Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Entangled Publishing for this advanced eARC for review.

Rating this 4/5 stars for now, as I'm about 60% of the way through but need to step away for a bit.

I'll admit that the premise of this book really pulled me in and has kept me interested for most of the book, but I do find myself struggling to pay attention or remain engaged in the story. Right now I think it's just a personal attention issue and a "mood reader" issue. I do plan on finishing the book and also reading the sequel, but just need to step away from the book for a bit.

*eARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

HELLO RIVAL vibes. Meaning, fans of the romance in All of Us Villains will love the couple in Last of the Talons.

Love the enemies to lovers romance, and the space given for healing.

I wish the flashbacks were more obviously marked as flashbacks, I got confused a few times.

What a ride. This book was an unexpected surprise for me, since the synopsis doesn’t seem to have a lot going on. I knew going in to expect enemies to lovers kind of story, but I LOVE the slow buildup and getting to know each other phase! The attraction wasn’t instant, the trust growing between them was tentative and wasn’t linear. It encapsulates everything I enjoyed about the trope. It was also a bit darker than expected, as Lina keeps having flashback about her life before the Talons and the night the Talons were murdered. She had PTSD and also smoking addiction, so please tread carefully. As the backstory unfolded, we grew to understand each characters more and see them grow throughout the book. Other than that, I wish it has more world building and political intrigue, but I really enjoyed the tidbits of mythology woven into the story. The ending was a little too perfect for me that I’d be fine without reading the next book, but I admit, I’m also curious of what will happens next!

The cover is what first caught my eye about this book, plus the fact that it features mythology.

Shin Lina has been drowning in guilt since the murders of her gang members, but she is forced to work for those very same murderers since they threaten her little sister. For that alone I would definitely recommend this book to older YA readers, as opposed to say, 13-year-olds. There is a lot of violence involved. Lina is then forced to steal a Dokkaebi tapestry, and the consequences are dire. Now instead of 30 days to get her wicked master back to save her sister, she now has 14 days to kill the Emperor of Gyeulcheon (the realm of the gods).

I can't care enough about this book to be able to focus on it. I don't know if it's my problem or the book's. I don't like the writing or the main character.

Sorry, but this was rather boring. I picked it up because it was compared to Leigh Bardugo's works and was disappointed that it was not even close to the same level. We are told lots of things but it is not demonstrated. The characters were lacking and I was not engaged in the story. Glad it works for others but I will be moving on.

Another YA fantasy book that I love. Idk this genre is so saturated with content but there are still some gems to be found within it. Last of the Talons was exciting. It was emotional. It was adventurous. It also surprised me many times which isn't easy to do in this genre (especially since I read so much of it). I resonated with the MC a lot at times and really appreciated the side characters as well. Overall, this was such a great addition to the YA fantasy landscape and I'm SOOO eager for the sequel.

The teNSION. THIS IS WHAT ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS IS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE! Chef's kiss to the whole romance side plot, wow it was done so wonderfully! And the fantasy elements were so alluring and had me imagining a whole world inside my mind. It's also incredibly admirable how the author depicted grief with ease. Because most of all, this book is about grief and healing. This is a wonderful debut novel!

Of course I have my complaints, such as the confusing switches between present and past, as well as the very, well, interesting phrases found. I get what the author tried to express, but it wasn't really the right way to do it. How can one laugh in midnight soft? I don't know. Moreover, the pacing at the start made it difficult to really get into the book. It's mostly due to the switching of present and past though. However, once you make it through the start, you'll be finishing the book in a blink!

Most of all, the aspects and themes of grief, sadness and love really struck me. It fit so well with the story, and had me questioning a lot of things in life. It was so wonderfully done. I applaud the author.

Overall, this was a very promising debut, and I can't wait for the sequel. There's a lot of interesting plot-lines introduced in this book, and I'm so excited to see where this story will go. I believe that this author can become big, with just a few adjustments and growing on the way. I'll be keeping my eyes open!

Over and out. -Nora<3

Last of the Talons was a well-done debut novel based on Korean mythology. Shin Lina was a great protagonist and kept me invested in the plot from start to finish. While I didn't always believe her assassin skills were to the level the story claimed, by the end, she became the character I wanted her to be. The romance was solid, and the story was entertaining. I give Last of the Talons a solid 3.5/5 and will read the next book in the series.

The Last of the Talons was a sweeping Korean fantasy novel about Shin Lina, the last remaining member of the Talon gang in Sunpo, who has been captured by a rival gang, and tasked to steal a tapestry from the temple of the Pied Piper, the emperor of the Dokkaebi, a sort of race of Gods in their world. Well, that God has something to say about the theft, and Shin Lina is swept into a game of cat and mouse where the stakes are fatally high. I loved this book, I found the fantasy elements engrossing and charming, and the story swept me away. The author even left it open for the possibility of a sequel. I would definitely read it. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Lovers of all things mythology woukd have a great time with Last of The Talons !! The world building felt a little bit choppy at times which is honestly expected with debut books and it wasn't too much to make it unlikable. The characters felt very fleshed out and were one of the best parts!

