This book was not for me unfortunately. I understand that the characters are suppose to be unlikable and a mess but I had a really hard time caring about their story at all. The plot progression was incredibly slow for me. That being said, Olivie Blake is a great writer. The book was very dry in humor and straightforward mixed with incredibly vivid descriptions of things that one might struggle to put into words. So I can appreciate the talent behind the book and still not love the story. I also dont enjoy books with poly relationships. just a personal preference. DNF at 40%, I just couldn't do it sadly.

Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake is a novel that centers around the three children of a wealthy (and recently deceased) tech CEO, leaving the question of which child, if any, deserves to inherit the throne of his company.

I had a love/hate relationship with this novel. I'm an Olivie fan through and through, which is why I find myself a little torn with this review. Stylistically, this is right up my alley. I've always been a fan of the prose of Blake's novels. I loved the characters as well (in a "they all suck in some way but are enjoyable to dislike" kind of way), and found the relationships between them all quite engaging and fun to read.

Where I got lost? The shift in the narrative that seemed to happen when Arthur got focused on Riot, and when Lou would monologue about Monster. I found myself getting bored when their POV chapters would come up, because I had no interest in reading about the ideas of parenthood in a novel that I thought was meant to focused on a different family dynamic -- that between siblings.

It didn't affect my overall enjoyment *too* much, though. I think it's safe to say that I still had a fun time reading this book, and would recommend it to people who enjoy Olivie Blake's writing style.

I sadly only got a few pages into this one. The language content was immediately so heavy I couldn't focus on what else was being said, and the vibes didn't match what I gleaned from the synopsis. Not entirely surprising because Olivie Blake is hit or miss for me, but it's extra tragic because I adore this cover in every way.

4.5/5. I loved this! I'm curious to know how this books works for people who aren't fans of Succession because it is VERY Succession coded. I happen to be a huge fan of that show, so this worked incredibly well for me. I loved that certain aspects, like the patriarch and the structure, felt similar, but it really does stand well on its own.

All three of the main characters were so fascinating, and I'm so impressed with how all of their stories played out. I also really loved how the magic played into this. I think anyone looking for heavy fantasy is going to be disappointed, but it was the perfect amount of fantasy elements for me.

Olivie Blake's writing tends to be very flowery and skew a bit pretentious, so there were a few times where I had to go back and reread things to make sure I was understanding parts correctly. She's such a talented writer, though, that I can't say I minded. This also is for sure too long, but I was having such a good time that I wasn't too mad about that either.

I love how Olivie Blake's brain works and this was such a banger of a book for me!

Thayer Wren is the head of a massive tech company that pioneered a magical technology. When he dies, it leaves his three children to battle it out for control of the corporation: Meredith, CEO of her own rival company; Arthur, the politician who in spite of being elected to Congress was still a disappointment to his father; and Eilidh, a former ballerina who took a high-level position at her father’s company when her dancing career came to an abrupt end. Each of them has their own reasons for wanting the company – but each of them is also hiding a huge secret.

This novel is brilliantly, beautifully written, but if you can’t do unlikeable main characters, this is not the book for you – they're vividly rendered and distinct characters, but they are, in the accurate words of the pseudo-omniscient narrator, assholes. Also, if uncomfortable situations make you cringe too hard, this might be a hard read for you. Siblings they may be, but every interaction between Eilidh and either of the other two is uncomfortable. The magic system is kind of ill-defined - it’s largely just extreme high tech, but not entirely, as in the cases of Arthur and Eilidh. But I found that that didn’t really matter to the story much, since that really wasn’t what it was about. This is not a fantasy story. It’s more of a family drama with the inclusion of magical elements, which are sometimes very important and sometimes not.

It wasn’t always an easy read, but overall, it was fantastic. Five stars.

Representation: POC characters, LGBTQIA+ characters, neurodivergent characters(?)

CW: drug use, sexual content, eating disorder

this is such classic olivie blake - very very heavy on characters and vibes and a little less on plot. it's all the dramatics of rich people nonsense that screams succession, doubled up with a wild dose of magic that somehow just makes everything so chaotic in such a good way. this whole cast of characters is so delightfully complex and messy and kind of awful, which is exactly my favorite flavor of character to read about. you spend the entire time cackling at all of the absolutely wild twists and turns these idiots (affectionate) create for themselves. also as a lawyer i fear i got way too much entertainment about a couple of deeply snarky paragraphs about the legal profession.

Sometimes I find it hard to believe that the same person who wrote Atlas Six wrote…Everything else Olivie Blake has given us.

