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Gifted
Four weeks ago she was a normal schoolgirl looking forward to the summer holidays. Now she's her family's only hope, with several lifetimes of experience in her memories and a dangerous battle ahead.
When sixteen-year-old Jessica's reclusive great-grandfather bequeaths her a haunted castle in the Welsh borderlands, she's thrust into a world of hostile strangers, troublesome Romany tenants, and a strange gift that shows her disjointed visions of the past. And that's only the start of it. She thinks she's going mad, until old family stories and the superstitious fears of locals convince her that something sinister really is going on at Kidd Castle, and all the while the gift keeps drawing her deeper into the secrets of her ancestors.
The only person who seems to understand what's happening to her is the young Romany street artist, Joe. In the face of deadly danger to them and their loved ones, Jessica and Joe must master the gift before the past imposes its terrible will on the present.
When sixteen-year-old Jessica's reclusive great-grandfather bequeaths her a haunted castle in the Welsh borderlands, she's thrust into a world of hostile strangers, troublesome Romany tenants, and a strange gift that shows her disjointed visions of the past. And that's only the start of it. She thinks she's going mad, until old family stories and the superstitious fears of locals convince her that something sinister really is going on at Kidd Castle, and all the while the gift keeps drawing her deeper into the secrets of her ancestors.
The only person who seems to understand what's happening to her is the young Romany street artist, Joe. In the face of deadly danger to them and their loved ones, Jessica and Joe must master the gift before the past imposes its terrible will on the present.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2014
2 people want to read
About the author
David Bridger
16 books28 followersDavid Bridger and his family settled with their two monstrous hounds in England's West Country after twenty years of ocean-based mischief, during which he worked as a lifeguard, a sailor, an intelligence gatherer and an investigator. He writes science fiction and fantasy novels.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 30, 2014
Review requested by the author.
Jessica’s peaceful post-exam summer is interrupted when she suddenly receives the news of her great-grandfather Peter passing away and bequeathing her a castle in the West Country. Stunned, she travels down with her grandparents only to be met with a property a lot grander and a much more hostile extended family than she could have ever expected. Not only that – she also begins to hear things. Things like ghosts whispering to her about the devastating secrets of the Kidd castle and the horrors her ancestors were involved in. While the haunting atmosphere may be too much for her grandparents, Jessica nevertheless chooses to save the Kidd castle from her relatives who want to redevelop the land and live in it – it is hers by virtue of her great-grandfather’s will, after all. However, very soon, she comes to a realisation that she isn’t the sole inhabitant of the property. What business does Diane Kell, a half-mad Romani, have in the area? And what are the motives of her nephew, Joe? Also – what is the net and why does it only seem to affect him and Jessica?
If one looks at the Kidd family as a whole, it becomes clear that Nick, Peter’s father, is the antagonist of the series. He manipulates the “net” – a source of magic that I don’t fully understand myself and that apparently runs in the Kidd family – to manipulate business deals, races and most of all, women in his family. Jessica, quite correctly, sees his actions as rape, when the net reveals the past to her, relative by relative. She is horrified and devastated by the revelations. Nick is followed by Peter, his son and arguably, the protagonist of the story. Peter has been emotionally manipulated by Nick for most of his youth and adolescence – so when he’s finally free, he swears to never use the net in fear of becoming a monster like Nick. However, that does not do him much good.
Peter’s story is closely intertwined with the story of his cousin Catherine – they have a mind-link, paralleling that of Jessica and Joe’s. I must warn those bothered by incest – Peter and Catherine do have a star-crossed relationship (Slight spoiler here, sorry!). Catherine is my favourite character – she is a smart and honourable junior editor turned writer turned WWII correspondent who loved her family more than anything. Which makes her story all the more tragic.
