Gallant Review

Hardcover, 352 Pages
Fantasy/ YA
By: Victoria Schwab
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

“Home is a choice.”

This book came at me out from nowhere. I was just browsing online shopping for books and then the gorgeous cover art caught my attention. When I saw it was Schwab, I pre-ordered the hardcover immediately without even reading the synopsis. Schwab is one of my favorite authors when she writes adult fantasy like her Villains series, The Shades of magic series and not to forget Addie LaRue. I tend to like her YA and middle grade books less and unfortunately it was the case here.

The story follows Olivia prior who grows up in Merilance school for girls after her mother dies and she is left with her journal. She then receives a letter inviting her to her family’s house- Gallant which is full of mysteries and magic.

The writing is good, there is a certain style that Schwab uses and I like specially with her adult books that I did not find here. The prose itself was very good but I think it was not very unique story telling as I am used to.

Also Schwab always have weird and innovative ideas for her stories but the characters are what sell them for me and for this book, they were not very memorable as much as in her other books. I think part of the problem is that it was directed toward YA I think -it felt like middle grade to me- and it had ideas similar to those found in her Cassidy Blake series!

I also believe that the synopsis of the book gives way too much information that when you are reading you know what’s going to happen just from reading the synopsis. I believe Schwab tried something different with this one but it simply did not work for me. (it doesn’t mean it won’t work for other readers.)

Summary: I think it is an okay book but I had higher expectations. Schwab wrote some of my favorite books and she is such a creative person that this felt a step down from what I am used to. I think it is more of a personal story that she had to get out and I am happy for her. This does not mean I will be parting ways with her books as I am already anticipating whatever she comes up with for adult readers!