This book overall was a very fast and intriguing read. Based off of Korean gods and mythology.

The main female protagonist, Lina, is a highly skilled assassin who unfortunately works for a gang lord who she despises due to past tragedies. Lina is tasked to steal a tapestry who we find out belongs to the Pied Piper. The Pied Piper kidnaps her boss whom she is now to rescue to keep her little sister safe. Lina will do anything to keep her little sister safe even if that means striking a bargain that could end with her death.

Lina travels to Rui’s Realm in hopes to complete the bargain in order to return to her sister and mortal life.

Rui gives Lina a 14 day challenge to kill him or be killed. Unfortunately for Lina she finds Rui intriguing as well as Rui finds Lina intriguing. Can Lina kill Rui or does she fall in love with him?

LAST OF THE TALONS is a Korean YA fantasy that is a fast paced mythical read I enjoyed. Sophie Kim did a fantastic job setting up the characters and the world in this first book in the Talons trilogy - full of action packed adventure, an emotional story about family and sisterhood, and a slow burn enemies to lover romance I was completely smitten with. I enjoyed Kim’s prose and the way the story is told, with perfectly paced story that moves the plot forward. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the other books in the series.

I really enjoyed this book. The worldbuilding was magnificent and I really appreciated the embedding of Korean folklore. It was fascinating to read. I'm also a huge fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope and this book definitely delivers on that front. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book.***

Last of the Talons is the story of Shin Lina, who finds herself in the middle of a deal with this inmortal emperor to save her and her sister's lives: she has fourteen days to kill him, or she will die.

All her journey is quite interesting, actually, and I was really into the idea of how the deal was set and what it involves. Shin Lina is a character who has had a very hard life, and we can see that in those small glimpses to the past that we have in some chapters. I found them to be the most beautiful, because I really liked getting to know her more. After all those past events, Lina has a lot of emotional damage, that expresses itself in anxiety, intrusive thoughts and addictions (all of these part of the PTSD she had developed). I really liked her journey, both physically and emotionally, and loved how the author decided to address these topics during the story. The writing style is well made for a fantasy story.

However, I do think that the book was quite repetitive. I mean, I understand that's somehow the point of the story: she tries to kill him, she fails, and he "punish" her. But the punishments are taking walks to a mountain, or going to the sea... I see that the author was trying to start the romance, but I was not fond of that couple. I couldn't feel the chemistry, and it bothered me that Lina got so distracted sometimes when her goal was another thing at that moment. And this leads to the book always going back to the same thing, and we get the real action only at 70-80% into the story. Also, the ending was quite convenient all the time, and I wasn't also a fan of that.

This book has some interesting representation of Korean Mythology, and I found that to be the best part of the book. Also, if you're a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, this book might be what you're looking for!

i am sure younger readers will find this to be a romp but i have read too many books utilise these same fantasy & ya tropes and this isn't really grabbing my attention. the writing is okay, nothing to write home about.

Loved the rich storytelling of Korean mythology and folklore. Romance could have been better constructed and reveals were anticlimactic. MC is an idiot most times.

E-Arc provided by NetGalley.

This is my first approved arc request since I'm relatively new to the reviewer scene. I always loved fantasy books ever since I was younger. However, growing up Asian American, I never really fully related to the characters I read in the stories. If there were any, they were side characters who often are embodied by harmful Asian stereotypes. So, it's refreshing to find an Asian-inspired story with an Asian heroine as the main character. Last of the Talons brought me back to my childhood and reminded me of the joy of finding yourself within the pages of books. Sophie Kim knows how to write stories that take you to another world as you read them (literally!). I found myself immersed in the chapters and unable to put it down. Can't wait to read more from this author!

I wanted to love this book so much. I was so excited to dive into it. I expected to come out of this with a new favorite book, so it hurts to say that didn't happen. 

This book has a beautiful cover, gorgeous, and the premise was good I was intrigued, but it lacked a good execution. Shin Lina, our female lead, is a ruthless assassin known as The Reaper. She's feared in the city. She kills, she assaults, and she's skilled, but it's not believable for even a second. It's all tell and no show. 

Another thing that bothered me was how she's the best assassin even though she's only been training for around 3–4 years and is only 18, while all the others have been training for YEARS. She's so good she had to protect the people who taught her to fight, because without her they'd lose. At first, I did look past this and thought she was just born to be the best, but as I read, it didn't make sense. If she's the best of the best, why can't she do this and that, you know?

The shift between the flashbacks and the present didn't flow very well. For the flashbacks, a lot of them were about her found family. They're supposed to make us feel emotional, but it doesn't work because they're quick flashbacks. We don't know anything about their dynamic or these characters; they're not fleshed out enough to care deeply for them.

