Dziedzictwo mroku

by Kathryn Foxfield, Monika Wiśniewska (Translator)

Ile poświęcisz dla miłości? A co oddasz w zamian za władzę?

Rodzina Winterów ma wszystko: fortunę wartą miliardy, wpływy i władzę, o jakiej inni mogą tylko marzyć. Skrywają jednak sekret – sukces został przypieczętowany paktem z diabłem. Każdy członek rodziny posiada wyjątkowy nadprzyrodzony dar. W zamian musi oddać… swoją duszę.

​Dziewiętnastoletnia Cecily, czarna owca rodziny, potrafi odkrywać tajemnice. Trudno jednak zdobyć sympatię bliskich, kiedy widzi się to, co inni woleliby ukryć. Ale gdy jej wujek zostaje znaleziony martwy, a Winterom zaczyna grozić niebezpieczeństwo, po raz pierwszy rodzina zaczyna jej potrzebować.

Ślady prowadzą do Sorena – chłopaka, którego rodzina wygnała wiele lat temu i którego Cecily powinna uważać za wroga. Jednak im bardziej zagłębia się w jego historię, tym trudniej jej zaprzeczyć, że między nimi rodzi się coś więcej.

Cecily musi zdecydować, komu zaufać: swoim bliskim czy chłopakowi, który może doprowadzić do ich upadku…

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy

432 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 23, 2026

Reviews

[KC]

A blend of paranormal romance, mystery, and thriller that left me slightly heartbroken, kind of confused, but also completely entertained by a villainous family.

[🧸🎀Tiff]

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!

[NHL♡]

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?).

[Blair Warner]

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

[Karen Barber]

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.

[Mylee J.]

"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...

[Rianna]

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!!

[Martha]

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.

[Charlotte]

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 🩷.

[Chelsea Ekstedt]

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.

[Stacey Markle]

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

[NerdyWordyReviews]

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.

Great book.

[Kori Chapa]

Meh. Kept me just entertained enough to keep going but ended up not being worth it in the end.

[Kat]

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.

[Bri Solomon]

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.

[Lucia]

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

[Kasey Gillespie]

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

[Brunchatiffanys]

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.

[Sudhanvan Sivan]

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

[Ariela Strombeck]

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. Patrick's death is a great example. Literally nobody cares. Even when she finds out she’s still willing to forgive her brother and move past it. I knew the author went all out with making her horrible when she literally starts a pharmaceutical company at the end of the book complete with using plants from the rainforest.

I also liked how surprising some of the plot twists were. Sebastian not actually being able to predict the future was a really interesting reveal. Also, I was completely convinced Dennis was going to turn out to be Cicely's father, so discovering he was actually Felix's father caught me off guard.

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 😂

[Kate]

A big thanks to YABC for proving an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know why, but this going into this book, I thought it had the vibes of Knives Out meets Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. But boy, was I wrong (in the best way)

Our Wicked Gifts by Kathryn Foxfield is a YA fantasy (almost murder mystery) novel that follows a family more dysfunctional than The Inheritance Game's Hawthorn. How much would you sacrifice for love? What would you trade for power? How far would you go for family? The Winter family are worth billions. But only they know their success is built upon a sinister deal with the devil – each Winter possesses a unique supernatural gift to ensure their power and influence, but in exchange for their souls... Nineteen-year-old black sheep of the family Cicely's gift is for uncovering secrets, which doesn't make her very popular. But, when her family are threatened, and her uncle is found dead, they need her for the first time. When the clues point to Soren, a boy the family banished years ago, Cecily must choose between loyalty to her family and her growing feelings for the person who is trying to destroy them. A dark and twisty romantasy thriller, perfect for fans of The Inheritance Games , Succession and One Of Us is Lying from the bestselling author of Good Girls Die First .

First things first, I LOVED this book, and I'm not one that usually reads books of this nature. I.e. mystery, as I ALWAYS end up figuring out the big twist in the first 50 pages of the book. But Our Wicked Gifts proves to be one that leave me wondering until the rug was ripped from beneath my feet. Another thing I absolutely loved about this book, are the characters strewn about. Yes, the Winters are quite inconceivable to fully understand with the many ties and knots of their motives, but I still found their complexity quite confounding. Though, of course my favorite is Soren (because why not!).

