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Our Wicked Gifts: Eine mächtige Familie. Ein teuflischer Pakt. Ein mörderischer Feind: YA Fantasy Thriller voller dunkler Geheimnisse
Eine skrupellose Milliardärsfamilie. Ein teuflischer Pakt. Eine aussichtslose Liebe. – Ein unvergesslicher Dark Fantasy Thriller für alle ab 14
Reichtum, Schönheit und grenzenlose Macht. Die Familie Winters ist die unangefochtene Elite. Doch hinter ihrer glänzenden Fassade ruht eine düstere Jedes Familienmitglied verfügt über eine einzigartige Gabe, erkauft durch einen grausamen Pakt mit dem Teufel. Cicely, das schwarze Schaf der Familie, sieht die Geheimnisse ihrer Mitmenschen.
Als ihr Onkel auf einem Maskenball brutal ermordet wird, zerbricht die Illusion der Unantastbarkeit. Die Winters werden gejagt, und Cicelys Gabe ist plötzlich ihre letzte Überlebenschance. Der einzige Verdä Soren, der Junge, den die Familie in die Unterwelt verbannt hat. Der Junge, der tot sein sollte und jetzt zurück ist. Als Cicely bei ihren Ermittlungen Soren immer näher kommt, muss sie entscheiden, was mehr zä Familie und Macht – oder Liebe …
Düster, magisch, romantisch –Fantasy x Romance xMurder Mystery für Leser*innen ab 14Die Intrigen einer mächtigen Familien treffen auf eine verbotene, tödliche LiebeMit den beliebten Tropes Morally Grey Characters, Strong FMC, Forbidden Love und Toxic Family Für alle Fans von »Succession«, »Ninth House« und »The Inheritance Games«
Reichtum, Schönheit und grenzenlose Macht. Die Familie Winters ist die unangefochtene Elite. Doch hinter ihrer glänzenden Fassade ruht eine düstere Jedes Familienmitglied verfügt über eine einzigartige Gabe, erkauft durch einen grausamen Pakt mit dem Teufel. Cicely, das schwarze Schaf der Familie, sieht die Geheimnisse ihrer Mitmenschen.
Als ihr Onkel auf einem Maskenball brutal ermordet wird, zerbricht die Illusion der Unantastbarkeit. Die Winters werden gejagt, und Cicelys Gabe ist plötzlich ihre letzte Überlebenschance. Der einzige Verdä Soren, der Junge, den die Familie in die Unterwelt verbannt hat. Der Junge, der tot sein sollte und jetzt zurück ist. Als Cicely bei ihren Ermittlungen Soren immer näher kommt, muss sie entscheiden, was mehr zä Familie und Macht – oder Liebe …
Düster, magisch, romantisch –Fantasy x Romance xMurder Mystery für Leser*innen ab 14Die Intrigen einer mächtigen Familien treffen auf eine verbotene, tödliche LiebeMit den beliebten Tropes Morally Grey Characters, Strong FMC, Forbidden Love und Toxic Family Für alle Fans von »Succession«, »Ninth House« und »The Inheritance Games«
495 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
July 6, 2026
A blend of paranormal romance, mystery, and thriller that left me slightly heartbroken, kind of confused, but also completely entertained by a villainous family.
October 17, 2026
Meh wish it was done better in the second half because the first half was good
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Morally gray, messy, magical, dysfunctional, wealthy families? Perhaps OBSCENELY wealthy families who sell their souls to the Devil in exchange for power? I’ll tackle that any day.
Our Wicked Gifts is a part horror-tinged fantasy, part mystery, and part ugly family drama. You’re never quite sure who you can trust … or if you’ll be sucked into the Ruin yourself.
Cicely has never fit in with the rest of the Winter family. Each member has a unique magical gift, but her ventures into the underworld to uncover secrets have never quite endeared her to the rest of them. And the divide between them grows much bigger after she hesitates to take out teenage Soren.
Four years later, her family members start dying in mysterious ways, and someone is trying to topple the Winter empire. Cicely thinks Soren is back and ready for revenge, but as she investigates, she starts pulling apart the threads of her entire family tree. She doesn’t know if she loves them, hates them, wants to lead them, or wants freedom. And she could be the next victim …
Cicely isn’t entirely likeable, and I loved her for that. She starts off a bit timid, feeling unsure of her stance in the family and desperately wanting approval & acceptance from her mom. As she uncovers more and more secrets and unravels the depths of her dark magic, she slowly builds her confidence. But the thing about mommy issues is that sometimes you end up seeing that toxicity form within yourself all the same. It’s also a little hard to feel grounded when you’re lured into a devilish underworld by secrets constantly - and if you don’t keep an insect conduit with you to burn up on your behalf and connect to home, you could be trapped for good.
The whole Winter family is absolute chaos, and I loved it. Allegra is the ULTIMATE horrifying Boy Mom. Powerful, controlling, perfect, and ready for her first born Felix to become the heir. Her brother Dorian is a slimy trophy hunter, and his wife Cynthia knows she’ll never be accepted, so she pushes everyone’s buttons. Cicely’s older brother Felix warps himself for everyone else’s dreams. He’s manipulative and acts like your typical privileged wealthy hot boy, but internally, he’s struggling to figure himself out. Younger sister Octavia is stunning, sensitive, and way too perceptive. Cousins Sebastian and Melissa are black sheep of their own: Sebastian puts everything into his paintings, and Melissa is deep in her alternative phase.
Soren is an interesting character, too. I think his death scene does him a little dirty (what regular teenager would be throwing clever retorts when they’re seconds from being murdered?), but we slowly see him come to life. He’s struggling between a desire for vengeance and a desire for connection.
Every character - in their own way - is hunting for love and safety. And as toxic as the Winter family is, they’re also the only ones these young adults have. They’re the devils they know, and there’s fear involved if you shrug off your safety blanket and run off into the greater world. But if they stay in this dysfunction, they have to slowly learn the rules of the ultra rich: the constant politics they play and how they use their money to control others. Every time Cicely faces a new challenge, she thumbs through her deck of other family members’ manipulation tactics.
The pacing was mostly very good. I do think there’s some repetition in conversations and Cicely’s inner thoughts that could have been trimmed to keep the mystery chugging along, but I never wanted to put this down. I also think the mystery was well done: it genuinely felt like the perpetrator could have been EVERYONE. This was a well-crafted setup with motive and means for everyone, as well as some fun twists & turns & red herrings. The twists were surprising, but also earned, and each change up had foreshadowing and clues to back it up.
It’s a great blend of murder, dark magic, parental manipulation, billionaire families imploding, and even a bit of forbidden romance. It’s a little bit cathartic! I liked the ending a lot, and the door was also left open for a sequel (which I would totally devour). But this is absolutely a complete standalone story!
CW: death, murder, body horror, emotional abuse, violence, gaslighting, animal cruelty, sexual assault, pedophilia
Follow me on social media for book recommendations!
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Our Wicked Gifts is a part horror-tinged fantasy, part mystery, and part ugly family drama. You’re never quite sure who you can trust … or if you’ll be sucked into the Ruin yourself.
Cicely has never fit in with the rest of the Winter family. Each member has a unique magical gift, but her ventures into the underworld to uncover secrets have never quite endeared her to the rest of them. And the divide between them grows much bigger after she hesitates to take out teenage Soren.
Four years later, her family members start dying in mysterious ways, and someone is trying to topple the Winter empire. Cicely thinks Soren is back and ready for revenge, but as she investigates, she starts pulling apart the threads of her entire family tree. She doesn’t know if she loves them, hates them, wants to lead them, or wants freedom. And she could be the next victim …
Cicely isn’t entirely likeable, and I loved her for that. She starts off a bit timid, feeling unsure of her stance in the family and desperately wanting approval & acceptance from her mom. As she uncovers more and more secrets and unravels the depths of her dark magic, she slowly builds her confidence. But the thing about mommy issues is that sometimes you end up seeing that toxicity form within yourself all the same. It’s also a little hard to feel grounded when you’re lured into a devilish underworld by secrets constantly - and if you don’t keep an insect conduit with you to burn up on your behalf and connect to home, you could be trapped for good.
