This was a great sequel to Last Of The Talons! There was so much packed into this story and I loved seeing how the plot and characters developed from book 1. I cannot get over the ending of this book and the next book cannot come out soon enough. I’m definitely invested into this story and need to know what happens next. I definitely recommend picking up this twisty fantasy series.

These characters captured my heart in the first novel – an assassin willing to sacrifice anything for those she loves, and a feared emperor who actually possesses a heart of gold.

I’m always up for a good revenge tale. After her found family is slaughtered in book one and her little sister is threatened, Shin Lina has more than enough cause to take that path. She’s now returned to Sunpo where she was previously known as The Reaper until presumed dead. With her sister safe at the palace with Rui, gathering allies to help her take down the evil Kalmin and steal his throne are her primary concerns. Except with the Imugi venom in her blood, Lina… isn’t quite herself. She listens and speaks to voices no one else can hear. She’s transforming, and it’s an agonizing spiral.

The first 15-20% of the novel moved a little slowly for my taste, but then pacing picked up quickly. I enjoyed meeting the new characters. Iseul is amusing and delightfully devious. Seojin was a surprise, but immediately likeable. I hope to see more of him in the next novel. Rui is still a sweetheart, but he’s put in an impossible position and forced to make equally impossible choices.

That ending? Such pain and agony. The author might as well have ripped out my heart and then taken a chainsaw to it. I’m angry, but also in awe of how it dramatically alters the story and is a perfect setup for book three.

Do I really need to say I need the next book right now? Highly recommended for fans of Korean mythology, action-packed revenge tales, and gut-wrenching twists.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Entangled: Teen for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars rounded up!

TL;DR: Holy wow, this was a sequel! That ending had me floored because no way was that the choice! Author!! The way you built up hope is illegal!!! I can’t remember the last time I was so thrilled by the second book in a trilogy but this, to me, did not suffer from that dreaded second/middle book syndrome. Perhaps it’s because I went in with lowered expectations having thought the first book was okay; however, I think the writing, plot, and character development were sharper and I’m happy to see that author growth. With such high stakes and a whole lot of tension and angst, this sequel got me invested in this series and after that ending, I can’t wait for the finale!

There is a lot that happens in this sequel and while we don’t get much new world-building, we do get to learn more Korean mythology about Imugi, Dokkaebi and the Gods. I loved it so much! Even though serpents terrify me, and reading about them gave me slithery nightmares, their myth added more to the story. Plus, this weaves in lore about the “red thread of fate”—which is one of the reasons why I love East Asian-inspired fantasy so much, especially if there’s a romance involved. It’s one of my favourite bits of East Asian lore and I loved the twist Kim brings to it in this story! I’ve never heard of this side of the lore before so I’m not sure if it’s part of it, but it makes so much sense and it not only made it so freaking painful to hope, but it also raised the stakes!

And speaking of that, not only have the stakes doubled but so has the tension and angst! The closer we got to the end, the more each page felt fraught with agonising tension and I both loved and hated it. The story picks up almost immediately from where book one ends and if you thought that Lina’s roiling emotions were intense then, you haven’t seen anything yet! From the very first chapter, her frothing rage and thirst for vengeance is palpable and it was actually kind of thrilling, lol. Kim very aptly dedicates this to the angry girls because there is a lot of that here and while it can be draining, I think the author maintains it on a level that’s not overwhelming.

But while the emotion does play a big part in our MC’s character arc—in more ways than one here—what I appreciated seeing was the growth in her to do better and to be good. Lina wasn’t happy with who she became and what she was made to do by the Blackbloods and she is genuine in her motivation to atone and help create a better life for the people of Sunpo. She’s still headstrong, occasionally rash, and driven by bloodthirsty revenge, but I liked that she was able to look beyond herself to recognise that those destructive emotions wouldn’t help her create the peaceful world she wants. So, I was honestly a bit sad when all of that intention was obliterated by the power that quite literally is growing within her; but I (grudgingly) understand why the author decided to do it this way. This aspect of the story is not one that I read often (mild spoiler: it’s to do with possession/an entity that takes over a mind/body without consent) and although I found it enraging and frustrating, I’m quite sure that was the author’s intention and I wasn’t meant to empathise with the Voice.

My heart broke for Lina as she fought what at times felt like a losing battle to keep herself out of the clutches of a great and ruthless evil. The author did a great job giving a distinct voice and personality to, well, the Voice. I despised it and was terrified by it in turn. This part of Lina's story challenges the concept of fate. Even if there is a fork in the road which presents two possible outcomes and you could go down either road, if something is already predetermined and fated to happen, just how much can you influence change, if truly at all? Ugh, I had love/hate feelings about how it all came full circle at the end! 😂

Another character I grew to love but also felt so sorry for in this sequel is Rui, Emperor of the Dokkaebi. He has such a delicate and gentle soul and it was clear he would do anything to save Lina. I also loved his affection for Eunbi. 🥹 Despite having his council and close friends, it felt like he went through this torturous journey alone and my heart hurt for him! I’m glad that we were treated to more of his POV, as well as that of the others through interludes told in the third person. We would often get multiple perspectives in these interludes, often without clear demarcations or transitions between views, which was admittedly confusing at times. But it did bring more to the story that I found lacking in the first book and I hope that it continues in the finale especially now that we know which direction this story takes.

