I am so glad that I was able to read this book as an arc through NetGalley. This book absolutely blew me away. I expected to like it but it exceeded my expectations. The setting was great and I loved the mythology mixed in there. This is definitely a great read for fantasy lovers.

Lina was my absolute favorite. I loved seeing her work her way through her grief and her will to push forward for her sister. I enjoyed her witty banter with Rui. She was an absolute pleasure as a female lead. I also enjoyed seeing pieces of her past. I do wish the transitions were a bit better. I was confused at first until I got used to the flashbacks.

I liked Rui a lot too. He tried to have this cocky persona and maybe that was real, but he never gave me an icky feeling towards the female lead like some male leads do in other enemies to lovers books. I liked seeing how he handled his own grief in a different way from Lina and how they moved to understand each other.

I enjoyed the plot. The idea of this emperor feeling so much pain that he proposes a game with an assassin to kill him was very interesting. I do kind of wish Lina was able to take more action in the game even though there was more going on. It didn't feel too high stakes for me despite her wanting to get back to save her sister.

Overall, I am definitely purchasing a copy for my shelf and definitely recommend it for fantasy lovers and for those that like the enemies-to-lovers trope. I am already super excited to read the next book when it eventually comes out and any other titles by this author.

This review is scheduled to go live on 9/1/22 on my blog, Goodreads, Amazon, and TikTok

A fast, easy and engaging read in the vein of young adult fantasy. Although not a particular stand-out, and the plotting and characterisations could have done with more polishing, it's a solid enough debut.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I would rate this as a 3.5/5.
The Last of the Talons has a good hook. I was interested in the protagonist right away, and intrigued by the idea of an assassin who also happened to have a severe leg injury. That weakness in particular stood out, and how she had to overcome pain in order to pull off her heist. Where I am disappointed is that she really felt flat to me. Lina is supposed to be the best assassin in the kingdom and a very good thrift. Yet, she’s been starving and working for the rival gang whom she hates? Why is she not stealing food or weapons? Why has she been basically a murder slave for a year instead of slipping away to rescue her sister, something she plans to do instead of save her evil gang boss at one point?
There are a lot of issues like this that bothered me while reading. More development of her skills or entrapment may have helped, or perhaps she shouldn’t be the best assassin or their, which would make the bargain of needing to kill the Emperor a higher stakes issue.
With that in mind, Lina’s characterization left more to be desired. She is clearly supposed to be a Strong Female Character but she doesn’t seem dynamic enough to keep my interest. The other female characters also have a very one-dimensional fate as well: the twins are the seductive temptress trope, the rival female gang leader femme fatale (also sleeping with the gang boss), and Hana is haughty and aloof. A bit more time developing their personalities (and the men’s) would have made this story so much better.
I was excited to read a Korean Fantasy, but what I got was just another Fae King and his court that is lightly repackaged. It doesn’t feel particularly special, but it could be.
A minor annoyance for me was that Ruis’s horse was described as a stallion twice, but also a mare with feminine pronouns. I felt irrationally crazy over this, I’ll admit.
I think the major ideas of this book are really good and with a little more characterization and world building it would be so much better.

i loved this book. i enjoyed myself the entire time.

everything that was promised in marketing — enemies to lovers, knife to throat, who did this to you, etc— happened and it hits me so much i might have slightly went insane.

lina and rui gave me judecardan vibes if judecardan ever learned how to communicate. it's them and it's a reason why i fell for them.

aside from the romance, the family aspect of the book made me tear up a bunch of times. i can write a novel how beautiful and heartbreaking the dynamics are.

however, the book is far from perfect. lina made so many mistakes that did not make sense. it is as if it was done to push the plot, taking me out from the book.

excluding that, i love the story and i cannot wait for the sequel

This YA fantasy from author Sophie Kim was an action-packed adventure!

Last of the Talons is the story of Lina, an assassin sent to murder an emperor to protect her sister. Lina is a seemingly fearless bad-ass who is grounded by her love and loyalty to her family. I enjoyed reading about her trials, and Rui was such an amazing counterbalance to Lina, I loved them together!

Also the whole realm of the Dokkaebi was so unique, I really liked how it was fleshed out.

I really enjoyed this YA fantasy!

I saw this book first in one instagram account which talk about YA books. But, for me this book feels like a MG book...
Okay,
first thing first, I am really in love with the book cover. What a stunning illustration!!!
To be honest, I am not a person who hooked with korean culture, and, this book makes me falling in love with korean myth. I really love Lina character, I love her development. But, somehow, I can guess the twist.
Afterall, Last of The Talons is such a good book. I think I'm gonna preorder mine. (I MEAN LOOK AT THE COVER!!)