The whole Winter family is absolute chaos, and I loved it. Allegra is the ULTIMATE horrifying Boy Mom. Powerful, controlling, perfect, and ready for her first born Felix to become the heir. Her brother Dorian is a slimy trophy hunter, and his wife Cynthia knows she’ll never be accepted, so she pushes everyone’s buttons. Cicely’s older brother Felix warps himself for everyone else’s dreams. He’s manipulative and acts like your typical privileged wealthy hot boy, but internally, he’s struggling to figure himself out. Younger sister Octavia is stunning, sensitive, and way too perceptive. Cousins Sebastian and Melissa are black sheep of their own: Sebastian puts everything into his paintings, and Melissa is deep in her alternative phase.
Soren is an interesting character, too. I think his death scene does him a little dirty (what regular teenager would be throwing clever retorts when they’re seconds from being murdered?), but we slowly see him come to life. He’s struggling between a desire for vengeance and a desire for connection.
Every character - in their own way - is hunting for love and safety. And as toxic as the Winter family is, they’re also the only ones these young adults have. They’re the devils they know, and there’s fear involved if you shrug off your safety blanket and run off into the greater world. But if they stay in this dysfunction, they have to slowly learn the rules of the ultra rich: the constant politics they play and how they use their money to control others. Every time Cicely faces a new challenge, she thumbs through her deck of other family members’ manipulation tactics.
The pacing was mostly very good. I do think there’s some repetition in conversations and Cicely’s inner thoughts that could have been trimmed to keep the mystery chugging along, but I never wanted to put this down. I also think the mystery was well done: it genuinely felt like the perpetrator could have been EVERYONE. This was a well-crafted setup with motive and means for everyone, as well as some fun twists & turns & red herrings. The twists were surprising, but also earned, and each change up had foreshadowing and clues to back it up.
It’s a great blend of murder, dark magic, parental manipulation, billionaire families imploding, and even a bit of forbidden romance. It’s a little bit cathartic! I liked the ending a lot, and the door was also left open for a sequel (which I would totally devour). But this is absolutely a complete standalone story!
CW: death, murder, body horror, emotional abuse, violence, gaslighting, animal cruelty, sexual assault, pedophilia
Follow me on social media for book recommendations!
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
July 19, 2026
dang, this audiobook was pretty freakin’ fantastic! it hooked me in from the very first chapter & had me hooked the entire time. I loved the premise of this story, it was so unique & unsettling but in a good way! I hope the author decides to continue this book because the ending was left open & a little ambiguous, that’s the only reason I didn’t give it a 5 star review because idk if there’s going to be another book or not.
the characters… whew, talk about messy family dynamics lol. if you like to see rich people behaving badly + they have incredible magical powers that make them total narcissists, you’ll love this book! it was most definitely a fun time, & I really enjoyed seeing Cecily finally embrace who she is! Soren broke my heart, and I really loved Soren + Cecily together. this is a big murder mystery mixed in with gothic romantasy and I really really liked it!
🫶🏼 thank you @randomhousebooks for the #gifted physical & digital copies!
the characters… whew, talk about messy family dynamics lol. if you like to see rich people behaving badly + they have incredible magical powers that make them total narcissists, you’ll love this book! it was most definitely a fun time, & I really enjoyed seeing Cecily finally embrace who she is! Soren broke my heart, and I really loved Soren + Cecily together. this is a big murder mystery mixed in with gothic romantasy and I really really liked it!
🫶🏼 thank you @randomhousebooks for the #gifted physical & digital copies!
Did Not Finish
October 17, 2026DNF
I really tried to give this an honest shot. I was pretty excited for it but it just failed to live up to my expectations. I’m not sure why exactly I think in all aspects it didn’t quite land. The family wasn’t quite evil enough. The tension wasn’t quite rich enough. The romance wasn’t quite interesting enough. It might be just that I wasn’t the intended audience.
I think the right person will devour this! It’s very creative.
I really tried to give this an honest shot. I was pretty excited for it but it just failed to live up to my expectations. I’m not sure why exactly I think in all aspects it didn’t quite land. The family wasn’t quite evil enough. The tension wasn’t quite rich enough. The romance wasn’t quite interesting enough. It might be just that I wasn’t the intended audience.
I think the right person will devour this! It’s very creative.
October 19, 2026
This book started out really strong, but the second half wasn't quite as good as the first. It wasn't the worst, but I definitely felt the difference in quality as the story went on. I absolutely loved the Winter family, though! They had this chaotic, Addams Family kind of vibe that I really enjoyed. I just wish the book had leaned further into making them genuinely evil and dangerous, because I felt like it never quite went far enough with that aspect.
The romance also didn't completely click for me. Maybe it's just me, but I went into this expecting something more along the lines of Ready or Not—that mix of twisted family dynamics, dark humor, danger, and a romance caught up in all the madness. Unfortunately, I didn't quite get that experience, and the second half left me wanting more.
🔪 🪲
The romance also didn't completely click for me. Maybe it's just me, but I went into this expecting something more along the lines of Ready or Not—that mix of twisted family dynamics, dark humor, danger, and a romance caught up in all the madness. Unfortunately, I didn't quite get that experience, and the second half left me wanting more.
🔪 🪲
August 10, 2026
when reading the blurb I thought to myself messy billionaire family with fantasy elements and A THRILLER ?? sign me the fuck up .. Unfortunately it definetly did not live up to the expectations.
A hot mess, honestly. I don't even know where to start.
The mystery was predictable from the very beginning. even when the author tried to redirect our focus and make us suspect other people, it was still painfully obvious who the culprit was and what the motive was. There was never really that “wait… WHAT?!” moment.
The characters were also incredibly one-dimensional and, for the most part, unlikeable. And their sassy dialogues? Cringy af. Some of the banter had me physically recoiling. (very childish, even by today's YA standards)
The romance was a big meh. I didn’t care about them getting together, and I definitely wasn’t rooting for their happy ending. Honestly, we could’ve just left the romance out altogether.
The only characters I kinda liked were Melissa and Cynthia, and honestly… that says A LOT about this book. 😬
It did keep me entertained just enough to stop me from DNFing, but I considered it. Many times. Because some of the things happening were just getting ridiculous.
Overall, not the worst book I’ve ever read, but definitely one where I kept asking myself (Am I really still doing this?).
A hot mess, honestly. I don't even know where to start.
The mystery was predictable from the very beginning. even when the author tried to redirect our focus and make us suspect other people, it was still painfully obvious who the culprit was and what the motive was. There was never really that “wait… WHAT?!” moment.
The characters were also incredibly one-dimensional and, for the most part, unlikeable. And their sassy dialogues? Cringy af. Some of the banter had me physically recoiling. (very childish, even by today's YA standards)
The romance was a big meh. I didn’t care about them getting together, and I definitely wasn’t rooting for their happy ending. Honestly, we could’ve just left the romance out altogether.
The only characters I kinda liked were Melissa and Cynthia, and honestly… that says A LOT about this book. 😬
It did keep me entertained just enough to stop me from DNFing, but I considered it. Many times. Because some of the things happening were just getting ridiculous.
Overall, not the worst book I’ve ever read, but definitely one where I kept asking myself (Am I really still doing this?).
July 4, 2026
This is my first Kathryn Foxfield book. In the end I think it was an interesting premise and a good execution. It is an It was a deal with the devil, previous familial generation did it, so the family could prosper. The others go along with it except for Cicely, she's the black sheep, and her love interest is someone the family banished to the underworld, and he wants revenge.
Family members start dying and they have to figure out who is causing it. The pacing was consistent and on the faster side. Overall it was a fun read I enjoyed my time with it the more and more I got into the book I would pick this up again and read another of Kathryn Foxfields books in the future.
Thank you to Random House for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Family members start dying and they have to figure out who is causing it. The pacing was consistent and on the faster side. Overall it was a fun read I enjoyed my time with it the more and more I got into the book I would pick this up again and read another of Kathryn Foxfields books in the future.
