In a world plagued by constant earthquakes and volcanic debris, people in the valley struggle to survive while those on top of the hill want for nothing.This is where I come in.I spend my nights plundering supplies in the walled city of Hilltop, and I trade them to the valley people below. I’m not a thief. I prefer to be known as the head of Lost and Found.When I discover a beautiful but … a beautiful but dangerous competitor in my territory, I also learn she knows more about me than she should. Is she a spy sent by my father, or is she a rebel like me? I don’t trust her, but together we’ll discover secrets that may destroy what’s left of our world.
There have always been those with wealth and those without.
My name is Talen, and I’m here to even the score.
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A Dystopian romance with a very Robin Hood like feel. I rarely venture in this genre, preferring to mortals who roam the good ‘ol Earth with human flaws and rippling bodies. But I trust Shay’s storytelling skills and so I dared to venture in blind.
The setting is post apocalyptic Plastictown, which is across from the Thaves community, separated by the river. Might as well be the Grand Canyon, seeing the difference of lifestyle, money, luxuries and education between the Naughts & the Thaves.
I have to do what needs to be done to keep the Naughts in Plastictown safe. They count on me to provide them with what they need and to protect them.
Enter TALEN who appoints himself as the Leader of Lost & Found. He’s the self appointed leveller of the disparity, evening out the field by his small efforts every day. Thief with a heart of Gold.
I’m just the head of lost and found. I find things and return them to their owners. Sometimes the owners are grateful and provide me with thing I’ve lost in return.
On one such nightly forays in the dark, he meets Aerin, his counterpart and she is his equal in everyway. Yet she knows more about him than he knows about her!! Is she one of those spies who come to gauge the Naughts? Cause she seems educated enough.
The sexual chemistry is very hot between TALEN and Aaron and the danger threatens them at every turn. They don’t have a moment of peace as every day brings new struggles and fresh challenges
I enjoyed reading it, but would rather stick to present day romances.
4 stars
The story of TALEN takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, after the Great Eruption. It is a dystopian romance. The survivors live in a dangerous world which has constant earthquakes. With frequent volcanic eruptions, which fills the air with ash making it difficult to breathe. There are two groups of people. The social structure consists of the Thaves who are wealthy and need for nothing. Then there is the outcasts called Naughts who are dirt poor, and struggling to find enough shelter and food to just survive. The story is told from Talen’s point of view.
Talen lives among the Naughts in a settlement named Plastictown. He is known as a modern day Robin Hood. He takes from the rich to give to the poor. He will deny being a thief. He prefers to be known as the head of Lost and Found. Whatever he prefers to be called, he protects the struggling residents of Plastictown, and tries to lessen the hardship of their lives.
It was on one of his adventures into the world of Thaves, looking for some needed “finds” that he comes across a woman thief invading his territory. He has every intention of scaring her away for good. He makes her put back all of her “finds” but she somehow manages to turn the tables on him and gets away.
They meet again when she starts following him. He can’t believe the skills of this woman and he wants answers. They come to some kind of mutual partnership when they are trapped together after being caught in a strong earthquake. Talen is tough as nails when he has to be, but naive when it comes to females or relationships.They may have many differences but Talen and Aerin have chemistry on their side.
Shay Savage has a way of writing very unique stories. From cavemen to this one, her stories are always giving you something new and different. If you are searching for a change of books to read, you should read Talen.
A Dystopian Romance at its best!!
Talen and Aerin’s chemistry is of the charts. I enjoyed following their journey, and all their banter, and this book has a delicious amount of it. The story is well-written, fast-paced, and the plot is spellbinding.
No spoilers here.
An apocalyptic read, quite enjoyable, and with likeable characters. A bittersweet tale of life and love in a post-apocalyptic world, in which everyday is a fight for survival. So engrossing and compelling I just couldn’t put it down until I reach the last page.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
In a world plagued by constant earthquakes and volcanic debris, people in the valley struggle to survive while those on top of the hill want for nothing. This is where I come in. I spend my nights plundering supplies in the walled city of Hilltop, and I trade them to the valley people below. I’m not a thief. I prefer to be knosiwn as the head of the Lost and Found. When I discover a beautiful but dangerous competitor in my territory, I also learn she knows more about me than she should. Is she a spy send by my father, or is she a rebel like me? I don’t trust her, but together we’ll discover secrets that may destory what’s left of our world. There have always been those with wealth and those without. My name is Talen, and I am here to even the score.
