WARNING: I apologize for the passion that might reflect in this review.

3....2....1

REVENGE PLOTTTTTT!!!! LET'S GOOOOOO!!! WAIT WHAAAAAATTT?
The last time a book impacted me this much was The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. Wrath of the Talons is very similar to TPW in the pain it inflicts on you as well as on its own characters. THE PROPHECIES, THE TRANSFORMATIONS, THE SHOCKS, yep definitely amazing.

Sooo, Shin Lina wants revenge and now she can have it. She's back fiercer, braver, powerful,, MORE POSSESSED and more bitter. I loved everything about this aspect of the story, though this is to be expected and goes down a predictable path. The journey is epic; the ending to the revenge much awaited - bloodthirsty and searingly romantic, the cover says. Well, it is more. DESTRUCTIVE IMUGI FTW.
Now on to the surprises: the voices, the prophecies, the unlikely friendships and that climax - Sophie Kim plays fast and loose with your heart & you let her. This instalment adds so much value to the world this author is trying to create. I honestly did not expect her to keep adding worldbuilding to the sequel, so consider me outwitted and shocked. Though the first book still outshines this one, this one takes the cake in its treatment of the parasite. I especially was awestruck at the scenes where she ventures in and out of her possessed state! Darker than its predecessor, WRATH IS UNAPOLOGETICALLY CRUEL and forms a perfect bridge between 1 and 3.
ANOTHER THING I LOVED WERE THE INTERLUDES!!! Omg who knew we needed Rui POV? So thankful for it and soul stitched. Moon on a string was just chef's kiss.
My favourite though is the GUMIHO. Kim built such a strong, fascinating character. I loved all her scenes and look forward to more of her.

Kim is a very talented writer. She builds up a scene and delivers it with a sure hand. I am forever in her debt for introducing me to Korean mythology.

*also one of the prettiest cover I've ever seen!!

FOR THE ANGRY GIRLS INDEED!!!

Wrath of the Talon is the sequel to Last of the Talons. While the first book had a budding romance and a cat and mouse game that softened the dark revenge story at the heart of this series, the darkness of the story is front and center. The theme of family, both biological and found, is what drives Lina’s actions and motivates her bloody revenge on the people who have wronged her. If you also like an enemies to will they/won't they romance with an immortal who has a nickname for the mc. While the romance was a bit boring for me, the revenge plot a bit convoluted, and the pacing not consistent I enjoyed this book more than the first one. But if you feel like assassins in oher YA books are a bit too morally good, then you’re going to love this morally gray main character. Especially if you also enjoy a love interest that calls the mc a taunting nickname.

The second installment was full of pain and agony. It was very slow at first, i got a bit bored in the beginning but the ploy was getting more and more interesting as the story goes. I kinda expect the angst because this is the second book in a trilogy so it make perfect sense to leave a sorrowful story to anticipate readers for the third book. characters are well-written and i continuouly found myself helplessly in love with rui. i cant wait to see more on the next book as the first two were already great.

This is the second book in the series and it was really good! It picks up where the first left off with Lina returning to Sunpo to get her revenge on the black bloods. This is a darker book than the first with anger, revenge, regret, betrayal. Lina and Ruiz’s relationship is being tested by secrets from the past. You really become invested in the characters which I really liked as I didn’t happen for me with the first. I again loved the mythology and lore in this series. Cannot wait until the third book comes out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 4.5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review!
Wrath of the Talon is the sequel to Last of the Talons<, Lina goes back to Sunpo to after being injected with Imugi venom to take the city back while a dark voice whispers to her.

“The Child of Venom will rule all.”

I really, really loved reading the first book in this series and was super excited for the sequel to be available! I dove into the story with much anticipation and the book delivered!

We know after the ending that Lina went back for revenge while undergoing the changes to her body as the Imugi venom slowly changes her. This makes for a bit of an unreliable narrator throughout the book, but makes it a bit fun as well, as the anticipation is really high while reading!

The plot itself was really well done and I loved how it tied together with Lina’s change. The pacing was a bit slow here and there, but with tension sky high and the doom hanging over the story it was still very hard to put the book down!

Lina is an unlikable character in this book, but I believe that to be an intentional choice by the author. It ties in with the changes occurring due to the venom in her veins, but the traits that drew me to her in the first book are slowly disappearing as the story progresses. I had hope, until the end hahaha. Rui on the contrast, hasn’t changed much and shows quite a bit of growth as well as he struggles with the choices he has to make for his love and his kingdom. I also really enjoyed Iseul, who was quite a fun character that was added to the already existing cast.

The romance is still present, and I just adore Rui and Lina together! It is a bit tainted by what is happened to Lina, but I loved the new information coming to light about them and how they are with each other!

I kinda only had one thought going through my mind as I was reading the ending: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH T_T. That ending! It is heart-breaking, and cruel in every way possible and I need a time machine to fast forward to September when book 3 is set to release!

Overall, <Wrath of the Talon is an amazing continuation of the Talon series with an ending that left me crushed! I can’t wait for the last book!





