Book Talk: Soldier by Julie Kagawa

Hey Readers!!!

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

Book Talk: Rogue by Julie Kagawa

Happy January everybody! I hope everyone is having a super wonderful 2017 so far, filled with lots of travel, reading, and stitching. :)

 I finished Rogue, the second book in the Talon Saga, on 1/8/17. This is the first book that will qualify towards my 2017 Goodreads goal. :D

Goodreads Summary: 

"Deserter. Traitor. Rogue.

Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can’t forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he’d signed his own death warrant.

Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order’s headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember’s own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George.

A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war? "

My Rating: 4/5 Stars!!! 

My Review:
     Once again, Julie Kagawa had me captivated! I want to reiterate what I said in my Talon Book Talk....I have NEVER seen dragons done the way Kagawa has done them. You have dragons that can shift into humans and it is set in present day. Sometimes you forget that the dragons aren't actually people! I love that about this series. 

    My one major complaint still remains: the love triangle. It is truly hard to read through. However, that isn't enough to make me hate the book, or even dislike it in the least. The way the romance is written is great, I just hate that the triangle exists. It feels forced and unnecessary to me in this series. 

    The action scenes are amazing! Especially towards the end of the book. This book kept me on my toes way more than the first book. The whole book left you wondering what would happen next! 

    After reading the second book in this series, I still highly recommend these books! You get some of everything with this series, you feel every emotion, and who doesn't want that?! 







SPOILER ALERT: Please stop reading if you have not read Talon or Rogue and you plan to do so!!







Seriously....You have been warned....









Book Talk Section:

    So first, lets talk about Garret in general.... This guy is amazing. He has risked everything for Ember, and has resigned himself to his fate at the beginning of the book, even though he deserves so much better than what he is getting, just because he is happy that he could save Ember's life at the end of book 1. 
   I definitely prefer Garret to Riley/Cobalt where the love triangle is concerned. In the last book I was conflicted, but I know 100% who I want her with now. I love him....I love him so much.....

   Now for Riley/Cobalt....I really admire how much he cares for all of the "Hatchlings" that he helps escape from Talon. 
    I also think he needs to lay off of Garret. I understand that Garret has killed dragons before and he has all of their blood on his hands, but he was only following orders. Cobalt followed Talon's orders the same way before he was aware of what Talon really is. 
     I liked Riley more in the first book. Now he is just way too jealous and, to be frank, an epic asshole. 

    Ember......ugh. This girl still drives me insane with her naivety, but not nearly as bad as she ticked me off in book 1. She isn't whiney anymore, which is a huge saving grace, but she does have her flaws. 
    For example, she still insists that Dante didn't report her to Lilith in the first book when she was getting ready to run away. She thinks Talon is only using him and he is just following along like a little puppy. NOOOO!!!! EMBER WTF?!! We all know that Dante is lost to the dark side and he is completely cray and refuses to see the truth. Talon may have taught him that, but after he was trained, he still had the choice to leave. He should have trusted Ember in the first place. 
    Next thing....Freaking pick a guy girl! Riley and Garret both love her. Those words actually came out of sweet Garret's mouth. He actually said it. Riley has said the same, but not in so many words. I have a HUGE problem with her not having a clue who she's going to be with. 
    I do like that she is ready and willing to help her friends no matter what the situation or consequences. I also am sooooo happy that she has finally seen Dante for what he is at the end. 

    Dante.....you stupid ignorant dude. Why won't you give your sister the benefit of the doubt?!?! He's known her his whole life and he won't even hear her out?! And then, he sends a Viper after Ember?! (In Dante's defense, Talon itself gave the orders to Faith to kill Ember if she didn't go back willingly, and Dante ordered her to not harm Ember no matter what). 
    I do believe that Dante doesn't know the harm that Talon is willing to inflict to get their way. He could feel differently if he did. 
    The Epilogue was like what!!? Dante SMILED like a maniac when he saw the clones in the Talon basement. CLONES..... After movies like " The Clone Wars" is there ANY doubt what a huge number of clones is actually meant for?! The answer is NO! There is only one thing that Talon could be planning to do with them.....It is an ARMY! A DRAGON ARMY!!! And Dante just smiles evilly.....Um...ok Dante.......

    So now for thoughts about other random characters:

     I suspected Ava/Mist as soon as Kagawa described her looks... The hair color gave away her real identity to me. Ava=Mist. Mist works for Dante.....Obviously, the whole "save the innocent hatchlings" plan was not going to go well. 

    Since I realized who Ava/Mist was, I suspected Faith immediately and was basically mentally screaming at Garret and Ember to throw her out a window and be done with it. Hate. Her. 

