I really wanted to enjoy this book and see where the story would take us as things grow more turbulent in Paris just as the French Revolution is gaining momentum. The story resumes from the previous novel with Camille living in the house she inherited from her husband, the wicked magician the Vicomte Seguin. Very wealthy now, Camille is determined to build a business as a printer and pamphleteer. Unfortunately, her new security and wealth are immediately put in jeopardy now that the French Revolution has begun. In an attempt to save himself, King Louis XVI issues a proclamation that magicians are to blame for everything that is wrong with France. As a result, a Comite' is formed to hunt down, imprison and kill all magicians as traitors of France and of the revolutionary cause itself.

While there were many things to appreciate about this novel, I found myself struggling to want to read it to the very end. I did eventually make it past the halfway point and finish it. But if things had not picked up after the halfway point and we hadn't been given a concrete antagonist for the main character to struggle against, I am not sure I would have managed to.

First, let's start with the positives. I found the opening chapters very engaging. We pick up right up from where the previous novel ended and are introduced to a new character before the thread of the story resumes from the main character, Camille Durbonne's perspective. I was swept up into this part of the story right away. From there we are introduced to a group of young women that Camille feels motivated to aid, as they are about the lose the home they crafted out of lost parts and have made into a refuge for lost girls of Paris. I found this aspect of the novel to be interesting and was happy to see where it took us. I also liked the storyline for Sophie now that she has established herself as a shopkeeper. The descriptions of the magical house where both Camille and Sophie live were also fun and interesting to read. The author struck a nice balance between spooky and fairy tale enchantment, making the house a character all its own in the story.

However, all of this being said, I don't feel like any of these aspects were fully developed as much as I would have liked. While we do get interesting details about the girls throughout the story, aside from a few visits and excerpts from the pamphlets Camille prints about them, we don't really see much of them after the first few chapters until almost the very end of the story. Likewise, while we get hints of Sophie's storyline and her involvement with a new scheme of Rosier's now that Lazare is involved with establishing a balloon corp, there really isn't as much development of that storyline either. Even the elements I loved about the house are only introduced at the beginning, explained a bit more in the middle and then don't really fully seem to develop into anything interesting until the climactic moments towards the end. By that time the story is almost finished and so you are left with a feeling that you never really got to engross yourself fully in the setting with the house as much as you would have liked.

Other aspects of the story I found bogged down the pacing some, for me at least, was the romance between Lazare and Camille. Once again the two of them are keeping secrets from one another and once again Camille spends far too much time internalizing and sighing over what to do. What to do about her magic, what to do about the growing witch hunt developing against magicians, what to do about her feelings for Lazare and whether or not to confide in him. The will he still love me or won't he scenario was played out enough in the previous book. I had hoped they would show more growth in their relationship and struggle against new aspects of of it in this novel, but I didn't feel that happened.

All in all, I would rate this book a 2.5 out of 5 stars. I think there were a good deal of promising aspects about this book and the series as a whole. Unfortunately for me, none of them were explored enough to make any one of those aspects a pivotal part of the plot that made me eager to see where the story would go next. Perhaps if only one or two aspects had been the focus of the novel they would have helped make the story more gripping. But having them lightly woven together into one long novel just was not enough to keep my interest and to be fully entertained by the story.

I liked this one, but not as much as the first. Frankly, it didn't need a sequel. But I did like the expansion of magic use, and the house Camille lived in. It felt too unlikely she'd keep her magic a secret from Lazare again though, since she'd finally confessed it to him before, and he still loved her. It felt repetitive. And though I liked the new characters (the lost girls), the old ones got shoved aside too much, and weren't as fun/charming (Lazare, Sophie, etc.). Still, the progression of the revolution was exciting, the research into the history of their magic was interesting, and I liked that Lafayette made an appearance. I still enjoyed this one, just not as much as the first. And I wish they hadn't changed the titles.

I enjoyed my time with both of the books in this series. I was a history major in college and I thought this did a wonderful job of portraying the time.

I loved the settling and the blend of fantasy and history and I liked nearly all the characters. Not to mention that this was an excellent portrayal of the mess that was the French revolution. There is a good reason why the French generation after the revolution and Napoleon is known as the nervous generation (this is after Waterloo in 1815 into the 1820s).

I cannot give an opinion of this novel. I could not get through the first book of the series.

I DNF'd All that Glitters (formally called Enchantee) at 15%. The book had a great premise, but I think I expected much more. What I did manage to get through was interesting but it was taking forever to get to the point.

