Talon the Black (Dragonwall Series, #1) by Melissa Mitchell

Oct 10, 2020 Andrea rated it did not like it

Shelves: netgalley

I heard “dragons” and came running. And then I DNFed it.

By the looks of it, I’m the only one who didn’t like this book. Seeing the reviews I'm tempted to give it another chance some other time. It’s not entirely that I didn’t like it, but I just couldn’t get into it .

This story begins in Indiana, where 22 year-old Claire is driving back home at 3am and, to her utter astonishment, sees a dragon fall from the sky and pretty much land in her backyard (which happens to be a corn field). When I heard “dragons” and came running. And then I DNFed it.

By the looks of it, I’m the only one who didn’t like this book. Seeing the reviews I'm tempted to give it another chance some other time. It’s not entirely that I didn’t like it, but I just couldn’t get into it .

This story begins in Indiana, where 22 year-old Claire is driving back home at 3am and, to her utter astonishment, sees a dragon fall from the sky and pretty much land in her backyard (which happens to be a corn field). When she gets there, all she sees is a wounded, bleeding and unconscious man lying in the middle of a dragon-sized crater. After saving him, she learns his name is Cyrus and he comes from a land called Dragonwall. Oh, and he’s a Drengr, a dragon that can shape-shift into a human.

You know those movies when a knight from medieval times somehow time-travels to modern day? Well that’s what happens here. Cyrus tells Claire everything about Dragonwall, the threats they face and how he ended up in her world, all while trying to wrap his head around how a TV works. Then he dies, but not before making Claire vow to help his world and tell no one but the king everything he told her. A second after Cyrus dies, his Drengr friends show up to rescue him (too late) and take Claire with them. So that’s how a girl from Indiana ends up in Dragonwall and the rest of her nowhere girl turns heroine and probably falls in love story happens, I didn’t get that far in.

I was 10% in when I started thinking about DNFing it. I thought it was too soon, so I skimmed through it until 25-30% to give it a chance to hook me, but it didn’t. I wanted to love this book but I just couldn’t bring myself to care. Not even a little. I felt like I was thrown head first into this world and given multiple POVs that I did not care about. The characters seemed one-dimensional and the dialogues were overly simple. Most of the time the writing felt rushed but at the same time the pace felt slow.

The premise isn't bad, I'm all in for shape-shifting dragons. I don’t know, this book just wasn’t for me, I guess. If I were a 15 year-old and new to YA I may have enjoyed it more.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital review copy in exchange of an honest and voluntary review. ...more

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Jan 05, 2020 Cait | GoodeyReads rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020, fantasy, books-i-own, kindle-read, romance

THE BONES WERE GOOD.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM

I read this because my sister had recommend it to me, and I love her dearly, but this wasn’t my favorite. Let me give you a quote that accurately describes my experience.

“Where was her plot? What was her purpose? Which path was she supposed to follow?”

I MEAN SAME GIRL. The MAIN CHARACTER, Claire said this. And that is the epitome of this story. Take out about 300 pages (no really, this massive thing is 700ish) and THEN we would’ve had a pretty decent book ...more

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Aug 13, 2020 Thais • tata.lifepages • rated it it was amazing

As soon as I spotted the book I was drawn, the dark cover filled with dragon scales and its sheer size were both intimidating and captivating. As I read, I was fascinated by the authors eloquence, the writing is descriptive and beautiful.

The story is told in third person, from the point of view of various characters spread out throughout the world of Dragonwall. It mainly focused on Claire and Talon's point of view, which carried the main plot-line, however all characters storylines were intert ...more

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Feb 24, 2019 Mom rated it it was amazing

If you like dragon stories, you will like this one. From the moment Claire finds a dragon in her cornfield, her life is not only turned upside down, it is also turned inside out. She goes from farm girl to accused murderer to prisoner to servant and more. It becomes more than just an adventure of a lifetime.

