Talented (Talented Saga Book 1)

TALENTED by Sophie Davis.

STORY BRIEF:
Dystopia set in the future U.S. Radioactive exposure caused many humans to have special powers. They are called talents. In eastern U.S. talents are recruited and trained to work for the government. Some western U.S. states seceded and are governed by Ian Crane. In those states talents are treated as undesirables.

The story is told in first person by Talia. She can manipulate minds and communicate mentally. She is in talent school, training to be a Hunter (one of the talent groups). Her goal is revenge - to kill Crane. He ordered the deaths of her parents. Other story lines include Talia's romantic interactions with two boys at school.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
Throughout the book my feeling was it's not going yet. I'm not pulled in. I'm waiting to be interested. What were the problems? I'm not sure, probably too much telling, not showing. Characters did not interest me. They were not nuanced. Motivations were not well done. It felt like a copy of other dystopian novels. There was some stupidity. The ending was not good. It's not finished. The story continues in a sequel.

A couple stupidity examples follow. 1. Talia is going undercover. Why does she take a personal letter with her in her pocket? 2. Eric decides to tell someone a secret, but he wants to keep it a secret. Why does he puts it in writing which can be found by another?

An inconsistency: When Talia's parents are murdered, Talia kills the entire group of men who did it - just with her mind. But later in the story when she is in dangerous situations, she fights with knives, and she is wounded or captured. Why didn't she use her mental ability like she did with her parents' murderers?

DATA:
Kindle count story length: 4,827 (448 KB). Swearing language: moderate. Sexual content: some kissing and touching but nothing else. Setting: the future in the U.S. Copyright: 2011. Genre: young adult dystopia.

I am sad to report that I couldn't even finish this book. Don't get me wrong, the story outline is intriguingly fantastic, but, it moves so slowly that I as the reader was allowed to wander away. I'd be happy to try again after it has been edited for flow because I would love to find out what happens.

I read about 80% of this book and was really enjoying it. It's very well written. At that point, I went to check out the prices on the other books in the series and I read their synopsis, which really should have been marked with a 'spoiler alert'. Not only do I now know where the story is going to go, and therefore have the ability to predict much of the action - I don't care for where the author is taking the story. I stopped reading this one at 80% and deleted it. so disappointed.

The beginning of the Talented series drops you into the life of Natalia Lyons, a pledged Hunter or operator in Elite Headquarters. Among the nuclear waste stimulated mutant humans she is exceedingly gifted as a mental manipulator. This different approach to evolved humans is well crafted as a story though the coming of age romantic entanglements of Natalia and not the normal reading I would seek out.
Talented is I think the proper length for a series volume and the reader should feel they have made a good purchase for that. Where quality ran off the rails for me was the evidence of many rewrites without a final read through. The result is an high number of missing words and miss-arranged words. I managed to parse my way through because the story was good. As this book already has a surprisingly high number of five star reviews I have no problem with giving it a three based on editing.

2.5 stars

Talented was not what I was expecting. That seems like such a stupid thing to say; I mean, when is anything what you expect it to be? But seriously, this was absolutely nothing like I thought it would be. This was so much less than it could have been, it had so much potential and yet none of it was tapped. An in-training assassin with a heated vengeance for her parent's murderers? That sounds exciting, thrilling, something I would love to read. Talented promised to be all of that and yet it was nothing but a dull tale of a dull teenage girl's melodramatic love life. This was nothing better than a terrible soap opera.

Talia was one the most irritable characters I have ever had the misfortune of reading about. She whinged and whined and cried and was a bitch to her friends. She was naïve and stupid and I wanted to slap some sense into her multiple times. I couldn't stand reading about her.

The other characters were tolerable but not anything to praise over. I didn't enjoy Erik's moody, two-faced nature and Donovan pissed me off to put it frankly. The only relief was Henri who was generally caring, kind, funny and nice. He wanted to help Talia because they were friends, nothing more, and he looked out for his mates. I really wished that the book could have been his perspective instead.

The plotline was just cringe-worthy. We were promised a book about assassins and revenge yet it was only about Talia's pathetic romantic life. The missions and the action were dull and confusing, barely explained and rushed over so we got more time to focus on the development of a love triangle... yawn. I wanted to know more about their society, the range of abilities, the other consequences of the nuclear fallout and just generally more about the society of the time without all the info-dumping. I wanted action, I wanted suspense, I wanted massive fight scenes and superpowers and I got nothing. In the end this was simply a terribly plotted and dull book. I have to say I am disappointed.

About 1/4 through the book, it's as though the editing just stops. You have to be pretty good at reading typo to continue without getting thoroughly annoyed. Which I did anyway. I will never understand why someone will publish a book, or even just want others to read it, without proofreading it. There are too many errors for this to have been the case.

Having said that, the story is excellent. I am sincerely hoping that the lack of editing doesn't continue through the second book, which I am heading over to the store to see about purchasing now. I got 'Talented' for free through Book Bub.

I also don't understand why so many reviewers feel the need to tell you everything that happens in the book, like they work for CliffsNotes. Your review should be that, not a summary. Thanks!

This book is somewhat of a dystopian novel. It's about Talia Lyons who has a talent. It's somewhat like the show Heroes that was on a few years ago. Her talent is being able to pry into people's minds and use her mind to do things that others must use their hands for. She often opens doors for herself with her mind.

It is interesting in that respect, but the part I did not like is that one of the characters, Henri, is gay. His partner (I forget his name) is also mentioned in the book, but he doesn't have a big part. Henri's part in the book is not huge, but he is important. I simply don't know why we needed to know that Henri was gay. Why do I care about his sexual preference? I don't. I get sick and tired of reading books that try to make homosexuality normal. It's not normal. God has made it clear that it's a sin. A sin that will send you to hell (1 Cor. 6:9).

I really enjoyed the book's concept. I've just never read a book with so many grammatical errors. It slowed down the reading process because you had to stop and think about what the writer was saying. You'd be surprised how simple words change the story like has and had. All authors should proof their books or have someone do it for them. You'll still miss a couple, but your book would be more enjoyable.

Because of this, I won't be reading the rest of the saga.

I can't exactly remember this story too clearly since it was SO LONG AGO that I read it. But from memory, it was an alright read, piquing in me mediocre interest. This story is set in an alternative world and there is a romantic storyline running through it, so basically it's one of those main-character-will-eventually-save-the-world and boy-girl-epic-romantic-get-together books. Which, I don't know, just doesn't really pique my interest much anymore because there have been so so soooo many books with similar storylines. But whatevs, you might like it, so just bear in mind the worth of book is mostly determined by YOUR personal preferences. Not mine. Enjoy

I have read all 7 books that are out so far, and I would have given this 4 starts if the author had hired a competent editor. There are glaring spelling and grammatical errors in all seven books, every few pages or so. This halts the flow of the story and I wasn't able to completely immerse myself in the tale. I personally cannot think of another published piece I've read with so many errors. However, I enjoy the story and the characters and will likely finish the series to completion, so I guess that says something.

This is a much-abridged version of the complete review as it appears ([...]) at my blog dedicated to reading, writing (no 'rithmatic!), movies, & TV.

Despite supposedly having to be ready on a moment's notice in case of attack, Talia sleeps in her PJs, bless her little cotton socks. She apparently has serious trouble breathing too, because when the attack siren goes off in the middle of the night, all she can do is stand around in her PJs telling herself repeatedly to breathe (yes in italics!). Funny, I thought breathing was an autonomous function....

Talia has psychic powers consisting of, we immediately learn, mind reading and telekinetics. She can suspend the "bombs" (in this case nothing more than neon tinted water in balloons), but she fails to do this successfully. She gets distracted by reading the mind of one of the organizers of this laugh-a-thon, and discovers from boyfriend Donavon that it's all a big joke. Such a joke is it that he and two male friends then come and physically haul Talia out of bed where she retreated in anger, welcoming her to Hunters Pledging (yes, 'pledging' with initial caps). I guess puerile moronic college bulls*** hasn't changed in two hundred years.

Frankly, though, rather than learn about how tall the boys are, and what color their eyes are, and what length their hair is, and how much they weigh, I'd much rather have been told what the heck is going on, who the hunters actually are (we learn in chapter four that they're 'spies'), what they do (gather information and "neutralize" threats), and who might be bombing them (rebels). Alas, the author doesn't want us to know, because that's not what this grade-school level novel was interested in conveying at this point. I don't know the precise age of the characters, but trust me, middle-grade is what they are, regardless of their actual ages.

Right out of the X-Men play-book, we're told that children developed in a way very different from animals for no apparent reason. Unlike those feathered dogs and stinging trees, human children developed X-Men talents such as the ability to morph into an animal shape. We're told they developed other talents, too, such as telekinesis, but also "viewing" and "higher reasoning". Don't nearly all humans have higher reasoning? I know for a fact that most of us can see! Can the author not at least look-up the correct words for these things so we know what it actually is that she means?!

Worse than this, though, was the diminishing of Talia at every turn. The above-related incident is only one example, but the very use of her name is another. Originally, her name was Natalia. It’s shortened to Talia which is kind of a cool name, but then her colleagues shorten it to Tal, and Erik (in the section discussed above) employs that in the form of "Tals". What are these people, thirteen years old? Every time they do this, they diminish the character. Instead of being a promising young woman, she's rendered into a child, to be managed and baby-talked, and this is not a good thing to do to your main character!

I'm actually surprised I made it this far, but at 25% in, I decided that this novel was unreadable because it was so juvenile and so amateurishly written. I cannot recommend it.

I wanted to hang myself. The book dragged and dragged and repeated itself several times and the grammatical errors were so annoying. I skimmed to the end of the book and it was so NOT worth the time. Good thing it was free.

I really looked forward to reading this book based on its description and the positive reviews. The problem is that i started skimming page after page to get to the action and move past the boring romance. Don't get me wrong, I think romance is great in a story, but unfortunately it isn't interesting in this story. The story just dragged for me. Sorry.

Talented" has a great opening hook and when it juts does down. All the way down. From a panicked introduction it goes into a calmer atmosphere and more day-to-day routine which was kind of boring a lot of the time. Furthermore the missions and the action are, for the most part, glazed over in favor of the relationship trouble. I mean, keep your priorities straight. Do you want to fight or take care of your relationship? I really didn’t like Talia on that area. The constant theme between them is that he is so ready for sex and she’s not, even though she makes him believed she is, just to back out. I really thought she was just a whiney, dick teasing **** with the morals of a pigeon.

Slow and boring! I was more than halfway through the book before anything even remotely exciting happened. The story doesn't seem as if it was written for a 17 year old on the precipice of adulthood. It's like it is being told about a 12 year old who has her very first crush on a cute boy in middle school. Why must there always be a love triangle? This one wasn't even any good and the author doesn't even bother to really develop the character of Talia's "first love." He's just sort of there. Oddly enough, once the one single exciting part happened, the editing in the book just fell apart. The last 35% of the book reads as if the editor became as bored as I did and just stopped reading. Lucky! Unfortunately, I finished the book. I will not be reading the second.

This world is vastly underdeveloped. The romances in the story line feel like they should be filler for a broader story line. But, what could have been the broader story line is instead a barely there filler for the romances (which again feel like filler themselves). It is not a good dystopian novel. It is a romance that has some dystopian type stuff that vaguely happens in the background. The description of this book makes you believe that the quest for revenge is the driving force in this novel. Maybe even a thrilling good vs. evil conflict. It is clearly not. The missions that they go on are glossed over, and even being almost all the way through the book, I'm not exactly sure what they are trying to accomplish. Do not go in to this story unless you are looking for a lame novel about teenage love interest.

