Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the early access.

I enjoyed this book, but I’m starting to think that V.E.Schwab may just not be my type of writer.

Her writing is good, much better than the language some other popular writers use.
However, I feel like there are a lot of descriptions, and a lot of repititions, which adds to my next issue - not much happens.

I know this isn’t a lengthy book, but it felt like it, despite the 150 or so page count. The book wasn’t engaging enough, and it dragged on.

This is my second book by this author, and I didn’t get on quite well with the first one either, so I just thing we don’t get on.

I did enjoy the story though, but it just won’t be one I reread.

I am so happy to have received this copy of Gallant for review. Thank you so much to Titan Books for my early copy. V E Schwab is an auto buy author for me. I love the way the writing is so sweet, delicate and metaphorical. This is a story about a girl who has been at a boarding house for years, when they suddenly get a letter from her uncle summoning her to their home... What follows is an eerie story of belonging and love. There were so many spooky elements with ghosts involved in this story, it was very exciting!

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars

I found this honestly pretty underwhelming. I'm really glad Schwab is growing and developing her stories into what she's always wanted to write, and I support her journey in that. Her new stuff is just less my thing, and that's okay - the gothic ghostliness is fun I just personally don't often click with it. I will say, though, that there was a lot of internal monologuing, spookiness and pretty writing and not a lot of anyone doing anything until the end.

Gallant is a class in doing a Ghosty House 101. It's not so much a mystery because there's no real reveal (it dips more into fantasy than thriller), but if you love a Gothic ghost story you're looking in the right place. Looking back at it, it really reminded me of Coraline, Mexican Gothic and a handful of other Gothic stories - and maybe that's why I wasn't a massive fan. It ticked all the boxes but didn't really provide anything else.

And, while I appreciated having a mute protagonist, the book didn't really do much with it. And it doesn't have to - normalised representation is good too - but it felt like there was wasted potential in a story that delves so much into fantastical possibilities. Or, failing that, even just thinking about it more past that sometimes people ignore her because they can't read sign language.

Overall, I think I may start giving Schwab's ghost stories a pass; I've tried a handful now and they're just not my thing. Very much support her growth as an author, but I think pushing myself to read stuff that I'm just not interesting isn't worth it - life's too short!

This is a bit of an impulse read. I saw it on NetGalley and went "Oh, this sounds like a creepy Secret Garden" and everyone seems to love V.E. Schwab and I've only read two books of her (I still have one or two titles on my TBR so, of course, I will be reading them in the future), but I thought this might be a nice way to ease myself into her writing again as it's been a while. Plus, this had vibes of a gothic fairy tale type story, similar to her debut, The Near Witch.

Olivia Pryor is missing three things. Her mother who died when she was young, her father who she doesn't remember and her voice, which was she was never born with. But when she gets a mysterious letter from an uncle she never knew she had, begging her to come home to the estate, Gallant.

But when she gets there, her uncle has been dead for several years and no one remembers him writing the letter. Though Olivia is allowed to stay, there are two rules: don't leave the house after dark and don't go near the wall at the end of the garden...

Ok, let me be honest: this was very meh for me. It just... well, meh.

Maybe I had too high hopes on this. Everyone seems to love V.E. Schwab and this was sold as a gothic, whimsical fairy tale. And it has a whimsical writing-style, and it had a nice gothic feel at the start. But the gothicness I craved vanished very quickly. Plus, this is meant to be a YA/teen fairy tale with crossover appeal, but it didn't really feel very crossover. It felt more on the younger side of YA and I can't explain why I feel like that.

I loved the writing, but at times, it did drag with the details and, though the story did move at a pace (this takes over the course of three or four nights), this felt slow. Plus, quite predictable.

Maybe I should have enjoyed it more if I didn't have high expectations. Or maybe it I was reading this more leisurely and the world isn't... well, haven't you seen the news over the past few years (Brexit, Covid and now Russia/Ukraine) and I think this is affecting everyone's mental health of late.

I'm not giving up with V.E. Schwab. I have The Invisible Life on Addie LaRue audiobook and I am thinking of trying this out over the course of the summer. But this, sadly, didn't work for me

"To those who go looking for doors, are brave enough to open the ones they find, and sometimes bold enough to make their own"

❕IF YOU LIKE:
Ya fantasy/horror/paranormal story✅
Mysteries✅
Haunted mansions✅
Forbidden romance (subplot)✅
Beautiful writing✅
Scary stories✅
Hidden worlds✅
Intriguing characters ✅
Disability rep ✅
📣READ THIS BOOK📣

"That is a trick with ghouls. They want you to look, but they can't stand being seen."