Talon is the King of Dragonwall. With all the troubles he has with pirates and wild dragons and goblins, he must deal with his unruly Court. Besides dealing with their petty demands, he find ...more

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Feb 08, 2019 Lucy Selph rated it it was amazing

I found this book on Wattpad in my quest for quality dragon-related material, and I wasn't disappointed. When the story opens, you have that small moment of peace, and then the new world opens up with a bang. A dragon falls from the sky, and suddenly you can't put the book down because if you did you would have to leave the story.
Claire is an amazing character, as are the rest of her friends, and I am so happy that I got to read Talon the Black. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone ...more

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Jan 04, 2021 Lucie V. rated it it was ok

Shelves: dnf, netgalley

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF at 25%

I am seeing all the 4 stars and 5 stars reviews and I realize that the problem here is probably me. This book is not bad, and I can’t say that I disliked it, I just can’t get into it. I started it 3 weeks ago and I only read 30% of it.

It all starts in Indiana, in the middle of the night. Claire (22 years old, normal woman) sees a dragon falling from the sky, and pretty much in the middle of her backya I received a copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF at 25%

I am seeing all the 4 stars and 5 stars reviews and I realize that the problem here is probably me. This book is not bad, and I can’t say that I disliked it, I just can’t get into it. I started it 3 weeks ago and I only read 30% of it.

It all starts in Indiana, in the middle of the night. Claire (22 years old, normal woman) sees a dragon falling from the sky, and pretty much in the middle of her backyard. She finds a wounded man in the middle of a huge crater and learns that he is a dragon that can shape-shift into a human and he comes from Dragonwall. He talks to her about threats against his land and the mysterious circumstances that led to him crashing into her backyard. I got the distinct feeling that Dragonwall would be the equivalent of medieval time for us because Cyril (the dragon-shifter) obviously does not know how the technology works.

I thought that Cyril would be the romantic interest, but there is a plot twist: he dies (but not before making Claire vow to tell his king everything he told her). His shifter friends then show up just a tiny bit too late to save Cyril and instead, they take Claire with them where I assume, she will become the savior of their land because deep down she is very special… or something like that.

It is a massive book, and I honestly felt that the plot was jumping all over the place. The ideas seem good, the summary is intriguing, but I am not interested enough to keep going. The fact that I do not care about the characters does not help either, they all seem so bland and simple. There are POVs from different characters, but even after reading from their point of view, I do not feel connected to them at all. The dialogues are also quite simplistic and even weird at times, while also being tedious to understand at other times because of the old-fashion way the Drengr (dragon-shifter) speak.

I might give it another chance in the future because I can see that the majority of the readers loved it, but for now I can’t bring myself to continue reading it. ...more

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Nov 03, 2020 Kim rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-book

This was an e-arc profided by netgalley for which I'm thankful.

The synopsis was very promising I mean dragons, shapshifters and a heroine... count me in!

I liked how it showed the struggels that where going one with different characters. I connected with them very easily and they felt very real to me. I mean somethimes characters are to good or too bad. But in this some showed more of a mix, they made mistakes an have to make up for it.

The only thing that i'm not sure what I feel about it is th ...more

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Jan 12, 2021 thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

An entertaining and fast paced read, really interesting and easy going , the perfectly escapism, fantasy, great characters and a good story, what’s not to like

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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Feb 09, 2019 Rabiat rated it it was amazing

Talon the black grabbed my attention from the first chapter, I love the pace, the story and it is just my type of fantasy. The dragons are complex, human but with also Animal instincts that really sells the story.
I also love how we have different stories going on simultaneously that is keeping it from being a single story.
All in all this is a well written book.

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Feb 09, 2019 Ava C. rated it it was amazing

Talon the Black was one of the first books that genuinely made me excited for more. Every time I saw a new chapter, I would drop everything (literally) and start to read. With every encounter between characters, it felt as if I was there beside them, listening along.

First of all, the author, Melissa, is one of the kindest people I’ve seen. Where the book first premiered, Wattpad, she responded to every comment, positive or negative, with nothing but kindness. She took criticism amazing and prais ...more

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Feb 08, 2019 Foxfire rated it it was amazing

A refreshing new take on the dragon genre. Most Dragon-themed books use the "the last of a dying race" trope and use the basic human-rider-rebuilds-dragon-riding-order storyline, which is cool, but boring after you read it a few hundred times. This story is different in all the best ways. It takes the classic fairytale world and changes it in unexpected ways.
Melissa writes a rich world filled with magic, history, and dragons in shining armor. The main characters range from intelligent and charm ...more

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Dec 10, 2019 Rachel added it · review of another edition

What would you do if a dragon fell from the sky? That's exactly what Claire Evans witnessed.

