Doctor's Notes Review

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This book was one that I was waiting on for a while so when I got a chance to listen to it for review I was so excited. I am a huge fan of the author's work but I have to say this one wasn't as good to me as her other works. The narrator did a good job of bringing this story to life and making Ember and her brother Dante more than just the dragons that they were. They became way more human and as I continued to listen to the story I started to see just how misunderstood they really were. I was quickly interested in learning more about Talon and what they were really about because I knew it was more that they were hiding.



Ember and Dante soon adjust to living life as humans but still training with Talon. Ember even makes friends along the way some of them being Riley and Garret. I liked Riley from the start and liked that he encouraged Ember to be who and what she was but Garrett made her a better person also. I could quickly see the author was going to go the love triangle route but in this case it made sense and I was ok with it. I found myself torn between the boys too and the narrator made them both so different and unique. The book was pretty fast paced and I listened to it fairly quickly and was surprised at how fast I finished it.



Overall this was an ok audio listen but it wasn't due to the narration because that was spot on. I just felt that alot of them book was predictable and early on I figured out how things would play out. In short it was an ok listen but nothing that blew me away. The characters were ok but I wasn't that invested in them but regardless with the way things ended I will have to get the next book in the series. If you are looking for an ok listen but one full of awesome narration then you may want to check this one out.

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28 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

OK book for teenage girl but not for me.

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OK book for teenage girl but not an adult. It\s nore a mushy love story than a syFy book. I wanted a book about dragons not a lovesick girl.

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25 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Angsty teenage fluff

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I thought that the reader did a fine job. Nothing outstanding, but it was a decent performance. The story however, was severely lacking. It was very much just teenage angst. It was all about a teenage girl who doesn't communicate with her guardians, so she thinks the world is against her. As a result she falls in love in a cliche Romeo and Juliet scenario. The main character is different from those around her, which is always true of a main character, but they never explain why. The entire book is just her whining about how everybody hates her and her life so hard. Then the book ends. Huge disappointment.

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19 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Unrealistic premise. No, not the dragon part

The basis of the story- sending an elite soldier, a proven, tested, battle forged killer, on an undercover assignment to seduce a girl; of which he has no training for , or life experience to support is just stupid. No organization would do that. It sours the story.

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16 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Satisfactory from a Contemp YA Romance standpoint

Going in, I knew that this audiobook was probably going to be a letdown given how the reviews were stacking up, but I got it as a daily deal, so no big. The blurb is misleading with its “groundbreaking modern fantasy series” because Sophie Jordan wrote a very similar story back in 2010 with FIRELIGHT. Those points aside, Julie Kagawa has been on my radar for a while, and I love dragons. Overall, I did enjoy TALON from a Contemporary Young Adult Romance standpoint even though it was super predictable, and not overly avant-garde.

The love triangle was a given; book 1 focused on the ‘forbidden boy’, and if the author stays true to the YA course, 2 will be about Ember’s dragon’s mate, and the conclusion will be her making the inevitable choice. Oh wait, there are five volumes planned, so expect a few filler installments in-between. Still, I liked Garret. My #1 gripe with this novel was the absence of dragons. TALON (the organization) is all about assimilation, and the author fixated on that; there were a total of four shapeshifts, and two of them happened in tandem at the end.

I enjoyed the alternating POVs because they allowed listeners to come to their own conclusions about each of the characters, and went a long way towards establishing their back stories. Ember’s on her way to being a hellraiser with her defiant nature, and relentless quest for the truth. The plot did have some noticeable holes in it though like for instance TALON’s pathetic attempts at hiding their sleepers. Dead parents, recent transplants, and draconic names were major red flags, and made it almost too easy for St. George to track them down.

The narration was this audio’s strongest suit with three seasoned performers; all were new to me, but that didn’t stop me from being dazzled by their deliveries. As the lead, Caitlin Davies captured the heroine’s teenaged voice to perfection; my only criticism of her was her pronunciation of ‘room.’ It was quite noticeable because the word appears repeatedly, and she didn’t enunciate the second O. MacLeod Andrews was a pivotal factor in me being pro-Garret early on, and Chris Patton’s role was minor, so I won’t weigh-in on his narration just yet.

TALON didn’t soar, but it didn’t crash & burn either—typical YA.~3.5 stars

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16 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Far Fetched, Cheesy, Cliche

I have a high tolerance for bad YA Lit. I've stomached my fair share of stories about vampires, fallen angels and random fantasy characters.

But now dragons? Really? This plot was silk-thin.

The characters were one-dimensional. The world-building was sparse. The story was predictable. I couldn't finish this book and I don't care what happens next in the series.

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15 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Breath of fresh air...

The narrators made this story so much more enjoyable. The characters were written well for the age group represented and the storyline itself brought a really interesting spin to a dragon story. Preordering the next book right away. This looks to be a very promising new series.

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14 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Kagawa + Dragons = Brilliant!

The good: The world building - even though it seemed slow sometimes, I really got a feel for the characters and the world. I was left with a ton of questions about "Talon" and it's purpose with it's dystopian-like insidious society and I can't wait to learn more about it.

The characters- Most of the characters seemed authentic and I always love that Kagawa doesn't take it easy on them. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, her main characters get the crap kicked out of them which makes it easy for me empathize with them and root for them throughout the story.

The action - once the plot started moving - there was dragon fire and bullets flying and daring escapes that kept me up long into the night finishing this audio!

The Bad: BOTH of my pet peeves - a love triangle and a cliffhanger ending. Ugh. But I guess I can't have it all.

It was still worth waiting for. I loved it - can't wait to read the next.

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14 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Just another twilight... Not my style! :/

This to me was just another Twilight saga.
I think that it makes the girls look helpless and the guys overbearing. I like a more healthy outlook on relationships.
The performance was good though. The way that it was read was very captivating. well done!

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13 les gens ont trouvé cela utile

Amazing, Romantic and Dragons!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because it's a great story with great and gripping narrators that brings the story to life.

What other book might you compare Talon to and why?

It's nothing like I've ever read before. This is not the first book I've read with different points of view but it is the first that involves dragons.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Caitlin Davies, I'm familiar with from Penryn and the End of Days and MacLeod Andrews from The Iron Knight. Both of them I love. Chris Patton is new and I like him.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, but it was gripping and I couldn't wait to read again once I stopped at a chapter.

Any additional comments?

I love this new series by Julie Kagawa. She is an amazing writer. I also love the narrators. They bring the characters to life and hope they continue to read the series.

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11 les gens ont trouvé cela utile