Once again, the Talented saga has left me aching to read the next installment. Not only was Created an action-packed page turner, but also brought about a swarm of emotion within me--something not many books or authors have achieved. I laughed, I cried, I BAWLED at one point. Interestingly enough, I bawled over a character that I initially loathed. Oh Sophie, what have you done to me?!?
So...Created is Book 4 of the Talented saga. I was so thrilled that the book picked up right where the last one left off. I'm not always keen on huge gaps in time that sometimes appear within a series, and thankfully this one didn't disappoint. Also, with every book the urgency of their situation continues to escalate further...there's no lull in the action as the stakes continue to increase. This only enhances the need to keep going--which of course means many sleepless nights for me. But the sleep-deprivation is worth it!
As with the previous books, Created brings back some of my favorite characters. Talia, Erik, Penny, Henri, Frederick, and even Harris are front and center. However, a number of new characters have also been more thoroughly introduced, Donavon's son Alex being my absolute favorite. So, what do I think of the characters, old and new?
Talia: She's FINALLY become the badass, no Fs given warrior that I've been waiting for! And she's grown into the female hero in the best possible way--as a result of the need to protect those she loves. Much like Katniss, Tris, and Ember (Article 5 series...READ IT!), Talia's strength comes from a desire to protect her chosen family and not from some misguided quest for power or notoriety.
Erik: I don't think I could love him anymore than I already do. One thing I loved about Created is that now the roles have been reversed between him and Talia. Where she was the one needing protection in Hunted (mentally, emotionally, and physically), now Erik is battling his own demons that only Talia can help him to defeat. This puts the characters on equal footing.
Penny: PENNY. IS. AWESOME! Need I say more? Nope.
Henri and Frederick: I love their relationship. I've said since the beginning that I am thrilled to see openly gay characters portrayed without the usual stereotypes. These two are strong male characters in a loving, committed relationship just like everyone else. There's no over-the-top, cringeworthy shock value. No one bats an eyelash or tries to put down their relationship. It really drives home that same sex couples are just like everyone else.
Harris: His story broke my heart, particularly after his confession to Talia in the last book. My only complaint is that the relationship between him and Penny felt glossed over. There were a few mentions, but suddenly everything became about Penny and Brand. Honestly, I hope to see Harris and Penny together in the end.
Brand: This is a new character, and so far I'm not crazy about him. His backstory just doesn't justify his animosity toward Talia. For awhile I theorized that maybe he was Talia's older brother that she had no memory of, but alas that theory was put to rest. I am curious to see where his character ends up but right now he's the least of my concerns.
Ian: I want to know more about him. So far he seems to care a great deal for Talia, but I learned my lesson with Mac AND GRETCHEN--things aren't always as they appear. And now that UNITED is in the picture, I'm having a hard time accepting that Ian solely holds Talia's best interests at heart. I guess we'll see.
Dr. Patel: I don't trust him. There's just something sketchy about him that I can't quite put my finger on. He's too nice. He seems to care too much.
Cadence and Randy: Please PLEASE let my suspicions be wrong. After everything Talia has done for them, I don't think my heart can take it.
Alex: GIMME! He's just so damn cute and the things he brings out in Talia and Erik just gives me major feels. I'm convinced that he is multi-talented, but what other talents might he possess? I'm thinking it's something brand new as a result of Donavon's blood.
And finally Donavon: I bawled like a baby. I had a hard time dealing with this one because I wanted to hate him. I wanted to claw his eyes out and do unspeakable things to his character to make him pay for what he did to Talia. But when push came to shove, he managed to redeem himself. And I think that's what made me so emotional.
Anyway, that's pretty much it. These books just keep getting better and better. I'm kind of sad that the next book will be all about Kenly though...I'm going to miss reading about Talia, Erik, and the rest of their motley crew. Thankfully, I know their story will pick up once again in the installment that immediately follows, so I'm willing to give Kenly a chance mainly because I'm curious as to what happened to her after the confrontation with Erik. But for now, as it is 5:30am, I'm going to try to sleep.