Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! While I haven’t read all of VE Schwab’s work, I’ve read a good chunk of it. So, this is definitely an anticipated release for me! And I’m happy to say that it didn’t disappoint.

Let me start off by saying that I wasn’t expecting this to get as spooky as it does? For that reason, I felt like it’s better suited for a fall release rather than a spring release. But I digress! Schwab does an excellent job setting the eerie tone for this book. It’s incredibly atmospheric, and there’s almost always a sense that something’s off when Olivia enters Gallant. You can almost feel the tension in the air as she tries to find her place in this new house.

However, I did want a bit more out of the characters. Olivia is pretty well fleshed out, but the rest of the cast of characters felt pretty one dimensional to me. I specifically wanted some of the house members to be a bit more rounded out, which would have added even more to the overall atmosphere of the book.

The ending also felt a bit abrupt, and I don’t know if that was just me or if it was a pacing thing. I just wanted a little more resolution at the end, something that helped bring a little more sense of closure to the Gallant house.

All in all, if you’re ready for a spooky read in March, I’d definitely recommend checking this out! Especially if you’re a fan of VE Schwab; this is a great addition to her ever growing list of works!

V.E. Schwab is a word magician. Her writing is stunning, her beginning in poetry is obvious because what she puts on the page is lyrical and haunting. As always, Schwab has crafted an atmospheric and dark world where something is waiting in the shadows, always on the verge of crossing over into our world.

The things I loved about this book are the illustrations and the cover. Both are stunning! The illustrations are beautiful, and I love the idea of Olivia’s father using drawings as a form of communication. I love the idea of a shadow world mirroring our own. I also really appreciate that the main character, Olivia, is only fourteen years old. Hopefully, this book will appeal to younger teens who are just branching into the YA section. I appreciate that Schwab wrote a protagonist who has a speech disability and uses sign language, however I cannot say whether this was done accurately. I liked the concept of Death and his four shadows, the silent companions that he creates from pieces of himself. Schwab does an amazing job of creating a haunting, gothic manor full of secrets and despair. I loved Gallant and its garden and the ominous crumbling wall.

The thing I struggled with was the overall pacing, it felt slow, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but for younger teens it might cause problems. The ending felt depressing to me. Olivia has spent her short life searching for a place to belong, for a family to claim her, and she finally finds that family and then she immediately loses her only remaining blood relative just as they are starting to understand each other. That felt harsh to me. It also felt like nothing changed from start to finish, except that Olivia is now armed with knowledge of the shadow house and how to fight against Death…but otherwise, it still exists, it’s still waiting to devour the rest of the world (but I guess that makes sense...it is Death, after all).

Overall, I did like this book. It’s not my favorite V.E. Schwab book, but it does offer gorgeous writing, a resilient, strong, and capable young main character, and a delicious, atmospheric setting. I would recommend this book for younger teens who are just starting to explore the YA section, particularly teens who like darker, scarier books.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children’s Books for the digital e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

GALLANT has all of the ingredients of a book I should have loved: a non-verbal orphan in a boarding school, a looming old estate, ghosts around every corner, a journal full of secrets and a mysterious garden door. I also thought that the illustrations were stunning - kudos to the illustrator for being able to bring such specific and difficult ink drawing descriptions to life and illuminating the ambiance of the novel!

However, despite the evocative writing and high tension, something about the book felt distant to me and I had difficulty connecting with Olivia and Matthew. I also prefer villains with emotional layers, rather than those that are pure embodiments of evil. Therefore, the scenes with the Master of the House just felt too over the top.

GALLANT was sadly not for me, but I’d still like to try reading another novel by this author.

(2.5 stars rounded up)

Gallant is knock your socks off good. I haven't read a book that is this original in a long time. I love that there are different types and levels of disabilities represented in the book and that at no point does Schwab try to 'fix' those disabilities. My only critique is that the ending ended too quickly for my taste but by no means is that a reason to not pick up this book. Please do yourself a favor and read Gallant, it is truly wonderful and although it seems unlikely, I hope to see more from this world.

