2 out of 4 stars
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Talon: Encounter by Gigi Sedlmayer is the fifth installment in The Talon series. I have not read the first four books. Fortunately, the author offered enough background information for me to be able to follow the storyline. Talon is an abnormally huge condor that poachers, Pete and Zed, have been after ever since he was just an egg. Tamo, Tima (Talon’s parents) and Matica, a little girl, have been able to protect Talon in the previous books. However, Pete and Zed are back and more determined than ever to capture the condors.
The Talon series is categorized as young adult fiction. I am in my early twenties and feel that the writing style appeals more to readers who are 12-16 years old. Encounter is composed of 74 chapters that span a little fewer than 400 pages. In my opinion, Sedlmayer’s writing comes off as superfluous. A lot of the words seem to have been chosen for their shock value but they did not have much of an effect on me.
The story is written in the third-person narrative and includes a lot of dialogue. The dialogue functions to develop characters and advance the storyline. There were many characters that were probably developed more extensively developed in earlier books. I was not able to connect with any of the characters. However, I believe that Talon and Matica, the protagonists, may appeal to younger readers.
There were little things that I liked about this book. It seems to have been professionally edited since there were minimal editorial errors. The storyline progressed smoothly from chapter to chapter. Also, although there were many chapters they were short enough to manage and each chapter had a unique title. I was also glad that the story involving the poachers was concluded. At the end, the author hinted that another instalment with a new focus is not unlikely. The things that I liked about this book are not compelling enough for me to want to read any previous or future books in the Talon series.
In conclusion, I rate Talon: Encounter 2 out of 4 stars. I found it very hard to rate this novel. I struggled to finish it and only did so out of a feeling of obligation. However, as I mentioned previously, it seems that a younger audience may enjoy this novel. I recommend that persons interested in this book should start with the first installment.
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Talon, Encounter
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