She had left the mine feeling “so angry and upset about it, the brutality of it, the rawness. It is awful. It’s real, extraordinary exploitation, and it’s a fact that kids are still working in mines now around the world. It’s not gone away.” I have a lot to say about this book but I also want to keep it all to myself. I read an advance copy that the publisher kindly sent me and if it’s affected me in it’s unfinished state, the finished copy (complete with illustrations!! Eeek!!) is guaranteed to be a marvel. I cannot wait to see it!

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. Sadly I was unable to finish this book. The harrowing and graphic torture and killing of the dog by the surgeon about 10% of the way into the book was way too much for me. It turned my stomach and made me very upset. I don't know what else is in the book but that requires a Content Warning. It is a thing I can't stand and something I avoid in books and movies. It makes me hugely distressed. I can't imagine what that level of distressing detail could possibly add to the story. You could easily show he was an evil man without the detail. 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 Gifts is a stunning book. It’s both beautifully written and illustrated, but with a stark, uncompromising uncovering of inhumanity, zealous greed and ambition, so that it lingers in the reader’s mind long after it’s finished.

It’s a book to take your time over and to savour.

Fierce and touching, this extremely compelling novel follows its female protagonists through 19th century London where a surgeon struggles with the dark lure of scientific ambition while his marriage crumbles, a journalist pursues the mystery of the angel fished from the Thames and two young women find themselves inexplicably transformed in the depths of despair. Beautiful and riveting." ―Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne The ‘fallen angel’ starts to appear on the lips of those who love to gossip and spread rumours across London and when a surgeon stumbles upon this seemingly ethereal corpse, he is determined to use her as leverage to make not only a name for himself but fame and vast fortunes too yet as he delves deeper into working out the machinations of such a being, he will find himself in the vice-like grip of obsession which will see him search out and locate other women who appear to have been sent from the heavens to help him in his quest in which will test the very limits of human understanding when it comes to that which we could never comprehend. 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?

Liz Hyder’s prose is richly textured with an intensity and a feminism that is both captivating and thrilling to read. 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. I hope it encourages other people to take more risks in terms of what they write and also what is published, because it is an unusual book,” says Hyder.Surprisingly for a historical fiction work, there are many strong female characters. The leading ladies are all shown realistically (limited by the men in their lives), yet they aren’t doormats. They create their own space, and can fight for themselves when the time comes. 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. 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. The chapters were short and snappy. This is how I like my books. I feel like I’m not quite ready to move onto another book yet because The Gifts is still under my skin, like the bursting wings of those ‘chosen’ women. 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.