⚠️DO NOT, however, read this after dark if you're paranoid like me😌, cuz you'll be MORE PARANOID 😐⚠️

"Everything casts a shadow," he begins, "Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source."

ANYWAY DON'T MIND ME FREAKING OUT READING THIS BOOK 😩😩😩
The beginning was scary af🤺🤺🤺, only at the end I maneged to get invested in what's going to happen.🌚

"When people see tears, they stop listening to your hands or your words or anything else you have to say. And it doesn't matter if the tears are angry or sad, frightened or frustrated. All they see is a girl crying."

I loved the main girl💃, I loved her strength and determination. If I were her I'd run🏃 as fast as my asthmatic ass would let me🤦💀💀💀

"Safe does not mean happy, does not mean well, does not mean kind. "

I'm not the fan of horrors, as you probably gathered🤦, but this was kinda nice. Amd it's V. E. Schwab c'mon, you know it must be good 💁 I mean at first we're thrown into this strange world🌏, and they're ghouls🧟 everywhere and writing is beautifully disturbing, but when you figure everything out and there aren't any mysteries🗝️, it's okay. At the end I was sooo focused on reading, cuz I needed to know what'll happen. The ending🥲🥲🥲
OVERALL 4/5⭐

Thank you NetGalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

A gothic and dark tale that drew me in with its beautiful prose and creepy atmosphere.

I loved the idea of Death living next door and his presence encroaching ever closer through the creeping grey weeds and cracks in the wall, a family desperately trying to hold him back and what it costs them to do so. Olivia is an interesting character and I enjoyed learning about her and the places she found herself in, the Ghouls she sees in particular were fascinating and were responsible for some of my favourite scenes that I thought were very touching.

The story was totally absorbing, I couldn't read it quick enough!

Thank you NetGalley and Titan books for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

A deliciously dark creepy fairy tale.

This is the first V.E. Schwab book that I have read and I will definitely be reading more now, I loved the style of writing that really conveyed the eerie atmosphere and shadows lurking around every corner,

This was a slow-paced, but very easy read, so I finished it really quickly, and I think this would be an excellent book for younger readers to pick up as they transition from Middle Grade to Young Adult, it could easily appeal to a Middle Grade reader who appreciates darker stories.

I read another review (Kay B.) that said it felt "like The Secret Garden, but if it was a ghost story", and that sums it up really well, haunting, ethereal, and filled with the shades of spirits and death looming just across the garden wall, such a great premise, that I couldn't help wanting a bit more. My main feeling after I'd finished is that I wish that the story could have further explored the family, the houses, and the shadows, but fairy tales rarely go into much depth about why the magic, the villains, or the world are the way they are, and that is what this is, a dark fairy tale.

V. E. Schwab one again proving she has the most hauntingly beautiful way with words.

Gallant is the perfect YA gothic novel. With an intensely creepy setting, a misunderstood non-verbal main character, numerous ghouls and a lot of mystery, it’ll keep you unsettled from the first page right through to the very end.

It’s slow-paced, which I normally dislike in books but Schwab has the most lyrical writing style and the pacing allows you to absorb every moment.

The mysterious journal entries and haunting illustrations dotted throughout, along with the irony of knowing all along about the duplicate Gallant certainly amplify the uncanny and take the book to another level.

---Second read---

*4.5 Stars*

Yes, I liked this a little less the second time around but it was still amazing, I just noticed some more flaws I guess.
It is really really short and therefore I don't think all the characters develop the way they could have otherwise. I also felt that the pacing, especially towards the end was a little off.
But everything I said in my previous review still stands.
And I cannot wait for more VE Schwab.

--------------------

First read

Olivia Prior has been raised in Merilance's school for girls for years and years. All she knows from her family, she knows from her mother's journal. She's never had friends in that school and just hates it there. At least, the ghosts are nice enough. When she receives a letter from her uncle she's never known anything about asking her to come to their house, Gallant, she goes and looks forward to it, despite her mother's warnings. But once she gets there, she realizes nothing is as it seems and people there are less than welcoming.