SPOILER THOUGHT!
I love the fact that they’re soul stitched so much!! I also firmly believe that the only reason it changed to ‘hate’ was because the voice/prophecy put Lina in the cage and is thus a false representation of their string! Their love will most definitely prevail in the third book! It has too!

I really enjoyed this fantasy book! Makes me feel like I was in the place!
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the book

3.5 stars

WRATH OF THE TALON is a book about revenge and prophecies going horribly wrong.

Lina is back and she wants revenge on those who have wronged her, but her plans get hijacked by a prophecy and monsters determined to have their revenge. It splits the book into two - before the prophecy takes over and the after.

Lina spends much of the book under a compulsion. It gave rise to a whiplash feeling of her being replaced by someone totally different without the sense that she was trying to fight against it. It simply felt like she was simply being a much crueller, more suspicious person with even higher body count, forgetting the things she loved. It made it very hard to engage with parts of the book as the character I'd connected with and was cheering on for a second book was just removed.

Rui is also keeping a lot of secrets from her. There are interludes from his perspective that reveal what's going on in his world and his fight to protect his people. These were the chapters were I felt most connected to Lina, seeing him work to find a route to save them all (as much as I wished he was more honest from the start.)

Iseul is a new major character in this book and was so much fun. She is bold and bright and unashamedly ruthless. She runs a brothel and a secret drug den. She terrifies her enemies. And she's also got plenty of ways to defend herself.

I gave this book 4 stars The Wrath Of The Talon is following Lina on her quest for revenge against her murdered family. I don’t want to say any spoilers but I love how Rui and Lina helped each other during hard times it truly shows that you can be strong and struggle at the same time. This is dark, romantic, emotional and so much more I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed Last of the Talons when it released last year so I was very excited to read book 2.

Unfortunately, this one fell flat. And a little gory.

It went very dark. I mean, I understand that she’s an assassin and the title of the book clearly states that it is about her “wrath”. But I think it was a little too gory for a YA book.

In addition, it severely suffered from the “book 2” syndrome:
1. Strange plot development that was very different than the events of book 1
2. Lagging movement (I kept falling asleep; literally)
3. Unbelievable element/plot (specifically the sentient voice)

In all, I am curious where it will take us so I will most likely finish the series. I just felt that it had such a different feel to the story than book 1 and therefore, I was very disappointed with this book.
🐍
‼️I recommend you check the trigger warnings for this book.
Specifically: a very traumatizing death‼️

This one frustrated me a bit, but I think that was the point. Shin Lina is set to take her revenge but I don’t think that was the main focus. For me it felt like the romance was being forced in and the action was lightly sprinkled in. My frustration might have just been the back and forth and the pace. I’m not sure I’m explaining it well.

Lina felt angry and cruel for most of the story, understanding she’s being manipulated. I wanted her self strength to be stronger. I wanted her to be strong and beyond this weak character who is easily manipulated. I was very disappointed in her character in this book. I greatly enjoyed her in book one, not so much this one.

Rui, we see his love for Lina but that dang voice makes her actions seem very toxic. Rui knows it’s not her but he still loves her so much he continues to love her. The ending was set to leave you wanting more and it accomplished that.

I enjoyed the book and I’m definitely going to need book 3!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5 stars

I really loved the first book The Last of Talon, so I leaped at the opportunity to read this arc. I must say that I feared that this book would be a filler book in the trilogy, where we would see no significant development in plot, Lina or the relationship between Lina and Rui compared to the first book. I'm happy to say that Sophie Kim didn't disappoint, and that all of the criteria above was fulfilled throughout the second book, which is also why I really like the sequel too.

Here's the non-spoilery reasons why I liked it:

1. The cover is stunning, and it instantly catches your attention. The cover kind of reminds me of Iron Widow, which is fitting seeing as they both have a revenge plotline ⚔️🔥

2.Despite this being a young adult book, it didn't feel immature or too youthful for me (which most YA books tend to) as it deals with darker themes and focuses on more complex emotions. I think this is great since I'm more of a female rage/revenge/villain arc kind of girly.

3. The tropes are a huge plus too 🤌🏼✨ I love a strong and witty Fl and a "I would burn the world for you" Ml. This character combination paired with the self-fulfilling prophecy trope and the korean mythology makes this series one of the best mythology YA books I've read to date (which says a lot seeing as I'm a mythology nerd, who loves all kinds of mythology).

4. The last reason is that the ending of the sequel managed to make me cry.... and I don't cry a lot, so do with that information what you will. Let me give you one advice: Read the sequel closer to the release of the third book so you don't end up like me, who has to wait until September 2024 to get the answers I need ✋🏼😭

All in all, it's a great book, and I'm excited to see how this ends in the third book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, LLC, and Sophie Kim for the opportunity to read this book. This review is based on my own thoughts and feeling about this book.

It's no secret that I am, quite possibly, Sophie Kim's biggest fan. I've loved The Last Talon, I've loved the God and the Gumiho, and now I can firmly say that I LOVED the Wrath of the Talon. Despite being YA, Sophie Kim manages to write her stories with some hard-hitting adult feelings and emotions.

