Spoiler Alert Mini Review: Talon by Julie Kagawa

Talon
To the outside world Ember Hill is an ordinary girl, but Ember has a deadly secret. A dragon hiding in human form, she is destined to fight the shadowy Order of St.George, a powerful society of dragonslayers.St. George soldier Garret is determined to kill Ember and her kind. Until her bravery makes him question all he's been taught about dragons.Now a war is coming and Garret and Ember must choose their sides - fight to save their bond or fulfil their fate and destroy one another.

Spoiler Alert reviewer: Kyra

1=No. Just, no. 2=It's OK. 3=I liked it. 4=I really liked it. 5=It was EPIC!

The Book Itself
How well designed was the plot? 5
How vivid was the setting? 4
How believable were the characters and the dialog? 4
How well did the book hold your interest? 3
How well did the author's language add to the book? 2
How well did the writing match the books intended audience? 3

Worldwide
Rank this book's mass appeal. 2
How readable was this book? 4
How pleasurable will reading this book be to most teens? 3

Personal
How highly would you recommend this book? 3
How likely are you to read something else by this author? 2
How memorable was this book? 3
How did you feel about the ending? 5
If you did not finish, how did you feel about the beginning?
How creative was this book? 3

Marketing
Rank the cover (only if the final cover version has been released). 4
How well does the cover match the story? 5
Rank the jacket blurb. 1
Rank the title. 5
How well does the title match the story? 5
Stopping point in the book? Finished

Tell us what you thought of the book overall:

In one word: Dragons

Tell us what you really did not like about this book: I feel that the romance of the characters was forced.

Pick 5 words to describe this book: Fascinating, slow/fast/slow, odd

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

reviewed by Lisa B.

Jace and Clary should have had their happy ending. City of Fallen Angels marks the fourth book in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, a series that was originally planned as a trilogy. Fans of the series wanted it. Publishers were salivating over it. Clare was willing to write it. But was it really necessary to put these two lovebirds through fresh hell?

In this latest entry readers learn of how Simon is adjusting to life as a vampire while still trying desperately to cling to his humanity and the world he’s always known. Meanwhile, something sinister is brewing with Jace, something that threatens his one-of-a-kind love for Clary. And to top it all off, something or someone is killing Shadowhunters in New York. Each new body is found in different Downworlder territory, be it werewolf, fey or vampire. Is someone attempting to break the fragile peace between Downworlders and Shadowhunters? And what, if anything, does all this have to do with Jace’s increasingly violent dreams about harming Clary?

Jace has always been what the cool kids are calling “emo.” And in this book, he manages to crank it up a notch to UBER emo. Instead of discussing his disturbing dreams with Clary, for example, he decides that a better solution would be to distance himself entirely from her—a perfectly healthy choice in a loving relationship, right? There is, however, an intriguing addition to the ensemble cast of characters. Kyle is the newest member of Simon’s band, but it becomes clear that there’s more to him that meets the eye, and he’s not entirely unknown to one of the characters we already know. There is promise in this character, his relationship with someone from his past, and the mission to which he’s committed.

Fangirls (and boys) of the first three books in the series will clamor for this new entry, but those satisfied with the ending of City of Glass should probably stop with that one. This new volume seems more financially motivated than story inspired. And the “I desperately love you, now go away” riff that sets the tone for Jace and Clary’s relationship seems like a complete rehash of what we’ve already read in the first three books. Sometimes too much of a good thing turns the good thing into a bad thing. Quality over quantity is the key. Jace and Clary should have had their happy ending.

Also available in CD audiobook form!