Gifted & Talented follows three siblings and the tension between them following their father’s death as they wait to discover who will inherit the multimillion-dollar tech company. While the will is being sorted out, they will have to deal with their personal and professional lives... as well as the issues surrounding their supernatural abilities. Meredith must try to convince her ex-partner not to publish an article that will expose her as a fraud. Arthur is about to lose reelection and maybe his wife, but he may start a family with the other two people with whom he is in a polyamorous relationship. And Eilidh, a former dancer and her father’s favorite child, begins to debate whether her father has spent his entire life overprotecting or undervaluing her.

Reading Olivie Blake always feels like listening to someone who loves the sound of her own voice and who not only thinks she’s the smartest person in the room, but wants everyone to think so. And while, as I always say, that style works in some of his novels, especially in genres like dark academia (The Atlas Six), it can make reading some of her books quite tedious. In this particular case, the sharp and pretentious style kind of makes sense, as we follow a narcissistic wealthy family, but at the same time, Blake overuses the redundancy of internal monologues in which the characters enter a vortex of disjointed thoughts during lines in which they don’t really say anything.

Honestly, I think that if I had read it physically, I would have ended up DNFing this book. The audiobook was the perfect format to keep me reading the story, especially because Eunice Wong does a wonderful job giving voice to the spoiled, millionaire Wren siblings. But what really kept me going were a couple of relationships, more than who would inherit the company and the fortune. But overall, this story wasn’t for me.

Originally could not review due to formatting of Ebook but, since I have read the book and listened I am providing a review.
4 ⭐️

After the death of their father, Meredith, Arthur and Eilidh come together and have to figure out who inherits the Wren estate. They each have their own struggles but only one of them will inherit the estate. There were three povs, I really enjoyed this and the story was easy to follow. It took a while to get into the book but as soon as i was into the book, I was hooked!! I really enjoyed that there was magic in this book but the fact that there was not a lot of magic and it wasn't the key focus really helped me enjoy this book even more. The Audio made this story that much more gripping.

Now, Olivie Blake can be a bit hit and miss for me but surprisingly this was a bit hit. If Olivie Blake books stay like this one than I am going to reading more and more of her books.

I received an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest opinion and did not affect my rating.

This is unfortunate because I have previously enjoyed Olivie Blake in the past. However, I found this book to be incredibly slow placed and long, to the point where regardless of the fact I was interested in the characters, I didn't care about the plot (i.e. who was going to take over the magical company). I may pick this up in the future, but for now it's a DNF. Thank you obviously to the publisher for approving me for the audiobook, I just wish I had liked it more.

Olivie Blake is a master at crafted flawed and often unlikable characters and making you care about them desperately. This novel is no exception. I particularly enjoyed her blunt take on parenthood and how it can define you and shape your life in ways you don’t intend or despite your best (or worst) intentions. Loved the shades of magic layered throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the ALC of this book.

Olivie Blake writes so beautifully, she manages to pull me into genres I don't always gravitate towards.
Following three extraordinary siblings following the death of their Father, and the fallout which follows in the fight for control of his company.
Full of complex relationships, often unlikeable characters and a touch of magical realism, this family drama was enjoyable and intriguing, if a little on the long side.
The narrator performs perfectly, for the vast majority of the book. Though the reading of a toddlers lines was a little off-putting, I don't think there's a good way for a narrator to perform those parts.
I really cannot wait for friends of mine to begin reading this book so we can discuss these characters in more depth!

Overall I enjoyed this book but I do feel very conflicted...
What I enjoyed:
- I loved the character relationships, especially how diverse the relationships were.
- I loved the narration, I had predicted what was going on there but still enjoyed it.
- I love the theme of flawed rich people. I love this overall as a concept and it was executed very well
What I wanted more from:
- The fantastical elements could have been explained a bit more, I felt very confused about how the magic system worked in this world.


I knew very little going into this book and mainly wanted to read it because of the author, so I did not expect how contemporary it would be. It was very low plot and in the plot, character and writing trio plot is my most important attribute. If this was more fantastical it would be a firm favourite, but I still enjoyed this nevertheless. Rated a 3.5 but rounded to a 4.

EDIT: In terms of the audio, the audiobook narration was top notch. This made the book so compulsively readable. Every character had a distinct voice and way of speaking and I would love to listen to more from this narrator.