Olivia Prior lives at the Merilance School for Girls, but she doesn’t fit in there. When a mysterious letter arrives from an uncle she didn’t know she had, she is sent to Gallant, her ancestral home. Olivia is so glad to be away from Merilance, but she quickly learns that all is not as it seems at Gallant.

Gallant was nothing I was expecting, but everything that I wanted. I can say that I actually had physical chills at some points reading this – I couldn’t read it right before bed, it was just too exciting. The use of the illustrations and the journal entries was so poetic and flowed beautifully throughout the whole book. I wanted to finish the book in one sitting, but I also wanted to savour it. I am so glad I pre-ordered this book because I can’t wait to read it again in all its glory. While I don’t typically read ghost story/haunted/horror type books, this one was so good. I love VE Schwab and she did not let us down with Gallant. What a beautiful story! Order this book now or put it on hold at the library – you’ll want to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and HCC Frenzy for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful story from start to finish, and a read that kept me on the edge of my seat with a dark but charming fairytale vibe that enchants from the first line.

VE Schwab's atmospheric, delightfully twisty book is one that sucked me and kept me reading. I hated that I had to keep starting and stopping it to attend to the rest of my life.

I'm continually impressed by Schwab's worldbuilding and imagination. I always want to think I know what she's going to do with a character, place, or plot but...even if I'm right, I'm right in such an unexpected way, I still get those frissons of joy when an author does something wonderful. I loved the gothic atmosphere Schwab evokes in the house and in the characters. Not a perfect novel, but one I needed during a dark, gloomy January.

Gallant is such a hard novel to define other than YA fantasy...it's one you'll have to read for yourself and I highly recommend you do.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

This was a dark, twisted, but entertaining read. I think it would have been perfect for October.

(ngl I was a bit freaked out at times cause ghouls, but I also scare easily)

Olivia is non-verbal, which isn't something I've seen in a book before. And as someone who is not non-verbal, I can't speak for the rep. But I am glad there was someone who could talk to Olivia through sign, though I'm curious to know how Edgar learned how to sign in the first place.

Matthew reminded me of Caelum from RBC, cause of his grumpiness lol

The one thing that bothered me in this book was the ending. While I did enjoy Olivia's character for most of the book, the things that happen at the very end didn't make any sense considering how Olivia has literally zero experience wielding a knife against someone. It was a bit unrealistic.

lets not forget about the "parsnips seasoned with salt" ...

Olivia finally finding a home and a family was a nice though, especially considering how she was treated by Merilance before.

Overall, a good read, but not something that completely wowed me or a book I would pick up again.

Beautiful world building and characters. The story hooks you from the first pages. Anything by VE Schwab is a must read.

"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."

This book. This lovingly written, gorgeously crafted book. I could teach a whole class on just the opening chapter and the imagery it contains (and I may just do that). What this book gets right it really gets right and reading felt like it flowed along nicely from moment to moment and while it wasn't a perfect book, it was a really lovely experience to read it.

This book centers around Olivia Prior, a mute protagonist that uses sign language mostly to communicate and drawings/words when no one can speak with her. She has been an orphan her whole life until one day, randomly, she is led back to Gallant, a foreboding estate that contains what remains of her family. There is a darkness that the generations of Priors have been keeping at bay and now Olivia, who is different from all of these former Priors in ways she doesn't even know, may be the one to help in this battle against light and dark, life and death.

Pros:
Words words words
Strong and interesting lead
World building

Like I said at the beginning, Schwab has done her best to use the imagery created with her words to put you in this world and it is a beautiful experience. She also rightfully gives us the introspective Olivia as our lead. Olivia is confident and sure of herself in certain things but at her core is a girl desperate for family and belonging. While the outside world of Gallant is left rather flat, the shadowed version is super creepy and gothic and lovingly rendered like a charcoal line drawing.

Cons:
Quickly Wrapped up
Flat Characters
World-building?