David is a friend and has kindly offered me a copy of “Gifted” for an impartial review. The book manages to compile a story of several generations of one family into 225 pages. Jessica’s ancestors are all complex characters and it is debatable as to who the villain of the story is. The ending makes it seem like it is the first book in a series, which would be really cool. The premise is rather promising and I would really like to learn more about the net and Peter’s science experiments with it. On the other hand, however, David did tie up quite a few loose ends so it is debatable as to how well the story of the Kidd castle would do as a dilogy or a trilogy. If more books are written on the subject, I won’t say no!
The first half of the book is admittedly hard to get into – mostly because of the large amount of characters and initial confusion as to the chapters’ POV. Most chapters are told from either Jessica’s or Peter’s POV, though there are several other ones. It became easier to differentiate as the book went on, though – David writes distinctive narratives really well. I do believe, however, that Jessica’s chapters could have been better in first-person point of view. That wasn’t a big thing, though, and I have enjoyed the book. My rating is 7.5/10
Jessica’s peaceful post-exam summer is interrupted when she suddenly receives the news of her great-grandfather Peter passing away and bequeathing her a castle in the West Country. Stunned, she travels down with her grandparents only to be met with a property a lot grander and a much more hostile extended family than she could have ever expected. Not only that – she also begins to hear things. Things like ghosts whispering to her about the devastating secrets of the Kidd castle and the horrors her ancestors were involved in. While the haunting atmosphere may be too much for her grandparents, Jessica nevertheless chooses to save the Kidd castle from her relatives who want to redevelop the land and live in it – it is hers by virtue of her great-grandfather’s will, after all. However, very soon, she comes to a realisation that she isn’t the sole inhabitant of the property. What business does Diane Kell, a half-mad Romani, have in the area? And what are the motives of her nephew, Joe? Also – what is the net and why does it only seem to affect him and Jessica?
If one looks at the Kidd family as a whole, it becomes clear that Nick, Peter’s father, is the antagonist of the series. He manipulates the “net” – a source of magic that I don’t fully understand myself and that apparently runs in the Kidd family – to manipulate business deals, races and most of all, women in his family. Jessica, quite correctly, sees his actions as rape, when the net reveals the past to her, relative by relative. She is horrified and devastated by the revelations. Nick is followed by Peter, his son and arguably, the protagonist of the story. Peter has been emotionally manipulated by Nick for most of his youth and adolescence – so when he’s finally free, he swears to never use the net in fear of becoming a monster like Nick. However, that does not do him much good.
Peter’s story is closely intertwined with the story of his cousin Catherine – they have a mind-link, paralleling that of Jessica and Joe’s. I must warn those bothered by incest – Peter and Catherine do have a star-crossed relationship (Slight spoiler here, sorry!). Catherine is my favourite character – she is a smart and honourable junior editor turned writer turned WWII correspondent who loved her family more than anything. Which makes her story all the more tragic.
David is a friend and has kindly offered me a copy of “Gifted” for an impartial review. The book manages to compile a story of several generations of one family into 225 pages. Jessica’s ancestors are all complex characters and it is debatable as to who the villain of the story is. The ending makes it seem like it is the first book in a series, which would be really cool. The premise is rather promising and I would really like to learn more about the net and Peter’s science experiments with it. On the other hand, however, David did tie up quite a few loose ends so it is debatable as to how well the story of the Kidd castle would do as a dilogy or a trilogy. If more books are written on the subject, I won’t say no!
The first half of the book is admittedly hard to get into – mostly because of the large amount of characters and initial confusion as to the chapters’ POV. Most chapters are told from either Jessica’s or Peter’s POV, though there are several other ones. It became easier to differentiate as the book went on, though – David writes distinctive narratives really well. I do believe, however, that Jessica’s chapters could have been better in first-person point of view. That wasn’t a big thing, though, and I have enjoyed the book. My rating is 7.5/10
May 15, 2014
A few weeks ago, Joss Whedon made movie news with the direct release to fandom of his Tribeca-premiered new movie, In Your Eyes. It had a cute meet between two quirky costars, Whedon’s trademark trope-juggling, and Sure Thing written all over it. Certainly the trailer sounds great—two kids from opposite sides of the country who are different in almost every way (except, of course, for being young, attractive, and white), who can see through each other’s eyes. How many places could you go with that premise, from criminal masterminds, to pushing boundaries of personal identity, to exploring the fun-sounding but possibly completely creepy reality of literally being in another’s head. No such luck. The only exploring they do is to view their by-the-books typecast supporting cast who Don’t Understand Them, followed by the obligatory mutual masturbation scene (betcha just didn’t see that coming…). These two are so completely wet that you could throw both against the wall and they would just make a squish sound as they oozed downward.
