I didn't love Enchantee, but I also didn't hate it-- this book was a pretty average read, in my opinion. This historical YA novel follows a girl named Camille who basically gambles a lot and falls in love with a tall, dark, and handsome boy who is a very typical love interest for the book's genre. While I loved the historical and magical elements presented in Enchantee, I wasn't thrilled with everything else. This includes the romance, which is a shame because it's a large part of the story.

I really liked the fact that this book is set in France. I've never read a YA novel set in France, and I thought it was cool how it played a part in the story. Camille's trips to Versailles were fun to read, and I also liked how her and her sister, Sophie, weren't the typical aristocrats of the time. In fact, they are both very poor, which is partly why Camille wants to gain more wealth in the first place. The events that led her to choose gambling as a way to earn her money were believable-- and so was her eventual gambling addiction.

What I didn't like as much about Enchantee was the romance; Personally, I found the love interest Lazare to be flat and uninteresting. However, I did appreciate his dreams of flying in a balloon over the Alps and how he spends much of the book trying to achieve this main goal, even though he doesn't always make the best choices. Unfortunately, I found the romance between Camille and Lazare to be something that you can find in almost any other young adult novel, and I thought it was lacking.

I loved the storytelling and writing style of Enchantee, but it was the story itself that wasn't my favorite read. I do think, though, that if you're a fan of historical fiction that you should pick up this book anyways.

This will be a hit with my students who love a good historical novel with magical elements. I enjoyed this read as much as I could in a genre that isn't my favorite. The writing was done well and the author created a vivid picture of the time period. Even though historical fiction isn't my favorite, I did find myself drawn into the world that Trelease created. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

It's a story more focused on French class struggles than magic, but the story is interesting enough to recommend to readers who enjoy historical settings.

ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

I went into this with high hopes. It’s Paris! During the 1789! The ///French Revolution//// is about to OCCUR. I have a weird lowkey passion for the French Revolution. I think maybe it’s because lol it’s factual I’m in love with Sydney Carton???? I don’t know.

But my hopes went downhill, exploded, and I could only look in horror at the sad remains. This book contains all the elements I look for. Rioting people. A bad government. A cascade of salty magic, falling upon the dish. But I just,,,,didn’t give a damn. I was completely indifferent to everything about this.

What’s this book about?
There are three types of magic in France. Magie Ordinaire (change things), Glamoire (change your sorry self), Magie Bibelot (Beauty and the Beast copyright? I’m still confused). Teenage girl Camille can do mgaic, but it comes at a price. If she continues to turn scrap metal into money,,,she might be ~caught~.

Can I please state, for the record, that I’m tired of protagonists feeling bad about doing bad things. For the love of god, if you’re going to be bad, BE A BADASS about it. Don’t tremble at the sight of pastel morals!!! BE A PROPER VILLAIN, HAVE FUN WITH YOUR SINFUL WAYS. Will we ever get another Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows???? What about Andrew from The Foxhole Court?????????? I’m v sad bc our odds seem low. Give me recs in the comments pls.

So, Camille’s parents are dead. I forget why. Her younger sister Sophie is always sick. Her big brother, Alain, is the least helpful human being to ever contain brain. God, if I were in a book I’d for sure be that one crazy person who poisons the annoying character’s tomato soup. I don’t even feel bad about it.

The plot follows them all trying to make it in this big world. It’s tremendously boring.

And the way sex workers are treated!!!!!! I’m v disappointed. Where is Michael from The Kiss Quotient, we need him? I’m tired of people depicting sex workers as universally poor, miserable, and desperate. Stop talking shit about sex workers. Thank you.

Overall, I wasn’t….enchanted. c: c: c: c:

TW: slut shaming, physical + emotional abuse, smallpox, alcoholism & gambling addiction

I will start by saying that I absolutely loved this story! It had a wonderful plot, lovable and believable characters, and magic and romance; overall I couldn't put it down!

Camille and her siblings, Alain and the frail Sophie, are orphaned teenagers in France, living there in the time period leading up to the French Revolution. When their parents succumbed to sickness and died, the three are left penniless, with nothing but dreams of becoming more. Alain becomes increasingly volatile as he drinks and gambles away all of the money he and Camille manage to earn, and Sophie is too frail after recovering from an illness to be of help. As their situation grows more dire, to the point of nearly being thrown out of their home for failure to pay the rent, Camille turns to the one thing she inherited from her mother in order to help her family survive - la magie.

La magie, as one might assume, is magic, but in this story it's different from what I've read in any other because this magic is fuel by the sorrow of the magician. There are three types of la magie: the ability to change an object (though only for a short time), the glamoire (the ability to change one's appearance), and the ability to make objects become sentient. All three types feed off of sorrow, and the two latter types also necessitate blood. The task is unsavory, but Camille takes it on in order to get herself and Sophie away from Alain and improve their station - this is the only thing she knows how to do well and she has a deep fear of having to resort to working the streets in order to get by.

