Member Reviews
One part historical fiction, the other part fantasy, debut author Gita Trelease brings to life the magnificent and awe-inspiring French court of King Louis XVI and the infamous Marie Antoinette in Enchantée, a story about a young, poverty-stricken orphan who tries to keep her and her sister afloat by practicing “la magie ordinaire” in a volatile France on the cusp of a revolution.
With both her parents dead from smallpox and an older brother who continues to gamble away what little money they have, Camille Durbonne has resorted to magic to keep her family in food, clothes, and shelter. By turning ordinary pieces of metal into coins, Camille has been able to trick the vendors enough to ensure that she and her sister Sophie survive. Just barely.
When a set of dire circumstances makes Camille desperate to salvage what little her family has, Camille resorts to a form of magic that her mother forbade her from practicing - glamoire. If la magie ordinaire is used for changing objects, glamoire is used for changing one’s self. With it, Camille turns herself into the elegant and wealthy Baroness de la Fontaine, and heads to the courts of Versailles, where she becomes notorious for winning at the card tables.
With newfound friends of power and privilege, and more money than she has ever had lining her pockets, Camille is finally on course to setting her life right. However, when you look past the glitz and glamour of the Versailles court, you find there are con artists and schemers lingering in the shadows and lurking around every corner. There’s more to the magic than Camille first realized, and there are dangerous magicians hidden among the aristocrats at Versailles. Will Camille finally be able to build her and Sophie a life they’ve only ever been able to dream of, or will Versailles and the magic be her downfall?
The brilliant and dazzling Enchantée is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Historical fiction novels set in France seem to be few and far between, especially for YA readers, and the addition of magic to the already mesmerizing city of Paris made this novel “enchanting” to read. Trelease really created a feel for the city and its people in Enchantée, completely absorbing the reader in this 18th century world of political unrest and mystifying magic.
Enchantée plays on themes of dark and light, which really come across throughout its pages. The world that Camille and Sophie live in is gloomy and grey, especially compared to the sumptuous golden world of Versailles. As Camille practices glamoire, it is easy to visualize the transformation of a world of grey to gold, making the story feel extra sensational and special.
The novel has an interesting plot, exploring a few side storylines, such as the start of the French Revolution, including the storming of the Bastille, and the 18th century world’s fascination with hot air balloons. There is even a romance between Camille and another character, and while it plays a part in the story, it doesn’t overpower the novel.
In all, Enchantée is a fascinating book that explores two sides of life in 18th century France - that of the rich, and that of the poor. This book will appeal to both YA and adult readers, as the writing style is intricate, and the plot deals with some serious and heavy themes. Additionally, the cover of Enchantée is gorgeous and perfectly conveys the themes of the novel. As a reader who does judge a book by its cover, I was eager to pick up the beautiful Enchantée. The only place where I fault it is that in being very thorough, Trelease allowed some parts of the story to drag out longer than felt necessary, making the plot slow-moving at times. However, readers who enjoy savoring every detail and moment of a story, may not be so bothered by the slow pace of the plot.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This ARC was unreadable because there are huge swaths of text with no spaces between the words. I expect some number of typos or spacing issues in an ARC, but this was unreadable and inexcusable. Every single page had paragraphs where between ten and forty words are strung together without spacing between them. It is impossible to read a book which is sent out like this and an unreasonable thing to expect a reader to parse. I'm shocked the publisher sent this out for feedback like this, and I'm also disappointed because I was looking forward to reading this, but that isn't possible.
I received a copy through Netgalley for review.
Enchantee is a magical joyride through the darkened underbelly of Paris and the French court. Where everything is beautiful on the outside but it’s merely a facade to hide the crumbling rot behind it. And the embers of revolution burns just beyond its gates.
We meet Camille and her sister Sophie, orphaned from the pox, a drunken gambling lout of a brother who takes everything they gain to please his debtors.
Descendants of great magicians who helped craft the shining court of Versailles centuries ago, must pick up the mantle of their ancestors to save themselves from ruin. Only Camille has the ability to work the magic, desperate to get themselves out of poverty away from the hands of their brother, she dons the enchanted objects of her families past. The ones her mother warned her never to touch and invents a new persona, but magic comes at a steep price, it can only be done with human sorrow and suffering (but Camille has it to spare in droves).
She sets out to fleece to aristocracy with magic in the gambling halls.
But she soon finds herself feeling like one of them, and her double life begins to unravel.
In Versailles nothing is as it seems and everything is a lie, and it turns out that not all of those with magic have left the court. Danger and deception are at every turn. And a fantastic web is woven. And Camille find herself at the center of it and way over her head.
I did enjoy this blending of history, magic with a touch of romance and revolution.
I absolutely loved this book. I loved the historical aspects mingled with the magic. Like nothing I have read before and I highly recommend it.
Magic! Tragedy! Sisters! Versailles! Enchantée spins a delicate web, slowing pulling you into the world of Camille and 1789 Paris until you're left racing to the end. I love Camille and her struggle, torn between two worlds and feeling guilty about the life she wants. I loved her strength and resolve and her relationship with her sister Sophie.
I loved the intricate worldbuilding and enchanting cast of characters, but what really made this story stand apart was the magic. Any reader will know that all magic comes with a cost, but this one may be the darkest yet. There's excitement and glamour and gambling, but mixed with real historical events and important discussions about class and the cost of survival. The writing is lyrical and I feel like I definitely learned (or at least recognized) some French phrases which made me happy.
Read this book it's super good and the romance is cute and swoony and involves a hot air balloon !
I didn't love Enchantee, but I also didn't hate it-- this book was a pretty average read, in my opinion. This historical YA novel follows a girl named Camille who basically gambles a lot and falls in love with a tall, dark, and handsome boy who is a very typical love interest for the book's genre. While I loved the historical and magical elements presented in Enchantee, I wasn't thrilled with everything else. This includes the romance, which is a shame because it's a large part of the story.
I really liked the fact that this book is set in France. I've never read a YA novel set in France, and I thought it was cool how it played a part in the story. Camille's trips to Versailles were fun to read, and I also liked how her and her sister, Sophie, weren't the typical aristocrats of the time. In fact, they are both very poor, which is partly why Camille wants to gain more wealth in the first place. The events that led her to choose gambling as a way to earn her money were believable-- and so was her eventual gambling addiction.
What I didn't like as much about Enchantee was the romance; Personally, I found the love interest Lazare to be flat and uninteresting. However, I did appreciate his dreams of flying in a balloon over the Alps and how he spends much of the book trying to achieve this main goal, even though he doesn't always make the best choices. Unfortunately, I found the romance between Camille and Lazare to be something that you can find in almost any other young adult novel, and I thought it was lacking.
I loved the storytelling and writing style of Enchantee, but it was the story itself that wasn't my favorite read. I do think, though, that if you're a fan of historical fiction that you should pick up this book anyways.
This will be a hit with my students who love a good historical novel with magical elements. I enjoyed this read as much as I could in a genre that isn't my favorite. The writing was done well and the author created a vivid picture of the time period. Even though historical fiction isn't my favorite, I did find myself drawn into the world that Trelease created. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
It's a story more focused on French class struggles than magic, but the story is interesting enough to recommend to readers who enjoy historical settings.
ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
I went into this with high hopes. It’s Paris! During the 1789! The ///French Revolution//// is about to OCCUR. I have a weird lowkey passion for the French Revolution. I think maybe it’s because lol it’s factual I’m in love with Sydney Carton???? I don’t know.
But my hopes went downhill, exploded, and I could only look in horror at the sad remains. This book contains all the elements I look for. Rioting people. A bad government. A cascade of salty magic, falling upon the dish. But I just,,,,didn’t give a damn. I was completely indifferent to everything about this.
What’s this book about?
There are three types of magic in France. Magie Ordinaire (change things), Glamoire (change your sorry self), Magie Bibelot (Beauty and the Beast copyright? I’m still confused). Teenage girl Camille can do mgaic, but it comes at a price. If she continues to turn scrap metal into money,,,she might be ~caught~.
Can I please state, for the record, that I’m tired of protagonists feeling bad about doing bad things. For the love of god, if you’re going to be bad, BE A BADASS about it. Don’t tremble at the sight of pastel morals!!! BE A PROPER VILLAIN, HAVE FUN WITH YOUR SINFUL WAYS. Will we ever get another Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows???? What about Andrew from The Foxhole Court?????????? I’m v sad bc our odds seem low. Give me recs in the comments pls.
So, Camille’s parents are dead. I forget why. Her younger sister Sophie is always sick. Her big brother, Alain, is the least helpful human being to ever contain brain. God, if I were in a book I’d for sure be that one crazy person who poisons the annoying character’s tomato soup. I don’t even feel bad about it.
The plot follows them all trying to make it in this big world. It’s tremendously boring.
And the way sex workers are treated!!!!!! I’m v disappointed. Where is Michael from The Kiss Quotient, we need him? I’m tired of people depicting sex workers as universally poor, miserable, and desperate. Stop talking shit about sex workers. Thank you.