Well... Another masterpiece by VE Schwab. There's not much else to say. I loved everything about it. The setting, the characters, the spooks. It's truly a perfect spook read. And I say that as a wimp.
Page after page, I had absolutely no idea of what was going to happen. I could not have guessed anything. I felt it all, the pain, the angst, the scary and I really enjoyed it all. I could picture myself right there and yet, that was hella fun.
VE Schwab really is everything. I love them and their writing with all my heart.

It’s V. E. Schwab so you know it’s good. That’s a fact.

Now, the writing it’s outstanding as usual. I love her writing! The plot was a nice one and the characters were interesting. The ending is sad but satisfying.

BUT, this felt flat and simple compared to VES usual reads. It’s still a good book, but doesn’t have the hype you would expect. Something else that cost my personal experience is that this story reminded me often of ‘Lakesedge’, and I totally loved that book! However, don’t get discouraged! It’s still a nice, enjoyable read!

Olivia Prior was left on the steps of an orphanage as a young girl; the only item left with her is her Mother's diary which details her increasingly disturbed behaviour. Was her mother ill or was there truly something dark chasing her. A letter from her Uncle at Gallant House is like a lifeline to escape the bleak orphanage but once she arrives things are not as they seem.

This ghostly tale was captivating and I read the book in one sitting. I felt like the novel was almost like a ghostly gothic Jane Eyre which is very intriguing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book that was simplistically descriptive in the perfect way, you could see the world and characters without it being overly descriptive, the characters were vivid and varied and I really wanted to know about them. I felt it ended up being very rushed though as it was very short and could've done with more to the story to really make it a brilliant read.
This was definitely more of a novella rather than a novel.

Gallant was a perfectly creepy, spine-tingling and darkly entrancing tale that satisfied my Gothic loving heart.

Schwab really digs into the standard tropes of the genre and subtly undercuts them, inverting your expectations at every turn with something that little bit more fresh and original. Of course, it helps that their writing is so beautifully crafted and spell-binding. It is infused with this dark sensibility, that touch of something unknowable and just out of our reach. This elevates the Gothic nature of the book that much more. With every page, you can feel the sinister, lurking presence of something monstrous.

This is epitomised in that perfectly creepy, intriguing and slightly horrific opening. Right away, I was hooked and I knew this was going to be a one-sitting read. You are so instantly entrenched in Olivia’s headspace and character. I loved her tenacity and ferocity, with that endless will to survive and an appetite for knowledge. The way Schwab seamlessly integrates elements of her signing was wonderful to see as well and that casual representation was brilliant, while also obviously carefully considered. All of this culminates in even more fear when the darkness encroaches even more. I loved how fantastically Gothic this book is. Familiar beats are hit, but with a renewed focus on found family and intergenerational trauma. This is a book with so much heart at its centre and you can feel the sensitivity and nuance poured into its pages. I loved the stylistic flourishes and the way Schwab wastes no time in creating a claustrophobic, ominous atmosphere. The interluding switches in narrative help create that suspense and add some intriguing details that are even better upon re-reading.

Gallant was like the oncoming storm. It was spell-binding, strangely magical and just everything I wanted it to be. Schwab holds no prisoners with this inventive take on the genre, packed full of heart and soul.

Gallant is a beautifully haunting story aimed at a younger readership but still enjoyable for adults. It's about Olivia Prior who has grown up in an orphanage with her mother's diary the only link to her past, who out of the blue receives a letter from her long lost uncle inviting her home.

This book feel like The Secret Garden but if it was a ghost story. Schwab has an amazing talent at creating an eerie atmosphere and keeping your attention through a slow burn narrative and the imagery of the two houses, one alove, one dead, is amazing. You could easily binge this book in a day and yet not feel rushed.

At all times, despite her young age, Olivia feels like a force to be reckoned with - she has had to make herself that way. She is mute and despite having learned sign language no one in her life has tried to learn how to communicate with her so she has been forced to make herself heard in other ways. Her frustration, anger and loneliness are palpable but it is usually her stubbornness that wins out. Despite the mystery and danger of the house, and a less than warm welcome from the residents both alive and dead, Olivia refuses to leave the one place that ever offered her a chance at a home or answers about her parents. She makes for a great heroine.