Thank you to Random House for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own
October 27, 2026
o ile pakt z diabłem, jego konsekwencje, oryginalne rodzinne moce i skrywane przez lata sekrety wypadły naprawdę ciekawie, o tyle samo śledztwo zeszło według mnie za bardzo na drugi plan.
szkoda mi felixa (if you know what i mean)
rozwiązania zagadki morderstw wzbudziło we mnie trochę emocji, ale niestety nie zmienia to faktu, że była ona dość łatwa do przewidzenia, zwłaszcza dla kogoś, kto przeczytał już sporo kryminałów.
sam pomysł na intrygę miał potencjał, jednak zabrakło mi elementu zaskoczenia, który sprawiłby, że śledztwo naprawdę by mnie wciągnęło.
nie pomógł też wątek romantyczny, który zupełnie mnie nie porwał - zabrakło mi w nim chemii i przekonujących emocji, a momentami miałam wrażenie, że odciąga uwagę od tego, co najciekawsze.
sporym plusem dla książki było zakończenie, które dało mi poczucie, że ten świat może skrywać jeszcze wiele tajemnic, a historia bohaterów niekoniecznie jest zamkniętym rozdziałem. pojawiła się więc nadzieja, że w przyszłości dostaniemy coś więcej z tego uniwersum i być może ponownie spotkamy się z tymi postaciami.
myślę, że to całkiem dobra pozycja na delikatny przeskok z fantastyki do kryminałów, ale jeśli ktoś liczy przede wszystkim na wciągającą, nieprzewidywalną zagadkę, może poczuć spory niedosyt.
szkoda mi felixa (if you know what i mean)
rozwiązania zagadki morderstw wzbudziło we mnie trochę emocji, ale niestety nie zmienia to faktu, że była ona dość łatwa do przewidzenia, zwłaszcza dla kogoś, kto przeczytał już sporo kryminałów.
sam pomysł na intrygę miał potencjał, jednak zabrakło mi elementu zaskoczenia, który sprawiłby, że śledztwo naprawdę by mnie wciągnęło.
nie pomógł też wątek romantyczny, który zupełnie mnie nie porwał - zabrakło mi w nim chemii i przekonujących emocji, a momentami miałam wrażenie, że odciąga uwagę od tego, co najciekawsze.
sporym plusem dla książki było zakończenie, które dało mi poczucie, że ten świat może skrywać jeszcze wiele tajemnic, a historia bohaterów niekoniecznie jest zamkniętym rozdziałem. pojawiła się więc nadzieja, że w przyszłości dostaniemy coś więcej z tego uniwersum i być może ponownie spotkamy się z tymi postaciami.
myślę, że to całkiem dobra pozycja na delikatny przeskok z fantastyki do kryminałów, ale jeśli ktoś liczy przede wszystkim na wciągającą, nieprzewidywalną zagadkę, może poczuć spory niedosyt.
September 17, 2026
This was a bit of a mess, honestly.
Cicely is the black sheep daughter of the powerful Winter family, who made a deal with the devil in exchange for riches and ruthless magic. Soren is the boy her family banished to the underworld. Their fates intertwine when Cicely's loathsome Uncle Dorian winds up dead at a masquerade ball.
I was looking forward to a fun mystery with a sinister, magical family at its centre, but unfortunately, the characters were all very flat. The villains were so one-dimensional, and I struggled to grow attached to anyone.
Cicely's personality also seemed to be constantly flip-flopping. She starts out downtrodden and pushed around by her family, yet so desperate for their love and approval that she'll do almost anything to please them. She then goes on something of a villain arc, which I didn't mind when it involved standing up to her family and reclaiming her power. But why did that also have to involve her treating staff members horribly and flaunting her status over them? It just made her unlikeable.
Then there's Soren. He's supposed to be your typical snarky, mysterious boy who featured in so many of the YA romantasies of my youth (does anyone remember Splintered? That was actually so good), and when that character type is done well, it can work. Unfortunately, Soren just wasn't developed enough. He and Cicely were suddenly in love despite barely having a proper conversation, and my eyes were rolling through most of their interactions. It felt like the author couldn't balance everything that was going on, and the romance suffered because of lack of time spent developing it.
There were ideas that I liked. The Ruin was intriguing, as were the different magical powers possessed by members of the Winter family. I just wish the book had spent more time exploring them. I would have loved more worldbuilding on the Ruin, since Cicely's connection to it was the most interesting part of the book.
Unfortunately, this was a bit of a let down.
Cicely is the black sheep daughter of the powerful Winter family, who made a deal with the devil in exchange for riches and ruthless magic. Soren is the boy her family banished to the underworld. Their fates intertwine when Cicely's loathsome Uncle Dorian winds up dead at a masquerade ball.
I was looking forward to a fun mystery with a sinister, magical family at its centre, but unfortunately, the characters were all very flat. The villains were so one-dimensional, and I struggled to grow attached to anyone.
Cicely's personality also seemed to be constantly flip-flopping. She starts out downtrodden and pushed around by her family, yet so desperate for their love and approval that she'll do almost anything to please them. She then goes on something of a villain arc, which I didn't mind when it involved standing up to her family and reclaiming her power. But why did that also have to involve her treating staff members horribly and flaunting her status over them? It just made her unlikeable.
Then there's Soren. He's supposed to be your typical snarky, mysterious boy who featured in so many of the YA romantasies of my youth (does anyone remember Splintered? That was actually so good), and when that character type is done well, it can work. Unfortunately, Soren just wasn't developed enough. He and Cicely were suddenly in love despite barely having a proper conversation, and my eyes were rolling through most of their interactions. It felt like the author couldn't balance everything that was going on, and the romance suffered because of lack of time spent developing it.
There were ideas that I liked. The Ruin was intriguing, as were the different magical powers possessed by members of the Winter family. I just wish the book had spent more time exploring them. I would have loved more worldbuilding on the Ruin, since Cicely's connection to it was the most interesting part of the book.
Unfortunately, this was a bit of a let down.
June 21, 2026
Foxfield is an author I associate with fast-paced YA thrillers that usually leave me feeling a little dissatisfied. This was not the same experience, at all, and I can’t wait to see how this is received upon publication. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review it early.
The pacing is slow at first, and there are elements to the pacing that distracted me throughout. However, the concept was fascinating.
Our focus is the Winter family, rumoured to have made a pact with the devil in exchange for magic. Over time they have used their gifts to amass great wealth and influence, and nobody is keen to relinquish this. Yet events from their respective pasts are responsible for putting each and every member of the family in great danger.
The book is told through the viewpoint of young Cicily Winter, the one who doesn’t seem to have mastered her gift fully. The one whose mother seems to dislike her. The one who wants to find a better way and who will stop at nothing to find the answers to the questions she seeks.
The pacing is slow at first, and there are elements to the pacing that distracted me throughout. However, the concept was fascinating.
Our focus is the Winter family, rumoured to have made a pact with the devil in exchange for magic. Over time they have used their gifts to amass great wealth and influence, and nobody is keen to relinquish this. Yet events from their respective pasts are responsible for putting each and every member of the family in great danger.
The book is told through the viewpoint of young Cicily Winter, the one who doesn’t seem to have mastered her gift fully. The one whose mother seems to dislike her. The one who wants to find a better way and who will stop at nothing to find the answers to the questions she seeks.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
love love love this book! it’s so fast paced and full of dark humor. the drama is juicy, the family is fighting, and the love interest broods like crazy.
there’s also a lovely message of learning to think for yourself and choose a path different from the one you were raised in. cicely’s journey was great.
safe to say i had fun here
there’s also a lovely message of learning to think for yourself and choose a path different from the one you were raised in. cicely’s journey was great.
safe to say i had fun here
Read
March 18, 2026"I could ramble about how much I loved this book. Our Wicked Gifts is perfect for readers looking for a fresh take on a mystery and low fantasy genre combo!" - Mylee J. Miller from SFF Insiders
Read the full review here: https://www.sffinsiders.com/blog/revi...
Read the full review here: https://www.sffinsiders.com/blog/revi...
June 13, 2026
A huge thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review, I really enjoyed reading this!!
