SOMETIMES it's great just to be able to whip through a book without having to think too hard or um and ah about the characters' motivations.

Which is why The Dark Griffin by KJ Taylor was such a refreshing read – so refreshing in fact that I read it in one go while doing the dreaded cardio at the gym.

Taylor is a young Australian author who's made a bit of a name for easy-to-read fantasy with strong, personable characters and not too obvious twists. Which is exactly what The Dark Griffin is all about.

According to Taylor, the idea for the story came after she climbed Cradle Mountain in the Australian state of Tasmania.

"When I had reached the top, I sat down on a rock to rest and looked out at the view. Off in the distance I saw another mountain. It looked like a huge stone pillar jutting out of the ground, with sheer sides and a flat top. I sat and looked at it, and suddenly found myself thinking: What if someone built a city up there?"

In The Dark Griffin, a city has been created on the very top of that mountain, and it can only be reached by those who can fly; or be winched up the side.

Arren Cardockson is a 'griffiner' – he's been paired with a griffin which gives you a large, flying, viciously clawed and beaked, best friend.

Taylor's griffins are the traditional version – half eagle, half lion, a bit aggressive, quite clever and able to speak.

Unfortunately, Arren is also a 'Northerner'; a people who have been reduced to slavery after fighting an unequal war with the people of the south – they had the Griffins to help.

Still, Arren managed to impress a griffin while still a very young child and now has the attended privileges and responsibilities of his station; that's until he gets caught up in a very messy plot to make sure he doesn't get something he doesn't want.

Added to the mix is a bit of a love affair, and the black griffin of the title – Darkheart. Darkheart is one of the very few wild griffins still left. Unfortunately, he's taken a liking to the taste of humans.

The Dark Griffin was a joy to read – rolling prose, tight action, a bit of paranoia, lots of violence and some twisty betrayals.

This is the first in Taylor's new series – The Fallen Moon – and looks like it will be worth keeping an eye out for the next installment.

The Dark Griffin by KJ Taylor is published by Harper Voyager and is available from good book stores and online.