My Thoughts
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the prologue I just knew that this story was going to amazing.

The cruelty that Chiara had inflicted on her from her own mother at such a young age broke my heart.
Then as the years passed she had the same every single day from another cruel master.

I devoured this book, it was like all my Fantasy/Romantasy dreams came true.
It was everything you wish every book was like and MORE.

It had war, politics, royalty, heartbreak, betrayal and my all time favourite love.

I desperately need a sequel to this book.
I’m shocked that this is a debut.

The Gifted is an engaging story with an intriguing premise and a well-developed magical element. Katie Galvin’s writing draws you in, and the characters have depth, making their journey compelling. However, the pacing can feel uneven at times, and some plot points could have been explored further. Despite this, the book offers a solid mix of adventure and mystery, making it an enjoyable read for fans of supernatural tales.

Not a bad book, just not great either. I feel like it's a bit of a cookie cutter fantasy novel. Nothing was surprising. The writing was pretty good, but the plot could've been more interesting. Appreciated the badass female vibes, but again, could've been better. Enjoyable enough, but doesn't feel like it was quite ready to be published, yet it was.

An interesting synopsis, but I was hestitant because I didn't love the cover.
The plot lines were interesting, and Katie's writing is good, but it took me a while to get through it, especially the beginning.
I'm sure some people would love this, and I would recommend it if anyone was looking for a read with this vibe. I personally didnt love it, but that had nothing to do with the 'quality' of the book.
If Katie ever came out with new work, I would definitely give it a chance, as I did enjoy her way with words.

A new romantic fantasy for fans of Sarah J Maas and Jennifer Armentrout who are looking for a filler novel between new book releases. Fairly predictable but fans of the genre will still enjoy.

I liked the classic tropes, kids with abilities, love triangle. I liked how the FMC wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. There are some TW to know about/look up. I prefer more world building in my fantasy. The MMC was the best though.

I'll be honest, I struggled a lot with the beginning of this book. I was tempted to DNF because it was pretty confusing at first, but I managed to push through eventually. Unfortunately it wasn't really my cup of tea, even though I love a good love triangle, but there was instalove which I'm not a fan of, and it wasn't exactly dark romantasy either. Some characters lacked the depth that could've made this story so much better.

A really enjoyable read if you enjoy morally grey characters and fantastical worlds. This was a very fun read.

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.