Obviously I did not care for Atlas Six, but got into Blake’s work via her stellar contribution to the These Hallowed Halls collection and later her own short story collection, Januaries. Like her story from the Hallowed Halls collection and some of her other work, this book deals with technomancy, a breed of fantasy that I don’t typically like but seem to love when it comes from Blake.

Think of it as a less nasty version of Succession with a very light-touch inclusion of a techno-magical system. To me this is a better version of the Succession model not because it has a fantasy element, but because Blake has done such a good job of humanizing her characters. They’re more tragically flawed than truly unlikable, which makes their story a lot easier to invest in even when they’re behaving badly.

The book is definitely too long, and that did detract a bit from my enjoyment of it. That said, the best part of it is that it is deeply funny, and that never wavers throughout the lengthy telling. It works as a family saga, as a dark comedy, and as a redemption story, even if as a fantasy it leaves a bit on the table. In all, a longer slog than it needed to be, but an enjoyable and sharply written and imagined tale.

i really enjoyed so much about this book at first — the fun writing style, the unique choice of narration, the unlikable characters — but as the book progressed,, i wanted more from it.

Another Olivie hit!! I had been anticipating this book for some time and am so grateful to have gotten an early look into the story. I love a good sibling rivalry and mix it in with some dangerous abilities! This was a funs story

Olivie Blake's "Gifted & Talented" presents a darkly humorous and wildly disordered family saga with a distinctly sharp edge.

While the initial chapters required a period of adjustment – featuring a notably peculiar and almost disorienting introduction – once I found my footing, I became thoroughly engrossed in the narrative. Blake delivers an intense and keenly observed family drama that unfolds with the compelling intrigue of a reality show originating from an alternate reality.

Arthur, Eilidh, and Meredith, a trio of adult siblings, find their lives upended by the sudden demise of their powerful magitech magnate father. What ensues is a deliciously corrosive unraveling of inheritance, selfhood, and authority. Each sibling embodies a painful sense of entitlement and a profound unlikability in their own unique way, complete with bizarre entourages and dubious decisions – yet, paradoxically, this works. The narrative possesses an irresistible pull.

Meredith, in particular, emerges as a formidable and venomous presence, and the dynamic tension of her clashes with her determined ex-boyfriend, Jamie, who is intent on her downfall, further intensifies the drama. Arthur navigates a series of blunders while desperately yearning for affection, and Eilidh's narrative arc – hinting at possible possession – proves both strange and captivating.

The unique narrative voice of Lou ("God," the narrator and Meredith’s former closest confidante) injects a layer of surrealism and sharp wit throughout the story. I did encounter some minor challenges with the world-building; the intricacies of the magitech elements and the siblings' specific abilities remain somewhat nebulous, occasionally leaving me feeling adrift.

Nevertheless, this proved to be a chaotic, clever, and frequently darkly amusing journey. Readers who appreciate their fiction to be messy, dramatic, and possess a touch of the bizarre will find this novel a worthwhile and engaging experience.

This book follows three siblings who have just found out that their father, Thayer Wren the CEO of Wrenfare Magitech, has passed away. Who is going to inherit the company? We have Meredith, the eldest child, who is incredibly driven and a bit of a hard ass. She has developed tech, Chirp, to help make people happy. However, not all, it seems, as her ex-boyfriend Jamie pops up ready to expose her for using her telepathic abilities in her trials for Chirp. Next, we have middle child, Arthur, the second-youngest congressman in history, but he is currently losing his re-election, and he is in a relationship with two others while being married. Finally, there is Eilidh, a former dancer, and the only sibling who currently works at Wrenfare Magitech. The story follows the three siblings as they reunite at their father's home, waiting for the will to be read to find out which one of the siblings is Thayer's favorite, or is that the case?

I would rate this book a 3.5 - maybe a 4. I just thought it was too damn long. It took me a while to get through it as Olivie Blake is excellent at writing deep characters, but I needed more sabotage and toxic behavior from these siblings making a crazy plot. Instead they were just waiting around for the will to be read. I think the first part of the book was the strength - delving into these characters' lives and back stories, it felt Sucession-like. I think this may be some of her best character work yet - I was so invested in learning more about these characters, especially the Meredith/Jamie plot line.

What I didn't like was the weird shift into parenthood and redemption arcs - I was enjoying the toxic vibes lol I think the book should have been trimmed a bit as we read over 500 pages just to see the answer of the will and things to happen in a flash. I think if it were edited more, it would have been a much sharper read. Not to say I didn't enjoy it, just at times I found my eyes glazing over and wanting to skip ahead.

I read through the entire Atlas Trilogy, and know that Olive Blake focuses her story on her character-work, so the premise of this one is what really drew me in. Unfortunately, Olive Blake seems to have a specific type of character she likes to write, and she bases all of her characters on this archetype, which made this book a miss for me..

