I fell in love with ‘The Gifts’ from the opening in the Shropshire woods through to its dramatic conclusion. I found Liz Hyder’s writing beautiful and loved the imagery of these mysterious transformations. I’d defy anyone reading The Gifts not to feel a wide range of emotions. I encountered sorrow, elation, determination and a considerable desire to commit violence! The unique plot, combining historical fiction and magical realism in a literary writing style. When it comes to magical realism, over-explaining kills the fun. The author reveals just enough details to keep us invested, but doesn’t explain/justify the reasons for the fantastical elements. This keeps the magic alive. The story is narrated in short vignettes, alternating between the voices of the two women with wings, a feisty would-be female journalist, and the wife of the surgeon who sees an opportunity to achieve fame and fortune by exploiting the winged women, the ‘gifts’ of the title, sent to him by God.

October 1840. A young woman staggers alone and frightened, running for her life through a forest in Shropshire as something impossible begins to happen: a huge pair of wings that should only belong to those above us rip from her shoulders creating something that surely cannot be real amongst mere mortals. I was already struggling with the writing and the fact that we often switch viewpoint or who is being written about in the midst of a paragraph. So you start the paragraph with Annie and then suddenly you are reading about Etta and you are like, wait, who the hell is Etta and how did she suddenly appear? This happens a LOT and I found it really irritating. There’s a chemistry between two of the characters that was done so perfectly. I’m not one for ‘love’ in stories, but I was absolutely buzzing for these two, and their banter was hilarious at times. I was crying with laughter during numerous scenes. Impressive… A celebration of female solidarity, it's brimful of historical detail and beautifully written." ― Sunday Express Magazine (UK)My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Gifts”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I’m left with this thought that gets me right here *pounds fist into heart area* - is it really STILL so scandalous that a woman can have the audacity to grow a pair of powerful wings and set herself free? Edward: An ambitious surgeon, Edward is tired of being under the shadow of his best friend Samuel. When an opportunity possibly leading to fame and fortune comes his way, Edward knows he mustn’t let it go. Liz Hyder’s writing really is magnificent. There may be aspects of The Gifts that are almost surreal, but they are presented with such convincing storytelling that I believed every word. I was drawn inexorably into the narrative and completely bewitched by it. Etta: A young woman of mixed parentage, Etta is dealing with the grief of her pet dog’s passing when two huge wings suddenly rip themselves from her shoulders.She says she wanted to try to give those children a voice, because children who worked in the mines didn’t have one. When she had finished, she felt it was “such an odd book” that no one would publish it. In London, there are rumours that the body of a 'fallen angel' was found in the Thames. An ambitious surgeon, desperate to make a name for himself, is gripped by a dangerous obsession. Desperate to find a live ‘specimen’ he is willing to do anything achieve his goal. It’s one of those books that makes you resent the world for interrupting your reading time! It’s a book to take your time over and to savour. The cover art was breathtaking and there are occasional illustrations scattered throughout. The print edition is rounded out with a bibliography, suggested questions for reading groups, and a note from the author on the inspirations for ‘The Gifts’.

This book wasn't just magical it was magnificent. Some reviewers felt it was confusing with the different characters and their points of view but I have to disagree. Each chapter is clear and precise about whom is speaking. The chapters were short and each character's life entwined with the others. Readers who like the early-Victorian-era setting and feisty female characters will enjoy this book." — BooklistSet in 1840, The Gifts opens with a young woman in agony, staggering alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of wings rip from her shoulders. Meanwhile, when rumours of a 'fallen angel' cause a frenzy across London, a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession, one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger... After a year of reading the horrific stories of the very young children who were sent down mines, this time in England, she wrote Bearmouth in four weeks. In her dystopia, children are sent down the mines as young as four, and live and work there, sending money to their families on the surface, hoping “the Mayker” will reward them in the next life. There are some very emotional scenes that are described poignantly that made my heart break. It has a haunting and tense atmosphere throughout and the Victorian period is described and captured perfectly. It was a joy to read and I was so sad when it came to an end. I would love to revisit so many of these characters again.