3.5 stars

I was really enjoying this almost all the way throughout and the love interest was amazing. The ending left me a bit disappointed as it was quite tropey. The audiobook wasn't the best quality but that might just have been because it's an arc copy. The narrator seemed to switch pronunciations of Korean words now and then, which distracted from the story. As well as most of the Korean words and names not being pronounced in proper Korean.

Thank you Net Galley for the audiobook!
I absolutely loved the premise of this book; it felt different and creative. I haven't ever seen the paper being used in a book before so I thought this was really different and I think it worked out really well. I also really like the writing style and the imagery that was used, it made the book feel a lot more impactful. For some reason, I got Daughter of the Pirate King vibes when listening to this.

Sophie Kim’s Last of the Talons feels like it should have all the makings of a fantastic story – you’ve got an assassin female lead with a traumatic past and familial ties motivations, multiple antagonists for her to react to throughout the course of the novel, and what genuinely appears like it could be a really fun plot centered around a Jim Henson’s Labyrinth-esque king all mixed together with Korean inspired mythology. And yet, unfortunately the story itself falls way behind the high mark it sets for itself.

I so desperately wish I had liked Last of the Talons. There was definitely an element of high expectations, just knowing the stories that this book’s vibes reminded me of. Where everything really fell apart for me, though, ultimately just comes down to execution. The writing, plot organization, and character development could have used a lot of polishing. The truth is that this story has the bones of what could have been a truly enticing and engaging magical ride for readers – but time and care was not taken in building the muscle that needed to hold it all together.

Firstly, everything was painfully obvious. From the love interest to the villains, you could fairly easily pick up on just about every potential “twist” that was going to be thrown your way. And the thing is, this isn’t always a bad thing in a novel, but the way it was written here made it feel too much as though the author was making incredibly exaggerated attempts at hiding these obvious points, therefore making them even more obvious.

Secondly, the characters just were not…what they were idealized to be. There’s not enough (or, in a sense, the right kind of) mystery to the love interest to hit the reader in the right way, nor is there enough chemistry to his character or development of his personality and motivations. Our strong female lead is far too grandstanding in exposition and immature in action for her past and history to feel real. And those surprise villains? They’re quite disorganized, awkward, and feel as though they were kind of just thrown together as opposed to something that exists genuinely.

And I guess that’s what it all really comes down to when I think about this story overall – everything, and I truly do mean everything, felt so contrived that it felt the only possible way to fully enjoy the story was to suspend my disbelief so much that I could look at a meal of only bones and leave feeling satisfied. There was a lot of potential here; it’s a shame that it fell so short.

I don’t truly have much to say about the narrator. She certainly did well enough that I didn’t hate her performance, though her voice was perhaps a bit young sounding for an 18 year old character. Ultimately, I feel like the performance was pleasant enough but not truly memorable.

Lina: “I’ve been told I’m quite the assassin”.

Rui: “I was told that as well and I have to admit so far I’m disappointed. I was expecting something more.”

This is a weird way to start a review but let me explain. So first of all, I have the same reaction as Rui. Lina is supposed to be this amazing assassin in all the lands but I find that so hard to believe. We are told over and over how fierce and bad ass she is but she’s not even close, in my opinion.

She’s just talk and constantly viciously snarling snarling. Her best comebacks are just vulgar hand signs like flipping someone off. She comes off as a child. In that alone, we never see her kill anyone or do anything cool. She’s always caught and embarrasses herself. I just didn’t believe it. I’m super disappointed because I feel like the story is pretty good for the most part, minus the romance I kind of could have done without. I don’t know if I will continue the series but perhaps Lina will redeem herself in the next book? But even now it’s kind of too late because the ending makes it feel like cheating. I don't know if this is a spoiler at all but just in case I'm hiding this review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! I absolutely love not only the story but the narrator as well! It was such a refreshing character to have in a fantasy novel especially YA. Thank you for including as apart of the story that the main character has a drug addiction. I can’t wait to read more from the author!!

The narration on this was great! I really enjoyed how the author blended a YA fantasy story with Korean mythology. I think there could have been a little bit of tightening with the writing and overarching rescue mission plot, but overall this was an enjoyable YA!

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

The narrator did a fantastic job bringing this story to life.

However, the story overall did not hold my attention. It had great themes and I loved the ideas presented, but just personally could not get invested in the story. I am unsure as to why I was not enjoying the story.

I have been waiting for a fantasy book to hit 5 star status again for me and it finally happened. This story centers around Shin Lina a badass assassin (and thief) who has been through more trauma than most people would be able to live through. The story keeps you wanting more the entire way through in the best way as it drops more back story, more deceit and backstabbing, and more surprises. Cannot recommend enough - and it may be in my running for favorite book of the year!

