Talon the Black

Talon the Black is a splendid book to read, from start to finish.Update: There may be some hints of spoilers. Discretion is advised. They are not major, however.SUMMARYTalon the Black tells the story of many characters. Mainly, Claire Evans, who, after watching a dragon fall from the sky, quickly becomes enraptured in the world of Dragonwall. There, she meets King Talon and the many ladies, lords, and Shields of the court. As she ventures through the ups and downs of Dragonwall, you will encounter several other characters, such as Lady Tamara, Mikkin, and many more.PLOTThe plot is original and refreshing compared to many books I have read nowadays. Claire, after seeing a dragon fall from the sky, is plunged into Dragonwall. She goes through many transitions, all the doings of King Talon. As she journies the ups and downs of the court, she is tried like never before with all the secrets and darkness lurking in Dragonwall. The other characters go through their own journeys, with Lady Tamara sneaking off, Mikkin's adventures, and more. All the while, things are made more intense by a villain, named Kane, who is churning underground, plotting, and waiting for his time to rise. There are so many twists and turns in this book, that it makes it hard to predict what will happen next.WORLD-BUILDINGThe world-building is lush and rich. The Drengr, dragons granted with humanity, rule the Kingdom of Dragonwall. The Sprites, mysterious and prideful creatures, placed their kingdom inside of the Gable Forest, trying all of those who dare enter. The Dwargs, perhaps even more mysterious than the Sprites, make many of the weapons and mine rare ore in the Ice Mines. If this hasn't intrigued you yet, then let me say this next: The magic of this world is layered so beautifully that you wouldn't find it in any other book. All the species, Drengr, Sprites, etc, all have their own magic. The world itself, with all of the places, were constructed on a map. There, you can see the Fort Kastali, Fort Squall, and many other places. Seeing the map, you can truly appreciate all the work that went into the world-building, from the magic to the creatures, to the places and kingdoms. Although there is lots of information, it does not bombard you and, instead, comes at a gradual pace. You never feel as if you are struggling to memorize the world-building as if it is a chore instead of an absolute pleasure.CHARACTERSThe characters are spun into a beautiful array of complexity. King Talon, the current King, is a refreshing character. In some areas, I could compare him with the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. Claire, with her snarkiness and need to push buttons, is a strong-headed female lead. For example: "She was overcome with a sudden need to spite him. Quite obnoxiously, she gave him the sloppiest bow she could muster..." Claire certainly does not cower down from any threat, although she may feel like she would want to at times. She has her ups, and then, unfortunately necessary, her downs. I feel sorry for Claire when she has her downs, but she always manages to get up on her own two feet, alone or with a little nudge from a friend. You will learn to love some characters, and others you may hate, especially a certain villain in this story.CONCLUSIONOverall, this is, was, and always will be a spectacular read. With twists and turns I didn't expect, this book is as refreshing and it is compelling. The characters are splendid, each one having their own faults and strengths. The world-building is unique, with plenty of information, but not so much that you struggle to get through and remember everything. The plot is fascinating, as you can never quite tell what is going to happen next. Talon the Black incorporates many of the books we all love and adore, and combine them into something greater: something beyond what our imaginations can conceive. Fans of Beauty and the Beast retellings, George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones series, and more, will fall head over heels in love with this book.

Do you love sweeping epics, full of new words, unique magic systems, history, wars, arch enemies, good vs evil, and slow burning love stories? Then you’ll want read Talon the Black by Melissa Mitchell.I was blown away by the sheer expanse of the world she created. Her characters are memorable, the story line interesting and has just the right amount of tension. She uses multiple POV’s to move the plot along and create suspense. Somehow knowing a character is about to walk into a danger but having to watch it happen anyway makes it more intense. There are multiple story arcs which weave within each other to create a web that is sure to ensnare you.I devoured this book and immediately started reading the second book in the series. I can’t stop thinking about it. And the books I’ve read since seem oddly flat and muted through no fault of their own. I give this book five stars because I want to buy it in all its versions, all it’s sequels, and I can’t stop thinking about it.