I reviewed this book for the May 2021 Historical Novels Review
Trelease’s follow up novel to Enchantée (now retitled as All That Glitters) continues her portrayal of a Paris during the French Revolution where magic is a force that some people can wield. Camille, a young, orphaned woman who must fight to keep her sister and herself safe, is again the main character. She is an appealing hero, and in this second appearance, she grows into her own as a magician and a woman hard-driven by her belief in social justice. Magicians have always been treated with suspicion, but when the French king uses magicians as a scapegoated “other” to distract the French people from his crimes and lack of revolutionary reforms, being known as a magician becomes deadly. Those whom Camille loves most beg her to forsake magic, but she must decide if that means giving up who she is. There’s a well-done romantic thread that reinforces the novel’s theme of nurturing dreams of a better world.

Trelease combines an exciting plot and well-rounded characters with a skillful style that brings Revolutionary France alive. The interweaving of social themes, description, and action is beautifully demonstrated at the beginning when the reader watches an impoverished flower seller navigating a dangerous world. Her flowers, kept fresh on stolen ice, offer an illusion, and in that description, Trelease introduces the novel’s world: “passersby couldn’t help but think of a dewy garden…A place where trouble and striving didn’t exist…there were no bakers strung up from lampposts for the crime of running out of bread…There were no grain shortages or rumors of aristocratic plots…no beggars or bloodthirsty magicians. Amid the revolutionary chaos of Paris, this was no small illusion.” This is a delightful historical fantasy with plenty of food-for-thought accompanying its fun.

2.5/5 stars
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First of all, I’d like to apologize for the late review. I received this book last year around this time and I’m just now reviewing it. I picked up and put down this book several times, because I never really seemed to be in the mood for it. But to be honest, this book dragged. The pacing was soo slow and it felt like the characters weren’t doing anything half the time. I really loved book one, so maybe my expectations were too high, but this book left me feeling so disappointed. I honestly wish the series had just ended after book one. The ending of this book was kind of unsatisfying. The positives of Everything that Burns is the characters. I loved Camille, our main character, and her sister too. Neither of them really seemed to have changed from the first book. I liked the love interest, Lazare, too. The romance between him and Camille made the book a bit better. The plot was boring, but it had some twists. Overall, I probably wouldn’t recommend this book, even though I highly recommend book one.

As lovely as always! I read the first book as Enchantee and fell in love. This book was no different. It has a beautiful sprinkling of French thrown in as well as one of the most unique plots. Historical fiction is something I enjoy and this is a representation of it beautifully done.

This was a little different from the first book, and while I liked it the different feel kept me from loving it. I was disappointed in Camille in this book. She was letting the magic take control of her. And while I appreciate the historical elements especially focusing on women during this time period, I wanted more story.

History and fantasy magically combine in Gita Trelease’s Enchantée series! This magical realism take on the French Revolution is the perfect duology for lovers of both historical fiction and fantasy for its richly imagined rewriting of France’s past featuring a plucky heroine.

The Enchantée series opens with the novel All That Glitters (formerly titled Enchantée in some versions), and tells the story of how poverty-stricken orphan Camille Durbonne uses her secret magical powers to transform herself into an elegant lady of the French court and provide for herself and her sister by winning at the card tables at Versailles. Now in Everything That Burns, Camille is living a life of comfort, but Paris is up in arms amidst the French Revolution. Camille does what she can to help the Revolution by creating pamphlets that tell the true stories of some of the marginalized girls of Paris, but when her pamphlets become a roaring success, she can’t help but wonder if magic is playing a part in her life once again. When King Louis XVI makes a proclamation outlawing magic, Camille worries that time is running out, not only for herself, but for those she loves.

All That Glitters and Everything That Burns are a perfect literary yin and yang. While All That Glitters is heavy on the magic and light on the history, Everything That Burns is just the opposite, delving deeper into the French Revolution with just sprinkles of magic here and there. These books complement each other well, and each provide a different reading experience, yet are both focused on the same characters and setting.

I personally picked up Everything That Burns because I loved the world that Trelease created in All That Glitters and I wanted more of it. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed on that front because as previously stated, magic takes a backseat to history in this sequel. Despite this, however, Everything That Burns is still an interesting, well-written novel that can be enjoyed by both teens and adults. Trelease vividly captures the chaotic atmosphere of Paris and translates it to the page in a way that is accessible to readers. She writes a strong and determined heroine in that of Camille, and presents her in such a way that readers can both relate and aspire to.

On the other hand, the plot of Everything That Burns does slow down at points and becomes less than interesting. I did find my attention waning in parts of the novel. Add in the multiple subplots, and the main storyline becomes difficult to follow because readers don’t know where they should be looking. As readers will likely be picking up Everything That Burns after reading All That Glitters, this can prove to be a problem if they aren’t prepared for the heavier, denser plot and tone that this sequel provides.