And, oh my goodness...the narration. I listened to this book mostly, rather than reading it (it wasn't interesting enough to read when I could be doing something else with my time-I listened to it in the car when I couldn't do anything else). The narrator was mostly okay when just narrating. A little misplaced emphases, but mostly unoffensive. Her voices for the men were mostly fine too, I had no problem with them. But when she voiced the women? So irritating. Sniveling, whining, nasally...awful. These are supposed to be strong, intelligent women. And they sound like insolent, mindless, spoiled brat preteens. They sounded like a bad Barbie animated movie. No...not even a Barbie movie...a knock off Barbie animated movie that your toddler daughter might make you watch to over and over, and which makes you want to rip your hair out. When Penny spoke for the first time, I almost had to give up on the entire book. But I didn't have another one lined up yet, so I dealt with it, and gave myself a headache rolling my eyes at her awful vocal personality.
I warn you--the sample audio does not show any character voices. The only clue is the emphasis (and almost upending) on the last word of every sentence in the audio sample. This is grating. This is multiplied by about a thousand when characters are talking, especially the girls. Penny upends every. single. thing she says, a lot.

A review by a 30 year old guy:

Downloaded for free thankfully. Mostly because of the review thay says this is like Divergent.

I kept waiting for the action to start but it never did. Instead I began to really think what a "young adult" gets out of this. Especially a young woman. This book is so concentrated around making a TREMENDOUS deal about relationships. Agonizing even.

A tip for young women: Leave this behavior in the books, movies, tv, etc. Live your life. And i dont mean go out and be sloppy i mean just roll with it.

All that aside the book was boring, vaguely explained, full of stolen ideas and drones on for at least 7 books from my understanding. I cannot speak on the other 6 but if this was the story "taking flight" the pilot crashed into the control tower and all was lost.

Keep looking. There are other series out there that have to be better than this

Many years ago, a nuclear spoil led to mutation in both ocean and plant life. It didn't stop there. It also led to mutation in humans as well. Those humans became the 'Talented'. Talia Lyons is one of the many talented, with the ability to read minds as well as manipulate them. Unlike most children, Talia did not go through the mandatory testing that other children went through at age 5. Instead, her parents kept her talents hidden.

That is, until the day her parents were killed at the age of 10. Her parent's deaths were considered a casualty of the war between TOXIC (the people who develop and protect Talented people) and the Coalition (those against the mandatory testing act and arch enemy to TOXIC). After the death of her parents, Talia is taken in by the Director of the McDonough School for the Talented. There she learns to control her talents, in the hopes of becoming a Hunter for TOXIC, and getting revenge on Ian Crane, the leader of the Coalition whom she feels responsible for the death of her parents.

This is one of those books that gave me very mixed feelings. The premise and idea behind it was great. The world building was exceptionally done. The first several chapters are executed in a way that draws the reader in, giving a wonderful back story to how this dystopian world came to be. The characters start out strong and likeable each in their own way.

Unfortunately, both the characters and the plot seem to falter about a third of the way through. Everything, and I do mean everything, takes to the back burner as Talia gets caught up in the proverbial love triangle. All of a sudden a character who was Mr. One Night Stand gives her more than a passing glance, and she in return, begins obsessing over his eyes, chest, etc. despite having lived with him for quite some time without a second thought. Several chapters are filled with Talia agonizing over her unwanted attraction along with the guilt towards her longtime boyfriend. Then in a very trite twist of fate, her heart is broken by the longtime boyfriend, leaving her free to pursue Mr. One Night Stand, but 'oh, can she ever really trust again'?

It's not that I dislike romance. I think that romance has a place when done right and propels the book forward instead of detracting from it. In this case, it definitely detracts from the book, the plot, and the characters. The story took on an overly dramatic angsty teen feel that bogged down everything, leading the reader to shuffle through in the hopes of getting to a better part.

Fortunately, the book does get better in the last quarter. Once again things come into focus for Talia (and thankfully the reader) when Talia gets her solo mission that will determine her place with the Hunters. From there, the action picks up nicely, leading to the climax, and of course, expected cliff hanger.

From reading the Syndicate series, I know that these two friends and writers are wonderful authors. Overall, it was a good read, despite the slow moody romantic parts. Because of that, I'm moving on with the series and hoping that the trite romantic love triangle quickly resolves.

The premise of Talented by Sophie Davis was attention-grabbing to say the least. It is a dystopian tale with paranormal aspects, such as Talia’s and her coworkers’ talents. Will begin by saying that I think the genuine young adult audience will love Davis’ book. There’s thrilling action, romance, and innovative world building.

Talented begins with a truly fascinating turn on how main protagonist Talia and all the other people become talented in this series. I valued that these talented individuals were not immediately accepted by society for their talents, for there is an honesty that runs true with this way of thinking.

This story gets very intense at times which I really like. I love suspense and love to be hanging on the edge wondering what is going to happen next. There are occasions, however, when there is relatively a bit of back story discussed during the first half of the book. Although enormous portions of back story at the beginning of a novel or series may possibly be tedious, Davis fares to keep readers on track with her exciting writing style.

The majority of the second half of the book was utterly exhilarating. The novel’s climax was truly sensational, and it kept me zealously reading to find out what would happen next, but that was regrettably only the latter half of Talented. The novel ends on a decent cliffhanger, motivating readers to grab the next part in Davis’ series.

An Advanced Readers Copy was provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Talented! I enjoyed the whole storyline, the idea of the Talented and how they ended up where they are now and how they were "created". I felt like it was a pretty unique background story. I also liked reading about the types of Talented and what their abilities are. I liked the kind of love triangle that was going on and I loved all of the sexual tension. Talented flowed really smoothly and it made for a quick entertaining read. By the end of the book, i really want to grab book two and get started.
I loved most of these characters, if you have read the book you know what I mean. Talia was a great heroine to read about. She had overcame a lot in her young life. She always pulled out on top and was the bigger person. I'm hoping now that she can somewhat settle down and be happy. I want to read all about it. I really like Erik but I wish that he would have told Talia earlier about scummy scumbag. I also enjoyed how Erik and Talia would bicker back and forth and the sexual tension, oh my! I also found Henri to be a fun character and I hope that he gets a spin off.
Overall, I loved this book and I can't wait to carry on with the series and see where the characters end up. I would recommend this book to paranormal readers. But I would suggest having book two beside y to pick up when you finish book one.

I love Talented! :)

Here's a bit of the synopsis...
"Talia Lyons is Talented. Born after a nuclear spill, she is part of a new generation that possesses special abilities; Talia can read the minds of others and manipulate their thoughts. Whether Morphers, Light Manipulators or Telekinetics, the Talented are taught to control their abilities under the protective eye of the government- to use their Talents for good. But all Talia wants is revenge."

I don't really read dystopian books, but I find myself enjoying them more & more when I read them, & this one is no exception.

The book is staged in a world much like ours, but where politics are much different (and not explained all that much), & some children grow up with a wealth of different "talents". This book strangely reminds me of a short story I wrote as a kid, where all the kids have magical abilities, including the one Talia Lyons (the main character in Talented) has, the ability to not only read people's thoughts, but manipulate them as well.

The only thing I wasn't crazy about, was there are quite a few storylines in the book that are rather predictable, at least to me, but it didn't make the book any more enjoyable or fun to read. It is a young adult book, after all. I can't wait to read the next book.

There are some minor typos, words missing or written in the wrong order, but nothing major. I usually won't read books if they aren't edited well, but this one only has a few & they don't occur (or at least I didn't see any) until the latter half of the book.

I received a review copy of this book for free.

This is the first time I have ever read one of Author Sophie Davis' books and I am a fan for life now. Yes that's how much I liked this book and can't wait to get into the next book "Caged". But for now let's talk about Talented and why I liked it so much.

This book starts right off leaving you sitting back shaking your head and wanting to run in and scoop up Natalia (aka Talia by her friends) and holding her close hiding her from what she sees, the pain, the anger, the fear. Growing up with some great parents who work for some very important people she does a lot of travelling but suddenly that is all ripped away from her and her world is about to change.

Talia has a Talent or that is what they call it, what Talia does in this book makes me hope it never comes true but at the same time oh man how cool would it be to have her gift, her "Talent." Sure would make finding a guy a lot easier I bet LOL (oh did I just slip out my nonexistent love life there - LOL) No but seriously she does have a Talent and she joins what is known as the Hunters something she has wanted for a long time, she has a goal to get better and one day get revenge. She is paired with two partners guys, Henri and Erik those are her teammates and learning to be the only girl in their living quarters and deal with conflicting emotions with one of them is hard enough. But dealing with the fact that one truly hates her boyfriend Donovan, also the son of the director and the man who took her in makes life even harder.

Already shy learning to become a hunter, expand on her talent and deal with her feelings for long time boyfriend Donovan and crush on Erik starts to take a front page. Suddenly things explode beyond what Talia had imagined. From her first battle where things go very wrong and when Erik does something she never would have expected from him, something happens. To a fight where she is given no explanation to her world crashing in and her heart shattering. This book keeps you moving.

Here is a snippet that should show you what I mean - this part really grabbed me and had me feeling so much for Talia and yes even Donovan -

<Quote> I dug through Donovan's mind, searching frantically for every memory involving the girl. I pulled on and discarded his memories, like his mind was a dresser drawer and I was looking for a matching pair of socks. He struggled harder the deeper I went, unlocking memories and thoughts that he'd worked so hard to keep from me.

Finally, I pulled out of Donovan's head when I couldn't handle it anymore. Feelings of betrayal and pain swirled inside of me, fighting to get out. Thunder boomed, rods of electricity streaked across the night sky. A huge explosion reverberated through the cabin, blowing windows inward spraying the entire room with shards of glass. A sliver sliced open my cheek, and then my entire world went black. </quote>

This story gets very intense at times which I really like. I love suspense and love to be hanging on the edge wondering what is going to happen next. There is no lack of action in this book, the Hunters (the group that Talia is in) are sent on a lot of missions many of which are detailed and really interesting. And the moments between Talia and Donovan are as sweet as the moments between Talia and Erik are hot and have you in anticipation for what is going to happen. The friendship that grows between Talia and Penny is so cute. I love Penny she is a breath of fresh air, colored hair, bubbly attitude and all.

The ending can I just say OMG hold on for a ride everyone, because you are going to be in for a real shocker and what a way to leave the door open for the next book. Can I say I am rushing for book #2 as I write this? Yes I am awesome at multi-tasking and I cannot wait to see what happens to Talia, Erik, Henri, Penny, Donovan and the rest of the characters.

Sophia - amazing job, what a truly great book I really enjoyed reading this.

So, OMG, I just finished reading Talented. It is my first book by Sophie Davis, and while it does end in a cliffhanger, which normally automatically makes me not continue with a series, it takes nothing away from the story.

The character development and plot here are so good, that the cliffhanger doesn't matter. The author has penned this tale so well that you fell all the action and emotion right from the beginning and I literally could not stop reading this and finished in just a few hours.

I cannot wait to read the next part, and am in fact "borrowing it through KU" as soon as I finish my review. This is one heck of a thrill ride.

I absolutely love the story, it's very engrossing. I have a hard time putting it down. I love every character (especially Penny), except for one. I absolutely can not stand the main character, Talia. She is a whiney, weak, cry baby. She literally cries about everything and is always getting hurt. She is supposed to be all big and bad. Trying to be a hunter, trying to be better with her powers and fighting, but she is so weak, it's ridiculous. I don't think I've ever seen a character mentally and emotionally weaker than her. If she was a stronger person I would have given this a 5 star rating. But, I'm looking forward to reading the whole series just so I can see what happens within the fighting aspect of it.

This was basically a badass mix of X-Men meets...Princess Bride (my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die). I'm a sucker for the love triangles and slightly different characters, and this book has it without being corney. Sophie Davis has a writing style that I really get sucked into. I recently just discovered her and started this series and now I can't wait to get the next book.

When I had read what Takented was about I was not expecting that it would be so good. The writing is so descriptive that while I was reading it I visualized it as clearly as if I had been watching a movie. I started to believe that these talents are real.I would read it early every the morning as I woke up because I just could not put it down. I have read the first four books of the Talented Saga and they all flow together so perfectly that it became as if it were one very long magnificent experience that I was living.