But here’s great news! Before you plunk down that $5.00 for 106 minutes you’ll never get back, you could save half and get David Bridger’s amazing new novel, Gifted, which explores the same premise. Only Bridger gets it right. Until the day her world changed completely, sixteen-year-old Jessica always felt she belonged in a mysterious castle she’d only seen in dreams and visions. Then she discovers that the grandfather she’d never met had in fact left her that very castle. In addition, she inherits the family gift – or is it a curse?—that lets her see through the eyes of past relatives. Firsthand, she experiences their emotions, the ways they’ve used their Gift for good, and the ways they’ve been corrupted by it. She learns that her gift, as well as her experiences, are shared by Joe, a young Romany artist. Increasingly, they become aware that there is a malevolent force also sharing their experiences.
Bridger weaves the story across time and generations, building a picture of the family but also a growing sense of the evil that corrupts them. The main character, Jessica, is an irresistible force. She’s brave, independent, irreverent,vulnerable, and fiercely protective of those she loves. As she and Joe inevitably draw closer through generations of shared experiences, she’s not blind to the frightening side of their Gift. The story of their growing relationship, as well as their increasing contact with the evil that shares their joint awareness, is a carefully drawn escalation. As the characters emerge through the family history, we see them grow, stumble, and often succumb to the evil that shares their Gift. But we also sense Jessica’s presence across time, her growing understanding of the enemy she faces, and the feisty, resilient spirit she brings to the equation.
My only complaint, and it’s a minor one, is that I wish the evil entity was less of a shadow. Bridger leaves us clues, but frankly this book had me racing through the pages so fast that I’m afraid I missed most of them. If you can make yourself set the tale down long enough to follow his breadcrumbs, you might see the ending as inevitable. And while I think it could have been stronger if we just had more glimpses of the villain, I enjoyed seeing the final confrontation play out.
So do yourself a favor. Forget about the big budget movie, and read Gifted. You’ll be glad you did.
But here’s great news! Before you plunk down that $5.00 for 106 minutes you’ll never get back, you could save half and get David Bridger’s amazing new novel, Gifted, which explores the same premise. Only Bridger gets it right. Until the day her world changed completely, sixteen-year-old Jessica always felt she belonged in a mysterious castle she’d only seen in dreams and visions. Then she discovers that the grandfather she’d never met had in fact left her that very castle. In addition, she inherits the family gift – or is it a curse?—that lets her see through the eyes of past relatives. Firsthand, she experiences their emotions, the ways they’ve used their Gift for good, and the ways they’ve been corrupted by it. She learns that her gift, as well as her experiences, are shared by Joe, a young Romany artist. Increasingly, they become aware that there is a malevolent force also sharing their experiences.
Bridger weaves the story across time and generations, building a picture of the family but also a growing sense of the evil that corrupts them. The main character, Jessica, is an irresistible force. She’s brave, independent, irreverent,vulnerable, and fiercely protective of those she loves. As she and Joe inevitably draw closer through generations of shared experiences, she’s not blind to the frightening side of their Gift. The story of their growing relationship, as well as their increasing contact with the evil that shares their joint awareness, is a carefully drawn escalation. As the characters emerge through the family history, we see them grow, stumble, and often succumb to the evil that shares their Gift. But we also sense Jessica’s presence across time, her growing understanding of the enemy she faces, and the feisty, resilient spirit she brings to the equation.