Rui and Lina's romantic relationship: I have mixed feelings. While I did enjoy some parts, like their banter and how he cared for her, I felt like the enemies to lovers part was only accurate on her part. 

I loved the inclusion of Korean mythology. I love books that include mythology. It was really interesting and nice to see, as this is the first book I've seen like this.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend it because I didn’t like it, but I'm not warning you off of it either. Not everyone likes the same things, so you could read this and fall in love.

Will I read the sequel? It depends, maybe.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This debut novel was surprising and delightful! It doesn't read or feel like a debut novel which is amazing in itself.

The whole story from the characters dynamics, the banter, the setting was addictive. This story is somehow more about grief where the main character that has lost herself in all of her pain and regret. Then learning to live again. In the start of the story it make sense why Shin was so rash with her behavior and the knowledge of that is painful. The process of learning to forgive and to grow is executed well and paints a realistic picture of grief.

I'm not a fan of insta-love and this had a bit of that in the story which explains why I wasn't invested in the relationship as much.

I really enjoyed the mythology and found it woven well into the story. Overall highly recommend this book for literally anyone. Can't wait for the next book.

Io adoro e amo questo libro!!!!
Grazie Netgalley e Sophie Kim per avermi permesso di leggere questo ARC!
Ed è la prima volta che lo dico dopo aver letto un ARC, ma comprerò assolutamente il libro cartaceo! E non vedo l'ora che esca il prossimo libro!

Last of the Talons è il libro di cui avevo assolutamente bisogno. Dopo aver letto tanti anni fa ormai la trilogia di Acotar ed essermene perdutamente innamorata, non avevo trovato più nulla che mi conquistasse allo stesso modo. Lina e Rui sono i protagonisti di questa storia intrigante, piena di azione e romanticismo. Hanno saputo trasportarmi in questo mondo fantastico che, con tutti i rimandi alla cultura, mitologia e ai drama coreani, mi ha letteralmente travolta e fatto innamorare.
Sono più che evidenti i rimandi al mio drama coreano preferito "Goblin" (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God), anche perchè il protagonista maschile è proprio una di queste creature, un Goblin, nato dal sangue degli dei sui campi di battaglia. Lina invece è un'assassina costretta purtroppo a lavorare per coloro che hanno ucciso tutti i suoi amici, con la minaccia costante dell'uccisione della sorellina minore.
La storia è interessante e ben costruita, con capitoli flashback che ci fanno capire gradualmente cosa è successo a Lina e perchè il suo passato è cosi triste e drammatico (in pieno stile drama coreano! Bisogna mantenere la suspance dopotutto!).
I personaggi sono il punto forte di questo libro, sopratutto i protagonisti. Spero che nel prossimo libro ci vengano presentati meglio anche i personaggi secondari della corte dell'imperatore.
Però non tutto è stato perfetto, ma nel dare il mio voto ci son passata sopra, perchè è un punto debole anche di Acotar.
La pecca di questo libro è la costruzione del mondo e la sua sistemazione in un preciso periodo storico. Sebbene sia una storia fantasy, si suppone che sia ambientato nel periodo storico in cui c'erano imperatori e regni, vista la presenza di capanne e ambientazioni antiche e l'usanza di vestirsi con il costume tradizionale coreano (hanbok). La presenza però di pistole automatiche (Lina a un certo punto spara più colpi uno dopo l'altro...), acqua corrente nei bagni del palazzo e altri rimandi a oggetti e usanze moderne, mi hanno fatto storcere un po' il naso (proprio come mi era successo con la città di Velaris e le sue stranezze moderne).
Un'altro consiglio che vorrei dare all'autrice e alla casa editrice è di aggiungere a fine libro un piccolo dizionario con significati delle parole coreane usate e descrizioni di divinità e creature inserite nel libro, in modo da poter conoscere ancora meglio ciò che viene inserito nella storia.

Ma a parte queste piccolezze, il libro è fantastico e davvero non vedo l'ora di leggerne il seguito!

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I adore and love this book !!!!
Thanks Netgalley and Sophie Kim for letting me read this ARC!
And it's the first time I've said this after reading an ARC, but I'll definitely buy the print book! And I can't wait for the next book to come out!

