Warren’s book – Talon The Slayer was a book that I’m having an impossible time figuring out what genre it lives in. At it’s heart it’s a story about redemption. A story about finding yourself. But it’s set in a futuristic world where aliens are the norm (honestly, humans are the aliens in this world). Where slavery is very real again and Colosseum like fights to the death happen all the time. Talon is one of those fighters and he’s about to eclipse his 100th match. The match that will set him free. Little does he know that things are about to hit the fan once he finishes his battle.
The story was a blast to listen to. I absolutely flew through it – doing far more yard work than I needed to do yesterday just so that I could listen to another few minutes. Warren created a fantastical world that he described in vivid details without being boring about it. He created characters that I not only liked but I was fighting in my head for them to succeed.
The story itself was also great. Talon’s inner struggles, relationship confusion, and overall “vibe” were perfect for him. If you threw him into a battle-like situation he would take control. But once you gave him some personal freedom he wasn’t sure exactly what to do. It made for a unique and interesting main charter.
Travis Baldree was perfect for the narration of this. Warren created a slew of characters that all had different and unique voices and Baldree is able to shine when he’s voicing at least 4 different people. His narration definitely made a good book even better.
I can’t wait to get into more stories in this universe. Though I have no idea where Warren is going to take us!
There’s also something to be said about the cover of this audiobook. When creating a new and unique world – sometimes it’s hard to picture what the characters look like. The cover of Talon The Slayer shows three of the main characters and I’m ashamed to say I’m glad they did because it made the book even easier to listen to. I didn’t have to go “who do I think Talon looks like?” Or “a mask, well, what kind of mask?” I was just able to read and enjoy the story that Warren laid out for me.