That ending pretty much shattered me and I'm genuinely terrified for what's going to come next. It's not going to be good but it's going to be great and I hope the author surprises us and delights us with an incredible finale. This was a thrilling second book in the trilogy and I would recommend it if you enjoyed the first book or are looking for a stabby, revengeful Asian-inspired fantasy with a bloodthirsty MC and interesting lore!

n Sunpo, everyone believes Shin Lina, the 18 year old assassin, is dead. With the Imugi venom in her, she returns stronger, seeking vengeance for the death of loved ones. With new powers and a voice guiding her against her will, she aims to overthrow Kalmin and claim the kingdom back, while dealing with complicated feelings for Rui, the Dokkaebi Emperor. Yet, her destiny to rule and bound by fate, they could end in destruction or love.

I enjoyed reading the first book and I liked this one as well! Lina sometimes falters as the great assassin she’s known to be, but her persistence, empathy, and strength does shine through the resistance against the voice at times. Rui have secrets to hide and fears that what he reveals with result in losing Lina. However, he’s also incredibly supportive and he’s head over heels for Lina. He adores her despite the changes she’s been through involving the imugi. Their romance was endearingly bittersweet!

Overall, the author’s writing is strong and it captivated me into her story through the characters and plot! Since this has the enemies to lovers trope, that was extra points!

4.5/5

WARNING: I apologize for the passion that might reflect in this review.

3....2....1

REVENGE PLOTTTTTT!!!! LET'S GOOOOOO!!! WAIT WHAAAAAATTT?
The last time a book impacted me this much was The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. Wrath of the Talons is very similar to TPW in the pain it inflicts on you as well as on its own characters. THE PROPHECIES, THE TRANSFORMATIONS, THE SHOCKS, yep definitely amazing.

Sooo, Shin Lina wants revenge and now she can have it. She's back fiercer, braver, powerful,, MORE POSSESSED and more bitter. I loved everything about this aspect of the story, though this is to be expected and goes down a predictable path. The journey is epic; the ending to the revenge much awaited - bloodthirsty and searingly romantic, the cover says. Well, it is more. DESTRUCTIVE IMUGI FTW.
Now on to the surprises: the voices, the prophecies, the unlikely friendships and that climax - Sophie Kim plays fast and loose with your heart & you let her. This instalment adds so much value to the world this author is trying to create. I honestly did not expect her to keep adding worldbuilding to the sequel, so consider me outwitted and shocked. Though the first book still outshines this one, this one takes the cake in its treatment of the parasite. I especially was awestruck at the scenes where she ventures in and out of her possessed state! Darker than its predecessor, WRATH IS UNAPOLOGETICALLY CRUEL and forms a perfect bridge between 1 and 3.
ANOTHER THING I LOVED WERE THE INTERLUDES!!! Omg who knew we needed Rui POV? So thankful for it and soul stitched. Moon on a string was just chef's kiss.
My favourite though is the GUMIHO. Kim built such a strong, fascinating character. I loved all her scenes and look forward to more of her.

Kim is a very talented writer. She builds up a scene and delivers it with a sure hand. I am forever in her debt for introducing me to Korean mythology.

*also one of the prettiest cover I've ever seen!!

FOR THE ANGRY GIRLS INDEED!!!

Wrath of the Talon is the sequel to Last of the Talons. While the first book had a budding romance and a cat and mouse game that softened the dark revenge story at the heart of this series, the darkness of the story is front and center. The theme of family, both biological and found, is what drives Lina’s actions and motivates her bloody revenge on the people who have wronged her. If you also like an enemies to will they/won't they romance with an immortal who has a nickname for the mc. While the romance was a bit boring for me, the revenge plot a bit convoluted, and the pacing not consistent I enjoyed this book more than the first one. But if you feel like assassins in oher YA books are a bit too morally good, then you’re going to love this morally gray main character. Especially if you also enjoy a love interest that calls the mc a taunting nickname.

The second installment was full of pain and agony. It was very slow at first, i got a bit bored in the beginning but the ploy was getting more and more interesting as the story goes. I kinda expect the angst because this is the second book in a trilogy so it make perfect sense to leave a sorrowful story to anticipate readers for the third book. characters are well-written and i continuouly found myself helplessly in love with rui. i cant wait to see more on the next book as the first two were already great.