So, world-building gets a bit of a con here too because yes, the sort of Shadow Gallant is given character but the world Oliva comes from is sort of glanced over. Maybe this sort of anachronistic sense of place is intentional but just be prepared for it going in. Also, a lot of the other characters only feel dimensional because they are written to be and not because they really are. A lot of direct motivation stating/actions and less actual development, even from our villain. Who is he? What does he actually want? Maybe I'm the dumb one here, and I will grant you that is likely.
Lastly, the last 25% of this book FLEW and not really in a good way more in a "I've already spent 300 pages describing things, better get to the battle and whoops its over, I'm at my word count". I think the ambiguous nature of the end may work for some but I found myself wanting just a bit more.

Overall I can see this being many peoples new favorite but I'm going to make the shocking choice to recommend this as a Middle Grade instead? Only because this hits all the staples of a good Chosen One style middle grade gothic story. But older readers will appreciate the craft for sure.

3.25 stars
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TW: Death of a parent, Death, Animal Death, Ableism, Bullying, Grief, Suicide
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Olivia Prior has spent most of her life in Merilance School for Girls, she spends most of her days reading her mother's journal which spirals into madness. One day Olivia receives a letter from a long-lost relative she wasn't aware of - urging her to come home to Gallant. This leads to Olivia packing her bags and leaving the only life she's ever known, yet when she arrives no one is expecting her. The relative who wrote the letter is long gone, leaving her with her cousin Matthew who does not want her there, correction refuses to let her stay there.

As someone who loves V.E. Schwab's writing, I had high hopes for this - the plot was such a unique concept, and loved all the artistry throughout the pages. For a magical world, I wanted more. I wanted more magic, clearer explanations, and an ending that didn't feel rushed. The plot is very straightforward, Olivia must go over the wall to save who she believes to be a cousin when everything goes wrong, it is up to her to save the future of Gallant.

I will say, had this book been longer, it could have led to a world of possibilities. The ending felt a little lackluster for all the buildup. On that note, I will say I loved how Olivia communicated with those around her, if you're looking for a YA intro to fantasy I would highly suggest picking up this book.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Olivia, who is mute, has been living at Merilance School for Girls since she was two years old. She has no memory of her mother or father, left with only her mother's journal to give her clues to the family she could have had. While Olivia doesn't really fit in at Merilance, she does know how to take advantage of living there which keeps her from running away to find a place she might actually call home. But, then a letter arrives from an uncle she had no idea existed, calling her home to Gallant (a place her mother warned her to stay away from in the final entry of her journal). When Olivia arrives, she learns the uncle who sent the letter has been dead for a year, and her cousin, and only remaining (living) family member, does not want her to stay. Olivia stays anyway, she is Prior, and Gallant is the Prior's home, but the longer she stays the more off things become. When Olivia gets up to walk around the strange crumbling wall at the edge of the garden, she finds herself in a shadow world ruled by Death himself, and for some reason feels a little at home there.

Schwab's writing in Gallant is just lovely; beautiful prose for such a spooky and atmospheric story. However, I couldn't help but find the story itself rather boring. The premise sounded so intriguing, and right up my alley as an avid horror fan, but it never seemed to take off. Even in the most thrilling parts of the plot, (or what should have been) during chase scenes with Death's shadows or fight scenes with death himself and the ghouls (ghosts) of dead priors, I was still just bored and unmoved. To be fair, the story was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end. Still, I would recommend this title anyway just for the stunning prose.

Olivia doesn’t know much about her past. She has her mother’s journal, but since it doesn’t make sense towards the end, it isn’t much help. She has been at the Merilance School for girls for years and never thought she would be able to leave without a job or a husband … that is until a mysterious letter arrives and she is invited to Gallant, her mother’s home. When she arrives at Gallant, no one knew she was coming; they didn’t even know she existed. Who sent Olivia the letter? What secrets is Gallant hiding and how does it tie into the ghouls that Olivia sees?

Gallant is a standalone supernatural novel that is a quick read with hidden depths. There are family secrets, personal exploration, and hidden dimensions throughout the story. Schwab has crafted an experience that grabbed me at the beginning and kept me turning the pages to the end. I enjoyed the backstory as it was discovered by Olivia and was hoping for a satisfying ending, which was delivered. Gallant was a great supernatural book without a lot of blood and guts.

