I picked this up because I enjoyed the first book in the Crowns of Ishia novella trilogy, The Mountain Crown. Which is not, at all, about the sort of crown that one wears on one’s head. In this case, ‘crown’ is the collective noun for a group of suon, who are what we would call dragons.

What the enemies of the land where the suon thrive call them as well. Because dragons are animals, but suon are people – for large and winged and deadly definitions of ‘people’. And the Ba’Suon, the people who live in harmony with the dragons, fully acknowledge that fact.

Their enemies, conquerors and exploiters do not. Because it doesn’t suit their narrative of events. And conquest. And exploitation.

In the first novella in this trilogy, Meka received diplomatic immunity to come to the heart of their enemy to ‘gather’, meaning bond with, one and only one suon. Of course, their enemies have other plans, which enmesh Meka with others of her people, Raka and Lilley and by extension Janan, all currently imprisoned or enslaved along with Janan’s suon Tourmaline. But Janan is imprisoned elsewhere and Raka seems destined for the ‘dark side’.

This second book takes place partly simultaneously and partly in the wake of the events at the end of The Mountain Crown. This is Janan’s half of the story, imprisoned in a neighboring country because he deserted. He does not know the fate of his partner and lover, Lilley, all he knows is that he left Lilley in grave danger.

That first story was more than a bit of a tease, in that it clearly started in the midst of the long-running feud/war/conquest between the Ba’Suon lands and their enemies. I left that first book wanting more and now I have it. And I still want more, because this middle story asks as many questions as it answers.

But I was absolutely glad to continue down this path with Janan and his suon Tourmaline, in spite of the danger, heartbreak and tragedy he faces along the way.

Escape Rating B: That first book was very much an ‘in medias res’ story in that it started in the middle, both of Janan’s and Lilley’s stories and in the middle of the long running conflict/conquest of their land by the enemies that surround them. The Desert Talon is even more so, as its still in the middle of that mess plus we’re now in the midst of Janan’s story as well.

But in the hours after I turned the last page on The Desert Talon, I realized that this book, in addition to being part of ITS series, was also in dialogue with my two previous books this very week, The River Has Roots and One Message Remains. Because all three stories are wrapped around the axle of war and conquest, especially around the greed and concupiscence that fuel those desires and disrupt the natural forces and powers of the world in terrible ways with horrifying long term consequences.

In The River Has Roots the overarching conflict wrapped itself around the endless debate between science and logic on the one hand, and nature and magic on the other, embodied, literally in Esther’s choice to marry the fae Rin instead of the greedy human villain Pollard. He dismissed magic as a force but it was magic, in the end, that brought him down.

The overall theme of One Message Remains is about the blind logic of conquest that begins with presuming that everyone is your lesser and they have nothing to teach you. That in the end the land has power of its own and it is greater than yours – at least for now.

In The Desert Talon the desire to capture and subject the dragons, the suon, out of greed for both money and power results in a loss of life and agency so frightening that even the conqueror’s own people are terrified. Some gifts really do come at just too high a price.

But in all of these cases, while the current conflict resolves on the side of conservation and preservation, the terrible handwriting is clearly on the wall. And that’s the saddest part of all three books.

Howsomever, Janan’s and Lilley’s adventures with their suons has one more chapter to be revealed in A Covenant of Ice, arriving just as ironically at the height of summer as this story set in the heat of the desert came out in the depths of winter.

The Desert Talon is the second novella in the fantasy series The Crowns of Ishia, this fantasy with western motifs written by Karin Lowachee, published by Solaris Books. A story that is parallel in time with The Mountain Crown, following Janaan, Lilley's lover, after he fled Kattaka, being captured with his suon Tourmaline; he's released as a refugee in Mazemoor into the custody of his sister, Prita.

In this second instalment, Lowachee presents us the nation of Mazemoor, a fascinating setting with a steampunk technology level, a strong bureaucracy; their government tolerates the existence of the Ba'Suon, but is deeply wary of their magic. Janaan, under the refugee status, is under a powerful pressure, especially as his sister and family status depend on him complying with Mazemoor's exigences. Lowachee takes this as the perfect setting to draw a story about nature exploitation, tragedy, and revenge.

