My Review - Talon

A book with bite!

5 out of 5 stars

TALON – another great edition to my Kendig library! Fast-paced, strong characters−you can’t help but fall in love with, and a storyline that insists on your full attention because there are clues in the tiniest of details.

Aspen Courtland refuses to believe Austin−her MIA brother−is dead. Even though the Marines have written him off, she insists he’s alive and plans to prove it with the help of her brother’s tracking dog, Talon.  Unfortunately, the attack that supposedly took Austin’s life has left Talon suffering his own form of PTSD. But Amber refuses to allow that to deter her.  When Dane Markoski contacts Amber with news about her brother’s whereabouts, she is ready to jump into action and search for him, but Amber’s team at A Breed Apart training center have their reservations about Markoski and his plan to find Austin.

Dane Markoski has his own stake in finding Austin Courtland, and he knows his only hope of doing so is having Talon, his tracking dog, on his team.  Unfortunately, working with Aspen goes against his rule of never working with women. But he has no choice.  If he hopes to find his own answers, Aspen has to be part of the plan.

What ensues is a kaleidoscope of plots, subplots, assumed identities, and chemistry so strong even Dane isn’t sure he can stick to his guns and keep things professional between him and Aspen. Aspen admittedly has lost her heart to Dane, even though Dane continues to warn her he can’t be trusted. As Aspen struggles with the idea that her brother has abandoned her, Dane struggles with who he is and what he’s become.

I thoroughly enjoyed TALON!  Though the subplots were cryptically unveiled throughout the book−making the rhythm of the story choppy at times−it was easy enough to see where Ms. Kendig was leading her readers so it didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the story. Aspen is naïve in the sense that she only wants to see the good in people, but she’s also smart, determined, and definitely has skills of her own. Dane is emotionally haunted and keeps that part of who he is locked up from others to see. Instead, he relies on his instincts and training to move him forward without getting emotional invested, or so he tries. But Aspen is slowly chipping away at the walls Dane has erected making him almost believe he could fall in love.  Aspen and Dane are great as the hero and heroine, but so are the other characters that continue to appear in this series. Timbrel, Watterboy and Candyman, though secondary characters, definitely add to the heart and soul of what it means to be part of a team and watching each other’s six.

I can’t wait to read BEOWULF, the last book in the series, and find out what makes the belligerent man-hater, Timbrel, tick.