Talon

Well, I'd hoped for more after falling in love with Kagawa's

Blood of Eden series. Instead, we have a just-okay YA romance between a young dragon, a rogue dragon and a dragon hunter. I'm sure I'll eventually read ROGUE, but I'm in no rush at this point.

My hopes were set too high, that's for sure. But, overall it wasn't a terrible read, just terribly predictable.

Talon had a lot going for it. It had dragons, for one thing, a love triangle, and some interesting back and forth between siblings. What it lacked, however, was an original plot. A girl struggles against an oppressive society while the people around her tell her that she has no choice but to submit and play their game. Gee, haven't I read that somewhere before? Weren't dystopian novels so two years ago?

As a character, Ember is charming and, as per her name, very fiery. I suppose it suits that her brother is named Dante, as he descends into the hell she refuses to join. Unfortunately, while Ember has a temper, is loyal, and curious, she's not terribly bright. It took very little time for me to deduce that, toward the end of the book, telling anything sensitive to her brother would be a waste of time. He reminded me of Caleb Prior, in that respect.

The parallels between Talon and St. George are interesting. Both see their enemies as evil, heartless creatures that strike due to fear and a desire to control everything. Both dehumanize themselves, seeing that the human aspects are troublesome. Both deny their true natures or refuse to see the truth. Both kill traitors and both hold grudges. They also raise their children and indoctrinate them into society. The parallels help make the book enjoyable...if a little narrowly focused.

The third side of this, the rogue's side, presents a more compelling argument. When both sides are terrible, it always helps to have a third opinion. Yet the reader is always invited to find the mysterious stranger attractive, because he always has a haunted past and an uncertain future. He's the rebel with a cause. The main character is supposed to fall for him...and for her enemy.

Talon is boilerplate in that respect. We anticipate the love triangle, the eventual betrayals, and the pendulum swings between comrades. We realize that partnerships don't outlast ideals and that "brainwashed" people are only as good as their conditioning. However, it does argue, rather disappointingly, that one cannot outgrow one's conditioning or, if one does so, one cannot expect to have support while doing it.

Part of the reason I held out hope for

Talon is that it reminded me of

American Dragon: Jake Long. We have the dragon upholding his/her tradition and then the Huntsman/St. George threatening to slay all dragons. Then, of course, the Huntsgirl and the dragon fall in love, etc.

I enjoyed this book, in that the pacing was good and it kept me interested. However, in terms of everything else...it fell flat. Compared to The Immortal Rules trilogy, it especially failed to impress.

I'll read

Rogue when it comes out and hope that it'll be better. Or, in the very least, less predictable.