Regardless, the only thing I found to be quite odd about this novel is it's pacing. Foxfield kept her narrative tight and fast, which didn't allow any room for the reader to take a breath between reveals and twists. Which is fine for most, though I wish there was a bit more leisure to our sprint to the finish.

Nonetheless, Our Wicked Gifts by Kathryn Foxfield is a perfect novel for anyone looking to fill the hole in their heart while they wait for eventual release of The Gilded Blade by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Or anyone wanting something a little more deadly than Maggie Steifvater's The Raven Cycle.

[Carol]

This was supposed to be a thriller. I was not thrilled.

[Althea ☾]

messy families in fantasy always intrigue me

[Colleen]

**Content Warnings at End of Review**

I got this novel as a free arc, the first I’ve ever received, so I am going to try to both be detailed and not provide any spoilers as this story isn’t even out yet. I also recognize that I am well outside of the Young Adult genre so I am going to be generous with some of the things that bothered me as an adult reader. Overall, I found this a fascinating novel for young adults given how complicated and morally grey the main female character, Cicely Winter, is presented. It made me think of the meme "we need more complex female characters" because while Cicely might always be likable, she is always complex.

Our Wicked Gifts is focused on the Winter Family, one of the richest and most influential families in London. Their matriarch Allegra rules with charm and grace, loved by everyone, but behind closed doors her grip on the family is much more complex. Allegra has the ability to influence people with her words, a magical gift that was given to her through a pact with the Devil made generations before. This pact gives all the Winter’s powers, ones that have grown their business to its current heights, but no magic is given without a price. When that price returns in the form of a mysterious man that only Cicely can see, the Winters’ Empire starts to fall down around them. As Cicely uses her gift to find secrets in an attempt to save her family, she starts to realize that maybe they do not deserve to be saved. However, if she isn’t a Winter, what and who is she?

I really appreciated the way that Cicely’s magic and The Ruin was described in this novel. It was clear that Foxfield knew this area of the novel very well and the overall atmosphere she wanted to create. The idea of magic being able to find secrets is so fascinating and I think all the gifts that the Winters’ have are interesting. One of the things I was a little disappointed with is that we didn’t get to see the other family use their gifts more often, especially Felix. Foxfield found interesting powers and interesting ways to make powers that are common in the genre feel fresh and unique.

Foxfield also wrote the complexity of the family and their dynamic is a way that was visceral at times. It shows the dark side of the idea of blood is thicker than water and family is the most important thing. As the world talks more about emotional abuse and the role that parents have on shaping their parent’s self-worth, Foxfield added a magical element that made everything more sinister. It also shows how difficult to deal with the expectations and wants of family, no matter what those expectations and wants are.

My biggest pet peeve, especially at the beginning of the novel, was the constant explanations about what everyone was wearing. I understand that the point was to show the opulence and focus on appearance that the family had, but it was so draining to read page after page about polos, fancy dresses, and expensive shoes. A few key times would have been enough to get the point across along with the description of the house, grounds, and events that they attend. This stops further into the novel, but it was really jarring and took me out of the story in the beginning.

Cicely as a main character and an interesting main character in a young adult novel. She wants to be better than her family, but is far from perfect. She understands her privilege, but also knows that without it her life will be something that she cannot recognize and does not want. She is desperate to be loved and accepted, yet finds the most success when she is selfish and acts like other members of her family. When she does put herself first, is that the right decision, especially the cost? There were times when I wanted to shake her and she seemed a little dense for story sake, but she was complex in a way that I feel is lacking sometimes in main characters for fear of readers finding them “unlikable”.

The part of this novel that was the weakest was the romance. I cannot go into much detail without risking spoilers, but it felt instantaneous and flimsy compared to the platonic relationships with Cicely’s family. It felt flat and as if it was put into the novel because that was what was expected of a Young Adult novel rather than something that felt integrated into the story. It made it so that the choice at the end of the novel didn’t even feel like one at all. It is well documented that I am a slow-burn lover, which this was not, and just didn’t have the emotional punch needed to make the end of the novel stand out.

