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.

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352 pages

Average rating: 7.41

81 RATINGS

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11 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Snarky Cat
Oct 29, 2023
8/10 stars
Love the world building and Olivia captured my heart from the get go. Really enjoyed the story. Very engaging.
Anonymous
Aug 14, 2023
6/10 stars
3.5 I really liked this book. V.E. Schwab world building fantasy books are wonderful. I very much enjoyed this book, it gave me Coraline by Neil Gaiman vibes. The only reason it isn’t a 4 star book is because it read like a series not a standalone novel. I was shock after reading it that there wasn’t another book. It felt like the story wasn’t finished.
Anonymous
Aug 01, 2023
8/10 stars
Olivia knows her mother only through her journal and longs to escape her life at the orphanage where everything seems to exist in shades of grey and ghouls that only she can see lurk in the corners and under the beds. When a letter from her uncle arrives at the orphanage and promises her a home and family, she leaps at the chance. But her mother's journal has warned her to stay away from Gallant, the family home. And maybe her mother was right that not having a family is better than what she'll face on the other side of the wall.

I confess that I hadn't read anything by Victoria (V. E.) Schwab until The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and I confess that I only picked up Gallant because I loved Addie LaRue so much. I knew that Addie LaRue differed from her other work, but I was curious. And I was not disappointed. Although it seems that Schwab has returned to something closer to her previous brand, her writing is just as lovely as it was in Addie LaRue, and the story is just as compelling.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.
katiemahlady
Aug 01, 2023
10/10 stars
I read this in a day
Fanny
May 12, 2023
7/10 stars
Good book for a fantasy gothic environment. I like the main characters but would have loved more history on the family and the "bad guy". Easy read, great illustrations for the ones who are reading it, great noise of writing for the ones who are listening to it on Audiobook.

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