This is a good YA historical fantasy book
It’s so addictive and beautifully written
I loved the characters and it was the perfect end to a great duology

I absolutely loved the sequel as much as the first book! I love these characters so much! I loved the magic system and the alternate history and that we got to see more of the world in this book. I did find it dragged a little at times but it didn't decrease my enjoyment of the book.

A fantastic follow up from Trelease, I loved spending more time with these characters in the glittering and magical Paris she's unfurled for us.

I loved ENCHANTÉE so was eager to see how this duology was wrapped up. It expands the evocative world-building of the first novel and I loved revisiting these endearing characters. Highly recommended.

Magical book for kids and big kids alike! I really enjoyed getting into the story and I’m 30 so can you imagine how cool it would be for teens?!
I think this would be a great addition to any school library or for confident readers aged 10+ to enjoy.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

This was a great sequel! This book was full of fun plotlines, aching angst, and characters that leave you wishing for the happiest of endings for them.

LIBERTÉ dives right into the opening months of the mob rule of the French Revolution. The bastille has fallen, but no one yet knows how far the revolution will go. Despite the reader knowing that, yeah, it's going to get bad, Gita Trelease manages to write an element of hope into it all that the violence will be moderated and it will turn out differently.

The book is fast-paced as events run away from Camille and the city spills into violence. Part of this pacing comes from the very short chapters which pulls the book along. It helps the book feel like it's racing between events, but also intensifies the longer scenes. There are some that are noticeably longer than others, and it makes them feel more pressured as there isn't that slight pause moment between chapters. It was interesting to note that, ad often significantly long chapters feel like their dragging in comparison, but that didn't happen here.

I really liked the inclusion of pamphlets throughout. Rather than just having the text printed in the standard formatting of prose, they were laid out like actual pamphlets with the varying text sizes and alignments. Given how much printing is part of the story, as Camille tries to save friends then battle public sentiment about magicians and the revolution, it makes sense to include a visual representation of them.

LIBERTÉ has a very different feel to it than ENCHANTÉE, because of how magic is treated and used within the story. This is not a book about glamourous magic, gambling, and the glittering world of court, instead it is a book about fear and mob rule. The actual use of magic is limited in this book, instead most of the magic is the background feel of an enchanted house and how fear of a small group is used to create a scapegoat.

While this shift is not a bad thing - it is a very interesting look at an important topic and gives the book an added kick of danger - it does make it feel like it's not quite the same series as its predecessor. Perhaps one could look on it as the two books' differing tone reflecting the enormous changes that occurred in France in a short space of time, but I found it a little jarring, reading them back to back.

Book 1 in this duology, Enchantee (I know they’ve revised the titles but it’s so much nicer!) was magical and rather beautiful, for all the drama going on, it felt rather hopeful. This sequel is a lot darker, dealing with the French Revolution with the added hysterical persecution of magicians and the hopeful promises and dreams built from the first book have chunks torn down in this one. That said, rather than hope you have love, and more importantly, self love, you have the theme of not just understanding yourself but accepting yourself, celebrating yourself even. Even when challenged to deny herself for the boy she loves, Camille remains true and honestly I don’t see that nearly enough, the strength of self love. It’s a theme that is very easy to see yourself in, the idea of loving yourself as you are, whole, not just in parts. “…the strongest magicians are those who are brave enough to accept the whole of who they are and what they feel”. The idea we are strongest when we embrace ourselves, that truth is magic is a rather beautiful message.

The pacing was a little off, the 1st half feels a lot slower and to be honest, the whole Veil/Tempus Fugit storyline felt quite pointless by the end, it seemed to direct a lot of the plot but just didn’t really go anywhere – although, it doesn’t seem surprising when the answer to their problems really was supposed to be something that lasted minutes and completely disoriented the user :/

Camille is a delightful character, as is Sophie, although I wish we had more of her, I love a positive sister dynamic in a book. Camille does what is right, not what is easy and it’s incredibly easy to love her and root for her. She’s fiery and stubborn and kind and I’m happy where this book left the story and it’s characters. Duologies really are the way forwards!

Thank you NetGalley for the copy to review 😊

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Booksand NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t love Enchantee but it was an enjoyable enough read. I was quite surprised when I saw that there was to be a sequel as I always thought Enchantee was a standalone.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this book it just feels a bit unnecessary. The characters from before are all here and the setting is interesting, especially the magically haunted house, but all the new stuff just fell flat. The subplot with the bridge girls just fell flat and it was all rather meh.

The first book had a certain sparkle and sense of wonder that I just didn’t sense here. There was lots of not terribly interesting dialogue and I didn’t feel much tension with the magic persecution thread of the story. As I previously mentioned there isn’t anything hugely wrong with this book, it just felt a bit like filler and I wasn’t able to engage with it in the way that I hoped to.

Enchantee, the first in the duology, was the perfect warm-up for this fab sequel. In Liberte the story turns darker and more serious. The Revolution takes a nasty turn as magicians are deemed to be the cause of all of France’s problems making them worthy of a death sentence. Camille and friends must tread lightly in a Paris which is full of spies and turncoats whilst standing up for what they believe in – a better and fairer France. A huge turnaround from the sumptuous heady days spent in the court of Versailles. A great little story with a satisfying ending.

