elfflame's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
triftwizened's review
4.0
Weird book. Solidly strange start, which I expected from Deckard. And then almost nothing happened for half the book, and then the last 20% is off the charts BONKERS. (I have so many questions.)
It gets an extra star from me though for having the best asexual representation I've seen to date.
It gets an extra star from me though for having the best asexual representation I've seen to date.
cadiva's review
4.0
Exceptional world building in this fantasy romance
I loved the amazing world and cultures which Bey created in this fantasy romance and the relationship development between Kes, Talon and Grimm.
There's a lot of story going on, a bit of an adventure, a bit of magic, a little bit of kink, a lot of emotions and a hint of mystery. I loved the unique voices of each man and the different emotional connection they brought to their triad
The setting and secondary characters also brought depth and flavour to the narrative, each helping to create the world and the location in which the story develops.
There were interesting twists, there's a lot of powerful scenes between Kes and Talon, but I also loved how Grimm wasn't a typical third, his lack of sexual desire meaning his emotional connection to the other two was very powerful to read.
Now I need the rest of the series please Bey!
I loved the amazing world and cultures which Bey created in this fantasy romance and the relationship development between Kes, Talon and Grimm.
There's a lot of story going on, a bit of an adventure, a bit of magic, a little bit of kink, a lot of emotions and a hint of mystery. I loved the unique voices of each man and the different emotional connection they brought to their triad
The setting and secondary characters also brought depth and flavour to the narrative, each helping to create the world and the location in which the story develops.
There were interesting twists, there's a lot of powerful scenes between Kes and Talon, but I also loved how Grimm wasn't a typical third, his lack of sexual desire meaning his emotional connection to the other two was very powerful to read.
Now I need the rest of the series please Bey!
the_novel_approach's review against another edition
5.0
Fantasy meets fairy tale meets the supernatural meets erotic romance in Bey Deckard’s Kestrel’s Talon, once again proving this author’s talent for translating his imagination into wondrous storytelling and the drawing of deeply charming and unique characters.
Centering around the aftermath of a war in this stunning and diverse world is the subject of slavery and, for Kestrel, represents his deconstruction as human chattel. He has been beaten, dehumanized, bartered, and betrayed by the country he’d once served. And Kestrel is once again on the auction block when he’s discovered by two men—one a slave himself, the other his Master and a giant of a man who will add Kes to his collection of human property and who will, in time, answer the question of what it means to be owned vs. what it means to be treasured.
The first thing that is evident from the outset of this novel is Kes’s hopeless rage, a fire of resentment that burns at his core amidst the despair he feels over his enslavement and his utter humiliation at being powerless and without options. The second thing that becomes evident soon after is that the beautiful slave and his Master, who’ve spied Kestrel on display on the slave dais in the marketplace, are of a different ilk—there is something off in the slave’s impish exuberance and the Master’s indulgent demeanor, a note that’s off-pitch and makes Kestrel all the more fearful of what horrors await him upon his arrival at Horthmont Castle.
Kestrel does find all manner of the unexpected and unusual there, to be sure. Not the least of which is a love he would never have thought possible.
Important parts of this novel are told in flashbacks, admittedly not a favorite device of mine because I’ve found it distracting or felt it has interrupted the flow and pace of other stories, that’s not so at all with this book. In this case the flashbacks are the crux of the greater storyline, as they uncover the mysteries behind Horthmont Castle and its residents, as well as giving us the history of the Stonewatchers and a glimpse at the mysticism within its mythology. Everything unfolds so fluidly here that Kestrel’s Talon was over well before I wanted it to be, and every single character in it had become imperative to its success.
Along the same lines of this authors Baal’s Heart trilogy, the Stonewatchers series already promises to be an epic one. This is a realm where magic is real and is used in the service of both good and evil. It’s a place where this magic presents as both a shield and a sword, and sometimes as danger and a horrible curse. There is a war looming on the immediate horizon, one which directly affects Kestrel and the two men who have given him back something he never would have thought possible—hope. These three men form a union that is sweet and sensual and romantic, with Kestral at its axis, and while there is so much going on behind the scenes with the building of this world, it’s always this emotional and physical evolution that is at the forefront because it’s so integral to the story arc. One of the things this author does so well when constructing relationships, though, is to bring a raw edge to that sweetness too, and it’s something I love about his brand of romance.
I would love to tell you every single incredibly cool thing about this book, all the twists and turns of its legends and magic and how every interaction does nothing but build on and reinforce the chemistry and connection between Kestrel and the family that springs up from what should have been his great misfortune, but I don’t want to spoil a single thing about it for you–that would be a crappy thing for me to do. I do think you owe it to yourself to grab this one and experience it for yourself, though, especially if you love a world where everything impossible feels possible.
