Swoon Thursday #172 ~ Talon (Talon #1) by Julie Kagawa

Swoon Thursday was first bought to us by YA Bound.

Since they are no longer with us, Naomi @ Naomi's Reading Palace has kindly created a central meet up point for those of us who wish to continue to share our swoons.

So ladies (and any gents who feel so inclined) please leave a comment below, and then head on over there to link up and spread the love.

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My Swoon for this week comes from:

Talon
(Talon #1)

by
Julie Kagawa 

First - The Blurb:

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 St. James 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.

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Second - The Swoon:

"Kiss me," I whispered. Make me forget, for a night, that this isn't real. Make me believe that this could be my life. That I'm not betraying everything I know to be here, to feel like this.

Ember bent down. Her lips touched mine, and my doubts vanished. The soldier disappeared. Everything disappeared, except her. I felt nothing but her hands on my skin, her lips, her body pressed against me. I kissed her until I was consumed with her, searing this moment into my consciousness, driving away the soldier and St. George and everything about the war. I would get back to it tomorrow. Tonight, I wanted to be normal.

Tonight, Garret the soldier didn't exist. 

Ember is not your normal teenage girl. She is a dragon who is capable of taking human form. At the end of their basic training and set to take their place in Talon, Ember and her twin brother, Dante, are sent to spend the summer with a human family. Learning to blend in with human society is paramount to the survival of all dragons and this time is a way to test how well they have assimilated. At first, all seems to go well. Ember is making friends, learning to surf and generally having fun. No one suspects her true heritage. Or so she believes.

Garrett, a young boy who appears like he fits into the summer crowd, forms a friendship with her. Only, like Ember, he is hiding his true identity. A soldier of the Order of St. George, an organization whose sole purpose is to rid the world of all dragons, Garrett has been assigned to track Ember, reveal that she is one of the despised reptiles, and kill her. Seems easy enough for the 'Perfect Soldier', that is, until he discovers that he has feelings for her. Suddenly, things are no longer black and white, and Garrett must make a decision which could ultimately cost him his life.

Oh, and let us not forget to mention Riley, a rogue dragon who has abandoned Talon and everything it stands for. Popping up at regular intervals as a hot biker, he befriends Ember, and through their conversations, begins to make her question everything she has been taught. Torn between truth and lies, she too, must make a decision which will alter the course she is on.

As the story unfolds, the lives of these three individuals becomes more and more entwined. Will they remain enemies, or in the next instalment - Rogue - will they suddenly be all fighting on the same side. I can't wait to find out.

An excellent read.

My rating: 5 out of 5

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Okay, so what do you think?

If you liked my Swoon, please leave a comment below!