action packed, deals with grief and has an actual enemies to lovers romance.
After seeing herself stuck in Gyeulcheon, the dokkaebi realm, for stealing a precious tapestry Lina makes a deal with Rui who gives her fourteen days to kill him, an immortal emperor, if she is to return to Sunpo with the boss who she hates but works with in order to keep her little sister safe.
Lina is a badass, you can feel it from the beginning and it is confirmed as the story progress and you also dive into her past when she was part of the Talons gang. She is determined to kill Rui, even with him being immortal and sometimes trying to distract her from her goal with diners by the moonlight, dances at balls, horse rides to his favorite places in Gyeulcheon and more.
You are literally thorn between rooting between her finally killing him and wishing they kissed already.
As it happens with many fantasy books the end was a little rushed, but I enjoyed it all the same. It did set up many possibilities for the story to continue. It is a great debut, Sophie Kim’s writing flows amazingly and left me looking forward to read more from her.

I was a little put off by the cover. I felt like it looked like a middle grade book. Just a personal opinion probably steming from my dislike of the colors yellow and green together, but this book was soo good. It completely took me by surprise. The MC was fierce and loyal to her sister and clan in a way that is truly admirable. The story line vaguely reminds me of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea but with way more action and in depth story line. I am defiant getting a copy for my book shelf when it releases

A really great read!
Female assassin and a God. I'm new to Korean Mythology but it was perfectly weaved into an enjoyable plot. Can't wait for the next book in this series!

A retelling of the Pied Piper with Korean Mythology and a swoon worthy enemies-to-lovers romance? I was sold! After a somewhat bumpy beginning, the story slowly unfold as I was spellbound: absolutly gorgeous worldbuilding, super cool magical powers and a tension loaded romance where the main characters can´t decide if they want to kill or kiss each other. I really enjoyed the korean mythology elements like the Dokkaebi emperor! The writing style was very unique and a perfect balance of easy to understand and picturesque. All in all I really enjoyed reading this book and I can´t wat to read more from the author. What an amazing debut novel!

Check out the aesthetic video I made for this book on TikTok & Instagram @katherinebichler. Here are the links ⬇️

TikTok

Instagram Reel

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5/5 STARS

Great debut book! This is a YA fantasy retelling of the Pied Piper fairytale with a Korean mythology twist.

Lina is a trained assassin, the last remaining of her group, The Talons. When she is assigned to steal an ancient object, danger unfolds and it is more than she bargained for.

This reminded me of Six Crimson Cranes with an assassin spin. The world building and enemies to lovers trope had me hooked! There were twist and turns and I couldn’t put it down.

I can’t wait until the sequel! 🐉🀄️🏯🗡

Thank you Entangled Teen for an advance reader copy! 💚

This book was such a fun read! I was in a reading slump and this book really got me out of it. I flew through this book in one afternoon and I am so sad it is over. I will be looking out for this author in the future and will be recommending this book to all of my family and friends.

Known as the Reaper,Shin Lina, an assassin, is the last of the Talons. Death threats to her only sister, Eunbi, is the only reason Shin Lina is a puppet to the murderous Blackblood clan.

When a mission to steal a tapestry from the Temple of Ruin evokes the wrath of the gods, Shina is on a time mission to retrieve the kidnapped leader of the Blackblood clan or her sister’s life will be forfeited.

The task to kill the emperor is no easy feat. Will Shin accomplish her goal or will she recognize there is more to what it seems in this elusive realm of Gyeulcheon.

The Last of the Talon is a Korean fantasy folklore spin-off.
I love being immerse in the world of Gyeulcheon and the cunningness of the Dokkaebi emperor. I visualize how hot the emperor is based on korean beauty and boy is he smoking!

This is Sophie Kim first novel so props to her in incorporating her heritage and culture. I love diving into new stories from around the world. However the writing style leaves room for improvement. There is a lag in the storyline that makes the narrative quite stagnant in some parts. I hope as Kim progresses in writing this trilogy that it will only get better as she finesses her craft.

This review contains spoilers!

i'm obsessed!
i was in love with Ead from The Priory of the Orange tree, and I am in love with Shin Lina. Female assassins you have my heart.
honestly though, can we discuss how /strong/ she is!! [SPOILER] she manages to walk back to the palace and climb over a wall all while a sword is embedded in her stomach?? and then later at the end of the book she is so brave, Rui is all but defeated, she with her human strenghts is about to face the enemy that he couldn't defeat (and she wins ofc).
I have to say I was a bit confused at first when she kind of turned into that snake-like monster, which distracted a bit from the scene, but other than that no issues :)
i told my collegue this book reminded me a bit of the priory of the orange tree, which is a big compliment for us ^^. we also looked at getting copies for our store but it seems our supplier doesn't carry this book :(

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this arc, definitely one of the most interesting books i've read this year, in an inspiring new universe

This was such a fun read. Last of the Talons focuses on Shin Lina, an eighteen year old assassin. She finds herself being challenged to kill Rui, the Dokkaebi emperor. She has lost everyone but her sister, so with her life at stake she takes on the challenge. The only hitch is that Dokkaebi are beings with supernatural abilities that have the tendency to be tricksters. So it's no easy feat. There's action from the get go and a great enemy to lovers romance with banter and knife to throat scenes. Something I loved about Shin Lina was that she didn't back down, even if her enemy was attractive with silver eyes and earrings.

