Gallant by V.E. Schwab

After reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I devoured nearly everything V.E. Schwab published. When I learned of Gallant’s 3/2/2022 release date, I pre-ordered it and waited patiently. Well, I waited eagerly.

It’s a beautiful novel.

Gallant is another standalone from Schwab, and we follow the story of Olivia Prior, an orphaned girl growing up in a dreary world. With no memories of her mother or father, all she knows of her family is a tattered journal belonging to her mother. When she’s suddenly summoned from the orphanage by her uncle, she comes upon a country estate, Gallant, full of whispers, shadows, and ghouls. She meets Hannah and Edgar, Gallant’s caretakers, and her first family member, a cousin named Matthew. In her first foray into Gallant’s garden, she learns she’s never to go over the garden wall. But, like most fourteen-year-old girls, she does and quickly finds out what lurks beyond.

Again, Schwab’s writing is strong and lyrical. While Addie LaRue’s story enveloped you and the Shades of Magic trilogy dazzled you, Gallant slithers its way into your heart and mind. I love the way Schwab writes Olivia, a stubborn, strong, young woman who happens to be mute, dealing with an ableist world. She’s hopeful without desperation, strong without being pushy, and stoic without being unfeeling.

We can all be more like Olivia.

I hope you read Gallant. I think teens and adults both will enjoy it, and while death is a central theme, there’s no element of fear, gore, or horror. It pulls you in and takes root inside you until the very last page, where it blooms beautifully.

Happy Reading.