It has seemed quite a while since I have read a book that I just didn't want to put down, one of those ones that you wish life would stop, just so you could keep reading and reading. Well, this is one of those books for me. I absolutely loved it. The actual story was quite unique which was superb, well written and although I think there was a couple of editing mistakes (spelling and maybe the wrong word here and there - although being British this might have been the problem), it certainly didn't detract from the book. I liked how Sophie, put in such detail to describe what TOXIC was about, the different levels and people and their roles. She didn't expect you to learn all this on the go, it was there near the beginning of the book narrated by Tal. I found this a really good way of including it. I think there is some predictability within the story, although you haven't reached that bit yet, I am finding myself wondering if Mac is as good hearted as he seems, or maybe is he the bad guy, not Crane. Obviously i don't know yet, and maybe it is the twist or not, but it seems like that is where it is heading. I do prefer books that this kind of jumps out and really surprises you but at the same time I think it is an incredibly difficult thing to achieve and very rarely does that happen to me.
Having said that I simply cannot wait to get the next book, I am on tenterhooks. The characters are very well written, so much so that you either love them or hate them, or sometimes you switch it about as you can't really decide. Oh and Penny, really not sure about her, I think she is going to prove an interesting character in the later books. She seems a bit too good to be true! Definitely read this book.

I got this book on a whim, never heard of the author. So I went in without any expectations. And holy damn I am so glad I did! It was such a good book! The vivid detail of characters and surroundings made me feel like I was there. There's a slight cliffhanger and so many unanswered questioned, but considering its a decent sized series, I wasn't surprised. A few twists and turns I did not see coming. A few things were obviously predictable. All and all, a very good start and I can't wait to continue reading!!

I first stumbled upon this series because it was a Kindle unlimited book. It sounds like it was right up my alley.... And it WAS! I could not put it down and I had to read the next ones. Then I had to Read the other series. This might be my new favorite author ever. But this series follows a group of students (think like x-men /gifted) who are being trained to use their power and go on missions. But where did these powers begin? And are they using them for the good of the many? That's the journey of this. I highly recommend!

3.5/5 Stars

I got this book at BEA - it's been out for a while, but I hadn't heard of it and I was definitely intrigued by the synopsis. I just had to pick this one up!

Talia attends McDonough Academy for the Talented - a special school for kids who have developed powers (due to a nuclear spill that happened generations ago, some people have genetic anomalies) - powers like mind reading, shapeshifting and extreme intelligence. Talia joined the Academy with revenge in mind - she wants to destroy the man who killed her parents. In order to do that, she has to become a Hunter - an elite member of the Academy who acts as a spy and sometimes assassin. But once Talia starts going on missions, she finds that being a Hunter isn't everything she expected. She starts to doubt that she's cut out for it. And to make things worse, Talia's personal life is exploding, pulling her focus when she needs it most.

What I loved:

The Action.
Talia's training at the Academy is intense and her missions are all action-packed. This book is definitely not a slow read - between the emotional drama of Talia's romantic life and the suspense and action of her missions and training as a Hunter, there is never a dull moment!

Erik.
Erik was definitely my favorite character in this book. He's one of Talia's two teammates - a bit of an arrogant playboy, but really all heart. From the very beginning of the book, you got the feeling that Erik was going to be more than a friend (and that he didn't like Talia's boyfriend very much for some reason), but Davis definitely didn't jump into anything. Erik cares for Talia - that's for sure. And I was completely drawn in by him - until a couple of things that he does toward the end that really frustrated me (but I won't get into those here because they'll be spoilery).

Gray area between good/evil.
If you read my reviews regularly, you know that I appreciate books where the line between the good guys and the bad guys is hazy. This is one of those. (The following is a slight SPOILER, though I don't go into any detail about what actually happens.) The "bad guys" are Ian Crane and those who follow him - some of the states have rebelled against the US and seceded over the issue of how to deal with the Talented. At first it seems that Crane and his followers want to force the Talented into hiding and squelching their abilities, but by the end of the book, there are hints that it may be more complicated than that. Plus, the people that Talia has come to love and depend on may not all have only her best interests at heart - it's all left a bit up in the air at the end of this book, so I'm eager to read the next book in the series to find out what happens!

The negatives:

Talia and Donavon.
Okay, here's the thing. I read the blurb (which is worded slightly differently on the actual book itself) and it calls Talia's boyfriend "questionable," so I knew the relationship was headed somewhere bad. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. The trouble is, it took a LONG time to happen (I know it was easily past the halfway mark in the book), and up until that point Donavon seemed like a truly nice guy. In fact, it was Talia who kind of seemed like the messed up person in the relationship. First of all, even though Talia said she loved Donavan, she also seemed constantly unsure of him. She was just kind of frigid - and I don't mean just physically (though it did seem odd that she'd never let the guy get past first base when they'd been dating for years). She was also emotionally frigid. For instance, when they were younger, she'd told Donavon that she loved him and he had hesitated in saying it back. She got mad and he (later that same night) apologized and said that the idea of love just freaked him out since they were so young, but told her that he did love her. Well, she held a grudge. Over two years later, she still refused to say "I love you" to him, and when he would say it to her, she would just say, "I know." Now, I can understand being a little miffed at first, but that seemed to be carrying things a bit far! There were lots of other little things too. I just felt like she wasn't a very good girlfriend. So by the time the big "thing" was revealed and we were forced to hate Donavon, I kind of had a harder time feeling sorry for Talia than I should have.

Unclear Talents.
I wasn't always clear on exactly what Talia's Talents were. She was able to read people's minds (although some people could block her out, sometimes without her even knowing it) and manipulate their minds, but she was also able to do things like open doors or stop bullets with her mind. I was sometimes just a bit confused about her powers and their limitations.

Erik's actions at the end of the book.
As I mentioned above, I really liked Erik, but he did a couple of really frustrating things toward the end of the book - one seemed slightly out of character and the other was just plain dumb! Won't go into what they are (but if you'd read the book and want to discuss, message me on Goodreads!).

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I am definitely looking forward to reading the next one! I give it 3.5/5 stars.

A combination of natural disasters and leaking nuclear power plants have brought the world to a post apocalyptic state. Initially caused by leaking nuclear material, some humans were born with Talents, mental and psychic abilities of varying strengths. The country is divided on the issue of mandatory testing and training. Renegades have taken control of several southwestern states and seek to expand their influence. This is the world in which Natalia Lyon lives.

Hidden in a closet by her mother, ten year old Natalia Lyon witnessed the brutal slaying of her parents causing her to unleash formidable mental powers killing the entire team that attacked her family. She is rescued from the carnage and taken in by the director of the McDonough school for the Talented, Danbury "Mac" McDonough and his wife. All she wants in return in revenge for the death of her family.

Seven years later, Talia Lyon has graduated from the McDonough school for the Talented and has been accepted as a pledge for elite Hunter Training. She's one step closer to achieving her goal, killing Ian Crane, the man responsible for sending the team to kill her family.

Accepted as the third and final member of a team, Talia becomes confused by feelings for team member Erik, especially since she loves Donavon. As training intensifies, Talia learns that even being a mind reader won't give you access to all the secrets someone else is hiding. Not everything or everyone is what they seem to be as she faces at least one betrayal.

This is as much a paranormal romance as an action story with secret missions. A nice mix of psychic, extreme mental acuity and morphing (shapechanging) abilities. A country divided is at war with itself. This book was an easy read for me. Davis provides some of Talia's memories in places that flow well with the story along with enough history of this worldscape to understand why things are the way they are.

If you're looking for a "blood and gore" action story, this won't be the book for you. Both the action and romance of this story are suitable for teens or a YA audience. Talented is the first book I've read by this author. Though not quite as riveting as some books, I would still read this again.

I didnt realize this was going to be a teenage novel, all full of lovey dovey young adults kissing and yearning. Maybe I'm showing my age, but this is so painful and utterly boring, I gave up after chaper 15, where nothing had actually happened other than description of first drunk outing, and teenage conflicts.
Her male room mates are worried she'll get pregnant and be of no jse to them. Typical male thinking. Have they never heard of condoms? The whole book is like that, pathetically unrealistic and devoid of action.

Wow what a beginning! I have to confess that I had this book on my kindle and for some reason it had got overlooked and I hadn't read it! So pleased that I realised my mistake and finally got around to reading this. This is the first in this series by Ms Davis. I'm a huge fan of paranormal and urban fantasy so this book was perfect for me and will probably interest many other readers out there.
Talia knows what it's like to suffer. Seeing her parents brutally murdered as a child has woken up her psychic gifts and now all she dreams of is justice and revenge . She's one of the lucky ones though as she was taken in by Toxic and now is training to be a Hunter. As a hunter she will work in a team with others like her and fight against Ian Crane and those other humans like him who wish to see the extermination of the psychic Talents.
Talias life is full of conflict as she struggles to balance her training with her emotional entanglements. Is it possible to love when mind reading is possible and who can really be trusted with your heart? Talia is about to be tested in ways she had no possibility of imagining and trust is about to become her most valuable commodity.
This was a really interesting book and I'm so pleased that there are other books to follow . So much is starting in this book and I feel the heroine is about to embark on a long and difficult journey. There's a lot of world building which is essential to allow the reader to immerse themselves in this quite bleak future but hope is allowed as well. Humanity is not always accepting of differences and the author captures that . The heroine Talia begins her transition from adolescence to adulthood. Yes there is a romantic element but also it's a book with action and drama. A complex beginning with enough plot to capture my interest and I'm kicking myself that I hadn't read this sooner.
I'd rate this a solid four and a half as it's probably more of a young adult read but that doesn't mean it's bad, no far from it. I really enjoyed it and hope to follow Talias journey which seems bound to be interesting and full of adventure.

The author Sophie Davis presents to us a whole new Dystopian World… and a world that I am in love with J

The world of ‘Talented’ is that of a world of humans with special powers due to genetic mutation. Yes, it sounds a lot like X-Men and it is and I love mutants… I mean have you seen Wolverine? Anyway, back to this book, Sophie Davis has built a new world with the mutants. They have special schools and training facilities, just like they have hierarchy and specializations. Our protagonist is such a ‘talented’ person who witnessed her own parents being murdered as a young child. She is then kind of adopted by friends of her parents. As she lives her life, training to be a ‘hunter’, vengeance is a constant on her mind. Will she be ready to do what it takes when she finally comes face to face with Ian Crane, the alleged killer of her parents?

First of all, the characters in this book are so diverse! While Talia is not the perfect protagonist and has her faults, she is pretty loveable. I am yet to understand Donovan and I guess he will play more parts in the upcoming books in the series. Erik is almost perfect! He is a hunk with just the right mix of strength and vulnerability. He is also just perfect for Talia. But I loved Henri the most and loved the way the author has built up his character. There is also enough background and action in the story to keep a reader enthralled. The narration style and the language used to tell the story is simple. The characters grow through out the story, especially Talia.

It took awhile for this story to get going. The first half, more than half really, suffered from poor editing or proofing. It was also a bit repetitive. I almost put it down but the premise was a good one and the characters were interesting with more to them than first appears. There were a couple of major blunders, one of which was a description of a room decorated completely in one color then several chapters later again described as if the first time but in another scheme and color. By the time I was considering giving up the plot opened up revealing secrets of characters that were wonderful twists and kept me not only interested but my reading speed picked up. By close to the end things fell into place and made the reading worthwhile. The lead in to the next book was well done and I couldn't help but wonder what happens next and wonder just who is really the enemy. In all, a good YA adventure with an unusual, complicated love triangle between young adults who are each more than they seem. I recommend it as a good adventure fir those who want more than a boy meets girl story. Just give it a chance and hang in there through the first half or so. All in all a good job.

I'm not totally sure how to review this book. It was a pretty quick read, with a good amount of action and lots of romance. It probably just wasn't the book I was in the mood for, or expected it to be.

