Talented

The Legacy of Cameran Monroe

By: S. E. MacCready

Narrated by: Natalie Bamford

Length: 16 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Engineered superhumans, lost memories...and a secret that could consume the world.

After awakening with no memory of who she is, Cameran Monroe discovers she’s more than human. She trains as a Talent - a superhuman with telekinetic abilities. Under the watchful gaze of Dr. Anthony Riker, Cameran becomes the best of the Talents. Faster, stronger...perfect.

But resurfacing memories soon incapacitate her. Memories about life as a young mechanic who never wanted to become Talented. Warring between the life she remembers and the guidance she’s given by those who created her, Cameran must decide if she’s meant to be a hero or a weapon.

To discover the truth about her evolution, Cameran fights the abilities taking over her body. But with each memory she uncovers, she grows weaker, and must race the unreliability of her own mind.

©2019 Sarah E MacCready (P)2020 Sarah E MacCready

Not my cup of tea

I’m an hour and 40 mins into this book.

The narrator is perpetually breathless. Every sentence gets emphasis and the pace is incredibly slow (even when I put it up to 1.5 when I usually listen at 1.2 or 1.3).

And the plot? There is no plot so far. There are long descriptions of every single thing. Some of which I’m sure are important... maybe? And I think this is about flashback number 5.

Overall, I think this is one of those very literary books where you’re supposed to find it immersive and descriptive and amazingly detailed in its appeal to multiple senses. K prefer space opera and thrillers.

I received this audiobook for free in exchange for a review.

Solid start to superhero saga

The beauty of literature: you can take any narrative—any genre—and reformulate it into a new story.

In Talented: A Dystopian Superhero Origin Story, SE MacCready lays the foundation for a world filled with superpowered heroes, villains, and everything in between.

It’s fundamentally character-driven, and the devastating moments of heart-wrenching brutality are where MacCready’s writing shines the most. Cameron Monroe, daughter of a brilliant entrepreneur, is thrown into a world she doesn’t fully understand with only part of her memories available to remind her of a lost past.

She thinks she knows what’s happening. But with every page and every shift in her strength and power, a new truth is revealed.

The first-person narrative of the tale is pivotal to the story’s voice and style, keeping us in Cameron’s head for the entire ride. In moments, though, it can be its downfall, especially when Cameron’s psyche and experience cause a scene’s illustration to devolve into confusion. Thankfully, those moments are few and far between.

I listened to the audiobook, and while the narrator is clear and concise, she was a little slow for my tastes, making the book feel a tad longer than I think it actually was. About halfway through, though, I upped the listening speed to 1.25x, and it sounded more crisp.

If you’re looking for a story clearly inspired by the modern era of superhero films, Talented is absolutely for you. It’s definitely a book, too, that both adults and kids would enjoy reading. Get it for yourself—or buy it for your superhero obsessed child!

On to the scores.

Writing: 7/10. SE MacCready’s use of the first-person voice was powerful and brilliant, though the book was a tad long and wordy at times when it felt like the pace should have been accelerated. It’s hard to tell, though, how much of that experience was colored by the slow pace of the narrator.

Characters: 9/10. This book features a massive cast of characters, and it was difficult to keep track of all the heroes, the characters that mattered stand out. Alongside Cameron, Will, Tawny, Chris, and Derek stand out as characters worth remembering.

Plot: 8/10. Though a little overly opaque and drawn out at times, the overarching themes and plot of Talented are compelling, driven primarily by the quick attachment to the characters driving the narrative. The third act, in particular, does a great job of tying together almost all of the book’s loose ends, with a satisfying conclusion for reading the book either as a stand-alone or as a Book 1 of the whole Legacy of Cameron Monroe series.

Setting: 7/10. The story primarily takes place in a giant corporate tower surrounded by a fictional city somewhere in the United States. The corporation owning the tower is explored in full, though the city and company’s place in relation to the outside world was never fully clear to me. That may be just a personal preference—and based on how the first book ends, I suspect the sequels may explore beyond the setting of book 1.

Overall: 7.75/10. A solid four stars! If you’re looking for a new kind of superhero epic, dive into the pages of Talented today.

STOP... Run... Run from this book...

After over 3 hours, I had to stop listening to the overly dramatic reading... I was getting whiplash from all the flashbacks.. Since it appeared the plot was going nowhere anytime soon i pulled the book off my phone.

A delightful listen

S.E. MacCready’s Talented is a gripping story that keeps you guessing. I am very picky about the narrators of audiobooks, and this narrator stuck out to me in the best way. Her voice didn’t sound forced or cheesy like some others, and she captured the intensity of Cameran’s thoughts and emotions with ease. Would definitely recommend to others who enjoy some well-read sci-fi!

This was just not for me

I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

There wasn’t a single thing I liked about this book, which was incredibly disappointing because the summary sounds like something I’d enjoy. I was bored. I didn’t care about the characters. I didn’t care about the plot. There wasn’t anything that drew me in and held my interest.

I thought there would be a bunch of action but the first three hours could have easily been cut and I wouldn’t have known the difference. It takes forever for them to even leave the laboratories and then instead of superheroes fighting bad guys like I expected, I got them running around with only the vaguest of purposes.

Also, I didn’t like this narrator at all. She constantly sounded like she was on the verge of tears and even when there was action she didn’t make it sound intense, she just sounded even closer to tears than before.

If there had been less of the laboratories at the beginning and less jumping back and forth between present and past, I might have liked it a bit more. As it is, I got 60% of the way through and I just can’t make myself finish. DNF.

A Future TV Series !!!

The story was GREAT !!! Throughout the story line you got to personally know each and everyone of the characters... The narrator was AWESOME !!! I didn't want the book to end... I am so happy that I had the opportunity to listen and review... 😊