This was a fun read and I would recommend it to upper YA readers (14-18) due to some of the violence and other topics that are touched on. I will be placing it in a local Free Little Library in hopes that it gets into the hands of someone who will absolutely love it. For me, it was a 3.5 star rounded down to a 3.


**Content Warnings**

Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder, Sexual assault

[Steph (starrysteph)]

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.)

[Angie]

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 7/7/2026. We all know the jokes about billionaires being soulless, right? About selling their souls to the Devil for power and money? Well, in the case of the Winter clan, it is the literal truth. Generations ago, Great-grandmother Edith sold her soul and made a pact that granted herself and succeeding Winters magical gifts to insure their rise to power, fame, fortune, etc. The current batch are ruthlessly led by brother-and-sister-duo Allegra and Dorian, and their assorted children follow their lead with various levels of willingness. Cicely, Allegra’s middle child, falls under the category of most unwilling. Always having felt like a black sheep because of how her Gift works (plus a little incident that nearly led to the death of her mother Allegra), she wants nothing more than to prove herself to the rest of the family. She wants to be powerful and useful and needed. To do that, she has to figure out her Gift which means that she has to continue to enter into the Ruin, a terrifying mid-realm between reality and hell, and follow her power to the secrets hidden around her.

Unfortunately, now is not the time to have a learning curve. Someone is trying to sabotage the Winters and destroy everything they have worked for. Cicely’s ability to sniff out secrets appears to be just the thing to help but it immediately puts her in the path of Soren, the boy who her family sacrificed four years prior. Or murdered, as he likes to point out to Cicely, with her help, by the way. Living his life in the Ruin with strange powers of his own, he is determined to destroy the Winters and, while she is against her family getting hurt, Cicely sees his point. She has, on more than one occasion, thought of her family as monsters, too.

When family members start dying, though, things get more confusing and dangerous. Soren definitely has a motive and power but Cicely has doubts. Something about him makes Cicely feel seen and appreciated, safe while also in danger. If not him, who else could it be? It doesn’t help that everyone is lying.

The first thing that stands out in this book is the gorgeous, lush descriptions in creating the Ruin. We experience every uncomfortable moment spent in it with Cicely. The visuals, the odors, the creeping sensation of rot and decay, and the absolute unbalancing of all sanity and sense. Foxfield sets it in direct contrast with the “real world” and all of the rich fabrics and glittering jewels and name brands with which the Winters surround themselves. Cicely’s loosening grip on the difference between Ruin and reality affects the reader just as much as her. It is delightfully disorienting.

Equally disorienting is being inside Cicely’s head for the book. As you can guess, this family is super messed up and it is small wonder that Cicely has all sorts of hang-ups and self-doubt. Between the near-constant gas-lighting from her mother and the belittling of her abilities by the others plus the general dysfunction and emotional/mental abuse that is the real Winter legacy, the reader cannot blame the confusion. The fact that Foxfield keeps the plot moving ahead as she releases details of the mystery with or without coherency from Cicely is very impressive. Nearly as impressive as how many times she can break your heart as you read this book. You ache for all of the things done wrong, the missed opportunities, and the absolute entrenchment of abuse that has characters (especially Cicely) wanting approval that their thinking mind knows is wrong and toxic.

This is advertised as a kiss-or-kill romance and, yes, sure, it is that but it is a lot more than that. After all, there are all kinds of love. Romantic, platonic, familial. Who is to say which is stronger? Which is better? Which would you kill or lie for? Cicely gets to face all of these and more with a literal deadline and a Devil at the door. What she chooses is just another stroke of the messy lines that make up a life... And a wonderful book.

[Erin Arkin]

3.5 stars

If you are looking for a fast-paced Young Adult novel infused with dark magical elements and a contemporary feel, Kathryn Foxfield’s *Our Wicked Gifts* is definitely worth adding to your radar.

The story revolves around the billionaire Winter family, whose wealth and influence aren’t just a product of savvy business choices. Instead, their empire is built upon a literal pact with the devil. Each family member possesses a unique, supernatural gift designed to secure their grip on power, though it comes at the ultimate cost of their own souls. Enter nineteen-year-old Cicely Winter. As the black sheep of the family, Cicely’s specific gift is uncovering secrets—a power that makes her deeply unpopular with her status-obsessed relatives. However, when her uncle is found dead and a looming threat targets the family empire, the Winters suddenly find themselves needing the very girl they cast aside. As Cicely digs into the mystery, the clues lead straight to Soren, a boy the family cruelly killed years ago.

