Devoured it in one sitting, such a brilliant book. Darkly beautiful in that uniquely Schwab way, it's both very different from her other books while also having a sense of comforting familiarity. This woman can do no wrong.

Gallant is one of those books that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page as it a strange combination of gothic fantasy, adventure and at times an almost horror esque environment that will give you chills. It follows Olivia Prior, a non verbal 16 year old, who is tired of her dull life at Merilance School For Independent Girls and is regarded as something of an oddity by the other students so she is left alone. Which suits her down to the ground. She receives a strange letter from her uncle inviting her to Gallant, the Priors home, which she goes to, even though the words in her mother's journal tell her to stay far away from it. Gallant is a house caught between two places, this world and the one over the wall; and Olivia finds herself embroiled in a mystery involving the Prior family, Gallant and the place beyond the wall. The world beyond the wall is a terrifying place, all dull colours and crumbling mansion and a master who frankly wouldn't be out of place in the manga Black Butler. This story is beautifully written, easy to read and features the first non verbal character that I've come across as the narrator of a tale, which I found refreshing. Not only that, but the way V E Schwab describes things make it incredibly easy to picture in your mind as you read.So, once again, I would encourage you to read this fabulous book filled with ghouls and to take the hand of a heroine who isn't afraid to open doors, even when she knows there are some that are better left closed.

Gallant was wonderfully creepy without being scary and I highly recommend the audiobook because the narrator’s deep voice and British accent lent a fitting tone to the story, more than my own inner narration would have. Although I didn’t finish Gallant in one sitting, it is definitely a one-sitting kind of book and I finished it over two days. It’s such a quick story, but the gravity is there regardless. Definitely five stars for me. This is my second V.E. Schwab book and I am just as in awe of her skill with this book as I was with Addie. What really intrigued me about this book was the common theme I found explored here and in other new releases this year: shadows. What does it mean that popular authors felt shadows call to them? Is it a sign of the world we live in? Shadows are haunting our waking life in the 21st century, that’s for sure, and Gallant explores the darkness that threatens us every day. But Gallant is also a book about what home is and what family means. Olivia Prior discovers what her mother means when she wrote that home is a choice, and you should read this book to learn about the choice that family can be as well.

This is a brilliant book and my favourite part of it is that you don't get the ending you want, but the ending is amazing! The characters have so much depth that really add to the plot. The book is in ways similar to the film Coraline but also much more gothic. This is a brilliant read for anyone!

This was my first read from Schwab but it wasn't the last! I loved how poetic, sublime the writing was, and the plot was imaginative and intriguing. So astonished Schwab's portayal of a girl who cannot speak... Brilliant, brilliant!