The Bishop of Oxford is very, very dead. At least the police think it's the Bishop - it's impossible to be sure, since someone has made off with his head.
Fifteen-year-old Frank Sampson is the forensic sorcerer on the case. But he is easily distracted. By Kazia, the supposed victim's beautiful, and possibly dangerous, niece. By Marvo, his police colleague, who seems dead set on making his life difficult. By the terror that he's losing his Gift - the ability to work magic. And by all those stupid rules which get in the way of proving that everybody is wrong about the case . . . except Frank.
Donald Hounam has wrought a sharp, exciting, original new voice in teen fiction.
Donald Hounam grew up just outside Oxford. He toyed with Medieval history at St Andrews University, and wrote a PhD thesis on apocalyptic beliefs in the early Crusades. He threw paint around at the Ruskin School of Drawing in Oxford, then found himself in Dublin where he threw more paint around and reviewed films until his flatmate set the building alight one Christmas, whereupon he scuttled back to England and started making up stories...
Title: Gifted
Author: Hounam, Donald
ISBN: 9780552571876
Binding:
Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
Publication Date: 2015-01-29
Number of Pages: 416
Weight: 0.2949 kg
Entertaining and brilliantly imagined . . . This fastpaced murder mystery is set in a dark world where magic equals blood and sacrifice. Hounam creates a well-rounded character in a fully realized world which draws the reader inexorably deeper. * The Scotsman *
A fresh, thrill-packed magic and mystery story that delivers a new twist . . . Hounam could be onto something very big here. * South China Morning Herald *
If you want an original magic system, and an intriguing setting, I would highly recommend this book. One of the most unique fantasy books I've read in years. * I Heart Reading blog *
The world building is great with a unique set up that makes the story interesting, but also provides excellent conflict for the characters. * The Bookbag *
One of the most unique YA books that I have ever read * everythingalyce.blogspot *