This is an incredibly fun series with a different interpretation of magicians, they seem more like witches to me. I loved the direction this book takes, though it seemed a bit long in parts. Can’t wait to see what happens in book 3!

*3.5 stars

Enchantee (now known as All That Glitters) was a five-star read for me last year, so I was so excited to be granted an ARC of this title via NetGalley. However, I must say this sequel did not live up to my expectations.

The author did a wonderful job at providing plenty of storylines for the plot, introducing interesting new characters, and presenting good political points. With that being said, I was left disappointed that the sequel didn’t focus more on Camille and her sister as was the case with book one.

The absence of this from the book takes away a key point most readers would’ve wanted in the sequel and it also takes away a tadbit of the magic elements that was loved in book one.

Overall, it’s still worth the read but don’t be expecting a direct sequel into the sisters that was the focus on the first title.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles.
I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

I absolutely loved the first book so I had super high expectations for this sequel. This book gave us a much different vibe than the first one, which certainly isn't bad but just wasn't what I was expecting. It delves a lot more into the politics of the time and how women were fighting to be heard. To me, this read even more like a historical fiction than the first and overall less magic use (though the be fair this is just a difference of degrees since the first was also historical magical fiction). I still liked the characters and seeing how they grow, especially the sisters. An entertaining story, perfect for genre blended fans of both aspects.

This was kind of an interesting reading experience because what I felt like was lacking in the first book (specifically the expanded world-building and really seeing how the addition of magic effected the revolution) was here in this book but some of what I loved in the first book was missing. The plot really seemed to drag and I found myself wishing that this story had remained a stand alone.

PLOT
The second book in the Enchantee series picks up shortly after the first book, All That Glitters (previously titled Enchantee), and picking up the book feels a bit like getting to watch the new season of a beloved tv show. We’re easily pulled back into the world and life of Camille and flipping through the chapters is easy. My only complaint about the storyline is that the author leans more into the political, historical elements with the magic playing second fiddle, the opposite of the first book in the series.

CHARACTERS
It was great, in this book to see the characters grow and develop more than in the prequel. Many of the characters who could have arguably been considered one-dimensional had more room to grow and breathe through these pages. My complaint about the first book in the series was that the cast was too large and that is not resolved in this book, as even more characters are added, but different people shine through and take the lead, which I enjoyed very much.

SETTING
The author continues to explore the world of REvolutionary France. It would have been tempting and easy to focus more on the most famous parts of the Revolution, the Guilitone and royal upheaval, which does feature in. But the build-up to that moment is that focus of the book, which I enjoyed exploring through Camille. Additionally, we get to see much more of the magic system in the sequel, which was somewhat limited in the first novel.

MY RECOMMENDATION
Everything That Burns is the conclusion of the Enchantee Duology. The story, characters and setting immediately pulled me into the book. While the author does tend to write very long, detailed books, her writing is engaging and exciting, so I found the book a treat to read. I highly recommend this series to fans of magic and history.

It is a rare gift when a writer can manage to completely submerge the reader into the world they have created in their story. Gita manages this not only with her first book but also with Everything that Burns. From the moment you read the first few lines you are already captivated by the sounds, sights, and feel so pre-revolutionary France. Her characters jump off the page and are filled with life. You can't stop turning the pages, and when you finish you want more. Everything that Burns is everything I wanted it to be and more. Filled with magic, love, betrayal, and a spark that will set your heart and mind ablaze with delight. A MUST read!

I am so happy to say that Ms. Trelease's newest book lives up to all my expectations that came after reading her first book!

In Everything that Burns, we return to France set on the verge of revolution, as well as the cast of characters that captured our hearts (along with some new faces) in, All that Glitters (first published as Enchantee). Besides Trelease's gorgeous writing style, readers will be enveloped in a world of magic, strong characters (especially the female characters), and the fight for freedom of all! A theme very relevant to our modern times.

Trelease is one of those authors that I will always be on the lookout for. Her writing style, coupled with apparent research and well thought out plot/characters, has made me a fan for life!

If you have not, please read her first book All that Glitters, then immediately pick up Everything that Burns! You won't be sorry!

Everything That Burns was a great follow-up to All That Glitters. The French Revolution progresses and changes from a hopeful change to a deadly era especially for witches like Camille. She continues to try to balance her dream of printing with that of keeping her sister safe and happy. We are introduced to a great set of Lost Girls and continue to follow many of the great characters from book 1.

I was happy to see LGBQ characters (and a great love story) as well as a whole cast of strong women.

There is some violence in the book and a little cursing but no graphic love scenes. Recommended for teenagers and up.

This book threads the fantasy/historical fiction line very closely, and sometimes gets lost one way or the other.
Definitely a very worst read, but not unenjoyable.





Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.