I love a good dystopian book. The whole end of the world as we know it just sucks me in and I really really love one that has me reading from beginning to end without taking a breath. This is Talen. It is nothing short of amazing and I loved every single second of this book. This book has the end of the world as we know it things happening. You have two groups of people , the Thaves or haves and the Naughts or have nots. The Thaves have absolutly everything they could ever want while the Naughts do not have much of anything. They have to scrouge for even the most basic of things. Tht is where Talen comes in. He is the Naughts hero. He is the head of the lost and found and man oh man does this man have a heart of gold. Howver he has this huge secret that could blow everything up and make the people lose faith in him in the blink of an eye. When he is out on one of his quest he meets Aerin. She has him so intrigued but even more so when she tells him she knows who he really is and where he came from. These two are about to unearth secrets and those secrets are a threat to their very survival. I loved every single second of this book and it is one that you do not want to miss. Shay Savage never fails to suck me in to her books and this one has to go down as one of my favorites by her.
Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely adore Dystopian and post-apocalyptic romance novels. There is something about the setting and the “end of the world” feel that I am addicted to. The gritty and edgy storyline coupled with the real and raw romance is sexy and so addicting. I loved the world Shay savage created for us. Talen and Aerin were sexy and had great banter and chemistry.
Without giving away any spoilers, this story was mysterious and riveting. I enjoyed the setting of Plastictown and the surrounding areas as Savage created such a fantastic world in her story. The scene setting and world building was on point as I felt as if I was right there along Talen on his “Robin Hood/Lost and Found missions to help the Naughts. The connection to Aerin almost felt palpable. I loved how they met and the back and forth banter they had on their quest for answers.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read. Talen was sexy and sweet with a hint of an edge and was perfectly balanced by Aerin. I look forward to more from this author in the future. 4 stars! ~Ratula
Shay Savage is one of those authors that can write in any genre and completely own it! There was several times where reading Talen that I felt like it could fit in several genres. We definitely have the romance, but there’s also a ton of action, Dystopian/end of the world, even a bit of fantasy, and even a kind of dark feel occasionally. Shay bounces a bit all over. You’d think Talon would feel a bit scattered, it doesn’t, it feels insanely-well put together. This story is layered-upon-layered. It’s one of the most unique books I’ve read in years.
I really loved Talon. This story is told completely from his POV too. I would have enjoyed getting Aerin’s POV as well but I can’t even imagine how long and deep the story/plot would have been with both their thoughts. I do think this was a bit long, or at least longer than I would have liked. It’s really interesting though because while it’s long and you know it is, it doesn’t feel too long. It feels thoroughly put together and very heavy in the details and plot. I’m not huge into books that tie into politics or dystopian type books. It totally makes sense though since we’ve got a bit of a Robin Hood vibe going on.
Savage’s writing was fanciful and entertaining. The romance between Talon and Aerin was unequivocal. They really complimented each other. Their fun and banter had me fully laughing out loud. I was so impressed with Savage’s writing, the world she built. The symbolism and mental images she painted with just her words was really what kept me entranced in the story!
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
Gosh! But I love this story!
The author is no doubt back with her unique story featuring a post-apocalyptic romance that is full of wit, banter, enough drama and over all romance.
I love Talen and Aerin’s chemistry. You really can feel it and their simmering undeniable attraction to each other.
This book is totally refreshing with it’s uniqueness!
This book is epic. In some ways it has a realistic feel of a dystopian world that could very well happen if the earth isn’t taken care of. Talen and Aerin have fantastic chemistry, but Talen is a smidge naive for someone living in that world. At times he showed an uncanny ability to survive and thrive, and other times I wondered how he was even still alive. Aerin, on the other hand, has an extraordinary amount of street smarts for someone who came from a Thave home. This book was fantastic, fresh, and brilliantly written. I am looking forward to more from this author.
Overall good read. Great chemistry.
If you enjoy the story of Robin Hood, you will love Shay Savage’s unique take on the story. I love following Talen and Aerin’s story, as only Shay can tell it. If you love post-apocalyptic, dystopian stories this is one for you.
I didn’t know what to expect going into this book. I was pleasantly surprised with the whole story. It really makes you think and then throwing in the sweet romance between Talen and Aerin was just an added bonus. I loved every page of this book and look forward to reading more of Shay’s work.