We will see how the conflict arises between Janaan and a dangerous suon baron, Eben Wisterel; Janaan is forced to walk a difficult path forced by Mazemoor's administration, while having to deal with his own trauma. Wisterel represents greed and nature's exploitation just for the sake of benefit, even using people as disposable thralls just to get money; in contrast with Janaan and the Ba'Suon traditional culture, respecting the bond with the suons.
Interestingly, we also have a splendid portrait of how precarious are refugees situation, those that are forced to flee their home in the hopes of finding a secure place for them and their loved ones; Prita's family is the best example of it, having to step up to get Janaan out of the refugee center (which is basically a prison with other name), and putting themselves at risk just for giving him a new place.

The interactions between Janaan and his suon are quite heart-warming, also becoming a reflection of how Janaan feels nostalgia and misses Lilley; the writing is sharp, and the pacing is a bit faster than in the first novella, making this book incredibly fast to read. My only gripe is how fast the ending comes, as it feels a bit rushed in comparison with the rest of the story.

The Desert Talon is another excellent instalment in this fantasy western series; if themes such as tragedy, nature exploitation and nostalgia are your jam, I totally recommend you to read this particular novella. It can be read as a standalone, but you will enjoy it more if you have previously read The Mountain Talon; and honestly, I can't wait for the third instalment on the Crowns of Ishia series.

What continues to impress me the most is the beautiful and lyrical prose that's concentrated in 150 pages.The Desert Talon has the answer to questions I had about Lilley's past after reading The Mountain Crown and continues to tell us what became of Janan. We learn all about Mazemoor, the enemy of Kattaka. We get an in depth description of the political structure, the magic (mythicism) they use, their use of technology and dragons (suon). We meet Janan, who is heartbroken and homesick. After the Mazoon place him with distant family tethered to a patch of land he is forced into a no win situation and has to fight. I love these books! The author uses precise language that elicits the awe and gravitas necessary to convey the overarching epic story and it left me satisfied as if my brain consumed a hearty meal. I'm so excited for the next book. Highly recommend The Desert Talon for lovers of epic high fantasy.

I was very much possessed by book one in this series and was delighted to find the sequel on NetGalley. Lowachee is extremely talented. Not only does she bring forward a narrative that defies the regular tropes seen in stories of colonized peoples but breathes further dimension into another character who has experienced the world in harsher ways. There is remarkable quality in these two 15o page novellas and I can’t wait to read the final instalment to the series. I will definitely be recommending this series to as many people as possible.

In the second book of The Crowns of Ishia we follow Sephihalé ele Janan who we only heard about from stories so far. After he fled from the war and arrived in the southern island of Mazemoor, he sits in prison for fighting for the imperial Kattakans. After months of interrogations, he now is sponsored by another refugee who was once a part of his family. he starts to live with her and her son, but soon the local dragon baron wants to posess Janan and his dragon for his dark actions on his farm.

Although the first book in the series was interesting and got me hooked for the story, I liked The Desert talon a lot more. It was everything I wanted: the story of Janan was sad but also sweet and Janan himself is a great character. His deep feelings for his family, his dragon and the nature around us all was really well written in my opinion and gave him a depth that I missed in the characters of the previous book. Both Janan and his sister suffer from the consequences of their time fighting in the war and so this also plays a big role in this novella.

My only complaint might be, that the last 20 pages or so felt a bit rushed and I had prefered if the conflict with the dragon baron would have a bit more pages to develop a solution. Nontheless did I really enjoy The Desert Talon and after the last chapter, I can't wait to read the conclusion of the series.

"All tides recede, all storms abate, no matter how powerful."

This second book in The Crowns of Ishia series has all of the emotional depth and complex character studies that I would expect from Lowachee. I cannot get over her writing it is so GORGEOUS ahhhh I just love how much love and respect there is for the natural world in these books. The relationships between Janan and his family were the highlight of the story here, and the portrayals of PTSD and even the brief insight into the experience of a refugee were all portrayed with a lot of respect. Seriously, my man Janan cannot catch a break.

Why I didn't rate this as highly as the The Mountain Crown was because for me, Janan had so much presence in the first book because of his absence, which I realize sounds contradictory. You could just feel how powerful his absence was and I think that the fact Lowachee was able to do this speaks so much to how talented of a writer she is. This book does take away some of the mystery of him. In a way, the author does a similar thing with Lilley being missing in this novella however because we already know him well from The Mountain Crown, I did not find it as impactful as Janan's absence from book 1. I kind of wished we had gotten to reunite with him from Lilley's perspective much later on in the course of this trilogy.