This book has so many fun twists and turns, as well as an abundance of banter between our two MCs! I really recommend this to anyone who is looking for:
- Witty, snarky FMC
- Strong and Aware of It FMC
- Touch Her and Die MMC
- "I'd bring the world to its knees for you" MMC
- And a wonderfully fantastic magic system that is straight out of mythology.

As always, all my thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me a chance to review this ARC!

It was as thrilling and fast-paced and beautiful as the first book! Love the inner war of Lina and the Voice, also how the plot thickened and we meet a lot of new characters! Iseul is a dear. Rui is as cunning and hot as ever (love that). THAT ENDING DESTROYED ME.
Impatiently waiting for the third book!

Even better than book 1! This one set a whole different tone though. I needed some time to get back into Sophie Kim's writing style again but it was worth it! I never read anything like it before. The possesion of Lina was so well written, even though it`s not an easy thing to write. The Emotions were big on this one, but the end simply killed me!!! I cried so much...cannot wait for book 3, even though I am a little scared about the devellopement of events....

*Wrath of the talent by Sophie, Kim is a direct sequel to Last of the Talons by the same author . As such this story is best read and enjoyed by those who have already read and enjoyed book one .


I absolutely loved returning to this word and these characters so soon after reading book one .

Everything I loved from book one was still very present here but in addition to that it really felt like the pacing is so perfect.

dnf @50%

I’m definitely going to be the minority here… but this book was not it for me.

As I enjoyed the first book, I was looking forward to the sequel and reading Lina’s and Rui’s interactions, but unfortunately they fell flat for me. I could tell that the author tried her best to integrate the romance storyline as per her strong suit in book 1, but in this book, it felt so boring that I had to push myself to keep reading (but I decided that I did not want to continue after the halfway mark).

Wrath of the Talons take a darker turn into a conflict with the blackbloods whereby Lina searches for potential allies to fight her enemies. Throughout this book, Lina takes on a distinct looming dark inner monologue where she fights the “Imugi” with her internal reasoning. While this concept is interesting, it was not executed well as her internal battle was overwhelming and tedious to read.
While this book was rather disappointing, I must say that I could tell that the author was really passionate about Korean Mythology – and I appreciate all books that tries to integrate cultural aspects that aren’t prevalently known. It was fun getting to know about the Imugi and the Gumiho.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing LLC and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a sequel! Wrath of the Talon certainly lives up to its name, and I could not get over how bloodthirsty this book was.

In this second installment, our main character continues to struggle with her guilt of being the sole survivor of her gang, and accepting the literal monster she is becoming. I thought Lina and her trauma was so well characterized in this book; she has suffered a lot in her young life and is continually being tested, but she has a clear goal in mind, even if the voice inside her conflicts with her ideology. This struggle was fascinating to read as the balance begins tipping and Lina loses control.

While I did have a hard time with reading this book, I'm not sure that it was the writing that made it difficult for me to consistently read. I do think the pacing of the book was quite fast and appropriate for the setting, so I cannot blame this story for my own struggle. There is a sense of urgency, especially when the countdown begins to the gala, which did make it easier for me to get through the second half of the book.

Emotionally, this book wrecked me. Lina's love for the people around her is well defined. Her love for her sister, her love interest, and her gang is palpable and it's easy to see why she takes the path she does. Quite bluntly, her straying towards her villain era is understandable, and I am so curious to see how the story ends, especially after the cliffhanger we were left on.

(4/5 stars) After finishing the first book (albeit 2 years ago), I was so excited for this book to come out. While the blurb says that it's "best enjoyed in order," I would like to add that it's also best enjoyed without a lot of separation between books. Honestly would have been a huge fan if sequels came with a short "when last you read" paragraph because though I remember being excited for this book, I couldn't tell you what happened in the first book beyond a very precursory level so I felt a bit behind. But the writing was good and the characters are fascinating!

Wrath of Talon is so much darker than The last of the Talons. This book takes Lina on the path of revenge, and a prophecy and it’s not pretty. Whilst the event and her “recovery” tore at me I did love this book. She made a lot of serious decisions based on her emotions and blind hatred for one person. It was very interesting the idea what a Prophecy is. Once you hear it, it will come true. Gosh and that ending 😭
Rui is still my favourite character and he is really trying his best. This series is so underrated and it needs more hype!

Thanks so much to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for an eARC.

A massive thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book!

Wrath of the Talon is the sequel to Sophie Kim's book Last of the Talons. The series follows the main character Shin Lina in a re-imagining of Korean folklore filled with gods, monsters and murder.

The story continues off where the first book ended, and explores the consequences of Lina's miraculous survival of the underworld. In her quest to avenge her comrades she will have to make some difficult choices and choose alliances that might end up either the salvation or ruin of the world she wishes to save.

This book goes a lot deeper into the themes of Korean mythology and that of prophesies. While I did enjoy this book a lot, and while the characters were still really good, it did miss a small spark. My favorite character by far was that of the Madame of the Dove Coop, Song Iseul. Equal parts playful and vengeful, she was one of the few characters that I enjoyed immensely.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this story continues, especially due to how this left its readers. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long.