I really am so thrilled to be part of the blog tour for The Gifts by Liz Hyder today. Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, NetGalley and Liz Hyder for the ARC to join in.
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 the astonishing debut adult novel from the lauded author of BEARMOUTH. A gripping and ambitious book told through several female voices and set against the luminous backdrop of nineteenth century London, it explores science, nature and religion, enlightenment, the knife-edge roles of women in society and the dark danger of ambition.
You know when you see a book and know you NEED to read that book? Thats exactly how I felt with this one. The cover caught my eye and the blurb made me know this was a must read. Liz Hyder’s debut adult novel and one that I didn’t expect to grab me in the way it did.
A book that is a blend of several genres, historical fiction, literary fiction, mystery and a dash of fantasy. Set in the mid nineteenth century and dealing with themes of grief, love, religion and women. The story shows us how women of this time, were allowed to be ruled by overbearing and greedy males.
Told in a unique way from the multiple perspectives of four women and one male doctor who is ambitious and prepared to do anything to get where he wants to be in life. As I followed these characters stories, Liz Hyder wove each character strand together so smoothly with the unfolding of the story. We see the women grow their wings metaphorically and literally throughout the book. I love strong women and these are shining examples of women who would not let the laws, beliefs or ideas of the day stop them at all.
Such an emotional rollercoaster of a read. Written in a way that had me reading one more chapter before I put it down. The originality shown in the writing of this unique and interesting book, shows the skill that this debut author has. I shall be eagerly waiting for her next book!
Purchase Link – https://loom.ly/HMM25ks
Author Bio
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.
Social Media Links
Twitter https://twitter.com/LondonBessie
Website https://www.lizhyder.co.uk/
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 