This is the second book that I've read of Melissa Mitchell the first being her novel debut "Blood and Ballet." That book was already my favorite so I didn't expect anything less from this book. Just when I thought I couldn't love a book as much as I love Blood and Ballet...Talon the Black came along. I fell in love with the characters, the world of Dragonwall, and the journey that Melissa takes us on in ...more

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Feb 08, 2019 Alaaaly rated it it was amazing

I read this on Wattpad and it is amazing the way the author makes you want to finish the book and how you can keep rereading it and never get bored considering I already read it twice or three times

This book has a way of making you want to not stop reading not to mention how you get a view of all the charecters lives ,not only the view of one character and the how when you read from each point of view it is like you are the character and you can feel what they feel

Overall this book is absolutel ...more

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Dec 06, 2019 Sydney Wingate rated it it was amazing

I first read Talon the Black on Wattpad, and since then I’ve been there for every update and even pre-ordered Reyr the Gold. The series is amazing and is really outside of the box. I’ve read a lot of books in my life so far, and these have captured my attention better than any I’ve read. There’s nothing like a good book that sucks you in and makes you feel like you’re actually witnessing everything that’s happening. For anyone considering it, I would definitely give it a try!

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Oct 25, 2020 Brinley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley-arcs, fantasy, october-2020-challenge

I really liked this book. After reading For the Crown by the same author, I wanted this book as soon as I saw it on Netgalley. Thankfully I got it, and it put For the Crown to shame. While For the Crown really focused on romance, this book went into full epic fantasy mode. As a fantasy lover, that shift is what made me love this book.

Talon the Black follows Claire, a girl from Indiana who's life is turned upside down when a dragon falls into her backyard. After he turns into a man, he tells her I really liked this book. After reading For the Crown by the same author, I wanted this book as soon as I saw it on Netgalley. Thankfully I got it, and it put For the Crown to shame. While For the Crown really focused on romance, this book went into full epic fantasy mode. As a fantasy lover, that shift is what made me love this book.

Talon the Black follows Claire, a girl from Indiana who's life is turned upside down when a dragon falls into her backyard. After he turns into a man, he tells her all about his world, Dragonwall, and the challenges it is soon to face. Forced to travel to Dragonwall, she soon meets King Talon, and discovers that fate has more in store for her than simply living in Indiana.

To be honest, when I picked this up, I wasn't expecting to be amazed. I expected a romance I'd enjoy, but not love. So let's just say I was very surprised when this book had an action driven plot. Don't get me wrong, this book definitely had romances. They were just laid back, and the main one promises to be slow burn. (almost too slow, I need these characters to get together!)

I really loved the characters in this, especially Cyrus. I get that the whole "medieval knight transfers to modern times" idea is a bit overused, but I love it anyway. I was constantly laughing for the first part of this, Cyrus's fascination with the "magic" was just great. As for Claire, I did find her a bit over dramatic at times, but I still really liked her. Talon, on the other hand, I'm super interested in him! I'm desperate for him to get put in the spotlight, and for more character development!

You can definitely read this book without having read For the Crown, but I think I enjoyed this a lot more because I had read it. For the Crown really introduced the world and its customs, so this book didn't have to. I think I would've spent a lot of this book very confused if I hadn't read it. That being said, don't shy away from this because you haven't read it, all of the history is still explained and introduced.

Full of dragons, and action, I'd definitely recommend this book! I'm always looking for fantasy worlds with tons of dragons, and this book definitely fulfilled my wishes!

For the Crown review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Thanks to Meliss Mitchel and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review! ...more

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Sep 11, 2020 Erin rated it really liked it

I received this book in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

I think you all probably know by now that I love a chunky book. 99% of the time I will choose a 500+ page book over anything under 400 pages. So when this beautiful (I mean look at the cover) thick book showed up at my apartment, I was so freaking excited! Hell, I’m still excited. Not only does Talon the Black look good on my shelf, it was a really enjoyable read as well.

My personal favorite thing about this book was the na ...more

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Feb 07, 2021 Mina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Dragons! That's all it took for me to be interested in this book.

I enjoyed it I did promise. It was a fast and fun read. Does it have issues, yes, but overall it has mystery, adventure, dragons, shapeshifters, interesting heroine. And, yes, just like this review, it was a little all over the place.