The book is melancholy and bittersweet. One thing I have always appreciated in Schwab's writing is the willingness to let the ending play out naturally rather than trying to force an ending where everyone is happy.

I would have liked to have learned more about the other house as well as its master and his origins. We never really get a deeper look at his motivations. I would also have liked to learn more about the shadows and Olivia's father but these are all small complaints in the grand scheme of things.


⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Firstly, thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was my introduction to V.E. Schwab's writing, and I was extremely optimistic, having heard such wonderful things about other works of hers before, such as 'the Invisible Life of Addie Larue', 'Vicious' and the 'Shades of Magic' trilogy. Unfortunately, 'Gallant' left me rather underwhelmed.

I felt as though as time went on, the plot got more and more meandering, and I kept losing interest. If you're someone who loves worldbuilding etc., I think this book would be perfect for you. For me, however, I like enough worldbuilding to understand what's going on, and what I need to know, but this book felt like 90% description, 10% plot, and the plot that was there wasn't engaging enough to keep me interested. Considering the sheer amount of description, however, I was left in the dark with regards to the main character's appearance. At 20% into the book, I couldn't tell you how old Olivia was definitively (if not for the blurb), what she looked like, other than "black hair and sallow cheeks", or really anything much about her as a character. As far as main characters in fantasy novels go, I found Olivia Prior to be relatively unremarkable, for someone who can see ghosts.

I honestly couldn't really tell you what the plot of this was, not because I wasn't paying attention, because I genuinely couldn't pick out a plotline.

Also, though this is marketed as YA, I still believe that this is Middle Grade, and may have been better suited to being released under V.E. Schwab's Middle-Grade pen name Victoria Schwab, as this felt too juvenile, in my opinion, to be released and marketed as YA.

Something I did appreciate though was the way in which Olivia being a nonspeaking character was written. With other books I've read that feature nonspeaking characters (which are pretty few and far between as it is!), the fact that they're nonspeaking has been made their whole personality, whereas, with Olivia, it was more just something about her, as opposed to the key component of her character. I think that this representation is really important, and I'm glad that V.E. Schwab clearly put a lot of time and effort into her research to write Olivia well as a nonspeaking individual.

Additionally, there was some subtle dyslexia representation with the character of Matthew, Olivia's cousin, and again, I think that it's really important that books have more representation like this, and I appreciate that V.E. Schwab made sure to do so.

To conclude, though I did admire the beautiful descriptive work throughout this novel, I felt it was lacking in plot, and I couldn't connect with the characters in the way I wanted to. With that being said, I've seen a lot of praise for this book, so if you're thinking about reading it, please don't let my review discourage you! More often than not, no two people will read the same book and finish with the same opinions, so just because this book wasn't really for me, doesn't mean it won't be for you! I look forward to reading some more of V.E. Schwab's work in the future, but this one novel just wasn't really for me.

When Olivia Prior gets a letter from her long-lost uncle inviting her to escape from the awful Merilance School for Girls, it’s like something out of a fairytale. However, when Olivia arrives at the Prior estate, known as Gallant, she’s greeted with a standoffish cousin, family secrets, a haunted house, and as such, Gallant is anything but a fairytale.

Gallant is one of those books where the pages turn quickly, sweep you up and away into the story. Personally, I found this book read like it was aimed toward children, in the same vein as Neil Gaiman’s novels, Coraline and Stardust, and Tim Burton’s film The Corpse Bride.

Gallant is a simple story with a somber yet stirring undercurrent. I found it easy to empathise with Olivia’s desire to connect with and learn more about her family and her family’s roots. Although, regrettably, there isn’t a great deal of characterisation beyond Olivia and perhaps her cousin, Matthew, too. However, Olivia was an endearing protagonist who I desperately wanted to hug as her longing to find a home and to cure her loneliness really struck me.

I really enjoyed the shadowy house with ghosts popping up and around corners, and the novel’s villain was menacingly fun. Moreover, Schwab’s writing was extremely illustrative and lyrical, making it all the more entrancing. The ending is bittersweet; I loved it and loathed it in equal measure, dovetailing how much my heart was with Olivia and in Gallant too.

All in all, Gallant is a delight for those who wish to dabble into the territory of very light horror, macabre and ghosts. I thoroughly enjoyed this; it’s an unexpected treasure of a novel.

If you loved this, and want to delve deeper into gothic fiction, I’d definitely suggest House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, and perhaps further up on the adult scale; House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell.

