A review by thevioletfoxbookshop
Gallant by V.E. Schwab

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Atmospheric, eerie, and lush, Gallant is the perfect spooky read for Fall. 

As we watch the leaves fall and the days get cooler, we know that Fall is a time when the life-bursting summer months will be sucked into a more gray and lifeless world. But for many of us, that's not a bad thing. We appreciate each season and know that all things happen in cycles and balance each other out. Such is the world built in Gallant. 

Olivia Prior has grown up in a dismal orphanage, unable to speak, and feeling very alone in the world. Like the ghouls who haunt the orphanage, Olivia feels both invisible and unwanted. She clings to the one piece of hope she has left - her mother's old journal. But with hope also comes uncertainty...because her mother's journal is full or darkness and madness. It's one warning to Oliva - do not go to Gallant.

Everything casts a shadow and every shadow has a source. One cannot exist without the other. In between our world and the shadow world is a wall. On one side, life - a family, a garden full of roses, and a home. On the other - death, darkness, and decay. While Gallant is certainly a dark read, I think it's about balance. Light and dark, being alone and being loved,  taking the good with the bad.

Did I mention there are illustrations? Deep inky illustrations by Manuel Sumberac bring the mysterious world of Gallant to life and pull you in.

Gallant is a whole vibe and Olivia Prior will definitely be with me for a long time to come. 
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