Gallant

Written by V. E. Schwab

Narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A KIRKUS BEST BOOK

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER

A NATIONAL INDIE BESTSELLER

“A bone-chilling standalone . . . which fuses Shirley Jackson’s gothic horror sensibilities with the warmth and dark whimsy of Neil Gaiman.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Gripping worldbuilding, well-rounded characters, and fantastic horror.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Unsettling and intriguing.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

#1 New York Times–bestselling author V. E. Schwab weaves a dark and original tale about the place where the world meets its shadow, and the young woman beckoned by both sides. The Secret Garden meets Crimson Peak in this stand-alone novel perfect for readers of Holly Black and Neil Gaiman.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for Girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home; it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile, or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

New York Times–bestselling author V. E. Schwab crafts a vivid and lush novel that grapples with the demons that are often locked behind closed doors. An eerie, stand-alone saga about life, death, and the young woman beckoned by both. Readers of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Melissa Albert, and Garth Nix will quickly lose themselves in this novel with crossover appeal for all ages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063220751

V. E. Schwab

V. E. Schwab is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, ranging from middle grade to teen to adult. Her books have garnered critical acclaim and been featured in the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, the Washington Post, and NPR; have been translated into more than a dozen languages; and been optioned for television and film. Schwab, an avid traveler, received her MFA from the University of Edinburgh, where her thesis was about the presence of monsters in medieval art. She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. 

Reviews for Gallant

[Gigi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Narration: 5 stars
Story: 3.5 stars

This was very slow burn, but interesting enough to stay invested. Unfortunately, it doesn’t start to pick up till the last 30%. If the beginning had been as good as the end, it would’ve been a 5 star read.

It kind of read like a middle grade in my opinion. Nothing wrong with that, except this is supposed to be a YA book.

[ginny_li_5 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Good narration. The story could have started at part 4, it’s all exposition.

[Leslie Pinkowski · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Nor much to say. Nothing like her last book. Disappointed.

[Maria Jette · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I recently listened to the VE Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy, and both enjoyed it and was enormously IMPRESSED by it. Gallant has similar themes of light/dark, life/death, parallel worlds etc— but compacted into a sort of fairy tale package, full of echoes of Cupid & Psyche (fatal curiosity into something that’s been forbidden), Orpheus & Eurydice (an escape in which the heroine feels compelled to “look back”), and every manner of archetypal story with heroic sacrifice and nobility. That description doesn’t catch a molecule of the poetic quality of the story-telling and the WRITING, which is elegant and somehow always exactly the right wording, much of it deceptively simple, vocab-wise. Just a GEM of a book.

And the NARRATION is one of the top handful i’ve heard, and I listen to about a trillion audiobooks per year. The characters’ voices were the antithesis of some narrations’, which can be cartoonish, or just dumb sounding when the reader is working too hard to indicate gender— this was very subtle, yet each character was perfectly clear to my ear. Perfection.

And together, the book and narrator made that rare magical alchemy of a book that suits the narrator, and a reading that suits the story, and a new artwork which is an elevated version of both.

[kelseymacdonald7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gallant was such a haunting mystery. The whole time, I found myself on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out what I was missing. The fact that the main character was a young teenage girl who was mute made it so much more fascinating. The narrator did a wonderful job at making the book both mysterious and enchanting.

[Wendi Morata · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such a good story. My heart. Goodness. I wish I could read it for the first time again.

[Alexandra Tsapralis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5⭐️ this wasn’t overly enticing but still enjoyable. I found the story to be interesting but slightly lacking. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more had I read it normally but the audio performance was great. I loved the ending.

[Julia Rafalski · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great narration in a profound and haunting story. Worth a read!

[Yangdo Finds · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable until the ending ? I thought a key part of it was unnecessary and just made for shock

[Ariel Wakeham · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Slow to start and then rushed. I personally found it difficult to stay engaged and found almost no attachment to any of the characters unfortunately

[Charity · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked it but she had no affect on the outcome. If she never would have come he still would have died whether by his hands or not.

[Katie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Decent story. It was Wednesday meets Locke & Key. Dark but hopeful.

[Delaram Mirshamsi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Idk why Schwab always loses me half way through her books...
This book reminded me of The secret garden, Crimson peak and The hunting of the hillhouse all at the same time

[Maria De Moya · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very well written story. Creative. Too sad for my taste.

[Xiomara · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. This audiobook is absolutely beautiful. At points I picked up the physical copy to see the art on the pages but I really enjoyed this narrator’s approach. Highly recommend!

[Ava Dbrg · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An absolute delight. A story to be told. Like a night tale

[strilinga · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

this was painfully bad and for what :( :( :(

[Paolo Queiroz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found this story very intriguing at first, I admit I was a little surprise about Olivia, but then I got too involved in the plot, this always happens with a book by Schwab, her writing always fascinates me. I admit it lacked a bit of depth, especially towards the end, but the way the last chapter ended was a slap in my face and I was literally in tears lol so just for that, 5/5 + fav.

[shannon mcginty · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Just the right mix of enchanting, horror and adventure.

Give it a listen, you will not be disappointed.

[Marcy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Melodic and poetic. The lines move like dancing; circling back again and again, gaining in momentum every time another piece of the story unravels in context. Beautiful piece of writing and excellent narration. After listening to books for hours every week for over a year now, a talented reader really makes the difference in experience.

[Leydi Ventura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have the tendency of diving deep into books without having a clue of what it’s about. It makes everything more exciting and thrilling. And oh boy I don’t have the words to properly explain what this book did to me. I can only paint it for you this way: The Haunting of Bly Manor meets Stranger Things. I loved everything about it. The writing, the story, the pace the story kept and every single ghostly being in it. I can’t express how bad I wanted to be in Olivia's shoes while exploring Gallant and unwrapping its secrets, sitting on the garden bench watching Matthew and Edgar work or having a tea party with Hannah on a rainy day. I love you V. E. Schwab but your books are starting to feel like an attack to my person.

[Diana Reese Puckett · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Atmospheric, Gothic, paranormal. Beautifully storytelling that creates the feel of a fairytale combined with the uneasiness of a mystery. Haunting narrative in the vein of Crimson Peak. It's a gorgeously written and evenly paced story that was a delight to listen to

[healthierclaud · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gripping, gothic, with a touch of macabre. If you've read The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe, you'll recognize the chilling way a wall can turn eery and scary, all on its own. Leave it to V.E.Schwabb, she never disapoints! The reader/interpreter has a mesmerizing voice

[kanfinae · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I’m not sure how I feel about this one… plot-wise. I think it probably has its tribe; I’m just not in it.

[Geoff Beckstrom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Do not expect a happily ever after. This book doesn’t end in a bow but more a sloppy tied knot like real life.
This narrative was brilliant and so well done. If I had read the book I would have skimmed past the journal entries but I loved listening to them.
I was left with questions but how many of us really get all the answers?

[blckrose books · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Simple, plano y con desarrollo monótono. Para ser el primer libro que leo de la autora quede medió decepcionada. Pudo ser una historia corta y genial.

[Kate · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Really it’s a 3.5. I loved the writing but the story didn’t grab me until the end.

[Liz DiBenedetto · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! Perfect for spooky season and the narrator is amazing!

[sara · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The narrator really brought this story to life. “Gallant” is a dark, haunting, and utterly mesmerizing tale. It is gripping and fast-paced, and the last few pages nearly made me cry… I didn’t want this story to end.
V.E. Schwab never misses!

[Mariah Nguyen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars
It's definitely an interesting story. I enjoyed my time reading it ?