My only complaint, and it’s a minor one, is that I wish the evil entity was less of a shadow. Bridger leaves us clues, but frankly this book had me racing through the pages so fast that I’m afraid I missed most of them. If you can make yourself set the tale down long enough to follow his breadcrumbs, you might see the ending as inevitable. And while I think it could have been stronger if we just had more glimpses of the villain, I enjoyed seeing the final confrontation play out.
So do yourself a favor. Forget about the big budget movie, and read Gifted. You’ll be glad you did.
July 8, 2015
Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over
David Bridger is a very talented author whom I had the luck to encounter when he was just starting out. Since then, I have picked up most if not all of his titles, though I haven’t always had the chance to read them yet. Such was the case with Gifted, which waited patiently until now, so imagine my surprise when it felt very familiar. I originally thought it was a new book set in a world known to me, but then realized it was a reboot of an older book.
I’ve never read a reboot in book form before (though it happens with movies all the time) and found the process rather fascinating. The main characters in the modern timeline are new and different in so many ways while the older characters in the other timelines have only minor changes, at least based on my memory of The Weaverfields Heir, read a handful of years ago or more.
Gifted is a strong book that stands alone. At the same time, for those who read the first version, I can say that I, who does not tend to reread books, enjoyed this version a lot. The strength of the world with its characters having a connection to the fabric of the universe is still there. The way that power can warp perception is also there, preying on the good and evil in all of us. Also evident is the strength of purpose in Jessica when she takes on her newly discovered extended family while at the same time trying to find a way to help them.
This is a magical realism story in a lot of ways, though borrowing more from Romany culture than Latin American, but fundamentally it’s a people story. You get to visit the lives of many characters whose histories are planted on the net, as the connection is called, in all their glorious and hideous detail. Through three separate generations of net holders, Gifted explores the ways such power to control and manipulate can be used and misused, as well as what affect it has on the user. Jessica and Joe are the newest to the net, but they can learn from Nick, Peter, and Catherine both the beauties and the costs of their unusual inheritance.
The book includes cruelty, detailed sex scenes, betrayal, and consequences. It’s not a light read by any means. At the same time, Gifted explores the human psyche deeply both in moments of love and ones of madness. I’m glad I had the chance to experience this take on the earlier story. It’s powerful, unsettling, and thought provoking.
David Bridger is a very talented author whom I had the luck to encounter when he was just starting out. Since then, I have picked up most if not all of his titles, though I haven’t always had the chance to read them yet. Such was the case with Gifted, which waited patiently until now, so imagine my surprise when it felt very familiar. I originally thought it was a new book set in a world known to me, but then realized it was a reboot of an older book.
I’ve never read a reboot in book form before (though it happens with movies all the time) and found the process rather fascinating. The main characters in the modern timeline are new and different in so many ways while the older characters in the other timelines have only minor changes, at least based on my memory of The Weaverfields Heir, read a handful of years ago or more.
Gifted is a strong book that stands alone. At the same time, for those who read the first version, I can say that I, who does not tend to reread books, enjoyed this version a lot. The strength of the world with its characters having a connection to the fabric of the universe is still there. The way that power can warp perception is also there, preying on the good and evil in all of us. Also evident is the strength of purpose in Jessica when she takes on her newly discovered extended family while at the same time trying to find a way to help them.
This is a magical realism story in a lot of ways, though borrowing more from Romany culture than Latin American, but fundamentally it’s a people story. You get to visit the lives of many characters whose histories are planted on the net, as the connection is called, in all their glorious and hideous detail. Through three separate generations of net holders, Gifted explores the ways such power to control and manipulate can be used and misused, as well as what affect it has on the user. Jessica and Joe are the newest to the net, but they can learn from Nick, Peter, and Catherine both the beauties and the costs of their unusual inheritance.
The book includes cruelty, detailed sex scenes, betrayal, and consequences. It’s not a light read by any means. At the same time, Gifted explores the human psyche deeply both in moments of love and ones of madness. I’m glad I had the chance to experience this take on the earlier story. It’s powerful, unsettling, and thought provoking.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews