Huge thanks to Tracy at Compulsive Readers & Bonnier Books for my spot on the blog tour for #TheGifts and for providing me a proof copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
SHORT SYNOPSIS:
October 1840. A young woman staggers alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves 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 . .
Liz Hyder’s debut adult novel, The Gifts, was bought by Bonnier Books UK’s new literary imprint Manilla Press in a six-figure, pre-emptive, two-book deal. Publishing Director Sophie Orme acquired world rights to the novels from Anwen Hooson at Bird Literary Agency.
For fans of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock and The Doll Factory, The Gifts is a Victorian-esque epic novel that tells of the pitfalls of ambition and the beauty and struggles of womanhood. It is a gripping and ambitious book told through five different perspectives and set against the luminous backdrop of nineteenth century London. It explores science, nature and religion, enlightenment, the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition. In a society that dictates how women should live, what happens when they start to break out of the mould created for them…
MY REVIEW:
The Gifts is a well researched and thought out novel. It has an element of magic & quite a few feminist themes incorporated in the storyline. In The Gifts, Hyder also slightly touches upon racism. I very much enjoyed the strong female characters and their journeys. However, I would've loved to see more magical elements in the story, I felt Hyder could've made better use of her angels. Also, it took me a while to understand who was narrating the story in each chapters, but once I got the hang of the intertwining stories and characters it was easy to follow.
I liked that Hyder depicted London so truthfully, not hiding any horrors that were seen on the streets back in those days, nor the not so lovely smell of the city. Also, I very much enjoyed the difference in class of the characters I met. However, I did feel that I wanted to know more about certain characters (such as Charlie) and how their lives planed out in the end. There is definitely room for a sequel!
Well researched and thought out, The Gifts is just divine. I couldn't put it down!!
Hyder's writing is enchanting and easy to follow. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
The Gifts is out now, published by Bonnier Books. You can follow other reviews and wonderful bloggers on the #blogtour here:
