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ctara2123's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Addiction, Drug use, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death of parent
xlaurareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Blood, Gun violence, Slavery, and Kidnapping
beautifulminutiae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Murder, Blood, Death, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Drug abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug use, and Confinement
Minor: Sexual content
leedolee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Cursing, Death, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
lisashelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Alcohol
annavdn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Major plot spoilers:
Small romance spoilers:
Another spoiler (TWs: Drug use and Addiction):
Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book despite the small issues I had with the book. I was very entertained and I look forward to the sequel.
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Addiction
cascannotread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a really fun new fantasy series based on Korean mythology. I actually wished the book incorporated a bit more mythology but it was enjoyable nonetheless, and I’m looking forward to the next instalment.
The Last of the Talons follows Shin Lina, allegedly the best assassin in the country/region. I say allegedly because for the most part she felt very unserious and immature for a supposed battle-worn assassin. Some of her so-called “tactics” felt cartoonish and amateurish. Her assassin skills aside, I did enjoy Shin Lina as a character and what of the most interesting parts of her story was her grief. Not to spoil too much but Lina suffers from survivor’s guilt. She starts the story haunted and broken, both physically and mentally and throughout the course of the story she learns to heal and find happiness again.
One thing that confused me about the story was the setting and time period. My e-arc did not have a map and I’m not sure if they added one in the finished copy but I feel it would be really helpful here. I never quite understood the geography and the different countries and regions of the world. At first I assumed the story was in a Joseon-like period but some of the descriptions about the other regions made the story feel like it was more modern.
Graphic: Addiction, Violence, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Confinement, Gore, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, and Blood
cw: substance abuse, gore, death, mutilation, grief, hallucinations, kidnapping, parental deathlydiareads247's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
"Last of the Talons" is Sophie Kim's debut book, consisting of a pied piper retelling mixed with korean mythology, and it has such a promising plot - it follows Shin Lina in an adventure to the magical realm of Dokkaebi, where she sees her path intertwined with the emperor's (the pied piper) and the revolution.
While I did enjoy the author's writing, I see room for improvement, especially regarding monologues. She does start to fix that towards the ending of the book. There is much more internal monologue at the beginning of the book, which made it a bit dull at times, but once the book picks up, it gets really interesting.
Some of the "plot twists" weren't really twists, I could see them coming a mile away, but I still enjoyed when they were revealed and the plot developed. There are really good fight scenes and dialogue and Lina is a captivating character and fighter.
I think the one thing I disliked the most (though this is only a personal preference, for others this may be their cup of tea) was the constant flashbacks. Until about half of the book, Lina has flashbacks regarding her time with the talons, until it eventually culminates in their murder and how it came to happen. Sometimes these flashbacks take up whole chapters. I understand they're important to the story and I enjoyed reading about the other talons, but I feel like it would have been better if the book started up when Lina was still with the talons - their loss would have been more significant and we would've had a chance to see Lina in a different environment and time in her life. Though, if it was so, then we wouldn't get to Rui until later in the book.
Haneul Rui is the emperor and love interest. The one bad thing I have to point out about him and his romance with Lina is the classic "hundred of years old man falls for 18 year-old girl" (even though it's said that "Rui is 20 in dokkaebi standards" - I can only forgive that if time in his realm works kind of like in Narnia? Then the age difference wouldn't have much meaning but I'm not sure that's how it works). If I overlook the age thing, I was capable of enjoying their romance, especially towards the final chapters.
And speaking of final chapters, the one thing I was shocked about in the book was the final fight and the revelation about Lina - and I really liked it. It changes a lot regarding her fight since she now has the upper hand and no one else is expecting it. And the plan she shares with Rui in how she plans her revenge... can't wait to see it unfold.
Added to that, there were some plot points left unanswered that I'm curious about so I will definitely be reading the next book. I'm also a sucker for sisterly bonds so I'm looking forward to seeing how Lina and Eunbi's bond develops and I'm curious about the gods and their abandonment of their realms (I don't know if we'll get any looks into that but I think that would be really interesting).
Overall, I think Sophie Kim has done a pretty good job. "Last of the Talons" is enjoyable, fun and pretty much everything you can expect for in a book that has an assassin for main character.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction
daniellestarredpages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Vomit, Death, Blood, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death of parent, Grief, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Addiction
ezwolf's review against another edition
I was intrigued by the plot description and I saw another review compare it to Guardian: A Great and Lonely God which is a show I adored, but even that wasn't enough for me to finish it. Aside from them being based on similar Korean lore, I didn't see the comparison and was extremely disappointed.
Lina was a frustrating and borderline annoying main character and none of the other characters appealed to me at all either. They were all dislikeable to me, even characters in Lina's flashbacks. I wanted to try and finish it at least for the sibling plot with Lina and her sister, but Lina's internal monologue was too frustrating to read about. It felt like a lot of telling instead of showing in regards to Lina's skills as an assassin and the way it was absolutely drilled in how much suffering Lina had gone through in a year and the cigarette and the sweets and the palace and the clothes, etc. were all so fancy. The reiteration wasn't needed. Maybe I'll pick this up someday and finish it to find out what happens to Lina's sister, but for now, I am okay not knowing.
I am still giving this two stars because I think it had potential in its plot and having fantasy stories based in other cultures is important and it might appeal to other people, but it wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Graphic: Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Blood, Confinement, and Death