Regardless, I'm so excited to see how Lowachee wraps this story up. Bring on all of that sweet emotional devastation!!! I am here for it and will have the tissues ready :')

If you’re after fantasies about colonialism, displacement, and environmental degradation, you need the Crowns of Ishia novellas in your life. While THE MOUNTAIN CROWN took us into occupied territory, THE DESERT TALON looks at refugees in a land of people with whom they share ancestry but not a viewpoint on what their magic is and how it should be used. Karin Lowachee digs deep into her themes across these 150 pages, all while she delivers her signature stellar characterization. I couldn’t put it down.

Since the setting and the focal characters shift between TMC and TDT, I think you COULD read this as a standalone; however, the ending will mean a lot more if you start with TMC. And really, why would you cheat yourself out of the full experience? Lowachee is excellent. You want her backlist, too.

The Desert Talon expands on The Crowns of Ishia series by shifting focus to Janan, a character frequently mentioned in the first book but now given the spotlight. After months in a provisional prison for fighting on the side of the imperial Kattakans, Janan is granted release and seeks a peaceful life on his sister’s land, hoping to raise dragons in the traditions of his people. However, the looming threat of a ruthless dragon baron and deep-seated cultural divisions threaten his fragile new beginning, forcing him to confront the violence he hoped to leave behind.

Lowachee’s skillful character work shines here, particularly with Janan, whose closed-off nature stands in stark contrast to the more expressive protagonists of the first book. His internal struggles and gradual reintegration into a world that has changed without him make for a deeply compelling read. The book also delves into Ba'Suon culture and traditions, offering a richer understanding of their relationship with dragons and the land.

While this installment is slower and more introspective than its predecessor, it expertly sets the stage for what’s to come. With the repercussions of Raka’s fate still unknown and tensions rising between fractured peoples, The Desert Talon left me eager to see how these conflicts will unfold in the next book. Lowachee continues to build a fascinating world filled with political intrigue, war-torn survivors, and the ever-present majesty of dragons.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I am sooo excited to see more coming out from Karin Lowachee, and at such a dynamic schedule, too!
The Desert Talon is the next stallment of the story that was started in the Mountain Crown, and if you liked the first novella, I am pretty confident you would like this one as well. There is this hallmark of KL's that I am thrilled to see: layering perspectives on a complex problem in each new book in a series - that was also common for her Warchild books. I am so up for more.

After enjoying The Mountain Crown, I was so pleased to get a chance to review the ARC of Karin Lowachee’s The Desert Talon, Book 2 of The Crowns of Ishia.

The Desert Talon takes everything that I loved about The Mountain Crown and makes it even better. This time, the story follows Janaan, who is Lilley’s lover – originally mentioned back in Book 1. Janaan fled Kattaka, only to be captured with his suon (dragon), Tourmaline. Janaan starts off his story in a grim Mazemoor refugee holding centre before being reluctantly released into the custody of his sister, Prita.

Mazemoor itself is a fascinating setting, with its steampunk-flavoured bureaucracy, mechanical alarm systems, and transcription automatons. This government, compared to the grim Kattaka (the location for Book 1), tolerates the Ba’Suon people living traditionally on their lands but is deeply wary of their magic and their bond with the suon. That tension adds another layer to Janaan’s struggles as he tries to adapt to life on his sister’s small ranch while dealing with the Mazemoor authorities and a dangerous local suon baron, Eben Wisterel.

This book leans heavily into those themes of tragedy and revenge, keeping up the same moody western feel that really pulled me into The Mountain Crown. I found the interactions with the draconic suon much clearer this time, making their connection to the characters and world more natural and also impactful.

Janaan’s relationships with his sister and her son really stood out for me. They felt like a real little family, and their dynamic gave the story some much-needed warmth amidst all the hardship. The little details, like the difference between Mazemoor and Ba’suon fashions, helped to make the setting feel grounded and have a rich history.

The book seems to run parallel to the events of The Mountain Crown, which was an interesting approach. The ending felt a bit rushed, so much happens in just the last few pages! It was still a fun journey and I haven’t yet read another series which delivers that contemplative, western feel in a fantasy setting.

Overall, I think The Desert Talon is even stronger than the first book. Janaan’s story felt like a somewhat complete narrative arc, with enough links back to the first book and hints for the future that I can’t wait to see where Lowachee takes the story next!

