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Talon Duology #2
Titanchild
The stunning sequel to Talonsister, full of romance and treachery, powerful magic and devastating choices. Perfect for fans of Andrea Stewart, John Gwynn and Samantha Shannon.
The Othanim have conquered Brittletain. Their murderous leader, Icaraine, plans to feed Brittletain's queens to her monstrous son. But total victory over the othanim's ancient enemy, the griffins, still eludes her. If Brittletain's resistance can secure an alliance with the griffins, they may still stand a chance of defeating the othanim.
Envoy Kaeto has returned to the Imperium, hiding Felldir and Belise in a ruined castle. He believes both his friends and his attempt to murder Gynid Tyleigh have escaped the Empress's notice. Yet secrets are not so easy to keep in the Imperium. Kaeto will do anything to protect Felldir and Belise – and so finds himself en route to Brittletain as ambassador to the Othanim.
Leven, Cillian, and Ynis have spent the last two years tracking Ynis's griffin sister, T'rook, a prisoner of Gynid Tyleigh. But Ynis has secondary motives for pursuing Tyleigh. Meanwhile, Leven's health is deteriorating, and Cillian – exiled and disgraced – is tormented by strange voices, who tell him of the return of the mythic Green Man to Brittletain.
There is no hope for humanity in a world ruled by Icaraine. But the price of defeating her might be almost too heavy to bear.
The Othanim have conquered Brittletain. Their murderous leader, Icaraine, plans to feed Brittletain's queens to her monstrous son. But total victory over the othanim's ancient enemy, the griffins, still eludes her. If Brittletain's resistance can secure an alliance with the griffins, they may still stand a chance of defeating the othanim.
Envoy Kaeto has returned to the Imperium, hiding Felldir and Belise in a ruined castle. He believes both his friends and his attempt to murder Gynid Tyleigh have escaped the Empress's notice. Yet secrets are not so easy to keep in the Imperium. Kaeto will do anything to protect Felldir and Belise – and so finds himself en route to Brittletain as ambassador to the Othanim.
Leven, Cillian, and Ynis have spent the last two years tracking Ynis's griffin sister, T'rook, a prisoner of Gynid Tyleigh. But Ynis has secondary motives for pursuing Tyleigh. Meanwhile, Leven's health is deteriorating, and Cillian – exiled and disgraced – is tormented by strange voices, who tell him of the return of the mythic Green Man to Brittletain.
There is no hope for humanity in a world ruled by Icaraine. But the price of defeating her might be almost too heavy to bear.
557 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 26, 2024
26 people are currently reading
672 people want to read
About the author
Jen Williams
39 books1,649 followersJen Williams lives in London with her partner and their small ridiculous cat. Having been a fan of grisly fairy tales from a young age, these days Jen writes dark unsettling thrillers with strong female leads, as well as character-driven fantasy novels with plenty of adventure and magic. Her debut novel, The Copper Promise, kicked off the Copper Cat trilogy in 2014, and since then she has twice won the British Fantasy Award for her second trilogy, the Winnowing Flame. Her first thriller, Dog Rose Dirt, was published with HarperCollins in July 2021. Jen has two upcoming releases in 2023: Games for Dead Girls with Harpercollins, and Talonsister with Titan. When she’s not writing books she enjoys messing about with video games and embroidery, and also works as a part-time bookseller and a freelance copywriter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
January 18, 2025
For fans of Attack on Titan and Hunter x Hunter second arc. Jen knows how to write weird, fantastical, political, emotional books.
I wish there was a recap because I was whiplashed lost for the first bit.
There is a two year time jump which meant that I felt we lost some of the connection to the characters in this time. Saying that, it also meant they and the story could develop naturally without it feeling forced or rushed.
As with book one, this is told through multiple perspectives, making each smaller fight feed into the bigger war.
Whilst this creates a wide scope of the conflict, it did mean that I felt overwhelmed with the amount of characters and certain favourites from book one felt overlooked.
We have sibling, parental, romantic, friendship, marital relationships. All attempting to survive and keep each other alive when their rebellion is collapsing and the monster Titans are winning.
