Talon by Amanda Greenslade is a fantasy tale for teens and young adults. It has great creativity, imagination, and story line. The characters are intriguing and I enjoyed the magic, shape-shifting, telepathy, and other fantasy in this story. The difficulty was with the very many odd names of everything: places, people, religions, magic uses, level of magic users, animals, gods, and more. It made concentrating on the story difficult if the reader has to try and keep all of these peculiar names straight. The first part of the story didn't sound like true dialogue but got better shortly. It was enjoyable but I would have liked it better with easier names. I found myself wondering how much longer the book had to go at times due to this name issue. Even most of the way through the book, it was not like these names were sticking in my brain. They were too, too many of them. I received this book for a honest review from NetGalley and it in no way effected my review content or rating.

I enjoyed reading this book, a coming of age along with an animal side - what's not to like. I also liked that Talon was a bit older than usual in this type of story, made his development and abilities a bit easier to accept

First let me say that this was a DNF.

The hardest thing about being a book reviewer is getting a book, wanting to LOVE it, and just not being able to click with it.

Such is this book.

I LOVED the premise of this book, and honestly it was very well written. However, this book and I didn't super click. I didn't ever want to pick it up. I wanted to WANT to pick it up, if you know what I mean.

Overall, this book has a great plot and characters and such an interesting storyline. But it wasn't for me. BUT it could be for you! Give it a shot!

Talon was an enjoyable book to read, overall. There are times when the descriptions of the action are much longer than need be. Leaving something to the imagination of the reader to figure out is a good thing.

I was left wanting more and believe that the target audience would enjoy getting to know the characters and the world of Chryne better.

Talon is a young man, about 20. For his people, he is behind. He lacks his Rada-Kin. That changes, quite suddenly, and it is awesome! Talon finds his Rada-Kin, an blue icetiger. They are very rare, almost extinct. She is a magnificent creature, and being bonded to a Rada, changes everything for both of them.

I *LOVE* that right off the bat it's make clear that the humans were made in their creator's image and given dominion over the Earth and the creatures in it. Because of that Talon is even kinder and more connected to his icetiger. Both Talon and his new Rada-Kin serve The Lightmaker, Yes! This quickening of being Rada-Kin gifts the special animal the person is bonded to an extra level that other animals don't have. They become as sentient, self aware, as humans. Using the waves around them, they are able to communicate telepathically to the person they are bonded to, and they can sense each other's senses. That is fun, and while I have seen it in other books, I really liked it here.

This is the tip of the "iceberg". Talon may, or may not have a second gift, and he is also tasked with saving his people. Rekala, meaning Fury, the icetiger is kidnapped, and from here things just keep moving.

This is a well written, multi=layered super fantasy read. I really want to read the sequels. My copy came from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review and nothing more.

This fantasy adventure begins with a young man named Talon, he's a quartermaster's apprentice to Bessed, who is also his Foster father, and a Gatherer. He is also a follower of the Lightmaker. He has been waiting, hoping and praying to become bonded to an animal who will in turn become a sentient begin when bonded. Being bonded allows both animal and person traits from the other and the ability to change shapes for both of the bonded. Rada-kin as they are known. When he is bonded to an Icetiger his world changes, not only is she fierce and rare but her kind are usually bonded to Warriors Not Gatherers.
While running an errand for Bessed to get fish, because fish haven too few in their section of the river lately, something terrible happens to them and his Icetiger who has named herself Rekala meaning Fury is taken by the Zeika. With her help he manages to escape and makes it to a family members house with severe burns on his hands. Devastated that he had to leave Rekala behind but knowing he has to heal before he can rescue her he spends the time at his family’s healing and trying to come up with a plan to rescue her. While thinking about Rekala he hears a strange voice in his head trying to reassure him that they will get her back. Finding out that his was Rada was a big deal but to be Anzaii too, the Lightmaker really blessed him! 2 gifts from the Lightmaker, Tiaro his Anzaii- kin is a spirt gift, and she will be guiding him spiritually.
Upon his return to his village there is a Zeika raid and they take most of his people, as one of the only people able to fight left he sets out to free them and his Rada-kin Rekala. Using his Anzaii - kin Tiaro and the help of another Rada-kin from Lilth he is able to free his people and his beloved Rekala. After the rescue of his people he realizes that they need him so much more than he thought and in order to be what they need him to be, he has to go on a pilgrimage to Tanza and Watercrag to find out if he is Sleffion and Tolite, without that he cannot be named Wave Master. That is the beginning of this fanciful adventure and I hope there is more to come.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will be watching out for the next book in the series.

The good: I really did like this book, and liked it well enough to dive right into the sequel. I love human/animal bonding stories, and this book absolutely revels in the concept of mental bonding to animals, spirits, and other things. The worldbuilding is very complex, details are rich, and the characters are well-fleshed out. Magic, psychic abilities, wolf gods, and more.