Should you read it? If you don't mind a bit of confusion and plot going everywhere, it really is a fun read! I do wish there was a bit more romance involved, but hey - DRAGONS falling out of the sky! ...more

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Nov 14, 2020 Darlene rated it it was amazing

Can't Wait to Read the Next Book!

Once I started I couldn't put it down! 📓Despite the pages being 500+ pages, I think I devoured this book like a dragon devoirs a grazer,😉 in about 4 days I think (actually 6 days).

I'm glad I bought the second book so I can binge read it. But the 3rd is still on Wattpad! *Insert almost cry face* 😞😤 (Which is where I originally heard about these books)

Now to the second book!! 📒

Ugh, and I think I read somewhere that this is supposed to be a 7-book series!

Nug, my hea ...more

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Oct 28, 2020 Ellen (thereadingrendezvous) rated it liked it

I can’t pass up a book with dragons so when I saw this It was a must read! And I’m glad I read it.

I really enjoyed the first instalment of this series. The story flows well and is told from the perspective of many characters which helps paint a picture of the ‘world’ of Dragonwall.
The world building so far is impressive, the reader knows not just about the world but the history which brought it to be as well. I’m sure there will be plenty more to come in the following books!
My favourite place ...more

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Mar 31, 2019 Shannon Rohrer rated it it was amazing

4.75 stars, rounded up to 5.

I first had the pleasure of reading Talon the Black some years back on Wattpad, and a few times leading up to its publication. As such, getting a copy of my own was a must, and worth every cent.

The story is rich, filled with vivid worldbuilding, fascinating characters, political intrigue, and excellent plot progression. The main protagonist, Claire, is a seemingly ordinary young woman thrust into a harrowing role that, over time, she grows to accept. Her acceptance o 4.75 stars, rounded up to 5.

I first had the pleasure of reading Talon the Black some years back on Wattpad, and a few times leading up to its publication. As such, getting a copy of my own was a must, and worth every cent.

The story is rich, filled with vivid worldbuilding, fascinating characters, political intrigue, and excellent plot progression. The main protagonist, Claire, is a seemingly ordinary young woman thrust into a harrowing role that, over time, she grows to accept. Her acceptance of her role in fending off the villains and aiding the kingdom of Dragonwall is believable due to its gradual nature, but also due to how well Ms. Mitchell conveyed Claire's feelings, thoughts, and motivations.

Likewise, the other characters were equally believable and relatable in their own ways: from the kind and understanding Reyr to the temperamental King Talon, himself. Supporting characters, side/minor characters, and antagonists were likewise shown in a three-dimensional light, ensuring their interactions and attitudes both felt natural and believable. Most important of all, the characters were flawed: Claire frequently let her mouth get the better of her (both an asset and a curse), and Talon's temper left him blind and unable to accept the truth when it was first presented to him, creating tensions between him and Claire that will make their eventual cooperation all the more rewarding.

Another thing I really liked was how Ms. Mitchell was able to focus on so many characters without the story feeling watered down or over encumbered. There are characters that feature outside of the main plot, such as Tamara, Davi, and Mikken, who undoubtedly will find their way into the climax of the series down the road. The world doesn't revolve around Claire or Talon, showing that the supporting characters exist for far more than just to aid their stories. They have lives, hopes and dreams; they have suffered loss, are weighted down my grief and responsibilities of their own.

And the worldbuilding I mentioned? Vivid isn't even the half of it. Every part of Dragonwall featured in this beautiful tome is done so expertly, I could easily imagine myself not only seeing these wondrous or terrifying places, but I genuinely felt like I was there alongside the characters.

With such a gifted author at the helm, The Dragonwall Series is sure to delight many a dragon-enthusiast. I most definitely recommend this to lovers of portal fantasy, and especially to those who enjoy dragonshifter tales with a twist. I cannot wait for Book Two (Reyr the Gold) to come out! ...more

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Mar 07, 2019 Literary Drunk rated it it was amazing

The moment I stepped into Dragonwall I knew I was going to be thoroughly invested in this series.
From the second Claire wakes up to a hungry dragon man—the very same she just rescued—running naked in her yard after her mother’s chickens, the book and its characters endeared themselves to me. But of all the many colorful personalities and especially the fiercely loyal Drengr, I felt my heart constrict a little more for Talon, the scarred king of Dragonwall. Although I did want to tear my hair ou ...more

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Jan 18, 2021 Keylime rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Talon the Black surprised me. I went in fully expecting the trope-iness of the book and embraced it, for I too share the love of Pern, Harry Potter, and other dragon books that the author describes in her acknowledgements, and the book had received many 4 and 5 star ratings. It was a shoo-in, right?