This story follows Camille and Sophie as they pursue a better life and their attempts to navigate both interactions with the aristocrats of Versailles and the increasingly dangerous atmosphere of Paris as the common people become more and more incensed against the monarchy and aristocracy.

I highly recommend this story if you like historical fiction and/or magic, this has both and is a wonderful read!

Thanks to Flatiron for the advance copy of this book!

I think it's fair to say at this point that ENCHANTÉE was one of my favorite reads of 2019. First off, the level of historical research that must have gone into this book is just astounding. It's beautifully realized, impeccably and lavishly detailed, and you will fall in love with these characters so hard and fast you'll stay up all night just to finish (as I did). So much care was put into crafting Camille and Sophie and Lazare and Chandon and Aurélie and all the others; they leap off the page. Somehow Gita Trelease made my cold communist heart sympathize the tiniest bit with the old French aristocracy which is just....what. (Okay, so maybe only a little, and maybe only with the aristocrats who were all vive la révolution, but STILL.)

Enchantee is a skillfully crafted historical novel that imbues the beginning of the French Revolution with a dash of magical realism, which is how I will view it from now on. The author, Gita Trelease, is a master of evocative description, rendering the court at Versailles in vivid detail. Camille Durbonne is an impoverished young woman living in Paris and tasked with caring for her sister, who is recovering from the disease that killed both their parents. Camille must use the skills her mother taught her, 'la magie' - magic - by gambling at the Queen's court in Versailles. But magic is a dangerous game, and Camille will need more than a few tricks up her sleeve to survive the darkness and unrest that lies beneath all that glitter and gold.

The writing was beautiful! Plus all the magic, politics, revolution, slow-burn romance, and deep (and wonderfully flawed) characters. I loved it!

*thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review*


First things first: I love historical fiction. Enchantée did not fail to deliver everything I come to expect from a good hisfic: mystery, intrigue, education, and a new look at a well-know event (or time period).
Camille is living in France, in the times just before the French Revolution, trying to take care of her siblings. She uses magic, forbidden by her mother, to transform things into money to buy food and medicine and such for the family.
Eventually, her brother runs away and Camille must figure something else out...enter the Baroness de la Fountaine...Camille’s alias.
This story tugs on hot heart strings, teaches you about the times, all while seeeping you away into a world of fantasy.

After the death of her parents to smallpox, Camille Durbonne struggles to get by with her younger sister Sofie. One thing Camille can do is use magic to change metal into coins, but that isn't enough. After her older brother steals her money, she uses dark magic to use glamour to disguise herself as a rich Baroness and gamble with other aristocrats at Versailles. But Camille gets seduced by the glamour of the rich and finds that there is a cost to using the magic. When her secret is revealed, Camille must chose whether to continue using her magic or fight for what she truly believes.

What worked: Fascinating glimpse into 1789 Paris right before the French Revolution. There's magic at the court, but using it comes with a cost. I loved the intrigue of 1789 Paris in the glittering courts of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Also the idea that not only the aristocrats, but Versailles used magic adds to the story.

Camille was a product of her time. Only she had magic to help her rise from the intense poverty that was around her. This didn't stop her from being abused by her older brother. She fights back in the only way she can, by using her ability to use magic. I liked how this ability doesn't come easy to her. The dark element of magic at first repulses her, but she learns to rely on it. She's swept up with the glamour of the court. Her younger sister isn't in the background, but also gets caught up in Camille's lies and attempts to better themselves.

There's also romance in the court and outside. Camille finds herself falling in love with Lazare, who has his own secrets. What's hard for Camille is she's not sure if Lazare will really like her if he knows she's been disguising herself at the court. Her struggles and conflict are shown not only at home, but at Versailles. She finds that she's not the only one using magic and fears being exposed. The king has outlawed magic and the penalty is death.

The addition of the balloons is intriguing too. At this time, balloons were all the rage in Paris. I really liked how the author was able to use this historical fact, along with magic.

Engaging tale of a young girl who uses magic to transform herself into an aristocrat, at first to take back from them, but later falls under the charm of Versailles. Only later does she find that maybe magic isn't enough, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

Enchantée is as magical on the inside as the cover. This is a story about family, about ambition, addiction, and magic. It's about the family we love, but also hate. The push and pull of obligation, the ways they stretch us out further than we thought. But it's also about struggle, addiction to the thrill, and figuring out where you belong. If you love historical fiction, magic, and complicated family, Enchantée is for you.
Family & Addiction

The theme that emerged out of the darkness to absolutely enchant me was family. At the very beginning we witness the ways that family can hollow us out. We love them, but they also have this bewitching hold over us. When do we tell someone it's enough? How much loyalty are they owed as their fates hover a knife's breadth away from destruction? Camille carries a burden that endears herself to us. It's a burden of family, the cages we walk into ourselves.