I recommend this duology!
Arc gifted by Titan books.
Bookstagram
I wish there was a recap because I was whiplashed lost for the first bit.
There is a two year time jump which meant that I felt we lost some of the connection to the characters in this time. Saying that, it also meant they and the story could develop naturally without it feeling forced or rushed.
As with book one, this is told through multiple perspectives, making each smaller fight feed into the bigger war.
Whilst this creates a wide scope of the conflict, it did mean that I felt overwhelmed with the amount of characters and certain favourites from book one felt overlooked.
We have sibling, parental, romantic, friendship, marital relationships. All attempting to survive and keep each other alive when their rebellion is collapsing and the monster Titans are winning.
I recommend this duology!
Arc gifted by Titan books.
Bookstagram
December 10, 2024
This book, and indeed this duology, was a ride! I loved it even if it was a bit weird at times – the story and characters more than pulled me through.
I thought it was a bit of a weird one (and again this goes to the duology as a whole) in that I really dislike some of the worldbuilding, where it borrows too heavily from our world, but yet some of the other worldbuilding, and what Williams does with the borrowed stuff, is just spectacular.
There is so much on display in this second book that is weird and wonderful – pretty much everything around the Green Man, the Lich-Ways, Queen Mab, King Arthwr, and more.
The pacing of the book was really high, but not at all in a bad way. It had those moments you need where it slows down for a bit, but then it picks up soon after and whisks you away again. Much of this was done in the absence of battle as well, which is a common place for the pace to pick up. I think the writing as a whole, and the ideas brought to the page, just really suited the high pace and was served well by it.
I think everything that probably needed to happen storywise did happen, though not always in the way it was expected, and that was excellent. I did think a couple of things would be left alone, so I was pleased to be proven wrong (and two of these involved the last actions we see from Belise, further cementing her as a favourite character).
Overall, this was an excellent series, the two books probably about equal in my estimation, and a high recommendation.
I thought it was a bit of a weird one (and again this goes to the duology as a whole) in that I really dislike some of the worldbuilding, where it borrows too heavily from our world, but yet some of the other worldbuilding, and what Williams does with the borrowed stuff, is just spectacular.
There is so much on display in this second book that is weird and wonderful – pretty much everything around the Green Man, the Lich-Ways, Queen Mab, King Arthwr, and more.
The pacing of the book was really high, but not at all in a bad way. It had those moments you need where it slows down for a bit, but then it picks up soon after and whisks you away again. Much of this was done in the absence of battle as well, which is a common place for the pace to pick up. I think the writing as a whole, and the ideas brought to the page, just really suited the high pace and was served well by it.
I think everything that probably needed to happen storywise did happen, though not always in the way it was expected, and that was excellent. I did think a couple of things would be left alone, so I was pleased to be proven wrong (and two of these involved the last actions we see from Belise, further cementing her as a favourite character).
Overall, this was an excellent series, the two books probably about equal in my estimation, and a high recommendation.
April 29, 2025
The second book of this duology is pretty much non-stop action. I hadn’t realised there would be a two year time jump after the end of book one, and there are a great deal of changes that have since happened. While we slowly get to understand what happened (including a marriage!?) others are left open-ended.
There is so much magic, mythology, and lore, in this world, and I’d hoped we would have been able to learn more (e.g. the Empress and her doll) but some mysteries are left unsolved to keep the wonder of it all.
This book, while clearly epic fantasy, almost strays into horror at times. There’s a lot of dark fantasy things happening, but there are graphic deaths, body horror changes, and more that really skirt the line if you’re squeamish!
As the final book, there is war, there are battles being fought both overtly and covertly, and our characters are pushed to the brink of their limits and beyond. The world building remains deliciously vivid, and Williams’ writing is an absolute joy.
Leven really grew in my estimation, as did Belise. The griffins remained fantastic, and I was so glad we were able to spend a bit more time with them in the sequel.
I love the focus on folklore, things being more than what they seem, and the human connection between us all.
Great duology!
There is so much magic, mythology, and lore, in this world, and I’d hoped we would have been able to learn more (e.g. the Empress and her doll) but some mysteries are left unsolved to keep the wonder of it all.