Unfortunately, that proved not the case for me, and finishing Talon the Black was one of the greatest book-reading struggles I've faced for some time. I initially DNF'd the book at around 10% before g Talon the Black surprised me. I went in fully expecting the trope-iness of the book and embraced it, for I too share the love of Pern, Harry Potter, and other dragon books that the author describes in her acknowledgements, and the book had received many 4 and 5 star ratings. It was a shoo-in, right?

Unfortunately, that proved not the case for me, and finishing Talon the Black was one of the greatest book-reading struggles I've faced for some time. I initially DNF'd the book at around 10% before giving it another shot. Fortunately, the book did grow into itself some by the end. The first third I would rate as DNF/1 star, while the last quarter was 3.5-4 star, and the middle somewhere in between.

The primary reasons I can pin down that made the book rather unreadable in the early stages were three-fold. First, the manner in which the exposition was handled exemplifies the saying "Show, don't tell." While I do understand the struggle Mitchell had to set up a whole fantasy world and the motivations for the 'forces of evil' and the 'forces of good' in the book, it was handled rather clumsily through talking-head-like interactions. Worse, we often did not even hear the explanation directly nor see our characters' reactions properly as for pages and pages they were summarized (ex. 'he told of...' or 'he described the...'). This contrasts with the last quarter of the book where our characters are directly experiencing events and/or engaged in dialogue, making the book far more engaging. Additionally, the early exposition lacks weight/emphasis to the point that when information contained within is brought back up late-book, I felt I had missed something (a critical reaction or observation), likely because it had been buried under all of the exposition.

Second, the variety of POVs *without* variety of voice causes the book to feel monotonous and confusing. Mitchell introduces many different POVs by the end of the book, yet every character sounds almost exactly the same. Why does a girl from a small Midwestern town speak like the shapeshifting nobles of a fantasy world? Even if I use a plot-related reason to explain that away, it does not explain how a poor commoner also speaks/thinks/observes the world just as the king might. I noted that the word "permeate" is used almost whenever an aroma is described, no matter the character (ex. maybe I'd expect our midwest girl to sometimes use "filled the air" and a commoner to might say "caught a whiff that set his mouth watering" or something). While POVs are useful narrative devices for showing events happening in different places to different people, they also add color to the world. When the color is all the same, it paints a world with little texture and interest.

Third, the resolution and pacing were very slow, particularly at the beginning/middle when the book was weighted down with all the exposition and POVs. While I do understand there are more books to come in this series, I feel this entry left me hanging with no real resolution to almost any arc, and the few that were addressed had been blindingly obvious most of the book (I'm totally up for trope-iness, but I would prefer that our character not oscillate between a quick wit/adaptability and stubbornly oblivious the whole book). The last quarter of the book felt largely freed from the pacing issues of the first 3/4, and just as it started going, the book ended. I'm a bit confused as well why this book is named after Talon while the second after Reyr given that the Talon arc feels like it has barely started developing while Reyr was a main character this whole book. Perhaps I will read that one to find out, but I am in no hurry to do so.

In conclusion, I can now understand both the early DNF/1 star reviews as well as the finished book/4-5 star reviews, as those who were able to make it to the end saw the evolution of the book. However, this does not entirely make up for the struggle of the early book for me, so I would rate it over all 2/5 but with the author exhibiting plenty of potential as she grows into her craft. Thanks to NetGalley for the 'advanced' readers copy!. ...more

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Jan 04, 2021 Emmeline (The Book Herald) rated it really liked it

Shelves: knights, mythology, romance, fantasy, assassins, best-world-building, historical-fiction, medieval, adventure, good-surprises

I was provided a copy of this book with thanks from BooksGoSocial via Netgalley

WHAT A SURPRISE! I don't mean that in a condescending way at all.

It's just that, this book was a rollercoaster and I changed my rating a million times while reading!

"You must remember, it is only through great struggle and strife that we become who we are truly meant to be."