I was so lucky to have been granted an audiobook advanced listeners copy through #NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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.

Girl, I wish you could see the forest, if it weren't for those darn trees...

For someone who is so smart and determined, Shin Lina is pretty one note and a little dense, but I have to keep reminding me that she's also still rather young and thrust into a role as pseudo-parent to her younger sister and sometimes it's hard to see beyond just staying alive. She certainly has some tunnel vision through 90% of this novel, and while I can appreciate buckling down with determination, I wish that she expressed a little more nuance earlier on in the book. Or was a little more suspicious or guarded around the rest of the characters, instead of just Haneul Rui. I love how everyone else seems to know that this is a romance novel, except for the heroine. And honestly, Rui is far more patient than I've ever seen, but perhaps that's the fun of the chase and all that, or someone who is so old and time isn't really a matter, is okay with all of her rejections, nothing predatory, but certainly determined.

It was a fun adventure, with some shout-outs to Korean mythology that felt nice to see in a novel. This feels like a worthy debut novel and I'm excited to see where this goes in the second book in the series. The plot moves along pretty steadily over the 14 days of the challenge. The flashbacks are illustrative of how Lina made it to this point in time and state of mind. I'd recommend this to my different book clubs.

Thanks to RB Media for the ARC audio copy to review.

I received an audio copy via Netgalley for an honest review.

I genuinely enjoyed this book from start to finish. Not only was the world building done in a great way, the character development was excellent. I found myself struggling to put it down as I needed to know what happened next. I can’t wait for the next book to come out.

I am always happy to see more Asian, in this case Korean., inspired mythology stories. The world in this story was intriguing to learn about, but I do wish we got more of it.

While I was entertained while listening to this, this was not my absolute favorite. My main problem lays with Lina. The exploration of her trauma was the best part of her character. She missed some very blatant red flags with the antagonist group of this story which made me annoyed with her. We also do not get to see her be the badass assassin she supposedly is, she gets outwit consistently and we never see her fight.

The romance is okay in this story, not the best. It’s a little insta-lovey, and we don’t see her interact with Rui enough for the romance to fully develop.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the audio-book! I did enjoy my time with this book, it just was not a stand out.

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

THE AUDIO:
The narrator is engaging and good.


THE STORY:

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?

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!

Last of the Talons is what I assume is only the first of a series in a fantastic Korean inspired setting. Gods and mythical beasts are only stories in a world populated by humans... until assassin Lina runs afoul of the Dokkaebi emperor she dismissed as a legend. Now she has to draw on all her skill as a trained killer or else she'll die trying to protect the sister she loves.
Assassins and gangs set the scene for a bloody, violent story. Grief and loss play large roles, as well as addiction and manipulation. There's a well crafted slow burn enemies to lovers romance, plenty of scheming, danger, and a revolution to top it off. It's a unique story that is interesting even while not connecting deeply for me. Perhaps that was partially due to my struggle with Jaine Ye's narration style - I had to focus on listening or I would discover I had tuned out the audiobook noise. I think I would have been more invested with a different narrator or the physical book.
The creatures and mythology were easily my favorite part, and I look forward to reading about the new life that awaits Lina in book two!

I listened to the audiobook of "Last of the Talons" by Sophie Kim and narrated by Jaine Ye. The story was fantastic. I love the main character, Shin Lina. I enjoyed how the author and narrator told the story of the main character. I enjoy the character-building of all the characters. The description of the land, castle and history was superb. The way Jaine Ye read the story and gave the characters life was amazing. I can't wait to read/hear the next story in this series.

Enemies-to-lovers built on Korean mythology, Last of the Talons was an exciting and addicting read. The world-building was wonderful. Additionally, I loved the way the characters remained true to themselves even while going through tons of character development. I thought this book was really well done, and I look forward to the continuation of this series!

I will be honest seeing the cover of this i thought "hey a stunning upcoming middle grade book" after listening to the audiobook "Oh, um indeed not a middle grade" but a good young adult (maybe more adult). I love the outcome of the story where Shin Lina has to play a game to kill Rui. That is something different however i at some points did not understand some parts of the story (like what actually was going on) & how many names i had to try to remember.

I did love this story though.

“Last of the Talons” was a highly anticipated release for me this year and I was lucky enough to get to listen to it early. This equal parts thrilling and enchanting story about family bonds and reaching for things you want, interwoven with Korean mythology, was a read that I couldn’t put down.