This book soars above the rest, literally. From hot air balloons to forbidden magic, it is a heart-stopping exciting ride through Paris at the beginning of the French Revolution.

What I loved ❤️💙❤️:
1. Camille is a very sympathetic character who is coping with the death of her parents and trying to support her siblings. Her sorrow helps her work magic that allows her to transform herself into a baroness and go to Versailles to earn money for her family.
2. Lazare is a hot air balloonist.. and like Camille, he is possibly something else. He is everything you could want in a hero, but also deliciously flawed.
3. The glittering and magical setting of Versailles that is starting to show the rot of aristocratic decadence. Contrasted by the poverty of Paris and the desperation of the poor.
4. A villain who is wealthy and full of dark magic.
5. The true historical events that serve as a backdrop to the story, like the Tennis Court Oath and the storming of the Bastille.

This book is truly an enchanting read you will want to fly away in.

★★★.5 Stars!

This was a cute, slow-burn romance, magical read. I enjoyed the story line and am only giving it 3.5 stars because it did quite a bit to develop. I really liked Camille and her desire to provide a better life for her and her sister WITHOUT her jerk of a brother's help, I just wish she would have taken a few more risks.

The beautiful french picture that Gita Trelease painted was so vivid that I felt as if I were there and I loved it!

This was a sweet and enjoyable book. It was a little slow in parts, but it held my attention far more than anything else has lately. Characters are pretty likable, and the relationship between the two sisters is full of love and support. I do wish there was a bit more history of the magic, and the plot was a little predictable... It was fun to read something set in Versailles, and get a glimpse into the world of Marie Antoinette.

This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“The court fears and worships magic. Be careful.”

4 Stars

Ripped from our history books, Enchantée tells the story of the start of the French Revolution but with magic. This book starts with Camille, a girl who must use magic to turn useless metal into money to provide for her younger sister, Sophie as her brother, Alain does nothing to help. With their parents dead and Alain robbing every coin they have, Camille must now use her magic to pursue more riches putting her and Sophie in even more danger. Throw in some politics, a few friendships, and a little romance and you got yourself one enchanting tale.

Camille was a difficult character to like but I found Sophie even more hard to take in. Sophie was awful for most of the book, so young and naive but also had this annoying ability to think she knew best. But Lazare, a French and Indian descendant, was by far the star of the show. His whimsical love for balloons was delightful to witness. And his emotional confession of how his diversity is treated within the courts only made me want to pull him from the book and hug him.

Enchantée had such a fun plot while also keeping me on my toes. Knowing how history plays out and what was to come. It terrified me each time Camille went to court and worked her magic, I was always terrified something was going to occur and screw it up. I also enjoyed the magic system and how brilliant the cost of magic was sorrow and blood. Seeing the toll it took on Camille and how she kept going because she wanted a better life for herself but more importantly for her sister was by far one of the greatest things about this book. The sister bond that Camille and Sophie had, even if one character annoyed me more, it was still sweet to see them love each other that much.

Overall this book wasn’t bad. It has moments that were a bit dull but I enjoyed it for the most part. Enchantée was well worth the read and if any of you enjoy historical fiction with a little bit of a twist, I think you will really like this. I see now that there will be a companion to this book which is super exciting. Can’t wait to see what else this author has to offer.

Enchantee is a remarkable story that is filled with magic among the rich French aristocracy. Think of a Les Miserables world filled with magic and high society. There has always something about the French royalty to immediately brings to mind glamour, romance and and the author was able to mix in intrigue and mystery which I loved. I was pleasantly surprised with this one.

3.25/5 stars

I was expecting much for from this, if Im being completely honest. I felt this whole book was just alright. Not great as what many have hyped it up to be. As far as historical fantasies go, it was an interesting take with the magicians needing sorrow to use magic.

Camille uses magic to transform scraps into coins, which she can use to pay for items to care and feed for her siblings, Sophian and Alain. Camille is the only of the orphaned siblings who had any success in magic, and her older brother Alain drinks himself away and gambles whatever coins he can get. One night, Alain becomes so out of himself that he threatens Camille to expose them to the streets and prostitution in order to repay his debts, leading to Camille planning to somehow produce enough money to get her and Sophie to safety. She resorts to a higher magic, one that requires her own blood and much more sorrow, in order to glamour herself and sneak into Versailles to use her magic to gamble and win the money she needs for their future. Thus, the story gets rolling.