If you took The Inheritance Games, tossed in a healthy dose of witchcraft, gave everyone magical powers, made the family even more dysfunctional, and then handed the whole thing over to the cast of Knives Out, you’d end up with something very close to the vibes of Our Wicked Gifts.
The story follows Cicely Winter, the black sheep of a ridiculously wealthy family whose fortune comes with a devilish catch. When members of the Winter family start turning up dead, Cicely sets out to uncover who’s behind the murders. Naturally, her prime suspect is Soren, a mysterious outsider with plenty of reasons to be distrusted. Unfortunately for her, that suspicion quickly starts developing into something a little more complicated. As one does…
One of my favorite things about this book was the Winter family itself. These people are a mess. A magical, wealthy, chaotic mess. The family dynamics were absolutely delicious to read and every gathering felt like someone could either reveal a dark secret or throw a drink in someone’s face at any given moment. The humor was also top-tier. Even when the stakes were high, there were plenty of moments that made me laugh.
I also found the concept of the Ruin absolutely fascinating. It felt a bit like the Upside Down from Stranger Things, this alternate reality constantly threatening to pull Cicely under if she doesn’t stay grounded. It’s such a unique concept and easily one of the elements that made this book stand out from other YA fantasy mysteries I’ve read.
That said, I occasionally struggled to visualize exactly what was happening, particularly during some of the more magical moments. There were times when I felt slightly disconnected from the action because I wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to be picturing. Combined with the large cast of characters, that sometimes slowed the pacing down for me. I also spent an embarrassing amount of time mixing up one of the sisters and one of the aunts. In my defense, the Winter family tree is practically a murder weapon in itself.
As for the mystery itself? I was completely clueless. I never pick up on clues. Ever. Our Wicked Gifts was no exception. I had absolutely no clue what was going on until things started getting explained, and even then Kathryn Foxfield still managed to surprise me. By the end of the book, and even in the epilogue, there were reveals and developments I genuinely didn’t see coming.
The only thing that felt slightly off to me was epilogue Cicely. She seemed a little different from the version of the character we’d spent most of the book with. I would’ve loved to see a few more hints of that side of her throughout the story. Then again, there’s also a very real possibility that the clues were there all along and I simply missed them while being busy failing to solve the murder mystery 🫣
Despite a few moments where the pacing dragged for me, I had a fantastic time with this one. The combination of dark magic, murder, family drama, humor, and a genuinely original premise made it incredibly entertaining. If you’re looking for a witchy, magical take on The Inheritance Games with strong Knives Out energy and a family that desperately needs several years of therapy, Our Wicked Gifts is definitely worth picking up!!
If you took The Inheritance Games, tossed in a healthy dose of witchcraft, gave everyone magical powers, made the family even more dysfunctional, and then handed the whole thing over to the cast of Knives Out, you’d end up with something very close to the vibes of Our Wicked Gifts.
The story follows Cicely Winter, the black sheep of a ridiculously wealthy family whose fortune comes with a devilish catch. When members of the Winter family start turning up dead, Cicely sets out to uncover who’s behind the murders. Naturally, her prime suspect is Soren, a mysterious outsider with plenty of reasons to be distrusted. Unfortunately for her, that suspicion quickly starts developing into something a little more complicated. As one does…
One of my favorite things about this book was the Winter family itself. These people are a mess. A magical, wealthy, chaotic mess. The family dynamics were absolutely delicious to read and every gathering felt like someone could either reveal a dark secret or throw a drink in someone’s face at any given moment. The humor was also top-tier. Even when the stakes were high, there were plenty of moments that made me laugh.
I also found the concept of the Ruin absolutely fascinating. It felt a bit like the Upside Down from Stranger Things, this alternate reality constantly threatening to pull Cicely under if she doesn’t stay grounded. It’s such a unique concept and easily one of the elements that made this book stand out from other YA fantasy mysteries I’ve read.
That said, I occasionally struggled to visualize exactly what was happening, particularly during some of the more magical moments. There were times when I felt slightly disconnected from the action because I wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to be picturing. Combined with the large cast of characters, that sometimes slowed the pacing down for me. I also spent an embarrassing amount of time mixing up one of the sisters and one of the aunts. In my defense, the Winter family tree is practically a murder weapon in itself.
As for the mystery itself? I was completely clueless. I never pick up on clues. Ever. Our Wicked Gifts was no exception. I had absolutely no clue what was going on until things started getting explained, and even then Kathryn Foxfield still managed to surprise me. By the end of the book, and even in the epilogue, there were reveals and developments I genuinely didn’t see coming.
The only thing that felt slightly off to me was epilogue Cicely. She seemed a little different from the version of the character we’d spent most of the book with. I would’ve loved to see a few more hints of that side of her throughout the story. Then again, there’s also a very real possibility that the clues were there all along and I simply missed them while being busy failing to solve the murder mystery 🫣
Despite a few moments where the pacing dragged for me, I had a fantastic time with this one. The combination of dark magic, murder, family drama, humor, and a genuinely original premise made it incredibly entertaining. If you’re looking for a witchy, magical take on The Inheritance Games with strong Knives Out energy and a family that desperately needs several years of therapy, Our Wicked Gifts is definitely worth picking up!!
August 3, 2026
This was such a fun YA magical mystery / thriller 🤩.
I started reading it physically but couldn’t really get into it so I switched to audio and I immediately was hooked! The narrator was amazing and added so much to the atmosphere and storytelling 💫.
The storyline was sooo intriguing - it was like if the richest family in our world secretly had magic and also were like secretly sacrificing people behind the scenes? 👀
The mystery had me intrigued and there was a romance that I enjoyed as well! Would recommend 🩷.
I started reading it physically but couldn’t really get into it so I switched to audio and I immediately was hooked! The narrator was amazing and added so much to the atmosphere and storytelling 💫.
The storyline was sooo intriguing - it was like if the richest family in our world secretly had magic and also were like secretly sacrificing people behind the scenes? 👀
The mystery had me intrigued and there was a romance that I enjoyed as well! Would recommend 🩷.
November 7, 2026
Książka ma kilka słabszych rozwiązań czy mało zaskakujących plot twistów. Składa się jednak z tylu super motywów, ma moralnie szarą główną bohaterkę, ciekawie prowadzi wątek enemies to lovers, a jej nieoczywiste zakończenie zostanie ze mną na dłużej. 🪰🪞
July 14, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's Books for giving me an ARC of this book (ebook version).
Overall, I enjoyed this book. When family matriarch Edith made a literal deal with the Devil to get herself out of poverty, the deal granted her family magical gifts and riches. Cecily is 19 years old and an outcast among her family. Her gift and her control over it are weak compared to the others, but when her uncle dies under mysterious circumstances, her ability to uncover secrets suddenly becomes worthwhile. Cecily is convinced that Soren Ashwood, a boy her family murdered and sent to the Ruin 4 years prior has somehow returned and is hunting her family one by one. The problem is no one is supposed to be able to survive the Ruin, let alone return from it, and no one can see Soren but her. As she delves into Soren's past, she realizes that her family has been hiding many secrets. More people die or are harmed and the tension rises. As Cecily closes in on the answer to what happened to Soren and why, she uncovers family secrets that startle and enrage her and finds herself falling for Soren.
Likes:
1. Octavia, Melissa, and Cecily's relationship journey and their taking over the Winter Institute. While I think that Cecily's character change could have been explored better (and yet it dragged), I do appreciate her new persona by the end. With the ending as it is, I hope there is a second book, but it could just be a cliffhanger that never gets resolved.
Dislikes:
1. Allegra's relationship with Felix was gross, not incestuous in the literal way but gave off those vibes. She was much too obsessed with her own son. Example: Felix "I needed some alone time." Allegra: “If you'd said, we could have been alone together."