This book, while clearly epic fantasy, almost strays into horror at times. There’s a lot of dark fantasy things happening, but there are graphic deaths, body horror changes, and more that really skirt the line if you’re squeamish!
As the final book, there is war, there are battles being fought both overtly and covertly, and our characters are pushed to the brink of their limits and beyond. The world building remains deliciously vivid, and Williams’ writing is an absolute joy.
Leven really grew in my estimation, as did Belise. The griffins remained fantastic, and I was so glad we were able to spend a bit more time with them in the sequel.
I love the focus on folklore, things being more than what they seem, and the human connection between us all.
Great duology!
April 25, 2025
This is a really great story and series.
The author creates a vivid world, with deep lore, strong characters and an exceptionally crafted journey for the reader.
I felt fully enveloped into the pages and at multi points in the book I found myself thinking one more chapter before going to bed!
I would say the ending of this one is a little bit messy in some parts, with a need to create some conveniences to bring the wide cast into their final destinations, but I still enjoyed the ending and leave with fond memories as I finish the series
The author creates a vivid world, with deep lore, strong characters and an exceptionally crafted journey for the reader.
I felt fully enveloped into the pages and at multi points in the book I found myself thinking one more chapter before going to bed!
I would say the ending of this one is a little bit messy in some parts, with a need to create some conveniences to bring the wide cast into their final destinations, but I still enjoyed the ending and leave with fond memories as I finish the series
August 4, 2025
a spectacular conclusion to the duology, packed full of Williams' trademark inventive worldbuilding, unsettling insectoid creatures, and epic love stories. I adored it.
July 14, 2025
This duology is my top rec from this point forward ✨✨✨✨✨ its utter perfection is unrivalled at this point 🫶
May 12, 2025
I can see lots of similiar elements to her other series The Winnowing Flame, but this duology stands so strongly and I really enjoyed it. The great writing style this author has just works so well for me. She writes great characters who are all fleshed out and complex. I did guess the ending but that didn’t matter. It was really great.
March 20, 2025
Wow just fucking wow! Emotionally fulfilled yet broken at the same time because now the bar is so high for my next book, I fear a book hangover.
January 30, 2025
Titanchild is both epic and unique. The level of detail is amazing and pulls you into this world full of mythology and magic.
There is a bit of a time jump, not massive but I would definitely recommend reading book one and then diving straight into this one.
The different POVs are all engaging and interesting, if not slightly overwhelming at times. I didn’t feel this with book one but I think this was because the of development of the stories and different trajectories covered.
This series is set in an intricate world, with plenty of battles, magic and mythical creatures. Alongside this we are given every type of relationship from romantic to parental to friends.
This book is basically jam packed and I think could have actually been a trilogy. If you like your books dense and complex then this is a duology for you. Overall great character work and epic scenes throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.
There is a bit of a time jump, not massive but I would definitely recommend reading book one and then diving straight into this one.
The different POVs are all engaging and interesting, if not slightly overwhelming at times. I didn’t feel this with book one but I think this was because the of development of the stories and different trajectories covered.
This series is set in an intricate world, with plenty of battles, magic and mythical creatures. Alongside this we are given every type of relationship from romantic to parental to friends.
This book is basically jam packed and I think could have actually been a trilogy. If you like your books dense and complex then this is a duology for you. Overall great character work and epic scenes throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.
January 10, 2025
Once you get past the time jump from the first story this quickly settles down into a very good Clinton to a very interesting series playing with old British folklore and creating something very interesting. Highly recommended!
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
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November 26, 2024Titanchild is the thrilling conclusion to the Talon Duology begun in Talonsister. Set in a world that bears a passing resemblance to the world at the time of the Roman Empire, the story picks up a couple of years after the dramatic events at the end of Talonsister and nothing seems to be going right for the people who are opposing the titan race of Othanim. Brittletain has been conquered and it seems that nothing can stand between the Othanim and the destruction of the griffins. The Imperium is desperately trying to get an alliance between themselves and the Othanim and have forced Envoy Kaeto to become their ambassador and try to work out a deal.