Gifted and Talented follows three siblings, navigating their father's death- each interested in it for their own reasons. This book starts with snippets from each of their lives to give us an idea of who they are, and we spend the rest of the book learning why they are the way they are. Even though I was intrigued by the fallout of the death, as well as the other side characters, I just couldn't find myself to care about these characters. Olive Blake has a specific type of reader that is drawn to her, and after reading this book, I can understand that this reader is not me. I am not someone who can root for a character, if they are so morally-grey that 1. I don't think there is a way for them to redeem themselves and I don't care about the actions of the character because they are not someone I can root for.

For example, Meredith in this book is the head of a company that we learn the truth about very shortly into the book. Her ex-boyfriend lets her know that he knows the truth and plans to release it via a journal article. Once I found the truth out about this, I quickly disregarded Meredith in my head as a redeemable character, as her actions for building her big corporation taking advantage of others were aspects that I could not come back from as a character. In addition, her brother has a very interesting dynamic, with two others that be is in a bit of a throuple with, and I wasn't interested in this characters motivations so much as their backstory.

At the end of the day, I didn't need reasons to support bad characters. I can totally understand how this book appeals to people, but I am not that person.

4.5/5
This is my first Olivie Blake book and it did not dissapoint! I've been a fan for a long time because of her fanfiction background but this book was great. If you like people watching, drama, or reality tv- this book feels like that. We are introduced to three siblings (who have all of their own issues) as they find out that their millionaire and CEO father has died. Now they have to be in the same house for the first time in a long time and figure things out. Oh and of course there's magic! I laughed out loud several times while reading this book. There is something wonderfully absurdist about the relationships and situations that each character finds themselves in. I personally loved Eilidh. If you were ever considered exceptionally gifted and/or talented as a child, and have found yourself perfectly average as an adult- this book will feel like being seen for the first time. If you've ever dealt with the death of a central family member that required the chaotic family reunion- you know how emotional and ridiculous it can be. This book walks the line of emotional and humorus by tackling some tough topics in an entertaining way.

One of my favorites of Olivie Blake yet! I loved how strong the dialogue was throughout– very reminiscent of "Succession". The family and character dynamics explored in this book were incredibly done. This was definitely character forward and I am not mad about it. This was more literary than I was expecting and it really worked for me. I feel like I will be unpacking this book for a long time and cannot recommend it enough!

All I can say is... Olivia NEVER DISAPPOINTS. This book came at the perfect time to get me out of a reading slump and I couldn't be more grateful!

Family, fortune and magic?
Upon the sudden death of their father, Thayer Wren, siblings Meredith, Arthur and Eilidh Wren all gather to figure out which of the three power-hungry, dysfunctional sibling will inherit Wrenfare Magitech.

Gifted & Talented by Olivia Blake

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.25/5

Whew, buddy! I just earned a degree in vocabulary after that one. I swear I highlighted like 100 different words to look up on my Kindle haha 😂 I do love a book that makes me think, and this one definitely did. I have been an Olivie fan since her fanfic days, so I am always down to support her books. She never disappoints! Gifted & Talented is no different.

“There’s no quota on the love you can lose. No quota, either, on the love you can share. Earned or not.”

There were a lot of things I really enjoyed about this book. It’s so different from what I typically read. I especially enjoyed the narrator. From the beginning, it’s clear that someone is narrating this from an omniscient yet biased perspective. I believe it’s called “voice of God” narration. It was super cool. I’ve never read a book narrated like this, and it was so intriguing. I loved finding out later in the book who the narrator was 👀. It added a whole new layer of complexity to an already super complex story.

“If one politician can hold a government hostage, then yeah, one should be good enough to fix it, too.”

The Wrens are such an interesting family to read about. They’re those people that you love to hate. They are all very much assholes but in a lovable way?? And actually pretty relatable. As a former gifted child myself, I was actually really able to relate to Meredith. I completely understand the pressure of growing up being told you’re a “genius” and that you’re going to do amazing things in life just to become an adult and immediately feel washed up (even though you’re only 26) and like you aren’t contributing to society at all. I fully understand why Meredith did what she did. I think I understood her character more than any of the others. I loved seeing her finally take accountability and start mending the relationships that mattered to her. It’s easy to isolate yourself and become an emotional terrorist when you’ve grown up with a shitty parent.

“But hey, a bad dad is a bad dad.”

I also really liked Eilidh. As an eldest daughter, I couldn’t fully relate to her in the way I could Meredith, but I do relate to her struggle with an injury that derails your entire life plan. Having been there myself recently, I, too, feel like an apocalypse demon occasionally lives in my chest. Her character development in the end was stunning, and I’m so proud of her (like I wrote her myself psht, I very much did not). Arthur, too. I related to him least but still love how his story ended (good for you, Gillian!).

