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The Hidden Talents Trilogy #1-3
Hidden Talents: Rebel Hell, Wind Change, Hard Games
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B0769FQZ3P
A deliciously twisted m/m trilogy.
A trickster telepath running for his life. A yakuza sex-hustler trying to go straight. A surly young torture survivor who just wants to eat some pizza. These are just a few of the beautiful weirdos called Talents. Born with extraordinary abilities, they walk the razor-sharp edges of sex, power and madness -- while trying to outmaneuver a sinister global corporation determined to enslave them all.
But as the threat intensifies, rogue Talents are forced together in unlikely ways. When the mercenary mind reader Jin is sent to infiltrate an unusual group of free Talents, he finds himself sidetracked by Ken, a surly young outsider with powers even Jin can’t decipher—and a strange allure he can’t resist. There’s a war coming, but all Jin can think about is winning Ken. What neither realizes is that those fights may be one and the same.
Can good guys and bad boys unite to defeat their common enemy? Or will the drama kill them first?
This story contains:
Rampant M/M sex, including rough sex, tender sex, casual sex, hate sex, love sex and more. Explicit language. Drug use. Sarcasm. Angst. Many feelings. Unhinged psychics with dubious morals. Major character death. No sign of monogamous relationships. References to child abuse, human trafficking and trauma. Bisexual characters. Fun.
*Note: This is the COMPLETE and final version of Hidden Talents, originally published as a series of novellas and later as a trilogy of novels (Rebel Hell, Wind Change, and Hard Games). It has been remastered as a single three-part book.*
A deliciously twisted m/m trilogy.
A trickster telepath running for his life. A yakuza sex-hustler trying to go straight. A surly young torture survivor who just wants to eat some pizza. These are just a few of the beautiful weirdos called Talents. Born with extraordinary abilities, they walk the razor-sharp edges of sex, power and madness -- while trying to outmaneuver a sinister global corporation determined to enslave them all.
But as the threat intensifies, rogue Talents are forced together in unlikely ways. When the mercenary mind reader Jin is sent to infiltrate an unusual group of free Talents, he finds himself sidetracked by Ken, a surly young outsider with powers even Jin can’t decipher—and a strange allure he can’t resist. There’s a war coming, but all Jin can think about is winning Ken. What neither realizes is that those fights may be one and the same.
Can good guys and bad boys unite to defeat their common enemy? Or will the drama kill them first?
This story contains:
Rampant M/M sex, including rough sex, tender sex, casual sex, hate sex, love sex and more. Explicit language. Drug use. Sarcasm. Angst. Many feelings. Unhinged psychics with dubious morals. Major character death. No sign of monogamous relationships. References to child abuse, human trafficking and trauma. Bisexual characters. Fun.
*Note: This is the COMPLETE and final version of Hidden Talents, originally published as a series of novellas and later as a trilogy of novels (Rebel Hell, Wind Change, and Hard Games). It has been remastered as a single three-part book.*
959 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2015
9 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Claire Cray
21 books180 followersClaire Cray writes M/M Romance featuring hot, complicated men in weird situations. Offbeat and character-driven with a Gothic bent, her work is often described as atmospheric and a little strange.
Born and raised in the rural Pacific Northwest, Claire takes inspiration from its wild, moody vibes. Her stories often combine vivid natural settings with steamy sensuality and psychological drama.
Claire lives, writes, and independently publishes in Portland, Oregon, USA.
Born and raised in the rural Pacific Northwest, Claire takes inspiration from its wild, moody vibes. Her stories often combine vivid natural settings with steamy sensuality and psychological drama.
Claire lives, writes, and independently publishes in Portland, Oregon, USA.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 2, 2026
Let's see if this 5 star review stands after a reread.......
I'd say it's still a great story, but the editing is bad.
Oh, and did I mention that it's FREE on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
I'd say it's still a great story, but the editing is bad.
Oh, and did I mention that it's FREE on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
October 8, 2020
OMG!
That burst of romance in the end!
It took a week to finish, multiple POVs, heavy on the paranormal. And yet....I loved every minute of it. Even the scenes I should have hated or the ones that made me mad. Because every single one of these scenes mattered.
Hands down one of my favorite reads this year. I would definitely read more and more stories about these guys.
That burst of romance in the end!
It took a week to finish, multiple POVs, heavy on the paranormal. And yet....I loved every minute of it. Even the scenes I should have hated or the ones that made me mad. Because every single one of these scenes mattered.
Hands down one of my favorite reads this year. I would definitely read more and more stories about these guys.
October 14, 2020
I think, with some decent editing, Hidden Talents would be phenomenal.
Though it never grabbed me enough to read it at the exclusion of everything else, once I got into the rhythm of the story, I found myself really enjoying it. I ate up the angst with a spoon and asked for more. I loved the intrigue and the deception. I liked some characters and hated others. It was a pretty decent combo.
Way too much happens to really go into, for a review, and given the mindfuck of a story, it's probably best to not go into it, anyway. Suffice it to say I'm glad I read it. It was pretty much up my tree.
Though it never grabbed me enough to read it at the exclusion of everything else, once I got into the rhythm of the story, I found myself really enjoying it. I ate up the angst with a spoon and asked for more. I loved the intrigue and the deception. I liked some characters and hated others. It was a pretty decent combo.
Way too much happens to really go into, for a review, and given the mindfuck of a story, it's probably best to not go into it, anyway. Suffice it to say I'm glad I read it. It was pretty much up my tree.
Want to read
December 27, 2017Started, but do not care for Jin at all! He's an entitled douche, and kind of evil... So I'm gonna leave it for now.
