The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons is a respectable sequel in the series, with Snirnoff “getting” the characters and themes as originated by Stieg Larsson.

I did not get to read this one before it evaporated, I was hoping to get a physical copy locally so held on a while. I haven't seen it so I'm just letting you know. I am sure I'd find it interesting. When I get a copy I will review.

Enjoyable and in the same tone as the other books in this universe, which is no mean feet when by a different author.

Like so many other readers I loved the first three books in the series. Having read the next three with mixed feelings, I felt compelled to request this title. Sadly I did not particularly enjoy it. Confusing plot, characters that just didn't feel authentic anymore and a rushed conclusion meant this was less a labour of love, more just a labour. I do think it was reasonably well written, but the shoes were just too big to step into and if any more books in this series were to be released I think it would be a pass for me.

Lisbeth Salander rides again

The story takes a while to get going but pulls together all the usual protagonists of Mikael, Lisbeth, a certain notorious motorcycle gang and a new villain. It then adds the twists of reuniting Mikael with his daughter and finding Lisbeth an unexpected, and talented, relative to care for.

The story follows the usual twists and turns favoured by Salander’s creator, digging into corruption as a means of overturning local democracy along with the usual violence, vice, murder and mayhem to give the backbone of a Salander story.

While the book builds in the usual manner I felt that Lisbeth’s character didn’t expand much and that the ending fizzled out a bit. The story leaves a number of threads hanging to feed into potential sequels but the ending wasn’t as satisfactory as the other Salander novels for me. This wouldn’t stop me from giving at least one more in the series by this author a try though.

I was given this book from the author via netgalley only for the pleasure of reading and leaving an honest review should I choose to.

It is quite a while since I read the first millennium trilogy and although other novels have since been written this is the first I have read. I had some initial difficulty in reconnecting with the characters but having done so I did enjoy the read. It takes Lisbeth out of her comfort zone and into a more rural area along with some other original characters. There is a a lot of violence and cruelty depicted so perhaps not a book for the faint hearted but will appeal to lovers of the original novels.

Loved this book, great read from cover to cover. I enjoyed the story line, the characters were great in description and acting out. I couldnt put this book down. Kept me reading right to the last page.

Did not enjoy. Felt a completely pointless book, the characters felts so far from who they truly are and not authentic at all! The story felt like it was going to amount to something but then didn’t, was confusing, rushed and erratic with very little substance. It was very hard to actually put the time and energy into finish this book, however I wanted to due to the originals and felt I owed it to do so, however I was very disappointed. The books should have been left after the original trilogy or the fourth at a push and no more should be written. They’re drifting further and further from the authentic characters and stories Steig Larsson produced and with each one that is released, it feels more and more like exploiting the series for money and publicity rather than keeping the characters alive.

After Stieg Larsson’s original trilogy and David Lagercrantz’s underrated continuations, Swedish thriller writer Karin Smirnoff takes the helm of the Millennium series, with mixed results. For long-time fans, it’s great in concept to have more Salander stories and the storyline entwines green energy, corporate greed, misogyny and violence. Larsson-like topics. Salander’s genius niece, Svala, echoes the hacker’s troubles with authorities and ruthless villains, while aging journo Mikael Blomkvist faces his own family issues as worrisome rumours then violence swirl around his daughter’s fiancée. Bond-esque villains and patchy pacing may trouble some fans, while Smirnoff lays intriguing seeds for future instalments

The Girl in the Eagle's Talons by Karin Smirnoff is a new book added to the millennium series created by Stieg Larrson and continued by David Lagercrantz. The Series follow Lisbeth Salander, a trauma survivior with a photographic memory and Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative journalist.
The first six books offer valuable insights into their world and are worth reading. One noteworthy change is Lisbeth Salander's character has been softened in this instalment, possibly due to the author's female perspective.
The Novel, The Girl in the Eagle's Talons takes is set in the Swedish town of Gasskas. Lisbeth is there as the only living relative of her fourteen year old niece, Svala Hirak. Svala's mother has disappeared suddenly, leaving Svala without a guardian.
It is a coincidence that Mikael Blomkvist is in town at the same time for his daughter's wedding. Pernilla is to wed Henry Salo, a councillor linked to a biker gang.
When a businessman threatens Henry's family to sway his choice for a wind farm tender, Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomlvist team up again. They join forces to protect Lisbeth's niece and save Mikael's grandson.
I enjoyed the original trilogy and was thrilled about the idea that a new author is taking on the task of continuing the series.
This instalment introduces us to a new character, Svala Hirak, who bears a striking resemblance to Lisbeth Salander in many ways. I am eagerly anticipating the evolution of Svala Hirak's character in the forthcoming instalments.
I believe Karin Smirnoff successfully meets expectations with a great plot twist and action, although the story starts slow. I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

When you release a book that in title 'alludes' to be a continuation of a world beating franchise it is somewhat disappointing to find that the main characters appear only fleetingly in the latest edition! New characters introduced but in my mind not adding to the 'Dragon Tattoo' series....not for me. Reasonable read though, just not what I was expecting....many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

A well written book with great attention to detail, following the footsteps of Lisbeth Salander. The story dovetails seamlessly into the details of her life that we have previously read. An absorbing read, taking the reader on step further into the life of Lisbeth and those around her.

It’s hard to live up to Steig Larsons Millennium series but Karin Smirnoff does a good job. Mikael has travelled north to his daughter’s wedding, Pernilla is to marry local councillor Henry Salo. Henry is planning a large wind farm and one of the bidders for the project is a criminal corporation.
It’s always good to catch up with Lisbeth and Mikael and the introduction of Svala , Lisbeth’s niece, was interesting and I hope she’s in future books. A good addition to the series.