I’d like to thank Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for giving me an e-arc. I am giving this review voluntarily as well as honestly.

Last of the Talons had me absolutely hooked. I was constantly wondering what would happen next and I had to force myself to put it down. When I wasn’t reading it, I would be thinking about all the possibilities of how things would turn out. I read this book at any moment I could spare, there was times where I was reading it on my thirty minute lunch break.

The main character, Shin Lina, is an absolute boss. She’s strong, both mentally and physically. She’s a character I found myself constantly rooting for, no matter the situation she was in. Despite her strong personality, she’s not so strong that she doesn’t have weaknesses. Oh boy, she has them, but it was interesting to watch her overcome them and struggle with herself.

For the all things that I had predicted, there was double amount of twists I didn’t see coming. Sophie Kim did an an amazing job at surprising me and the fact that the things that happened wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. The storyline and lore really interested me. I’m not very familiar with Korean mythology, but this book makes me want to read up on it.

I highly recommend this book if you’re into fantasy and strong female leads. The romance in this book isn’t the main focus, but it definitely isn’t lacking. I’m not going to spoil anything, but the romance interest, I absolutely love him. I’m so excited to see what’s coming next with the next book in this series.

I was so super excited to have been approved for this book. The cover is gorgeous, and the blurb really drew me in. While it wasn’t a horrible read, I’m not sure I’ll read it again; it needs just a little more structuring of the plot!

I received an earc of this book, all opinions are my own.

Not for me. At all. So, here’s my thoughts.

What I liked:
The cover was awesome. Loved that. I also thought the overall synopsis had promise and was interesting. The ideas were great.

What I didn’t like:
The execution of those ideas. There was a SEVERE lack of dialogue. So much description. Even though there was a lot of that, the worldbuilding wasn’t really there and I never felt immersed.

The main character was so immature. She was a bit whiny and I felt like the fact that she smoked and that was an issue throughout the book (talked about in lots of scenes) was like a child playing grown up. Put her up against immortals and she became even more young/childlike. Which resulted in the romance really not working.

There was also a lack of positive or healthy relationships. No good friendships or romance chemistry. The best relationships were done in flashbacks that were confusing me as to why they were needed. It took up A LOT of the book and served very few purposes other than to make me wish for different characters/romance in the present.

Overall, it was a good storyline but extremely bad execution.

Last of the Talons is perfect for those who enjoy middle grade adventure books. Perfect for anyone who enjoys enemies to lovers !!

Ohhh boy this book was good. Like, real, real good in ways I did not expect it to be. Packed with adventure, beautiful world building, and some of the most human characters I've read in a long while, this book is a brilliant read.

While the kick off of this novel was a little slow going, by about 30% I was absolutely hooked. The way in which Lina's story unfolds is unique, with flashbacks showing her past in such a unique and well-utilized way. Sometimes backtracking can be a little odious to the plot, but Kim wove Lina's past in so beautifully, it was peak storytelling. As far as the characters go, I think Kim did an incredible job writing diverse, emotional people who you cannot help but sympathize with and love. Lina was such an interesting character whose flaws and past make her intriguing. Rui was of the same kind, someone with layers you cannot wait to unwrap and see what you're going to get next. And the ending set up a next book beautifully, in a way that made this plot feel wrapped up, but the next story is definitely one I cannot wait to read.

I honestly don't have any complaints about this book, outside of the fact that multiple times a female horse is referred to as a stallion instead of a mare. That is my singular complaint on this book.

Highly recommend, cannot say it enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed reading this book! Especially considering that it is a debut novel... I say this with complete candor, I was really impressed. I binged it in (mostly) one sitting.

Two things first drew me to it: first, the cover (is it not beautiful?), and second, the Korean aspect. I'm Korean American myself, and for the most part, I found the integration of Korean mythology and phrases smooth. However, I fear that many will find some of the words jarring and perhaps like total nonsense. Korean is not exactly the most legible when romanized. I think the Korean words used can at times benefit from additional English description.

I liked the characters, especially the protagonist. Lina feels realistic to me. Intrinsically, she is a girl struggling to survive, weighed down by grief, responsibility, and--- this I found particularly intriguing--- addiction. The way these three are tied are really well done and definitely poked at my own emotions. I liked Rui, too. Really, I don't think there's much to dislike about him. He's just equally understanding as he is fun!

