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’. While I enjoyed the overall theme, some of the details in the story were just not my cup of tea. There was a magical realism element that I loved but it wasn’t ever explained, unless I missed it, so while it was cool, it just didn’t make any sense as to why or how. In an age defined by men, it will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are…. 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.

Alongside the authentic 19 th century setting, The Gifts is a story of literal and metaphorical wings. These illustrate the power of the metaphysical and philosophical, the scientific and the religious, balanced by a magical realism that is spellbinding. Rich, feminist and utterly absorbing and entertaining. Hyder weaves a completely genius plot through 1840s London (with Shropshire and Orkney thrown in) and it's so well written and so absorbing and the pace so spot-on that it was exhilarating to listen to it. Hyder has absolutely nailed this story. Such brilliant characters, vivid settings, great dialogue. And a Macbeth-like antagonist, who is brilliant in his complexity and unbridled ambition. Glorious, gripping thematic gold. My thanks to Bonnier Books U.K. Manilla Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Gifts’ by Liz Hyder in exchange for an honest review.I rarely have a soft spot for foreshadowing, but this book uses it effectively. I liked the hinted tidbits that sealed the gap between scenes without disclosing major spoilers. 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. 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. 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.

This is a novel based on a slightly bizarre concept - in the mid-nineteenth century, a number of women grow wings. In an age of scientific discovery also still heavily influenced by religious beliefs, this piques the interest of doctors and captures the public imagination. Told in Newt’s distinctive voice – a fictional dialect drawing on regional vocabularies from around the UK – the book sees Hyder’s characters go to some very dark places. Liz Hyder won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for the brilliantly original Bearmouth and The Gifts is just as impressive — an imaginative extraordinary flight of fancy firmly grounded in the grim realities of Victorian England." ― Daily Mirror (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. The Gifts is essentially a piece of brilliantly structured magical realism with 4 key themes: the power of greed, of love, of religion in the wrong hands and, most importantly, of women. Set primarily in 19th century London but with the addition of Shropshire and (very briefly) my home county of Essex, it uses the time to weave a new perspective around how much we allowed greed ridden men to rule over talented women.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. 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.

The ending worked very well for me. It didn’t force a perfect solution; rather, the plot led itself to a believable culmination.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. Impressive… A celebration of female solidarity, it's brimful of historical detail and beautifully written." ― Sunday Express Magazine (UK) I enjoyed how well the author incorporated magical realism with historical fiction. I wanted a little more explanation relating to the magical aspects of the read, but the author did offer enough explanation to keep me from being dissatisfied. The author also did a good job at emphasizing how intertwined science and religion was in England during this time, which was a driving force behind the antagonist of this read.

What a magnificent and beautifully inspiring book this was! I devoured it in only a couple of sittings it was THAT gripping. It is a mixture of historical fiction and magical realism with interesting and engaging characters and is highly compelling.

I’m writing this early in the morning whilst my brain is fresh as I’m suffering a book hangover of gargantuan proportions and don’t want my review to be all “I LOVED IT! I LOVED IT! JUST BUY IT EVERYONE!”