2. Felix (supposedly) killing himself by feeding himself to the lion. That was a "jump the shark" moment. Even if it turned out to be false, just the idea of it was too much.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. When family matriarch Edith made a literal deal with the Devil to get herself out of poverty, the deal granted her family magical gifts and riches. Cecily is 19 years old and an outcast among her family. Her gift and her control over it are weak compared to the others, but when her uncle dies under mysterious circumstances, her ability to uncover secrets suddenly becomes worthwhile. Cecily is convinced that Soren Ashwood, a boy her family murdered and sent to the Ruin 4 years prior has somehow returned and is hunting her family one by one. The problem is no one is supposed to be able to survive the Ruin, let alone return from it, and no one can see Soren but her. As she delves into Soren's past, she realizes that her family has been hiding many secrets. More people die or are harmed and the tension rises. As Cecily closes in on the answer to what happened to Soren and why, she uncovers family secrets that startle and enrage her and finds herself falling for Soren.
Likes:
1. Octavia, Melissa, and Cecily's relationship journey and their taking over the Winter Institute. While I think that Cecily's character change could have been explored better (and yet it dragged), I do appreciate her new persona by the end. With the ending as it is, I hope there is a second book, but it could just be a cliffhanger that never gets resolved.
Dislikes:
1. Allegra's relationship with Felix was gross, not incestuous in the literal way but gave off those vibes. She was much too obsessed with her own son. Example: Felix "I needed some alone time." Allegra: “If you'd said, we could have been alone together."
2. Felix (supposedly) killing himself by feeding himself to the lion. That was a "jump the shark" moment. Even if it turned out to be false, just the idea of it was too much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2026
O ile pakt z diabłem oraz jego konekwencjie (oryginalne rodzinne moce) i rodzinne sekrety wypadły naprawdę ciekawie, o tyle samo śledztwo zeszło wedlug mnie za bardzo na drugi plan przez mało przekonujący romans bez chemii, a winnego było po prostu za łatwo przewidzieć. Myslę że to dobra pozycja na delikatny przeskok z fantastyki do kryminałów, ale przy większych oczekiwaniach wobec samej intrygi można czuć spory niedosyt. Autorki jeszcze nie przekreślam i chętnie dam jej szansę przy typowym thrillerze, ale liczyłam, że to pierwsze spotkanie wypadnie lepiej.
July 18, 2026
The devil's in the details!
What a fun, yet dark, thriller story of the Winte family. Having made a pact with the literal devil, the Winter's seem to have all the wealth and power anyone would want. The magic that each member has is unique and Cicely uses hers to find out the secrets people want kept private. This talent leads her on a journey to find who is trying to destroy her family.
The family dynamics and the shenanigans that come with siblings makes for a killer read. None of them are good people and the one that is seeking the annihilation of the family wouldn't care anyway.
Cicely is a great character and her relationships (or lack of) are varied and difficult.
This was a very enjoyable read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for the opportunity to read and review. My thoughts are my own
What a fun, yet dark, thriller story of the Winte family. Having made a pact with the literal devil, the Winter's seem to have all the wealth and power anyone would want. The magic that each member has is unique and Cicely uses hers to find out the secrets people want kept private. This talent leads her on a journey to find who is trying to destroy her family.
The family dynamics and the shenanigans that come with siblings makes for a killer read. None of them are good people and the one that is seeking the annihilation of the family wouldn't care anyway.
Cicely is a great character and her relationships (or lack of) are varied and difficult.
This was a very enjoyable read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for the opportunity to read and review. My thoughts are my own
August 8, 2026
Meh. Kept me just entertained enough to keep going but ended up not being worth it in the end.
July 2, 2026
Our Wicked Gifts is a thrilling, magical, YA Fantasy that will keep you on your toes while reading.
The story is wrapped in chaos, betrayal, hidden secrets, a slow burn romance and revenge.
The book was intoxicating. It kept my mind working in overdrive by trying to determine why things were happening and who or what was causing the problems.
Little bread crumbs were littered throughout the story revealing many small secrets that when stitched together revealed a web of truths and answers.
In this book the reader follows Cicely, who is an outcast in her magical family. A family that comprises of each person having their own magical gifts. A family that is high society, rich and powerful…. Until they aren’t.
This is a journey of a young woman finding herself within this web of family lies and realizing she is stronger than she gave herself credit for all while on a quest to uncover the truth.
Sometimes the ghost in the shadows holds the ultimate truth.
Great book.
The story is wrapped in chaos, betrayal, hidden secrets, a slow burn romance and revenge.
The book was intoxicating. It kept my mind working in overdrive by trying to determine why things were happening and who or what was causing the problems.
Little bread crumbs were littered throughout the story revealing many small secrets that when stitched together revealed a web of truths and answers.
In this book the reader follows Cicely, who is an outcast in her magical family. A family that comprises of each person having their own magical gifts. A family that is high society, rich and powerful…. Until they aren’t.
This is a journey of a young woman finding herself within this web of family lies and realizing she is stronger than she gave herself credit for all while on a quest to uncover the truth.
Sometimes the ghost in the shadows holds the ultimate truth.
Great book.
September 9, 2026
True Rating: 2.75 Stars
Content/Trigger Warnings: Death, Murder, Some violence, Emotional/Mental abuse, References to parental death, References to big game hunting and taxidermy, Predatory male behavior, Blackmail, References to attempted murder, Heavy abuse of alcohol, One instance of an older woman ogling a younger in-law
"Love, like money and food and warmth and good health, is one of those things you feel most keenly when it is missing from your life. It doesn't escape my notice that the thing I search for the most is the one thing my gift can't seem to find."
Review
I will admit this was mostly a cover-buy; but the premise also sounded at some points like a fantasy-esque version of "Knives Out" -minus the inheritance and initially dead family member. I'm also a sucker for fantasies involving a demon or other dark-type of creature character looking for revenge.
This was my first book by the author and, sadly, I can honestly say it's going to be my last. I honestly finished just to see if my guess about the mystery aspect was correct. And while there were one or two surprises for me at the end, I can't honestly say it was worth it.
One of the big issues I had with this book may sound weak, but there is so much gratuitous clothing descriptions that it becomes absolutely ridiculous. At least one outfit gets a detailed description in every other chapter, and if you were to put all those descriptions together in the same section I guarantee they'd take up a few pages -pages which could have been used to focus more on the personalities of our characters or explaining more about the fantasy aspect. There are very few situations where descriptions of clothing are called for, and in this book there was maybe two. The rest of the time could have just been a general phrase of how glamourous someone dressed again, or whether someone was strangely rumpled. If this were a book where clothing actually mattered to the plot it could be excused; but since only two scenes really involve the outfits being described, the rest of the descriptions just feel like fluff.
There's also absolutely no atmosphere in this book at all. It's supposed to be a thriller, and yet I felt absolutely nothing. I think the family home was supposed to have a gothic atmosphere, but it just felt like rich people showing off their money, not a creepy house. Even when the fantasy aspect starts to become involved, there's no real atmosphere because all readers know about the Ruin (the place the magic comes from) is that it "corrupts" reality and it can steal you if you get lost.
I think a large reason why this didn't have any atmosphere is that lack of fantasy building. Our main POV (first person) doesn't know much at all about the Ruin, so because she doesn't know much about it we don't feel much either. There's a scene in the book that could have EASILY fixed that if the author had used it, but instead it gets brushed away as "no one knows what they're talking about." It's almost like the author didn't know much about this own fantasy they were writing about.
Another reason the atmosphere was lacking is because the characters had NO personality. In the first couple of chapters it seems like they do, but the further you get into the book, the more you realize that there's nothing. The only character to have any semblance of a personality is a minor character who doesn't get a bigger role until towards the end. Even our FMC Cicely, the one who's telling the story, is extremely flat. She keeps flopping from hating her family to desperately wanting their love over and over again. After about the fifth time, it got really tiring and I just expected her to continue it. Anytime she indicated she was going to change, I didn't buy it because she NEVER did. Our MMC is about the same. He's supposed to be one of the thrilling aspects of the story, and yet he's so childish it's almost funny. He doesn't feel threatening at all, he feels incompetent.
Speaking of the MCs, the romance in here is VERY insta-love and really seems to come out of nowhere. There is no reason, none at all, why they should be drawn to each other other than "for the plot." In fact, this story didn't need a romance at all; it just took time and pages away from the rest of the story!
I will give the book credit that I did continue until the end, but I can guarantee I will forget it quickly and never pick it up again. I've read more interesting YA thrillers, and this was just average -and that might be too generous.