I definitely have my own reservations. It felt a bit strange that Rui was so understanding of her or forward in spending time with her from the start. As a king, I couldn't help but think that he had better things to do. I also understand that he wanted to give her full reign of assassination, but when he found out she had gone to the river to get the berries, he should've stepped in. At that point it endangered his whole court. I also find it strange the Lina really did believe that the rebellion was only 3 people... was she not part of a gang herself, fully knowledgeable of what it takes?

Despite my criticisms, I did like the book. I would give it 3.5/5 stars. I applaud Sophie Kim for writing a rich, beautiful world and an engrossing journey! I look forward to anything more she will write in the future

It's been a long time since I stayed up till 2 AM to finish a book, but you bet I did for The Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim.

I'm OBSSESSED. THIS is how you do enemies to lovers. THIS is how you write morally gray characters. THIS is everything I needed and more.

I'm not sure what I loved more: the witty banter, strong female MC, portrayal of coping with immense grief and trauma, action and adventure, Korean mythology and lore, steamy romantic tension, touch-her-and-I'll-kill-you love interest, beautiful worldbuilding, or heartbreaking backstory...

It's not without its small flaws of pacing, suddenly convenient magic, or harping a few things into the ground; but nevertheless, I could not put this book down.

This seriously has it all, and I'm hooked. It's not even out yet, but I'm already very patiently awaiting the next book so I can dive back into the world of the Dokkaebi.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last of the Talons was absolutely amazing from beginning to end. I loved the Korean mythology and how Lina was a tenacious fighter who did everything she could to protect her younger sister from harm. I liked how each chapter featured snippets of what happened that resulted in Lina being the last of the Talons and how she was forced to work for the enemy. Rui and Lina's relationship was also another highlight to the story, and I loved the underlying theme of revenge. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC, I cannot wait to read the sequel.

***Received an advance copy via NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This well crafted story, “Last of the Talons”, by first time author Sophie Kim was a pleasure to read. Offering a peek of another lands myths and beliefs blended with action, guilt, loss, revenge, and a dash of romance.
The strong female heroine, Shin Lina finds herself adopted into the Talon gang when she and her baby sister were tragically orphaned then turned out of their home when she is fourteen. She manages to get her little sister to a school in the mountains and away from the life in the city while she trains as a skilled assassin for her gang, becoming the Reaper of Sunpo.
Tragedy strikes again four years later when she is forced to work for a brutal master of the rival gang who destroyed her gang. She must steal a jeweled tapestry from a temple to protect her sister’s life, only to come to the attention of a vengeful immortal and be whisked to his realm.
She will need to bargain with her life and survive no matter what she needs to do to win back her freedom to return to her realm before her time in either realm runs out. Of course while trying to win her freedom and survive she will need to keep reminding herself not to fall for her fascinating captor.

I recommend this story if you like action, plots within plots, a little romance, and a telling of myths.

YIKES.

I was really excited to read this book and within the first few chapters I saw the downfall was imminent. I love books that have more dialogue than not. And it took 5 chapters for any major dialogue to actually start occurring. This became a theme throughout that made me start passing over paragraphs of incongruous information.

With an enemies to lovers romance I was hoping to latch on to, I was let down here as well. Lina continually came off as immature while Rui was really into her, but without a good basis for the attraction? These two did not connect well, but apparently he wanted to kiss her from the moment he saw her and I don’t believe it for a second.

The relationships (platonic and not) weren’t here either. I wanted to see Lina have one friend, a true bond, someone for her to move forward with and nobody became that person for her. The side characters were one dimensional and only placed in to further the plot occasionally.

There’s other issues I had with some of the sub-plots and OH, YES. The flashback chapters?! Were always out of nowhere and had no merit into the current timeline. Instead of showing us Lina’s character as the book progressed, random flashbacks were thrown in to show that she used to have a found family? IT DID NOT WORK.

Anyways, I’m frustrated with this book clearly. High hopes were dashed and I won’t be continuing the series.

Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: make-outs & an implied night together
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of friends, murder, kidnapping, poisoning, near drowning and other near death experiences, weapons violence

LAST OF THE TALONS is a lush and enchanting YA fantasy. Lina is known as the Reaper of Sunpo, a title bestowed upon her as the assassin of the Talons, a gang in Sunpo. After a terrible night for which she feels responsible, her gang was destroyed and she was captured by the Blackbloods from whom she is forced to work under threat of her little sister's life. After being forced to steal and destroy a tapestry from a Dokkaebi temple, she incurs the wrath of the Dokkaebi emperor, the Pied Piper.