Thank you kindly to the publishers, Titan Books, for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Only my third Schwab novel and I feel like I know her work now. Her writing is somehow both taut and lyrical, she writes strong characters and their relationships to each other come naturally.

There was a fairytale quality to this one that I really enjoyed, but it also made the ending seem inevitable and this meant that it wasn't a propulsive read for me. There was still much to enjoy even if I wasn't on the edge of my seat. A story ultimately about belonging and finding a place in the world where you feel like an outsider.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Content Warnings: death, violence, death of a child

I've read three of V.E. Schwab's books before this one, and rated every one of them five stars, so I had high expectations going into Gallant (which I was beyond delighted to receive an ARC for). I'm pleased to report that Schwab has yet to disappoint me - this was another excellent read.

As long as she can remember, Olivia Prior, a mute sixteen year old girl, has lived in a school for abandoned and orphaned girls, with only her mother's journal and the ability to see the dead things that surround her. Olivia receives a letter from her uncle, inviting her to Gallant, her mother's family home. Though her welcome is not quite what she expected, Olivia discovers a web of mysteries and secrets surrounding Gallant and her family.

I devoured this book. As has always been my experience with V.E. Schwab, I was immediately drawn into the world and the story she has built with Gallant. I am a big fan of Schwab's writing style, I find it super engaging and easy to read, and that definitely held up with this novel. Alas, when a book is just so totally enjoyable, I'm finding I don't have so much to say about it. I loved Olivia as a character, she was very compelling. I particularly loved how her curiosity was sometimes expressed - with Olivia wondering if something might be possible, trying it, and then feeling silly when nothing happens. Perhaps some aspects of her story (a girl growing up in an orphanage longing for a family) are a little cliché, but I don't really have an issue with that. The story was fast paced and engaging, and while I maybe wished some aspects of it were stretched out a little more - I thought this could easily have been a longer book - this wasn't a major issue for me. Overall, I had a great time reading Gallant, and I thoroughly recommend it to fans of V.E. Schwab and any fans of YA fantasy.

This book was given to me in exchange for the honest review. I am very grateful for this opportunity.

“But what is safe? Tombs are safe. Merilance was safe. Safe does not mean happy, does not mean well, does not mean kind.”

Gallant is a fast paced story with a great main character who changed and evolved had me from the first chapter until the last one. I couldn't let it go. The story has no slow moment. The story had no plot hole. It flows like a river at some parts it feels almost lyrical and abstract like a steam above your pot, but then other parts are solid full of colour and shape. This books felt like being stuck in between the real world and dreaming. Which based on the actual story was the best feeling ever.

It is the first book by Schwab I read. I heard so many good things about her and her writing I was worried that I will have my expectations too high. The opposite is true. Victoria's writing style is superb. A true artist that can make you drown in the emotions of the each individual scene. I love who Victoria works with very little characters, this makes her use their potential to the fullest and the focus of the reader is directed to other aspects of the book. Brilliantly done.

I enjoyed the setting of the story; the dark academia feel, gothic old manor, a family secrets and just the right amount of darkness made this book perfect entertaining read. These are elements I enjoy in the story so this book felt like made for me.

I would recommend to get a physical copy of the book because the story includes several illustration which must have different impact on the reader when are on paper.

The brilliant combination of Rebecca, Crimson Peak and Silent Hill. If you enjoyed The Ocean at the end of the Lane, you will love this one too.

3,5* upped to 4
I was more than happy when I was approved for this ARC as I appreciated other books by VE Schwab and, as it was compared to Gaiman and Del Toro, i couldn't wait to read it.
It's a gothic novel and I appreciated the style of writing and found it entertaining.
That said I felt like I was reading a story I already read: the orphan that grew up in an orphanage/workhouse and she will discover her long lost relatives and maybe solve the mystery related to the disappearance of her mother.
As I'm a not-so-very-young I think I read something similar and I had a strong sense of deja vue in some parts, especially in the first half of the book.
I loved some traits of Olivia but I wasn't a fan of any of the characters.
Gallant should be the equivalent of Manderley but, even if it was well described, it wasn't a character but a setting, a place.
The story takes speed and becomes gripping in the second half. I enjoyed this part and appreciated the storytelling and the world building.
I don't think it's the best VE Schwab book but I liked it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine