I haven't read anything by V.E. Schwab since I first read A Darker Shade of Magic in 2015, before I realized I had stumbled onto a series that only had its first book published and promptly forgot to follow up on the other books. That being said, I remember enjoying her writing style and that still holds true with this book. Gallant is a slow moving book and it relies more on the vibes and world that it's created than on plot beats, but I think that suits the story Schwab is trying to tell. It feels like a dull, rainy day in late autumn and a dark mirror of The Secret Garden.

I don't know whether fans of Schwab's other works will enjoy this one as much, but I think fans of the darker elements of something like Over the Garden Wall can find something to appreciate.