The premise is great! I placed my bets. High stakes. Instead of winning big, Unfortunately, I lost and won back about 3/4 of what I arrived with. I was 40% in and I was still unsure on how I felt! That's definitely NOT a good sign for me. 20%? Sure. But 40%? That sets off some alarms. I felt like I wasn't truly interested until 70% in when the climax started to really build and there was a sense of urgency. Even then, the ending and final fight was so lackluster and just left me feeling empty. I felt the ending to the fight was so sudden and just boring. The official ending of the book was good when you think of events that happened between Camille and Lazare, but even then the ending was just not completely fitting. I might've given this 3.75 stars if the ending sequence was written better?

Don't even get me started on the characters. Alain? Detestable. Lazare? Cute but one-dimensional. Sophie? So forgetable. All the side characters from the palace? Also forgettable. The only characters I truly liked were Charon (was that his name?) and Camille. Camille was the only one who felt fleshed out, which was sad since we were supposed to also love Sophie as she's the reason Camille uses magic.

The romance. Oh my god. I felt Camille and Lazare to be more as good friends, but definitely not lovers. Their moments together were cute, and sometimes I really felt there was a connection. This was unfortunately more towards the 70% mark as well. Even with the sweet moments, there were too many times where I just felt blah when reading their moments together or even Camille's thoughts on him. I wasn't convinced that they were truly in love. The fact that love plays a heavy role in the 2nd half of this book makes it even more disappointing.

Overall, Enchantée was an alright book, but definitely has some major issues regarding the characters. There was much to be desired, and I frankly felt like DNFing this multiple times. While the plot is interesting and seeing Camille struggle to do what she needs to do for her family's well-being no matter what was all well and done, it leaves much to be desired. The magic is explained well, but still leaves the reader questioning all the mysteries left unanswered. If you're set on this and have no doubt you'll enjoy it, then hats off to you. I, personally, would recommend to borrow from a local library instead of purchasing.

Enchantee is a very interesting blend of historical fiction, magic, romance, and thriller. It does begin a bit slowly, but the plot picks up fairly quickly and really grabs your attention. The characters were complex and unique, though I do wish some of the secondary characters had been more developed. The magic was also so interesting but it wasn't as involved as I wish it had been. I think the book as a whole had a good foundation but I found myself wanting more: more magic, more dialogue, more romance, more mystery.

Enchantée started off slow but it just kept building and then I was hooked. Beautiful detailed descriptions of Paris before the revolution. I got wrapped up in the magic, love and the darkness and I was sad when it ended. This book was not what I expected and I was surprised I liked it so much.

“Remember—magic is a cheater’s game, and everyone who sees it wants to play.”

Enchantée is a book that is set in historical Paris, during 1789, but this is a version of Paris unlike any other. Yes, the French Revolution is beginning, and the people are starving and rioting, while Marie Antoinette and other aristocrats ignore their pleas. But some people in this alternative history are able to wield magic to help make their lives a little easier.

In this world, there are three different types of magic:
➽ Magie Ordinaire - changing things
➽ Glamoire - changing oneself
➽ Magie Bibelot - making objects sentient

This book stars Camille, a young girl able to wield magic, but is very scared to get caught because the stakes are so high. Yet, she still turns magic into scrap metal so that they have a little money to live off of. But her younger sister Sophie is not in the best of health, and both of their parents have just died to smallpox. The only person who is supposed to be looking out for them is their older brother, Alain, who is drinking and gambling away what little money they do have.

But when Camille helps out a couple hot air balloon makers, then she finds a magical dress that is hidden away in a secret trunk, and she ends up taking her and her sisters future into her own hands and will stop at nothing to ensure their health and safety. From there, she throws herself into a world of aristocracy, filled with nobles who do not even realize the food they are wasting while people in the streets are starving.

I wanted to love this so much, friends. But sadly, it just fell so very short for me. I felt like the author was trying to cram so many important things that happened in France in that time into this book, while also trying to write her own story, and both elements just made this entire story feel disjointed and left a lot to be desired. And honestly? Even my synopsis of this book sounds a lot better than the book actually is.

I was so bored throughout. I just kept waiting for something more exciting to happen, but it never did. The twists and turns were so predictable and so lackluster. And them ignoring the gross behavior that Alain displayed made me so angry. And their constant views on sex workers made my eyes almost roll out of my head completely. Oh, and the villain was straight up from a comic, twirling his mustache, I swear!

I will say that one of the main side characters, Lazare, is biracial (Indian and French) and he does have a really good discussion about how he feels like the French never let him forget that he isn’t white. I really appreciated that. I also appreciated that Camille was willing to do whatever it took to care for Sophie. You all know I’m always here for good sibling relationships. But besides these two elements? I really didn’t enjoy this one.

I’m so sorry, friends! I do feel like I’ve been really not enjoying a lot of the historical stories I’ve read in 2018, so maybe you will enjoy this a lot more than I did. A lot of my friends have actually given this one really high praise, too. But I’m wishing you all happy reading, always.