This had the potential to be so much more than it was.

The idea was great but the execution was off and I don't think the audiobook helped. It's true I probably would've DNFed it had I been reading it instead of listening, but I don't think the narration helped convey the story the way it was supposed too. But then I again, I don't think it's fair to just blame it on the narration when the writing wasn't there for me either. It was just lacking, in every sense of the word. It felt like a first draft of an amazing idea that had to be further explored and developed but instead just stayed at surface level.

Everything was painfully predictable, the romance lacked chemistry -it just suddenly happened be there because it was necessary to move the plot forward-, and as much as both main characters were complex in theory, it felt like there was no character development and everyone fell too flat for me to care about them.

I will say it did pick up at the very end, even though the evil guy was just evil for the sake of it and felt very one dimensional.

A lot of missed potential in this one.

Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim is a YA fantasy inspired by Korean mythology. With a female assassin MC and morally gray immortal love interest, I think this story will appeal to a lot of YA fantasy fans. I'll admit that I wasn't super invested in the romance, but I really enjoyed the world-building in this one! I also don't see drug addiction addressed often in YA fantasy, so that was refreshing. Overall, I'm interested to see what this author does next!

I loved this book!!! It was quite unique and I loved the way it incorporated Chinese mythology into it. The enemies to lovers was so deliciously built and their romance arc felt pretty organic. It was slightly predictable for me and the main character a bit naive, but I really loved how strong and resilient she was, and the MMC made up with how smart he was. I am super intrigued for book 2 and I honestly cannot wait to read it.

3.5 ⭐

Last of the Talons is a new YA fantasy series, a Pied Piper retelling. It follows a teen assassin Shin Lina as she ends up in a dream like world Dokkaebi and is forced to either kill the emperor or lose her own life.

The story was pretty cool, and we got several things I really liked, including mythology, a bit of magic, many secrets and twists, and of course - a dash of romance. I would certainly love to continue the series and see where they all go in the next installments, especially since we got quite some teasers to keep me interested.

That doesn't mean, though, that this book was perfect. It fell into several typical YA pitfalls. It was, however, the author’s debut, so I expect for the following instalments to just keep getting better.

If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim in exchange for an honest review.

This fantasy book was a breath of fresh air, and I loved reading a story inspired by/based on Korean mythology and folk stories. The fantasy genre has historically been lacking in diversity and having no background knowledge of Korean lore, it was fun to be immersed in a setting that was very different from things I’ve read before. The world was so beautifully described and I loved the political intrigue and schemes. I was disappointed by how, despite being described as the Reaper and so deadly and powerful, Shin Lina spent so much of the book injured and handicapped in her abilities -- I would've loved to see more of her in her prime! I did appreciate that the other characters remained well aware of her full capabilities, though, and that she was still respected (and rightfully feared) and admired for her strengths.

Audio quality that I received was unlistenable. Sounded like there was an echo or the narrator was underwater. This is specifically a comment on the audiobook production, not on the book itself. I couldn’t listen to enough to gauge the story or writing unfortunately.

I went into this one only looking at the cover. This was not what I was expecting. Lina is an assassin that is captured by a rival gang and forced to work for them to keep her sister safe. During an assignment she crosses the pied piper. And from there it gets a little weird.

I liked the overall story and felt for Lina's backstory. I felt more invested in her past relationship than in her potential love interest/enemy, Rui. I think there is a lot of potential though for that story to develop more as the series continues. The deal between the two is interesting and different. I enjoyed the banter and Lina's attitude. She's tough and goes through a lot. I'm interested to see what direction the next novel takes and am looking forward to Lina growing into herself. I enjoyed the books history and the Dokkaebi's realm.

I listened to the audiobook and I think the narrator really thrived when narrating the story and for Lina. Her narrator for Rui came across a bit monotone but I think they were trying to convey his otherness. I would gladly listen to another book with this narrator.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.
The story got me hooked from the start. I really liked the world building, you could almost imagine that you were there with the characters as the story went on.
The main character is easily relatable and down to earth. Her motivation is simple: survive in a cruel world and keep her sibling safe.
If you're looking for an exciting fantasy with a unique world and strong female main character, then this is your book!

This is the first book I've given up on this year.

