Review: Gifted by J A George

Series: The Hayven #1

Title: Gifted by J A George

Author: J A George

Publisher: CreateSpace

Pages: 338

Date of Publication: May 11th, 2016

Rating: 5/5

My Review:

I didn’t want to put this book down – and I really need the next three books in this series asap, I want to know what happens! It was a riveting read with great characters, beautiful descriptive writing and a superb good v evil battle to be fought! It was easy to relate to the characters, especially the heroine, nineteen year old college student, Avery Gray (aka Ava).

One stormy afternoon, Ava was going to meet up with her best friend. She could feel someone watching her but only caught an indefinable glimpse of movement when she turned trying to substantiate that feeling. She risks taking a short cut to help her get out of the rain quicker – and away from her follower – but has no premonition of the consequences of this decision . . . she didn’t know she’d meet a local lady bookshop owner who had been attacked. She didn’t realise that lady would pass on an important message – and some very special gifts – to her that would change her life. She didn’t realise what would happen to the blood, that the lady would die and that Ava would now have a mystery to solve, new friends to make and a new world to save!

As Ava explores the new world she can access as a result of the old bookseller’s gifts she finds there are battles to be fought – but only after the enemies have been revealed. It is great to have an “ordinary” young lady as the heroine. Her interactions with her peers and others are believable and she is relatively independent, determined and strong willed. She is also caring, considerate and brave. What a great combination and a fantastic new fantasy series that I really look forward to reading more of!

This is the first book in this series and I found it enthralling. It has so many decisions being made with unforeseen consequences, new relationships being developed and plenty of action, mystery, paranormal powers and hints at romance. There are some hilarious moments in the story – for instance when Ava first starts hearing the thoughts of others (one of her powers) and considers if she’d going mad or not. I liked the range of gifts that the new people Ava meets in Hayven . . . makes you consider just what special gift you’d like to have for yourself! I recommend this to anyone (probably teens upwards) who enjoys well crafted fantasy adventures with plenty of well developed characters, an incredible plot and is packed with action, mystery and suspense.

Thanks to the author, publishers and YABBT, too, for letting me read this in exchange for my honest review. I understand the copy I read was the revised second edition of this novel.

Synopsis:

There is no chosen one in this story.

Avery Gray was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and happened to make a decision that altered her future forever. It happens to all of us every day.

Avery is a size twelve university student with a penchant for dry humour, and she’s as normal as they come. Up until now, the biggest choice she’s had to make was glasses or contacts? At the moment, it’s stay and save, or leave and be saved.

Allow me to explain. One rainy afternoon, Avery had to make a choice: go through the alleyway or around it. Two possible options. One would have had her future continue on as planned, the other would ensure that her future never remained the same again. She unknowingly went with the latter.

But change is not always bad. Avery meets Theodore-James Connors, an enigmatic young man who takes her to Hayven, a city separated from the rest of the world, where only gifters – ordinary people with extra-ordinary gifts – can go. She soon finds herself in a close-knit group of friends she’d never have imagined herself in. Friends who are diverse in every possible way, from their ethnic backgrounds, to their personalities, from their gifts, to their life stories. Friends who make her laugh, who make her cry, who make her think and who make her…her.

However, change is not always good. The beautiful, golden city of Hayven has its dark side – Cliders. Gifters turned rogue, aka, Cliders are determined to aid fallen Clider, Madrina, return to rule Hayven. They will stop at nothing to make that happen, including harming those Ava has grown to love.

Again, Ava is faced with a choice: spend her days finding a way to inhibit Madrina’s return, or walk away. After all, she isn’t the chosen one. Yet, there exists a third option – rig the future itself and make it work for her.

This book is available from a variety of sources including

amazon.co.uk           amazon.com

Again, many thanks to YABBT for gifting me an ecopy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.