Okay, this book, I have so many things to say, so I shall try to be as succinct as possible and not bore you through reading this review. Let' ...more

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Oct 11, 2020 Brigitte rated it it was ok

Shelves: magic, historical, fantasy, dragons, series, adult

"Talon the Black" by Melissa Mitchell thrusts Claire into a fantasy world where wild dragons threaten a 50 000 year old peace.

The cover immediately drew me in and, after reading the blurb, I had to get my hands on it. Mitchell constructs a detailed world with a very long history, where the Drengr, half dragons-half humans, rule Dragonwall and protect its human citizens, while living along side goblins, dwarves, and Sprites. Mitchell's world is bigger than life and that really comes across throu "Talon the Black" by Melissa Mitchell thrusts Claire into a fantasy world where wild dragons threaten a 50 000 year old peace.

The cover immediately drew me in and, after reading the blurb, I had to get my hands on it. Mitchell constructs a detailed world with a very long history, where the Drengr, half dragons-half humans, rule Dragonwall and protect its human citizens, while living along side goblins, dwarves, and Sprites. Mitchell's world is bigger than life and that really comes across through Claire who looks at it all in amazement. It's also worth noting that Mitchell doesn’t hesitate to delve into the nitty gritty of keeping a castle running; unlike most novels, Mitchell doesn't shy away from topics like chamber pots and menstruation.

Melissa Mitchell also pays close attention to her plot. "Talon the Black" has two distinct parts that symbolise Claire's transition into her role at Dragonwall. The first part is largely character exposition, with the audience getting to know Claire, Cyrus, and Dragonwall, before Claire is thrust into court politics that threaten her life. On the whole, it was a good plot, I found myself enjoying it more as all the elements came together towards the end of the book.
However the pacing wasn't ideal and the constant jumps between POVs and locations were hard to keep up with. While they added to a general understanding of the story or the circumstances that led to the book's events, they distracted from the plot, even dragging it down at points.

Michell's writing also didn't help. It's very wordy, especially when it comes to characters from Dragonwall. The way they speak is meant to recall older times, but it ends up being tedious to read through, if incomprehensible at times, Since certain Dragonwall characters have their own POV, it makes getting through whole chapters a challenge, to the point where I would skip paragraphs at times without missing anything major. As the book goes on, this became less noticeable, put I didn't appreciate having to push through half of it before that point (I even considered putting it down more than once).

Another problem I had with a book was the heteronormativity of it all. In a world with shapeshifting dragons, relying on the human male-female binary bugged me, especially given the disadvantageous position women are placed in. Claire's choices are frequently ignored or overruled, as are other women's in the novel, and having one side character raise the issue doesn't make up for the tone set by the other instances. On top of that, the Drengr are always men and their riders always women through some predetermined mating bond, and the women are bound to giving the Drengr one heir, one side character even goes so far as to classify the riders as broodmares upon learning this. To top it all off, the process of finding a mate includes the women in the kingdom lining up to touch dragons and form a bond when they're 15 because that's around the time they become "women" aka get their periods. Because the drengr are slow to age, this can give age gaps such as 32-15 which was unpleasant to read about to say the least.

Honestly, Melissa Mitchell's action packed plot and interesting worldbuilding didn’t make up for the "Talon the Black's" pitfalls and, as such, I won't be continuing with the series. ...more

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Dec 21, 2020 Brigitte rated it it was ok · review of another edition

"Talon the Black" by Melissa Mitchell thrusts Claire into a fantasy world where wild dragons threaten a 50 000 year old peace.

The cover immediately drew me in and, after reading the blurb, I had to get my hands on it. Mitchell constructs a detailed world with a very long history, where the Drengr, half dragons-half humans, rule Dragonwall and protect its human citizens, while living along side goblins, dwarves, and Sprites. Mitchell's world is bigger than life and that really comes across throu "Talon the Black" by Melissa Mitchell thrusts Claire into a fantasy world where wild dragons threaten a 50 000 year old peace.

The cover immediately drew me in and, after reading the blurb, I had to get my hands on it. Mitchell constructs a detailed world with a very long history, where the Drengr, half dragons-half humans, rule Dragonwall and protect its human citizens, while living along side goblins, dwarves, and Sprites. Mitchell's world is bigger than life and that really comes across through Claire who looks at it all in amazement. It's also worth noting that Mitchell doesn’t hesitate to delve into the nitty gritty of keeping a castle running; unlike most novels, Mitchell doesn't shy away from topics like chamber pots and menstruation.

