Soldier by Julie Kagawa | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

When forced to choose between safety with the dragon organization Talon and being hunted forever as an outcast, Ember Hill chose to stand with Riley and his band of rogue dragons rather than become an assassin for Talon. She's lost any contact with her twin brother, Dante, a Talon devotee, as well as Garret, the former-enemy soldier who challenged her beliefs about her human side.  
As Ember and Riley hide and regroup to fight another day, Garret journeys alone to the United Kingdom, birthplace of the ancient and secret Order of St. George, to spy on his former brothers and uncover deadly and shocking secrets that will shake the foundations of dragons and dragon-slayers alike and place them all in imminent danger as Talon's new order rises.

Soldier by Julie Kagawa is the third book in the Talon series and as such, there will be a few spoilers here and there in regards to the series thus far. Kagawa’s Soldier is an action packed addition to a saga where dragons and the humans who know about them are at odds. Yet, a few brave young souls are challenging this status quo. This book may as well be Garret’s book as we get his backstory and unravel the secret behind the deaths of his parents.

Soldier opens up after Rogue, book two in the Talon saga, ends. So, okay, at this point Ember is confused about her feelings for Riley, the other dragon she feels a strong connection to, and Garret who is actually over in England. Anyways, so Garret witnesses some pretty damning evidence in England that puts his entire view of St. George into question. What Garret sees is the event that this book really pivots around. So trust, you will want to pay special attention during the part that Garret is in England. There’s also a new character who is very interesting who I cannot wait to see more of. ALSO! A HUGE BOMBSHELL AT THE END AND WHY DO I NOT HAVE BOOK FOUR IN MY HANDS.

Garret is the character who really develops the most in Soldier by Julie Kagawa. Obviously, you could probably guess that given the title and given that he is the character who was a member of the Order of St. George which trains soldiers to kill dragons. Anyways, so Garret’s witnessing of some shady dealings truly drive this book. I thought it was interesting to see him challenge his assumptions and beliefs much more deeply. Further, the reveal involving his parents is quite surprising. I think that the more I learn about Garret and the more he grows as a character, the more I genuinely like and root for him. His character is probably the most interesting in this series.

Ember is the one female character who gets point of view chapters. I wish that more female characters had point of view chapters as opposed to there being three males and one sole woman. Anyways, so, Ember in this book learns something pretty big in regards to Riley and her connection to him. She also makes her choice in regards to the love triangle. However, she’s fickle and young, so I think she’ll probably end up changing her mind at least twice more. That’s fine. I am basically here for the dragons. I don’t really have a whole lot to say about Ember in this book except that she wasn’t quite as fascinating to me in Soldier.

Riley also grows a little bit. I mean, barring a few moments, he is actually nicer to Garret. OH AND HE DECIDES TO TRY TO BE MORE HUMAN FOR EMBER. I know, I know. I kind of laughed a little at that, but I get why he does it. And I get why Ember is so conflicted in regards to love. Anyways, so Riley is around and has points of view chapters and well, he is okay I suppose.

As for Dante, the final point of view character, he is kind of cut throat. He essentially is in charge of a project and must prove himself. Yet, the project is really evil and makes him uncomfortable. Not uncomfortable enough to be a good person, mind you. Still, I like that he gets his own chapters because we get to see what Talon is up to and because he’s so morally conflicted and kind of morally bankrupt and that is way more interesting than being a goody two shoes. I am excited to see the direction his character will go in.

Solider by Julie Kagawa is certain to appeal to people who are already fans of the Talon series. It is a relatively quick read which moves the plot along a little bit. I wouldn’t say this is my favorite in the series. HOWEVER, I am totally here for those big reveals and for book four and for the new character who made like three cameos.

Other reviews of Soldier by Julie Kagawa:

• Star Crossed Book Blog – “Lots of laughs, heartache, and heart dropping, soul-crushing moments invade this story“
• Step Into Fiction – “an excellent addition in the Talon series/saga“

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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