I'm back in school now and my reading time has been really limited. However, I did FINALLY manage to finish Soldier by Julie Kagawa! It took me a while because I knew the ending, which I would spoil you for unless you read the book talk section.
So here we go...my review and book talk for Soldier....
Goodreads Summary:
"When forced to choose between safety with the dragon organization Talon and being hunted forever as an outcast, Ember Hill chose to stand with Riley and his band of rogue dragons rather than become an assassin for Talon. She’s lost any contact with her twin brother, Dante, a Talon devotee, as well as Garret, the former-enemy soldier who challenged her beliefs about her human side.
As Ember and Riley hide and regroup to fight another day, Garret journeys alone to the United Kingdom, birthplace of the ancient and secret Order of St. George, to spy on his former brothers and uncover deadly and shocking secrets that will shake the foundations of dragons and dragonslayers alike and place them all in imminent danger as Talon’s new order rises."
My Rating:
5/5 Stars!!!!!
My Review:
In this third installment of the Talon saga, a little piece of me died. I was so emotionally invested in these characters that I hung on to every word in this book. This review is incredibly hard for me to write because I don't want to spoil anyone who hasn't read this book yet. It made me cry, just like the others in this series, and I couldn't get enough of this world. I still love the fact that there are two "big bads" and I love all of the different aspects of the dragons and their culture. I'm still in love with Garret, Ember has really matured, and Riley is still a jerk. But basically, the book was extremely emotional and I MUST get my hands on the fourth book. Unfortunately it comes out at the end of April. Bleh.
SPOILER ALERT: Do NOT continue reading if you have not read this book, and the preceding novels!!!!
Seriously.....I warned you.
Book Talk:
This is going to be a long one y'all, so grab a snack and strap in.
Dante:
First, let's discuss this d-bag. He is STILL such a fool. In this book, we see that Dante does, in fact, have a conscience, but he freaking ignores the heck out of it and does whatever the heck is the easiest and won't get him killed. This happens even when he knows he's wrong.... He is working with those scary clones. He keeps telling himself that they are only for protecting Talon and making sure dragons go extinct, and blah blah blah. BUT!!!!! They are clearly going to be used to cause the mass extinction of human kind. Clearly.... What a dummy.
Riley:
I don't have much to say about Riley. He has grown on me a lot. I don't prefer him over Garret, and I think he's too pushy about Ember and his feelings toward her. He has actually grown to barely like Garret and he even tells G that he doesn't want him to die, so that is a HUGE improvement! Riley is a wonderful leader, and a good friend. I just do not like him with Ember. He really does try to be a decent guy, but he is still an ass.
Ember:
I kinda love her now!!! In the previous books, I thought she was extremely immature and whiny. She really needed to grow up and smell the perfume and realize that life just isn't going to be fair for her. I mean she can turn into a fire breathing dragon for pete's sake!!! Gah!
Anyway, in Soldier, she was much more mature and understanding of what she has to suck up and deal with and do in order to survive the war that she is in the middle of. She isn't an innocent teenage girl anymore. She has had to kill and do things she isn't proud of in order to live as long as she has. She does feel bad about having to kill people, which I admire. I'm really happy that she isn't losing her conscience in the midst of it all. She still listens to it and knows when to show mercy and when not to.
I was so angry with her at the end of the second book for not telling Garret to stay!!! I'm so glad she told Garret that she made a mistake by not stopping him from leaving. I am also SO glad that she FINALLY chose Garret!!!! That love triangle was killing me!!! I was so tired of it. I did feel really bad for Riley because she does have feelings for him. I totally understand her wanting to be more human and not wanting to be with Riley just based on instinct and the Sallith'tahn (which was really shocking to learn was a thing) and all that jazz.
Garret:
My boy.....OMG. He handled the whole Riley/Ember thing so stinking well! He didn't act out towards either of them and he handled it with so much dignity. I was proud. Especially when compared to Riley and his jealousy.
Garret is so brave and selfless. He goes into the St. George organization to expose the Patriarch's secrets without hesitation, even though he was scared and knew he may not make it out alive. He also fought the Patriarch so honorably. Even after the Patriarch tells him his parents weren't killed by Talon, but were actually part of Talon, which meant St. George murdered his parents.
Alright folks. Here is where I get emotional. Garret wins the fight against the Patriarch, and then that SOB pulls a freaking gun and shoots Garett in the back. He dies in Ember's arms. Ember tells him she loves him, and he smiles at her and he dies. I am so devastated. I said in my last book talk for Rogue, that I wanted no major deaths, and look what happened.....Dang it Kagawa. I'm still in denial and I am utterly devastated and crushed. There are no words.....
Tristan:
The last character I feel I need to talk about is Tristan St. Anthony, Garret's former St. George partner. In the first two books, Tristan is completely against Garret and won't hear Garret's reasons for leaving St. George and aiding Ember and Riley. He sees him as a traitor.
In this book, when Garret brings evidence of the Patriarch's corruption, Tristan sees a few things a little more clearly, even though he does not support the dragon aiding part of it. Tristan helps Garret get into the St. George meeting to expose the Patriarch and he serves as a witness at the duel that the Patriarch challenges Garret to.
When the Patriarch pulls the gun and shoots Garret in the back, Tristan pulls his own and shoots the Patriarch in the head before Garret even knew he was hit. He tried to help save Garret.
Another one of the things I wanted to happen in this book came true where Tristan is concerned! I wanted him to come around and he did, even though it is only a small step. Bravo Tristan...Bravo.
Things I wanted to happen that actually did happen in this book include Tristan's baby steps to the good side, and Ember finally choosing between Riley and Garret! Plus she made the choice I wanted her to make.
Things that happened that I hoped wouldn't include Garret's death (any major death would have upset me, but this one was devastating) and Dante still has not come around.
Things I want to happen in Legion:
I need Dante to come around.
I need Tristan to come around all the way!
Especially this one: I need Garret to be alive somehow! As a dragon or just anything so that he will be with Ember. He's my favorite character!!
I also hope Riley and Ember don't have a thing at all...or more of a thing than they do have. Cause that would tick me the crap off. Seriously.
Conclusion:
This book was my favorite of all of the Talon Saga so far, simply because of my emotional investment in the characters. That is what separates this book from the first two. I loved it, even though it devastated me. I recommend these to everyone and I hope I have introduced you to your new favorite series! I can't wait for the fourth book to be released! It comes out in the US on April 25, 2017 and it is titled Legion! I'm so excited and desperate to see what comes next! I hope you all will join me in reading it. Leave comments below on what you think of this book and the saga!
Thank you all so much for reading!!
XOXO,
Eden
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