Review: Soldier by Julie Kagawa (Talon #3)

Soldier (Talon #3)
Julie Kagawa
Published: April 26, 2016 (Harlequin Teen)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: purchased

Reviewed by: Jannelle

Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars

Note: While review will be spoiler free, it does make reference to previous books. If you haven’t started this series yet, check out VBC’s review of book 1, Talon.

Soldier starts off right where Rogue finished: Garret has left Ember and Riley in the States to discover the truth in the UK about St. George. Meanwhile, Ember, Riley and Wes are still running from both Talon and the Order, working on securing Riley’s safe houses.

During Garret’s trip in London, he begins to follow the Order’s leader, where he discovers shocking secrets involving St. George’s connection with Talon. This eventually leads him back to Ember with the assistance of a new Asian Dragon—Jade. Who, by the way, I am tremendously eager to learn more about and her prominent role in the series.

As in Rogue, the point of view in Soldier is constantly shifting between Ember, Riley, Garret, and Dante. While I surprisingly enjoy the various perspectives, as I enjoy the characters’ unique voices, it does stagger the flow of the overall storyline. This mostly happens because the multiple perspectives overlap each other, creating three different points of view for the same scene, which could be repetitive and unnerving, dragging the plot.

Needless to say, the plot isn’t as fast-paced as I prefer, though even with the slow progression of the storyline, it is engaging and enrapturing enough that it was a definite page-turner.

Throughout the massive war playing between Talon and the Order, there’s an anxiety-inducing love triangle that has continued to run its course into Soldier. I mentioned previously how I’m team Riley, but it’s so difficult to wave my team flag when Garret’s in the mix. When Garret was just a soldier, it was easy to fall into Riley’s mysterious and dangerous life; Garret is so much more than a soldier now–he’s a man with his own intrigue and morals. His endless devotion and love for Ember is beautiful and might even merit an audible, “aw.” Whose team are you on?

Kagawa does cliffhangers so seamlessly that you do a mental double-take at the bomb she places oh-so-neatly in those last few pages. Soldier was no exception. Granted, I can’t discuss much beyond there being a cliffhanger because of spoilers, but I will gladly tell you that it’s a game-changer, one that will have you anxiously awaiting the next installment in the Talon series.

If you’ve read the other installments in this series, you cannot miss Soldier—it’s gripping, intense, and a total game-changer. If you’re not caught up with the Talon series, start with the series’ namesake and first book in the series, Talon—you can thank me later.

Sexual content: kissing