SYNOPSISIt all starts with Claire seeing a dragon falling out of the sky, but when she goes to see what's happened, she finds a man our in the middle of her cornfield. As she nurses him back to health, she finds he has obtained two very powerful stones--stones that are the key to controlling the Drengr (those who are half human, half dragon)--and that's he's being haunted by assassins from the underworld.Talon the Black is King of Dragonwall. After being horribly disfigured in battle, he's given up on the possibility of ever finding a mate. A more pressing matter is that of his missing guard--who just happens to be the man who ended up in Claire's cornfield.PROSThe romance is slow-burning, and I loved getting to see it develop. I suspect there will be more of this romance in book 2. In addition, there are lots of other characters that fall in love of the course of the book, and I loved seeing each one of their stories unfold. Overall, I adored this book and read it every opportunity I could.CONSIt's a loooonnnngggg book, which was--in all honesty--amazing. I have no complaints about it being long, because I savored every moment I spent reading it. With that said, there are so many different characters who had POVs, and I wasn't really interested in reading all of them. I was mostly interested in Claire, Talon, and any POVs that involved romance. *waggles eyebrows*All together, it's a thrilling, romantic epic fantasy and worth every bit of your time.

I love this series. The plot is complex and rich, and the "minor" characters with POVs that interrupt Claire when things are getting good play such important roles in both the plot and the storytelling that I can't be mad that them for interrupting. The characters are well-written, the plot is not the same Dragon-themed plot you've read twenty times, and the re-read-ability of the series is great. You can read it a second or third time and notice details that make sense because you now know what was going on in the background. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the typos. This likely won't bother many readers, but as a voracious reader and a grammar lover it actually took me out of the story when I had to try and figure out what the author meant to write. If I understand correctly, this author self-publishes, so the number of typos considering that are not that many. It may be of important note that I encountered the typos and grammatical errors in the Kindle version, and I don't know if they are present in the print versions of the book. Aside from this, the book is awesome and definitely worth reading multiple times!

I love this series! It’s hard to find a good dragon shifter book out there, but this series delivers! Definitely five stars! And I can’t wait for the next books to be published! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I bought the book (hard cover) as a gift for my friend because she loves this author and always talks about buying her books. It came in perfect condition. The price was kind of expensive tho (41 Euros)

It was a long time since I enjoyed a good fantasy book. It reminded me of the ones I used to read when I was young, like The Belgariad.It was a pleasure to find this one. Well played trama and characters.I'm ahead to read the second one.

This golden book is an intoxicating cocktail of fantasy, beautiful visuals, dragons galore, a kick-ass heroine and a slow burn romance that will have you writhing and yearning for more! You are greatly missing out if you have not read this gem! Moving on to Reyr: The Gold next! Loads of love, Melissa, can't wait for the rest of the books!!

The Magician by Raymond E Fiest, Dragons from both Anne Maccaffrey and Robyn hobb. The Tin Man (starring Zooey Deschanel) Beauty and the Beast. If you chucked all these in a blender, poured them onto a baking tray and chucked it in a cauldron, you would still be missing some of the magic Mellisa Mitchel has cleverly woven/spun into this novel. It has in fact several standalone stories equally as solid within the main book. I began reading, a book in our present day and world and was wondering where the story would go. I became impressed early on by the character development and humour before the drama truly ensued. By the time I was half way through the book, and knowing it was a series of several books, I began to smile and even sigh in satisfaction that I had finally found a book, a story and a work of fun characters, to replace the novels i read as a younger person. The impression Books by Terry Goodkind, David Gemmel, Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, Anne Maccaffrey and Robyn Hobb left with me, set a standard I have since struggled to compare, such as trying on a new pair of slippers that just don’t feel anywhere near as comfortable as the old ones that have suited me well for a long time. However this book, by the third quarter, felt like trying a pair of Ugg boots for the first time, leaving you smiling because even though they are different, you know they are going to be more than fine.My mind has raced as the story has unfolded and I have several predictions of where the story may go, but the fact I am unsure and am even trying to predict, shows how engaging the story was for me. I loved the world, felt myself in the scenery, smelt the places visited and had my anxiety played with by the unfolding story. Thank you for such entertainment and being part of what makes reading such a special gift.