    The epic battle between Faith and Ember had me biting my nails. When Ember let Faith go I was like Noooooooo! She's coming back, she's coming back! And then.....Faith came back and Garret did his thing to save Ember, yet again. Go Garret! 

    The end......you guys the end tore my heart out and stomped on it with its big giant feet.....I've said this in other reviews, but I really, actually, literally cried. I love Garret and I was so mad that Ember just let him walk away like that. When he tells her all she has to do to make him stay is to tell him to, and she doesn't say anything, I was so angry at her! Heck, I am STILL angry with her. She better redeem herself and choose him in the next book. I want her with Garret!!! GARRET!!!! And he left! *Sobs uncontrollably* 

   

Some things about the writing that irritated me....

    Several sentences seemed to be repeated a few times in the same-ish situations. So I was kinda "eh" about that. 

    Once again, I hate that Dragon-Ember and Human-Ember are referred to as separate individuals. NO! Ember is a dragon and a human! She has both! BOTH. Drives me insane. 

    If this love triangle isn't resolved ASAP in book 3 I will literally scream. I'm not joking around here guys. If there is one single thing I would change about this book, the love triangle would be it....it is SO forced and unnecessary. I don't normally feel this way about the love triangle thing, but I am not having it in this case. It got old, reeeeeal fast y'all. 

    A few things I want for the rest of the series:

      I would really like for Dante to come around and help Ember and the team. 

      I also would like to see Garret's old St. George partner come back into the story. In a good way though, not as an enemy, because G-man needs all the help he can get from how the ending of the book sounds. 

     Obviously, I want the love triangle to be resolved. (Go Team Garret!!)

    I also want to know why the heck Ember and Dante are so important to Talon. 

    No major deaths please!!!!!! 

                     

    Alrighty guys!! I hope that you all enjoyed my Review/Discussion for Rogue by Julie Kagawa! I am looking forward to reading Soldier and discussing that with you. 

    Let me know if you have any thoughts on this book in the comments. Don't forget to check out my Talon Review from December and discuss that with me as well! 

See y'all later! 

XOXO,
Eden

Book Review: Talon by Julie Kagawa

Morning all!

So today let's talk about Talon by Julie Kagawa! This is another book I finished a couple of weeks ago, and I adored it and it doesn't have much hype around it, so I want to promote it a bit. :D There will be spoilers in the "My Thoughts" section of this post, so if you read it just know in advance that I warned you! They shouldn't ruin the reading experience for you, but you have been warned :)

Goodreads Summary:

"Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons. "

Review: 4/5 Stars

CAUTION: Spoilers Ahead

My Thoughts: 

I LOVE this world because it is set in the modern day. The dragons can shift into human forms, so they blend in. Most books that I've read that involve dragons take place in ancient times, so it was refreshing. 

You basically have two antagonists here: The Order of St. George, which hunts dragons, and Talon, which is the dragon organization. I really liked that you aren't rooting for one organization over another because they both absolutely suck. 

Our leading lady is Ember. She is so frustrating to start that I wanted to scream. She whines and whines and whines some more. She is a dragon who has been given the mission, along with her brother Dante, to assimilate with human society. She makes teenage friends and she enjoys being free from Talon. 

Our other main character is Garrett and he is a member of the Order of St. George. He is hunting for a dragon "sleeper" that has been reported in the area. (Ember). 

I think you guys can see where this is going.....forbidden love. 

There is a third character, Riley. He is a rogue dragon. He left Talon and is against everything they stand for because he knows the truth of what they do and what they are. He catches Ember's ear and she starts to agree. She wants to leave Talon too. 

This leads to a love triangle that is so forced its hard to get past. Since I can't change the fact that it exists, I decided to ship Garrett and Ember. However, by the end of the book I couldn't decide who I wanted Ember to be with. I like Riley too. Ember's dragon wants Riley, but human Ember wants Garrett. 

I hate that Ember refers to her dragon as a separate being instead of as a part of her. Thats so weird. I mean....she IS a dragon that can change into a human form......It doesn't make sense to me. 

As far as character development, I love how Garrett's character softens towards Ember and just in general. Ember grows into a strong and independent girl from the whiney thing she was before. Riley is just Riley. He's already developed. 

A note on Dante now....his character accepts everything and does everything that Talon tell him to do, no matter how morally wrong it could be. I really hope that he comes around in one of the sequels because it sucks that he and Ember are now on the terms that they are. 

I didn't really connect with any of the characters :/ 

I enjoyed this book. I really did. There are aspects that irked my nerves pretty bad, but nothing that made me want to put the book down and never pick it up again. I am really looking forward to learning more about the characters, especially Garrett and Riley. I have just gotten books two and three in the mail and I'll be reading those soon :)

XOXO,
Eden