Last of the Talons
-
- £4.49
Publisher Description
Epic Reads Pick for The 30 Must-Read YA Books for the Rest of 2022
BookRiot Pick for 12 Amazing Asia-Inspired Fantasy Books
“Last of the Talons is a stunning blend of dark romance and Korean mythology. Sophie Kim writes enemies to lovers with heart-pounding intensity, blurring the line between love and hate. Bloodthirsty, addictive, and searingly romantic.” —Axie Oh, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
After the destruction of her entire Talon gang, eighteen-year-old Shin Lina—the Reaper of Sunpo—is forced to become a living, breathing weapon for the kingdom’s most-feared crime lord. All that keeps her from turning on her ruthless master is the life of her beloved little sister hanging in the balance. But the order to steal a priceless tapestry from a Dokkaebi temple incites not only the wrath of a legendary immortal, but the beginning of an unwinnable game…
Suddenly Lina finds herself in the dreamlike realm of the Dokkaebi, her fate in the hands of its cruel and captivating emperor. But she can win her life—if she kills him first.
Now a terrible game of life and death has begun, and even Lina's swift, precise blade is no match for the magnetic Haneul Rui. Lina will have to use every weapon in her arsenal if she wants to outplay this cunning king and save her sister...all before the final grain of sand leaks out of the hourglass.
Because one way or another, she'll take Rui's heart.
Even if it means giving up her own.
The Talons series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Last of the Talons
Book #2 Wrath of the Talon
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The sole survivor of street gang Talon following a mission gone wrong, 18-year-old assassin Shin Lina is interested only in keeping her younger sister, Enubi, safe. Enubi is the sole reason that Lina now willingly works for Konrarnd Kalmin, head of the rival gang responsible for her previous comrades' deaths. At Kalmin's behest, she steals an ancient tapestry from the abandoned Temple of Ruins, a former place of worship for the Pied Piper who once ruled over the mortal and immortal, or Dokkaebi, realms. Soon after, the immortal Piper himself abducts Kalmin in retribution and issues Lina a challenge: if she can kill Piper, Kalmin will walk free. Though the task is seemingly impossible task, the gang's holding Enubi hostage forces Lina to comply. But as she ventures into the Dokkaebi realm, she realizes it will take more than daggers to take out Piper—especially when her budding feelings for him complicate matters. Lackluster characterization and patchy plotting dampen the impact of Kim's intriguing series-opening debut, but vivid worldbuilding and an action-packed resolution capably set the stage for the sequel of this inviting foray into Korean myth and legend. An author's note concludes. Ages 14–up.