I absolutely loved the first three books in this series. Disappointingly, I didn’t connect with the characters in this book, I felt out of touch with them and although Lisbeth has grown older, she felt like a different person to me. I felt very confused by the trail of the story, in particular the frequent ‘voice in italics’, I’m not even sure it was the same person throughout. Some parts of the plot ( the opening scene) was written vividly, forcing me to read on with anticipation, however I felt it too drawn out and disorganised.

In this instalment of the wonderful “Millennium” series, we meet Lisbeth as she heads north to take care of her niece Svala, who is as gifted as her aunt, but whose mother is missing. We move through various POVs and also revisit Blomkvist, who is dealing with his own troubles at his magazine.

They are drawn into an investigation into corruption, but unfortunately that is where the similarities with the earlier books in the series end. Maybe the translation is off, but I found this quite choppy and difficult to follow. The characters don’t act like the characters I know and love from the original works, and I was also unsure of the new characters introduced.

This is one that I really wanted to like but, unfortunately, it missed the mark for me.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

She’s back. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is no longer the Lisbeth Salander we were introduced to 18 years ago in Stieg Larsson’s first Millennium novel. Now older and more responsible, Lisbeth is co-owner of Milton Security with her old mentor Dragan Armansky and is also appointed as guardian of a 13-year-old girl.

Full review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2023/09/22/the-girl-in-the-eagles-talons/

Part of the Millennium series of novels, continued by other authors after the original Larson trilogy.

I'm afraid that these do seem to be going downhill since the originals however if this was to be regarded as an entirely stand alone novel outwith that particular series it is reasonably good.

Quite a strong storyline and some characters who need no introduction alongside several who do. The plot has a decent pace to it and is tied up relatively neatly. It's worth a read if the thriller genre is your thing but just don't compare it to the original trilogy.

I loved the Stieg Larson books and was looking forward to seeing how another writer could continue the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Saga.
Even though Lisbeth, Michael and some villains are in this book it had a different feel for me. Still an enjoyable read.
Lisbeth meets her niece Svala and has to temporarily look after her as her mother has disappeared. Does it have anything to do with the wind farm that is proposed to be built?

Karin Smirnoff is one of the more unknown in the realms of Scandinavian writers. Although her work is mostly unseen in the UK, she began to make a name for herself with the Jana Kippo Series, first released in 2018.

Since then, Smirnoff has written a handful of novels, mostly in the thriller genre.

A trilogy, and beyond
Book number #7 in what was originally billed as a trilogy, Lisbeth returns; but this time she has a partner. No, it’s not Mikael Blomkvist (although he is a big part of this book), it’s her twelve-year-old niece, Svala.

The story centers around a plot for government officials trying to tap into some of Gasskas’ natural resources. However, these resources are underneath the land of a stubborn old lady who won’t budge and a reindeer farm.

Blomkvist’s estranged daughter is getting married to a politician from Gasskas who is putting up some resistance to the change, leading to Blomkvist’s next big story for Millenium magazine (now a podcast).

Elsewhere, Svala’s mother has disappeared which leaves her in the custody of her aunt, Lisbeth Salander. Svala is currently under surveillance from a local biker gang as they feel her mother has stolen from them and is in hiding.

Family Matters
Immediately, we’re playing the whole, “Here’s a family member that you knew nothing about, but you must now work with/against them to achieve your goal”. From memory, I believe this is the fourth time this has happened in the series thus far.

Lisbeth looking after a younger girl has been done before, but when that said girl has the intelligence of an international spy, along with what seems like basic weapon training, there is little at stake. I never cared for her journey, and Lisbeth herself felt much more grounded in her actions. Likewise, she doesn’t step to the forefront until a third of the way through, so there’s plenty of build-up with little payoff.

I feel it was an attempt to build tension, but it meant that my enthusiasm to engage with Lisbeth fizzled out by the time she arrived on the scene.

Another pet peeve is the book becomes self-referential and meta. There are multiple references to real-world events and even subjects relating to The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo; Stieg Larsson, Noomi Rapace, etc.

This completely takes you out of the book and constantly reminds you, “Hey, this story isn’t like the others. We can be fun and quirky.” It makes it look like a poor imitation in comparison.

Maybe this book isn’t as terrible as I’m making out. Surely, a major publisher like Quercus Publishing wouldn’t release a story if they themselves thought it wasn’t up to scratch.

It’s possible that I’ve become jaded and tired of the series. I’ve written about all of the books, and the trilogy in much greater detail, and this means I see a lot of the patterns repeating themselves. To an everyday book buyer, that might not be the case.

If this is your first taste of the series, there’s a chance you’d play it off as okay in the genre of thrillers. However, I can only write this review with my perspective in mind – and that’s never to undermine anyone involved with the project.

Conclusion
The writing feels shallow in comparison to previous editions, the characters are cardboard; offering nothing new to their journey, and the plot is lukewarm at the best of times – not to mention that this feels like a setup for another (dare I say) trilogy! All these combine to an uneventful end to the series; for me at least.

The next instalment of the Millenium series is here, and it is like it has never been away.

Lisbeth Salander is back, and like you have never seen her before. Brilliant, troubled Lisbeth has to take on a new role in her life. As well as being a hacker, part owner of a business, and living her life by her own rules, she is about to be an Aunt to her half-brother child: brilliant Savla who finds herself in hot water and needs rescuing.

And unknowingly, Mikael Blomkvist finds himself in the same area for his daughter's upcoming wedding to a man who is not the innocent and dedicated man he appears to be. Fate is about to bring them together once again to aid one another as they become fates pawns in a game to root out the plague that is infecting the area.

Smirnoff does a wonderful job of continuing the books to the standard they started with, and if anything, this has to be my favourite one since the first book.