I enjoyed the concept of this book and saw the potential for it to be amazing introduction to the series. But I found it a bit to slower paced than the usual books I read so found it hard to stay focused on the book.

The main character is likeable and you can feel yourself routing for her. Maybe if it was a bit faster paced I could have loved it.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the EBook as an ARC

I really enjoyed this book , and i look forward to getting a special edition of it .

This one fell short in my expectations. I didn't feel like it was dark romantasy, and the instalove was really just jarring. Did not make it all the way through, dnfed at 40%

You know that moment when you pick up a book expecting a fun, magical ride, and then it totally sweeps you off your feet? That’s The Gifted by Katie Galvin for you! This enchanting YA fantasy is like curling up with your favourite comfort food - warm, exciting, and oh-so-satisfying.

The story follows Callie, an ordinary (or so she thinks!) teen who discovers she has a rare magical ability that makes her a target for a secretive, power-hungry society. Enter her band of equally gifted misfits - there’s Liam, the sarcastic bad boy with a heart of gold and Tess, the brainy strategist who steals pretty much every scene she’s in. Together, they must unravel Callie’s true powers and take down the bad guys before everything goes up in magical flames.

Galvin’s writing sparkles with wit and charm. Lines like, “Sometimes, the greatest gift is finding people who see the real you,” hit you right in the feels while still keeping it fun.

I loved how the book balances high-stakes adventure with lighthearted humour. Callie’s awkward attempts to control her powers (think exploding teapots and accidental levitation) had me laughing out loud, while the blossoming friendships and a pinch of romance added so much heart.

If I had one critique, it’s that the villain could have used a bit more depth. But honestly? The quirky cast and fast-paced plot more than made up for it.

Whether you’re a die-hard fantasy fan or just looking for a feel-good read, The Gifted is a magical gem.

**Rating: 4.5/5 stars**
Pure fun, with just the right amount of heart and heroics. I’m already itching for a sequel!

I must admit there are some inconsequences in the storyline, however if you are able to look past those this story is really awesome! It is not for the soft hearted due to triggers as child abuse, death and violence, but the storyline itself is really good. There is a small love triangle in this story, however it didn't overrule the main storyline at all.

Katie Galvin has a smooth writing style making this book an easy read. I really loved Chiara as a main character. In addition, she managed to balance the amount of side characters and only highlighted those who are truly important like Cassie and the princes. Even though the romance is your ordinary fantasy romance, so not really unique, it is a nice add to the story.

This book is full of twists. Some are a bit predictable, but others really blew me away. All these twists made sure the storyline kept being exciting and I really loved that. Because some of the plotholes, I give this book a 4 star rating.

ORIGINAL REVIEW POSTED ON https://boekensteeg.wordpress.com

This story has all the elements that make a “romantasy” so captivating. The twists were relentless, and just when I thought I had everything figured out, the story hit me with something I never saw coming. I couldn’t put it down, and now that it’s over, I’m left wanting more. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a mix of romance, power, and those unexpected turns that make you gasp.

A different spin on how the gods played with the humans to please themselves. This young woman was "gifted" the ability to kill at will, not what I would call a gift. When much younger, her mother sold her and her sister to a king that uses her gift to keep his people in line. He uses her sister to keep her following his orders. Amazingly, she has used her gift only when forced. Her resistance to indiscriminate killing has captured the attention of several who would use her for their own gain.
The book starts slow, building the story line and adding the characters within the community that will see sides being chosen and war being fought. As she matures, the tension ramps and the world building opens the way to her choosing the way and saving her sister. Targeted at middle school and younger teens, the story does keep the characters engaged and the choices they make moving them towards saving their world.

I was a little hesitant about this book. There are a lot of things I like in books, but there are also a few things I rarely like. And one of those things is heroines who are mostly focussing on fighting, especially in armies and with swords. However, the summary did make me curious. Luckily I got a chance to grab a review copy via Netgalley. I'm really happy One More Chapter invited me to read and review this book.

Let me start this review with something positive. The writing was lovely. Although the book is not very short, it was an easy and fast read. I also never got the chance to get bored. There's constantly something going on. We're constantly thrown into new situations and we constantly meet new people and characters. I also quite liked the magic system, where people's gifts were literally gifted by the Gods and each set of gifts came with its own restrictions and limits.

My main issue with this book, though, is that it was all quite chaotic. That's firstly because the heroine is never really in control of her life and actions. Everything is determined for her. Where she goes, what she does, who she helps and who she hates. She's always reacting instead of acting and the times she does act it's impulsive, without much thought or tactic. By the end of the book the mythology and magic also went completely out of control. It was hard to follow and harder to understand.