As with the first book, the story is told through multiple POV, each one seeing their own part of the confict but giving the reader a complete picture. I loved all of the main characters but especially Belise. She has absorbed all of the training she has received from Kaeto and uses it brilliantly to maintain some control over the events that are taking place around her. She has really matured from the ever-hungry urchin we met in the first book.
I think that the character that touched me the most this time though was Ynis. She is desperate to have the gift of flight to make her more equal with her grifftin family but this has huge implications for her relationship with her human sister. Her story arc through the novel was brilliant and for me, surprising. However, it all fitted together beautifully and I felt that the story couldn’t have worked out in any way that was more in keeping with her character.
The queen of the Othanim, Icaraine, is truly monstrous and it’s interesting to see how having a ruler who enjoys giving pain has impacted on the rest of her subjects. From being a people who loved beauty and creativity, they have become cruel and heartless too. Her child, the strange Malakim is also a monster being deformed in body and apparently in mind too. He is the queen’s ultimate weapon and must be destroyed.
Titanchild was a brilliant read and I thoroughly recommend it for any fantasy lovers. Jen Williams has created a fantastic story bringing together myths and legends as well as British folklore and I just couldn’t put it down. It has magic, love, battles, betrayal and legendary creatures. What more could you want?
Huge thanks to Net Galley and the publishers, Titan Books, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion
As with the first book, the story is told through multiple POV, each one seeing their own part of the confict but giving the reader a complete picture. I loved all of the main characters but especially Belise. She has absorbed all of the training she has received from Kaeto and uses it brilliantly to maintain some control over the events that are taking place around her. She has really matured from the ever-hungry urchin we met in the first book.
I think that the character that touched me the most this time though was Ynis. She is desperate to have the gift of flight to make her more equal with her grifftin family but this has huge implications for her relationship with her human sister. Her story arc through the novel was brilliant and for me, surprising. However, it all fitted together beautifully and I felt that the story couldn’t have worked out in any way that was more in keeping with her character.
The queen of the Othanim, Icaraine, is truly monstrous and it’s interesting to see how having a ruler who enjoys giving pain has impacted on the rest of her subjects. From being a people who loved beauty and creativity, they have become cruel and heartless too. Her child, the strange Malakim is also a monster being deformed in body and apparently in mind too. He is the queen’s ultimate weapon and must be destroyed.
Titanchild was a brilliant read and I thoroughly recommend it for any fantasy lovers. Jen Williams has created a fantastic story bringing together myths and legends as well as British folklore and I just couldn’t put it down. It has magic, love, battles, betrayal and legendary creatures. What more could you want?
Huge thanks to Net Galley and the publishers, Titan Books, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion
February 3, 2025
4.25/5
Thank you so much to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy!
This is book 2 of the Talon Duology, sequel to Talonsister - my first Jen Williams read that had me wanting to devour her backlog. I’m not sure what made me do the audio for Talonsister but I’m so glad I did, Jot Davies narration is absolutely unreal so of course I had to wait for the audiobook for Titanchild and was thrilled to be accepted for this ALC.
Jot didn’t disappoint, the narration here was absolutely fantastic as ever. Jen’s master storytelling & worldbuilding immerses you deeply and then Jot’s narration takes it one step further! Each character has a unique voice and the different regional accents make the world feel so real. Jot also narrates Jen’s Winnowing Flame trilogy which I highly recommend.
Now to the actual story, I was eagerly anticipating this finale and it didn’t disappoint. There’s a 2 year time jump at the start that threw me a little, but after a few chapters I was settled in. Returning to these characters felt like coming home, these books feel so cosy to me but still with danger and stakes and I was really rooting for them! We continue the multiple POVs from the first book and it all comes together to a tense ending.
This duology takes inspiration from different folklore, features a unique world full of mythical beings, magic, complex and endearing characters and their relationships. There are multiple queer characters and romantic subplots.
Thank you so much to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy!
