I constantly thought the narrator was actually Neil Gaiman and that is the highest order of compliment I can bestow to a male narrator.

Rep: white asexual(?) mute cis female MC, white side characters.

CWs: Death, death of parent, blood, grief, animal death, abandonment, bullying, ableism, child death, suicide, gore, self harm, suicidal thoughts, violence, kidnapping, murder. Moderate: injury/injury detail, mental illness, body horror. Minor: alcoholism. 

I gobbled this book up. I can't remember the last time I found a book where all I wanted to do in my free moments, no matter how short, was get in a few pages, where in the tense parts my eyes were racing over the pages almost faster than I could understand the words. It's a lovely, reflective little book. It's dark, but more in a Gothic way than a depressing way. Death is a major theme, but the persistence of our spirits and our connection with those we love beyond death is too, and definitely mitigates that. I wish it had resolved a little differently in some ways, but otherwise I really loved it. 

This was one of my most anticipated releases for this year, and I was so excited to read it! V.E. Schwab has a magical and poetic way with words. Her prose is enchanting, and I find her work entirely intoxicating. "Gallant" did not disappoint. This novel follows a young orphan who never got to know her parents, except through her mother's journal. One day, she is contacted by her uncle inviting her to come to Gallant, the one place her mother's journal has warned her not to go. Desperately trying to find her place in this world, she goes and uncovers a family mystery dating back several generations. 
I really enjoyed how spooky this book felt. The atmosphere was superb. I also really enjoyed seeing a mute character be the heroine of a story. 

This book has haunted me from the moment I opened it in the best way possible. Victoria's words wrapped me up in a blanket while Olivia Prior held my hand as she led me through the pages of her story. 

Olivia Prior does not have a home, all she has is a journal from her mother filled with words she does passages she has spent her life trying to understand. One day a mysterious letter arrives inviting Olivia to come home to Gallant and meet the family she didn't know she had. But although Gallant is everything she has ever wanted, she wonders why her mothers last word to her were to stay away from Gallant. 

This is an all ages fantasy that tells the story of a girl who has spent her life trying to break out of the boxes the people around her has shoved her into. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy to a slow burn with beautiful writing that is sure to capture your heart. 

Content Warnings:
Ableism and ableist language, parental abandonment, child abuse and neglect, mutism, nightmares, alcholism (implied), blood depiction, death by knife, violence recounted, death of parents mentioned, murder (on-page), knife and sword violence, strangulation, bullying, animal death (cat & crow).

A big thank you to LEOPRNY for sending me an ARC. This review is my own views and thoughts on the book.