Talon by Julie Kagawa

Genre:  YA Paranormal Romance

Talon Series, Book 1

Julie Kagawa's website

Expected publication date:  October 28, 2014

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Goodreads):

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.

Ember and Dante have spent their lives at a Talon base learning about their dragon past, humankind and how to assimilate themselves with the humans.  At sixteen, they are finally allowed to join a human foster family who will help them blend in with humans.  Living in Crescent Beach, a small California tourist-beach town, life couldn't get better.  Ember meets friends and learns to surf (an awesome substitute to flying by the way).  But then Talon steps in when a rogue dragon is spotted in the area.  Ember must use all of her resources to figure out what Talon is all about and how it will affect her future.

Garret has spent his life as a St George soldier: someone who's committed to killing dragons.  When the organization hears word that a sleeper, or a hatchling, is being released in Crescent Beach, they decide Garret would be the perfect teenager to infiltrate teenage social circles and sniff her out.  But when Garret meets Ember, he finds an attractive girl with human feelings just trying to have fun.  And he finds himself wanting to hang out with her more and more.  As his search for the sleeper dragon continues, he begins to hope it isn't the girl he's falling for.

It's dragons and Julie Kagawa; expect awesomeness, right?  But what I got was a dragon-dragon-dragon hunter love triangle.  That's been done before.  (I think I'm in the mood for something original now.)  What I enjoyed about this book was learning about Talon and how that organization worked.  Talon is an all-controlling group that plans out your dragon future all in the interests of the dragon species.  And when it came to Garret, the lover boy?  Yawn...  The guy I thought interesting was the rogue dragon.  I don't know -mixed emotions here.  I finished the book in two days and was super into the story, the writing.  It's an excellent story-telling, but I feel like it wasn't very original.

Another series that I'm sure will captivate Julie Kagawa fans.  But ever since finishing The Forever Song, I might have fallen in a rut with her books.

Thanks goes to Around the World ARC Tours for providing my a review copy.

The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Genre:  YA Dystopian Vampire

Blood of Eden, Book 3

Julie Kagawa's website

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Warning:  Reading anything below this line will spoil early plotlines; I strongly recommend against it unless you've read the first two books in the series.

Descriprition (taken from Julie Kagawa's website):

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

Allie's final story involves a journey across many miles to stop Sarren, a crazy-psycho vampire.  It seems she, Kanin, and Jackal are always one step behind Sarren.  And Sarren tends to leave many bloody surprises along the way.  One notable city that they'll stop at before arriving in Eden is Chicago: Jackal's city.  But it's changed.  Everything seems to be changing for them.

I have to get this off my chest: this book was as predictable as they come.  The plotline came together exactly as predicted and the ending was a happily-ever-after vampire ending.  So yeah...  Why am I not giving it five stars considering the first two books were amazeballs?  Well....  All the traveling and walking and following in Sarren's footsteps.  Let's face it, the journey to the destination is sometimes very boring.  And I was bored until they hit Chicago.  And then stuff picked up a little bit better.  It was just meh, good story: that's what I expected...

Honestly, I loved the first two books of this series.  They were awesomely dark.  And then the third one came about and took away the darkness.  That's the only way I can describe it without saying anything spoil-worthy.  At least give the first book a try if you're one for vampires.

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Genre:  YA Paranormal Dystopian

Blood of Eden Series, Book 2

Julie Kagawa's website

Expected publication date:  April 30, 2013

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Goodreads):

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

First off, I have to say something about the cover.  It's not near as striking as the first book's cover.  So my main motivation to read this one came directly from the first book's plot.  Because holy crap, that was a good read!

We get to see more of the characters from the first book.  Kanin, Sarren, Zeke, a pesky little raider king, Salazar, and more that I don't really want to divulge in (because you might hit me with a shoe if I gave too much away).  This book works on adding dimension to these characters.  And like the first book, this book involves a journey.  A journey to find Sarren and beat the crap out of him (well not really, but I wish it were so).  More like trying to find a cure for the new Red Lung strain that's killing off the blood supply.

Honestly, I thought this book was alright while reading it.  In the back of my mind, I kept thinking, "That's it?!  Something else has to happen!  Something big that's going to blow me away!  Now happen, now!!!"  Well, it does happen.  And now I need to read the third one right now...  Grr...

Thanks goes to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for my review copy.

Challenges:  Paranormal Reading Challenge

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Genre:  YA Paranormal Dystopian

Blood of Eden Series, Book 1

Julie Kagawa's website

Expected publication date:  April 24, 2012

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description (taken from Goodreads):

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Aaah!  So you know how everyone has said this book is amazing?  All those awesome reviews you've seen that make you question whether or not you need to read this?  Let me tell you, this book lives up to all of that hype.  And then some!

It's not all that often that you get to read about vampires from a vampire's perspective.  And then those books don't always portray vampires as actual monsters.  This book?  I loved how vampiristic and realistic (even though we're in a world of vampires) it was.  Awesome!

I'm not going to say anything about the plot line because I think everyone should have the chance to read the book without knowing what's going to happen.  I'll only say this: don't get too attached to people.  My heart literally broke five times throughout the book.

Who would I recommend this book to?  Everybody!  Especially if you're a vampire fanatic like I am.  I believe I will have to read Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series now....

Thanks goes to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for providing me a review copy.

Challenges:  Young Adult Reading Challenge