I love Shay Savage’s books, Talen was not what I expected for her to write next but in a very good way. I loved this story, Aerin was the perfect match for Talen in every way. The dystopian Robin Hood type got me, the humor, drama, mystery and romance was in a perfect balance. I am so recommending this book!
I’ve been going back and forth if I should rate this a 3 or 4. It was an original dystopian romance. The hero, Talen, is sweet and truly cares about people but if you hurt his friends, watch out! He has a dark side too that was a bit hard to read! My issues was with the way Shay described him and Talen’s behavior, I thought he was a late teenager. Imagine my surprise when I read he was 28! He acts immature despite being on his own for years. I wish there was more to the ending, telling us what happened to Hilltop and other towns. Overall, a good read.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read.
Talen is from a world that is destroyed by earthquakes and volcanoes. The people on the hill have all the resources and the valley people have to scrape by to survive. Talen takes from the rich and gives to the poor, kind of like a Robin Hood. Aerin is from the same place but she has her secrets as does Talen. The two of them have witty banter and a bit of romance going on in this story. A book by Shay Savage is unlike any book I’ve read before and this story was no different. I liked the setting and plot for this story.
Talen by Shay Savage
Talen is my very first book that I have read this author and it definitely won’t be my last!! I am glad I went out of my norm and gave this book a chance. It is a post-apocalyptic book. Everything about it was perfect. I loved it! Kept me on the edge of my seat! This is a must-read.
What a masterpiece of world building and fascinating characters crafted to inhabit the world of the future after eruptions have destroyed so much and created a separation of classes that is enormous and startling. Talen is a Robin Hood of the future that takes from the “haves” (Thaves) to give to the “have nots” (Naughts) and has a secret of his own that could unravel his existence. He is the careful master of his territory always insuring that his operations go unnoticed until another dares to invade. She is like no other and is as daring and talented as Talen. What is he to with Aerin once he has her in his grasp? And who is she really? This is one sexy couple as they battle for control and uncover secrets. Secrets about each other and plans for the Naughts. This story pulled me in right from the beginning and held my attention to the end with the strong, wonderful writing and all the fantastic elements this author gives us to enjoy. A post-apocalyptic world that shows the endurance of people to survive along with action and adventure and a few heart-stopping moments. Not to be overshadowed is the sizzling romance between two of the most delicious characters ever written. The secondary characters are as well developed and wonderful as the main couple. I would love to see more stories from of this world. Absolutely fantastic! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
Talen is one of the best books I have ever read. I totally fell in love with his character, he has officially become my first book boyfriend.
I really didn’t know much about the book going in and I could not stop turning the pages it had me on the edge of my seat. I told my husband and daughter about the whole book and they think it should become a movie. It was really truly a fantastic read!!
“From the ashes of Plastictown, we have risen.”
“As long as I’m living like this, I’m going to give what extra I have to people who don’t have anything.” (See he is amazing)
“We all do what we have to to survive.”
The idea of the story was interesting and I love the end of the world type stories so I was super excited to see one of my favorite authors doing the plot. She weaves a story that was different and sweet but also had hot elements and an emotional impact. I liked Plastictown the most. The characters that were there were frank and just overall great people.
While I really did like the story overall I did struggle. I really liked Talens character at the start of the book. He was rough and just jaded but also a really great guy. At about the half way point it’s like he changed. Not in a bad way but he was softer. Different then how I envisioned he would be throughout the whole story. It’s really hard to explain with out spoilers but it wasn’t a great change but wasn’t really bad either. It just felt like Aerin took that part away from him when she came into the story more. While this might not be my favorite book by this author I still read it in one sitting and it kept me hooked enough to want to get to the ending. 4 stars #2OCCJD
Not everybody is who you think they are and Talen knows this from experience. As the lost and found expert in plastictown, he has found where he can be who he wants to be. He has made friends who like him for who he is. He helps everyone out and likes the way things are.
When he catches another thief in his territory, he’s intrigued, especially after he finds out that she’s a girl. Aerin has secrets but so does Talen. Will they be able to put their secrets aside to help each other? Will they be able to figure out what is happening and get the answers that they’re looking for before it’s too late? Will they both tell each other all of their secrets and have it not make a difference?
Omg I absolutely love Talen. I enjoy a good post-apocalyptic book and Talen is a must read. Talen will make you swoon hard and you will definitely want him as your next bbf. From the moment I started reading I was hooked. This book and the characters were amazing and the ending was perfect.