When she is captured and taken into the Dokkaebi realm, she is offered a chance to save her own life - she must kill the Pied Piper within 14 days or her life is forfeit. If she dies, her little sister will be too, at the hands of the Blackbloods. As she spends time with Pied Piper, Lina will find herself in the middle of rebellion as well caught between her task and her heart.

What I loved: This is a lush fantasy with plenty of atmosphere and world-building. The mythology and folklore around Sunpo and the Dokkaebi was fascinating, and we learn some of it through stories and information passed during the story. This larger context was so important to building and understanding humanity, the Dokkaebi, and their shared history.

Lina is a really compelling character. She is dealing with grief, angst, and a broken heart from the loss of the Talons and the ways in which her life has changed and is challenged. Her life has been revolving around self-recrimination, hate, and a fierce need to protect her sister for so long. As she experiences the Dokkaebi realm and gets to know Rui, she begins to find other purposes, and her changing perspectives challenge her in new ways. Her character growth throughout the story really endears her to the reader, as she begins to take account and control over her life and her plans. This also lends itself to a strong romance, and I loved the dark and angsty build of it all, caught in a cat-and-mouse game with rules that neither seems to fully understand - an incendiary relationship building into an inferno.

Rui is also a fascinating character, and his story is building as he tells it to Lina. There is still a lot that we as the reader do not yet know, and I am curious to understand more of the separation between the worlds and the sacrifices made that have led to his role as the Piper. Although the reader gets tidbits, more story is clearly forthcoming, and I am so excited to see that this will a series, so we can learn more in the future.

The main plot is riveting with themes of family, loss/guilt, survival, the power of the heart, the importance of self-determination, what really makes a monster, trust, and healing. The lush world-building and setting of Sunpo, the Dokkaebi realm, as well as another realm which we glimpse later, create a really strong and potent story that will consume the reader. The pace is really perfect, balancing between the background, present, and action/adventure so well. This is a book that hooks the reader from the start and keeps them turning pages until the end.

Fans of dark, angsty romance reads with a fascinating plot and world will definitely need to pick this one up. Although it is part of a series, the major plots of this first book are wrapped up, so there is not a huge cliffhanger. I really appreciated this as it is a very satisfying conclusion to the first book, and I cannot wait to see where these characters and world will go and what will happen next.

Final verdict: With lush world-building and compelling characters, LAST OF THE TALONS is an unforgettable YA fantasy with elements of adventure, romance, and mystery that are sure to thrill readers. Highly recommend for fans of THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US, RAYBEARER, DANCE OF THIEVES, and TO KILL A KINGDOM.

Please note that I received an eARC. All opinions are my own.

4,5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

As a person who’s not familiar with the original mythology, I very much appreciated the author’s note at the beginning of the book, as Sophie Kim tells the reader, this story has creative spins in many aspects and is not intended to be a Korean mythology guide of any sorts. With that being said, you can still tell that the author cares deeply about it and did the necessary research on the topics.
Last of the Talons is an epic fantasy retelling of the Pied Piper tale that tackles Korean mythology, missing gods, dokkaebi, other realms and more. It is action packed, deals with grief and has an actual enemies to lovers romance.
After seeing herself stuck in Gyeulcheon, the dokkaebi realm, for stealing a precious tapestry Lina makes a deal with Rui who gives her fourteen days to kill him, an immortal emperor, if she is to return to Sunpo with the boss who she hates but works with in order to keep her little sister safe.
Lina is a badass, you can feel it from the beginning and it is confirmed as the story progress and you also dive into her past when she was part of the Talons gang. She is determined to kill Rui, even with him being immortal and sometimes trying to distract her from her goal with diners by the moonlight, dances at balls, horse rides to his favorite places in Gyeulcheon and more.
You are literally thorn between rooting between her finally killing him and wishing they kissed already.
As it happens with many fantasy books the end was a little rushed, but I enjoyed it all the same. It did set up many possibilities for the story to continue. It is a great debut, Sophie Kim’s writing flows amazingly and left me looking forward to read more from her.

I was a little put off by the cover. I felt like it looked like a middle grade book. Just a personal opinion probably steming from my dislike of the colors yellow and green together, but this book was soo good. It completely took me by surprise. The MC was fierce and loyal to her sister and clan in a way that is truly admirable. The story line vaguely reminds me of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea but with way more action and in depth story line. I am defiant getting a copy for my book shelf when it releases

A really great read!
Female assassin and a God. I'm new to Korean Mythology but it was perfectly weaved into an enjoyable plot. Can't wait for the next book in this series!