This is book 2 of the Talon Duology, sequel to Talonsister - my first Jen Williams read that had me wanting to devour her backlog. I’m not sure what made me do the audio for Talonsister but I’m so glad I did, Jot Davies narration is absolutely unreal so of course I had to wait for the audiobook for Titanchild and was thrilled to be accepted for this ALC.
Jot didn’t disappoint, the narration here was absolutely fantastic as ever. Jen’s master storytelling & worldbuilding immerses you deeply and then Jot’s narration takes it one step further! Each character has a unique voice and the different regional accents make the world feel so real. Jot also narrates Jen’s Winnowing Flame trilogy which I highly recommend.
Now to the actual story, I was eagerly anticipating this finale and it didn’t disappoint. There’s a 2 year time jump at the start that threw me a little, but after a few chapters I was settled in. Returning to these characters felt like coming home, these books feel so cosy to me but still with danger and stakes and I was really rooting for them! We continue the multiple POVs from the first book and it all comes together to a tense ending.
This duology takes inspiration from different folklore, features a unique world full of mythical beings, magic, complex and endearing characters and their relationships. There are multiple queer characters and romantic subplots.
January 11, 2026
This book was EXCELLENT! I have never read a sequel that I enjoyed just as much as the first book. The author expertly balanced introducing new lore/world-building and tying up loose ends. The book rewards readers who pay attention, but still told a story that surprised me. The world is so fleshed out, I would love to read more stories in this setting. This is one of my new favorite series!
September 30, 2025
More accurate rating: 7/10.
Full video review: https://youtu.be/podN6I-GCPs.
Notes from my Reading Log:
Not quite as good as book one for me; it feels like shortcuts were taken with the plot... or that said plot needed more room to properly 'breathe' (even considering the two year time-gap between book one and book two).
The world-building became constrained to the territory of 'Brittletain', which I found disappointing, and which also made me feel like potential for something 'greater' was somewhat wasted here. I still broadly enjoyed the characters, but never became attached to them like I became attached to The Winnowing Flame's.
In essence: the plot and character work both 'accelerated' too much, the world-building narrowed too much (theming, for its part, was largely absent or merely surface-level), and the story, as a whole, didn't feel anywhere near as emotionally impactful as, again, The Winnowing Flame's did – though I enjoyed the duology's ending well enough.
Full video review: https://youtu.be/podN6I-GCPs.
Notes from my Reading Log:
Not quite as good as book one for me; it feels like shortcuts were taken with the plot... or that said plot needed more room to properly 'breathe' (even considering the two year time-gap between book one and book two).
The world-building became constrained to the territory of 'Brittletain', which I found disappointing, and which also made me feel like potential for something 'greater' was somewhat wasted here. I still broadly enjoyed the characters, but never became attached to them like I became attached to The Winnowing Flame's.
In essence: the plot and character work both 'accelerated' too much, the world-building narrowed too much (theming, for its part, was largely absent or merely surface-level), and the story, as a whole, didn't feel anywhere near as emotionally impactful as, again, The Winnowing Flame's did – though I enjoyed the duology's ending well enough.
March 23, 2025
Character-driven epic fantasy perfection. This duology has as much world-building, character growth (with many strong female leads), complex twists, and emotion as most series of this scale would take many more books/pages to accomplish. It sits squarely in the fantasy genre with weird magic, creatures, and lore, but still feels grounded with plays on historical locations and people. Williams will definitely be moving to my favorite authors list.
January 17, 2025
A great conclusion to the duology. All the characters have real development and the world-building/lore is so interesting. I also enjoyed the exploration of familial love and belonging. I love you Jen Williams
April 6, 2025
The ending brought this book to 5 stars. I had chills! And on the very last page the tears came. I just love Jen Williams’s writing!
December 23, 2024
This was an amazing ending to the Talon duology. Jen Williams creating this beautifully complex world with a maze of problems of its own then solving them and giving the readers answers for all the questions in the end once again. I was looking forward to reading this and have been very happy with my experience.
I love how these stories always come with such high stakes. And the author's writing always surprises me. I cherish that as a reader who can a lot of times guess where a story is headed correctly. Othanim was dealt in with a very realistic way. I loved how important a character Belise turned out to be in the end. Still a child and yet she always made the right choices. Kaeto was right about her. Ana Kaeto and Felldir I hope you get to live a happy life.