The cast of side characters in this is phenomenal. If you can even call them side characters. Gillian, Yves, Cass, Jamie, Dhzuliya, Lou, Monster. I loved them all (except little miss PVDM, she can go kick rocks). They made the story what it is. I can confidently say the Wrens collective character growth can almost entirely be attributed to them, but that’s just a great example of how the people who love us inspire us to be better people.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. However, it is not one that you could sit down and read in one sitting. You really have to focus and pay attention, or you’ll miss something. It’s better digested in small doses at a time. I also switched back and forth between my Kindle and the audiobook and really enjoyed reading it that way. The audio narrator is fantastic and gave a great voice to the story that added yet another layer of complexity.

“Dummies, every single one of us. The gifted ones most of all.”

Yeah, that quote about sums up exactly how I feel as a person. I like to think of myself as less of an asshole than the Wrens, but it’s a great reminder that we can always be growing and learning and adapting into the best versions of ourselves.

I would recommend this book to lit fic or magical realism fans and also to the gifted kid burnout girlies. Unfortunately, you will probably see yourself in one or more of these characters, but I think it’s good to look in the mirror every now and then.

Thank you to NetGalley, Olivie Blake, and Tor Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions stated are my own.

DNF at 25%. I requested the audiobook after I DNF'd, thinking I could get through it by listening. But after reading a handful of reviews, I think it would be a very unwise use of my reading time to continue on with an 18+ hour book that I'm VERY much not enjoying. This is my 4th Olivie Blake book. I did enjoy The Atlas Six, but the others were a STRUGGLE. All that to say, I just don't think O.B. is the author for me.

THE COVER IS STUNNING. I've never seen a more eye-catching, beautiful cover as this one. If only the book were as good as that cover!

All of the BIG words she uses in her story, completely distract from what she's actually trying to say. It's like she grabbed a thesaurus and substituted every normal word she possibly could. I don't find that writing style unique or enjoyable. It seems as if she so consumed with writing lyrical and brilliant prose that she forgot about the actual story itself. I've never read more boring or unlikeable characters. The book used a ton of words, but never actually said a thing.

I do NOT DNF books lightly. Rarely, do I do it. So it pains me very much to do it now. I think this is my break-up book with Olivie. I don't think we were meant to be.

Thank you to Tor for the e-Arc

Let’s start with the good: Olivie Blake is objectively a talented writer. Her prose is beautiful, and she doesn’t shy away from tackling complex themes—politics, nepotism, racism, how siblings experience different versions of the same parents, and the public perception of billionaires. There are plenty of thoughtful moments and social commentary woven throughout.
But that wasn’t enough to save the experience for me. The plot felt almost nonexistent, and I couldn’t connect with any of the main characters. Ironically, the two I did care about weren’t even part of the central trio. The characters I liked most were Gillian (Arthur’s wife) and Yves (Arthur’s boyfriend). I wanted more of their stories, but even then, it felt like I didn’t get enough depth, especially with Gillian.

And somewhere around the halfway point, the story shifted focus more toward parenthood, which lost my interest even further.
I kept picking up other things, putting it down, doing anything to avoid coming back to this book. It just drained me.

The magic elements drew me in at first but then they were never explained at all.
And the big ‘surprise’ at the end I guessed at about half way.

I switched from the e-arc to the audio after I only got through 40% in two weeks, I do think I would have enjoyed it more if I’d listened to the whole thing that way, the story felt slightly more engaging in audio, but ultimately, I just didn’t enjoy it.


Books I have read by Olivia Blake:
Alone with you in the Ether - 5 stars
The Atlas Six - 3.75 stars
Masters of Death - 4 stars
Gifted and Talented -2.5 stars

Dysfunctional with a capital D. That is how to categorize the Wren family. When their billionaire father passes away, his three children- Meredith, Arthur, and Eilidh- fight to see who will inherit his company and the family legacy. What's so special about the Wren children? That they are each prenaturally gifted with superpowers, of course.

This book isn't Blake's typical fantasy, but readers won't be disappointed as it still has magical elements and ties. It's incredibly character driven, but it's also so sharp and witty and entertaining. Don't get me wrong - it's long at almost 500 pages and incredibly complex so pay attention!!- but there were Succession vibes a plenty, and I was here for all of it.

Older sister and CEO of an app that forcres you to be happy, Meredith was my favourite character by far. She was bossy and mean and oh so fascinating. An incredibly unlikeable character that somehow you love, if that makes any sense. This was my weekend read and despite the length, once I sat down and immersed myself in it, I couldn't put it down!