Talon

Talon
Julie Kagawa

‘There are a dozen soldiers hiding in that maze. All hunting you. All looking to kill you.’To the outside world Ember Hill is an ordinary girl, but Ember has a deadly secret. A dragon hiding in human form, she is destined to fight the shadowy Order of St. George, a powerful society of dragonslayers.St. George soldier Garret is determined to kill Ember and her kind. Until her bravery makes him question all he’s been taught about dragons.Now a war is coming and Garret and Ember must choose their sides – fight to save their bond or fulfil their fate and destroy one another.‘The first in a new series, Talon leaves readers perfectly balanced between satisfaction and anticipation’ – BookPage‘Kagawa knows just how to end a first volume for maximum cliff-hanger drama’ – Booklist‘A strong, promising start to the Talon Saga’ – Publishers Weekly

In Julie Kagawa’s groundbreaking modern fantasy series, dragons walk among us in human form.

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 Xavier Sebastian 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.

Books by Julie Kagawa available from HQ (#ulink_f9ad8976-bf10-52e7-9d29-b723cd9797ff)

The Talon Saga

Talon

Blood of Eden series

(in reading order)

The Immortal Rules

The Eternity Cure

The Forever Song

The Iron Fey series

(in reading order)

The Iron King*

“Winter’s Passage”** (ebook novella)

The Iron Daughter*

The Iron Queen

“Summer’s Crossing”** (ebook novella)

The Iron Knight

“Iron’s Prophecy”** (ebook novella)

The Lost Prince

The Iron Traitor

*Also available in The Iron Fey Volume One anthology

**Also available in print in The Iron Legends anthology, along with the exclusive Guide to the Iron Fey

Talon

Julie Kagawa

To Laurie and Tashya, who dreamed of dragons with me.

Contents

Cover (#ud6cefba1-d1aa-52d1-9dc9-77a261c30201)

Back Cover Text (#uc6819a81-3062-5ecc-85c6-6ea57edcb19c)

Booklist (#ulink_8fc372ef-e456-58be-9f69-84aff55ff4c8)

Title Page (#u22a5023b-8c75-5fb9-8360-54e869f06a66)

Dedication (#u724141be-9a90-52a3-bc00-cb53e022aabf)

As One, We Rise (#ulink_4e2a2cfc-92aa-5bb3-8f6f-95ba2b21e00b)

Part I (#ulink_637c946c-b0a4-502a-a492-06594221e597)

Part II (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgments (#litres_trial_promo)

Questions for Discussion (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

As One, We Rise (#ulink_ed902512-93bf-5411-942e-92245fd5dc68)

Part I (#ulink_dfc01849-bcd8-55c3-a73d-c26f5c2f8102)

Observe. Assimilate. Blend in.

Ember

“Ember, when did your parents die, and what was the cause of death?”

I stifled a groan and tore my gaze from the car window, where the bright, sunny town of Crescent Beach shimmered beyond the tinted glass. The air in the black sedan was cold and stale and, annoyingly, the driver had engaged the child safety locks so I couldn’t roll down the window. We’d been stuck in the car for hours, and I was itching to get out of this moving prison and into the sun. Outside the glass, palm trees lined the road, and charming villas shared the sidewalk with weathered gray shacks advertising food, T-shirts, surfboard wax and more. Just beyond the pavement, past a strip of glistening white sand, the Pacific Ocean shimmered like a huge turquoise jewel, teasing me with its frothy waves and countless beachgoers splashing freely in the glittering water.

“Ember? Did you hear me? Answer the question, please.”