Overall, I wasn’t….enchanted. c: c: c: c:
TW: slut shaming, physical + emotional abuse, smallpox, alcoholism & gambling addiction
I will start by saying that I absolutely loved this story! It had a wonderful plot, lovable and believable characters, and magic and romance; overall I couldn't put it down!
Camille and her siblings, Alain and the frail Sophie, are orphaned teenagers in France, living there in the time period leading up to the French Revolution. When their parents succumbed to sickness and died, the three are left penniless, with nothing but dreams of becoming more. Alain becomes increasingly volatile as he drinks and gambles away all of the money he and Camille manage to earn, and Sophie is too frail after recovering from an illness to be of help. As their situation grows more dire, to the point of nearly being thrown out of their home for failure to pay the rent, Camille turns to the one thing she inherited from her mother in order to help her family survive - la magie.
La magie, as one might assume, is magic, but in this story it's different from what I've read in any other because this magic is fuel by the sorrow of the magician. There are three types of la magie: the ability to change an object (though only for a short time), the glamoire (the ability to change one's appearance), and the ability to make objects become sentient. All three types feed off of sorrow, and the two latter types also necessitate blood. The task is unsavory, but Camille takes it on in order to get herself and Sophie away from Alain and improve their station - this is the only thing she knows how to do well and she has a deep fear of having to resort to working the streets in order to get by.
This story follows Camille and Sophie as they pursue a better life and their attempts to navigate both interactions with the aristocrats of Versailles and the increasingly dangerous atmosphere of Paris as the common people become more and more incensed against the monarchy and aristocracy.
I highly recommend this story if you like historical fiction and/or magic, this has both and is a wonderful read!
Thanks to Flatiron for the advance copy of this book!
I think it's fair to say at this point that ENCHANTÉE was one of my favorite reads of 2019. First off, the level of historical research that must have gone into this book is just astounding. It's beautifully realized, impeccably and lavishly detailed, and you will fall in love with these characters so hard and fast you'll stay up all night just to finish (as I did). So much care was put into crafting Camille and Sophie and Lazare and Chandon and Aurélie and all the others; they leap off the page. Somehow Gita Trelease made my cold communist heart sympathize the tiniest bit with the old French aristocracy which is just....what. (Okay, so maybe only a little, and maybe only with the aristocrats who were all vive la révolution, but STILL.)
Enchantee is a skillfully crafted historical novel that imbues the beginning of the French Revolution with a dash of magical realism, which is how I will view it from now on. The author, Gita Trelease, is a master of evocative description, rendering the court at Versailles in vivid detail. Camille Durbonne is an impoverished young woman living in Paris and tasked with caring for her sister, who is recovering from the disease that killed both their parents. Camille must use the skills her mother taught her, 'la magie' - magic - by gambling at the Queen's court in Versailles. But magic is a dangerous game, and Camille will need more than a few tricks up her sleeve to survive the darkness and unrest that lies beneath all that glitter and gold.
The writing was beautiful! Plus all the magic, politics, revolution, slow-burn romance, and deep (and wonderfully flawed) characters. I loved it!
*thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review*
First things first: I love historical fiction. Enchantée did not fail to deliver everything I come to expect from a good hisfic: mystery, intrigue, education, and a new look at a well-know event (or time period).
Camille is living in France, in the times just before the French Revolution, trying to take care of her siblings. She uses magic, forbidden by her mother, to transform things into money to buy food and medicine and such for the family.
Eventually, her brother runs away and Camille must figure something else out...enter the Baroness de la Fountaine...Camille’s alias.
This story tugs on hot heart strings, teaches you about the times, all while seeeping you away into a world of fantasy.
After the death of her parents to smallpox, Camille Durbonne struggles to get by with her younger sister Sofie. One thing Camille can do is use magic to change metal into coins, but that isn't enough. After her older brother steals her money, she uses dark magic to use glamour to disguise herself as a rich Baroness and gamble with other aristocrats at Versailles. But Camille gets seduced by the glamour of the rich and finds that there is a cost to using the magic. When her secret is revealed, Camille must chose whether to continue using her magic or fight for what she truly believes.
What worked: Fascinating glimpse into 1789 Paris right before the French Revolution. There's magic at the court, but using it comes with a cost. I loved the intrigue of 1789 Paris in the glittering courts of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Also the idea that not only the aristocrats, but Versailles used magic adds to the story.
Camille was a product of her time. Only she had magic to help her rise from the intense poverty that was around her. This didn't stop her from being abused by her older brother. She fights back in the only way she can, by using her ability to use magic. I liked how this ability doesn't come easy to her. The dark element of magic at first repulses her, but she learns to rely on it. She's swept up with the glamour of the court. Her younger sister isn't in the background, but also gets caught up in Camille's lies and attempts to better themselves.
