Talon

October 13, 2014
Flame-haired Ember is a dragon and part of Talon, a secret organization of dragons who, throughout history, have taken human disguise both for self-preservation and to control human society. Garret belongs to the Order of St. George, an equally hidden militia whose purpose is to wipe Talon out of existence, dragon by dragon. When Ember and her twin brother, Dante, are sent to a California beach town to blend in with the local teens and begin rigorous Talon training, Garret and his fellow soldier, Tristan, are instructed to hunt and kill Ember without mercy. Garret, new to teenage freedoms, starts to fall for her, knowing he may have to eliminate her; meanwhile, the human in Ember is drawn to Garret, while the dragon in her favors Riley, a "rogue dragon" targeted by both Talon and St. George. Kagawa (the Iron Fey series) uses alternating points of viewâchapters shift among Ember, Garret, and Rileyâto good effect, weaving a dance of adolescent desire. It's a strong, promising start to the Talon Saga. Ages 14âup. Agent: Laurie McLean, Foreword Literary.

October 1, 2014
Dragons dwell among us in this contemporary romantic fantasy. Sixteen-year-old Ember and her twin brother, Dante, are dragon shape-shifters living in a world oblivious to their existence. Raised in secrecy and isolation by the ruthless dragon organization Talon, they've come to Crescent Beach for a summer of relative freedom to learn how to assimilate into human society. Restless and rebellious, Ember has been anticipating this summer for years, but it proves to be anything but carefree when she meets Riley, a dangerously appealing rogue dragon, and develops very undraconic feelings for Garret, a human boy she meets on the beach. Little does Ember know that Garret is a veteran soldier from the dragon-slaying Order of St. George, and his mission is to identify and assassinate any dragons hiding in Crescent Beach. Ember and Garret's star-crossed romance is par for the course for teen paranormal romances, as is Riley's role as a jealous rival, but readers swooning over the kisses are unlikely to complain about the familiarity. Kagawa rotates the first-person, present-tense narration among the three leads. Though the prose is often repetitive, the insight into their respective experiences is welcome, and Ember's and Garret's outsider perspectives on teen social rituals are reliably amusing. Fans of the genre will be happy to overlook this series opener's occasional lapses of style. (Paranormal romance. 14-18)

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September 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-In this fantasy set in present-day California, Ember and her twin, Dante, are sent to live with guardians in a beach town for the summer. It's supposed to be their last period of free time before they start training for their life's work. Ember and Dante are dragons, and Talon is the government agency that assigns their work, educates them, and makes sure they blend in well with their surroundings and fellow humans. Talon has an ancient enemy in St. George, a militia whose sole purpose is to seek and destroy all dragons. When Garrett, one of St. George's most promising soldiers, is sent to find a sleeper dragon in the same small beach town, he and Ember cross paths. With a rogue dragon as a catalyst, the two must sort through the truths they thought they knew about each other's sides-their lives depend on it. Ember is a strong-willed heroine who isn't afraid to take risks and questions the motives of those who run Talon. Her twin brother is much the opposite. The story is told in two parts, the first offering alternating perspectives from Garrett and Ember. The second includes the rogue dragon, which feels unnecessary and distracting. This modern-day fantasy with a splash of romance is an entertaining read. Kagawa weaves an evenly paced narrative with a strong theme of loyalty. Readers who have outgrown Christopher Paolini's Eragon (Knopf, 2003) and those who appreciate a good old-fashioned love triangle will enjoy this first installment of the saga.-Stephanie DeVincentis, Downers Grove North High School, IL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2014
Grades 8-11 After covering faeries in the Iron Fey series and vampires in the Blood of Eden series, Kagawa moves to dragons with this series starter. Hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, dragons learned to shift into human form and established Talon to infiltrate human society. Young dragon Ember has been sent to California with her brother Dante to practice being human before their final placement. While Dante has never questioned his place in Talon, Ember relishes the chance to be a carefree teenager for once. A run-in with Riley, a rogue who fled Talon, causes her to doubt her place in the organization. Meanwhile, Garrett, a skilled St. George soldier, arrives to hunt dragons and destroy them, only to find that Ember, his chief suspect, is not the ruthless killer he has been trained to expect. The militarized conflict between Talon and St. George provides plenty of excitement, but this is mostly a classic star-crossed romance between two (potentially three) people questioning long-held beliefs. And Kagawa knows just how to end a first volume for maximum cliff-hanger drama. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A major publicity campaignincluding blog tours, trade advertising, and social mediashould unleash this best-selling author's latest with dragonlike force.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)