Thanks Solaris and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.

The Desert Talon is the second book in the novella series The Crowns of Ishia. The thing I struggled a little with during the first book was not present here and as such I enjoyed this one a little more.

This sequel is in a way more of a companion to The Mountain Crown. It takes place around the same time as that book. But we follow a different character. Janan is a character that has been mentioned in book 1 and as such is familiar to us. He has left the regime behind that forced him to fight and has come to Mazemoor as a refuge.

Where in book 1 we learn the political and social climate of this world and we learn about the war and how that is affecting the world, in this book we see the effects of being forced to become a soldier for your enemy, escaping, to instead become a refuge in a country where you aren't quite accepted either.

One could say that Janan shows signs of PTSD. It is subtle for the most part but it is there, underneath. Being forced to fight for the people that took your country is bad enough as it is, but having to leave behind the man that you love, makes it so much worse.

Despite that Janan was honestly a pleasure to follow. He felt level headed and even still caring underneath it all for those still in his vicinity. He isn't bitter. He is hurt. He was a victim but isn't being treated like one by the goverment that he seeks refge. Instead of getting the time to heal, he gets dragged into something bad happening to the dragons.

I am curious to see who we will be following in the next installment and how this is all going to come together. Because I am certain that they will.

I didn’t love this one as much as the previous instalment, The Mountain Crown, but I think that was a combination of me (intense brain fog) and the subject matter being not quite as much to my taste as Mountain was.

Lowachee remains great at making me feel INTENSE RAGE at fictional injustice – Janan’s treatment during and after prison made my blood boil. Janan himself…was much more constrained by his circumstances than Meka was in Mountain, with the result that I don’t think we really got to see his real self until near the end. Who he is for most of the book…is who he is under surveillance, when he’s trying to behave. Can’t take that as genuine.

Mostly, I did not feel smart enough for this book – I really didn’t understand Mazemoor’s magic (except that it was a metaphor for industrialisation, probably?), which a lot seemed to hinge on, and there seemed to be a lot of undercurrents I could barely perceive. Janan’s nephew, for example, is the first half-Ba’Suon we’ve seen, and I could tell that Lowachee was saying a lot with that, but I couldn’t figure out what. Meaningful stuff, I think, about belonging and family and who gets access to a culture, and how disconnected you can be from your heritage when raised outside of your homeland. (Of course, most Ba’Suon have had to leave their homeland now, but the nephew has never lived there at all.) And Meaningful Stuff about other topics, too. None of which I could properly parse – and I do think that was a me-problem.

There’s a big timeskip towards the end, where events are summarised for us, and that surprised me, because it involves…a pretty major change for Janan, and it still seems odd that we didn’t get to see that up close and personal. Where Mountain Crown felt like the perfect story for its length, I didn’t think the same of Desert Talon: with the timeskipped events especially, I think Janan’s story could have been a novel. And maybe should have been?

I’m not sure. I’m very ambivalent about this one…but also pretty sure that most of that is me, and my current headspace. I still recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first book, and I still VERY MUCH want to read book three! But I will admit that I didn’t love it.

Karin Lowachee clearly has a lot of love for world building and character development and her care is evident throughout the novella. She effectively creates an atmosphere that is somber (intentionally, I think), which is both a strength and something that makes it a difficult read at times. I think the biggest issue for me was the pacing, which is tricky for novellas. The first 2/3 of the novella is incredibly slow, and while it does really get you into Janan's head and place him in his setting and backstory, it drags on for too long given that the main conflict and action doesn't even begin until 2/3 of the way in, at which point it is resolved super abruptly. I did like that it connected back to The Mountain Crown at the end, and it ended on a hopeful note, but I just think a lot of time was spent on the part of the story that I wanted to read less than the parts that barely got space. Still worth a read, but given how much I've adored some of her other books, I can't help but feel slightly disappointed.

Unfortunately this one did not work for me - I ended up DNFing it at about 30%. My issues with the first book - mainly the writing and the actual interest in the story - were still here with this one, and I completely lost interest with it.

Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC copy.

Sephihalé ele Janan escaped life as a soldier working for the imperial Kattakans who colonised his people, but he left behind his love and partner Lilley, who we met in the first book.

We now follow Janan as a political refugee in a country where the people are descended from the same ancestors, but have so completely diverged from their origins to be nearly unrecognisable to Janan as a Ba'suon.

