Ad – review. I was sent a copy of this book for review purposes and all thoughts are my own.
I've not joined in with a book tour for awhile and so today I'm excited to be involved in the book tour for The Gifts by Liz Hyder.
Liz Hyder has been making up stories for as long she can remember. She has a BA in drama from the University of Bristol and, in early 2018, won the Bridge Award/Moniack Mhor Emerging Writer Award. Bearmouth, her debut young adult novel, won a Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the Branford Boase Award and was chosen as the Children's Book of the Year by The Times. Originally from London, she now lives in South Shropshire. The Gifts is her debut adult novel.
A young woman staggers through the woods. Something is happening deep inside and as she's thrown to her knees in agony, the world around her stops. When she comes to, she is astonished at the sight of her shadow - it has wings.
Meanwhile when rumours of 'fallen angels' cause a frenzy across London, a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune will find himself in the grip of a dangerous obsession, and the women he seeks in the most terrible danger . . .
The Gifts is a riveting read that is a mixture of historical fiction with a touch of fantasy. Told through several female voices I did find it slightly challenging to read as you definitely need to concentrate. I loved that it was set in 1840 during the Victorian era in London, it explores a fair few topics: science, nature and religion, enlightenment, the knife-edge roles of women in society and the dark danger of ambition. Definitely one to read for those who enjoy historical fiction.
