The Gifts by Liz Hyder Blog Tour

 There's books that are written in a way that they manage to pull an array of emotions from you as you read and I just knew from the strap line of Liz Hyder's debut adult novel that this was going to be something extremely special . . . 

‘In an age defined by men, it will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are…

The Gifts by the YA Waterstones Book Prize winner is unique and haunting.

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 . . .

I was obsessed with this story from the opening pages.

This is already a contender for my favourite book of the year.

Told through five different perspectives. A tale that needed to be told, special, astonishing even. You need to read it to believe it.

Thrilling from the beginning.

A young woman walks alone and seemingly terrified, she's running through a forest in Shropshire in the dark of night when something unbelievable occurs: a ginormous pair of wings (that you would only see in your dreams)  begin to literally rip from her shoulders blades. Could this really be an angel? 

At the same time in London, rumours begin to circulate about a fallen angel in the Thames and a surgeon cultivates an idea in his mind that could see him finally making a name for himself and earning a small fortune in the process.

As more women begin to transform, finding themselves with these glorious wings, they become more of a curse than a blessing when the surgeon gets his hands on them.

Liz's writing is simply wonderful.

Short sharp chapters gave the story a real edge. I felt compelled to keep turning the pages. 

The various narrators each added an extra element of intrigue.

With a beautiful combination of magic and realism, everything lit up in my imagination. Each scene filled with a captivating tension.

It simply called to me.

I felt as though this was a book about so much more than the angels that continued to arise. This was a story about hope and hopelessness. It was an honest portrayal of human wants and desires. I was gripped by the under current of desperation, which in my opinion, all of the characters were feeling in some shape or form. 

Mesmerising.

The Gifts is quite simply stunning.

It is in itself a multi-layered gift that the more you read, the more it reveals. Dark and descriptive, I would almost go as far to say that it is quite gothic.

Powerful, both with its concept and its delivery. This is a story that was deeply satisfying to both my heart and soul.

Join the rest of the blog tour for more insights and reviews on the fascinating tale.