March 16, 2022
If I had to sum up Hidden Talents in one sentence, I’d say that it’s
queered up, fucked up, X-Men on acid and Viagra, with a double shot of drama.
Now, let me elaborate on that more or less coherently, while simultaneously trying to avoid spoilers…
I'll start by saying that objectively, this is not a five star book. There are some plot holes here, and the writing itself is not as tight as in her Merrick series and could use a little more editing... But a story that keeps me reading so long past my bedtime that I go to work on less than 3h of sleep? Deserves those five stars!
The beginning was rocky, to say the least. I'm not opposed to multi POV narrative, but... this felt like multi-million! 😵💫 Every character and they grandma got a chapter — at least that's how it felt to me. I was confused, wondering What's happening now? and Who the fuck are YOU? constantly. Every time I felt like I was getting to know a character, there was a POV change. I wanted to connect to even one of them, dammit!
To make the matters even more confusing, the plot takes off immediately here, like from the first pages, not giving a single fuck that you can't really differentiate between the characters yet. That's your problem. I'm a little ashamed to admit that I almost gave up at that point. 🙈 And what a waste it would have been, because when I finally figured out what's what, I began to enjoy the hell out of this book!
That large cast of characters that I've complained about is wonderful once you get to know them. I only skimmed the blurb this time — I wanted to be surprised — so I didn't really know who the main couple was gonna be, and boy did I have some trouble figuring it out at first, because these guys? So sexually fluid. 🤯 No labels in sight, and most of them had amazing chemistry with everyone else in various situations. Loved that! Loved all the UST and banter of the endgame couple even more, though. 🤫
Character development was ok. It could’ve been better, but I get that with so many characters — and with almost all of them equally important — it would be hard to do an in depth analysis of everyone. The page-count would have been over 3000 then, not a mere 900… Ahhh now I'm salivating at the thought of all those extra pages, help 😂😩
The only thing I couldn't really get behind was the way one particular character has essentially been made into a hysteria-prone plot device, like their past trauma was somehow less significant because it wasn’t ‘extreme’ enough. It made me really sad for that character, even though I didn't like them.
Talking about characters I liked and didn't like, I tried not to name any names, but I just have to say this:
Ken!! ❤️ Omg he was such a murderous cookie 😍 So damn cute! You know, in that way tigers can be cute just before they bite your face off and eat it. 😂
I’d recommend this to all paranormal and fantasy fans that love action-packed stories and slow-burn romance. 👍
Now, let me elaborate on that more or less coherently, while simultaneously trying to avoid spoilers…
I'll start by saying that objectively, this is not a five star book. There are some plot holes here, and the writing itself is not as tight as in her Merrick series and could use a little more editing... But a story that keeps me reading so long past my bedtime that I go to work on less than 3h of sleep? Deserves those five stars!
The beginning was rocky, to say the least. I'm not opposed to multi POV narrative, but... this felt like multi-million! 😵💫 Every character and they grandma got a chapter — at least that's how it felt to me. I was confused, wondering What's happening now? and Who the fuck are YOU? constantly. Every time I felt like I was getting to know a character, there was a POV change. I wanted to connect to even one of them, dammit!
To make the matters even more confusing, the plot takes off immediately here, like from the first pages, not giving a single fuck that you can't really differentiate between the characters yet. That's your problem. I'm a little ashamed to admit that I almost gave up at that point. 🙈 And what a waste it would have been, because when I finally figured out what's what, I began to enjoy the hell out of this book!
That large cast of characters that I've complained about is wonderful once you get to know them. I only skimmed the blurb this time — I wanted to be surprised — so I didn't really know who the main couple was gonna be, and boy did I have some trouble figuring it out at first, because these guys? So sexually fluid. 🤯 No labels in sight, and most of them had amazing chemistry with everyone else in various situations. Loved that! Loved all the UST and banter of the endgame couple even more, though. 🤫
Character development was ok. It could’ve been better, but I get that with so many characters — and with almost all of them equally important — it would be hard to do an in depth analysis of everyone. The page-count would have been over 3000 then, not a mere 900… Ahhh now I'm salivating at the thought of all those extra pages, help 😂😩
The only thing I couldn't really get behind was the way one particular character has essentially been made into a hysteria-prone plot device, like their past trauma was somehow less significant because it wasn’t ‘extreme’ enough. It made me really sad for that character, even though I didn't like them.
Talking about characters I liked and didn't like, I tried not to name any names, but I just have to say this:
Ken!! ❤️ Omg he was such a murderous cookie 😍 So damn cute! You know, in that way tigers can be cute just before they bite your face off and eat it. 😂
I’d recommend this to all paranormal and fantasy fans that love action-packed stories and slow-burn romance. 👍
October 10, 2020
DNF 78%
I'm getting the feeling that this was a waste of time.
Pity that the story about a group of beautiful never grow old people pivots on a conveniently written scapegoat.
I'm getting the feeling that this was a waste of time.
Pity that the story about a group of beautiful never grow old people pivots on a conveniently written scapegoat.
January 3, 2022
Rounded up. So long.
Filthy, scary, shifting, sad.
Love behind our shields.
Filthy, scary, shifting, sad.
Love behind our shields.
March 18, 2018
5++ stars
1st read : 4 Mar 2018
2nd read : 10 Mar 2018
9 March 2018
God. This book is SOOO. FUCKING. GOOD. 😣😣😣
For days, all I care about is to go back into this book ASAP.
Definitely one of the best books I have read this year. Wishing there's more after 959 pages. 😖 I'm having book hangover right now, going to reread some favorite parts after I write this review.
