ReadingBifrost

In the first installment of Talon we are introduced to a variety of characters and their organizations.

First off we have Talon. Every dragon (other than rogues) is a part of Talon, which seems to be operated as more of a company than a government. Dragons are tested as they grow and given jobs based on the results.

The Order of St. George is a militant group that has hunted dragons for centuries; their soldiers being young as most don’t live past twenty.

Ember and Dante Hill are clutch mates, extremely rare case among dragons when more than one egg is lain at a time.

Ember is all fire and flames. She’s resentful toward Talon and her instructors for keeping her and her brother locked away in hiding for their studies. She wants their promised summer, the one chance all dragons get to be free before Talon assimilates them into a role that’s already been chosen.

Garret is a soldier of St. George sent as a spy to find the “sleeper” dragon in the same coastal town Ember and Dante are assigned to. Much like the dragons, he grew up out of society and isn’t sure how to blend in well among civilians for this mission. Ember’s fiery attitude immediately catches his attention among the potential sleepers.

Ember was told she couldn’t feel human emotions, but she is. Garret starts to lose focus on his mission. Enter: Riley, a rouge dragon that makes Ember question everything she knows about Talon.

The beginning of the story was rather slow in starting, but once you get past the information dumps it really starts moving. Most of the characters are shrouded in mystery; except for Ember who really is an open book for anyone to read. The others keep at least a few cards close to themselves, but Embers lays them all at the table.

The biggest mystery of all is the secrets behind Talon and the Order of St. George, as both organizations seem to have secrets from their own operatives (what secret organization doesn’t?).

Overall, Talon is a good start to a promising series. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a bit of conspiracy theories with their urban fantasy.