This setup kicks off a fascinating character arc for Cicely. At the beginning of the novel, she is positioned as the classic outcast—the one person you want to root for against a corrupt, elite dynasty. However, as the mystery unfolds, Cicely’s trajectory shifts in a way that feels complex and genuinely surprising. Instead of remaining the untainted hero who takes down the system from within, she gets pulled directly into the family's toxic orbit. Driven by a desperate need for belonging, survival, and a twisted sense of family loyalty, Cicely undergoes an evolution. She morphs from an isolated truth-seeker into someone willing to play the family game by its own cutthroat rules. By the end, her arc reveals that she isn't immune to the family contagion; she turns out to be fairly shady herself, adapting to the shadows to survive.

That moral ambiguity is actually the driving force of the book, leading to my biggest realization while reading: almost every single character in this novel is a horrible person. Driven entirely by greed, a hunger for power, and a laundry list of toxic secrets, the cast is a collection of deeply unlikable individuals. They backstab, manipulate, and scheme against one another constantly.

The sole, refreshing exception to this rule is Soren. Banished and broken by the Winters, Soren acts as the emotional anchor of the story. Even as Cicely finds herself caught between her growing feelings for him and her loyalty to her family, Soren remains the only character whose motives feel remotely honest, grounding an otherwise fiercely cynical world. Although there is a bit of a twist at the end that may have you wondering if he is truly the "good guy".

Despite—or perhaps because of—how awful everyone is, the story remains thoroughly engaging. Foxfield crafts a narrative where you don't necessarily need to like the characters to be completely invested in their downfalls and discoveries. The pacing is incredibly swift, making it a great choice for a weekend binge-read. It masterfully balances the flashy, high-stakes drama of modern wealth with a genuinely eerie, dark magic system. If you love a morally gray cast where absolutely no one can be trusted, *Our Wicked Gifts* is a delightfully wicked ride.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Liberty]

Before I get into the review, a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at Random House Children's Books for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Our Wicked Gifts follows the Winter family who have a dark secret: one of their ancestors sold their soul to the devil in exchange for power, money, and magical gifts. Now, generations later, the Winter family also has a lot to lose. Cicely is the black sheep daughter of the powerful matriarch and finds herself obsessed with using her magic to uncover the family's secrets. Why did they banish that boy to the underworld? Why did Felix's girlfriend get scared off? And when a dark enemy always seems to be one step ahead of them at every turn, can this tortured family come together? Or will the bodies keep finding their way to the mausoleum? Our Wicked Gifts comes out on July 7th and is available for preorder now.

This one was a mixed bag for me. The premise is just so spot on for something I could love. I love rich people drama, family drama, magic, mysteries. And we get all of that. To a degree. Everything really hinges on this one big family secret, but the way it's drawn out throughout the novel was getting on my nerves by the end. And yet I like what the actual secret was. I liked that some people had blood on their hands (theirs and other people's) and that the author wasn't fully pulling their punches. I also struggled with the way every single plot point was another tiny grenade thrown into the story. I get that it's supposed to be a Thriller so we need some thrilling moments, but by the end I would see one of these plot grenades and shrug my shoulders. Because of course that's how that happened, you couldn't find a more dramatic way to do it if you tried. And yet there were moments when the characters would show growth or bravery that they didn't show before in those moments. Not to give too big of a spoiler here (spoiler warning, obviously), but the author used the common Fantasy/SciFi plot device of "If you didn't see a body, they're not dead" which was annoying the first time and pissed me off the second. Maybe it's the amount of reading I've done (or even movies I've watched) but I get so tired of the stakes being lowered by bringing characters back from the dead so to speak. It doesn't feel like playing fair with the reader. Another thing I enjoyed from the novel was how the magic worked. Each character had their own type of magic and they would call on "the Ruin" which is the dominion of the devil in order to power the magic. Cicely is a little odd since she has to actually travel through a rift in the real world to the Ruin in order to access her magic which came with its own consequences.