I did like and even appreciated this story, I did not love it as much as I usually enjoy this author’s works. For me there was just something missing from this one and it never quite captivated me or drew me in.

The story is mostly told from Olivia’s point of view, with a few short chapters from Death’s view point. I liked Olivia, she is determined and brave, but yet curious and she wants to find where she belongs. She is mute, which hindered her sometimes, yet she always managed to make herself understood when it was needed. It was wonderful to experience mutism through her eyes and it made the story more interesting and descriptive due to the lack of dialogue. The one thing that kind of bugged me is that we never knew her age. Which usually is ok, but I just couldn’t decide if she was closer to 13 or to 20. She sometimes felt like she was really young and then other times she acted older. It made it hard to decide how I felt about some of her actions because of this.

The other characters in the story were fleshed out well enough, and I really liked many of them, even the creepy ones. The ghouls that Olivia can see were somewhat disturbing, but appeared to be benevolent enough that you soon got over their creepiness. I really liked her cousin Matthew, even when he was being kind of mean to her. He was only trying to protect her.

The setting and the writing is what really makes this story shine. Ms. Schwab, as always, does a superb job of describing the setting and making it totally feel real to the reader. I will think twice before opening unknown doors from now on, especially those I find in gardens. The other world was also nicely done in the way it mirrored reality, but not quite. The added pictures were wonderful and really added something to the story.

The plot was somewhat simplistic, in that what you read in the summary is pretty much the story, no real surprises here. A little more explanation as to how Olivia’s family fell into the role of keeper would have been nice, but not totally necessary. The pacing was good, but got a little bogged down in the middle and there was some repetition of plot points that seemed unnecessary. The ending also felt a little rushed and I didn’t feel like there was full closure either.

A well done gothic story aimed at young adults. I would not hesitate to give this to a young teen either, even a more mature tween could handle this easily. I just wish it had spoken to me more like her other books.

After spending the first several years of her life at an orphanage, Olivia receives a letter wanting her to return home. A home she didn’t even know was looking for her. When she arrives, no one is expecting her. Olivia is stubborn and thrilled to finally be free of the Merilance School for Girls and with the closest thing to a family she has ever known. Little does she know, that the Gallant House is more than meets the eye and her family line has been the guards over a great power of destruction, just on the other side of the wall.

I am not a fan of ghost stories, but the author has a way of weaving together eerie situations written so well, you don’t want to put the book down. This was an easy read, finished it rather quickly. In fact, it seemed too fast. I am not sure who I would suggest this book too. It seems a little too dark for younger middle grades, but too quick for young adults. I guess I would suggest it to my grade 8 and up.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this ARC. This is an interesting book and would love to have it on our shelves after its release. Students are always looking for a good scary book to read.

Another fun story from V.E. Schwab. This one is less complicated and dense than other works I've read by Schwab, and I felt it was more of a short story or perhaps middle grade title, but I still really loved it and cannot wait to see the physical copies of this book.

The story is quite simple, there's a touch of Jane Eyre and the Secret Garden, but then make it super dark and add ghosts. While the story is dark, the book is not overly graphic and is suitable for younger readers.

The book also has beautiful illustrations throughout.

Overall, super enjoyable if you go in with the right expectations.

Another V E Schwab book that I absolutely could not put down. Everything about this book had me memorized wth what would happen next and if I would be surprised by the characters and plot of the book. Gallant made my heart sing, thump roughly against my chest, beat loudly, and fall apart throughout the entire novel. I couldn't help but fall in love with Olivia and Matthew, as characters they were both written so perfectly, I found myself enamoured with them and how they interacted within the novel itself. After finding V E Schwab's Addie LaRue book and now Gallant in my library, it is safe to say that I am completely in love with her work.

I'm a wee bit bummed about this one only because at the onset it just felt like it had so much potential. And while I didn't hate where it went, it just didn't seem to live up to itself. Not to mention I'm not entirely sure this one really had a point?