For weeks, I thought maybe there was something wrong with me when I couldn't enjoy some MM books in the last months before this one, maybe I was in reading slump or maybe those books are too mainstream for my taste anymore. Nope, it took the great one like this book to convinced me that nothing was wrong with me, those crappy books were just TRULY poorly written that I gave up. 😅
I am a fan of Claire Cray's writing style since her Merrick series, so to some extent I was quite sure maybe, just maybe, I'll like this book, but no great expectation at all, and I even thought maybe it'll be another piece of crap again and DNF it. 😁
Hidden Talents is a compilation of novellas, bundled in trilogy, and then rebundled in this omnibus, separated in three parts with third person multiple POV, 10 or 11 POVs to be exact. I have no problem with omnibus and multiple POV as long as the author have the skill to pull it off. Recalling my bad experience with A Game of Thrones' 8 POVs 😰, fortunately Claire Cray understood the baton pass POV change technique so well, no random POVs during the course of events like in GoT. But of course there's the inevitable disadvantage of multiple POV in the end, after you finally found which POV(s) you like and can't wait to go back into their head(s), and which head(s) you dislike or hate to the point that it's a chore to finish the part. The advantage of this multiple POV? Of course I felt connected deeper with each character now that I can know the reason beyond some words, actions and expressions of every character involved. So, even with its disadvantage, I still love multiple POV in my book, romance or not.
Mind you though, sometimes there's head-hopping within each POV in Hidden Talents, but it's not confusing at all, because there's separator between each head to indicate it's time to switch head in the same chapter. And again, it's no problem for me if the head-hopping is intended to make us understand the particular scene and the thought of each character involved in the scene, but rest assured, it's limited to two, most of the time.
This is a character-driven story, not plot-driven. So if you expect spectacular show of ESP ability in every chapter, well, this book is not for you then. Two things that really stand out in this book are the characterization and the relationships between those characters. There are many relationships in this thick book, from friendship, lovers, family to leadership. Each character has their own distinct personalities and abilities, with their own dark and horrific past, misery, problems, hopes, etc. Each of them has their own important role in this big play.
Plot is quite simple actually. We have bad guy which is Wilhelm Strauss, the sadistic empath, dictator of KGA, an agency of Talents. Shady guys, Jackson the grandson of former leader of KGA and his team (Jin, Rinzen, Giovanni), the renegade Talents. Good guys, Ken and his friends (Aki, Luke, David, Lip, Kel, Mark, Dylan, Jen) and brother (Sky), they are the hidden, untrained and wild Talents.
Jackson the ambitious and calculative prophet, has been living his whole life to fulfill the Key Prophecy. The Key will crush Strauss and KGA with his terrifiyingly omnipotent power, only if Jackson plays his cards very very carefully. To make Ken the unwilling Key to do his fated job freely for Jackson, the prophet used his wild card, Jin the telepath. Thus, our Jin on his mission to find Ken and his friends, without realizing he was manipulated by Jackson to send his future beloved to destruction.
It goes without saying that my favorite POVs here are Ken and Jin's, the main couple in this book. The most hated one is Mark's. 😅 At first, there were three heads that I dislike to get into: Aki, Sky and Mark. Aki for grieving (depressing), Sky for self-pitying (frustrating), and Mark for dicking around (exasperating). But reaching the end, it narrowed down to Mark. The dickbrain is total drama queen, his hobby is self-loathing and fucking anything with two legs, regardless the sex.
Ah, but one thing you need to know before you consider to start this book, if it's one of your pet peeves or what. Casual sex is normal for these distressed Talents, when life is HARD enough with their miserable past and problems, with their powers wreak havoc on their brain and mind, sex is just another short-term relief to escape harsh reality, so I understand where they are coming from, especially Mark, even though I disagree with his actions, but it's understandable, everyone has their own way to cope and deal with their problem and life. Even Sky. Yes, even Sky, with his heroin and sex.
Sky, the lonely and emotional empath, poor kid 😢, stupid and overbearing 😬, ruined and exploited by yakuza with drugs and sex since he was a kid 😭😭. Little Sky was too addicted with old men's stinky rotten dicks and drugs in the end, too intoxicated with pleasure, not even one second to stop and try to fulfill his empty promises to Ken, he abandoned Ken's desperate and hopeful pleas for his help through their emphatic bonds, for years. For fucking years, Gods. 😬😬😬 That was why I hated Sky so much at first, oh I tried not judge him too hard, the boy had his own circumstances but actually, yes actually he could use his emphatic ability to persuade his owner to help Ken, he even considered it himself, but no, for all the love he claimed he had for Ken, Sky had finally appeared in front of Ken after Ken saved himself from his own Hell, and then Sky was shamefully begging Ken to love him after all of that and even tried to control Ken's life. 😰 His overbearing attitude reminded me of my dad, so I sympathized with Ken more. Did Sky actually redeem himself in the end? No, at first glance (which is also why I called him stupid), but later, in indirect way, yes. But I forgave him long before that, he was self-destructing pathetically with his desperate hunger of Ken's love, to the point that it was too painful to watch anymore. 😥 All his life, he was used for sex and ignored by everyone. 😟😢 Gradually my hatred turned into pity. 😞 Maybe Sky didn't realize this, maybe he cursed his own life, but he existed for a reason too, to help Ken indirectly, to be the glimmer of hope for little Ken to not give up, at first.