Liberté is the follow up to Enchanté and we’re back in revolutionary Paris. Camille is set up in her dead husband’s magical house which conveniently has a printing press that she can write revolutionary pamphlets on. Unfortunately no ones interested, she hasn’t got a decent hook until she finds some poor unfortunates hiding under a bridge and threatened with eviction. Through telling the stories of the girls in an attempt to save them she highlights the plight of the common man under the kings rule. Then there’s some stuff with magic being outlawed.
I don’t know what’s going on with these books. It’s my understanding that Enchenté was originally a stand alone but then people liked it so much they wanted more and so we have Liberté but the ending leaves me thinking there’s more planned? It seemed to stop right before the revolution got going. It was rather episodic in nature the plotting didn’t feel as tight as the first book, it felt like the author was trying to cover a lot of different things at once and therefore it felt a bit thin.
I liked the characters, I liked the setting, I loved the magic house and felt sad to leave it but there wasn’t enough. I wanted more of the original characters rather than the bridge girls. I wanted more of Charles and Sophie! Their story all happened off stage! Boo! Above all I wanted more magic.

I am so sad about this, I enjoyed Enchantee so much , so it breaks my heart that o didn’t love this. I was so excited to get an ARC of this, but I just didn’t love it like I thought I would. So much dialogue and just not enough action. I found this to be quite flat and empty feeling to method time, I just couldn’t reconnect with the characters the way I did the first time, breaks my heart, but sadly a no from me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I wasn't completely sold on the first book in the series, so I was in two minds requesting this. I so wanted this to be better than the first book, but unfortunately, it was just a huge slog to get through. So much talk, not much action, and I didn't feel any more endearment towards the main character or her sister than I had in the first book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Children's Books and Gita Trelease for my arc of Everything That Burns in exchange for an honest review.
Published: out now!

Everything That Burns (previously Libertè) is the sequel to All That Glitters (previously Enchanteè) and just like the change in titles, sadly this book disappoints.
I really enjoyed the first book when I read it, a retelling of the French Revolution with a magical element and I found Camille's character to be fantastic, the world building was excellent, the rags to riches story with the mystery and intrigue of the magic and the glamour of the French court.

But this one just didn't live up to it sadly. The focus was mainly on characters who were new to the story, the magic was suppressed for the majority of the book and sadly it just dragged on. Gita Trelease's writing is beautiful, descriptive and lyrical but the plot just didn't move. I unfortunately ended up DNFing this at 65%.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Books for the earc of Liberte for review.

If there is one setting for a book I love the most it is Paris. I read the first in this duology, Enchantee, while in Paris in 2019. The book spent time between the main city of Paris and Versaille and I had the chance to visit both places which allowed for such an immersive reading experience. That coupled with the books unique magic system and commentary on class and wealth in the time - made it a great and unique book to read.

That meant that I was very excited to read the sequel and finale of the duology Liberte.

And while the book picks up directly where the first left off, I did, unfortunately, find the book to be quite flat.

While the French revolution was a pinnacle turning point in French and Parisian history, the book seemed to skirt around this even and mentioned it only in passing. The effects this event had on the characters and the story seemed weak and underdeveloped. The allusions between the French revolution and the prejudice against magicians within the story did interweave itself.

The multiple threaded storylines also included female empowerment and the rights of women at the time. However, the connections between this and the prejudice against magic didn't provide the same amount of tension of the fear of magic portrayed in the first novel.

Overall, I was a little disappointed in the story. It lacked engagement and the characters felt very surface level. The uniqueness of the magic system didn't seem to play as big of an element as it had in the previous book. I did expect more from this book and unfortunately, my expectations were not met.

My review for this book will be posted on the Everything That Burns version in the first week of February. As I need to give a rating for this to go through I will be sending one based on my thoughts of the first book. I am more than sure that the high rating will carry through to this one too.

I read and really loved the first book in this series and was a little apprehensive going into this book as I wasn't quite sure where the story was going to go and whether I was going to love it as much, but I am glad to say that I was not disappointed at all. I adore the french revolution setting, I think the world-building is really well done and the author does a really great job of painting the scene of what life is like for these characters. Speaking of characters, I really love them. I feel that most of the characters in here are really well done, well-rounded characters who all stand out as individuals. I love the relationships built between characters and love the romance present in this book. I think this is one of the strongest elements of the overall story. I really enjoyed the overall plot and I thought that the direction made sense for these characters and I felt that they were in real danger throughout. I really loved the ending of this book - I don't want to spoil it for anyone but I was tense for the last quarter of this book, but I really liked how it ended. I am not sure if there are going to be any more books in this series, the ending leaves off in a good place either way. I love the magic in here I think it just feels very glamourous but also a little dangerous and although it isn't always fully explained I do really love the whimsy that it provides these books. I am definitely interested in reading more from this author in the future and am so glad I continued on with this series.
4 out of 5 stars

Liberté follows the events of Enchantée, in which the Revolution in France is just beginning. Camille now lives in the Hôtel de Seguin with Sophie, and the reader follows her printing pamphlets to support the beliefs her father instilled in her, while also developing her own beliefs. Trelease interweaves pamphlets throughout the novel, illustrating both Camille's work and the views of society around her. This clever use of form truly drew me into the world, without the need for words or descriptions.