The biggest draw to this one, beyond the author (though I'll note I'm not a super fan but have enjoyed more than I've disliked), was the kind of person Olivia herself represented. Don't expect much dialogue in this novel because, surprise, Olivia is mute. I wasn't quite sure how this would work and yet somehow I didn't miss the lack of dialogue at all. There were some conveniences, of course, as this is fantasy and there are certain characters who manage to find their way around this but otherwise.. a few characters did sign with her or she would make do communicating in other ways.

The other element I really enjoyed were the kinds of creatures that Olivia is somewhat haunted by. I loved how Schwab described these, how we learned how Olivia grew to be aware of them, and those interactions. And the greater role they later play.

Outside of this though, the plot itself? I don't know. I think it hyped itself up somehow and I was rather left wanting. The story itself is rather sad, or melancholy, and yet it's also pitched against this big drama and end-of-the-world stakes and somehow they don't quite marry all that well. Plus the ending itself is.. well, sad. And almost open ended? Maybe not totally but certainly, somehow, unsatisfying even though I normally like that kind of end. But it just didn't work here.

I'll be curious to see more reviews as we get closer to release (I'm writing this on January twenty-third) and determine if I'm on par with most readers or the outlier. But, having said all that, I definitely wouldn't talk you out of picking it up. It's an easy quick read, for all that it took me a week to start and finish (work and life distractions, not boredom), and I may have even been moved emotionally at a certain part. So. Yes, if this sounds like your cup of tea, do not think this review is trying to convince you otherwise.

Here’s the plot simplified: A mute girl discovers that she had this great family legacy of keeping Death behind closed doors.

The writing itself was poetic at moments. I enjoyed the artwork that was incorporated. However, both these elements became repetitive to the point that the artwork was reused (never really explained) and the journal entries restated to the point that even the MC didn’t know what was going on. Our MC, Olivia, had to stare until her eyes were blurry to understand the artwork and even then, she still didn’t know what was going on.

I really relate to Olivia. She has no idea what she just went through and I have no idea either. Her character was somewhat strong but I felt that she relied on the help of others too often once she arrived in Gallant. Her past was certainly helpful (and traumatic) but when it came to life-or-death situations, she always seemed to be screaming (internally) for help. I really wished that her character could have continued to be strong. However, she is a young girl and I do understand that it’s difficult at that age to bear the burden all by yourself. It makes sense she was yearning for help but I did wish she was consistently a stronger character to root for. Certain portions of this novel were relatable when it came to her character. The idea of never being “heard” (having others turn their backs on her so her “voice” was always suppressed) and the difficulties of abandonment were heartbreaking. Those portions I actually enjoyed reading because it made me empathize with our MC and I was able to see her strengths within her weaknesses.

The only development that occurred throughout this book was Olivia’s discovery of family. She gained courage, discovered how to love, and placed faith within herself (to an extent). Even in the end, she relied on the help of others. The ending itself was anticlimactic and abrupt. The epilogue itself felt rushed and almost unnecessary. All the intrigue I had for Death’s character was locked up (literally) and the key was thrown away.

I think the stronger portions of this novel were hidden within the descriptions of the house and surrounding area. I loved the feeling of being lost within Gallant and did feel a high intensity within certain scenes. The idea of life and death was also a beautiful concept that transcends throughout the entire novel. The thin line between the two provided an eerie tone that convinced me to keep reading.

This would be categorized as a somewhat “spooky” story for kids to read (13+) and some triggering factors would be abandonment, bullying, animal mutilation, death of loved ones, and certain scenes containing gore imagery. For fans of Coraline and The Haunting of Hill House.

The absolute book of my heart right here

If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for, it’s a book with atmosphere. If a story is atmospheric enough I’m sold and hoo boy did this deliver. Holy crow did this deliver. Not only is this one of those books that feels tailor made to my interests and exactly what I want to read, but it’s one of those rare books that makes me want to be a better writer because I’d love to craft something that makes me feel the way this did.

There were a couple things at the end that I wished had been given a little more time to dwell on but that’s so minor it didn’t even impact my enjoyment at all.

So yeah, if you want something spooky and gripping and gothic, full of atmosphere and heart, please pick this up in March. Please, I need people to talk about it with