Last of the Talons is the book I absolutely needed now. After reading the Acotar trilogy many years ago and having fallen madly in love with it, I hadn't found anything that conquered me in the same way. Lina and Rui are the protagonists of this intriguing story, full of action and romance. They knew how to take me to this fantastic world which, with all the references to Korean culture, mythology and drama, literally overwhelmed me and made me fall in love.
The references to my favorite Korean drama "Goblin" (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God) are more than evident, also because the male protagonist is just one of these creatures, a Goblin, born from the blood of the gods on the battlefields.
Lina, on the other hand, is a killer unfortunately forced to work for those who killed all of her friends, with the constant threat of killing her younger sister.
The story is interesting and well constructed, with flashback chapters that gradually make us understand what happened to Lina and why her past is so sad and dramatic (in full Korean drama style! We have to keep the suspense after all!).
The characters are the strong point of this book, especially the protagonists. I hope that the secondary characters of the emperor's court will also be better presented to us in the next book.
But not everything was perfect, but in giving my vote I passed over it, because it is also a weak point of Acotar.
The flaw of this book is the construction of the world and its arrangement in a specific historical period. Although it is a fantasy story, it is supposed to be set in the historical period in which there were emperors and kingdoms, given the presence of ancient huts and settings and the custom of dressing in traditional Korean costume (hanbok). However, the presence of automatic pistols (Lina at one point fires several shots one after the other...), running water in the bathrooms of the building and other references to modern objects and customs, made me turn up my nose a little ( just like it happened with the city of Velaris and its modern quirks).
Another piece of advice that I would like to give to the author and the publishing house is to add a small dictionary at the end of the book with the meanings of the Korean words used and descriptions of divinities and creatures included in the book, so that you can undestand better the story.

But these little things aside, the book is fantastic and I really can't wait to read more!

Thank you publisher for the advance e-galley of this book!

I loved Last of the Talons because of its take on Korean myths and mythologies wherein this book was inspired. This is my first book by Sophie Kim and I liked her writing style and storytelling. Reading this book was fun and interesting since one of the mythical objects used in the story was the Manpasikjeok where I first encountered this magical object through The King: Eternal Monarch.

The main plot of the story is good but very generic for young adult/fantasy. The angsty banter and romantic tension between the protagonist and her captor are a good addition to the overall storyline. Still, Lina as a character stands out in this book.

Overall, Last of the Talons is an excellent read about love and devotion to the family. I can't wait for the next sequel!

* On a side note, what added to my reading experience is that Korean dramas heavily influence me, and making stories about Korean mythology on television is astounding, what more if you novelize it?

Wow so good!

This story follows Lina who steals a tapestry from the Temple of Ruin, the Pied Piper’s temple. She steals it for Konrarnd Kalmin a leader of a gang called the Blackbloods to protect her sister. Well, the Pied Piper was not too happy about that. The Pied Piper kidnaps Kalmin in order to make Lina come and fetch the man. She does come, but only because her sister’s life is now threatened by the Blackbloods and has 30 days to fetch Kalmin. The Pied Piper has other plans and makes a deal with her that if she can kill the emperor of the Doekkaebi in 14 days then she and Kalmin will be let go, if not, they both die. Easy right, for the one they call the Reaper, Sunpo’s finest assassin and thief 😏

This book had such a fascinating world! We have Sunpo where humans are, and then we have Gyeulcheon where the immortals live. We mainly experience Gyeulcheon, but we see how morally grey the world is in Sunpo, and honestly, I think I’d rather take my chances with the Doekkaebi 😅

The character building was so so good too! Lina suffers a lot from nightmares and blaming herself for something that happened to her adopted family, so she does suffer from a form of depression and she’s just basically so angry all the time at the world, but mainly herself. Once you learn about her, you understand why she’s so angry, plus I have a younger sister and I’d do anything for her too ♥️

Now, for the best part, Rui 😍 Ohhh what a dreamboat!!! He’s so sassy, and yet you can tell there’s more to him than meets the eye, an actual heart you may say 😏 He reminded me of Loki and is probably why I adored him so much 🥰

And so of course the slow burn enemies to lovers romance I absolutely loved 🥰 They’re so similar and I love when they come to realize that.

This was such an amazing story! Thank you to @entangledteen and @netgalley for the free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 5 ⭐️

LAST OF THE TALONS was an action-packed and bold adventure that takes us into a world filled with tricky demons, handsome immortal princes, and ruthless gangs. I really loved watching Shin Lina got through this book. She's one of those hardened and prickly female MCs with a hard exterior that makes her absolutely ruthless in protecting those she cares about. In fact, Kim does a great job with all the morally grey characters in this one (which is pretty much all of them, but I digress). Honestly that made her more endearing for me and made it so that I had to cheer her on. And the way that the traumas of Lina's past are handled? Perfection. I also ADORED Prince Rui and his mischievousness and the way that Lina's feelings and relationship with him progress throughout the novel. Their dynamic reminded me of Jude and Cardan in THE CRUEL PRINCE which is a compliment of the highest order. The pacing in this one is phenomenal and the fast pace really helped me enjoy it more. Kim's take on Korean mythology is unique and unlike anything I have seen before. The whole book has a really whimsical yet sharp tone to it that I couldn't get enough of. Truly, if you love books like THE CRUEL PRINCE and WICKED FOX you will love LAST OF THE TALONS. Definitely an underrated book that needs to be talked about more because of how great it is!