The main problem of this book, in my opinion, is its main focus on relationships. I'm the type of person who wants lots of action and excitement in books, not a teenager wondering what she should do with her boyfriend, especially in a book centered around missions and "Talents". Don't get me wrong - I'm a huuuuge fan of romance - in fact, most of the time it is my guilty pleasure! (I am a hormonal teenager after all.) There were lots of sweet moments, but again, it just wasn't what I was looking for.

As for characters, I found that they were just "okay". Each character had distinct strengths and weaknesses, although I found that most of the characters fell kind of flat. And for those of you who are sick of love triangles, this book is not for you.

The up side is that there was a good amount of action and magical-power-ness (erm. Not a word, but still) I loved learning about "Cryptos" and various Talents that TOXIC trained, as well as the Hunters and various missions they had to carry out. The missions Talia, Henry, and Erik had to carry out were also filled with suspense and action, as well as, ahem, magical-power-ness. The amount of politics was also actually a plus for me - it includes some aspects of today that are certainly realistic enough to continue on towards the future. My only complaint concerning this is probably also concerning my personal tastes -

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
I found that the mystery and mysterious "bad things" involving TOXIC to be very straightforward and simple to figure out. Personally, I found that the fact that Talia was unable to figure this out even after the second book (I took a look at Book 3 - whoops...) a little unrealistic and stupid on Talia's part. But again, this may just be because of my personal tastes.
END SPOILER

Overall, I would recommend this book to people who are looking for more of a romance than an action read, or something along the lines of a romance-focused book, with bits of action (well, basically a paranormal romance). Otherwise, if you're looking for more Talent action or an espionage type novel, I suggest you pass on Talented.

I really loved this book, in fact, I couldn't put it down, and I'm not usually a fan of violence at all. But there I am, feverishly turning the pages devouring the story when I suddenly came upon THE END. Damn! I know it is continued by at least 2 more books, but as I read and review a lot of books, I'm not sure I will buy the rest of the series and I will have to get over my dislike of cliffhangers too. Still really enjoyed what I read though. I am voluntarily reviewing this book after the author gifted me a copy

Talented by Sophie Davis is the first in the Talented series. Natalia Lyons is only eighteen, but at the McDonough School for the Talented she is an exceptional Mind Manipulator (she can read and influence others' minds). Her only goal is to enter the Hunter program with TOXIC, a government agency, and avenge her parents' deaths.

The book takes place during her Senior year which is her Pledge year, where she trains with a team and prepares her for her solo mission that will determine whether she graduates and becomes a Hunter. It doesn't help that she is one of only a few female Hunters. Things are also complicated when Talia's love life begins to interfere with her training.

Talented flows well and Talia has an easy voice to follow, so it is an easy read. Talia's character is tough, yet vulnerable enough to identify with. I was able to get a pretty clear idea of who she was. The supporting cast is decent although some secondary characters didn't differentiate in my mind. I would have liked a clearer image of Donovan, her best friend and boyfriend, who is also a Hunter with TOXIC. When I finished the book, I had to go back and skim to remember what Talent he had.

The setting is detailed and convincing. It takes place in a future where the Talented have telekinesis or can morph into animals among other cool "powers." I was impressed with the details of everyday life as well as government involvement in the setting and the plot. I think it is the details that give this book credibility. There were several times that I felt like, "Oh, I didn't think of that. Good point." These were things that I would've easily overlooked, but then after thinking back I would want clarification on. The author was really on top of these minute details.

Talented also has a lot of action in it and the scenes are clear and well paced. It has you glued to the page throughout. There are places where it slows as we follow Talia through training and such, but it overall keeps a good pace.

The dialog is realistic and playful or intense when it needs to be without being theatrical. There is a good deal of dialog that occurs in Talia's mind. I thought it was handled pretty well. There are only a few parts that seemed weird about it.

I didn't give it 5 out of 5 because there are times that the plot does push suspension of belief a little bit and there is a revelation that I did not agree with. However, I enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series to see how Talia handles all the information she gained in this first book. I recommend this book to readers who like science-fiction, romance and espionage. There are some really cool gadgets in there.

Rating 4/5

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I found myself drawn very quickly into this book. For those who like sci-fi/fantasy there is definitely lots going on. Children have been born with various ‘abilities’ resulting from a nuclear contamination and have developed special powers or ‘talents’. This story is centred around the lives of those who are confined to a special academy - from those who can read minds, to others who can shape shift into various different forms. They are taught how to use their various powers and sent on missions. In an early part of the story, Talia has witnessed the murder of her parents, which is something which kept me interested, hoping she would seek justice.

The book is very well written with some beautiful phrases and is also emotionally charged. I did however, find the story content a little lacking. This novel tends to focus more on the relationships between the students. I liked the characters, but was hankering for a moment when the central characters, Talia and Donavon, might finally get their act together! But Donavon has a rival, in fellow student, Erik, who displays frequent outbursts of jealousy, giving rise to a slightly predictable ‘love triangle’ scenario. I personally, would have liked a little less ‘relationship stuff’ and a bit more action, but for anyone who enjoys YA romance, you will definitely love this story! Fantasy fans, even more so!

Ebook: Talented
Author: Sophie Davis
Fiction, Paranormal,
This review may contain spoilers
Summary: When Talia Lyons was just a child, her parents were murdered before her eyes. Offered a choice between accepting their fate and exacting revenge, Talia trains to become one of the country's deadliest assassins in order to kill the man responsible for their deaths: Ian Crane. Luckily, Talia was born with a gift- the ability to read and influence the minds of others. At sixteen, Talia is poised to graduate from the McDonough School for the Talented, where she learned to control her abilities. Now there is only one obstacle standing between her and the retribution she craves... Talia herself.
Her greatest asset may also be her undoing; while a formidable weapon in the field, Talia's talents prevent her from both shutting off the mental connection she shares with her questionable boyfriend and blocking out the thoughts of a beguiling fellow recruit. But Talia can't afford to have the feelings and distractions of a normal teenage girl, when her life is far from normal.
She must regain the single-minded determination that has brought her this far, or it may cost Talia her life when she finally faces Crane. And even after being molded in to a weapon of war, she'll still have to find the strength it takes to pull the trigger.
If James Bond and Sookie Stackhouse had a love child with a yearning for vengeance, her story would be TALENTED: an adventure about powerful teenagers who aren't afraid to embrace their fears and fight for what they believe in.

The Review
How have I not read this series, bad bad reviewer, I loved this book, Book 2 & 3 are both firmly ensconced in my TBR list, Talia is such a great character, I really believed I was going through everything with her, she was so kick ass when she needed to be, but she had a soft side that really touched my heart, this book has an amazing plot line, different from anything else I have read, it will keep you on the edge of your seat, The characters are well written, full of character, there were others in the book that to me really brought the book together as a whole, I love Talia's room mates, the fact that she has 2 males she is living with really made this book super funny in places, I would recommend this to everyone, it will have you laughing in so many places, I even cried in a couple of places, this was so well written, I felt Talia's pain, 5/5

This story is very well written, and has everything a good book should. There's a Love triangle, mystery, intrigue, action, suspence, lies, deceipt, heartbreak, etc. I Would recommend this to anyone that likes this type of genre, a definite must read !!!

I found this book interesting it kinda remind me of xmen thoe I love the fact that Talia lyons is kinda a bad ass but neive you can tell from. the very beginning that's she is being manipulated by mac u think she would be smart ed than that considering what her "talent" is and mac son Donavan is just an ass .. I love the chemistry between her and Erik and the friendship wig her and penny can't wait to find out what happens I the next book

The idea of the book reminded me a bit of the movie `Push'. Not that it's a bad thing, at all. I had absolutely loved the movie and enjoyed it, just as much as I enjoyed this book. The cover changed to be honest; I do prefer the new one. Though I guess it's not as attractive as it could have been, this book is one of the rare books I've actually chosen according to the synopsis, which was very intriguing. Just like I'd said before, the idea sounded amazing so I chose to ask for a copy to read, and the book didn't disappoint.

I love how much actual thought was put into writing this book, the idea and how it was developed, and the different kinds of `Talents' the author had come up with. The details in creating this new world in the future were brilliant. The explanation of the different consequences of the nuclear spill was inspired in combination with the aftermaths and the `TOXIC' government agencies. It was like a new twist to X-Men (a series of movies I also love so much).

Though Talia's character was happier than I had expected. I was given the impression she would be gloomy, detached, more to herself than anything else. She had this hatred inside her, the pain of losing her parents and seeing it happen. I know she said she couldn't make friends and she said she was unable to be happy or communicate well with others. But that wasn't the impression I had gotten.

Donavan's character was a bit confusing though. I mean, Joey in One Moment, appeared to be such a cad, I could sense it way before it had become obvious, and frankly I hadn't understood how the main character hadn't. But Donovan, he was such an amazing person, he treated her like a younger sister up until they had become romantically involved, and even then he appeared to really love her. Which obviously didn't add up, I mean, if he cared that much he wouldn't have hurt her thusly, or even continued when Erik beat him up. I personally wanted to do more than destroy his cabin.

Erik was my favourite character to be honest. I totally loved the way he evolved throughout the book. The way he cared about Talia was adorable.

So to sum it up, an amazing read and I really would recommend it.

Rating: 5/5

Great Series .. I read this book in a day ... Hard to put down ... So far there are 7 books in the series so far... Of course, it is sometimes far fetched, but that's ok. The only issue I have is too many grammatical errors. I think that many have been fixed however as earlier reviews seemed to indicate more incidents. Overall, I highly recommend.

When I first started reading Talented I wasn't sure what to expect. I'll admit, I took a look at the cover and wasn't sure (it had a different cover last week, I swear!!). I know, that makes me a horrible person, judging books by the cover, but it happens and you all know you do it! The cover of a book is the first thing that attracts more people to it. That being said, I like this new cover a lot more! I look at it and it makes me wonder what the story could be about. The thing that made me decide to read this book was the synopsis. It sounded like something I would like. I'm in a huge love relationship right now with dystopians, add in the sci fi and you have yourself a deal.

So, regardless of the cover, I gave this book a shot and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Talia is a pretty kick butt girl, who's gone through a lot of training to get to that point. She also has her "talent" which is actually very useful for fighting. I mean, when you have the ability to force people to do things with your mind, how can you ever really lose a fight, unless the numbers are extremely against you. I felt really bad for Talia because she lost her parents, and watched them be murdered even.

I felt like there was a good amount of romance and action in Talented. There wasn't really any of the instant romance going on, which can be kind of annoying really. Actually, the story starts out with Talia already having a boy friend. They've been together forever pretty much and couldn't be happier. So there is a bit of romance and history between them.

Overall it did take me a long time to get into this book, mostly because I didn't have much time to sit and read, but once I got going I had a hard time putting it down. Especially in the second half, there is just so much going on and I was pretty concerned over Talia. Talented is a really fun read and I would definitely recommend it! I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series, Caged. Sophie Davis did a really great job creating characters you can realate with and care about and her dystopian world is well made also. You should definitely give it a try if you enjoy sci fi, distopia worlds!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I began reading this, but knew that with a character named Talia (my sister's name), and one named Penelope (my name), I just had to find out what was in these pages. So I joined the blog tour. Go figure. :)

Talia Lyons is a girl who I can support, even if I was annoyed with her at times for her immature behavior. She faces some tough challenges in this book, but used her super cool super ability to help her through them. The other characters are interesting and love-able, especially in the case of one certain guy who shall remain unnamed, so I don't spoil anything. Sophie Davis created a cast of characters who work well together, and who compliment each other on the page. I really enjoyed reading about them.

What I didn't like, was that there were times when Talia seemed to have double-standards. This didn't happen often but when it did, it was noticeable. In one part, she gets annoyed that her boyfriend because he doesn't want her to go into the city and leave him with nothing to do for the day, but then gets annoyed that very night when he has made plans without her and leaves to go to the city, leaving her alone with nothing to do for the rest of the night. Double-standards! I was also sad to see that story doesn't really have an ending--relationship issues are not tied up, and the mission of the story is not completed. It's more of a "to be continued" ending, which is something that I hate to come across.
Also noticeable, are the amount of grammatical and spelling errors in the book, which brought me out of the story pretty often. But that may just be an issue with the copy I received for review.