Icaraine by far is one of the most ruthless and horrifying villains I have seen. And as Kaeto later thinks empress of the Imprerium is the human version of that Icarine. Both are extremely dangerous. Malakim was dealt in the best possible way too.
I like that both Leven and Cillian got a second chance to live. And Ynis, dear Ynis, she was so important in steering everything in the right way. And I think she is happy knowing she belongs with the people who love her and she belongs to the sky, always.
Epona's idea of a queenless country is a good one. And I think she succeeds in it.
I love the world of Enonah, Brittletain created so very by Jen Williams. I will wait to see more of the beautiful stories she will tell in the future.
I love how these stories always come with such high stakes. And the author's writing always surprises me. I cherish that as a reader who can a lot of times guess where a story is headed correctly. Othanim was dealt in with a very realistic way. I loved how important a character Belise turned out to be in the end. Still a child and yet she always made the right choices. Kaeto was right about her. Ana Kaeto and Felldir I hope you get to live a happy life.
Icaraine by far is one of the most ruthless and horrifying villains I have seen. And as Kaeto later thinks empress of the Imprerium is the human version of that Icarine. Both are extremely dangerous. Malakim was dealt in the best possible way too.
I like that both Leven and Cillian got a second chance to live. And Ynis, dear Ynis, she was so important in steering everything in the right way. And I think she is happy knowing she belongs with the people who love her and she belongs to the sky, always.
Epona's idea of a queenless country is a good one. And I think she succeeds in it.
I love the world of Enonah, Brittletain created so very by Jen Williams. I will wait to see more of the beautiful stories she will tell in the future.
January 29, 2026
1) Talonsister ★★★☆☆
I'm so glad I read the sequel to this duology right after I finished the first book and everything was still fresh in my memory. It's fast-paced, the world-building is really great, but as a character driven reader the strength of it for me is obviously the characters. But I wasn't a fan of the time jump at the beginning. The ending of the first book was great and I wanted to read what happened after, not being told about it. I hate as much as anyone else that some stories are turned into trilogies when a duology would have been better, but here it feels to me like it should have been a trilogy. There are so many great things about this world and the characters, but I feel like there was a missed opportunity for it to actually be amazing. I hesitated to give it four stars, because I liked this one so much more than the first book, but I don't give four stars when there's this feeling of disappointment. That being said, I'm glad I've read it and will definitely add The Winnowing Flame trilogy by this author to my TBR since it's apparently her best work.
I'm so glad I read the sequel to this duology right after I finished the first book and everything was still fresh in my memory. It's fast-paced, the world-building is really great, but as a character driven reader the strength of it for me is obviously the characters. But I wasn't a fan of the time jump at the beginning. The ending of the first book was great and I wanted to read what happened after, not being told about it. I hate as much as anyone else that some stories are turned into trilogies when a duology would have been better, but here it feels to me like it should have been a trilogy. There are so many great things about this world and the characters, but I feel like there was a missed opportunity for it to actually be amazing. I hesitated to give it four stars, because I liked this one so much more than the first book, but I don't give four stars when there's this feeling of disappointment. That being said, I'm glad I've read it and will definitely add The Winnowing Flame trilogy by this author to my TBR since it's apparently her best work.
May 1, 2025
What a journey and what a story. I had a moment while I was listening to the audio book version (shoutout to Jot Davies for going all in on voices) and had to explain to my wife what was happening. It was a crazy web of linked stories and characters but overall I enjoyed it quite a fair bit.
June 14, 2025
3.5
I feel like overall the duology is quite interesting but somewhere in book two, I lost interest in the story because the pacing slowed down. However, in the end, it was an interesting read with great worldbuilding and characters.
I feel like overall the duology is quite interesting but somewhere in book two, I lost interest in the story because the pacing slowed down. However, in the end, it was an interesting read with great worldbuilding and characters.
