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Gifts

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Gifts

By: Ursula K. Le Guin
Narrated by: Gareth Bennett-Ryan
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About this listen

 'She's showing no signs of losing her brilliance. She is unparalleled in creating fantasy peopled by finely drawn and complex characters... GIFTS has the simplicity of fairy tale and the power of myth' GUARDIAN

'Le Guin is a writer of phenomenal power' OBSERVER

Orrec, the son of the Brantor of Caspromant, and Gry, daughter of the Brantors of Barre and Rodd, have grown up together, running half-wild across the Uplands. The people there are like their land: harsh and fierce and prideful; ever at war with each other.

Only the gifts keep the fragile peace. The Barre gift is calling animals. The women of Cordemant have the power of blinding, or making deaf, or taking away speech. The Rodds can send a spellknife into a man's heart. The Callems can move heavy things - even buildings, even hills. The Caspro gift is the worst and best of all: it is the gift of undoing: an insect, an animal, a place ...

Orrec and Gry are the heirs to Caspro and Barre. Gry's gift runs true, but she refuses to call animals for the hunt. Orrec too is a problem, for his gift of undoing is wild: he cannot control it - and that is the most dangerous gift of all ...

GIFTS is Ursula Le Guin at her best: an exciting, moving story beautifully told. Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction Magic Heartfelt

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Critic reviews

She's showing no signs of losing her brilliance. She is unparalleled in creating fantasy peopled by finely drawn and complex characters... GIFTS has the simplicity of fairy tale and the power of myth
Le Guin is a writer of phenomenal power
A brilliant exploration of the power and responsibility of gifts
As always, Le Guin has delivered a story that captivates and draws the reader in. Anyone who enjoyed her Earthsea trilogy will relish this new work and fans of dark fantasy, such as Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass, will want to check out this title as well
All stars
Most relevant
This is a wonderfully spun story full of perfectly and subtly rendered world-building, where you feel the simple depth of a very human world without tropes or high fantasy. The characters are full and the inner struggles bubble to the surface. I loved it. and I'll go back again.
the narration has a strange rhythm, with many pauses, but like most things you get used to it and in the end I thought it worked well with the pace and style of the book. His voice deftly suits the tone of the book, and his voice acting is wonderful with each character captured in strong consistent voicing.
all in all excellent

beautifully paced and richly woven

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loved it excellent story well read. Recommended as an ardent fan of Ursula Le Guin

excellent

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Absolutely loved it. Just something about her writing makes me so content. Orrec and Gry and brilliantly written, and it’s so easy to care about them.

Great narration too, good northern voice for once! Added real character to the story.

Classic Ursula!

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Brilliant narration which fit the story perfectly. Ursula has an incredible imagination and the concept of this book is brilliant. I could have listened to much more.

Well read

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A family living in hardship and fear, looking to the past to find their future. Great stuff, and brilliantly narrated.

A slow story of growing self-discovery

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