With these things taken into account, I still think this is a fun and adventurous story. I was invested in Talia's well-being, and I was so angry anytime she was mistreated. The story does a little exploring into relationships, and it totally gets it right. That alone is amazing. And Talia gets to do some pretty cool stuff. If you like adventures, this one's for you!

This review was originally published on my blog: The Reading Fever.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising*

I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up Talented by Sophie Davis, but now I know that this book can be summed up in one word: awesomesauce. Yes, ladies and gents this story has pretty much everything, a kick-ass heroine, amazing secondary characters, an eerie dystopian setting, hot guys, oh and did I mention teenage super heroes?! Talented truly is the entire package. I could gush and gush, but maybe I should just get to the review huh?

LIKES:

Pretty much everything. First of (and probably most importantly) there is Talia. She is strong, capable and unique while still being lovable. Her motivation (the deaths of her parents) is different than in a lot of YA books and it really makes her more believable. Second, we have the two boys in Talia's life, Donovan (her boyfriend) and Erik (her partner). These characters are so dynamic and their roles in Talia's story change drastically throughout the book. I wasn't really a fan of Donovan from the get-go (even if he was her love interest) but by the end I absolutely hated him (in the best way though) and Erik is just freaking amazing and adorable and funny and awesome and I could go on and on (sigh). Next, there's the world-building. Davis does a great job of setting up the story and then making the reader feel like they really know the post-spill system that the characters are living in and it's super disturbing sometimes. She creates a super believable history for her world and then weaves an impressive setting for her characters. Finally, I just loved that not one single second of this book was boring. It was so fast paced that I flew through it and the ending just left me wanting more and more. I can't wait for book two!

DISLIKES:

Really, I can't say I had many dislikes. I will say that the language was a bit strong at some points for a YA book. Sometimes it was called for but there were other times where I think some different vocabulary could have been used. Along those same lines, the description of some of the more violent parts of the book were a little disturbing (although in fairness these were usually pretty important to the plot).

Other than the, maybe, overly-mature content at some points this book was great! I would definitely recommend it if you love action and suspense and especially if you want to see some great world-building and an amazing heroine. Four stars for this one!

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

Honestly I did not know what to expect. I do not read many Dystopian novels, but am for sure glad I read this one. It was purely amazing! From page one, I was sucked in to this futuristic story. The first page is just so compelling as we enter in this new world that seems familiar but at the same time it's still so mysterious. I liked that in the beginning chapters, we learn the main character's goals; why Talia wants to become a Hunter, and who she is wanting to specifically hunt. So, there is a good amount of past information to learn about Talia's current daily life, her current motives. I loved how in between chapters, there is a rich history of civilization after The Great Contamination occurred. I sometimes see books in my head as though it is a film. This one was definitely a film in my head, and those explanation chapters were seen as clear flashbacks with a narration. I just loved it! I think when Talia trains with either Erik and Henri or on her own, those would be some great scenes to see on screen too; they would definitely be filled with a lot of action! :)
I love that this story was from Talia's point of view except from one point in the story (not going to say when/where!). But through her POV, we feel her emotions, her sense of betrayal that can connect to readers; I know I felt the sense of shock and numbness, and then a bubble bursts and frustration and anger pours right in. You'll see when those types of emotions play out. There are also the emotions of seeking revenge, and for really falling for someone that just feels right falling for. Speaking of falling for someone, there are two love interests that are actually pretty different. There's Donovan and Erik. I loved Erik: his characteristics were just more appealing, and you'll see why. Other characters are wonderfully presented by Davis including Henri, who felt like a big brother. I really enjoyed how this story flowed. Davis has a wonderful writing style, and I must admit I have attempted to start the second book in the series! This was a delightful and fantastic read, and I hope you have the opportunity to read it for yourself; I'm sure you'll love it! :)

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the world developed in Sophie Davis's novel. While it seems to be divided into two clear camps at first, it soon appeared to me that the dichotomy was far from being so evident, and that factions and characters were bound to harbour secrets and hidden standards. The last chapters sure didn't disappoint me in that regard. I also enjoyed discovering how the Agency works, what kind of jobs its employees perform, as well as how missions are carried--I like to see that such 'details' were taken into account. The use of varied Talents offer those agents diverse opportunities, and it was interesting to read about that.

The reason why I'm giving it 3 stars 'only' is that I was however left with a lingering feeling of frustration at the themes developed throughout the story. I would have liked to see more of Talia's challenges regarding her job as a Hunter, her desire for revenge, the means she would employ to do so, the choice she had to make between saving herself or enacting her revenge... I understand that this novel is not a standalone, and that such aspects are likely to be developed in book 2 or 3--in other words, that they're part of a bigger picture. That's not what frustrated me. I simply thought, when I read the summary, that they'd be keynotes of the story, and in the end, I felt that they were put aside in favour of the developing love triangle. I think I'd have liked this novel best if the romance part had been left to grow in a more balanced way along what I had expected to read about.

The file also contained recurrent typos, such as inverted words and commas in weird places. Unfortunately for me, I'm too trained to notice those things, and they tend to quickly become annoying.

Other than that, I was glad to be handed out this ebook. I spent good moments reading it.

Talia is Talented - she has special abilities as a mind manipulater - and is honing her skills as a Pledge, eager to graduate as a Hunter. As she trains with Henri and Erik, the two Hunters with whom she is serving her Pledge period, she moves ever closer to the solo mission that will ensure her graduation.

I really enjoyed Talented; it is well written, with endearing characters and an intriguing premise. Talia is a strong character, who is also very human. Her vulnerabilities make her likeable, her interactions with the other team members do not always go well, but she absolutely has to succeed. I found this book so easy to read, the pages (and time!) flew by as I found it hard to put down. I'm really looking forward to picking up the story with the second book in this series.

*I received a free copy of Talented from the publisher, via Netgalley, in return for an honest review.

When I first picked up `Talented' I wasn't sure if I could really get into it. From the summary it didn't entirely sound like my kind of book and I was a bit skeptical to be honest. However I was proven wrong very quickly, `Talented' was a very good book and it pulled my attention in. Talia, is talented, like the rest of the kids that she went to school with and now she is training to become a hunter. She is working very hard to put her special abilities to good. Also on a more personal level she wants to get her revenge on the man that killed her parents, Ian Crane.

The elements in this book really make you think outside of the box. They have a lot of elements that are very futuristic and it really makes you start thinking what if our world really functioned like that or turns into that. A lot of the things were very cool to read about. Some of the technology that she created in this book is very advanced and would be awesome if they really had, I'm sure it would help the government and Special Forces.

I really liked the plot in this book, you see a teenager girl trying to find her place in the world without her parents and really trying to find people to trust. Meanwhile she had these talents that she is putting to use and a hunter and fighting hard to become part of the Agency. It was a really nice dynamic and I really enjoyed the book, it had a lot of twists and turns that kept you on your toes. It was a wonderfully written book and the ending kept you hanging therefore I am dying to read the sequel! I give it four stars!

I will be the first to admit, I am not really a huge fan of dystopian style books. I actually won this book on a blog giveaway and thank goodness! It was flippin awesome!

The story had great character development. I loved Erik. His character was so flawed but clearly a bad boy with a soft spot for Talia. Henri added a great dynamic to the group and kept it from being too intense.

This is another book about a supernatural school, but it was done with little focus on school like activities and more about the missions the teams went on. The story kept me in suspense from mission to mission.

The first chunk of the story focused on explaining everything, but still kept me interested. Then once the author got into the meat of the story, I became glued. The book had its' hooks in me for sure. The last part of it brought the story together and was filled with action.

I was not thrilled by the epilogue, but something had to give, right? The story left a lot of loose ends and the epilogue was told by Donovan's P.O.V.

I guess that was the point, because I promptly went to the store and purchased book 2 (Caged) in the series. I can't wait to find out what happens to Talia and her friends in the next book!! Check Talented out, you will love it! I give this great YA dystopian read five glitter stars!!!

This book is a refreshing new take on an old idea. The talented children/talented outsiders in a normal society is a theme that has been picked up and used by some great authors and, unfortunately, a large number of lesser gifted writers.

It is a mark of Sophie Davies's skill as a writer that her book stands out from this pack with an interesting background with its echoes of the American Civil War (one side accepting, albeit grudgingly, the talents while the other side seemingly wants to get rid of them). I have hopes that the future books of this series will expand on this political dichotomy.

I like the concept of the three person Hunter groups and Natalia's partners are well drawn by the end of the book you find yourself worrying about one of them after a well stage managed revelation.

The combat sequences are well written with an understanding of what the protagonist can actually perceive. Similarly the romance between two of the characters is naturally handled.

When I am presented with the first book of a series I always ask myself will I read the other books? In this case I'm looking forward to continuing the story although I am delaying obtaining them until I finish an urgent project of my own. If I had them on my kindle I'd get nothing done.

I received a free copy of Talented as part of a Goodreads read to review. This was the story of a young girl who lost her whole world at a very early age. Both parents killed, on orders of a man named Ian Crane. Talia is sent to live with one of the officials of an elite governmental unit. Talia grows up with determination and the desire to avenge her parents deaths on the man who ordered their assignations.

So Talia grows up and is trained, she is one of the "Talented", those in this dystopian society,that have "extra" abilities...she becomes a Hunter.

The story follows Talia's training, personal life, friendships and her facing the man who lies behind her greatest pain....

I felt that this story was well-written, flowed smoothly, was entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat. Ms. Davies did an awesome job in building her special world and characters, also the story had passion and I loved Erik, how he seemed shallow at first, but showed depth in how he aided/and cared for Talia throughout the story...my favorite scene is when Talia was hurt, and Erik had the ability to mimic another Talented powers...he did so and drew the pain from Talia when she had been injured and was receiving emergency care...

This was a great story and I look forward to reading the next book:)

I decided to take a chance on this series and to my delight it is fantastic. I love this series. It is engaging and well written. I have been obsessively reading it since I started on the first page. The characters are interesting and well formed. The connects are surprising. Thanks for such a great read!

So okay, this book has been sitting on my Kindle app for a while because I've been so busy, but I finally started it the other day and I'm so glad I did! I raced through it and actually purchased Caged, the second book in the series, before I was done with Talented!

Where to begin, where to begin? Talia's voice is incredibly vivid; the decision to write this in 1st person POV (my favorite) was definitely a hit. The world-building is very elaborate and imagery is beautiful--I almost felt like I was there in futuristic DC sometimes. Penny is so funny and cute, the perfect foil to Talia. And the boys... oh, where to begin? Erik is a dreamboat, that's all I have to say. He's really just about perfect. I always felt like there was something a bit off about Donavon (maybe because I fell in love with Erik instantly), and though I wasn't happy for Talia to be proven right, I was right! That ending intrigued me though (and not just because of the crazy cliffhanger!)...

This book isn't perfect--there are some minor typos/word errors that should have been caught by a line editor, but I'll forgive self-published books more than traditionally published ones, and they never seriously detracted from the flow of the story. A lot of the story does focus on Talia's relationship issues instead of the bigger plot involving the Coalition and the Hunters, but Talia's a teenage girl--it felt believable that she would do the things she does, even if she is a trained soldier (essentially) with paranormal powers. And I've heard some people complain about the explanation for Talented people--that in this day and age when we know what we do about nuclear waste, it's unbelievable and annoying. I won't say that they're wrong, but I don't think it takes away from the story at all.

My biggest fear now is that I'll tear through the 3 books that are out so far and be dying while I wait for the 4th to come out in September!

Due to exposure to nuclear chemicals some children were born with Talents. These talents range from being able to morph into animals to mind manipulation. The story follows Talia who happens to have an extremely powerful but yet dangerous talent. After watching her own parents murdered Talia knows that she will use her talent to take revenge.

