Bit slow to start but enjoyable in the end, narration was good. Loved the women in the book and how they grew and matured.

What a beautiful book. I was blown away by how much I adored this.

For all lovers of Historical Fiction that enjoy a touch of fantasy. This is truly one not to be missed, and I’m only sorry I sat on this one for so long before picking it up.

The opening chapters are a little overwhelming due to the huge amount of characters we are introduced to so quickly, but you soon learn who is who, and settle in for the ride. All our leading ladies are super distinct, and show true bravery, compassion, and integrity. I loved them all.

Tuppence Middleton narrates the audiobook too, and she’s one of my favourite narrators. She, again, does an immaculate job and gently guides us through the twists and turns of this engaging story.

From start to finish I adored it. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the audio copy.

5 beautiful stars.

A captivating story set in a historical period. I haven’t listened to many audio books in this genre but this one was great I really enjoyed it
You can tell it was well researched

I have to say I struggled with this as an audiobook. I think the narrator was good and kept my attention, but the story seemed quite complex at the beginning of the book due to the multiple viewpoint of various characters telling their version of the story and I'd have liked to have been able to flick back and correct any confusion or misunderstanding. I love audiobooks, but this can be a drawback to them instead of reading in the traditional sense. It is no fault of the narrator or this book that I felt this way.

I enjoyed the story once I got into it, and it reminded me in places of Stevenson's 'Jekyll and Hyde' and the conflict of different approaches to science. There are many characters and the men are all as bad as each other as the novel draws on. It is a mix of historical (Victorian London) and mystical (females sprouting wings angels).

A wonderful read, I think, sadly for me, not as an audiobook. I will revisit in print.

Liz Hyder is amazing!
Set in the backdrop of 1840s England, this story is told through the views of 4 different women, Etta, Anne, Natalya and Mary.

Really makes you take a step back and think about women's differing roles and tribulations in society throughout history.
My only problem was it seemed to take a while for the main story to get going but I loved the in depth back stories of all the characters.
The narration made the story even more compelling and it was hard to stop once you start listening.
Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this audio book

I enjoyed this book, but it didn't leave much of an impression on me. I don't think I'll remember much of it in a few years time. Which is a shame.

I liked the female characters a lot, and found the male voice interesting and slighting disturbing (in a good way). But I did find that at the start, I couldn't remember which character was which, which is a problem I'm finding a lot with audiobooks that have a lot of different narrators, it's harder to keep them straight in your head, I think than with a traditional book.

I liked the ending a lot. I feel it concluded nicely while still leaving stuff open for speculation, I just wish I could have been more into the book from the beginning.

Reminiscent of Miro's Ordinary Monsters, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Sarah Waters' Fingersmith, this delightful novel intertwines the lives of three distinct sets of characters and brings them together in a calamitous ending.

Be prepared to be glued to the pages as our protagonist, Mary, letting the ambitions of several women take flight; metaphorically and physically.

Tuppence Middleton makes a great narrator.

The Gifts takes a slightly different slant on the theme of an arrogant, ambitious male scientist becoming consumed by his work - it's certainly a well explored idea in fiction, going back to Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde etc - but what I liked about The Gifts was that it centres the women that are supporting and being exploited by the scientist in question. Each of the four female leads is very different but strong in their own way. If you're looking for an explanation of why the events of the book actually happened, then you'll be disappointed, but I don't think it matters that the focus isn't on why the women have grown wings, but what happens to them when they do. It's the sort of book you could spend a long time discussing, beautifully written and intelligent, and I really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed Tuppence Middleton's narration.very much - she was very easy to listen to. The accents for the different characters weren't overdone, they were just enough to differentiate between the characters, and the pacing was perfect for me so that (for once) I was able to listen to it on the standard playback speed rather than having to speed it up!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bonnier UK Audio and the author, for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A historical fantasy with a touch of magic, set in Victorian England, as in the 1840's, this multiple POV book leads us through the story of 4 women and men around them. The story follows the discovery of a wonder - a winged woman - an angel send from God and how the greed of one man would affect the lives of so many and how badly. All the character are so different from each other, It is a wonder when they all come together how they slid into the narrativr to form a charming, yet heart rending story of emotion, devotion and survival in a man's world. This is the kind of book, where attempting to provide a summary other than the blurb, feel slike spoiling the book, so I won't attempt.

Even though the narrator was brilliant with subtle changes in narration for each of the POVs, I did find the narrative, highly confusing and it took a minute to undertand which POV was who's. But as the story progressed it becames more and more easier to discern one POV from the other. Hence, quite understandably, it took me a little time to actually get absorbed into the story and be invested.

TW: Death, Murder, Trafficking, non-consensual medical examination, loss of child.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review. I really enjoyed this, and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Set in Victorian Britain, this novel is a glorious gothic fantasy.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this audiobook.
The narrator truly bought this story to life and played the many parts so well. The pace and tone were perfect for the storyline and enjoyment.
There were storylines from different characters that slowly started to come together in a well thought out plot.
The novel was at times dark with some more graphic detail pertinent to the plot.
The chapters were short, which made it easy to follow and to pick up and put down.
There were so many times when I really wanted to know what was going to happen next, and then was kept in suspense as the story moved to another characters’ perspective.
I enjoyed the book, there was one part which didn’t completely make sense to me where a chapter focused on a tale of a tree, otherwise it was a good entertaining story.

