Gallant by V.E. Schwab

Sixteen-year-old Olivia Prior is missing three things: a mother, a father, and a voice. Her mother vanished all at once, and her father by degrees, and her voice was a thing she never had to start with. She grew up at Merilance School for Girls.Now, nearing the end of her time there, Olivia receives a letter from an uncle she’s never met, her father’s older brother, summoning her to his estate, a place called Gallant.

But when she arrives, she discovers that the letter she received was several years old. Her uncle is dead. The estate is empty, save for the servants.

Olivia is permitted to remain, but must follow two rules: don’t go out after dusk, and always stay on the right side of a wall that runs along the estate’s western edge. Beyond it is another realm, ancient and magical, which calls to Olivia through her blood… (publisher)

Olivia Prior is an orphan who can’t speak, sees ghouls and grew up in Merilance School for Girls. She’s always been an outsider at Merilance because she’s a bit different. Then she receives a letter from an uncle and moves to a mysterious family home called Gallant. The house has a garden where is a gate and you shouldn’t open it. Because the other side is where Death lives.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. I loved Shades of Magic books, but Addie LaRue was a bit of a letdown. And I guess this book lands somewhere in the middle. I mean I liked it and read it in one sitting, but there was something missing.

I liked Olivia but the other characters stayed kinda distant and I didn’t really care what happened for them. I liked that the main character was mute and I was fine with less dialogue. But most of the characters were kinda dull. I actually would have liked to learn more about Olivia’s parents and how they met. I did like the gothic feeling and the illustrations were pretty. But in the end, there was very little accomplished. Like things were pretty much like what it was in the beginning. So what was the point?

3/5

Published: Titan Books (March 1, 2022)
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

When Addie La Rue makes a pact with the devil, she trades her soul for immortality. But there’s always a price – the devil takes away her place in the world, cursing her to be forgotten by everyone.

Addie flees her tiny home town in 18th-Century France, beginning a journey that takes her across the world, learning to live a life where no one remembers her and everything she owns is lost and broken. Existing only as a muse for artists throughout history, she learns to fall in love anew every single day. Her only companion on this journey is her dark devil with hypnotic green eyes, who visits her each year on the anniversary of their deal. Alone in the world, Addie has no choice but to confront him, to understand him, maybe to beat him.

Until one day, in a second hand bookshop in Manhattan, Addie meets someone who remembers her. Suddenly thrust back into a real, normal life, Addie realises she can’t escape her fate forever. (publisher)

Curses, devils, doomed loves. What’s not to like? I mean you really should be careful what you wish for…

Addie is born in a small village in 17th century France. She doesn’t want to marry the man she is supposed to marry and ends up making a deal with that comes with a price. People won’t remember her and that can be difficult and not an ideal situation to have a relationship. Until she meets a boy that changes all that.

The story flips between Addie’s story through the years and the year 2014. The story starts a bit slow getting the back story, but it does pick up soon-ish. There’s no adventures and action like in Shades of Magic series.

My one problem was that nothing really changes with Addie. You would think that in 300 years she would change and grow up, but she doesn’t. I still loved the book but that was something I wish was explored better. I must say though that I liked the devil. But despite all that, I did like the book.

4/5

Published: Titan Books (October 6, 2020)
Format: ebook
Source: Netgalley