This is the second book in the series and it was really good! It picks up where the first left off with Lina returning to Sunpo to get her revenge on the black bloods. This is a darker book than the first with anger, revenge, regret, betrayal. Lina and Ruiz’s relationship is being tested by secrets from the past. You really become invested in the characters which I really liked as I didn’t happen for me with the first. I again loved the mythology and lore in this series. Cannot wait until the third book comes out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 4.5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review!
Wrath of the Talon is the sequel to Last of the Talons<, Lina goes back to Sunpo to after being injected with Imugi venom to take the city back while a dark voice whispers to her.

“The Child of Venom will rule all.”

I really, really loved reading the first book in this series and was super excited for the sequel to be available! I dove into the story with much anticipation and the book delivered!

We know after the ending that Lina went back for revenge while undergoing the changes to her body as the Imugi venom slowly changes her. This makes for a bit of an unreliable narrator throughout the book, but makes it a bit fun as well, as the anticipation is really high while reading!

The plot itself was really well done and I loved how it tied together with Lina’s change. The pacing was a bit slow here and there, but with tension sky high and the doom hanging over the story it was still very hard to put the book down!

Lina is an unlikable character in this book, but I believe that to be an intentional choice by the author. It ties in with the changes occurring due to the venom in her veins, but the traits that drew me to her in the first book are slowly disappearing as the story progresses. I had hope, until the end hahaha. Rui on the contrast, hasn’t changed much and shows quite a bit of growth as well as he struggles with the choices he has to make for his love and his kingdom. I also really enjoyed Iseul, who was quite a fun character that was added to the already existing cast.

The romance is still present, and I just adore Rui and Lina together! It is a bit tainted by what is happened to Lina, but I loved the new information coming to light about them and how they are with each other!

I kinda only had one thought going through my mind as I was reading the ending: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH T_T. That ending! It is heart-breaking, and cruel in every way possible and I need a time machine to fast forward to September when book 3 is set to release!

Overall, <Wrath of the Talon is an amazing continuation of the Talon series with an ending that left me crushed! I can’t wait for the last book!





SPOILER THOUGHT!
I love the fact that they’re soul stitched so much!! I also firmly believe that the only reason it changed to ‘hate’ was because the voice/prophecy put Lina in the cage and is thus a false representation of their string! Their love will most definitely prevail in the third book! It has too!

I really enjoyed this fantasy book! Makes me feel like I was in the place!
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the book

3.5 stars

WRATH OF THE TALON is a book about revenge and prophecies going horribly wrong.

Lina is back and she wants revenge on those who have wronged her, but her plans get hijacked by a prophecy and monsters determined to have their revenge. It splits the book into two - before the prophecy takes over and the after.

Lina spends much of the book under a compulsion. It gave rise to a whiplash feeling of her being replaced by someone totally different without the sense that she was trying to fight against it. It simply felt like she was simply being a much crueller, more suspicious person with even higher body count, forgetting the things she loved. It made it very hard to engage with parts of the book as the character I'd connected with and was cheering on for a second book was just removed.

Rui is also keeping a lot of secrets from her. There are interludes from his perspective that reveal what's going on in his world and his fight to protect his people. These were the chapters were I felt most connected to Lina, seeing him work to find a route to save them all (as much as I wished he was more honest from the start.)

Iseul is a new major character in this book and was so much fun. She is bold and bright and unashamedly ruthless. She runs a brothel and a secret drug den. She terrifies her enemies. And she's also got plenty of ways to defend herself.

I gave this book 4 stars The Wrath Of The Talon is following Lina on her quest for revenge against her murdered family. I don’t want to say any spoilers but I love how Rui and Lina helped each other during hard times it truly shows that you can be strong and struggle at the same time. This is dark, romantic, emotional and so much more I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed Last of the Talons when it released last year so I was very excited to read book 2.

Unfortunately, this one fell flat. And a little gory.

It went very dark. I mean, I understand that she’s an assassin and the title of the book clearly states that it is about her “wrath”. But I think it was a little too gory for a YA book.

In addition, it severely suffered from the “book 2” syndrome:
1. Strange plot development that was very different than the events of book 1
2. Lagging movement (I kept falling asleep; literally)
3. Unbelievable element/plot (specifically the sentient voice)

In all, I am curious where it will take us so I will most likely finish the series. I just felt that it had such a different feel to the story than book 1 and therefore, I was very disappointed with this book.
🐍
‼️I recommend you check the trigger warnings for this book.
Specifically: a very traumatizing death‼️

This one frustrated me a bit, but I think that was the point. Shin Lina is set to take her revenge but I don’t think that was the main focus. For me it felt like the romance was being forced in and the action was lightly sprinkled in. My frustration might have just been the back and forth and the pace. I’m not sure I’m explaining it well.