And Ken? Oh Ken, another poor little boy here. 😭😭😭 He was kept like animal in cage in some brothel's dark dungeon, tortured, raped, mutilated, left to starved and murdered, over and over, for years. 😭😭😭 He has regenerative ability, so he can heal himself and wake up from dead, making him immortal in some way unless you hack his brain with gun or knife to pieces. But one day his inhuman murderers went too far that his restorative power couldn't heal him faster than usual and the boy woke up in a black garbage bag in trash pit, mangled, alone, but alive. It was his own abilities that guided him to find his new friends. He had been living in the cage like animal until 17-18 yo, so after a lifetime of isolation, he had only six months of experience with the fundamentals of human interaction, communication and culture. He was attached to Aki, the Japanese boy, and regarded him as brother/father figure. With the help of Luke the healer, Aki's lover, and some surgeries, Ken finally got new body parts, along with new life, and freedom. So that's why it aggravated him so much when Sky tried to control his life, especially after Sky abandoned him. It's not easy to gain Ken's trust. So it infuriated Sky even more, when his nemesis, Jin, tried to get Ken's attention, and won his trust, his body and his heart even in the end. Sky's love and obsession toward Ken is bordering on incest imo.
Jin the mischievous telepath, funny, witty and ruthless (well, all Talents especially KGA'S Talents were trained as assassin, even the untrained Talents killed people, it's eat or be eaten in this world, so if you can't tolerate cold-blooded assassin as your main character, this book is not for you). He loved his own life so much after endured some sickening mindbreaking torture from Strauss directly, and determined to live life to the fullest, haha. And he got bored easily, so when Ken caught his attention, he couldn't help but attracted to the strange kid. He has this aura of Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream that I couldn't help but loved him. 😂 I truly enjoyed how his relationship with Ken progressed, starting from complete strangers, mentor and student, to lovers. A very delicious and satisfying slow burn romance, I savored every moment of them like precious water in the desert. 😆 I was so giddy with excitement and anticipation whenever they interacted, so when they finally said I Love You, I broke into tears, why, they have come a long way and I was so happy and sad and jealous at the same time. And damn, so many emotions in that three words, so different from the emotionless love declaration in other romance books that I DNF this month.
Well, this is gonna be super long and spoilery review if I introduce all the characters. 😂 I suppose it's even better if you find it out yourself, if you want to give this book a go. 😉
----------
13 March 2018
Thought these guys reminded me of Sky and Mark, they are Guido Mista and Giorno Giovanna from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga. But these beautiful images were drawn by A domani (Zakiko) in his/her dj : I Dreamed a Dream, Egao ga Tsukuru chi wa Kirei, April 4th in Roma.
Here are the images : 1, 2, 3, 4.
When I saw Zakiko's gorgeous Giorno yesterday, my brain just screamed "It's Sky!!! 😍😆", lol.
I might add some pics later if I find Ken and Jin's. 😁
1st read : 4 Mar 2018
2nd read : 10 Mar 2018
9 March 2018
God. This book is SOOO. FUCKING. GOOD. 😣😣😣
For days, all I care about is to go back into this book ASAP.
Definitely one of the best books I have read this year. Wishing there's more after 959 pages. 😖 I'm having book hangover right now, going to reread some favorite parts after I write this review.
For weeks, I thought maybe there was something wrong with me when I couldn't enjoy some MM books in the last months before this one, maybe I was in reading slump or maybe those books are too mainstream for my taste anymore. Nope, it took the great one like this book to convinced me that nothing was wrong with me, those crappy books were just TRULY poorly written that I gave up. 😅
I am a fan of Claire Cray's writing style since her Merrick series, so to some extent I was quite sure maybe, just maybe, I'll like this book, but no great expectation at all, and I even thought maybe it'll be another piece of crap again and DNF it. 😁
Hidden Talents is a compilation of novellas, bundled in trilogy, and then rebundled in this omnibus, separated in three parts with third person multiple POV, 10 or 11 POVs to be exact. I have no problem with omnibus and multiple POV as long as the author have the skill to pull it off. Recalling my bad experience with A Game of Thrones' 8 POVs 😰, fortunately Claire Cray understood the baton pass POV change technique so well, no random POVs during the course of events like in GoT. But of course there's the inevitable disadvantage of multiple POV in the end, after you finally found which POV(s) you like and can't wait to go back into their head(s), and which head(s) you dislike or hate to the point that it's a chore to finish the part. The advantage of this multiple POV? Of course I felt connected deeper with each character now that I can know the reason beyond some words, actions and expressions of every character involved. So, even with its disadvantage, I still love multiple POV in my book, romance or not.
Mind you though, sometimes there's head-hopping within each POV in Hidden Talents, but it's not confusing at all, because there's separator between each head to indicate it's time to switch head in the same chapter. And again, it's no problem for me if the head-hopping is intended to make us understand the particular scene and the thought of each character involved in the scene, but rest assured, it's limited to two, most of the time.
This is a character-driven story, not plot-driven. So if you expect spectacular show of ESP ability in every chapter, well, this book is not for you then. Two things that really stand out in this book are the characterization and the relationships between those characters. There are many relationships in this thick book, from friendship, lovers, family to leadership. Each character has their own distinct personalities and abilities, with their own dark and horrific past, misery, problems, hopes, etc. Each of them has their own important role in this big play.
Plot is quite simple actually. We have bad guy which is Wilhelm Strauss, the sadistic empath, dictator of KGA, an agency of Talents. Shady guys, Jackson the grandson of former leader of KGA and his team (Jin, Rinzen, Giovanni), the renegade Talents. Good guys, Ken and his friends (Aki, Luke, David, Lip, Kel, Mark, Dylan, Jen) and brother (Sky), they are the hidden, untrained and wild Talents.