I was so excited for this based on the premise. Unfortunately, the audiobook narrator consistently pronounced Korean words incorrectly. This seems like a massive oversight, and while I'm not usually too picky, as a native speaker it was difficult to look past.

I would like to give this book another try at some point, so I'll likely look for a physical copy. For now, I'm giving it a neutral 2.5 star rating.

I think this year either I really like the first book of the series (this book, The Stardust Thief, The Girl from the Well) or I dislike it/dnf it (Lightlark, The School for Good and Evil). Luckily, this definitely wasn’t the case with this book. I went in expecting an interesting plot and characters. What I got was something much more. A fascinating, intriguing plot, rich world-building, and compelling characters.

I liked that it had a bit of a retelling and I really liked that the book was inspired by Korean mythology. I liked that I had to look up what different terms meant (or that I sometimes didn’t have to because context clues were enough). Though I had an audio copy so I looked at others’ reviews for the spelling first. Next time I’ll definitely read a physical/ebook version so I know how to say and spell the words (because I’m not familiar with them).

Lina, being the main character, was well-written and lively, and fun to follow. She loves her sister, Eunbi, so much that she’s literally willing to try to kill a Dokkaebi Emperor – a powerful spirit in Korean mythology. When she speaks of her sister, it’s of love and affection and you can understand her reason for doing all this. You want her to complete the task because it means she’ll see her sister again. There’s a bit of chronic pain representation in the book because Lina’s left leg is damaged from a (knife) injury, and I’m guessing nerve damage too, by the sound of it. The pain she felt when she landed wrong or fell and hurt her leg – I felt that all throughout – in fact I think my legs were also reading the book and wanted to join in.

At first I thought it was another immortal falls for the 17-20 girl (Lina’s 18 or 19) book – but turns out that Dokkaebi age much slower than humans – so he’s technically twenty, and also centuries old 😄. I much prefer that than an actual immortal – vampire or something, interested in a barely legal person.

The Dokkaebi Emperor, Haneul Rui, was a fantastic character. He’s witty, mysterious, and intriguing and I think like that Lina liked that, even though she won’t admit that. I liked him from the get-go, so I kept telling Lina to just kiss him 😄. Of course she didn’t listen to me! The book’s main trope is enemies-to-lovers and it delivers on that plenty. I mean Lina literally has to kill him so she can return a prisoner and then her sister will be safe. And I loved seeing it slowly turn from ooh I want to kill you to fine you’re slightly tolerable and then we started the path of hmm I’m starting to like you which leads very quickly into the path of I want to protect you because I love you route. Another trope I loved seeing was the who hurt you trope, done by Haneul Rui. I think even before he realises he likes her he doesn’t want to see her get hurt. But, he also knows that she can take care of herself, which I could tell he also liked.

The world-building is spectacular and lush. I never felt bored with the writing because I always wanted to know more about everything. The world, the characters, the food (always the food). It was a rich reading experience as there was so much to take in and enjoy thoroughly. The mythology and culture were interspersed so well with fantasy but I think Korean mythology and its culture has a lot of roots in fantasy. Kim did a stellar job at that, I could really see how much work and research she put into the novel.

Jaine Ye was a great narrator and I’ll definitely look out for her other books as well. I liked that she sounded young because Lina is young! I could tell that Ye enjoyed the time she had narrating the book – I don’t know how to explain that I could hear it but I could. It’s just that some narrators sound like they’re a bored reading the book and that makes listening to the book harder (especially when audiobooks are my main format now).

Ch 1-5

I am loving this world.

Interested in the tapestry. I wonder what other parts it plays? Seems significant.

Also interested in hearing more about the sister.

Do I spy a fox? A hot fox? Inner kdrama fan is squealing.

Ch 6-10

Don't threaten the girl's sister.

Hello to the pied piper. Is he hot?

Yes! Assassination!

Is it me or were the first five chapters more exciting?

Ch 11-15

I know not all assassins can be Aelin but damn. Feeling a little three star about this one.

Still wondering wtf the pied piper wants. And surely there must be a twist in this story. Do the other servants in the castle know? Does everyone but her know? I need a little more info.

Every time they mention Habaek I’m reminded of Bride of Habaek.

Ch 16-20

This art of seduction lesson is so weird.

The wine section is sadly boring.

Rui is twenty? Not to bring up Twilight, but how long has he been twenty?

