Last of the Talons

Epic Reads Pick for The 30 Must-Read YA Books for the Rest of 2022

BookRiot Pick for 12 Amazing Asia-Inspired Fantasy Books

After the destruction of her entire Talon gang, eighteen-year-old Shin Lina—the Reaper of Sunpo—is forced to become a living, breathing weapon for the kingdom’s most-feared crime lord. All that keeps her from turning on her ruthless master is the life of her beloved little sister hanging in the balance. But the order to steal a priceless tapestry from a Dokkaebi temple incites not only the wrath of a legendary immortal, but the beginning of an unwinnable game…

Suddenly Lina finds herself in the dreamlike realm of the Dokkaebi, her fate in the hands of its cruel and captivating emperor. But she can win her life—if she kills him first.

Now a terrible game of life and death has begun, and even Lina's swift, precise blade is no match for the magnetic Haneul Rui. Lina will have to use every weapon in her arsenal if she wants to outplay this cunning king and save her sister...all before the final grain of sand leaks out of the hourglass.

Because one way or another, she'll take Rui's heart.

Even if it means giving up her own.

“Last of the Talons is a stunning blend of dark romance and Korean mythology. Sophie Kim writes enemies to lovers with heart-pounding intensity, blurring the line between love and hate. Bloodthirsty, addictive, and searingly romantic.”

― Axie Oh, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

"A dazzling and mystical debut by Sophie Kim, depicted a story full of tragic past, dangerous deals and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance."

― Books of Bells

"Sophie Kim did a wonderful job at crafting this beautiful story."

― Compassionate Moon

"This young adult fantasy book, the first of a trilogy, blends Korean mythology with action-packed fighting, a cool and empowering protagonist, and a resonant emotional core about family and grief. In other words, the book not only contains all the elements of a great story, but successfully puts them all together."

― Asian Pacific Arts Magazine