September 29, 2025
Jen Williams is on par with T Kingfisher for me. Her worlds are weird and creepy, her characters are charming with a lot of heart, and her writing makes me laugh out loud. Her stories are so strange and unique I don’t even know how I’d describe the plots to anyone and I love that.
November 30, 2024
Wow, this really stuck the landing! I loved having POVs from Leven, Ynis, Belise, Kaeto and Epona. The Othanim were the perfect antagonists. There were so many twists and turns, so much action and yet so much character and relationship development. I enjoyed the prose and the dialogue. Top notch!
January 6, 2026
5🌟
🌶️
The biggest tragedy of this series is how inaccessible it is to people in the US, because I truly believe the Talon Duology would have more fans if they were able to read it without having to buy physical copies from the UK.
This conclusion was everything I could have wanted and more. It was non stop action all the way through with some tender moments as well. When people say they are looking for an epic fantasy with a romantic subplot, THIS series should be at the top of that list.
🌶️
The biggest tragedy of this series is how inaccessible it is to people in the US, because I truly believe the Talon Duology would have more fans if they were able to read it without having to buy physical copies from the UK.
This conclusion was everything I could have wanted and more. It was non stop action all the way through with some tender moments as well. When people say they are looking for an epic fantasy with a romantic subplot, THIS series should be at the top of that list.
December 14, 2024
The first book in this duology, Talonsister, completely blew me away so of course I was really excited to delve into this sequel. And what a sequel it is.
I adore Jen William's writing style and she just cemented herself as an auto buy author for me. Titanchild is evenly paced and exciting, and all the characters get their time to shine. It leads to an incredibly satisfying ending for this duology even if it doesn't come without sacrifice. The world-building is amazing and intricately woven into the narrative, never relying on infodumps.
I also really enjoyed how gruesome parts of this world were. Icaraine as the prime antagonist is genuinely horrifying, as is her son. They really delivered on the promise book one's ending gave us. There's a bit more focus on the romances this time around, and all three of them were very cute and also very dramatic but never overshadowed the bigger plotline.
Still, it's not quite a 5 star read for me and that's because of a time jump happening at the beginning of the book. I would have loved to see some of the events taking place during these two years and wasn't a fan of them being kind of glossed over, even though I understand why the time jump was there. It isn't a major issue in my book though, which is why I happily rounded up my 4,5 stars. I just felt this could have been done a bit better, more organically.
Also Jack. Like, I loved Jack, she's an amazing character, but man the name really took me out of the experience whenever it came up. Just did not fit with the vibe of the world and the other character names. But that is a very minor issue because the name doesn't mean so much when she's a cool knightly woman with a giant magical talking sword, so who am I to complain, really.
But all in all this is a fantastic sequel that sticks the landing and turns this into a really worthwhile fantasy duology that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
Many thanks to Titan Books and Netgalley for the arc!
I adore Jen William's writing style and she just cemented herself as an auto buy author for me. Titanchild is evenly paced and exciting, and all the characters get their time to shine. It leads to an incredibly satisfying ending for this duology even if it doesn't come without sacrifice. The world-building is amazing and intricately woven into the narrative, never relying on infodumps.
I also really enjoyed how gruesome parts of this world were. Icaraine as the prime antagonist is genuinely horrifying, as is her son. They really delivered on the promise book one's ending gave us. There's a bit more focus on the romances this time around, and all three of them were very cute and also very dramatic but never overshadowed the bigger plotline.
Still, it's not quite a 5 star read for me and that's because of a time jump happening at the beginning of the book. I would have loved to see some of the events taking place during these two years and wasn't a fan of them being kind of glossed over, even though I understand why the time jump was there. It isn't a major issue in my book though, which is why I happily rounded up my 4,5 stars. I just felt this could have been done a bit better, more organically.
Also Jack. Like, I loved Jack, she's an amazing character, but man the name really took me out of the experience whenever it came up. Just did not fit with the vibe of the world and the other character names. But that is a very minor issue because the name doesn't mean so much when she's a cool knightly woman with a giant magical talking sword, so who am I to complain, really.
