Enchantee is a remarkable story that is filled with magic among the rich French aristocracy. Think of a Les Miserables world filled with magic and high society. There has always something about the French royalty to immediately brings to mind glamour, romance and and the author was able to mix in intrigue and mystery which I loved. I was pleasantly surprised with this one.

3.25/5 stars

I was expecting much for from this, if Im being completely honest. I felt this whole book was just alright. Not great as what many have hyped it up to be. As far as historical fantasies go, it was an interesting take with the magicians needing sorrow to use magic.

Camille uses magic to transform scraps into coins, which she can use to pay for items to care and feed for her siblings, Sophian and Alain. Camille is the only of the orphaned siblings who had any success in magic, and her older brother Alain drinks himself away and gambles whatever coins he can get. One night, Alain becomes so out of himself that he threatens Camille to expose them to the streets and prostitution in order to repay his debts, leading to Camille planning to somehow produce enough money to get her and Sophie to safety. She resorts to a higher magic, one that requires her own blood and much more sorrow, in order to glamour herself and sneak into Versailles to use her magic to gamble and win the money she needs for their future. Thus, the story gets rolling.

The premise is great! I placed my bets. High stakes. Instead of winning big, Unfortunately, I lost and won back about 3/4 of what I arrived with. I was 40% in and I was still unsure on how I felt! That's definitely NOT a good sign for me. 20%? Sure. But 40%? That sets off some alarms. I felt like I wasn't truly interested until 70% in when the climax started to really build and there was a sense of urgency. Even then, the ending and final fight was so lackluster and just left me feeling empty. I felt the ending to the fight was so sudden and just boring. The official ending of the book was good when you think of events that happened between Camille and Lazare, but even then the ending was just not completely fitting. I might've given this 3.75 stars if the ending sequence was written better?

Don't even get me started on the characters. Alain? Detestable. Lazare? Cute but one-dimensional. Sophie? So forgetable. All the side characters from the palace? Also forgettable. The only characters I truly liked were Charon (was that his name?) and Camille. Camille was the only one who felt fleshed out, which was sad since we were supposed to also love Sophie as she's the reason Camille uses magic.

The romance. Oh my god. I felt Camille and Lazare to be more as good friends, but definitely not lovers. Their moments together were cute, and sometimes I really felt there was a connection. This was unfortunately more towards the 70% mark as well. Even with the sweet moments, there were too many times where I just felt blah when reading their moments together or even Camille's thoughts on him. I wasn't convinced that they were truly in love. The fact that love plays a heavy role in the 2nd half of this book makes it even more disappointing.

Overall, Enchantée was an alright book, but definitely has some major issues regarding the characters. There was much to be desired, and I frankly felt like DNFing this multiple times. While the plot is interesting and seeing Camille struggle to do what she needs to do for her family's well-being no matter what was all well and done, it leaves much to be desired. The magic is explained well, but still leaves the reader questioning all the mysteries left unanswered. If you're set on this and have no doubt you'll enjoy it, then hats off to you. I, personally, would recommend to borrow from a local library instead of purchasing.

Enchantee is a very interesting blend of historical fiction, magic, romance, and thriller. It does begin a bit slowly, but the plot picks up fairly quickly and really grabs your attention. The characters were complex and unique, though I do wish some of the secondary characters had been more developed. The magic was also so interesting but it wasn't as involved as I wish it had been. I think the book as a whole had a good foundation but I found myself wanting more: more magic, more dialogue, more romance, more mystery.

Enchantée started off slow but it just kept building and then I was hooked. Beautiful detailed descriptions of Paris before the revolution. I got wrapped up in the magic, love and the darkness and I was sad when it ended. This book was not what I expected and I was surprised I liked it so much.

“Remember—magic is a cheater’s game, and everyone who sees it wants to play.”

Enchantée is a book that is set in historical Paris, during 1789, but this is a version of Paris unlike any other. Yes, the French Revolution is beginning, and the people are starving and rioting, while Marie Antoinette and other aristocrats ignore their pleas. But some people in this alternative history are able to wield magic to help make their lives a little easier.

In this world, there are three different types of magic:
➽ Magie Ordinaire - changing things
➽ Glamoire - changing oneself
➽ Magie Bibelot - making objects sentient

This book stars Camille, a young girl able to wield magic, but is very scared to get caught because the stakes are so high. Yet, she still turns magic into scrap metal so that they have a little money to live off of. But her younger sister Sophie is not in the best of health, and both of their parents have just died to smallpox. The only person who is supposed to be looking out for them is their older brother, Alain, who is drinking and gambling away what little money they do have.

But when Camille helps out a couple hot air balloon makers, then she finds a magical dress that is hidden away in a secret trunk, and she ends up taking her and her sisters future into her own hands and will stop at nothing to ensure their health and safety. From there, she throws herself into a world of aristocracy, filled with nobles who do not even realize the food they are wasting while people in the streets are starving.

I wanted to love this so much, friends. But sadly, it just fell so very short for me. I felt like the author was trying to cram so many important things that happened in France in that time into this book, while also trying to write her own story, and both elements just made this entire story feel disjointed and left a lot to be desired. And honestly? Even my synopsis of this book sounds a lot better than the book actually is.

I was so bored throughout. I just kept waiting for something more exciting to happen, but it never did. The twists and turns were so predictable and so lackluster. And them ignoring the gross behavior that Alain displayed made me so angry. And their constant views on sex workers made my eyes almost roll out of my head completely. Oh, and the villain was straight up from a comic, twirling his mustache, I swear!

I will say that one of the main side characters, Lazare, is biracial (Indian and French) and he does have a really good discussion about how he feels like the French never let him forget that he isn’t white. I really appreciated that. I also appreciated that Camille was willing to do whatever it took to care for Sophie. You all know I’m always here for good sibling relationships. But besides these two elements? I really didn’t enjoy this one.