Is this the Mortal Instruments? Take a shot every time they say ichor!

Why is he so offended?

Ch 21-25

Does Rui's bloodline really matter?

Are punishments all that bad? And probably well deserved?

So we've got some fake news.

I see Rui is concerned about Lina's cough...

Ch 26-30

Omg an imugi! Tale of the Nine Tailed what what.

"I make the first move." I wish she would.

I see Rui doesn't like Lina smoking. Amazing. Love this for her.

Oh. Is this more like opium than cigarettes? Not that cigs aren't bad. They are. Anyway.

Is napping on the floor weird? Especially if you're hungover?

"Don't sniff me." Actually, do.

"You think you deserve pain." This book is really trying to be therapy.

"I do like what I see." HELLO

Ch 31-35

"You're a strong swimmer, I see." Why is my mind so dirty? Wait. Don't answer that.

This slow burn sure is slow.

Maybe I'm just not listening closely enough, but what is this enhancer they speak of?

Ch 36-40

I either read this half asleep or just didn't care what happened.

I don't mind Rui's feelings, even if they seemingly came out of nowhere. I don't feel any sparks.

The betrayal is something else. I liked that scene in the other realm.

I wonder if we ever get to meet this sister.

Ch 41-45

There's a goddess of the toilet? Is this a joke? My life is a joke.

I would follow the sound of a flute...

We finally hear about Rui's former love!

Ch 46-49

I feel like I'm just skimming now. So bored.

We finally meet the sister and I remain uninterested.

That ended abruptly.

The idea of this book, the unique storyline, the mythology, a thief with a sister they'd die to protect, this book has all the trappings of an excellent YA novel. But it wasn't my favorite.

The Piper is the definition of toxic. The trope is "enemies to lovers," but no matter what I can't stop seeing him as an enemy. He has SLAVES he refuses to release no matter what. We're given a vague inkling that he has a reason, but what reason could there possibly be for keeping people in a mindless state against their will? And the manipulation! Literally the only thing he has going for him is that he's attractive? But all I could see is ugliness, so when the MC started to catch feelings for him, I could not accept it and almost DNF'd it. The entire story was ruined by his toxicity. That man has absolutely zero redeeming quality. It gave me all the icks.

If his toxicity had been removed, I would have really enjoyed this story. But I couldn't get over it, and won't read the sequel because of it.

Jaine Ye does an excellent job narrating this book, perfectly capturing Lina's bitter yet determined voice.

Lina will do anything to protect her younger sister, whether it means working for one of the most hated crime lords in the land or having to strike a bargain with the powerful Dokkaebi emperor with her life on the line. She’s a very fun protagonist to follow, as she’s positively bristling with rage at the world that has knocked her down her whole life. She’s deeply flawed and prone to making mistakes, but she attacks every obstacle with an admirable viciousness.

Here, the romance is the main selling point. Rui is charming, snarky, and infinitely amused by every one of Lina’s attempts to murder him. Their dynamic is just delightful. I almost wish the romance had moved more slowly so that there was more time for that sizzle of tension, alas. I also enjoyed how the present story was interwoven with her past so that we learn her tragic backstory in bits and pieces to parallel the events going on.

There’s a lot of room to explore the world that Kim has created, and I’m definitely excited to see where the rest of this trilogy goes!

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!!

WHY IS THIS BOOK SO UNDERRATED FOR REAL THIS THING IS JUST AMAZING AND I NEED MOOOORE 😱😱😱
this was my second audiobook i've listened thanks to netgalley and it was a really amazing experience. the narrator gave a great performance and was able to know who was talking thanks to her entonations, i felt really inmersed in the story and it made me enjoy it even more 💕
and the story... i can't remember when was the last time i was literally screaming and fangirling so loud because of the things that were happening!! THIS is a true enemies to lovers, with its necessary angst and doubts, I adored both Lina and Rui, their stories literally broke me because they only deserve a hug 😭 the world was amazing, loved the descriptions and that i was listening to the names because i wouldn't have known how to pronounce most of them lol
i don't know what else to say except i'm soooo glad i requested the audiobook because of that stunning cover because it's going directly to my faves of the year, i'm sooo in love with the story and need the second book like NOOOW BECAUSE RUILINA SUPREMACYYYYYY 😍😍😍😍

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook!

