A Soaring Fantasy Adventure with Depth and Heart
Jen Williams‘ Talonsister is an exciting and fascinating trip into a world where magic, mystery, and complicated characters combine to create a captivating story of identity, power, and survival. This story expertly blends fast-paced action and deep emotional resonance, making it an engaging read for epic fantasy lovers like me.
Talonsister by Jen WilliamsSeries: Talon Duology #1
Published: 09/12/2023 by Titan Books Ltd
Format: ARC, Kindle Edition, 560 pages
Genre: High Fantasy, Magic
ASIN: B0BV8ZRG4F
Language: English
Audience: Adult
Shelve: Read 2024
Link to Goodreads
Rating:
Uncover a magical past that refuses to be forgotten in a world of mythical creatures and ruthless religion in this brand-new duology from the multi-award winning author of The Ninth Rain, perfect for fans of John Gwynne and Andrea Stewart.
Leven has no memory of her life before she was a soldier. The process of turning her into a Herald – a magical killing machine – was traumatic enough that it wiped her mind clean. Now, with the war won and the Imperium satisfied, she finds herself unemployed and facing a bleak future. Her fellow Heralds are disappearing, and her own mind seems to be coming apart at the seams. Strange visions, memories she shouldn’t have, are resurfacing, and none of them make any sense. They show her Brittletain, the ancient and mysterious island that the Imperium was never able to tame. Leven resolves to go to this place of magic and warring queens, with the hope of finding who she really is.
Envoy Kaeto has done a number of important little jobs for the Imperium, most of them nasty, all of them in the shadows. His newest assignment is to escort the bone-crafter Gynid Tyleigh as she travels across the Imperium – as the woman responsible for creating the Heralds, his employers owe her a great deal. But Tyleigh’s ambition alarms even Kaeto, and her conviction that she has found a new source of Titan bones, buried deep in the earth, could lead to another, even bloodier war.
Ynis was raised by the griffins, and has never seen another human face. She lives wild, as they do, eating her meat raw and flying with her talon-sister, T’rook. The griffins fiercely protect their isolation – the piles of skulls that litter the mountains of Brittletain are testament to that – but the magic they guard will always make them a target for the greed of men. By choosing not to kill Ynis when she was just a baby, the griffins may have doomed themselves – because the girl’s past is coming for her, and it carries a lethal blade.
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Talonsister ♦ Jen Williams
Opinion
The story revolves around three primary characters, each with their own unique voice and narrative arc. Leven, a former Herald and magical warrior, is probably the most intriguing of the three. Her battle with forgotten memories and search for identity in a world that has abandoned her after using her as a weapon is moving and realistic. Williams does a wonderful job of depicting Leven‘s shattered psyche, dragging the reader into her uncertainty and desperation as she begins to see bizarre dreams of Brittletain, the mythical island steeped in magic and violence.
Leven‘s path of self-discovery is paralleled by the experiences of Envoy Kaeto and Ynis, each of whom contributes a distinct perspective and stake to the story. Kaeto, a seasoned Imperium operative, offers a tough and morally complex worldview. His assignment to accompany Gynid Tyleigh, the bone-crafter responsible for generating Heralds such as Leven, adds layers of political intrigue and ethical quandaries to the plot. Kaeto‘s rising concerns about Tyleigh‘s goals, notably her discovery of a new source of Titan bones, foreshadow a future conflict with disastrous results.
Ynis, the wild girl raised by griffins, brings a more primal and magical perspective to the story. Her relationship with her talon-sister, T’rook, is one of the novel’s most wonderfully described scenes. The way Williams conveys Brittletain‘s untamed energy and the strong bond between Ynis and the griffins is both enchanting and heartbreaking. Ynis‘ journey, as her past begins to catch up with her, is fraught with tension and wonder, making her chapters among the most compelling in the novel.
The world-building in Talonsister is rich and imaginative, with the island of Brittletain serving as a character in its own right. Williams creates a vivid image of this ancient and frightening world, complete with warring queens, untamed magic, and mysteries hidden deep beneath the ground. The place is brought to life through beautiful descriptions and a sense of history, adding dimension to the plot.
The novel has one minor flaw: the many perspectives and intricate plot lines can feel overpowering at times. The pacing occasionally pauses to accommodate the weight of world-building or the characters’ internal problems. However, these times are few and far between, and the general narrative is powerful enough so it kept me me engaged.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Talonsister is a compelling and entertaining fantasy story that delves into themes of identity, loyalty, and the costs of power. Jen Williams has written a story that is filled with inventiveness and emotional depth, making it a must-read for fans of the genre. Despite some minor pacing flaws, the book’s engaging characters, sophisticated plot, and well drawn universe make it an excellent addition to any fantasy fan’s library.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Talon Duology
| Talonsister (#1) | Unknown Title (#2) |
this review was also published at:
| Goodreads | Amazon |
| StoryGraph | Reedsy |
| BookBub | NetGalley |