Sometimes we read authors whose work we just click with on every single level, and Bey Deckard is one of those authors for me. The Stonewatchers series most definitely has the potential to unseat the Baal’s Heart trilogy from atop my list of favorites in this author’s body of work. And one thing I can say is that I can’t wait for book two.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com/review-kestrels-talon-by-bey-deckard/
Centering around the aftermath of a war in this stunning and diverse world is the subject of slavery and, for Kestrel, represents his deconstruction as human chattel. He has been beaten, dehumanized, bartered, and betrayed by the country he’d once served. And Kestrel is once again on the auction block when he’s discovered by two men—one a slave himself, the other his Master and a giant of a man who will add Kes to his collection of human property and who will, in time, answer the question of what it means to be owned vs. what it means to be treasured.
The first thing that is evident from the outset of this novel is Kes’s hopeless rage, a fire of resentment that burns at his core amidst the despair he feels over his enslavement and his utter humiliation at being powerless and without options. The second thing that becomes evident soon after is that the beautiful slave and his Master, who’ve spied Kestrel on display on the slave dais in the marketplace, are of a different ilk—there is something off in the slave’s impish exuberance and the Master’s indulgent demeanor, a note that’s off-pitch and makes Kestrel all the more fearful of what horrors await him upon his arrival at Horthmont Castle.
Kestrel does find all manner of the unexpected and unusual there, to be sure. Not the least of which is a love he would never have thought possible.
Important parts of this novel are told in flashbacks, admittedly not a favorite device of mine because I’ve found it distracting or felt it has interrupted the flow and pace of other stories, that’s not so at all with this book. In this case the flashbacks are the crux of the greater storyline, as they uncover the mysteries behind Horthmont Castle and its residents, as well as giving us the history of the Stonewatchers and a glimpse at the mysticism within its mythology. Everything unfolds so fluidly here that Kestrel’s Talon was over well before I wanted it to be, and every single character in it had become imperative to its success.
Along the same lines of this authors Baal’s Heart trilogy, the Stonewatchers series already promises to be an epic one. This is a realm where magic is real and is used in the service of both good and evil. It’s a place where this magic presents as both a shield and a sword, and sometimes as danger and a horrible curse. There is a war looming on the immediate horizon, one which directly affects Kestrel and the two men who have given him back something he never would have thought possible—hope. These three men form a union that is sweet and sensual and romantic, with Kestral at its axis, and while there is so much going on behind the scenes with the building of this world, it’s always this emotional and physical evolution that is at the forefront because it’s so integral to the story arc. One of the things this author does so well when constructing relationships, though, is to bring a raw edge to that sweetness too, and it’s something I love about his brand of romance.
I would love to tell you every single incredibly cool thing about this book, all the twists and turns of its legends and magic and how every interaction does nothing but build on and reinforce the chemistry and connection between Kestrel and the family that springs up from what should have been his great misfortune, but I don’t want to spoil a single thing about it for you–that would be a crappy thing for me to do. I do think you owe it to yourself to grab this one and experience it for yourself, though, especially if you love a world where everything impossible feels possible.
Sometimes we read authors whose work we just click with on every single level, and Bey Deckard is one of those authors for me. The Stonewatchers series most definitely has the potential to unseat the Baal’s Heart trilogy from atop my list of favorites in this author’s body of work. And one thing I can say is that I can’t wait for book two.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com/review-kestrels-talon-by-bey-deckard/
pagesandprozac's review against another edition
3.0
if this was pared down and streamlined then it has the potential to be absolutely excellent, but unfortunately there was just far too much filler - about 60% filler and 40% everything else, when filler should be less than 20% at the very most.
cadiva's review against another edition
4.0
Exceptional world building in this fantasy romance
I loved the amazing world and cultures which Bey created in this fantasy romance and the relationship development between Kes, Talon and Grimm.
There's a lot of story going on, a bit of an adventure, a bit of magic, a little bit of kink, a lot of emotions and a hint of mystery. I loved the unique voices of each man and the different emotional connection they brought to their triad
The setting and secondary characters also brought depth and flavour to the narrative, each helping to create the world and the location in which the story develops.
There were interesting twists, there's a lot of powerful scenes between Kes and Talon, but I also loved how Grimm wasn't a typical third, his lack of sexual desire meaning his emotional connection to the other two was very powerful to read.
Now I need the rest of the series please Bey!
I loved the amazing world and cultures which Bey created in this fantasy romance and the relationship development between Kes, Talon and Grimm.
There's a lot of story going on, a bit of an adventure, a bit of magic, a little bit of kink, a lot of emotions and a hint of mystery. I loved the unique voices of each man and the different emotional connection they brought to their triad
The setting and secondary characters also brought depth and flavour to the narrative, each helping to create the world and the location in which the story develops.
There were interesting twists, there's a lot of powerful scenes between Kes and Talon, but I also loved how Grimm wasn't a typical third, his lack of sexual desire meaning his emotional connection to the other two was very powerful to read.
Now I need the rest of the series please Bey!
qui's review
2.0
It wasn’t that bad, but the pacing was soooooo slooooow, with so many details that didn’t seem to be adding up to anything at all. After checking reviews here to see that it never does pick up into anything more interesting, I’m going to go ahead and dnf at about 25%.
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