Lina felt angry and cruel for most of the story, understanding she’s being manipulated. I wanted her self strength to be stronger. I wanted her to be strong and beyond this weak character who is easily manipulated. I was very disappointed in her character in this book. I greatly enjoyed her in book one, not so much this one.

Rui, we see his love for Lina but that dang voice makes her actions seem very toxic. Rui knows it’s not her but he still loves her so much he continues to love her. The ending was set to leave you wanting more and it accomplished that.

I enjoyed the book and I’m definitely going to need book 3!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5 stars

I really loved the first book The Last of Talon, so I leaped at the opportunity to read this arc. I must say that I feared that this book would be a filler book in the trilogy, where we would see no significant development in plot, Lina or the relationship between Lina and Rui compared to the first book. I'm happy to say that Sophie Kim didn't disappoint, and that all of the criteria above was fulfilled throughout the second book, which is also why I really like the sequel too.

Here's the non-spoilery reasons why I liked it:

1. The cover is stunning, and it instantly catches your attention. The cover kind of reminds me of Iron Widow, which is fitting seeing as they both have a revenge plotline ⚔️🔥

2.Despite this being a young adult book, it didn't feel immature or too youthful for me (which most YA books tend to) as it deals with darker themes and focuses on more complex emotions. I think this is great since I'm more of a female rage/revenge/villain arc kind of girly.

3. The tropes are a huge plus too 🤌🏼✨ I love a strong and witty Fl and a "I would burn the world for you" Ml. This character combination paired with the self-fulfilling prophecy trope and the korean mythology makes this series one of the best mythology YA books I've read to date (which says a lot seeing as I'm a mythology nerd, who loves all kinds of mythology).

4. The last reason is that the ending of the sequel managed to make me cry.... and I don't cry a lot, so do with that information what you will. Let me give you one advice: Read the sequel closer to the release of the third book so you don't end up like me, who has to wait until September 2024 to get the answers I need ✋🏼😭

All in all, it's a great book, and I'm excited to see how this ends in the third book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, LLC, and Sophie Kim for the opportunity to read this book. This review is based on my own thoughts and feeling about this book.

It's no secret that I am, quite possibly, Sophie Kim's biggest fan. I've loved The Last Talon, I've loved the God and the Gumiho, and now I can firmly say that I LOVED the Wrath of the Talon. Despite being YA, Sophie Kim manages to write her stories with some hard-hitting adult feelings and emotions.

This book has so many fun twists and turns, as well as an abundance of banter between our two MCs! I really recommend this to anyone who is looking for:
- Witty, snarky FMC
- Strong and Aware of It FMC
- Touch Her and Die MMC
- "I'd bring the world to its knees for you" MMC
- And a wonderfully fantastic magic system that is straight out of mythology.

As always, all my thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me a chance to review this ARC!

It was as thrilling and fast-paced and beautiful as the first book! Love the inner war of Lina and the Voice, also how the plot thickened and we meet a lot of new characters! Iseul is a dear. Rui is as cunning and hot as ever (love that). THAT ENDING DESTROYED ME.
Impatiently waiting for the third book!

Even better than book 1! This one set a whole different tone though. I needed some time to get back into Sophie Kim's writing style again but it was worth it! I never read anything like it before. The possesion of Lina was so well written, even though it`s not an easy thing to write. The Emotions were big on this one, but the end simply killed me!!! I cried so much...cannot wait for book 3, even though I am a little scared about the devellopement of events....

*Wrath of the talent by Sophie, Kim is a direct sequel to Last of the Talons by the same author . As such this story is best read and enjoyed by those who have already read and enjoyed book one .


I absolutely loved returning to this word and these characters so soon after reading book one .

Everything I loved from book one was still very present here but in addition to that it really felt like the pacing is so perfect.

dnf @50%

I’m definitely going to be the minority here… but this book was not it for me.

As I enjoyed the first book, I was looking forward to the sequel and reading Lina’s and Rui’s interactions, but unfortunately they fell flat for me. I could tell that the author tried her best to integrate the romance storyline as per her strong suit in book 1, but in this book, it felt so boring that I had to push myself to keep reading (but I decided that I did not want to continue after the halfway mark).

Wrath of the Talons take a darker turn into a conflict with the blackbloods whereby Lina searches for potential allies to fight her enemies. Throughout this book, Lina takes on a distinct looming dark inner monologue where she fights the “Imugi” with her internal reasoning. While this concept is interesting, it was not executed well as her internal battle was overwhelming and tedious to read.
While this book was rather disappointing, I must say that I could tell that the author was really passionate about Korean Mythology – and I appreciate all books that tries to integrate cultural aspects that aren’t prevalently known. It was fun getting to know about the Imugi and the Gumiho.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing LLC and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.