Inspired by Korean mythology this is the first book in a planned trilogy. I enjoyed my time with it and was satisfied enough with the ending that I won't be continuing on.

‘Last of the talons’ is a romance, pied piper retelling rooted in Korean mythology. In order to save her sister, an assassin must kill the emporer…. but falls for him instead.

This was a great read, and a fantastic debut novel. The characterization of every character is so strong and vivid, the MC in particular I adored - a strong, independent girl who undergoes the most interesting journey; both literally and emotionally.

Though I did enjoy the read greatly, there was definite weaker areas in the first portion of the book. Initially, the first person narration became particularly difficult to follow - you were unable to distinguish where she was or how she got there on multiple occasions. This definitely improved as the book went on, but it’s certainly a criticism to note for the first part of the book.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc!

Wow, did I speed through this book! I don't want to spoil anything related to the plot here, because I think this is a book that should be read somewhat blind -- ie the way I read it -- but the gist is this: our MC has been trained as an assassin since birth, and due to her skills and life circumstances, she's got no choice but to try and kill the dangerous Emperor that she (inevitably) winds up having feelings for.

This was a super fun read! It's pretty fast paced IMO, and I considered the twists more compelling than usual in a YA fantasy novel. I love a good worldbuild, and the author treats us to a very cool set-up, and TBH, I can see myself reading this again when I'm able to get a physical copy.

I'll be keeping my eye on Sophie Kim's upcoming releases after this, for sure.

2022 truly is the year for fantastic debuts - and 'Last of the Talons' is certainly one of them!

I have been excited for this particular book ever since I saw the author post fanart on Twitter between the main character Lina and the emperor she is meant to kill Rui. One piece of fanart and I was hooked! My excitement only grew as I approved for an eARC and drove into the story. The mythology is breathtaking, the characters are incredible, and the pacing was excellent. (Be warned though: I was silly and thought this was a standalone BUT IT IS NOT! And the ending is going to leave you screaming for the sequel ASAP!)

Honestly, I can't wait to add this one to my bookshelf (and I am hoping that maybe a certain book subscription box with do a special release of it) and I will be recommending it to everyone I know!

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Entangled Teens Publishers for sending me an e-arc in return for an honest review.

This book held me in a grip! I love the main character Shin Lina, she is every bit feisty and stubborn as she seeks to find meaning in life after everything was torn from her. The relationship between her and Rui, was full of angst and so much tension that built up, truly making it an enemies to lovers. I loved the banter between the two, and how each played off of each other's schemes to trying and best the other. So many times I had to hold my laughter back at night in fear of waking others as it had me laughing so hard. Along with the comedy we are also left many times feeling the pain that Lina has faced in her life, cruel realities of life that have never left her at bay.

Overall the top tier part of the story is the mythology itself. I was left with so much intrigue as the tales of the gods, the realms, the dokkaebi pulled me in. It left me wanting to further immerse myself in the richness of the culture, the taste of the food that made me hungry to eat it. I love that Sophie Kim has taken Korean mythology and woven a beautiful story that she has dreamt of being told.

I enjoyed this debut novel from Sophie Kim! Last of the Talons is the first in a new YA-fantasy series that is built on various Korean folktales, centering around the classic mythological creatures of the Dokkaebi (goblins), among others. Shin Lina, an assassin known as the Reaper of Sunpo, must journey to the realm of the Dokkaebi in order to protect her younger sister; there, she is pulled into a twisted game with the emperor: if she is able to kill him within 14 days, she’ll win her freedom and can return to exact her revenge on the rival gang that murdered her friends.

Initially, I felt that the writing for Lina’s narration was repetitive; for example, early on in the book, so many of Lina’s thoughts are centered on her bewilderment: “HowdidIgetherehowdidIgethere” (an actual line from the book). I also felt that certain moments or interactions were paced oddly, perhaps as a result of this narration; something that should have elapsed over a single page was dragged out over a few. There were certain plot elements that while critical to the plot, I didn’t care much for and thought didn’t quite match the tone of the story or made it a bit more juvenile than it could have been (particularly the very important berries and their effects…).