This a solid fantasy debut! I loved how the past and present were woven to tell both stories, and given the minimum formatting for an advanced e-copy, I found I appreciated the use of past and present tenses so I was signaled which timeline I was in.

While the YA market has seen many assassins come and go, Lina's story is certainly one that will land in the hands of more mature teens. The violence in this book, while not overdone, is vivid, and with content that gleefully takes part of murder and vengeance while also delving into gang violence and addiction, I would certainly age this for the older teen reader.

As for the romance, this book will certainly bring glee to the Enemies to Lovers crowd. The game of cat and mouse played out by Lina and Rui lands in the realms of both shadow and light. Neither are truly good, but neither are truly bad, made up of both humanity and monstrosity. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it play out, and I think those two were very strongly developed characters.

In summary, this was an enjoyable read and I certainly look forward to its sequel after the elements that came to light by the end of this installment!

While this novel gave me Six of Crows, Throne of Glass, and Beauty and the Beast vibes, it excels at standing apart with the incorporation of Korean mythology and made me want to learn even more about Korean culture and myths. The story started off slowly and I felt the second half of the book was much stronger than the first. The political intrigue added to the plot and definitely had me on edge when certain things happened. Lina was an intense character who had to work through a lot, and learning about her through intermittent flashbacks helped me understand her more fully. Her love for her sister was unmatched. The Dokkaebi were fascinating and I honestly would have loved to know more about them. I love the enemies to lovers trope, but I think the developments between Lina and Rui could have been explored more. The deadline put in place forced their relationship to move at an accelerated pace, so I understand the need to move things along quickly, but I wish the burn had been slower. Their banter was fun though, especially when Lina was so fierce. Rui’s powers were enchanting and mesmerizing and I hope we get to see more of them in the future. The last few chapters and revelations really excited me and I will most definitely be picking up the next book to see what happens!! Though some of the main plot points were wrapped up, the ending left us with SO many questions, so be aware of that when you read this.

Like other YA books I’ve read recently, there were some very dark themes in this one. I would not give this to a young teen, but might recommend it to older teens with warnings.

Content warnings: murder, violence, smoking, addiction, loss of loved ones, and profanity

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is roughly based on Korean Mythology. In the “Author’s Note” section in the beginning of the book, the author states:
“The Kingdom of Sunpo and the hidden realm of Gyeulcheon are entirely fictional, but the mythology within both stems from centuries of Korean history and tradition (with the exception, of course, being the Pied Piper element of this novel. That original fairy tale originates from the German town of Hamelin).”

It was interesting to see the author’s retelling of these Korean Mythology characters. Not knowing much about Korean Mythology, I did look up a few characters (specifically the Dokkaebi). Most of what I read described the Dokkaebi as “goblins”, so they aren’t necessarily humanoid, which was a major change in this retelling as was the use of the Pied Piper, which is a German tale, in a Korean themed retelling.

The author did an amazing job painting a picture of a broken and crime ridden land and the beautiful dream realm of the Dokkaebi.

The narrative goes back and forth from the present day to flashbacks of what happened to the Talons a year prior.

All of Shin Lin’s actions are fueled by the need to protect her younger sister; she will do anything to keep her safe when her life is threatened by the rival gang.

The story is a mix of enemies to lovers, rival gangs, assassinations, heists, rebellion, death, found family, lost family, battles, and mystical monsters. It sort of gave me Six of Crows feelings with an Asian twist.

It’s an upper YA story. The violence and sexual tension might not be appropriate for middle grade.

I really enjoyed this story and look forward to book 2.

I was in the mood for a fantasy read, which doesn't happen often, and this was a great pick! It's such a fun, entertaining read, and I loved the enemies to lovers romance, which genuinely goes from attempting to kill the other to developing Feelings. I will say though, where the beginning pulled me in immediately, I felt like not a whole lot happened in the middle part of the book. The ending definitely made up for that, though!

6 stars.

I absolutely loved this book!
Lina is so deliciously sassy.
Rui is devastatingly disarming.
I love how we come to love the Talons, that they’re just as much a part of the story as Chan et. al are.
I love how real Lina’s pain and grief is and how real that makes the story, how it grounds it.
I love the twists and turns, the romance and the action.
This book was just perfect and I can’t wait for the next book!

WOOOOOOWWW! When I tell you that this book is enemies to lovers I'm it's ENEMIES TO LOVERS!!! Lina is a total badass! Her journey to becoming an assassin is WOAH! I can't believe what this girl is capable of to keep her little sister safe! RESPECT! TOTAL BADASS! And let me not talk about Rui or we will be here all day!😂

Thank You Entangled Teen for the eARC!!!