I'm also not entirely sure what I think about the love triangle and the two love interests in this book. I of course don't wanna give away too many spoilers, but it was hard to root for any of them. They each came with a few too many red flags and, once more, our heroine never seemed to be in any sort of control when it came to these two guys. Although I'm in a way quite curious how the story continues, I don't think I will pick the sequel up.

Sensational! I absolutely loved this book. I loved the suspense, the twists and turns where you do not know what is going to happen next. My favourite part of the book would have to be the connection between Chiara and Callum as it made the book for me. The ending made me desperately want to read more. I cannot wait for book 2!!!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to romantasy lovers and those who loved the Shatter Me series

Thank you Net Galley, the publisher, and Katie Galvin for allowing me to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A dark and intense fantasy with a very original concept of the gods and the gifts they bestow. Whilst I was slow to get into this story once I was into it I really got pulled in. I found Chiara to be a very understandable and realistic character, someone that that has experienced a lot of trauma and is changed by it and is somewhat brutal with her honesty to herself even when it hurts.

I also really liked that although the synopsis alludes to a potential love triangle it didn't feel heavy handed insta love like you see in many YA books instead I could definitely see it as infatuation with the potential to be more which was more fitting with the story. This is a big plus for me as I often feel that YA books lose a lot of plot development to the potential love story.

I think my only particular criticism would be that whilst the beginning was a little slow the last 40% felt very quick. I understand that this was probably to give time to base world building and to underpinning the characters and back story. Overall though I felt that the first journey was rather long and built up and then we flew through what to me could/would have been the main quest journey in a few chapters and didn't spend enough time on that element (which also could be said of the very end). Although that could just be because I enjoyed that part of the book the most and therefore wouldn't have minded if it was longer.

I would definitely say this is not for anyone on the young side of young adult and if you have particular things regarding violence that you choose not to read I would definitely check the trigger warnings and maybe some spoilers to make sure you will be comfortable. Whilst I don't remember there being explicit detail there is enough alluded to or bluntly phrased that you should be prepared.

I read an arc of this book through netgalley

Chiara is Gifted, with powers from the God of Death. She performs unspeakable acts on behalf of the King in order to keep her sister safe, It all sounds fantastic, but actually I found it difficult to get through. Its an easy read, but there is some world building missing and I wasn't particularly sold on either of the romances. Overall, the book was just ok.

Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy for review.

I was super excited to dive into this book, as this one is a speculated book box choice for december, and it was such a nice surprise to have an arc gifted by one more chapter but sadly i had to dnf at 30%. This book really wasn't what i expected.

Beware, minor spoilers ahead.

I was promised dark fantasy with morally grey characters: the main character gifted by the god of death himself. but to say i'm disappointed, is an understatement. First and foremost, this book reads very ya, and not in a good way. The writing was very boring and even the most important things didn't have any emotion in them. Mostly things just happened, and a lot of things that probably should had caused some kind of reaction in the reader were just explained badly.

Also to have a such a morally grey main character, who supposedly only cares about her little sister, to basically have a crush on a prisoner from the first moment they see each other... i mean you get the point. very insta love, and not in a good way. even though i didn't read enough to see the actual romance happening, i know i wouldn't have liked it. and i have a very good guess who this mysterious prisoner from the enemy kingdom is.

The potential was there, the gods, gifts they give to people, but somehow after this everything just fell flat. I really didn't care at all about the main character, which made dnf:ing this so much easier. The characters didn't have any depth, and to say that the characters are morally grey and then have such black-and-white beliefs for them...

Thank you once again one more chapter and netgalley for the arc! i really hoped that i would enjoy this one.

This book is not one that wraps you up in a cozy blanket, hands you a cup of your favorite hot beverage, and tells you everything will be okay. It's one that ponders how far you can push someone, how much war and pain can destroy a person, and what happens when you face betrayal after betrayal.

There is a lot to this book. Was it always perfectly paced with everything well-laid out? No, but it also follows a fractured, damaged, pain-filled main character who has made sacrifice after sacrifice only to find out that none of it truly mattered. If dark, introspective books are not your thing, I definitely wouldn't pick up this book. However, if you're willing to take a moment to think about what abuse and trauma does to someone, it may be worth a read.

I'm curious to see how many of the twists I see coming in book 2, but I will say that despite guessing most of the twists, I enjoyed this book.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this title overall. I feel like it’s got a bit of an identity crisis for lack of a better term. The concept is good but it felt like the romance was rushed and just kind of thrown together? I’m unsure if maybe it was me being in the wrong mood though, so take that opinion with a grain of salt for sure.