Along with the writing style, I also really enjoyed getting a glimpse into Camille's past, that she herself barely recollected. This was powerful, and added an extra depth to both her character and the events of the previous book. Camille's dynamic with Lazare was also exceptional, Trelease highlighting not only the highs, but also the struggles - and the inevitable unity in a relationship. The ending was particularly prevalent to this, and written beautifully.

'V I V E L A R É V O L U T I O N
Angry tears scorched in the corners of her eyes. Picking up a tiny piece of type, she held it up to the light.
It was a question mark.'

An important theme drawn in the book is morality; Trelease forces the reader to question the distinction between right and wrong, and what is truly considered 'revolutionary'. Do the means truly justify the end?
(This brings me to some content warnings for younger readers: being set in a revolution, the book does include dead bodies in a variety of forms, and also a scene with an insinuation of going beyond kissing. While it wasn't explicit, and is down to personal preference, I didn't personally feel it was needed. The magic as a whole was also much darker than the previous book portrayed it - though this was not necessarily bad, it is something to be aware of).

The end of Liberté was very fast paced, which made for an intriguing end to the duology. From the moment the villain was apparent, the tension and betrayal only escalated, with twists and turns throughout. Surprisingly, there were several events that I found shocked me, which I also really enjoyed reading.

While I enjoyed the book, I felt there was a lack of fluidity from the previous book. Though it largely included the same characters and setting, there was little mention of la glamoire, Alain, Lazare's parents or other aspects that could have been built upon more. Liberté was entertaining, but I felt it was less plot-driven than the previous instalment in many ways - though again, this may be personal preference.

As a whole, Liberté was a magically diverting; an interesting, though fictitious, portrayal of the French Revolution. Though there were aspects that weren't my favourite, I still enjoyed it, particularly when coupled with the previous book. I'd certainly encourage people to read this after Enchantée, to create a fuller picture of the characters, the world-building and magic system.

"Be brave of heart, mon petit oiseau," Chandon murmured as he wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders. "The game is not yet over."

I enjoyed Enchantée so I was looking forward to the second part of this story! Liberté changes direction a bit, while Enchantée very much focuses on life at Versailles, Liberté focuses on life in Paris. Camille and her sister Sophie now have security in the form of money and a home but all this could be put in jeopardy if Camille returns to using magic. In the aftermath of Bastille day the revolution is well under way, but in this reality the king and nobility are using magicians as scapegoats.

Primarily a fantasy book aimed at young adults, the historical backdrop is mainly played for drama rather than accuracy. That said, it makes a good attempt at illustrating how the revolution was not simply a clear cut matter. Continuing on from the first book, the life of the poor in Paris is explored further as we are introduced to the ‘Lost Girls’, They each tell their own stories, demonstrating the range of routes into poverty. More time could have been dedicated to them though to really dig beneath the surface.

As well as lightly touching on social and political issues, magic remains at its heart. Trelease has set out a really good system of magic and we join Camille on her journey to learn more about how it works. I did have a hard time with one element though, in order to escape persecution Camille is involved in the search for a magical solution that will help them hide, blur/tempos fugit. Without going into too much detail, this solution really doesn’t seem to be much of a solution at all! In fact, it causes many more problems than it solves and in the end isn’t really all that important. I just couldn’t understand why so much time was dedicated to it by the characters and why in a world of magic there seemed to be literally nothing else they could do to save themselves! There’s nothing wrong with magic having limits but when far more impressive magic has already been displayed in didn’t make sense.

That was really a quibble though and overall I enjoyed the book. It’s fast paced, full of drama, magic and romance. As a sequel, it’s an interesting direction to take the series but sits well with the first book. It’s a shame this isn’t a trilogy, I think there’s more of this world and these characters to explore, but It concludes well enough that I can easily accept it as a duology.

Many Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the sequel to enchanted which I got on Netgalley when it was first released. I really enjoyed enchanted and found the world and magic so interesting so I was excited to see where the book would go next. I liked this book and found it to be an enjoyable read but I had higher expectations for it. The writing was okay, I found it easy to read and it flowed well. The plotline didn’t grip me as much as I thought it would but I’ve been reading a lot of fantasy lately so I might be less invested because of that.
The magic is great and I still really enjoyed the world and how it links to France. I liked how magic was declared a crime as it added an extra thing the characters had to deal with and navigate.
Camille is the main character and she was okay, I liked her but I didn’t connect with her. I enjoyed how she wanted to help others and her path through the book was good. I thought the main relationship in the book was okay and I’m not usually a fan of romance.
Overall this is a solid sequel to enchantee that I liked but not as much as the first book.