Last Of The Talons was a great story. It hooked me from the very beginning and kept a hold on me throughout the whole story.

Lina was a great MC. Her motivations were well cemented and consistent throughout the book. Her skills and the action overall were very well described.

The hate to love was done very well and the tension was EXQUISITE. The folklore the story was built on was interesting and the interweaving into the story was simple and well done

Rating: 3.5

This was a really fun new fantasy series based on Korean mythology. I actually wished the book incorporated a bit more mythology but it was enjoyable nonetheless, and I’m looking forward to the next instalment.

The Last of the Talons follows Shin Lina, allegedly the best assassin in the country/region. I say allegedly because for the most part she felt very unserious and immature for a supposed battle-worn assassin. Some of her so-called “tactics” felt cartoonish and amateurish. Her assassin skills aside, I did enjoy Shin Lina as a character and what of the most interesting parts of her story was her grief. Not to spoil too much but Lina suffers from survivor’s guilt. She starts the story haunted and broken, both physically and mentally and throughout the course of the story she learns to heal and find happiness again.

One thing that confused me about the story was the setting and time period. My e-arc did not have a map and I’m not sure if they added one in the finished copy but I feel it would be really helpful here. I never quite understood the geography and the different countries and regions of the world. At first I assumed the story was in a Joseon-like period but some of the descriptions about the other regions made the story feel like it was more modern.

cw: substance abuse, gore, death, mutilation, grief, hallucinations, kidnapping, parental death

I was super excited to read Last of the Talons because the premise/storyline sounded interesting! Plus I love Mythology books and I wanted to read more with Dokkaebi plus who doesn't love an enemies-to-lovers storyline?

Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim follows our main character, Shin Lina, an assassin on a mission to save her sister. She must kill a Dokkaebi or lose her sister forever. With beautiful world-building and enticing characters, the story packs a punch as a Pied Piper retelling.

I will admit, I rarely see retellings of Pied Piper so I found this pretty unique. Additionally, the fantasy elements throughout the story were really cool. I am looking forward to book two!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen publishing for providing me with an advance reader copy!

Preview: So excited to read this! I love Mythology books!

While I loved the sound of LAST OF THE TALONS, I ultimately didn't end up enjoying the writing at all and therefore decided to DNF this one.

4.5 Stars
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC.

What a GOOD book. It has been a minute since I have read a book in one sitting and OH YES THIS WAS THAT ONE BOOK. I will need to buy a hard copy for my shelves.

What I liked most about this book was the Asian Mythology. I don't read many books with it so it was a nice change up. I hope there is a sequel because of the end was sort of left open. If/when there a sequel, I will be snatching it up in a heartbeat.

thank you Entangled Publishing, LLC, Entangled: Teen for an eARC

4.5 stars rounded up.
I'm already looking forward to rereading this book! So many little small details that I know will mean something else during a reread.

"The order to steal a priceless tapestry from a Dokkaebi temple incites not only the wrath of a legendary immortal, but the beginning of an unwinnable game…
... But she can win her life—if she kills him first.
... Lina will have to use every weapon in her arsenal if she wants to outplay this cunning king and save her sister...all before the final grain of sand leaks out of the hourglass."

The general banter of this book was immaculate. I found all of the characters to be likable and thought that they complimented each other well. Every action in the book made sense and I never felt like something was out of place.

This book is perfect for anybody who is looking for a young adult high fantasy book. This is also the perfect introduction into high fantasy because the worlds are adequately explained but not over the top.

This was so good! I haven't seen this book getting much hype online, but it really should be considering the internet's obsession with enemies-to-lovers. This was probably the best use of the enemies-to-lovers trope I've ever read, and I've read all of the extremely popular ones. The setting in this book was lush and descriptive, and I'm really excited to learn more about it in the next book. I loved Lina as a character; she was similar to our classic YA assassin girls like Celaena Sardothien, but she was more realistic. Rui was such a great character and I'm so glad the enemies situation resolved itself rather than turning into a cliffhanger. I also read that the author is a college student. I don't know how old she is, but this book reads like a book by a much more seasoned author rather than a debut. I'm so excited for Wrath of the Talon!

DNF. Please take this review with a grain of salt as I am not in the YA range. I had to DNF this early on because the the tone of voice was way too young for me. It felt every 2013-esque with how badass the main character has to be and how she has no female friends at all. She was way too edgy for me.

dnf

might try and pick it up again... maybe.

i saw a lot of positive reviews for this one so I feel bad for not liking it personally. But it just wasn't working for me. I didn't even get that far into it. I was so bored and so disinterested.