Waiting on Wednesday (48): Talon

Waiting on WednesdayTalon: Talon #1 by Julie Kagawa

Book cover for Talon by Julie Kagawa

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they’re positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon’s newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember’s bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

WHAT WHAT WHAT!!!! So, I’ve known about TALON for a little while now. It went instantly on my radar because HOLY DRAGONSSSSSS. Like, honestly, though: I will be instantly drawn to books that even HINT at dragons. When I heard that Julie Kagawa was writing a series about dragons, I basically lost it. Her Iron Fey series is really the only faerie series I’ve ever truly enjoyed, so my hopes for this new series are super high.

Plus, OMG, this book has dragonslayers. No. I can’t with all this. There’s a PLOT for dragons to TAKE OVER THE WORLD. Get me the smelling salts. Please. I’m feeling light-headed right now.

TALON comes out on October 28, 2014 from Harlequin Teen

Talon

Waiting on Wednesday (43): The Copper Promise

Waiting on WednesdayThe Copper Promise by Jen Williams

Book cover The Copper Promise  Jen Williams

There are some far-fetched rumours about the caverns beneath the Citadel…

Some say the mages left their most dangerous secrets hidden there; others, that great riches are hidden there; even that gods have been imprisoned in its darkest depths.

For Lord Frith, the caverns hold the key to his vengeance. Against all the odds, he has survived torture and lived to see his home and his family taken from him … and now someone is going to pay. For Wydrin of Crosshaven and her faithful companion, Sir Sebastian Caverson, a quest to the Citadel looks like just another job. There’s the promise of gold and adventure. Who knows, they might even have a decent tale or two once they’re done.

But sometimes there is truth in rumour.

Soon this reckless trio will be the last line of defence against a hungry, restless terror that wants to tear the world apart. And they’re not even getting paid.

DRAGONSSSSSS. So I seem to be finding all of these books lately that aren’t available in the US. This is quite a large shame in the case of THE COPPER PROMISE because HELLOOOOO OMG, there be DRAGONS in this book. Not only dragons, but “hungry, restless” ones. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. (Sorry not sorry for the CAPSLOCK, friends.)

But aside from the dragons, I just love the sound of this one. There’s a quest (QUESTS!) and what sounds like some kind of crew of a mysterious nature–what IS the deal with Wydrin, Sebastian, and Lord Frith guys?–that my interest is BEYOND piqued. Kind of dying for this to come out on this side of the pond, friends.

THE COPPER PROMISE comes out February 13, 2014 from Headline in the UK

The Copper Promise

Book Review | Seraphina | Rachel Hartman

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Book Review | Seraphina | Rachel HartmanSeraphina by Rachel Hartman
Series: Seraphina #1
Published by Random House Children's Books on July 10, 2012
Genres: Dragons, Fantasy YA, Young Adult
Pages: 499
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
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five-stars

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

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