Gallant

Fourteen-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...

Review: "A haunting and beautifully tilled garden of darkness, V. E. Schwab's Gallant unearths the shadows-webs of family history, the price of deadly bargains, and the secrets we guard-plunging readers into a triumphant tale that can't be missed." -- Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times-bestselling author
"A deliciously dark and haunted mystery reminiscent of Crimson Peak, with atmosphere and tension in spades. This is classic V. E. Schwab, and a book you won't want to miss." - Booktopia
"Seeking a place to call home, Olivia uncovers long-buried secrets after arriving at Gallant. . . . Olivia unravels the ominous secrets of both her family and the house, where ghouls lurk around every corner and the dilapidated garden gate calls to her. The evolving relationships between Olivia and her found family shine, and themes of freedom, the self, and belonging are well depicted. . . . The gripping writing and effective incorporation of horror elements, including haunting, inky artwork, are satisfyingly spine-tingling." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Evocative prose, eerie [black and white] artwork by Sumberac, and superbly rendered characters . . . elevate this affective, bone-chilling standalone from Schwab, which fuses Shirley Jackson's gothic horror sensibilities with the warmth and dark whimsy of Neil Gaiman." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
PRAISE FOR V.E. SCHWAB
"SCHWAB TELLS A SWASHBUCKLING TALE WITH LIP-SMACKING GUSTO AND INFECTIOUS VERVE" THE GUARDIAN
"SMART, FUNNY AND SEXY... THE NATURAL SUCCESSOR TO DIANA WYNNE JONES" INDEPENDENT
"THESE RICH, LIFELIKE CHARACTERS DRAW THE READER IN AND MAKE THIS WELL-REALIZED FANTASY IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN" KIRKUS
"IT'S A MULTIPLE SPLIT-SCREEN ADVENTURE, WITH AN ENGAGING HERO/HEROINE PAIR AT ITS CENTER" THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ON A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC
"THIS IS HOW FANTASY SHOULD BE DONE" PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"FASCINATING, WELL DEVELOPED CHARACTERS AND WELL EXCELLENT WORLDBUILDING" SF SIGNAL
"REMINISCENT OF NEIL GAIMAN AND DIANA WYNNE JONES" WE LOVE THIS BOOK
"SNAPPY DIALOGUE, LIVELY CHARACTERS AND EXCITINGLY WRITTEN DERRING-DO" SFX
"AS TWISTY-TURNY, DARK AND GORGEOUS AS THE (MULTIPLE) LONDONS... I LOVED IT!" STEVEN BRUST
"A CLASSIC WORK OF FANTASY... THIS IS A BOOK TO TREASURE" DEBORAH HARKNESS
"A SHARP, ELEGANT FANTASY THRILLER" DELIA SHERMAN
"[A] COMPELLING TALE OF ENCHANTMENT AND ADVENTURE" MARIE BRENNAN
"A MULTIVERSAL ROLLER-COASTER... I NEED ANOTHER COPY" MAX GLADSTONE
"A SPELLBINDING MIX OF FANTASY AND EXCITING INTRIGUE THAT CAPTIVATES THE READER" STARBURST
"A WELCOME RETURN TO AN IRRESITABLE FANTASY WORLD" BARNES AND NOBLE
"I WAS UNABLE TO PUT IT DOWN" FANTASY BOOK REVIEW
"A CAPTIVATING WORLD FULL OF DEFTLY DEFINED CHARACTERS" THE MIDNIGHT GARDEN
"EXCELLENT PROSE, EXQUISITE WORLD-BUILDING" JO'S BOOK BLOG REVIEW
"FANTASTIC" THE BOOK SMUGGLERS
"BUILDS A COMPELLING PORTRAIT OF LIFE IN A FANTASY WORLD" NPR BOOKS
"MAGICAL AND TANTALISING" HEARTFULLOFBOOKS
"EXHILERATING" IO9.COM
"FLAWLESSLY CONSTRUCTED AND PACED" SPECULATIVE HERALD
"MODERN FANTASY AT ITS PEAK" NY JOUURNAL OF BOOKS
"READERS ARE TREATED TO SOMETHING GREAT" SFF WORLD
"WILL LEAVE YOU COMPLETELY BREATHLESS" THEREWEREBOOKSINVOLVED (FIVE STARS)
"PERFECTLY PACED AND ENGROSSING... MORE PLEASE!" THE ELOQUENT PAGE
"AN AMAZING FEAT WITH MAGIC, MULTIPLE UNIVERSES AND A VERY ENGAGING PLOT" THE BOOK PLANK
"SUPERB. IT'S SMART, GRIPPING, AND ELEGANTLY CONCEIVED" OPEN LETTERS MONTHLY
"OFTEN BEAUTIFUL AND ALWAYS GENEROUS IN BOTH WORLD-BUILDING AND EYE FOR DETAIL" IDIGITAL TIMES
"INTRICATE PLOTTING; COMPLEX; MULTI-LAYERED CHARACTERS; INCREDIBLE WORLD-BUILDING" FLYLEAF REVIEW
"A FASCINATING SET OF WORLDS THAT WE WILL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO REVISIT" NOT YET READ