Content/Trigger Warnings: Death, Murder, Some violence, Emotional/Mental abuse, References to parental death, References to big game hunting and taxidermy, Predatory male behavior, Blackmail, References to attempted murder, Heavy abuse of alcohol, One instance of an older woman ogling a younger in-law
"Love, like money and food and warmth and good health, is one of those things you feel most keenly when it is missing from your life. It doesn't escape my notice that the thing I search for the most is the one thing my gift can't seem to find."
Review
I will admit this was mostly a cover-buy; but the premise also sounded at some points like a fantasy-esque version of "Knives Out" -minus the inheritance and initially dead family member. I'm also a sucker for fantasies involving a demon or other dark-type of creature character looking for revenge.
This was my first book by the author and, sadly, I can honestly say it's going to be my last. I honestly finished just to see if my guess about the mystery aspect was correct. And while there were one or two surprises for me at the end, I can't honestly say it was worth it.
One of the big issues I had with this book may sound weak, but there is so much gratuitous clothing descriptions that it becomes absolutely ridiculous. At least one outfit gets a detailed description in every other chapter, and if you were to put all those descriptions together in the same section I guarantee they'd take up a few pages -pages which could have been used to focus more on the personalities of our characters or explaining more about the fantasy aspect. There are very few situations where descriptions of clothing are called for, and in this book there was maybe two. The rest of the time could have just been a general phrase of how glamourous someone dressed again, or whether someone was strangely rumpled. If this were a book where clothing actually mattered to the plot it could be excused; but since only two scenes really involve the outfits being described, the rest of the descriptions just feel like fluff.
There's also absolutely no atmosphere in this book at all. It's supposed to be a thriller, and yet I felt absolutely nothing. I think the family home was supposed to have a gothic atmosphere, but it just felt like rich people showing off their money, not a creepy house. Even when the fantasy aspect starts to become involved, there's no real atmosphere because all readers know about the Ruin (the place the magic comes from) is that it "corrupts" reality and it can steal you if you get lost.
I think a large reason why this didn't have any atmosphere is that lack of fantasy building. Our main POV (first person) doesn't know much at all about the Ruin, so because she doesn't know much about it we don't feel much either. There's a scene in the book that could have EASILY fixed that if the author had used it, but instead it gets brushed away as "no one knows what they're talking about." It's almost like the author didn't know much about this own fantasy they were writing about.
Another reason the atmosphere was lacking is because the characters had NO personality. In the first couple of chapters it seems like they do, but the further you get into the book, the more you realize that there's nothing. The only character to have any semblance of a personality is a minor character who doesn't get a bigger role until towards the end. Even our FMC Cicely, the one who's telling the story, is extremely flat. She keeps flopping from hating her family to desperately wanting their love over and over again. After about the fifth time, it got really tiring and I just expected her to continue it. Anytime she indicated she was going to change, I didn't buy it because she NEVER did. Our MMC is about the same. He's supposed to be one of the thrilling aspects of the story, and yet he's so childish it's almost funny. He doesn't feel threatening at all, he feels incompetent.
Speaking of the MCs, the romance in here is VERY insta-love and really seems to come out of nowhere. There is no reason, none at all, why they should be drawn to each other other than "for the plot." In fact, this story didn't need a romance at all; it just took time and pages away from the rest of the story!
I will give the book credit that I did continue until the end, but I can guarantee I will forget it quickly and never pick it up again. I've read more interesting YA thrillers, and this was just average -and that might be too generous.
October 17, 2026
⭐️3.25/5
Pakt z diabłem, rodzina, która nie jest do końca normalna, mroczne sekrety i wieczne dążenie do władzy.
Powiem Wam, że byłam naprawdę zainteresowana tą książką i liczyłam na to, że będzie to dobra młodzieżówka z ciekawym motywem. Ale o czym tak naprawdę jest ta historia?
Mamy tutaj rodzinę Winterów, która ma fortunę, wpływy i oczywiście władzę, o której inni mogliby tylko pomarzyć. Ale ma też sekrety, a największym z nich jest to, że swój sukces zawdzięcza paktowi z diabłem. Każdy członek rodziny Winterów jest obdarzony magicznym darem, ale w zamian musi oddać swoją duszę.
Poznajemy tutaj historię dziewiętnastoletniej Cecily, która jest taką czarną owcą rodziny. Jej dar pozwala jej dostrzegać i odkrywać sekrety. W pewnym momencie jednak wszystko zaczyna się sypać, a w rodzinie dochodzi do serii niepokojących wydarzeń. Cecily próbuje odkryć skrywane tajemnice i znaleźć sprawcę tych wszystkich nieprzyjemnych rzeczy, które zaczynają dotykać jej bliskich.
Mamy tutaj również wątek chłopaka, który teoretycznie powinien być dla Cecily kimś, od kogo należy trzymać się z daleka. Dziewczyna doskonale wie, że powinna go unikać, ale ewidentnie coś ich łączy i oboje nie potrafią przestać o sobie myśleć.
No i tak, ta książka naprawdę zapowiadała się bardzo fajnie! Uważam, że jest to całkiem spoko młodzieżówka, w której znajdziemy motywy dobrze znane chyba każdemu, kto sięga po tego typu historie.
Mnie zabrakło jedynie trochę bardziej rozbudowanego systemu magicznego. Chciałabym, żeby został dokładniej wyjaśniony, bo momentami niektóre kwestie były dla mnie dość niejasne. Mamy tutaj również taki równoległy, magiczny świat, czyli ruinę, która stanowi źródło mocy dla darów członków rodziny. I właśnie ten element chciałabym lepiej zrozumieć, bo mam wrażenie, że można było go bardziej rozwinąć.
Sama główna bohaterka momentami strasznie mnie irytowała. Rozumiem, przez co musi przechodzić, i wiem, skąd mogą wynikać jej zachowania, ale mimo wszystko jest to taka postać, którą albo się lubi, albo niekoniecznie.
Za to cała sprawa związana z sekretami rodziny jest naprawdę interesująca. Podobało mi się to, że stopniowo odkrywamy kolejne tajemnice i dowiadujemy się coraz to nowych rzeczy. Możemy też sami próbować rozwiązać zagadkę i zastanawiać się, kto tak naprawdę stoi za tymi wszystkimi wydarzeniami.
Uważam również, że jest to bardzo klimatyczna książka, idealna na jesienny czas, bo naprawdę można poczuć tutaj odrobinę mroku.
Sama rodzina Winterów jest, szczerze mówiąc, totalnie odklejona! Dzieje się tutaj tyle rzeczy, których po prostu nie jestem w stanie pojąć, a niektóre zachowania bohaterów są naprawdę krzywdzące. Śledzenie losów tej rodziny było jednak całkiem ciekawe, szczególnie kiedy widzimy, że wszystko zaczyna się sypać. Cały czas zastanawiamy się, czy to już jest ich dno, czy może jednak uda im się jeszcze z niego podnieść.
Muszę też przyznać, że zakończenie trochę mnie zaskoczyło!
Ostatecznie uważam, że „Dziedzictwo mroku” ma swoje plusy i minusy. Dla mnie jest to taki książkowy średniaczek. Nie jest to historia, która całkowicie mnie zachwyciła, ale też nie uważam, że był to stracony czas.
Jeżeli macie ochotę na młodzieżówkę z mrocznym klimatem, magicznymi darami, rodzinnymi sekretami i paktem z diabłem, to myślę, że warto dać tej historii szansę.
[współpraca recenzencka]
Pakt z diabłem, rodzina, która nie jest do końca normalna, mroczne sekrety i wieczne dążenie do władzy.
Powiem Wam, że byłam naprawdę zainteresowana tą książką i liczyłam na to, że będzie to dobra młodzieżówka z ciekawym motywem. Ale o czym tak naprawdę jest ta historia?
Mamy tutaj rodzinę Winterów, która ma fortunę, wpływy i oczywiście władzę, o której inni mogliby tylko pomarzyć. Ale ma też sekrety, a największym z nich jest to, że swój sukces zawdzięcza paktowi z diabłem. Każdy członek rodziny Winterów jest obdarzony magicznym darem, ale w zamian musi oddać swoją duszę.