Jackson the ambitious and calculative prophet, has been living his whole life to fulfill the Key Prophecy. The Key will crush Strauss and KGA with his terrifiyingly omnipotent power, only if Jackson plays his cards very very carefully. To make Ken the unwilling Key to do his fated job freely for Jackson, the prophet used his wild card, Jin the telepath. Thus, our Jin on his mission to find Ken and his friends, without realizing he was manipulated by Jackson to send his future beloved to destruction.
It goes without saying that my favorite POVs here are Ken and Jin's, the main couple in this book. The most hated one is Mark's. 😅 At first, there were three heads that I dislike to get into: Aki, Sky and Mark. Aki for grieving (depressing), Sky for self-pitying (frustrating), and Mark for dicking around (exasperating). But reaching the end, it narrowed down to Mark. The dickbrain is total drama queen, his hobby is self-loathing and fucking anything with two legs, regardless the sex.
Ah, but one thing you need to know before you consider to start this book, if it's one of your pet peeves or what. Casual sex is normal for these distressed Talents, when life is HARD enough with their miserable past and problems, with their powers wreak havoc on their brain and mind, sex is just another short-term relief to escape harsh reality, so I understand where they are coming from, especially Mark, even though I disagree with his actions, but it's understandable, everyone has their own way to cope and deal with their problem and life. Even Sky. Yes, even Sky, with his heroin and sex.
Sky, the lonely and emotional empath, poor kid 😢, stupid and overbearing 😬, ruined and exploited by yakuza with drugs and sex since he was a kid 😭😭. Little Sky was too addicted with old men's stinky rotten dicks and drugs in the end, too intoxicated with pleasure, not even one second to stop and try to fulfill his empty promises to Ken, he abandoned Ken's desperate and hopeful pleas for his help through their emphatic bonds, for years. For fucking years, Gods. 😬😬😬 That was why I hated Sky so much at first, oh I tried not judge him too hard, the boy had his own circumstances but actually, yes actually he could use his emphatic ability to persuade his owner to help Ken, he even considered it himself, but no, for all the love he claimed he had for Ken, Sky had finally appeared in front of Ken after Ken saved himself from his own Hell, and then Sky was shamefully begging Ken to love him after all of that and even tried to control Ken's life. 😰 His overbearing attitude reminded me of my dad, so I sympathized with Ken more. Did Sky actually redeem himself in the end? No, at first glance (which is also why I called him stupid), but later, in indirect way, yes. But I forgave him long before that, he was self-destructing pathetically with his desperate hunger of Ken's love, to the point that it was too painful to watch anymore. 😥 All his life, he was used for sex and ignored by everyone. 😟😢 Gradually my hatred turned into pity. 😞 Maybe Sky didn't realize this, maybe he cursed his own life, but he existed for a reason too, to help Ken indirectly, to be the glimmer of hope for little Ken to not give up, at first.
And Ken? Oh Ken, another poor little boy here. 😭😭😭 He was kept like animal in cage in some brothel's dark dungeon, tortured, raped, mutilated, left to starved and murdered, over and over, for years. 😭😭😭 He has regenerative ability, so he can heal himself and wake up from dead, making him immortal in some way unless you hack his brain with gun or knife to pieces. But one day his inhuman murderers went too far that his restorative power couldn't heal him faster than usual and the boy woke up in a black garbage bag in trash pit, mangled, alone, but alive. It was his own abilities that guided him to find his new friends. He had been living in the cage like animal until 17-18 yo, so after a lifetime of isolation, he had only six months of experience with the fundamentals of human interaction, communication and culture. He was attached to Aki, the Japanese boy, and regarded him as brother/father figure. With the help of Luke the healer, Aki's lover, and some surgeries, Ken finally got new body parts, along with new life, and freedom. So that's why it aggravated him so much when Sky tried to control his life, especially after Sky abandoned him. It's not easy to gain Ken's trust. So it infuriated Sky even more, when his nemesis, Jin, tried to get Ken's attention, and won his trust, his body and his heart even in the end. Sky's love and obsession toward Ken is bordering on incest imo.
Jin the mischievous telepath, funny, witty and ruthless (well, all Talents especially KGA'S Talents were trained as assassin, even the untrained Talents killed people, it's eat or be eaten in this world, so if you can't tolerate cold-blooded assassin as your main character, this book is not for you). He loved his own life so much after endured some sickening mindbreaking torture from Strauss directly, and determined to live life to the fullest, haha. And he got bored easily, so when Ken caught his attention, he couldn't help but attracted to the strange kid. He has this aura of Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream that I couldn't help but loved him. 😂 I truly enjoyed how his relationship with Ken progressed, starting from complete strangers, mentor and student, to lovers. A very delicious and satisfying slow burn romance, I savored every moment of them like precious water in the desert. 😆 I was so giddy with excitement and anticipation whenever they interacted, so when they finally said I Love You, I broke into tears, why, they have come a long way and I was so happy and sad and jealous at the same time. And damn, so many emotions in that three words, so different from the emotionless love declaration in other romance books that I DNF this month.
Well, this is gonna be super long and spoilery review if I introduce all the characters. 😂 I suppose it's even better if you find it out yourself, if you want to give this book a go. 😉
----------
13 March 2018
Thought these guys reminded me of Sky and Mark, they are Guido Mista and Giorno Giovanna from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga. But these beautiful images were drawn by A domani (Zakiko) in his/her dj : I Dreamed a Dream, Egao ga Tsukuru chi wa Kirei, April 4th in Roma.
Here are the images : 1, 2, 3, 4.
When I saw Zakiko's gorgeous Giorno yesterday, my brain just screamed "It's Sky!!! 😍😆", lol.
I might add some pics later if I find Ken and Jin's. 😁
February 14, 2021
Epic!!