I will say, love triangles are not my favorite trope so I’m a bit thrilled with it being used but the author does do a good job of making you unsure of who to root for at the end of the day which gives you a bit more of a thrill instead of automatically knowing the endgame.

As for the plot, I did feel like it was well done but there were just a few too many twists overall for my personal taste. Your mileage may vary though, so definitely make sure to form your own opinion in that regard.

Overall, I do think I will give book two a try when it comes out to see how it goes. It’s hard to really judge a series with a single book, especially when it comes to fantasy and debut authors.

Katie Galvin’s The Gifted completely caught me off guard in the best way possible. The story follows a group of teens with extraordinary abilities trying to navigate a world that fears them, and it’s as much about developing relationships, chemistry and self-discovery as it is about survival. There’s this amazing balance of high-stakes action and quieter moments where the characters really open up and grow. I loved the twists, They kept be both hooked and shook! A couple of side plots felt rushed, but the heart of the story and the emotional depth made it such a memorable read. If you’re into gripping adventures with plenty of heart, this one’s a must-read.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to One More Chapter for providing me with an advanced reader copy of *The Gifted*.

I was genuinely excited to dive into this book because its premise captivated me right from the start! Chiara, the main character, is intriguing; her morally grey and complex nature adds depth to her tragic journey. She has faced incredible hardships, yet her resilience in fighting for herself and her sister is truly inspiring.

That said, I did encounter some challenges while reading. I felt it would have been beneficial to have trigger warnings for sensitive content, such as child abuse and sexual assault. These themes were quite overwhelming for me, particularly the child abuse aspect, and I found myself needing to take breaks to process my feelings.

Overall, I appreciate the depth of the story and the emotional journey it offers, but I believe clearer guidance on sensitive topics would be invaluable for future readers.

#ARC #TheGifted #SensitiveContent #Resilience #Sisterhood"

What an interesting concept for a book!

This plot had so much potential and I'm excited to see what happens further along the lines of this book! While it felt rushed and the romance slightly out of place for the reading experience, I did enjoy it as a concept on the whole!

I think this is going to be a great series as the author continues to grow as a writer and develop the plot, setting, romances further along the lines. Book one felt both too slow in the beginning and then too fast by the end, almost like it was trying to cram in as much as we could right from the get go.

The concept of it all definitely kept me reading, so I'm excited to see where it goes from here!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

Thank you to Harper Collins and One More Chapter!

Let me start by saying I was looking forward to reading this and writing a review.

Sadly, I found myself struggling to read this. There were some consistency issues. For example, entering the ranks at 15 but captain by 13. In other parts of the book, it says she entered the ranks at 13. I think this book needs another round of edits to work on consistency.

I also really struggled with the lack of trigger warnings. For example, child abuse and SA are referenced. It was a bit much for me (especially the child abuse), so I had to put the book down and do something else for a bit. It was hard for me without any mental preparation or informed decision making.

Lastly, I couldn’t connect with the character, so I was detached from the story a lot.

Even though it wasn’t my favorite, I’m grateful for the opportunity to read an advance copy. Thanks again!

The Gifted is the first book in a series and is a morally dark romance. A story about a girl, Chiara, who is bound to the king to be captain in his army in order for the life of her 10 year old sister. She and her sister were sold by their mother to King Kane. While her mission with 2 princes, she learns betrayal and a hint of love. Also she learns more about herself.

It's a very dark story and if you love dark romance it's one you will have to read this one. And I'm curious about part 2.

I give it a 4-star read because I loved the writing by the author, I loved the story completely. It's my first official dark romance and I'm intrigued. I've read this one as an ARC, thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins and offcourse Katie Galvin herself!

This book is described as gripping, dark and with unexpected twists. I found it dull and predictable. I didn’t really like any of the characters, the FMC was just annoying, one of the MMCs was a drip throughout most of the book and his “twist” I saw a mile off, I didn’t mind the other MMC but he was so cliche it was ugh. The story itself had a lot of promise, I liked the stuff about the gods and the gifts they give, but you only hear about a couple and it’s incredibly repetitive.
I also found quite a lot of consistency issues, e.g. referencing a kiss that never happens from the previous chapter, or scenes where the FMC is pinned down and the next line she’s suddenly on top with no actual movement happening. Some of this seems like really obvious editing errors so I truly hope they’re addressed before release.

I also think this book is missing trigger warnings, there’s a lot of references to rape and abuse, including if children.

Overall I gave this book 2⭐️ and that is being generous. I thought the story itself has a lot of promise but the writing was repetitive and I was bored throughout.