This was my second Olivia Blake book and I had a great time with it. From a plot perspective, arguably there’s relatively little that actually happens. We follow three incredibly wealthy siblings whose dad has just passed away, leaving them waiting to see to whom he will bequeath his billion dollar company. Each of the siblings has their own individual issues that they’re dealing with as a result of their childhood (their mother passed away when they were young, their father held his children to incredibly high standards), and each also has their own magic, which Arthur and Eilidh in particular are struggling to manage through their stress. Primarily, it’s a character study of these three individuals, and those closest to them, as well as a commentary on society (strive for perfection, ethics and wealth, what is happiness etc). Arthur was undoubtedly my favourite - considering his upbringing, his career, even some of the things he’s been involved in himself, he still has such a charming and slightly naive outlook. I also loved Yves (and the audiobook narrator’s accent when voicing his character 😂).

I read and listened to this book and would recommend both. The only downside to the audiobook is that there are a few chapters where Blake flicks constantly back and forth from the past to the present - in the book, it’s really clearly demarcated and makes complete sense, but in the audiobook it’s a little harder to follow. The book also has a few beautiful illustrations throughout, which is always a bonus ❤️ (I have the Fairyloot addition but I assume the illustrations in the book, rather than the endpapers, would be in the regularly published version).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of this book.

Gifted & Talented is a masterful study of messy relationships, complex characters and societal pressures. I loved the premise of the book, sibling rivalry in the context of grief. Every character was unlikeable but I was also engrossed in their narratives.
Olivie Blake uses such lyrical prose to engage you as a reader, every book of theirs has beautiful and hauntingly human quotes. We spend a lot of time in the characters headspace and I liked this element. The plot is not the focus here but the humans are.
There’s a hint of magic as well that I think really added a distinct sense of how we can influence our lives and others.
The audio version really brought the story to life, I could listen to the narrator for hours upon hours and feel engaged yet soothed.
This book is definitely one to read when you want to get into some messy lives and undesirable heads. I keep seeing comparisons to Succession, looks like I have a new show to binge.
Overall an interesting and powerful read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

The best thing about this book is the audio narration by Eunice Wong; who makes even the mundane seem interesting. I absolutely love her expression and narration style, to the extent that I actually looked her up and discovered that she is a a Juilliard-trained actor, featured on Audible's list of Best Women Narrators! BUT even Eunice could not transform this very long 18 hours and 50 minutes of audiobook into a good story. I would say this is a vey slow paced story of family dynamics, rather than anything fantasy fiction related. Essentially, there is a death of an overbearing father and three siblings (who all get their PoV covered) come together for the reading of the will and to find out who will succeed in taking over their father’s business empire. The three siblings all have magical powers (very minor plot point and completely unexplained and non-essential to the story). Each of the siblings have character flaws and to be honest, I could not bring myself to like any of them, I did not care how the father died, and I was not bothered who took over his business. I actually got to the 50% mark and even Eunice could not stop me from DNF’ing the book . I could not face a further 10 hours in the hopes that the last half would pick up. Thanks anyway to NetGallery and Macmillan UK Audio for allowing me to get a copy of this audiobook - I will most certainly listen to other audiobooks narrated by Eunice Wong.

I have to say that I caved in for this book big part because of the author whose name is so famed. Spoiler alert - that's the first author's book for me! Maybe it was a wrong choice, I don't know.

It's written in easy to read/listen language. That's probably best thing about it. It looks like the complex idea was out there writing this book.. But it seemed a bit all over the place and somewhat convoluted.

Something something magic (fairly vague for my liking, what was even a point noting it there? ). Something something family drama. Rich kids problems. Uh.

Sorry, absolutely not for me.

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review it if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to listen and review it if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review, please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media: The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

A long, layered story of family, grief, and growth

Thank you to Macmillan Audio UK for the gifted ALC.

It took me some time to vibe with the book, but once immersed, I found myself oddly attached to the dysfunctional Wren siblings. Meredith stood out most to me as an eldest daughter. She is flawed, complex, and painfully relatable.

I found the shifting POVs were hard to follow, but Eunice Wong’s narration gave each character a vivid presence. This is a long, evocative, layered story that ultimately rewards your patience. You definitely have to be in the mood to read it.

Gifted and Talented is exactly what you’d expect from Olivie Blake—sharp, unconventional, and infused with her signature blend of wit, existential dread, and deep emotional undercurrents.

Told through layered perspectives and inner monologues that teeter between brilliant and unhinged, the story peels back the glossy veneer of “gifted” education to reveal something far more human and messy underneath. It’s biting, self-aware, and oddly addictive—satire wrapped in angst, delivered with Blake’s usual flair for capturing the absurdities of intellect and identity.