I’m blown away by the sheer scope of this book. The characters and how each of them play a role. How each of their Talents play a huge role. Omg...I’m truly in awe of Ms Cray!! 🙌🙌🙌
You see intriguing machinations. You see teases of each person and their Talent bit by bit until the culmination at the very end. Very skilfully done!! And you better believe that it’s taken 8 years to fully perfect it all. So good!
The romance is a little on the back burner but it does poke its head up once in awhile and certainly more towards the end. But for me the genius of this book is in all the manoeuvres and machinations. So good! 🤩
I’m blown away by the sheer scope of this book. The characters and how each of them play a role. How each of their Talents play a huge role. Omg...I’m truly in awe of Ms Cray!! 🙌🙌🙌
You see intriguing machinations. You see teases of each person and their Talent bit by bit until the culmination at the very end. Very skilfully done!! And you better believe that it’s taken 8 years to fully perfect it all. So good!
The romance is a little on the back burner but it does poke its head up once in awhile and certainly more towards the end. But for me the genius of this book is in all the manoeuvres and machinations. So good! 🤩
Read
January 12, 2021Meet the new omnibus edition of Hidden Talents. This freshly formatted edition contains the entire HT series, originally published as nine novellas and later as a trilogy of novels (Rebel Hell, Wind Change, Hard Games). Several scenes were added during that haphazard journey, so if you originally only read the novellas or the trilogy version, I hope you enjoy some new moments.
While I’m trespassing here, I’d like to thank everyone who’s followed this series over the years—and everyone who’s considering it now. Hidden Talents is my strangest and most beloved child, and it’s meant so much to be able to share it with you all. I’m always looking forward to picking this story back up again someday.
Until then, stay cool and take care of your Talents!
While I’m trespassing here, I’d like to thank everyone who’s followed this series over the years—and everyone who’s considering it now. Hidden Talents is my strangest and most beloved child, and it’s meant so much to be able to share it with you all. I’m always looking forward to picking this story back up again someday.
Until then, stay cool and take care of your Talents!
Want to read
March 5, 2018Free on smashwords this week (3/2018)
October 24, 2017
Reviewed for Just Love
4.5 stars
The first thing you need to know is that this book was a trip. I had so much fun reading this, never knowing how it was going to end – even though it pretty much “tells’ you at the beginning – that I was kept enthralled throughout. Additionally, I was on tenterhooks for pretty much the last third of the story and raced through it as quickly as I could.
The second thing you need to know is that the Kindle version is over 900 pages of awesome.
Wait! Don’t panic! It will be the quickest 900 + pages you have ever read. I mean, that’s if you actually *want* to read a story about a bunch of crazysexycool psychics overthrowing an evil mastermind (you totally do!).
The Klaus Gadamer Academy, aka The KGA, has made its name by capturing talents (people with psychic abilities) all over the world, submitting them to brutal initiations and brainwashing, and selling their skills to anyone willing to pay outrageous sums of money to manipulate governments, elite corporations and world leaders.
When a recent coup sees a particularly cruel and ruthless empath take control of The KGA, Jackson Gadamer – grandson of the founder – quietly makes arrangements to bring his long-time nemesis down by sending out Jin, his most trusted and loyal telepath, to infiltrate a cell of Talents who have been living out of the KGA’s reach. According to Jackson’s visions, this cell will play a vital role in carrying out his plan to grab control of the KGA and he’ll stop at nothing, including manipulating anyone and everyone, to ensure that it happens. Even if it means losing Jin in the process.
The story is told from multiple viewpoints, which can seem a little confusing at first, especially when you’re trying to get to know all the players, but the focus is mostly on the telepath Jin, and Ken, a young man the cell has recently taken under their wing when he showed up on their doorstep, bruised, bloodied and barely able to talk.
Each person in the group brings their own unique abilities to the table that allow them to function as a cohesive unit. The only exception to this rule is Ken. While Jin can generally get a read on most of the others, Ken remains a complete enigma. A total blank. Not even Jin’s extensive telepathic skills can get into Ken’s head, a fact that Jin finds both puzzling and a relief as he starts to seek out Ken to quiet the constant ‘chatter’ he picks up from the people around him. But as Jin starts to become uncharacteristically obsessed with Ken, he starts to question his role in Jackson’s mission. Soon he has to decide where his loyalties lie and he wonders if he has the power to change a prophecy that will overthrow an institution that tortured him, even if it results in losing Ken forever.
Previously published as a trilogy, it’s probably easier to think of this book as having three parts: The first is the introduction of the cast of characters and the requisite world building. It takes a bit to get into the story but once you do, it starts to take off. The second part starts to go deeper into the story and the characters, and this is where I really started having trouble putting the book down. It’s where you question motivations you previously thought were clear and begin to wonder how it will end. The third part is the thrill ride that leads to a phenomenal conclusion. Things happen as they were predicted…but not exactly. It’s a seriously fantastic end to a really great book.
I know that long books are off-putting to some people, but personally I enjoy them. The table of contents breaks the book into thirds, so if it’s easier to think of this as a trilogy, that you can read bit by bit, then by all means do whatever it takes to get you reading. Just don’t be intimidated by the length. This is a roller coaster ride of a story that you really shouldn’t miss.
4.5 stars
The first thing you need to know is that this book was a trip. I had so much fun reading this, never knowing how it was going to end – even though it pretty much “tells’ you at the beginning – that I was kept enthralled throughout. Additionally, I was on tenterhooks for pretty much the last third of the story and raced through it as quickly as I could.
The second thing you need to know is that the Kindle version is over 900 pages of awesome.