However, once Lina is cast into the kingdom of the Dokkaebi and meets Emperor Rui, the pace picks up. The strength of the story really lay in these two characters and the relationship they developed. Lina is a really great protagonist: she’s fierce and calculating, but also wrestling with responsibility as an older sister and the guilt she feels in being the only surviving member of her gang. Behind his smirks and blasé persona, Rui also carries a similar depth and complexity regarding his past and it’s heavily implied that future books will explore more of his backstory. Together, the back and forth rapport they have works well and makes for a believable if quick romance.

It will be interesting to read the subsequent novel(s) since the author has left a few remaining mysteries in the open!

Last of the Talons was absolutely enchanting! Kim wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story

Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim is a new and exciting addition to the YA Fantasy genre. The Korean mythological elements of the novel are refreshing to read in an already saturated genre, and offer a fresh take.

I really enjoyed Shin Lina’s character, I thought she was feisty, sarcastic and brave, and a great heroine. However, I had to imagine that she was the greatest assassin in Sunpo, despite barely seeing her in action, and when we do she’s commuting theft not assassinations.

The pace is very fast, and I couldn’t put the book down. Though as a result of this I found that some of the plot points felt rushed, and could have been explained more thoroughly.

Overall it was a very enjoyable read, and I will be reading the next one.

Before I say anything, be aware that I read this as an arc and everything is susceptible to change.

That being said, big oof. Lina tried so hard to be Kaz Brekker and it just did not work. She even has the leg injury and “farmer until parents were killed and then joined the gang and became the most notorious criminal in the city” backstory. Which like that’s cool if you’re gonna do it right! The problem is there were a lot of technical details that just??? Don’t make sense?? We’re told that Lina grew up on a farm, and when she was 14 she had to join the gang. This book takes place when she’s I believe 17? So she had three years with the gang, (technically two but i won’t add any details on why bc spoilers) and somehow in those two years she became the best fighter in the city, better than everyone who has been training since they were old enough to walk. In those two years she became SO good that it’s her job to protect the people who taught her to fight, because without her there they’ll lose. Even tho they taught her to fight. Yeah. *visible confusion*

Lina is a member of the Talons, the biggest, most powerful gang in the country. This gang controls the city. This gang owns multiple businesses. This gang also has exactly five members. Yes, you read that right. Five members. No more, no less. How does a gang with five members control the entire city?? Especially when their rival gang seems to have hundreds of members??? Make it make sense??????

Lina is given a bargain with the Pied Piper (basically ruler of the fae) that if she doesn’t kill him in fourteen days, he’ll kill her. We never actually find out why he made that bargain? Just for funsies I guess? That didn’t make a lotta sense. She just keeps trying and trying to kill him and he laughs harder every time and there’s no explanation for why he thinks it’s so funny?? It’s just like “oh yea lol this girl tried to kill me again hahaha isn’t she cute I hope she succeeds next time” like Rui are you okay????? Do u need therapy my dude??? Why would you literally command someone to kill you just for giggles???? What??????

I did enjoy reading this. Is was a very fun, if very cliche, ya enemies to lovers with fun magic and mythology. There were just too many plot holes and things that didn’t make sense for me to truly be happy tho.

Fans of Sarah J Maas, if you ever wondered what a Celaena x Rhysand pairing would look like if they were transported to a world inspired by Korean mythology, you want to be immediately pre-ordering Last of the Talons. Expect enemies to lovers; sparks fly between long-lived emperor and captured teen assassin; and you can guess the rest. If you know and love stories like these, Last of the Talons is likely to be a guaranteed 5* read for you.

After the destruction of her gang, assassin Lina is forced to work for the kingdom’s most-feared crime lord. When the order to steal a priceless tapestry incites the wrath of a legendary immortal, Lina finds herself in the dreamlike realm of the Dokkaebi, her fate in the hands of its cruel and captivating emperor. If she wants to win her life, she must kill him first.

Any of that sound familiar? While I loved the exploration of Korean mythology and the atmosphere of Lina's hometown, I was quite surprised by how much of the focus of the book was on the romance between Lina and Rui. I think I went into the novel expecting something darker and grittier, more pure Fantasy than Romance. I was hoping for more of a rich deep dive, like She Who Became The Sun or Priory of the Orange Tree, but this is much more a dark-ish romance, and very light on the worldbuilding and fantasy genre elements. Probably I just feel as though I've read this story before, in the Throne of Glass series, and then again in the ACOTAR series, and I was hoping for something more original. I personally don't like love interests like Rui, so I wasn't on board with their relationship. For what the story is trying to do, it achieves very well. It just wasn't for me personally as a reader.

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of Last of the Talons. These opinions are my own.