Poznajemy tutaj historię dziewiętnastoletniej Cecily, która jest taką czarną owcą rodziny. Jej dar pozwala jej dostrzegać i odkrywać sekrety. W pewnym momencie jednak wszystko zaczyna się sypać, a w rodzinie dochodzi do serii niepokojących wydarzeń. Cecily próbuje odkryć skrywane tajemnice i znaleźć sprawcę tych wszystkich nieprzyjemnych rzeczy, które zaczynają dotykać jej bliskich.
Mamy tutaj również wątek chłopaka, który teoretycznie powinien być dla Cecily kimś, od kogo należy trzymać się z daleka. Dziewczyna doskonale wie, że powinna go unikać, ale ewidentnie coś ich łączy i oboje nie potrafią przestać o sobie myśleć.
No i tak, ta książka naprawdę zapowiadała się bardzo fajnie! Uważam, że jest to całkiem spoko młodzieżówka, w której znajdziemy motywy dobrze znane chyba każdemu, kto sięga po tego typu historie.
Mnie zabrakło jedynie trochę bardziej rozbudowanego systemu magicznego. Chciałabym, żeby został dokładniej wyjaśniony, bo momentami niektóre kwestie były dla mnie dość niejasne. Mamy tutaj również taki równoległy, magiczny świat, czyli ruinę, która stanowi źródło mocy dla darów członków rodziny. I właśnie ten element chciałabym lepiej zrozumieć, bo mam wrażenie, że można było go bardziej rozwinąć.
Sama główna bohaterka momentami strasznie mnie irytowała. Rozumiem, przez co musi przechodzić, i wiem, skąd mogą wynikać jej zachowania, ale mimo wszystko jest to taka postać, którą albo się lubi, albo niekoniecznie.
Za to cała sprawa związana z sekretami rodziny jest naprawdę interesująca. Podobało mi się to, że stopniowo odkrywamy kolejne tajemnice i dowiadujemy się coraz to nowych rzeczy. Możemy też sami próbować rozwiązać zagadkę i zastanawiać się, kto tak naprawdę stoi za tymi wszystkimi wydarzeniami.
Uważam również, że jest to bardzo klimatyczna książka, idealna na jesienny czas, bo naprawdę można poczuć tutaj odrobinę mroku.
Sama rodzina Winterów jest, szczerze mówiąc, totalnie odklejona! Dzieje się tutaj tyle rzeczy, których po prostu nie jestem w stanie pojąć, a niektóre zachowania bohaterów są naprawdę krzywdzące. Śledzenie losów tej rodziny było jednak całkiem ciekawe, szczególnie kiedy widzimy, że wszystko zaczyna się sypać. Cały czas zastanawiamy się, czy to już jest ich dno, czy może jednak uda im się jeszcze z niego podnieść.
Muszę też przyznać, że zakończenie trochę mnie zaskoczyło!
Ostatecznie uważam, że „Dziedzictwo mroku” ma swoje plusy i minusy. Dla mnie jest to taki książkowy średniaczek. Nie jest to historia, która całkowicie mnie zachwyciła, ale też nie uważam, że był to stracony czas.
Jeżeli macie ochotę na młodzieżówkę z mrocznym klimatem, magicznymi darami, rodzinnymi sekretami i paktem z diabłem, to myślę, że warto dać tej historii szansę.
[współpraca recenzencka]
September 24, 2026
Our Wicked Gifts is a thrilling and messy read for readers who love drama, fantasy, and toxic families. I appreciate how complicated Cicely is as a main character. And my heart just ached for Soren. The magic system is unique, I was really intrigued by the Ruin. I have a lot of questions about the Ruin but I think that this book created a great set up for a series. (I hope there will be another book after that epilogue.) I think this is a great option for readers looking for a young adult version of Talented and Gifted by Olivie Blake.
Thank you to Random House Children’s Books for a gifted copy of the ebook.
Thank you to Random House Children’s Books for a gifted copy of the ebook.
March 30, 2026
This had my attention from the very first chapter. I love the complex family dynamic and that everyone has their own role and personality. I enjoyed getting to learn about each person gifts and how the we’re going to add to the story. I never knew who was going to be next and it has me nervous for the next book.
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April 2, 2026Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
September 11, 2026
2.75/3 ⭐️
The ending ragebaited me so hard.
Unfortunately was not surprised by the plot twists but at least it was an easy read
The ending ragebaited me so hard.
Unfortunately was not surprised by the plot twists but at least it was an easy read
July 2, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for this ARC Copy!
This book absolutely drew me in with the cover and it was so fitting for the story I just loved looking at it after finishing the story and seeing the easter eggs you won't realize are there until after you read the story.
I really enjoyed the progression of the FMC as she started gaining confidence. She starts out as such a weak character and I loved watching her grow throughout the story, even when it was not necessarily for the best.
I was also really surprised by the ending, I really thought I had it all figured out and knew what decisions she was going to make but I was absolutely shocked with the way things actually played out.
This book absolutely drew me in with the cover and it was so fitting for the story I just loved looking at it after finishing the story and seeing the easter eggs you won't realize are there until after you read the story.
I really enjoyed the progression of the FMC as she started gaining confidence. She starts out as such a weak character and I loved watching her grow throughout the story, even when it was not necessarily for the best.
I was also really surprised by the ending, I really thought I had it all figured out and knew what decisions she was going to make but I was absolutely shocked with the way things actually played out.
August 11, 2026
This book was absolutely top on, awesome. I loved the premise, the characters and everything about it. I highly recommend this book if you like a romantic fantasy with a bit of a mystery setting in it. I highly give this a 7 star read
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First of all, thanks so much to the folks at NetGalley for gifting me an ARC!
You know what.... Hell Yeah! This book definitely won't be for everyone, but I had a really good time with it. It feels like a mashup of Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher, The Inheritance Games, and Knives Out. It has those old money vibes where the entire cast is varying shades of awful, the family dynamics are toxic, and everyone is motivated by greed, ambition, or self-preservation.
The Good
I think the second half of this book is considerably stronger than the first. Once all the pieces are in place, the plot really starts moving and there are more twists and revelations that make it more engaging. At the end of the day this was just a fun read. It’s dramatic and messy in a way that keeps you reading like you’re watching a train crash in slow motion.
In terms of things I liked, the Ruin has to be at the top. It’s this decaying and dreamlike alternate reality, superimposed on our own that reminded me a lot of the Otherworld from the Silent Hill franchise. I liked the idea that this billionaire family drew their powers and wealth from an inherently corrupted version of the world. Like, they ventured into a dimension that they weren’t supposed to.
I also really enjoyed that nearly all of the characters are terrible people. At first, I thought Cicely's criticism of her family was setting up the familiar YA arc where she rejects wealth and power in favor of morality. Her position as an outsider, combined with a lot of recognizable protagonist beats, naturally encourages the reader to root for her and overlook some of her early flaws. As the story progresses, though, it becomes clear that this isn't the story of an underdog with a heart of gold. It's closer to a villain-origin story or an antihero embracing the worst parts of herself. That's not something I see often in YA, and I appreciated the book's willingness to go there.
There are several moments that perfectly illustrate this. Cicely frequently frames her rudeness and entitlement as confidence or empowerment when, in reality, she's often just being cruel to staff and service workers. What I liked is that the book doesn't completely excuse this behavior. As the story progresses, she becomes increasingly comfortable with the family's disregard for the people beneath them.
I also liked how surprising some of the plot twists were.
The Bad
I felt like parts of the book were overwritten and lacked subtlety. There are multiple scenes where characters explain things to one another that they both already know or both already should know, making it obvious that the conversation exists purely for reader exposition. Information is often repeated several times within the same chapter, or couple chapters. Like, yes… I know that Sebastian and Felix are competitive… you just said that. This was especially noticeable early on. There were also a handful of lines where I genuinely couldn't tell whether they were intended to be funny or whether they just came across awkwardly. For example: "Stop. Wait. You killed my uncle, so I don't think we can be friends." Moments like this would yank me out of the narrative because they felt so unnatural and clunky.