A lot of people have been raving about this book so I’m in the minority.

A lot of things didn’t work for me in this audiobook:

1. The Narrator.
Now I actually did somewhat enjoy the narrator. I thought she was really good in demonstrating emotions. But I HATED her voice of Lina’s little sister (forgive me but I’ll be writing the least amount of names possible since I listened to it and therefore have no idea of the spelling)

2. The repetitive use of some words
Ohh, this got on my nerves so bad. It annoyed me to no end when Lina kept repeating words over and over and over, sometimes in a row. If I have to hear (or read) the words « Gods damn » ever again I swear I’ll never read another book again.

3. The Romance
To put it simply, it felt forced. You’re telling me he fell in love with her after less then 2 weeks and he would be willing to do anything for her? I don’t believe you. Besides, how old is she? Lina is drinking in one scene so I’m guessing and adult but she describes herself as malnourished and so skinny you can see her ribs. Ik that can apply to an adult but that description just makes me think of an impoverished child.

4. Shin Lina
She got on my nerves. I did not like her. I didn’t like her internal monologue. Endless I tell you. In general I just didn’t like her.


And for those reasons, + the continuous use of modern swear words even though this is in another world, I’m giving this a 2 ⭐️

Really enjoyed this one! Perfect for fans of A Broken Blade and Throne of Glass. If you love badass female characters, when the MC is an assassin, cat and mouse games, and enemies to lovers romance, you'll love this YA fantasy! Tik Tok video featuring Last of the Talons linked below.

I was attracted to this book from just the description and greedily dug into the book.
What I encountered was a rocky start. Push through it gets better.

Lina (the main character) was likable even though I had to shake my head at her trusting nature from time to time (but isnt that what great books do?!).

If you are looking for a good ride but are willing to wait a bit for the reward this book is for you!

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After the destruction of her entire Talon gang, eighteen-year-old Shin Lina—the Reaper of Sunpo—is forced to become a living, breathing 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 hanging in the balance. But 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…

Suddenly Lina finds herself in the dreamlike realm of the Dokkaebi, her fate in the hands of its cruel and captivating emperor. But she can win her life—if she kills him first.

Now a terrible game of life and death has begun, and even Lina's swift, precise blade is no match for the magnetic Haneul Rui. 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.

Because one way or another, she'll take Rui's heart.

Even if it means giving up her own.

I tried several times to get into this audiobook, as the publisher was king enough to select me for an advanced copy, but I just couldn't get into it. I think I got about 20% done before realizing I wouldn't be able to finish before it was removed from my phone.

There is nothing technically wrong with the writing, it just didn't grab my attention. Our protagonist, Shin Lina, starts off promising, as the head assassin of the Talons. But then we find Talons have all been killed (hence, the Last), and she's now forced to work for a rival gang. Supposedly, she's forced because her sister is held hostage, and that's a fine motivation. But then Shin Lina is given an insurmountable task: assassinate a god...who is expecting the assassination attempts.

So, she's good enough to assassinate a god that can see it coming, IN HIS OWN REALM, but not good enough to rescue her sister. :/

So, I gave up. I hope others like this one more than I did.

I received an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a tremendous read. The lore was hypnotizing and I will never not like a story with a grumpy female main character that can kill anyone she wants to. Both main characters were well fleshed out with their backstory's adding so much to the story. The chemistry was fantastic.
Absolutely 5 stars!

Rating: 2.5 stars

This is probably the type of story teenager Veronica would've loved, but adult Veronica is writing this review and she was not impressed.

Despite its promising premise, <i>Last of the Talons</i> was really just an unconvincing romance disguised as an Asian-inspired fantasy. Like...there was no plot? It was just a bunch of tropes strung together and a lackluster enemies-to-lovers story line to make up a book filled with plot holes. It never came together as a cohesive story for me, and the only thing that kept me going was the hope that we'd get to figure out Haneul Rui's secret. Unfortunately it looks like that's something Sophie Kim is keeping for the sequel, so I found the overall story pretty dissatisfying.

In terms of the narration, it's hard for me to judge since I'm not normally an audiobook listener. I thought the narrator was fine--neither particularly boring nor especially engaging--but I wasn't a huge fan of her attempt at different characters' voices.