The not-so-good: Info-dumping occurs with industrial-sized construction equipment. I don't actually mind a little info-dumping, but there's nothing little about it, here. Overexplaining is also present. The cultural explaining gets tedious in places, breaking immersion. Many of the commonly-used words are unpronounceable at a glance. (How the heck do you deal with that double 'i')? The MC may be a bit of a Marty Stu. His only flaw seems to be a justifiable wrath, which everyone is trying to help him overcome, so we know he'll do it.

The not-good, not-bad, but notable: This books is way more Christian than Narnia, and boy the religious overtones are driven home using a sledgehammer. The names and details of the mythos may be different, but the Christian metaphysics, beliefs, and mindsets are relentless. The division is presented as very black and white - the bad guys are all bad, the good guys are all good. This book is almost entirely ABOUT religion, which given the current issues in the world, is more than a little hard to take in a fantasy - especially since it definitely takes sides. But if that's your thing, you'll love it.

A fantasy novel with soul-bonds and various types of magic meant Talon sounded right up my street. I was looking forward to reading it even if just because it’s rare animal-bonds are made with creatures such as tigers. While I enjoyed Talon, I felt it got stronger as it went along.

When I focus on what the plot is truly about, it’s the standard boy-becomes-man story as Talon must learn what he is capable of and accept responsibility with his new powers. This world was refreshing original though and although I have read soul-bond stories before, this had a few new twists. Mainly the fact that once bonded, both Rada and Rada-kin (man and beast) could then shape-shift into any form they desired.

The characters were standard for this type of novel. Talon was likeable but made rash decisions, giving him the chance to grow. Sarlice was a capable warrior, but felt downplayed a lot and Lira was the typical temptress who gave me a bad feeling from the beginning.

The second half of Talon was stronger than the first. There were times during the beginning when I felt overwhelmed by the way the magic was being described and what the bonds meant. It felt as if there should have been a subtler way of explaining what was happening but the pace of the plot meant there wasn’t time.

Some of the description also was misleading. Lira was described as being a “pale frightened girl” when we are first introduced to her character. Talon himself is only around nineteen years old, so is hardly a man. When Lira then announces she is seventeen, it was jolting to find there was very little difference in their ages, yet Talon is becoming a man and Lira still a frightened girl. The actions between the two of them also made little sense until the ages had been clarified.

Overall, I enjoyed this book though. It was full of adventure and magic and soul-searching (both literally and metaphorically). While there was a little confusion at times, it didn’t put me off the story and I will be happy to read the following book to see how things play out.

Amazon

... a fascinating and magical world

It always amazes me how authors can create other worlds, complete with their own occupants, gods and animals, plants, landscapes that seem familiar and that are different and occupants who have abilities we can only guess at. Such a place is Chryne, created by Australian author, Amanda Greenslade. A place where magic abounds, where there exists the Kriites, a people who have animal bond-mates, the Rada-kin. Such a man Is Talon, who comes into his bond at later than normal and unexpectedly, with an icetiger. This happens just as his community is attacked by an opposing force, the Zeikas sorcerers and worshippers of the fire god Ziedarb. The Zieka want to bring the Kriites and their bond mates under their control.
Sent on a mission to ask neighbouring kingdoms for help, Talon and his companion Sarlice and their bond mates are tracked by Zeikas. They rescue a young woman, Lira, who joins them on their journey, only to betray them in startling ways.
As Talon and Sarlice race towards refuge they are pursued by a relentless group of Zeikas, who seem to want Talon for his bloodline and gifts. A tense story of action, of magic, and of the growing battle for the Kriites to remain free from the evil espoused by the Zeikas and to continue the ways of their peoples.
Where this series will lead is an intriguing puzzle.

A NetGalley ARC

All reviews appear on Amazon, Goodreads plus Gr Facebook, LibraryThing plus LT Twitter, eyes.2c review blog Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Talon-The-Astor-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B01BOGSCM6?ie=UTF8&keywords=talon%20amanda%20greenslade&qid=1459599285&ref_=sr_1_1&s=digital-text&sr=1-1 (Apr 1, 2016) LibaryThing plus LibraryThing Twitter http://www.librarything.com/work/17549070/book/128796349 (Apr 1, 2016) Goodreads plus Gr FB https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1599218380 (Apr 3, 2016) eyes.2c reviews blog http://eyes2creviews.blogspot.ca/2016/04/fascinating-and-magical-world.html (Apr 3, 2016)

Amanda Greenslade has done a bang up job of world building. The magic system is all based on what god you worship, different gods granting different powers. Our main character is Talon, a Rada, who is a shapeshifter with a telepathic bond to an icetiger. He's recently come into possession of some additional abilities and our protagonists, the Zeikas, are hunting for him because of it. They don't age and are granted powers over demons. Zeikas believe other faiths should be enslaved to them. Throughout the book Talon and his friend Sarlice are on the run from the Zeikas as they look to find help for their people.

Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the bond between Rada and Rada-kin.The development of Anzai powers is thrilling.Talon is brave.His journey is full of enemies.Sarlice is also admirable.Their journey to Telby is very much interesting.I really liked reading this book.