THE TALON OF THE HAWK is book three in Jeffe Kennedy's The Twelve Kingdoms series. These books should definitely be read in order. But if you haven't read Mark of the Tala and Tears of the Rose yet, then you are in the absolute treat of reading the whole set thus far, without having to anxiously await the next release. I believe this originally was a trilogy, but I'm thrilled to see Kennedy's announcement that there will be two more books in this wonderful fantasy world.

THE TALON OF THE HAWK is Ursula's book. Ursula is the eldest of three daughters of High King Uorsin. Without the son he so desperately wanted, Uorsin has raised Ursula to be his heir, brutally training her to be both a warrior and a leader. The king's men joke that she doesn't need a man because she sleeps with her sword. Ursula has tried for years to be the stoic heir that her father demands, but can't quite ever measure up. Her loyalties have been stretched further and further as the story arc progresses through the series, until in book three, Ursula is left questioning all that she has been raised to defend, including her father.

Harlan, captain of the Vervaldr, is a foreign Dasnarian mercenary hired by King Uorsin along with his company of solders to act as additional security for the castle at Ordnung. Ursula comes home from her attempt to capture her sister and her sister's child, only to find the mercenaries have taken over the usual guard at court. Harlan is a mercenary with a strong inner moral compass, who eventually worms his way into the heart that Ursula has had to harden to survive. I love Ursula and Harlan separately, and I adore them together. Ursula is a strong woman who loves her sisters, and the lengths that she goes to in order to protect them are breathtaking. When Harlan earns her trust and her loyalty, they make such powerful team acting in concert with Ursula's sisters for the good of the realm, and it makes me want to cheer.

THE TALON OF THE HAWK is a fantastic close to the original trilogy of the three princesses of High King Uorsin in the Twelve Kingdoms. We don't get as much of the magical aspect of this fantasy world in book three simply because Ursula is the sister with battle skills rather than strong magical skills, but there is still a vibrant magical underpinning to this well-built world. Excellent character development and a strong action continue to characterize the Twelve Kingdoms, and I'm thrilled beyond belief to know that we will see more of this world in Future Kennedy books.

Book Summary

A HEAVY CROWN

Three daughters were born to High King Uorsin, in place of the son he wanted. The youngest, lovely and sweet. The middle, pretty and subtle, with an air of magic. And the eldest, the Heir. A girl grudgingly honed to leadership, not beauty, to bear the sword and honor of the king.

Ursula’s loyalty is as ingrained as her straight warrior’s spine. She protects the peace of the Twelve Kingdoms with sweat and blood, her sisters from threats far and near. And she protects her father to prove her worth. But she never imagined her loyalty would become an open question on palace grounds. That her father would receive her with a foreign witch at one side and a hireling captain at the other— that soldiers would look on her as a woman, not as a warrior. She also never expected to decide the destiny of her sisters, of her people, of the Twelve Kingdoms and the Thirteenth. Not with her father still on the throne and war in the air. But the choice is before her. And the Heir must lead…

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