The Imperium has conquered lands far and wide bringing them under the rule of Empress Celestinia. Yet a mysterious island called Brittletain has escaped the Imperium’s claws and is ruled by several queens. Leven is a Herald, a magically enhanced soldier created and used by the Imperium as their main advantage in the war. Yet Leven has served her time and is now retired, but being retired does not hold any peace. As she begins to be plagued by nightmares, or perhaps memories of her time before the Herald transformation stole them from her, her visions show her Brittletain but she has no idea why and therefore goes in search of answers. Deep within the Wild Woods resides Cillian, a horned Druin who can speak to the spirit monsters which dwell in the woods, but the spirits are angry and afraid and Cillian needs to uncover why—he may just get his chance when he is asked to escort Leven throughout her visit into Brittletain. Meanwhile Envoy Kaeto along with his young assistant Belise must travel with the Imperium’s terrifying bone-crafter Gynid Tyleigh as they search for a new source of Titan bones to use in their crafting of Heralds. However, what they uncover could be far more dangerous than they could imagine. Then there is Ynis, a human child being raised by griffins; when she and her griffin sister, T’rook, are banished they discover further conflict between humans and griffins, but which side does Ynis truly belong to? 

Talonsister by Jen Williams sweeps readers away into a world that is epic and well defined, filled with morally grey characters and a plot which takes a shocking turn of events.

During the first half of the book, Williams takes time to explore the various parts that make up Brittletain, an alternative ancient version of Britain. Although this offers readers a wonderful closer look at the different cultures and ways of life practiced throughout Brittletain, it does create slow burn read with different sets of characters going upon separate journeys. When we follow Leven, Cillian and she are joined by the rather wild Princess Epona and we learn of politics, of the abilities of the Heralds, the dangers of the Wild Woods and why the Druin are the only ones permitted to walk freely amongst the woods. We stumble upon creatures such as pixies and Druidahnon. The visual imagery of the Wild Woods was astounding, there’s an ethereal beauty to it but also a foreboding eerie atmosphere which Williams executes well. Then through Kaeto, Belise and Gynid Tyleigh we visit Unblessed Houraki which is a strange, fascinating (the beetles steal the show here!) and terrifying place. Lastly through Ynis and her griffin sister, T’rook we explore Yelvvynia and get a delightful glimpse into the world of griffins. For the majority of the book these separate narratives felt rather disjointed and there wasn’t really any clear thread which held them together, yet by the end it all became clearer and I felt the slow and steady climb was definitely worth reaching the twist.

“Cillian knocked, feeling vaguely foolish, and after a moment, a huge shaggy bear head thrust itself through an opening in the wall some ten feet above him. The eyes of the Druidahnon glittered in the lamp light, and then he drew back inside.

‘Come in then, young Cillianos! Don’t just stand there with your dick in your hand!’”

Talonsister has a large cast of very compelling characters. Cillian, our somewhat grumpy reserved forest guide and Princess Epona, who provided a more light hearted atmosphere, were both extremely charming. The Princess steered away from the spoilt stereotype and was presented as a woman desperate to see the world and go on adventures, and Cillian is the very relatable introvert who just wants to be in his own company amongst nature. I found Leven harder to warm to because, well, she’s not often a very warm kind of character. She’s a hardened soldier, a woman used to surviving without needing others, a woman who is both feared and idolised throughout Brittletain and with her missing memories it makes it hard for her to truly know who she is. I was impatient to see that hard exterior crack and for her to trust others who knew their surroundings better then she did.

However, my two favourite characters were Kaeto and Belise, who were deliciously cunning, intelligent and naturally inquisitive, which made following them all the more engaging. There’s something about Kaeto that shows he is a scholarly man fascinated by history and discovery, he’s hungry for knowledge, unlike Tyleigh who simply strives to change the world or destroy it. Though they are both ruthless—killing comes easy to them, this distinction is what makes Kaeto extremely likeable. I of course also enjoyed being amongst Ynis and T’rook. Ynis struggles between being human but desperately wanting to be a griffin, to have wings and fly with her sister instead of being on her back, instead of being a burden. Though T’rook loves her sister all the same as the book progresses their differences become more apparent. Watching their relationship strain was honestly painful at times because they’re both so endearing but seeing a human navigating the animal world of griffins was in itself a sheer delight.

“The Bone Fall spread below the cliffs like a great bowl, the wall that surrounded it looking small and insignificant from her vantage point. Of the interior, Ynis couldn’t see very much – shadows grew quickly in the griffins’ graveyard, bleeding together around the bones – but here and there she could make out shapes; strange, half-familiar forms that caught her eye again and again.”

There is no doubt Williams is a master at crafting her mythological creatures to feel fully alive with distinct personalities. Much akin to The Winnowing Flame trilogy, there is a variety of non-human characters within this book too, with the griffins being the most notable because of their own, almost secluded way of life in Yelvvynia. They had clans, their own sets of religious beliefs and their own death rituals which we get to see explored in much detail. Although each griffin we meet along the way do have a few human-like characteristics with displays of emotions such as grief, compassion, anger and… well general grumpiness, they are also shown as fierce hunters, prone to confrontation when their territory is threatened. This mix of animal and human behaviour really speaks to why I love Williams’ books. 

Talonsister takes you on an adventure through a mysterious and eerie world plagued with monsters and dark magic. This is a book to really sink your talons into and in its aftermath you’ll be left grasping for more.

ARC provided by Kabriya at Titan Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the copy!

Talonsister is out now.