Though brief, the story is densely packed with clever observations and emotional gut punches. It’s not plot-heavy, but it doesn’t need to be. The real power lies in the voice, the tone, and the characters’ slow unraveling.

If you enjoyed The Atlas Six or just love fiction that dissects the human condition with both elegance and edge, Gifted and Talented is a smart, incisive read.

The narrator is as amazing switching seamlessly between the different family member.

I loved the style in which this was written with the ‘God’ narrator. Each member of the family was complex and written the depth. Sometimes multiple POVs can be challenging and you find yourself skimming through some to her get back to your favourite however this was not the case. Each family member has as intriguing and exciting to read I found myself constantly changing who was my favourite.

House of usher meets succession with some magic thrown in.

Thank you NetGalley and macmillan audio for the audio arc opinions my own.

Olivie Blake has a really identifiable writing style that is very common in all her books- this really isn't for everyone and if i didn't consume her books via audiobooks then i don't think they would be for me- that being said, i do listen to them via audio and i honestly love everything she writes. For me she does complex characters really well and her books hinge almost fully on the character dynamics and journeys they take.

This particular story centres around grief and spoilt intellectuals and class divide. It gave me a lot of Fall of Usher vibes and the subtle magical system was really fun. I love stories that follow different character storylines that end up all coming together.
The narrator we find out later on in the story is hilarious and likeable- amongst some really unlikeable characters- however because we know they are part of the story fairly early on it gives the narrator unreliable qualities!

The audiobook for this was done extremely well.

I really enjoyed this book- it took me a little to get into it but when i did i found it incredibly binge-able and couldn't put it down

Olivie Blake is one of my favourite authors, so my expectations for this book were pretty high. I was not disappointed. If you loved her other books, you will also enjoy this one.

Gifted and Talented follows the Wren siblings, and the point of view moves between them. Blake once again created complex, messy, unlikeable and perfect characters that will now live rent-free in my head for the foreseeable future. This novel features dysfunctional adults, complex sibling dynamics, toxic ambition, the weight of parental expectations, the need for parental approval, and the drive to become better than one’s spiteful father. This all comes to the boiling point when Thayer Wren dies, and the Wren siblings are forced to face each other and their messy relationships.

It took me a few chapters to get fully immersed in this story, but after that, it was extremely hard to put down. I think adding Lou’s point of view was a brilliant move, as she is an outsider, but she’s close enough to the Wren family to know their secrets. I loved her style of narration.

Also, I listened to the audiobook of this novel and found it perfectly done. The narrator conveyed the sense of a luxurious and upper-class setting, as well as the loud, messy emotions the characters experience.

To sum up, I just loved this book.

This was such an interesting tale. The relationships between the siblings and the haunted and gothic nature of the setting reminded me of haunting on hill house with some magical realism that really made sense in this world. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me listen and review.

Olivie Blake is a genius.

This was another triumph of a novel with sibling rivalry at the heart. I loved the magical elements of this book and how it intertwined with the family relationships. They were wonderfully dysfunctional.

The book was so complex and all of the different story lines were so closely intertwined. Olive Blake never fails to create a brilliant character driven narrative.

Enjoying the paperback that I was kindly sent, but I couldn't get on with the audio version - the narrator just seemed wrong for the characters, in my opinion. Apologies! Book review coming soon via my blog.

A darkly entertaining, chaotic family drama with a sharp bite

It took me a few chapters to get into this one—there’s definitely a strange, almost disorienting start—but once I got my footing, Gifted & Talented had me absolutely hooked. Olivie Blake delivers an intense, sharply drawn family drama that reads like a reality show from another universe.

Arthur, Eilidh, and Meredith are three adult siblings who have just discovered their powerful magitech mogul father has died. What follows is a deliciously toxic unravelling of legacy, identity, and power. Each sibling is painfully entitled and deeply unlikable in their own right—with weird entourages and questionable choices—but it works. You can’t look away.

Meredith in particular is a venomous force, and watching her clash with her ex-boyfriend Jamie (who is hellbent on taking her down) adds to the tension. Arthur is making a mess of everything while desperately craving love, and Eilidh’s arc—possibly possessed?—was strange and compelling.

There’s a unique narrative voice throughout Lou ("God," the narrator and Meredith’s ex–best friend) that adds a layer of surrealism and wit. I did struggle a bit with the world-building: the magitech elements and the siblings’ abilities are never fully explained, and it left me feeling unmoored at times.

That said, this was a wild, clever, often darkly funny ride. If you like your fiction messy, dramatic, and just a bit bizarre, this one’s worth the trip.