There's also romance in the court and outside. Camille finds herself falling in love with Lazare, who has his own secrets. What's hard for Camille is she's not sure if Lazare will really like her if he knows she's been disguising herself at the court. Her struggles and conflict are shown not only at home, but at Versailles. She finds that she's not the only one using magic and fears being exposed. The king has outlawed magic and the penalty is death.
The addition of the balloons is intriguing too. At this time, balloons were all the rage in Paris. I really liked how the author was able to use this historical fact, along with magic.
Engaging tale of a young girl who uses magic to transform herself into an aristocrat, at first to take back from them, but later falls under the charm of Versailles. Only later does she find that maybe magic isn't enough, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.
Enchantée is as magical on the inside as the cover. This is a story about family, about ambition, addiction, and magic. It's about the family we love, but also hate. The push and pull of obligation, the ways they stretch us out further than we thought. But it's also about struggle, addiction to the thrill, and figuring out where you belong. If you love historical fiction, magic, and complicated family, Enchantée is for you.
Family & Addiction
The theme that emerged out of the darkness to absolutely enchant me was family. At the very beginning we witness the ways that family can hollow us out. We love them, but they also have this bewitching hold over us. When do we tell someone it's enough? How much loyalty are they owed as their fates hover a knife's breadth away from destruction? Camille carries a burden that endears herself to us. It's a burden of family, the cages we walk into ourselves.
This book soars above the rest, literally. From hot air balloons to forbidden magic, it is a heart-stopping exciting ride through Paris at the beginning of the French Revolution.
What I loved ❤️💙❤️:
1. Camille is a very sympathetic character who is coping with the death of her parents and trying to support her siblings. Her sorrow helps her work magic that allows her to transform herself into a baroness and go to Versailles to earn money for her family.
2. Lazare is a hot air balloonist.. and like Camille, he is possibly something else. He is everything you could want in a hero, but also deliciously flawed.
3. The glittering and magical setting of Versailles that is starting to show the rot of aristocratic decadence. Contrasted by the poverty of Paris and the desperation of the poor.
4. A villain who is wealthy and full of dark magic.
5. The true historical events that serve as a backdrop to the story, like the Tennis Court Oath and the storming of the Bastille.
This book is truly an enchanting read you will want to fly away in.
★★★.5 Stars!
This was a cute, slow-burn romance, magical read. I enjoyed the story line and am only giving it 3.5 stars because it did quite a bit to develop. I really liked Camille and her desire to provide a better life for her and her sister WITHOUT her jerk of a brother's help, I just wish she would have taken a few more risks.
The beautiful french picture that Gita Trelease painted was so vivid that I felt as if I were there and I loved it!
This was a sweet and enjoyable book. It was a little slow in parts, but it held my attention far more than anything else has lately. Characters are pretty likable, and the relationship between the two sisters is full of love and support. I do wish there was a bit more history of the magic, and the plot was a little predictable... It was fun to read something set in Versailles, and get a glimpse into the world of Marie Antoinette.
This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
“The court fears and worships magic. Be careful.”
4 Stars
Ripped from our history books, Enchantée tells the story of the start of the French Revolution but with magic. This book starts with Camille, a girl who must use magic to turn useless metal into money to provide for her younger sister, Sophie as her brother, Alain does nothing to help. With their parents dead and Alain robbing every coin they have, Camille must now use her magic to pursue more riches putting her and Sophie in even more danger. Throw in some politics, a few friendships, and a little romance and you got yourself one enchanting tale.
Camille was a difficult character to like but I found Sophie even more hard to take in. Sophie was awful for most of the book, so young and naive but also had this annoying ability to think she knew best. But Lazare, a French and Indian descendant, was by far the star of the show. His whimsical love for balloons was delightful to witness. And his emotional confession of how his diversity is treated within the courts only made me want to pull him from the book and hug him.
Enchantée had such a fun plot while also keeping me on my toes. Knowing how history plays out and what was to come. It terrified me each time Camille went to court and worked her magic, I was always terrified something was going to occur and screw it up. I also enjoyed the magic system and how brilliant the cost of magic was sorrow and blood. Seeing the toll it took on Camille and how she kept going because she wanted a better life for herself but more importantly for her sister was by far one of the greatest things about this book. The sister bond that Camille and Sophie had, even if one character annoyed me more, it was still sweet to see them love each other that much.
Overall this book wasn’t bad. It has moments that were a bit dull but I enjoyed it for the most part. Enchantée was well worth the read and if any of you enjoy historical fiction with a little bit of a twist, I think you will really like this. I see now that there will be a companion to this book which is super exciting. Can’t wait to see what else this author has to offer.