So, overall, I'm just conflicted. I had a good enough time reading this. I didn't hate it and I didn't feel like I had wasted my time by the end. But the plot grenades got old and I spent a lot of time wanting to shake some sense into some characters. I think if you aren't as jaded as me (or you've just read less than me) then you're more likely to come out of this one with a win.

[Yolanda]

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: The story is set in a contemporary world but with some fantasy because of the magic and deal with the devil the Winter Family has made. There is also a place called the Ruin which is where their magic comes from or something to that effect and I likened it to hell or the underworld. The Winters are wealthy and powerful and they are trying to hold onto that power, no matter the cost.

Characters: I love the complicated characters in the Winter Family. Told through Cecily, we see every aspect of her flawed family. Her mother who is like the queen of their family, her siblings who are more favored in their mother’s eyes. Her uncle Dorian and his family add to the dysfunction as well – and all of them have some kind of magical power because of the deal with the devil their ancestor made. Then there is Soren, a boy that the family killed to keep a secret, but he isn’t quite dead yet and has come back to cause havoc to the Winter family. Cecily herself is someone who loves her family, wants badly for her mom to love her as much as she loves her siblings, but also realizes how wrong her family is for wielding their power the way they do – yet Cecily will do the same if need be. It made for a lot of drama – fun drama though!

Romance: Cecily is the only one who can go into the Ruin and come back out, so it’s not a surprise that the boy she is falling for is dead and part of the Ruin. Soren wants revenge on her family, and Cecily knows her family isn’t good and she’s trying to uncover all the secrets but there are some hard choices that have to be made where Soren is concerned. I feel like the ending left it open for a book two and I hope there is one so I can see if Cecily and Soren’s romance progresses.

Story: I was very into this story. The Winters are trying to stay the top dog but lately it hasn’t been easy with so many scandals brewing. Most of them are not good people, and when their power starts to crack and someone starts murdering members of the family, it leads to a search for who is trying to kill them. I enjoyed the different magic each family member had, I thought it was unique. I enjoyed the complicated relationship between all of them, how they kind of despise one another but it’s family over everything and everyone. I liked the mystery and the suspense! There were some moments in the middle where it slowed down a little but it does pick up again. There are a few twists and the ending feels like it’s setting up for a book two, which I hope is the case.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a fun young adult story with magic, so much family secrets and drama, a murder mystery and even a little romance. I hope there is a book two!

Read if you like:

rich family drama
magic

[Sifa Poulton]

I received an ARC from the publisher in preparation for a UKYASpotlight interview. It has not affected my opinions.

OUR WICKED GIFTS is a tale of a broken family who are cruel and use their magic to retain power.

This book is part thriller, part paranormal fantasy, which makes for a nice continuity with her previous books (thrillers and horrors) but also a step in a new direction. The plot is a thriller one, seeking out family secrets as bodies turn up, but the world is a fantasy version of our own, where deals with the devil are literal and secret-finding magic is incredibly useful.

The magic is all about manipulation, but in ways that you have to choose to manipulate others. Cecily's magic shows her where secrets are hidden, but she has to choose to uncover them. Her sister can see people's desires in mirrors, but it's up to her how she uses that information. And so on. I really liked the way this magic system played out because it gives these people the tools to be awful but doesn't make them use them - that choice is all theirs.

And they are a deeply unpleasant family. They have money and power and have been drilled relentlessly on family loyalty. The children are definitely a product of their upbringing - the head of family, Cicely's mother, is the absolute worst. She's a snob and cruel to everyone, even her children. A complete narcist, everything is about her and she's the hero of her own story. But the book shows that there are exit routes open to the characters, if they're willing to give up their power.

There is something delightful about reading about such morally corrupt people. They can go places in the story that we (hopefully!) wouldn't, and there's an escapism in that. It plays into that "what if" itch, that alternative of being cruel that we might flit through our minds that we squash (thought I doubt we even have "what ifs" anywhere on this scale! But it's that same impulse that might make us think for a second about smashing a plate just to see the mess). Here, the impulse isn't squashed, and there's an indulgence to it, a safe way of seeing those "what ifs" play out and reminding ourselves why we don't indulge in them. It doesn't end well.

This is a standalone, I think. There certainly feels like space at the end left for more adventures, but that could simply be the author allowing the world to breathe rather than intending to write another book.