The story follows Shin Lina, a circumstance-made assassin, who works for people she despises just to keep her younger sister safe. After a particularly unsavory assignment turns out to have harsher consequences to everyone involved than originally expected, Lina is given an ultimatum – bring back the master she hates from the realm of dokkaebi in 30 days, or lose her sister. Left with no choice she finds herself involved in an even more intense – and more intriguing – race against time: Shin Lina can get what she wants – if she manages to kill the dokkaebi emperor himself…

As a fan of books inspired by mythology, rich with intricate world building and fairy-tale-like story structure, I was very excited to read “Last of the Talons”, and it did not disappoint! From descriptions of food that made my stomach growl to stories about old gods and monsters to quests and magical ingredients, my imagination and interest was fully captured. Character interactions were entertaining and made me crack a smile more than once or twice.

The way the story was told ended up being a double edged sword, at least in the audiobook format. It was hard to tell sometimes when a flashback began or ended, but I loved hearing about the turning point in Shin Lina’s past in bits and pieces, when relevant, instead for getting the whole thing all at once.

The only thing that could have been improved on was the length of the book – sometimes it felt like I was listening to the same conversations or inner monologues again and again. It really drove the message home, but I feel like some of them weren’t necessary.

All in all I would recommend “Last of the Talons” to anyone that is interested in mythology and well fleshed out stories in fantasy settings. I am looking forward to the sequel!

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC.

First, this cover does not do the story justice. I expected this book to be a bit younger but I was mistaken. This storey handles some themes a lot of YA doesn't - complex relationships with sex and romance, abuse and PTSD as well as surviviors guilt, and also addiction and recovery. Young adult as a style has the chance to explore these themes and I feel that Sophie Kim truly understood the line to walk.

Some remarks:
1. This is more of a rivalmance than a rivals to lovers, but still enjoyable.
2. The pied piper angle is mostly dressing
3. I think if you loved works like Six Crimson Cranes, this type of work will appeal to you. The use of familiar story beats in a uniquely crafted world makes for a fun adventure.

What I loved:

I adored the setup to this story. An unwilling servant to the Blackbloods after being taken as a prize from the decimation of the Talons, forced into a killing match with the Dokkaebi emperor when their leader is led away by his demonic flute. The idea of an exchange of life for a life is always compelling for me, and Lina’s bet to kill Rui in two weeks felt like the type of thing Lina would do. It makes sense in the context of her character; it works well and doesn’t feel like an unrelated catalyst to jumpstart the plot.

Lina as a character is compelling. She is unapologetically angry with the world, and that anger justifies the moments she makes emotional decisions, the way she may be petulant, and her distrust. You truly see how deep her well of hurt goes. Her reflections on her past and her dedication to saving her sister really resonated with me and I often found myself wanting to hold her - wanting to shield her the way she shielded Eunbi (who is the SWEETEST child ever my gosh)

Rui is enjoyable from the get-go. He’s a man bearing the weight of an empire and you never really get the sense he’s a true threat, but that he plays a long game. I liked this element of him - that from early on we sense his layers and get the impression there’s more to his past and his power. He’s also charming, a bit of a dork, and it contrasts her harder personality well. As a couple, I liked them a lot.

The use of folklore and mythology crafts a beautiful picture. As someone who loves to watch historical and fantasy k-dramas, I felt I could really see the world Lina was thrust into. The details of the creatures living within the world and the landscape crafted a very contained but also somehow vast and beautiful world.

The talks around addiction and trauma were handled well. For anyone who has struggled with this, the delicacy and compassion that Sophie Kim has handled this topic with is good to see and I deeply appreciated that.

The ending. The payoff was so worth the buildup and makes me excited for the second book!


What I didn’t love:

The writing, in my opinion, needed some editing down. Many instances of double adjectives, repetition, and some awkward phrasing were jarring at times. This may be less obvious in written text, but in audio format it’s very, very noticeable and it took some of the wind from otherwise intense scenes. It also was most apparent in the first ten or so chapters and gave the novel a rocky start.

I would have liked more time with the Talons and our side characters to build them up a little more. Sometimes they felt more like devices and not full characters, though I acknowledge they weren’t the focus.

I wanted a little bit more from the mythos aspect of Rui’s character. I liked him a lot, but I also wanted a 360 view of how he’s seen by everyone. I recognize this is the limitation of the first person POV, but beyond some brief history in the beginning, we only really see Rui as he is through Lina’s lived perspective. Some more pull from his history and legends carrying through would have been really fun and interesting to see beyond just mentions of him being the emperor.

Overall, Last of the Talons is a unique adventure that delivers a good story with a fun main cast. It builds up to a climactic ending and sets its stakes high from the get go. I look forward to Sophie Kim’s other works, and will definitely be excited to see what other novels she writes.