Wait! Don’t panic! It will be the quickest 900 + pages you have ever read. I mean, that’s if you actually *want* to read a story about a bunch of crazysexycool psychics overthrowing an evil mastermind (you totally do!).
The Klaus Gadamer Academy, aka The KGA, has made its name by capturing talents (people with psychic abilities) all over the world, submitting them to brutal initiations and brainwashing, and selling their skills to anyone willing to pay outrageous sums of money to manipulate governments, elite corporations and world leaders.
When a recent coup sees a particularly cruel and ruthless empath take control of The KGA, Jackson Gadamer – grandson of the founder – quietly makes arrangements to bring his long-time nemesis down by sending out Jin, his most trusted and loyal telepath, to infiltrate a cell of Talents who have been living out of the KGA’s reach. According to Jackson’s visions, this cell will play a vital role in carrying out his plan to grab control of the KGA and he’ll stop at nothing, including manipulating anyone and everyone, to ensure that it happens. Even if it means losing Jin in the process.
The story is told from multiple viewpoints, which can seem a little confusing at first, especially when you’re trying to get to know all the players, but the focus is mostly on the telepath Jin, and Ken, a young man the cell has recently taken under their wing when he showed up on their doorstep, bruised, bloodied and barely able to talk.
Each person in the group brings their own unique abilities to the table that allow them to function as a cohesive unit. The only exception to this rule is Ken. While Jin can generally get a read on most of the others, Ken remains a complete enigma. A total blank. Not even Jin’s extensive telepathic skills can get into Ken’s head, a fact that Jin finds both puzzling and a relief as he starts to seek out Ken to quiet the constant ‘chatter’ he picks up from the people around him. But as Jin starts to become uncharacteristically obsessed with Ken, he starts to question his role in Jackson’s mission. Soon he has to decide where his loyalties lie and he wonders if he has the power to change a prophecy that will overthrow an institution that tortured him, even if it results in losing Ken forever.
Previously published as a trilogy, it’s probably easier to think of this book as having three parts: The first is the introduction of the cast of characters and the requisite world building. It takes a bit to get into the story but once you do, it starts to take off. The second part starts to go deeper into the story and the characters, and this is where I really started having trouble putting the book down. It’s where you question motivations you previously thought were clear and begin to wonder how it will end. The third part is the thrill ride that leads to a phenomenal conclusion. Things happen as they were predicted…but not exactly. It’s a seriously fantastic end to a really great book.
I know that long books are off-putting to some people, but personally I enjoy them. The table of contents breaks the book into thirds, so if it’s easier to think of this as a trilogy, that you can read bit by bit, then by all means do whatever it takes to get you reading. Just don’t be intimidated by the length. This is a roller coaster ride of a story that you really shouldn’t miss.
May 26, 2020
This was a difficult book to rate. For the most part I absolutely love it, but there was one thing about it that I genuinely hated and if not for the incredible story (I couldn’t put it down, I needed to know what was going to happen next!) no way this book would get 5 stars. Cray tells the story from multiple POVs, which is fine, all characters are fully developed. The problem is that she rehashes the same event multiple times from different character’s perspectives, and reading the same details over and over again gets really annoying! That’s the bad, on to the good.
I loved the Jin/Ken/Jackson story line! It truly felt like I was reading about two world leaders competing for control after a massive power vacuum and it was extremely interesting! I especially love that Jackson hinted Jin may change sides again, that was a perfect way to leave it!
Jin was by far my favorite character, I haven't loved reading about the adventures a rouge bad ass this much in a long time. These types of characters are very hard to write well. Many people cannot pull it off. Cray did such an incredible job with Jin's character. One of my favorite parts about this story was the way she imagined how it would actually be to have the ability to read and control other people's thoughts. Jin was like a young, sexy, morally ambiguous Professor X (minus the wheelchair). It was perfectly done, and I'd love to read more stories about Jin! That really says something, when you finish a 900+ page book, and you want more! That is why I went with the full 5-star rating.
I loved the Jin/Ken/Jackson story line! It truly felt like I was reading about two world leaders competing for control after a massive power vacuum and it was extremely interesting! I especially love that Jackson hinted Jin may change sides again, that was a perfect way to leave it!
Jin was by far my favorite character, I haven't loved reading about the adventures a rouge bad ass this much in a long time. These types of characters are very hard to write well. Many people cannot pull it off. Cray did such an incredible job with Jin's character. One of my favorite parts about this story was the way she imagined how it would actually be to have the ability to read and control other people's thoughts. Jin was like a young, sexy, morally ambiguous Professor X (minus the wheelchair). It was perfectly done, and I'd love to read more stories about Jin! That really says something, when you finish a 900+ page book, and you want more! That is why I went with the full 5-star rating.
September 13, 2020
This was a solid 5! The characters are so well developed even to an art. It's amazing that by the end of the trilogy you feel as though you know them. You know their childhoods and hellish adult experiences. It's a tough read because they are made so real. The villain is the least developed. I was glad for this. Villains are diks that don't deserve the ink and pages. I much prefer characters who though they have suffered they still refuse to see their pain as sacred, not to be lashed out on others.
December 2, 2017
Very different from any m/m romance I've read, but in a good way. Good storylines throughout with very interesting and complex characters to keep you on your toes. You have many wonderful characters with extraordinary abilities that puts them in very interesting situations. You get multiple points of view, lots of thrills and great romance.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
December 28, 2023
I discovered Hidden Talents as a multi-series book in 2015 and must have revisited it about six times over the past eight years. From my late-night teenage readings to my current age of 26, I'm still completely in love with the universe and characters. This book has been a great escape for me, and will always hold a special place in my heart. Eagerly awaiting a sequel that I will no doubt read just as many times.
