DNF 20%
I were just confused and annoyed. Some details felt lacking, and the characters were boring and annoying. I wished it would have been better. But Sadly it was not.

I don’t have much to say that hasn’t already been said in every other review. The immediate action was bogged down by exposition and stylistic tendencies not at all uncommon in books by teen authors. Given how many more books have been written, I wish there had been some editing done on this first book to increase readability.

Those thoughts aside, there were several unique components about the world that jumped out at me, especially the talking cats, and everyone treating that as natural. And of course, legendary weapons are always cool. I'm curious to pick up one of the author's newer works, to see these unique features presented in a more polished narrative.

**Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy**

I tried to give this book a fair chance and push through the story, but unfortunately this wasn't my cup of tea, and I really struggled to keep myself focused.
At first, I was curious to find out more about the magical gifts some of the villagers had, but they weren't really explained well. And then everything just went downhill from there, because the story just didn't make sense to me. I didn't like how after Aldora's village was attacked, the king of the kingdom did absolutely nothing to deal with this problem. It seemed really weird that when Aldora reached the royal palace, there was just one guard and no army whatsoever. The king had no strategy and no way to protect his kingdom, and instead of offering aid, he decided to send a random girl he just met on a very important mission. And that's only because her name means "gift". I get that this is meant to be a device to send her on a quest, but it seems unreasonable and silly. And this is only the beginning of the story.
I'm sorry to be this critical, but I didn't like this book at all. It feels like it needs a lot more editing, in order to patch up the weirdness and loopholes, and make the story line more believable and interesting.

This is the first book from this author I have read. I enjoyed the plot throughout the book but did find it lacking in some aspects. I love when authors provide more detail about the world around the characters. Didn't feel like the characters did much growth throughout the book as well. I was confused at the beginning of the book for a while

A solid effort, but I didn't feel immersed in the world. I look forward to seeing how this author grows.

This book totally lacks worldbuilding. I get that it's aimed to middle schoolers but it doesn't excuse the total void this novel is set in. The characters are all fairly compelling, and the story seems a likely start to an epic adventure, but it's still very plain and doesn't hold attention very much.

In The Royal Gift by Drae Box, Aldora Leom'as's life is upended when raiders attack her village, stealing the Dagger of Protection that their village watched over. She embarks on a quest (at the request of the king) to recover the dagger and help save her people from subsequent attacks. On her journey, Aldora meets Raneth Bayre, a Giften royal official on the hunt for a murderer, and the Prince of the Cats, Pedibastet. Together, can they track down the raiders and recover the Dagger? This novel is full of magic, talking cats, and adventure. Young fans of the fantasy genre will enjoy visiting the Kingdom of Giften, but there's nothing that makes it stand out, which is why I give it 3/5 stars.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.

This was an interesting experience for me. I did not care for it myself, but I think that the author will improve and the next endeavor might be really good. The ideas were creative, but the execution needed a little work.

First of all, the reader is dropped right into the middle of the story without any setup or explanation. I was actually confused enough to wonder if I’d missed a previous book that explained everything. While it does clear up as time goes on, it was a very disconcerting start.


I did appreciate the uniqueness of the book. The Prince of Cats was a fun character, although, like the others, he needed more development. It felt as though I was reading a first or second draft and not the finished book.

That being said, the premise is interesting, but the end product needs tweaking. I didn’t hate the book, but it wasn’t for me.

Have you read it? What did you think?

There was too much telling and not enough showing. I couldn’t imagine anything that was happening. I didn’t understand what the big deal was with this dagger. I liked the fact that the cats could talk, but there wasn’t much focus on that aspect.

Not really sure how I felt about this book. The cover is amazing however and its what caught my eye. I don't know if I would read it again, but it was good over all.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

The Royal Gift is a simplistic fantasy ideal for Middle School students or even for reading with younger children as an introduction to fantasy. There is not a lot of descriptive world-building or establishment of systems that are usual with fantasy, but rather it is a basic coming of age adventure with fantasy elements. The characters are interesting, if rather juvenile, and it is hard not to love Pedibastet. The plot is fun but there is not a lot of complexity, making it ideal for young readers beginning their journey into fantasy. It most likely will not suit adult readers who enjoy YA - it is too simplistic.