4.75 stars

This book was brilliant! Set in 1840s England we begin our story with a simple premise - what if a woman grew wings akin to those of an angel? This story was multifaceted and followed a number of different characters but never once did I feel lost. The use of language was brilliant and I truly felt transported to the 1800s. Women are at the forefront of the storytelling and I found the complexity of the characters brilliant. This is a story that contains light fantasy but is mostly about people - their ambitions, desires, hopes and dreams, fears. A lot of this is also about societal pressure and conformity/trying to break the mold. Absolutely beautiful writing and excellent storytelling.

The audiobook narrator was also superb, really giving voice to the different characters in a way that was understandable and being passionate and emotive in the scenes, it really felt like watching a movie in my head thanks to her!

<b>Trigger Warnings</b>: <spoiler>animal death, medical procedures/dissection references, amputation, suicide, fire</spoiler>

<i>I was provided with a complimentary copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest and unbiased review, which I leave voluntarily</i>

I don’t know where to begin reviewing this book, I don’t want to give too much away as I think you really need to read it for yourself. So I will try my best not to spoil anything.

The book focuses on 5 main characters and each chapter is told from one of their perspectives.

The 4 main female characters are all going through changes and are fighting against a world where women are still seen as a man’s property. They each have their own completely different personalities but are all so strong and the events of the book bring them all together. The main male character is a surgeon who to my mind didn’t start out as a villain but turned in to one because of his ambition to outdo his rivals and his misplaced faith. I actually really liked the way religion was dealt with too, the story leaves it up to you to decide.

It’s written so well and captures the time it’s set in perfectly, I could see the world in my mind as I was reading. Unlike a lot of historical fiction this was really easy to get in to, there was no confusing language and I quickly became invested in the characters and what would happen to them. It left me wanting more, it does wrap up each individual characters story but I would love to know more about what happens to them. It was a world I truly got lost in and I wasn’t ready to leave!

This would have been a 5 star read but I really dislike reading about animals, especially dogs, being killed and so I did struggle with that. I totally understand why it was included and it makes perfect sense within the story but it’s just my personal thing. I can read about people being murdered in the most gruesome way but change that to a dog and it turns my stomach!

The Gifts is such a magical and beautiful book that had me hooked from the very beginning. I personally love historical fiction that has magical elements to it, there is just something so captivating about it and this book did not disappoint!

Whilst at first it was hard for me to distinguish who was who but that quickly disappeared as you began to learn more about these characters. Each has their own individuality and whole-heartedly invested in their stories.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastically narrated audiobook set against Victorian London with a dash of magical realism. The story includes 5 points of view: Natalya, Etta, Mary, Annie and her husband Edward. This is a beautiful story about four creative and strong women, one an artist, one a botanist, one develops angelic wings and one escapes her old life in search of a better one, but they are stilted and hampered by the Victorian era and the restrictions imposed by men. Edward, a doctor is married to Annie and he becomes obessessive over his scientific work, and a religious zealot, seeing it as his life's mission, but his greed is for wealth and fame, not to better the lives of others. His path brings him in contact with the women and he becomes a dangerous adversary. Whilst this is a slow read, it is a superb story. #thegifts #lizhyder #netgalley

A nice fantasy book set in Victorian times and not my usual listen that said I did eventually enjoy it although it was nearly a did not finish as I found the first few chapters difficult to follow as it felt like 2 books but I restarted it and got into the story line.
I am much more of a psychological thriller fan than a fantasy fan so don't let me put you off this book ias it has some great reviews

Really enjoyed this listen! Narrator really brought the story to life. Very nearly bought this book but it would have taken me too long to get around to reading it so glad I was given access to this from here!

The book follows 4 women who's stories all intertwine when a women is found in the Thames with wings. Very interesting story with easy to follow POVs.
Would definitely recommend for fans of historical fiction!

The Gifts is utterly fantastic. The story is really interesting at the start where we find out about the different characters, and then becomes more and more intriguing as the story progresses. It's a fascinating study in human behaviour, motivation, belief and of course womanhood. It gives a fascinating insight into life for women in the 1800s and the societal pressures. The characters are incredibly well developed and I love the way their stories weave together. The premise is enthralling and Hyder has achieved an intricate, elegant narrative that draws you in straight away and leaves you totally invested in the outcome. Beautiful, breathtaking and gripping, The Gifts is a must read for fans of historical fiction with a mysterious element and strong female protagonists. The narration of the audiobook was fantastic. Tuppence Middleton gave the characters depth and presence and really augmented the experience of the book. The voices were wonderful and I particularly liked the soft, lilting accent she gave Natalya. I am really grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook.

Really enjoyed this audiobook on the run up to Halloween.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.

I didn't gel with this book unfortunately. It's more on the highbrow side of things and thus requires more focus. I found my mind wandering and I was more focused on whatever task I was doing than hearing what was being said and so I got lost along the way and it became background noise. I think this is my own fault rather than the book's, and I believe perhaps I would have enjoyed the physical version more, but since I am reviewing the audiobook I unfortunately have to say I did not enjoy it and couldn't even tell you what was happening beyond the initial amputation scene.