“Some people are repelled by darkness. Others are drawn to it, to the static crackle of power in a place. To the hum of magic, or the presence of the dead . They can see these forces staining the world like ink in water.” The best word I can use to describe Gallant is wow. My first book by Schwab was Vicious which was a masterpiece, then I read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue which I didn't like, and I wondered where this book would fall on the scale. As if it wasn't clear by my rating, Gallant is closer to Vicious in brilliance, and a stunning work in its own right. I was immediately captivated by the author's writing style, which never fails, and the ease with which she draws you into a completely new world, while making you care about the characters. Olivia is a girl who can't speak, stuck in a school full of gray, until a letter disrupts her daily routine and she's summoned to a mansion called Gallant, which finally brings some colour into her life. But Gallant is not just a house, it's more than one, and has secrets of its own. Secrets, that Olivia is determined unearthe, no matter what it takes. Again, WOW. The less you know about this, the better, so that you can discover things as Olivia does. I love Olivia. She's unique, but not in a tropey way, and I really felt for her. She goes from a scared little mouse to a very brave girl over the course of the book. And of course I love Hannah, Edgar and Matthew too, even Death. There's also this special way that certain characters use to communicate with each other that's based on something creative which is so endearing. And the subtle love story in the background is beautiful. In short, I love everything about this and so will you. So READ THIS BOOK, IT'S AMAZING, I PROMISE. *Huge thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I could sing praise about V. E. Schwab forever. 'Free- a small word for such a magnificent thing. I don't know what it feels like, but I want to find out.' A book filled with darkness, shadows and ghosts, but also poetic light. An incredibly fast paced book that is delectable to behold. If you wish to take a lesson on how to craft sentences to break and soothe a reader, how to write with a gift where every word is a treasure to be cradled in your hands: Look no further. Stunning. Captivating. Trans-formative.

4.5 stars Headlines: Intense creep level at times Ghouls, grief and grand houses Sad and lilting There was so much to unravel in Gallant and in fact on finishing, I've not unravelled it all. This was such a clever book, incredibly easy to read and get into, with themes that could be less easy for some and a consistent level of creep and eerieness. I loved the eerieness, the dark atmosphere and how that ratcheted up to a level of heightened tension towards the end. Tenterhooks, people. The protagonist, Olivia was unable or unwilling to talk, the former, I think and her world was grey with splashes of occasional colour. The opening up of her life to Gallant seemed like opportunity but it was a figurative can of worms, pandora's box, a mess. The people inhabiting Gallant, Edgar and Hannah were warm and positive new influences on Olivia's dull and austere life. Matthew was a different matter, but you just felt the more to his story. The way the story eeked out, was haunting, unexpected and it had me on the edge of my seat; it was hard to put this book down. The book was brimming with sadness, it felt like a lilting melody and ultimately, that's the feeling I've come away with. I am 95% satisfied with a slice of I wish. This story was crafted with skill, ingenuity and former (and possibly future) reader's tears. The illustrations and formatting of this book are incredibly special and bring much to the feels you get from reading. "Run, says her blood. Stay, says her bones." Thank you to Titan Books for the stunning review copy.

“Some people are repelled by darkness. Others are drawn to it, to the static crackle of power in a place. To the hum of magic, or the presence of the dead.” This is a simple story. A beautiful simple story. A story about the meaning of home and belonging. About a girl, who is brave and true to herself. The plot is not complex, the characters are not overly developed - but somehow this story pulled me in, and I couldn’t put the book down. I felt like I was Olivia, always curious to know and understand more about herself and Gallant - I too wanted to go beyond the wall. The story starts slow, but this is not a bad thing - it’s the rhythm that it needs. The last few chapter speed up and everything happens all at once. You blink and the story is over and it’s time to say goodbye to Olivia. But she’s one of those characters that will stay with me, that inspire me to be braver and find my own voice. One of my favourite quotes would be: “Real, she is learning, is a slippery thing, not a solid black line but a shape with soft edges, a great deal of gray” - Is this not what us, readers, feel like? The stories we read are real, even if they are not reality. It’s the beauty of reading, of being transported somewhere else.

Olivia Prior is a curious child. She is smart, brave, calculative, and cunning. She knows when to fight and when to "wait." She sees things that no child sees and has many unique abilities in the book. The story is set initially at the Merilance School for Independent Girls ("Merilance"), where she was left to "fend" for herself early on. She hardly interacts with anyone and enjoys being left alone - in her silence. She loves to draw and is quite good at it. Then one day, a mysterious letter from a long-lost relative arrives Merilance summoning her to Gallant, where her family has supposedly been looking for her all these years. This letter becomes the pivotal instrument that will change Olivia forever. Written from a third-person POV, Gallant is full of diary-like/journal entries with intriguing illustrations interlaced in each chapter. Some of these illustrations would repeat in later chapters as a tool to emphasize their importance. These repeated illustrations will make readers keep viewing the ink drawings that hide the real implications of its ties with Olivia and Gallant. The author's phenomenal world-building is one I looked forward to in her books. She takes readers into an in-depth exploration through fantastic yet contrasting views of Gallant (the house) and shows us the dichotomy of everything - "day" versus "night." Vivid yet sometimes whimsical imagery, the author's "famous signature," provides rich scenes that were impossible to leave behind. It is never a surprise to see the author's unique technique of conveying character narratives. Her proses were hauntingly eerie and, at the same time, beautiful. From the written warnings in Olivia's mother's journal to another character's whispered gestures, readers will be in awe of the rhythm and flow, then get hit by the cunningly placed mysterious messages in them. These captivating quotes from various Priors will surely leave a long and lingering impression that will make you reread it over and over again - inking itself into our hearts and minds. Given the lavish details provided in Gallant, my most anticipated element has to be the characters! I appreciate a book that gives life and love to all the characters involved - big or small, wherein even the villains (or are they considered as much) in the story grew on me into a new understanding. These characters grow beyond what any reader can expect, and thus, Gallant delivers characters that readers want to know more beyond the pages - into their individual histories and personalities. Olivia's character is a refreshing take to an older character conjured by the author. She is different from the author's other books, i.e. Cassidy (Cassidy Blake), wherein the former's inquisitive mind seems a lot more mature than the latter. Olivia has a lot of thoughts sealed up inside her that may be to her advantage that people underestimate her. She is brave, clever, and determined. Olivia is the 2022 version of the young heroine that anyone (young or old) would want to read into and imitate or have as a role model. Given her situation, she is a more complex character who had to mature quickly. Olivia echoes the dichotomy of humanity, wherein humans have both "light" and "dark" sides to our personalities. I love characters who make us want to become more and beyond our initial perception of "good enough." Lastly, the chill factor was perfect! There were many times that I felt the ghouls that Olivia was talking about in the book (with my hyper imagination running all full throttle) when I was reading the book alone at night. It may send chills to one's spine, and thus I also recommend reading the book during "daylight" as the book's ending scenes got a bit "hairy" for Olivia. Overall, Gallant is an unexpected yet pleasantly enlightening read. I constantly reminded myself that this is a YA novel targeted to a different audience than the author's most recent, more famous works like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Thus, the message is timeless and impressionable, yet delivered in a tidy approach at the end. The nuances are old and new at the same time. The book echoes the messages and intentions as the author's books on empowered young FMCs "called" forth to bring justice and "balance." Themes: familial love, honor and duty, purpose and belonging, the cycle of life and death, strong protagonists, sacrifices, dark gothic, haunting, enigmatic, self-sacrifices, self-worth