Melissa Mitchell also pays close attention to her plot. "Talon the Black" has two distinct parts that symbolise Claire's transition into her role at Dragonwall. The first part is largely character exposition, with the audience getting to know Claire, Cyrus, and Dragonwall, before Claire is thrust into court politics that threaten her life. On the whole, it was a good plot, I found myself enjoying it more as all the elements came together towards the end of the book.
However the pacing wasn't ideal and the constant jumps between POVs and locations were hard to keep up with. While they added to a general understanding of the story or the circumstances that led to the book's events, they distracted from the plot, even dragging it down at points.

Michell's writing also didn't help. It's very wordy, especially when it comes to characters from Dragonwall. The way they speak is meant to recall older times, but it ends up being tedious to read through, if incomprehensible at times, Since certain Dragonwall characters have their own POV, it makes getting through whole chapters a challenge, to the point where I would skip paragraphs at times without missing anything major. As the book goes on, this became less noticeable, put I didn't appreciate having to push through half of it before that point (I even considered putting it down more than once).

Another problem I had with a book was the heteronormativity of it all. In a world with shapeshifting dragons, relying on the human male-female binary bugged me, especially given the disadvantageous position women are placed in. Claire's choices are frequently ignored or overruled, as are other women's in the novel, and having one side character raise the issue doesn't make up for the tone set by the other instances. On top of that, the Drengr are always men and their riders always women through some predetermined mating bond, and the women are bound to giving the Drengr one heir, one side character even goes so far as to classify the riders as broodmares upon learning this. To top it all off, the process of finding a mate includes the women in the kingdom lining up to touch dragons and form a bond when they're 15 because that's around the time they become "women" aka get their periods. Because the drengr are slow to age, this can give age gaps such as 32-15 which was unpleasant to read about to say the least.

Honestly, Melissa Mitchell's action packed plot and interesting worldbuilding didn’t make up for the "Talon the Black's" pitfalls and, as such, I won't be continuing with the series. ...more

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Feb 28, 2019 Madeleine Randall rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

*Deep breath*
I LOVE THIS BOOK!

Like so many others, I discovered Talon the Black on Wattpad. I loved fantasy and have always had a fascination with dragons, BUT LET ME TELL YOU - this book is unlike any other fantasy book you have read. A new take on the draconic aspect of the fantasy genre.

Talon the Black has had me gripped within the magical world of Dragonwall since page one. Claire Evans is a twenty-first-century woman who ends up caught in the nefarious plan of an evil sorcerer purely by cha ...more

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Feb 23, 2019 Andromeda28 rated it it was amazing

I accidentally stumbled into this book while browsing through tons of books in Wattpad.

I've gotten pretty bored with the usual things I read so I decided to try something new and I manage to find myself in the fantasy genre of the website.

The moment I saw this book for the first time I knew I was gone for. The cover, the title and the description...

I wanted to read it IMMEDIATELY but I stopped myself because it wasn't still finished. I begrudgingly closed the app just so I wouldn't get tempted a ...more

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Nov 28, 2020 Denice Langley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The first book in a new series is always a wonderful gift. Melissa Mitchell has built a world where dragon shifters are the main residents and given us the beginning of a far reaching cast of characters that all have a thread to be woven through the series. The story begins with a young woman, Claire, rescuing a dragon that has fallen from the sky. He has shifted into his human form and the story is off and running. As an avid reader of fantasy books, Claire now finds herself inside a shifter ki ...more

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Dec 08, 2020 Stephanie rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really wanted to love this book, because dragons and shifters and another world but sadly... Not for me.

I revieved a free digital copy of this book from the publisher BooksGoSocial via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly i really wanted to love this book but i made it to 6% before i dnfed it. It just wasn't for me at all..

I love dragons and shifter stories but this was a twist on usual story - normal human world with a seperate world with dragons.
But there were things about the ...more

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Oct 19, 2020 Vicky rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fantasy meets Real World! This book is truly a phenomenal written story of a dragon who turns into a man! He flys thru a Portal and Claire a girl who loves Fantasy and just is at odds in her life right now. Sees something land in the field and when she gets their its an injured man.

What an amazing adventure is about to take place for this young woman. She makes an Unbreakable Promise and her new world is to become this Kingdom that she only dreamed about and read about in books that she has cra ...more

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