The themes of colonisation and imperialism are still heavily featured here, with an added exploration of exploitation for monetary gain via the dragon baron and his actions.

An exchange between the baron and Janan about midway through the book was something that stuck with me and only made me hate the baron more, even before finding out he was torturing dragons and nailing their bodies tovthe walls of his barn.

"The dragon represents the power of the land, of nature, and our ability - even our birthright - to take hold of it. To ride it's back."
"You twist our history."
"You misread it, and so you've been stuck in your ways and overrun by foreign powers."

I liked Janan and his interactions with his sister and her son. It made the climax that much more emotional.

I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the first book, but I like where it ended off and am excited to see where it goes.

I received this novel from the publisher (via a widget for NetGalley) in exchange for a fair review. I was so stoked to get it! The Mountain Crown was one of my favourite books from last year.

As compelling, heart-wrenching, and thematically complex as the first book, The Desert Talon is a more than worthy sequel.

At first, I wasn’t sure if it could match the sheer amazing nature of the first one, but while it didn’t quite reach that for me, it did not feel tacked on or unnecessary, and I still loved it.

To get this out of the way, I think the only thing I didn’t like was that I was missing Meka! I adored her, and to find out she wasn’t in this, I was sort of sad. Yet, we do get to meet some new characters who were also interesting people, so after the first few pages, I was back to being entranced.

While the theme of the novel last time was more about colonialism and environmentalism and sustainability, as well as occupation, this is more about living in another culture but one that isn’t actively antagonistic. Like the previous novel, it’s a more nuanced look at how wars disrupt not only lives but culture and how prevailing forces function with blinders on towards how those they’ve taken over or incorporated wish to or need to live.

The dragons are part of this, but they also spawn into a commentary on abusing animals and the environment for monetary gain and how money and status can protect you even when you are in the wrong. And how this was shown was heartbreaking.

The story is meditative, like the first one, with passages in which Janan thinks about his past or how things are different now. We get more insight into Lilley and Raka too, though more on the former. We also get more of the exceptional worldbuilding from the first that just feels so immersive and is easy to picture.

The book is also about family, the bonds we make with others, and the bonds we make with the animals in our lives.

Overall, I thought it was excellent and highly recommend it.

Read this book if you want:
- Detailed worldbuilding
- Thought-provoking concepts and situations
- An interesting take on dragons!

Rated 4.25 stars on Storygraph.

This novella is an insight into what happened to Janan after leaving Lilley, and is ultimately a continuation of the story we were left with after the first book.

I really enjoyed this story, as I enjoyed the first one, however, this one took longer to draw me in. The Mountain Crown held me in a tight grip the entire time, whereas it took me a bit to get settled into this story. I think the talk of mythicism and the other advances of the Mazoön peoples were a bit confusing to get through as a reader, with little to no explanation of them during the story.

The themes of colonization and advancements done in the name of experimentation and furthering society were spot on. The Ba’suon and their suon, Janan’s feelings of not belonging, and his ties to his ancestors and culture were the most rich parts of this story.

Regardless of me preferring the first story, I did enjoy this novella, and am very intrigued to see what happens next.

Excellent. Inventive tale involving dragons, family, political intrigue and so much more. Thank you to the author I really enjoyed this read. Thank you to # NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This is book two in the crowns of Ishia series but most of the book felt more like is should have been book one. Other than the ending it read like everything that happened to Jana happened before book one.

I enjoyed this book more than I did the first, and it was easy to follow the story and the characters. It was however missing an emotional connection between any of the characters. Even when there was a death, it just didn’t feel as impactfull as it should have and every significant moment felt like it was rushed.

It was still an enjoyable read and I loved the dragons in this one and it felt like they played more of a part in the story instead of just being there.

If you are looking for a quick read with dragons, action, and just a hint of romance at the end, The Desert Talon could be just what you are looking for.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley / Solaris.

I enjoyed the first book, but I didn't feel like I fully connected with it. Perhaps it was the protagonist-or maybe just something about its quick pace. This volume tells a more contained story, with point-of-view character's journey driving the narrative, and things came together much more satisfyingly, for me. There's still a certain rush to the ending, but the heartbreak felt earned and felt. I was on the edge of my seat throughout, and profoundly invested.

It's also beautifully written - I enjoyed the language quite a lot, and the worldbuilding continued to be excellent.

Very curious what the next book in this series will bring.