March 19, 2021
I spent the last few days absolutely devouring this story. I loved it so damn much, and I fell so in love with these characters that I know I'll be thinking about them for always. Ken has my entire heart and soul (and so do many others, tbh).
Claire Cray is such a talented writer. She deserves so much more recognition for her skills!
Claire Cray is such a talented writer. She deserves so much more recognition for her skills!
July 19, 2018
Dnf at 75 %. Too many characters and not enough character development. Nº action, only talking. Superpowers wasnt necessary addition, just a tool for the story progression. Didn't care for any of the characters unfortunately.
July 24, 2020
This was so much fun , I’m so glad it was so long cause I really enjoyed the ride . It had all the right elements - a lot of action , some bloodthirsty scenes , friendship and some romance and a really good storyline .
November 20, 2017
not what i expected, but really enjoyed! this is my first Claire Cray book, now i have to read the rest of the series! (not a complaint! lol really want more of this story)
April 26, 2019
I really liked this. Took me a while to get into it with all the different characters and POV. I wish there was another book about what happens next.
June 8, 2022
This book!!!! My heart!!!!
The story, the characters, everything, 5 stars!
I do think Sky deserved better, and Luke too, but I'm a soft person, so.
The story, the characters, everything, 5 stars!
I do think Sky deserved better, and Luke too, but I'm a soft person, so.
November 28, 2017
I enjoyed this exciting, sexy trilogy. The writing is fluid and confident, with flashes of humour and strong, distinct voices for each character – from the hard-boiled, laconic Jin, to the kind and sensible Lip, and the messed-up Sky. The world-building is great. We join a cast of mixed-up psychics, empaths and telekinetics, and get excellent detail about how their talents work and what it’s like to have that talent. I never forgot (in a good way) that these characters have different abilities to ordinary people and we see them in plenty of interesting situations as a result of their talents. There were many convincing details in the world-building (e.g. People tend to hate empaths. Empaths sometimes get confused because they know what you’re feeling but not necessarily why) that made the book – and the characters – come alive for me.
We’re introduced in short order to Jin, Lip, Ken, Kel and Jen (also Aki, Sky, Luke, Mark, David and Dylan). I found it was all-too-easy to mis-read Ken/Kel, Jin/Jen, Ken/Jen, and I also got some of the other characters confused because they were introduced so quickly. I must say this slowed me down and spoiled my enjoyment of the story somewhat in the early chapters. It wasn’t that the characters were indistinct, it was just that their names were so easy to muddle. I also felt the pacing was off in some places – a tiny bit much exposition, a few too many scenes where the same thing is happening (e.g. Sky trying to muscle in on Ken’s life, again. People talking about how annoying Sky is, again). On a bigger picture level I wasn’t quite convinced that a character who’s known nothing but violent sexual torment his entire life would be quite as well-balanced as Ken. I understood that his talent has protected him from the worst of the emotional harm in the same way it has enabled him to heal physically, but there was something here that didn’t quite ring true for me – as though a certain glossing over had occurred.
But my issues were fairly minor. The trilogy is currently on Amazon for just over a dollar, which seems insanely cheap for such a jam-packed, well-written story. There’s a lot here; lots of thrills, lots of well-realised characters and lots of psychic/empathic/telekinetic action. Also, plenty of talent-enhanced sex, which sizzles off the page. I’d certainly read more by this author.
I received this trilogy as a review copy in return for an honest review.
We’re introduced in short order to Jin, Lip, Ken, Kel and Jen (also Aki, Sky, Luke, Mark, David and Dylan). I found it was all-too-easy to mis-read Ken/Kel, Jin/Jen, Ken/Jen, and I also got some of the other characters confused because they were introduced so quickly. I must say this slowed me down and spoiled my enjoyment of the story somewhat in the early chapters. It wasn’t that the characters were indistinct, it was just that their names were so easy to muddle. I also felt the pacing was off in some places – a tiny bit much exposition, a few too many scenes where the same thing is happening (e.g. Sky trying to muscle in on Ken’s life, again. People talking about how annoying Sky is, again). On a bigger picture level I wasn’t quite convinced that a character who’s known nothing but violent sexual torment his entire life would be quite as well-balanced as Ken. I understood that his talent has protected him from the worst of the emotional harm in the same way it has enabled him to heal physically, but there was something here that didn’t quite ring true for me – as though a certain glossing over had occurred.
But my issues were fairly minor. The trilogy is currently on Amazon for just over a dollar, which seems insanely cheap for such a jam-packed, well-written story. There’s a lot here; lots of thrills, lots of well-realised characters and lots of psychic/empathic/telekinetic action. Also, plenty of talent-enhanced sex, which sizzles off the page. I’d certainly read more by this author.
I received this trilogy as a review copy in return for an honest review.
Want to read
January 31, 2021Damn, I KNOW I've read at least a part of this, but I don't know how much or what my opinion was or even when that was. I would wager I read the first of three parts, maybe even more, which means I kinda liked it? Damn me!
Two years later I found out I read the first book and 24 of 38 chapters of the second book (349 pages out of 762 of the trilogy). I don't know why I had to stop suddenly. I don't know what my opinion was. I don't know when I originally read this. Frustrating. Now I have to motivate myself to read it again.
Two years later I found out I read the first book and 24 of 38 chapters of the second book (349 pages out of 762 of the trilogy). I don't know why I had to stop suddenly. I don't know what my opinion was. I don't know when I originally read this. Frustrating. Now I have to motivate myself to read it again.
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