The Maybe
Allegra
Allegra is a character I like more in theory than in execution. The way other characters talk about her makes her sound like a terrifying matriarch with an iron grip on the family. In practice, though, she often comes across as shallow, vain, and so cartoonishly awful that she becomes difficult to take seriously. There's a scene where she brings a choir to sing at her brother's funeral and states that "I've flown twenty-four children in from South Africa. They're from impoverished backgrounds, I made sure of it." I genuinely cackled out loud bc that’s so mustache twirling that I could not believe that she had said this. Like… we get it. She’s a terrible person lmao.
There’s also a couple things she says that just make her seem so stupid that I never really feared her as a threat. She gets delighted that they used a good image of her, meanwhile the family is going through a PR crisis. I love the idea of a matriarch that dabbles in the dark arts to bring her family wealth and power, especially one that uses a more traditionally feminine power to influence people (ie. the ability to make people want to do what she wants them to do). I wish there had been more subtlety to her characterization. If she had been portrayed as genuinely intelligent and calculating, she would've felt much more threatening. You could still have all of her breakdowns later in the story, but they would feel more impactful if we watched a competent, powerful woman gradually unravel as her empire crumbled around her and as her family was killed off one by one. Instead, she never really leaves the impact she could have been. It almost seems like the way she is talked about and looms large in people’s minds is so much greater than the actual person who just seems like a disgruntled, wealthy mother.
Cicely
There were a few moments where Cicely's motivations felt inconsistent to me. At times, it seems like she would choose her family over everything else. Then, suddenly, her priorities shift toward Soren. Then they shift again toward power and ambition. I understand that she's conflicted, but some of those transitions felt abrupt enough that I occasionally struggled to follow her emotional logic. Overall, I did like her arc though.
The Romance
The romance didn't work for me. I actually like the role it serves within the story. The idea of Cicely being forced to choose between family, love, and her own ambition is compelling. Unfortunately, the relationship develops so quickly that I never fully bought into the intensity of their feelings. By the time they're making major sacrifices for one another, I felt like they simply hadn't spent enough meaningful time together on the page for those choices to feel earned.
The Devil
The Devil reminded me a lot of Verna from Netflix's adaptation of The Fall of the House of Usher. I love that in theory! I just wish we got more of her. She's positioned as this mysterious force manipulating events from the shadows, but for much of the story she feels oddly absent. We never explore any of her motives and influence to feel like she’s a genuine antagonist. She just pops up occasionally. Cicely literally just bumps into her a couple of times. She’s just there, says a couple works and leaves.
I was also confused by the family's refusal to believe Cicely when she insists Soren is still alive. This is a family that literally made a deal with the Devil and possesses supernatural abilities. Yet somehow, someone surviving they’re magic ritual death is where they draw the line?
Conclusion
As much as I had gripes with some of the characterization and the clunky dialogue this was genuinely so fun! I love watching rich people be horrible to each other 😂
You know what.... Hell Yeah! This book definitely won't be for everyone, but I had a really good time with it. It feels like a mashup of Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher, The Inheritance Games, and Knives Out. It has those old money vibes where the entire cast is varying shades of awful, the family dynamics are toxic, and everyone is motivated by greed, ambition, or self-preservation.
The Good
I think the second half of this book is considerably stronger than the first. Once all the pieces are in place, the plot really starts moving and there are more twists and revelations that make it more engaging. At the end of the day this was just a fun read. It’s dramatic and messy in a way that keeps you reading like you’re watching a train crash in slow motion.
In terms of things I liked, the Ruin has to be at the top. It’s this decaying and dreamlike alternate reality, superimposed on our own that reminded me a lot of the Otherworld from the Silent Hill franchise. I liked the idea that this billionaire family drew their powers and wealth from an inherently corrupted version of the world. Like, they ventured into a dimension that they weren’t supposed to.
I also really enjoyed that nearly all of the characters are terrible people. At first, I thought Cicely's criticism of her family was setting up the familiar YA arc where she rejects wealth and power in favor of morality. Her position as an outsider, combined with a lot of recognizable protagonist beats, naturally encourages the reader to root for her and overlook some of her early flaws. As the story progresses, though, it becomes clear that this isn't the story of an underdog with a heart of gold. It's closer to a villain-origin story or an antihero embracing the worst parts of herself. That's not something I see often in YA, and I appreciated the book's willingness to go there.
There are several moments that perfectly illustrate this. Cicely frequently frames her rudeness and entitlement as confidence or empowerment when, in reality, she's often just being cruel to staff and service workers. What I liked is that the book doesn't completely excuse this behavior. As the story progresses, she becomes increasingly comfortable with the family's disregard for the people beneath them.
I also liked how surprising some of the plot twists were.
The Bad
I felt like parts of the book were overwritten and lacked subtlety. There are multiple scenes where characters explain things to one another that they both already know or both already should know, making it obvious that the conversation exists purely for reader exposition. Information is often repeated several times within the same chapter, or couple chapters. Like, yes… I know that Sebastian and Felix are competitive… you just said that. This was especially noticeable early on. There were also a handful of lines where I genuinely couldn't tell whether they were intended to be funny or whether they just came across awkwardly. For example: "Stop. Wait. You killed my uncle, so I don't think we can be friends." Moments like this would yank me out of the narrative because they felt so unnatural and clunky.
The Maybe
Allegra
Allegra is a character I like more in theory than in execution. The way other characters talk about her makes her sound like a terrifying matriarch with an iron grip on the family. In practice, though, she often comes across as shallow, vain, and so cartoonishly awful that she becomes difficult to take seriously. There's a scene where she brings a choir to sing at her brother's funeral and states that "I've flown twenty-four children in from South Africa. They're from impoverished backgrounds, I made sure of it." I genuinely cackled out loud bc that’s so mustache twirling that I could not believe that she had said this. Like… we get it. She’s a terrible person lmao.
There’s also a couple things she says that just make her seem so stupid that I never really feared her as a threat. She gets delighted that they used a good image of her, meanwhile the family is going through a PR crisis. I love the idea of a matriarch that dabbles in the dark arts to bring her family wealth and power, especially one that uses a more traditionally feminine power to influence people (ie. the ability to make people want to do what she wants them to do). I wish there had been more subtlety to her characterization. If she had been portrayed as genuinely intelligent and calculating, she would've felt much more threatening. You could still have all of her breakdowns later in the story, but they would feel more impactful if we watched a competent, powerful woman gradually unravel as her empire crumbled around her and as her family was killed off one by one. Instead, she never really leaves the impact she could have been. It almost seems like the way she is talked about and looms large in people’s minds is so much greater than the actual person who just seems like a disgruntled, wealthy mother.
Cicely
There were a few moments where Cicely's motivations felt inconsistent to me. At times, it seems like she would choose her family over everything else. Then, suddenly, her priorities shift toward Soren. Then they shift again toward power and ambition. I understand that she's conflicted, but some of those transitions felt abrupt enough that I occasionally struggled to follow her emotional logic. Overall, I did like her arc though.
The Romance
The romance didn't work for me. I actually like the role it serves within the story. The idea of Cicely being forced to choose between family, love, and her own ambition is compelling. Unfortunately, the relationship develops so quickly that I never fully bought into the intensity of their feelings. By the time they're making major sacrifices for one another, I felt like they simply hadn't spent enough meaningful time together on the page for those choices to feel earned.
The Devil
The Devil reminded me a lot of Verna from Netflix's adaptation of The Fall of the House of Usher. I love that in theory! I just wish we got more of her. She's positioned as this mysterious force manipulating events from the shadows, but for much of the story she feels oddly absent. We never explore any of her motives and influence to feel like she’s a genuine antagonist. She just pops up occasionally. Cicely literally just bumps into her a couple of times. She’s just there, says a couple works and leaves.
I was also confused by the family's refusal to believe Cicely when she insists Soren is still alive. This is a family that literally made a deal with the Devil and possesses supernatural abilities. Yet somehow, someone surviving they’re magic ritual death is where they draw the line?
Conclusion
As much as I had gripes with some of the characterization and the clunky dialogue this was genuinely so fun! I love watching rich people be horrible to each other 😂
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