I love Talia because she is one strong heroine and I love seeing this in YA! We need more of these types of characters to empower the young girls! As in any dystopian novel you have to wonder if the she is fighting on the right side in the civil war. The first book in a dystopian series always has you thinking one way and then bam you get knocked on your butt! Happens every time! Of course there is the ever present love triangle. It’s not too annoying because by the end of book one, Talia sees things pretty clearly!

I would recommend this book for all YA readers and dystopian lovers!

OK so where to begin... I was really excited to read this book because of its raving reviews and because the description seemed so interesting. And for the most part this book exceeded my expectations! It was well written but there were a few grammatical errors here and there where words were missing, but you can always tell the point of the sentence. I really loved the characters especially the scenes with Talia and her team - they had such a great dynamic that I could see everything playing out! Spoiler!!! [ I also loved the scene where Talia blows up at Donovan... doesn't every girl wish she could do that to her cheating boyfriend's house? I also adored the scene between Erik and Talia where he took her pain... so chivalrous! ] Anyway this book contained quite a few memorable scenes and the characters were well developed for the most part. The only thing that I had a problem with was the ending or rather lack of an ending. Since this does continue with a sequel and the sequel is already released I'm not hung up over it but I was disappointed that the relationship problems weren't dealt with in this book nor was the final outcome of the mission finalized to the reader. I can only assumed that all of this is explained in the next book. So overall I would give this four stars for its amazing characters and great plot line! I've already bought the sequel and plan to start it soon! : )

The concept of a new world where genetics are altered through pollution to give some special powers, and the concept that there would be factions against those who have those powers is solid. Good to see a strong female character, and interesting it is written in the first person. The love interest is a little teenaged focused which is why it would probably be better for a young adult audience.

Talented is my first Sophie Davis book, and I loved it! Her book brings to mind The Chronicles of Kerrigan by WJ May. While they are both similar, they are still unique in their own way. S Davis does a great job taking the reader and dropping us into a new world full of magic, action, and drama. It takes all the components of a book, and tells a story that I was happy to be a part of.

I love me a good dystopia/post apocalyptic/post event society based story. I was looking for something a bit different. Typically you get a first gen society. This one is established and has a good bit of background to go with it. The chunks of background I feel should be a bit more spaced out but the flow of the book is kept even, due in large part to the narrator's firm monotone. Perfect voice for the dark,(slightly) info/exposition heavy sway of this book. Angel Clark does attempt to adjust her voice to the current characters dialogue, which though some may find jarring, I find to be clarifying in an audio book.
Haven't finished it in its entirety but so far especially enjoyable for a wind down before bed, I like the material and the narrator puts my 6 month old to sleep so it's a win win.

I LOVED this book and could NOT put the book down from the moment I started reading!!  The writing of this story flowed very well and was written very clearly. The story smoothly switches back and forth from Talia training to become a Hunter, to her struggle of dealing with the motions of being a teenager. I found it very unique how the author includes a  dystopian (Talia and her Talents), and contemporary plot (Talia's relationships with those she was closest to, and dealing with what happened to her family). This is one of the reasons why I loved this book so much, because it had elements from contemporary and dystopian novels. I don't know if that was done on purpose, but that is what drew me in and made me want to read more of the story.The author has a very interesting way of describing how the characters are feeling. You are able to visualize how the characters feel.  I was also hooked because I was able to relate to certain aspects of Talia's personality and I felt that I understood what she was going through. I think that many people could relate to at least one character in the story. I would absolutely recommend this book for those who enjoy both dystopian (action, suspense) and contemporary (romance, relatable themes) genres.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series!! Please check out this book!!!

**This book was given to me for an honest review**

Oh, wow! I'm still reeling from this phenomenal and stunning story! Seriously people I am in complete fan girl mode! Where the heck has this masterpiece been hiding?!?!

Omg,OMG OOOMMMMGGG!!!

Okay, I think I'm good now, no more fan girling! So, this is a fearsome, awe-inspiring, breath taking book. It literally has everything in it you could possibly crave. Sophie Davis paints a beautiful and tragic world, with such descriptive and poetic writing you can't help but feel the pull of the story. The characters are well rounded with normal deficiencies and amazing attributes. Truly stunning story!

It starts off by explaining the world and how it has been turned upside-down, flipped and twisted by nuclear weapons hidden in the earth. The spread effects the whole world, the ocean, animals and eventually the people making children come to the world with deformities and amazing abilities. As time goes on these wane and drift but the "talented" remain, and are chosen to fight for the government.
The main character Talia, is one of the effected humans and has gifts of her own. She is an amazing talented lead character who faces so many trail and tribulations in her short life, that you wonder how she has survived. The answer is revenge. She joins the "Hunters" to avenge her past and grow her future.

Talia is not alone in this tremendous world Sophie painted for you, she has her friends and handsome side kicks. My favorite among them is our dashing and witty heart breaker Erik, who was a huge part of why I fell so fast for 'Talented'.
Talia's journey with her friends Erik, Henri, Donovan and little Penelope is provocative, thrilling, funny, heart wrenching and riveting.

This book will have you in craze, waiting to find out what happens next with the plot twist and constant adventures. I loved it and truly can't wait to dig into the series, I absolutely recommend it to everyone and anyone. But especially those of you looking for a fun read with romance, adventure, mystery and a beautiful dystopian world ready for you to join! Enjoy!

Enjoy this book! I know I did!

10*s. I recieved the ecopy of this book when it was free to purchase from Smashwords.com. Wow, what a wild and emotional rollercoster ride!! I enjoyed every single minute of this story!! This story is so well written that I couldnt help but get reeled into this remarkable story of love, detrayal, loss, action, romance, and suspence. The only problem I had with this book is having to wait to read the book in this awesome series to find out what happens next. So many questions and thoughts have left me hungry for more!!! This is a fabulous MUST read YA that all ages will enjoy!! Thank you, Sophie Davis, for writing this magnificent story!!! I cant wait to read more from you!!!

I loved this dystopian series! I loved the main character of Talia the best as she was very strong willed and stubborn but very loyal to those she loves. She reminded me of myself except with powers. This story was very intriguing right from the start and kept me on my toes throughout.

I was really pleasantly surprised when reading this book. The story did start out quite slow at first but towards the middle of the book it turned around and became a book i couldn't stop reading. This book, being the first in the series sees Talia trying to adjust to being a trainee hunter at the school for the talented. She has all the other dramas of a teenager girl to work through especially boy trouble as well as becoming a full fledged hunter. I did like the characters a lot, especially Erik. I liked the way the author gave a back story so that i could understand the characters better as if she didn't, i don't think the story would have enough meaning and might have been a bit confusing. Overall i liked the book a lot and i'm now going to read Caged, book 2 in the series.

Warning....after reading this book you will have to immediately go out and read part 2!
After a worldwide nuclear spill, the earth's children are born "talented" or with special powers. As time passes less are born talented. Because some of the children's talents are so potentially dangerous, all children in the U.S. most go to a special school to help them perfect their talents to protect the nation. The U.S. is divided into people who are afraid of them and ones that want to use them.
Talia Lyons is a very powerful talented girl who wants to avenge her parents murder. Although the story has action and missions, it's really about Talia and her trying to relate to people and trying to fit into a world divided. It's more romance than action, the story is very easy to follow and the cliff hanger has you grabbing for the next book.

Set in a future world, split by the Agency and the Coalition, Natalia Lyons pursues her dream of becoming a Hunter. Brought up in the house of the Agency director, following the murder of her parents by the Coalition when she was five years old, Talia grows up to find those she has always trusted to maybe not have her best interests at heart. Her Hunter team, strong, reliable Henri and dark, sexy Erik support and train her for their forthcoming missions, helping her refine and control her amazing Talent. Through friendships and affairs of the heart, Talia finishes this book embracing her solo mission.

Super story, great characters but oh so many editing mistakes!

Talented was so well written and vivid that I just couldn't help but imagine this being a movie!

Right from the beginning the book drew you in and I didn't feel at all lost. Skipping to middle of the book... I LOVED LOVED LOVED Erik! He just seemed like such a great match for Talia, thought at the beginning I really liked Donovan and Talia as a couple. Now, I'm not going to say too much, because I don't want to spoil the book (I almost wrote "movie" there!) Not only was the romance wonderfully written and not over the top and sickening, but every other part of the book was just as good!

As I previously mentioned, the action was super vivid and it allowed me to relate to Talia and put myself in her place. I can't believe it ended like that! WHY SOPHIE?!?! LOL This is definitely a must read! The second book in the series is coming out in SPRING 2012, and I can't wait!!!!!!!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Here it is:

I absolutely loved this book. The only reason it got 4 stars was for the numerous typographical errors. At first I thought, "Oh no, not another dystopian world." However, the plot is fabulous. The characters really suck you in and make you cheer for them. The best I can say is I couldn't put it down and when I finished the book, I rushed out and bought the rest of the series. Needless to say, I've had a couple of sleepless nights. You won't be disappointed in this one. Just the right balance of action, character development, plot twists and turns, and romance. Loved it. I devoured it would be more accurate.

I received this story by ebook and was amazed at the writing of Ms. Davis. The characters were well described and the story line was so well written. I understood the reasons behind everything that was going on. Talia's parents were murdered right in front of her when she was young. She went to live with her father's friend, Mac and his family. She had special talents as well as others because of what had happened with the world. Talia, Donavon, and Erik together made this so exciting with the struggles of their feelings and power. Talia was sent on a solo mission that only she could do. Could she do what she had been trained for and make it out alive? This was a very intense book. I was on the edge of my seat and wanted so much more when the ending hit. I can't wait for the next book.

I actually listened to this book on Audible, I was hooked after listening to the first chapter and couldn't wait to devour the rest of the book. Angel Clark is an amazing narrator and she makes the characters come to life. Book bub had posted an ad about the Talented series and I'm so glad that I gave the book a chance. Sophie Davis is an amazing author whose stories will grab you from the very beginning. When I started listening, I was immediately hooked to the book after one chapter. By the end of the book, I was hooked to the series. I can't wait to see where this story goes next!

Talia: hunter in training. Her ultimate end goal is to avenge the death of her parents and with the help of Erik and Henri, fellow hunters; she trains to become a hunter good enough to successfully hunt the man who killed her parents. Throw in some missions, heartbreak and relationship issues and you have yourself Talented.

Talented lost points in my eyes for the emotional confusion. Emotion-wise, I didn’t know what was going on; my eyebrows were drawn down in confusion a few times. One minute Donavon loves her but she never says it back, then when she eventually does tell him she does love him, he tells her he’s too young to love and he doesn’t know what he feels about her… what? There is quite a lot of emotional confusion regarding love.

I found the development of the story to be slow in the first 45(ish)%, I thought I would be getting more action and insight to her training and the need to avenge her parent’s death would be more evident, but found the plot to focus more on the love aspect which I didn’t expect. I feel the summary was slightly misleading. The book took its time to come into play but when it did kick off, I couldn’t put my kindle down. Again, there were some confusing scenes during fighting scenes and ability-wise, as in the talents themselves, we don’t get much insight on them. But if you’re enjoying the story nethertheless, it was quite easy to look past.

What I liked: The friendship. Despite the messing around and all the joking, it’s clear that they all have each other’s back, though it isn’t said in words, it doesn’t need to be as it goes without being said which I loved. Also the mystery. The closer you get to the end you begin to realize that something isn’t right and there is more going on than what meets the eye. At this point I became excited, eager to dig deeper and find the truth. At the end my mind was reeling with the prospect of what could happen.

I think that the build in suspense towards the end made the story. It really gets you asking ‘what if’ questions, doubting motives and thinking of all the other possibilities which have just been opened. I’ve conjured up my own theories and can’t wait to see how close to the mark I am.

I SHIP IT SO HARD!! (not letting ya know who I ship, that's a spoiler ;) but you will too). Only comment other then IT IS PURE PERFECTION is that I couldn't grasp my head around how Erik looks, only because I know a short brown haired and eyed guy namee Eric, so that is what comes to mind. Which is weird. Why? Just read that book already.

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OMG! This book is amazing. Well written the characters are amazingly well developed, they're real and likeable. The characters have flaws and issues and develop throughout the book in a realistic way. The world is also amazingly well developed! I am in love with this series!

I enjoy my fare share of dystopian society books, and this one is up there in my top 3. I can see it pulling inspirtion from Mrs. Perigrine's Home for Peculiar Children and many other sci-fi books and shows. All in all, I don't think I've ever read book so fast. It held attention the whole time and left me gasping for more. I definatly will be passing this one ong.

I wasn't sure what to expext...simply another dystopian story. But from page 10 I could not stop reading. The story is so well thought through and paced. You don't feel any great level of intensity, but you simply must keep reading, you must know more, you need to see what Talia does. You know why she set her goals, you can't help but root for her and her team, but how truthful is everyone. Can we believe she has set out for the right reasons. Simply must know more!

I really liked the main character of this book, Talia. She was a tough chick and perfectly kick-ass. I also thought the plot was great and was sucked into the book from the beginning, making it very hard to put the book down.

I'd have given this book 5 stars and said it was a perfect adventure story if it wasn't for the need of a seriously good proof read. The amount of missing words in sentences and odd places where words like 'that' and 'it's' appeared where they shouldn't be often making a sentence entirely nonsensical was a great put off. On top of that there would often be words with the wrong tense ending or an s missed off for a plural, coupled with my pet peeve the s's at the end of a possesive name that normally ends in s when it should have been s' at the end instead.

Unfortunately it meant I just couldn't get fully absorbed into the story.

I was looking for something quick alobg the lines of divergent or hunger games to read this book quickly sucked me in and keeos me wanting more. I'm excited to see how the series ens. Decent writing but the story line & twists keep you ciming back It us like one review said Xmen meets divergent. Great read - on to book.two!

Wow, where to start. This book was a wonderful surprise. From reading others reviews about it and also it's high ratings, I expected this to be an entertaining story, but never did I expect something quite like what I found.

The story is gripping and brings a whole new twist on supernatural powers combined with a futuristic world. Talia, herself, has an exceptionally extraordinary power, making her special, and making her stand out. Her powers are unbelievable and I can't wait to learn what else she can do in the second novel. Sophie Davis really spun an interesting web of life, in a world that I would really love to live in. Davis makes me believe it is possible to have powers and did a wonderful job incorporating them into the everyday life of a teenager.

The dystopian world in which they live is also very realistic. It was not too extreme and unrealistic. This was a world that was highly plausible and I am going to say it again. I really want to be a Talent!

For picky readers, this is a self published book. There are some weird errors, but the novel is exceptionally well written, and the errors are few and far between. Honestly, the only thing keeping this book from perfect is an editor and a literary agent and this book would be vanishing from the book shelves of any store. I can't believe it has stayed so unknown up to this point!

This is a true hidden gem. I recommend reading it as soon as you get a chance and for only .99 cents how could you pass it up!

This book seriously blew my mind. The concept is like nothing I've ever read. I read it in one sitting and now I'm dying for more.

Talia is an incredible heroine. Her powers are amazing and her strength is unbelievable. I never change my mind about which boy I like. This is the first time it has happened. When I started it I loved Donavon. Then by the end I hated Donavon and loved Erik. Erik and Talia are meant to be. Their adorable together.How cute they were is probably why I loved it so much. Donavon is just a jerk.

I really wonder how the author came up with this. It's so unique. The storyline never slows down. It's very action packed. Overall I really really really liked this. Im dying for the sequel. I highly recommend this. 5/5 stars

From the moment I started this book, I knew I was in for something good. The story immediately drew me in, and soon, I was lost in Talia's world. The plot kept me riveted, and didn't slow down or bore me. The idea behind it is not necessarily unique, but it's executed in a unique way.
I couldn't help but love the characters, especially Erik (he is definitely swoon-worthy)!
Overall, I recommend this book to fans of dystopian (Like The Hunger Games and Divergent). I can't wait to see where this story goes in Caged!

This book has been on my mind since I started reading it last week. I felt many different emotions when I read this book, the fear, confidence, embarrassment, anger, nerves, and love. It just seeped from the pages and played right into my emotions. I haven't felt this strongly about a book in a long time and I'm constantly reading. I have been recommended this book to everyone I come in contact with. The storyline is enthralling and the characters are very well developed. I can't wait to continue my journey with Talia though I think I need a short breather to recover myself before I start caged.

The story was great. I had a hard time putting it down. It took me a little over 2 days to read it. It keeps your attention through the whole book. If you liked Divergent than you'll love this. I'm already recommending it to friends. I cant say enough good things about it. The author does a great job making you fall in love with the characters. I like that the reader is finding out whats going on as the main characters are. This is not a book you can say "oh I'll only read one chapter and come back to it later". This book will have you saying you'll read one chapter and before you know it you've read 7 chapter.
I gave the book 5 stars out of 5 stars, and I have a very tough grading scale. I have to absolutely love the book to give it 5 stars.
I have already purchased the 2nd book in the saga called Caged, and will be starting that as soon as i finish this review.

A great and well written story. A ton of time and effort went into the book and it shows. It is a perfect mixture of Sci-fi, action, romance and adventure. Absolutely loved reading the saga. It is so easy to get lost in the book. I found myself wanting to be talented along with the main characters. I ordered most of the books from the series through Barnes and Noble to help support Sophie Davis (Hannah and Tabitha). Even though I read the series on the store kindle, I find that it is always better to have an actual hard copy at hand. I definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

I was really optimistic to read this book because of all the raving reviews and the description was intriguing. I was lucky enough to get a copy through a R2R program offered by one of my GR groups. I would like to thank the author and group for this opportunity.
"Talented" is about people born with special talents due genetic mutations caused by nuclear contamination. Those who possess talents are tested, and if skilled enough, attend McDonough School for the Talented. Talia is a girl who possesses special powers and has made a personal vow to avenge the murder of her parents by training hard and being the best hunter she can be.
For the most part, this book kept my attention and was a pleasurable read. There were grammatical errors and some words were missing within sentences. I enjoyed most of the characters, especially the scenes with Talia and her team. I have to admit, however, Talia had a tendency to whine.....a lot. My MC whine tolerance only goes so far. The story got bogged down with the romance at times. I understand this is a paranormal romance, but come on; I need plot & storyline to truly enjoy a book from start to finish. World building was good. We got quite a lot of explanation early on so the story could take off without having to have info dumps every third paragraph. This story contains the dreaded "love triangle!" (hahaha) I am not one who loathes all things triangle; as long as it is done well or has twists and/or surprises, I am totally onboard. This one? I guess my answer would be, meh?! I liked that the story didn't focus on Talia's school life, more on training and missions life. It was a nice change from all the "Boarding School" stories I seem to be reading lately.
Overall, this was an easy read and with the cliffhanger ending that piqued my curiosity. Readers who enjoy dystopian stories and/or paranormal romances should definitely check this one out!

This is an excellent book. It was so good I couldn't hardly put it down. Then when I got to the end, I immediately ordered the 2nd one in the series. This book series has been reviewed to be like the Divergent series... they are correct. Love Sophie Davis' style of writing. Good story. Keeps you involved the entire book.

The main premise of some people being born with special abilities and the world divided as to how to "handle" those people reminded me of X-men. I was happily pulled into the story and taken on quite a ride. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next and read the entire book voraciously. However I was left with a major cliffhanger and many unresolved questions. I guess I will have to get book 2 in the series.

She's a strong woman who follows her heart and chooses her own path. You can easily relate to her and understand her reactions. Filled with painful emotions and romance, this is a must read. You will fall in love or hate some characters.

This was a free book I received throught he ARR program on Goodreads. This was a really good book. I loved Talia- I thought she was strong and very likeable. While this story is in a futuristic setting and the characters all have special abilities it felt real and believable. I loved the three main characters. Talia was a great lead and I liked being in her head. Erik is very intriguing and I like that he doesn't tell all about himself- there is an air of mystery to him that I really like. Donavan is interesting and even with all that happened with him and Talia I still found myself liking him, although I am really pulling for Erik :) The pace was fast and easy to follow. I was thankful that the author didn't bog me down with tons of details about their abilities and the fallout that caused them, but I had enough information to understand exactly what was going on and why. I liked that the story kept me guessing and I found I couldn't put it down. The only thing I would have to say I had a hard time with was that it needs a little better editing, there were quite a few grammatical mistakes that I would have to read over twice to figure out what it was supposed to mean, but it wasn't a big deal over all and it ws worth it in the end!
I have already purchased and read the next one and am looking forward to the third installment. I am so thankful I signed up for this book because I am hooked :)

Beautiful. Absolutely love it. The details, the ingenuity of the whole book held me captivated until I finished it (though time was few and far between with kids underfoot lol.) I can't wait to get my hands on the next book and find out what happens to Tal

This is a wonderful story, but it needs more editing. There were some punctuation and wording issues, but not really enough to detract from the story, but enough to be distracting. I look forward to reading the next story.

I absolutely loved the world Davis brought to life through this book!!!! Natalia is a strong independent woman and I loved that about her, sometimes she trusted a little to much! I absolutely love that Natalia found a best friend that was not a guy.

Davis knits a tight plot with no threads trailing. Talia can unlock doors with her mind, but not during the simulation. Same with bullets. I enjoy the strict use of her talent that does not make her all powerful in orher areas of her life.

Sophie Davis
Talented
Talented #1

Wow, this book was sat on my kindle for ages but for some reason it never got started. I really regret that decision now, and devoured the book in a couple of sittings. I'm now emotionally attached to the characters, and although some of it is predictable, that didn't take anything away of any of the enjoyment. Fast paced, full of action and romance, I was kept turning page after page late in to the night.

An e-copy of this book was bought from the store.co.uk.

"Talented" by Sophie Davis is the first in a series. Set in a futuristic world where a series of natural and human disasters newborns are talented, Natalia, or Tali as everyone calls her is in a training group at the school as one day she wants to go after the man who killed her parents in front of her. This book like most first instalments of a series is setting the scene for the next books and Sophie does a great job at establishing her characters. Definitely a must read - can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Talented takes you into a post-nuclear disaster future where some people have developed "Talents" such as morphing, super intelligence, telepathy, telekinesis, etc. and the United States is split into the Agency and the Coalition (CA, NV, UT, AZ, CO, NM, TX). The Agency requires all children to be tested for Talents and is placed in the McDonough School For the Talented at age 5. The Coalition rebelled and seceded. Natalia Lyons is a teenage girl with advanced mind manipulation who is on the road to become a Hunter and hunt down the man who ordered the death of her parents, the leader of the Coalition, Ian Crane.

In Talented, you have some traditional elements of a YA book...aka the Love Triangle. However, I think that it was well executed and I attached myself to Talia and felt her feelings and her angst and confusion. The whole environment created by Davis is brilliant. Her characters are so complex. And let me tell you what...that. epilogue. was. KILLER! I HAVE to get my hands on Caged like yesterday. It was such an intense cliffhanger!

Although I thoroughly enjoyed reading Talented, there are two reasons why I did not rate this book higher. First is that it is not a stand-alone novel - even with a series, I want an actual ending, not a stopping point until the next book in the series. In my opinion, you can wrap up one story line and still leave a reader interested in the next one. The ending here leaves too much unanswered, which of course will be explained in the next book (or two). The other problem with the book is the large number of typos and grammatical errors that are present. Maybe it's because I am an English major, but too many errors distract me from the actual text, and this book was chock full of them.

That being said, I really did enjoy the characters and story line that Ms. Davis has created. Talia is a very believable and likeable character; you definitely root for her throughout the novel. The book starts off strong with a plot that moves you along with it, not enough romance to turn me off, and enough suspense and intrigue to satisfy any adrenaline junkie! Despite my complaints, I am definitely looking forward to reading more by Ms. Davis and finding out what happens to Talia next! Thank you for this giveaway, Goodreads - I am always pleased to find an entertaining new YA author!

Talented (Talented Saga #1) by Sophie Davis.

I really enjoyed this book even though the story is a little predictable and finished it in a couple days. It had good world building and a great cast of characters. There is a love story throughout the book between Talia, Erik and Donovan and some of the boneheaded choices they all make due to this I found believable. There were a couple places where the editing could have been better but overall it didn't detract from the story. Talented refers to humans that have developed powers, kind of like the X-Men. The best of the best become Hunters and work for a government agency called "Toxic". Actually even low level talents work for the Agency because it's a government mandate that all children are tested for talents and then taken away from their parents to be trained at the age of 5.

In direct opposition to Toxic is the Coalition who believes that Talents are bad. As the story progresses though you find out that not everything is as it seems with either party. The last few chapters really had me riveted and can't wait to get the second book to see how Talia's powers are going to grow and if her stance changes about the Coalition.

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads for a fair and honest review.

This was one I received as a free review copy, and as soon as I finished it, I went on the store and bought the rest of the series. To put that in perspective: I have about a year's worth of books unread on my shelves.

I couldn't put the book down. It was an amazing read for me. Fast paced, full of action, solid characters, great plot.....great book.

Fabulous book and I just wanted to keep on reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this story from start to finish.
Wow. Can't wait to read the next one. I would certainly recommend this book and this author.

What a fantastically gripping read!!!

I read this in one sitting as I just couldn't put it down!
I loved following Talia on her journey through her Hunter training!
All the character's were well written as was the storyline.
I seriously can't wait to read book 2 "Caged" to see what Donovan does with Erik's letter and to find out if Talia recover's and manages to graduate!!!

I could not put this book down. Talia's story is intriguing, fascinating-"reading while drying my hair in the morning" kind of roped in. It's easily the best first book in a series that I have read in years. It exudes strength and the romance is fun and speaks to my old teenage self. I can't wait to continue the next books in this story!

A great start to a series. I started reading the book and I couldn't put it down. Thankfully I had the next book to read, because I didn't want to put it down. This is a great story full of great characters. Some you love and some you hate. A great book for anyone wanting a story to sink your teeth into!

Do not start this series if you are not fully prepared to give up the rest of your life!! The characters are amazing and real. The heroine is strong and bad a$$. The series sucks you in and wont let go

I was instantly hooked on this fast paced, creative, and unique story and was practically glued to my kindle! Talented was actioned packed and had some swoon-worthy romance. The characters were extremely well written, had great chemistry and Talia's character was amazing. . This was an fantastic debut and I can't wait to read more from Sophie Davis.

A Trickster Eric Novels review

I read Talented as part of a GoodReads group. It's marketed as a science fiction intrigue but the main focus is a love triangle. My review will be split into five categories: plot, characters, world building, polish, and overall. Be warned that there may be spoilers but I will do my best to avoid them.

1. Plot

The start is good: an attack on Elite Headquarters that turns out to be a mere hazing to the pledge hunters carried out by the full fledged hunters. Its dramatic and exciting and it pulled me in. The next scene is a tender moment for Natalia (the protagonist) and Donavon (her boyfriend). This is also good because it transitions nicely from the reveal and allows for teasing from her teammates, setting up a sibling-like dynamic with them.

The first seven chapters are great. There's swift character develop, plenty of non-intrusive world building, some romance between Natalia and Donavon, and comedy relief from Erik. The next seven chapters drag. There is no more world building, Natalia's relationship with Donavon takes up more screen time, and a lot of nothing goes on before the first mission begins.

The first mission itself wasn't bad. A new team with a pledge team member isn't going to get the most exciting mission. This is realistic and reasonable; a good choice. Erik's actions at the end are surprising and provide a Chekhov's gun for later use.

It's after the first mission that I have issues with this book. The plot dissolves into relationship drama and anything involving The Coalition ( the bad guys) slips into the background. Their next missions aren't developed in the slightest. 'went off without a hitch' is their entirety. It is at this point that the reader will notice the lack of a driving conflict.

The Coalition is scantly developed: anti-talented group that took over seven states in the backstory. There's nothing else about them. The Agency, for its world building, is sparse about its activities. Hunters 'hunt' information and people but what kind of information is ambiguous and what kind of people is implied to be protestors. Though this DOES serve a purpose in the plot it doesn't help the lack of direction in this area which contributes to the over exposure of the relationship drama. The following chapters see this trend continue; hunter missions becomes subordinated to set up more relationship conflict. I feel Miss. Davis was bored by the stable Natalia/Donavon and exploited it for conflict.

Chapter twenty four is a breath of fresh air. It has a detailed mission with suspense and hints at a dark side of The Agency. However, as soon as the mission is over, the relationship conflict resumes dominance. It's like the start except Natalia is cuddling with someone besides Donavon.

The final arc I really like.

For starters the stakes are high: it's a mission that determines whether or Natalia can graduate from the hunter academy and become a full fledged hunter. Since she is a telepaths and telepaths don't normally become hunters her reputation and that of her team captain and her adoptive father/boss are riding on her performing well.

There's plenty of detail in her actions and what she has to do to succeed. She makes mistakes but is able to improvise. She feels guilt over using mind manipulation. There's suspense and a clash with the Big Bad of the Coalition, Mr. Crane. It has the excitement of a climax but it doesn't resolve anything. I would have liked to see Natalia go back to Elite Headquarters for her graduation because that was how the book started; her starting her pledge year.

2. Characters

Like the plot, the characters start off great. Natalia is a Nice Girl who takes her missions seriously but not obsessively and makes time for non-hunter related things like dates with Donavon. Eric is established as a funny charmer who girls swoon over and Henri as their Reasonable Authority Figure captain. Later, Penny is brought in as a quirky sociable friend for Natalia and works well as her foil. Like the plot, it sours.

Natalia comes off as schizophrenic because in one scene she's 100 percent focused on being a hunter and avenging her parents and then in the next she's pining after Erik or feeling guilty about pinning after Erik because her boyfriend is Donavon.

Erik shifts from being a funny charmer to a jealous angst guy that clashes with Donavon. At the start he goes to the city every other night for a one night stand and then after the first mission he's serious about Natalia and no mention of him looking for chicks is ever made again.

Henri is pushed to the sidelines because he doesn't have relationship trouble. Penny's purpose (until the climax) is reduced to teasing/pushing Natalia toward Erik. Donavon goes from a Nice Guy to a jerkass to borderline evil.

From chapter seventeen to twenty four the sole focus is a love triangle of Erik/Natalia/Donavon and triggered by Erik bandaging the wounds Natalia received on the first mission. She's lived with him for an extended period of time and yet suddenly she's distracted by his eyes and chest, etc. I wouldn't mind if the conflict weren't so generic. Donavon is her childhood friend that she feels safe with and Erik is a ladykiller that excites her with good looks. It's 'comfortable vs thrilling'.

3. World Building

This part is my favorite. Miss. Davis obviously put a lot of thought in this world and how it would work. Entire chapters early on are dedicated to explaining the source of Talents or how The Agency works or the origin of The Coalition. Best of all, the exposition is slotted into its own, brief, chapters; no 'as you know' between Natalia and someone else.

My personal favorite is the Mandatory Testing Act, more broadly known in fiction as a 'Superhuman Registration Act'. Unlike many examples this one has been in effect for one hundred years and become a fundamental part of society.

However, there is one problem. The origin of talents is explained by nuclear waste leaking into oceans and soil and thereby mutating it, yet scientists in the same chapter claim the can't find a mutation that could cause talents. Unless the true origin of talents or finding the specific mutation is a plot point then there is a contradiction in her premise.

4. Polish

The book looks unpolished. Words are missing semi-frequently. Commas are overused. Sentence structure is bland and could use trimming.

5. Overall

After completing the book I feel Miss Davis wanted to write a romance but wanted to rope in a Periphery Demographic by including super powers and CIA-like missions. There's nothing wrong with that but you have to deliver. About 80 percent of the story is Natalia's relationship problems. Only three missions receive any development and the first two are completed in pages. Romance might like it but everyone else should stay far away.

Trickster Eric Novels gives "Talented" an F.

Thank goodness I found this series now because I don't think I could have stood the wait between books. It was like binge watching Game of Thrones,yes this series is that addictive. Good job Sophies and many more please.

I was hoping for this to hold my interest like the "Hunger Games" saga but it didn't. While the characters all have these amazing "talents" like mid control, etc., most of the book felt like a soap opera wrapped solely around the love lives of these teenagers. I also felt like the characters weren't very well developed, descriptions of them were one-offs and vague. I will not be reading the rest of this series.

Quick thrilling read, but a bit predictable. Kind of a stereotypical plot for this genre. Then again I'm hooked on this genre pretty thoroughly so I can't judge there. The way the mind abilities were described was rather unique and that was probably my favorite dynamic. Yet, spoiler alert: the ending was a let down. Who puts their biggest secret in a letter for just anyone to find...? Just saying.

So much suspense and betrayal. Never before seen thriller. I usually
Lam able to foreshadow but I never saw Donavon's betrayal. Nor his dismissal at the note. Not even trying to give time the benefit of the doubt

I really enjoyed this book. It is basically a teen romance and coming of age book with the usual misunderstandings between guys and girls. What makes it great, however, is that this is all going on while the main character is trying to become a spy and control her innate but powerful talent. I really liked the premise and can't wait for the next book in the series. Highly recommended!!!

Talented is a wonderful book! The story is rich with action, has strong characters and is visually beautiful. I could picture everything in my mind, as if I were watching a movie. There was not too much romance, but enough to make me go "awww". The story reminded me of a futuristic X-Men story. I hope everyone gives it a fair chance and loves it as much as I do!

Talented is an amazing book. I originally got this book for free, but I am so glad I did. Tomorrow I am going to buy the rest of the books in the series that are out. I can't wait! Talented is about a girl named Natalie who seeks revenge on the man responsible for the death of her parents. IT's a dangerous mission that turns bad, but Natalia is strong and can handle anything.

Talentedloved this book so much could not put down did not take long for me to read as i was hooked from begin to end already bought next book. i love books like this where you get lost in them as if your the main character the writer makes them so real i just love this so much.

This book captured my attention so fully that I spent a day in bed reading it. This book has wonderful twists and turns that will have your heart broken and put back together many times over.

This book also gives a very unique outlook on what may happen in the future of humanity...

I read this book with the understanding that it was part of a series. However, I was still left frustrated at the end, not wanting the story to end. The protagonist, Talia is easy to relate to outside of her special "talents" of course. She is the strong willed, passionate, easily frustrated teenager that I remember being. Davis does a great job of creating a character that you root for and relate to, and a story that keeps you coming back for more.

Great book! I couldn't put it down! I love the characters and the story line. The author is very descriptive and the plot is easy to follow. I love a emotion from Talia, and the chemistry between her and Erik. Can not wait to start reading the second one.

Wow I can't wait to get my hands on 2 and to continue the journey. What a great story but a great writer. Sophie Davis has built a great world and and great characters that I have really enjoyed. Do yourself a favor and read book 1

It was a great book and I fell into the story. It was beautifully written(a couple minor mistakes) and the characters are marvelous. I would recommend this book to any readers who liked The Hunger Games or Matched.

...but in a series with seven books, I hope the characters develop in a timely manner past the cliche, petty, young adult relationship mantra so we can focus on the actual plot. I don't need to read 7 books where the characters deal with jealousy issues and who likes who for half the book. I want actual content and substance, thanks.

This book was much better than I expected it to be. I fell in love the characters very quickly and I don't think I could ever fall out of love with them. I was able to read this book thanks to Netgalley.

This story was very wordy, and emotional in everything that the author wanted to portray. There was lots of action and lots of drama, I am not sure I would continue with the series but it was a different read then what I would normally read, but I found it kind of interesting.