Book Review
Not all Ghouls are Here to Haunt Us
Gallant by V.E. Schwab — Book Review
I was introduced to V.E. Schwab in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and knew immediately that I had found an author that I would build a bond with.
Much like Schwab’s former works, Gallant — Winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards in Young Adult for 2022, is created upon a world of mystery and wonder, secrets waiting to be revealed around every corner. In place of reading, I enjoyed the Audible version, narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt, whose voice created a new dimension for the story to unfold. With rich language and a definitive method of showing versus telling, Gallant is a story for the ages.
The tale, while carrying a weight of mournfulness, is a wonderful story of family, and the complex meaning behind that simple word.
For Olivia Prior, family is a wish, but when that wish is granted, she learns that family may be more than it always seemed to be. Maybe family isn’t just in the world of the living. Maybe it holds strong even after. Maybe those we think haunt us, are protectors instead.
Our protagonist (Olivia), is a mute girl, left on the doorstep of Merilance School for Girls as a babe. With just her mother’s journal, the green cover embossed with a “G”, as her single tie to a life she’s never known and can only dream of, everything changes in an instant when Olivia receives a letter, asking her to come home, to Gallant. But the journal, which begins as the remorseful words of a loving mother, fades off into madness, warning her to stay away from Gallant, of which Olivia always thought a person, but now has learned is a place. A place to call home.
With nothing behind her and the option of family before her, Olivia is thrust into a new world where things are not what they seem, and secrets are discovered behind every door. One that sits on the edge of shadow, and where shadows meet their source.
Arriving on the steps of the Gallant, Olivia discovers her family did not send the letter, but finding out who did is the stuff nightmares are made of.
We go on to become absorbed in a tale of good versus evil, life versus death, and an internal tug of war that we all know too well. Where do I belong?
“Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?”
In the battle for a place to call her own and a life she can only dream of, Olivia must make a choice, take chances, and learn to be someone she has never known, the master of her own destiny.
Although labeled as a teen/Y.A. book, Gallant is chocked full of mystery and intrigue, fantasy and science fiction. It is a story for those of all ages, should you be brave enough to face the demons.
V.E. Schwab writes many genres, for all age groups. This is the third work I have read by her, and I have loved each one for different reasons. Schwab also writes children’s books under the name Victoria Schwab. I recommend her work to anyone who enjoys a story filled with intriguing plots, vivid worldbuilding and a bit of horror in their fantasy.
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