Book Review - Soldier

0
COM
Labels: , , , , , , , · Posted by at
Cover image courtesy of Barnes and Noble
Title: Soldier (Book 3 of the Talon Saga)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: April 26, 2016
Version I Read: Hardcover

Rating: 4.5/5

I previously reviewed the first book in this series, and since I just finished the newest one, I wanted to talk about it.

Soldier continues the story from Talon and Rogue, following the group as they split up. Garret learns an earthshaking secret about the Order of St. George while in London and Ember and Riley continue to remain on the run from Talon while trying to protect their underground network from all sides.

MAJOR spoilers this time.

Soldier was a great read for a number of reasons. The series continues to feel more like a thriller than a young adult romance, especially considering who the publisher is. And boy is it a thriller - multiple, multiple scenes throughout this book are complete nail-biters, especially the climax and final duel between Garret and the Patriarch. The cliffhanger is not entirely welcome, (they never are) but drops some big ones on us for the next book - Garret is told his parents were operatives of Talon and then shot (though I'd be very surprised if Kagawa kills him off) and Dante meets the Elder Wyrm, who tells him she is his mother. That means she's Ember's mother too, and goes a long way towards explaining why Dante and Ember are supposedly so special. (I was starting to wonder if they were somehow half human or something).

Jade was a more than welcome addition. It's about time Eastern dragons appeared on the scene - I was starting to wonder if other cultures' concepts of dragons would make an appearance in this series. I hope we get to see more of her and her kind in later installments.

A few things still bother me that I've talked about before. I don't feel certain aspects of the story and world have been explained well enough, especially concerning why so many humans work for Talon and why there aren't any other rogue dragons (either in his network or from outside it) who have teamed up with or want to help Riley.

As for newer developments in this book: I liked the inclusion of the concept of Sallith'tahn, and especially its repression by Talon. Great concept and idea. I do, however, think having Cobalt, the only eligible male dragon Ember's had any contact with in her entire life, be her Sallith'tahn was more than a little contrived. I mean, what are the odds?

I feel the issues surrounding the Patriarch were not always given the moral questioning by the characters that they should. For example, several times during the book Ember gets very stressed and suffers guilt over killing, even though pretty much all of it is in justifiable self-defense. Garret laments once about whether or not fallen soldiers of St. George could have come around to the truth. But when they know deliberately exposing the Patriarch of St. George is likely to get him executed, no one bats an eye. And he's not a complete villain to boot - him falling in with Talon was far from entirely his fault, and the way the Order views the situation makes some semblance of sense. Talon and their operatives ARE horrible people, and very few dragons have escaped. How is St. George supposed to know that not all dragons are trying to take over the world and enslave humans or that they have human feelings, when Talon is deliberately trying to bury that information themselves? I'm not saying they were wrong to take the actions they did, but the choice wasn't given the debate it needed to have.

Another thing nobody seemed to take into account was how dangerous destabilizing and possibly destroying St. George could be. Because without them, Talon's powers will now be unchecked, and they can devote all their resources to hunting down the rogues. This will likely be addressed in the next book, given the closing line.

The Verdict: Another pulse-pounding addition to this series with great twists and turns and only some holes. The series continues to deliver more than your standard YA paranormal romance.

Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)