But all in all this is a fantastic sequel that sticks the landing and turns this into a really worthwhile fantasy duology that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
Many thanks to Titan Books and Netgalley for the arc!
February 6, 2025
Titanchild is the second book in the Talon duology and in this installment, we get to follow mainly the same characters we did in the first book a couple of years after the event in Talonsister.
The story picks up really fast and we get thrown into a lot of action and events that involve all characters in equal parts. The pace is relatively fast throughout the entire book and it builds up organically towards an awesome ending.
As for the characters, I enjoyed following all of them. They are very well fleshed out, in my opinion, even the side characters, and through them, the author explores many themes, such as familial bonds, friendship, loss, sacrifice, moral dilemmas and the extent to which we are willing to go in order to reach our goals and for what we think is right. There were also some emotional moments that got me sobbing a bit.
Lastly, I need to highlight the author's imagination and creativity. The world she created is so rich and there are many different fantastical and mythological elements that combined seamlessly and organically, which made the story feel very dynamic and vast.
Overall, I loved this book and I would highly recommend this duology! Jen Williams is an amazing writer and her stories simply transport me to different worlds and make me love fantasy even more!
The story picks up really fast and we get thrown into a lot of action and events that involve all characters in equal parts. The pace is relatively fast throughout the entire book and it builds up organically towards an awesome ending.
As for the characters, I enjoyed following all of them. They are very well fleshed out, in my opinion, even the side characters, and through them, the author explores many themes, such as familial bonds, friendship, loss, sacrifice, moral dilemmas and the extent to which we are willing to go in order to reach our goals and for what we think is right. There were also some emotional moments that got me sobbing a bit.
Lastly, I need to highlight the author's imagination and creativity. The world she created is so rich and there are many different fantastical and mythological elements that combined seamlessly and organically, which made the story feel very dynamic and vast.
Overall, I loved this book and I would highly recommend this duology! Jen Williams is an amazing writer and her stories simply transport me to different worlds and make me love fantasy even more!
March 16, 2025
This continues 2 years in the future after the first book, we are taken on this journey with reoccurring characters and new adventures. This is told from the POV of several characters from the first book plus a few more. The POVs combined made this epic tale of working together to overthrow a tyrant queen. I loved reading from all sides of the war, from the baddies side, the rebels side, and the side of the forest and creatures afar.
This was a long book, and while I enjoyed the build up I felt some bits were too long and could have been cut down while the ending felt a bit rushed. There wasn't too much world building in this and I think it would have benefited to include a bit more of it, and I would have liked a bit more about how the different sides came to be and history between them. The history is touched upon but not in great detail.
Overall, a very enjoyable duology, and if you like magical creatures combined with a human world, and a book that's heavy on plot and character development this is the series for you.
This was a long book, and while I enjoyed the build up I felt some bits were too long and could have been cut down while the ending felt a bit rushed. There wasn't too much world building in this and I think it would have benefited to include a bit more of it, and I would have liked a bit more about how the different sides came to be and history between them. The history is touched upon but not in great detail.
Overall, a very enjoyable duology, and if you like magical creatures combined with a human world, and a book that's heavy on plot and character development this is the series for you.
January 23, 2025
Brittletain has been conquered by the othanim and her people’s bones are to be fed to Icaraine’s son so he can reach his full potential. Can anything or anyone defeat these plans or are all destined to die? Can the Green Man be summoned to help the rebel cause?
Very well written and well narrated (I listened to the audiobook). This exciting novel
Is full of excellent characters. Well paced and action packed. There is so much at stake for several characters and lots of battles to be thought. Enjoy finding out what happens.
Very well written and well narrated (I listened to the audiobook). This exciting novel
Is full of excellent characters. Well paced and action packed. There is so much at stake for several characters and lots of battles to be thought. Enjoy finding out what happens.
March 13, 2025
Absolutely sensational! I have no words, I'm just gonna go and sit in the corner while I try and process that this story is complete and I can't just jump into a new story set here every year. A world and cast of characters I'm truly going to miss, but I'll sure they'll see me back for a re-read before the summer 😅😅 the book hanger is gonna be reeeeaaaallllll bad, I can already feel it
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