Rogue (Talon #2)

More dragons, what more could you want?

Julie has done it again, not only has she written another fantastic series, she has created a killer follow up! First off this book picks up where Talon left off, which I loved as there was no unnecessary build up; you are thrown into Garret’s execution by St. George. Ember is at her best she’s fiery, stubborn and determined for a certain swoony solider not to be punished for saving her life.

The romance in this book takes a bit of a backseat to make room for so much action and adventure. Riley is still on the run and now that he has Ember he is even more determined to save more dragons from Talon and stop them from being killed by St. George. The book is perfectly paced and you become completely immersed in the action and some wicked dragon fights that will keep your heart racing. We get to know more about Riley’s past about how he became a Rogue and what antic’s he got up to during his time at Talon. I completely warmed to him no matter how hard I wanted to resist, his sole purpose is to save other dragons and he will even risk his own life. He’s a charming hero in his own right, Dammit!!

As I’ve said there’s little romance in this book but when you’re given these little snippets they are EPIC! It becomes a bit more of a love triangle but this is mainly at the end and it slowly builds throughout the book so it’s actually enjoyable and your emotions become seriously conflicted. Kagawa will always be the Queen of love triangles but this one is heart breaking. Ember has to accept that she is a dragon and she will outlive Garret the solider whose mission was to destroy her. All the while dangerously flirting with Riley and having to decide whom she WANTS to be with and who she SHOULD be with. My favourite Garret is just AH-MAZING, he’s still the loyal perfect solider who will do anything to save Ember, I fell even more in love with him if that’s even possible.

We are introduced to some badass dragons and given a more in depth look at the lengths Talon and St. George will go to in order to destroy their enemies. I especially loved Dante’s POV in this book as he was left with Talon after betraying Ember and now he has the mission of hunting her down. I think this book is perfect for those who thought Talon had a little too much romance and not enough action because you have it by the bucket load here. I don’t know how this series will play out but I do hope that everyone will make it through, it’s so action packed and deadly I’m actually worried for the next book.

Rogue starts off where Talon left us: yearning for more dragons, St. George soldiers and Talor assassins. Ember left with the rogue dragon Riley, accompanied by former St.George soldier Garret en Riley’s human hacker friend called Wesley. Haunted by both Talon and St. George, they try to survive in a world that wants to see them dead more than anything. I was really looking forward to the book, but got a tiny bit disappointed (don’t worry, the book is amazing!).

What I really liked about Rogue was the fact that you, as a reader, will learn so much more about the world Ember lives in. In the beginning, everything was really black and white. St. George hates dragos, Talon pretty much hate anybody who stand in their way. In short: two teams want the group of runaways dead or captured. But Riley isn’t going to let that happen. He and Wes have been trying to save hatchlings from Talon for so long, they aren’t going to give up. Even if Wes has to risk everything in order to keep Ember happy. After a break in at one of St. George’s quarters, they save Garret from a painful death and run as far as they can, only to get into a fight with hem again.

Ember startled me a couple of times. She is totally in love with Garret, the human that has changed his mind about dragons for good. But that’s her human heart. Her dragon heart yearns for the dangerous rogue dragon Riley. But then again, she’s a rogue too. And Dante, her brother, is doing everything he can to keep Ember away from both the soldier and rogue. But Ember has other plans.

Rogue flies you through fights, haunts and painful situations. They fall into every trap possible and always nearly achieve to escape from whoever is hunting them down. The flow of actions is fast and Julie Kagawa knows how to keep her readers going, not stopping until the very last page.

But I have to admit, reading Talon was easier. Some parts of Rogue felt like they were dragging. As a reader, you might feel as if the book has not one problem, one goal and one solution. They are trying to save their lives, which is good, but what then? That was honestly the only thing that I didn’t quite like about the book. But maybe that’s because the second book in a trilogy is the ‘middle’ book and they always have this particular characteristic of somehow feeling a little bit lost.

Anyhow, I enjoyed reading the book a lot. Mostly, because it offered different views on one big problem that has been going on for centuries. Kagawa managed to show how something can be one thing at the first page, but turns out the be the complete opposite on the other page. And even in this love triangle, I have no clue who Ember is going to end up with. I know who I’m rooting for… but I’m not going to spoil anything!

Rogue is a haunting novel that offers a great range of views on one fight that has lasted for centuries. The book will question you about being human, and what that means. Kagawa showed us what real fear is, knowing that it’s almost impossible to trust somebody completely. Readers who love urban fantasy will fall in love with Rogue the way Megan from The Iron Fey fell in love with Ash.