I’m so sorry, friends! I do feel like I’ve been really not enjoying a lot of the historical stories I’ve read in 2018, so maybe you will enjoy this a lot more than I did. A lot of my friends have actually given this one really high praise, too. But I’m wishing you all happy reading, always.

Corrupted D-ARC file made it difficult to read - might as well plan to preorder a physical copy of the book for the cover alone.

As soon as I heard of this book, I knew I had to read it. Historical fantasy is a trend that’s exploding in YA right now, and I’m so excited to see all the new twists and creative perspectives that authors are coming out with.

Enchantee takes a unique look at the start of the French Revolution. The plot focuses on Camille, and her friends and family that she tries so desperately to protect. I really liked this book—it did a great job of balancing the sweet, fluffy moments with darker themes and twists. I also loved how the magic was such a deep symbol in the book—I got chills the moment I realized that the story isn’t really about magic at all; instead, the magic itself is an allegory for all the things that so easily take over our lives and shift our focus.

The one thing that did bug me is that the book has a very small focus. While it does touch on the very start of the revolution, it doesn’t really show the bigger picture. I would’ve liked more context on how the historical situation was affecting the character’s personal lives, and to have some of the main conflict more grounded in the time period. The story ended up feeling rather disconnected, and almost incomplete because of this.

Overall, this was fun, mostly clean read that I definitely recommend. 4 stars!

A note on content: I wasn't a fan of the decision to normalize a homosexual relationship in the book. I consider this to be part of the negative content, and it contributes to the reduction of a star in the rating.

Trigger warning for self-harm and physical assault survivors.

Content warnings:
Sexual: mentions of prostitution, kisses, romantic thoughts, hints at threats of rape, and fear of sexual assault.
Language: infrequent strong language (more dated terms—no f-bombs, etc).
Violence: semi-graphic assaults and attacks (including between family), self-harm for magic, dueling, fatal injuries.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review!
For more reviews and bookish fun, see Gabriellenblog.wordpress.com.

Before I start my review, I really want to say that this story was beautiful. While it didn't win me over, I have to say that it was well written. The author did her research on how life was like in this time period and it shows.

I really don't know what I was expecting while reading this one. I expect the glam of Paris and to be thrown into magic and that's what I got. We have magic, romance, and friendship. Like I said before I really did enjoy the writing. Trelease really captured the setting and made it vivid.

I won't say that I liked Camille, but I respected her. She did what she had to do for her family. She endured so much to make a better life for her and her sister. The magic that she used while in Versailles wasn't simple magic. To use it was to give it a piece of yourself.

Seeing what she would go through to survive and for her family was amazing to read about. We also got to see her indifference. The more she used magic, the more she had to think about what was important to her. What was she willing to go through. Was she willing to lose herself completely? Was she willing to become a completely different person because of how she felt while using it magic?

My favorite person in this book had to be Lazare. He was struggling to find his place in the aristocratic court. He was of French and Indian descent and I was glad to see that here. I liked that we had questions of race and diversity here! Even though Lazare was an aristocrat, that didn't make him immune from the whispers and racism.

With that praise, I still couldn't give it more than three stars. I feel like this book could have been shorter. The beginning did take a bit to get into and it seemed to drag in some spots. Quite a few times I found myself really having to make sure I didn't skim over some parts.

Overall, While it did fall flat for me in some areas, I did like the atmosphere and following Camille on her journey.

A unique historical fiction that takes place during the lead up to the French Revolution. A common girl has to find a way to use her one key strength, her magic, to provide for herself and her sister after the death of their parents. Mixed in with this are the struggles between the aristocracy and third estate. I enjoyed the book once I got into it. A bot dry for me in parts, but overall an enjoyable story.

A magical and, honouring the name, enchanting tale, Enchantée was a fun time to read. It's the story of a poor young lady in pre-revolution France, Paris specifically, named Camille Durbonne. Camille and her siblings are impoverished after the traffic death of their parents, and in an attempt to pay rent, get her sisters medication and put food on the table, she turns to magic; specifically, a magic that stems from pain and sorrow, that eats away at the magician. Using her magic to slip into the court, she gets sucked into a world of excess and gambling, and has to figure out how far is too far before she gets caught, or the magic takes too high of a tole. All the while, her heart is taken for a ride with a sweet hot-air ballooning aristocrat, who poses the risk of figuring out her disguise and risking everything she has worked for.
I really enjoyed Enchantée. I have been in a bit of a reading slump recently, but this book was just the pick-me-up I needed. It was in a new setting from the one I am used to and it had multiple fascinating premises. I was not expecting much from this novel, since I don't love political court dramas, but I found myself happily engrossed in it. I really liked Camille and her sister, and constantly found myself deeply empathizing with them and muttering my encouragements to them aloud as I read. They, like every single character in this book, were incredibly well rounded and developed. The plot was constantly developing in some manner or another and it felt like there were no wasted moments in this book, which is fantastic. When I put down the book I found I was very satisfied with it, and was proud to have an ARC of it in my collection, which is awesome. All in all, I really recommend Enchantée and give it the rating of FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!!!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I enjoyed the novel that is part fantasy and part historical fiction set in revolutionary France. The main character Camille does an amazing job taking care of her sister using magic. I'm glad the ending was one that I wanted. There is romance in this book too. I would recommend this author to others and would read future works by this author.

I’ll be honest and say the main reason why I requested this book was because the main character and I share the same name. Camille isn’t a very popular name and I haven’t yet read another book that featured a main character that had my name. There were also some other, equally beautiful and uniquely named characters in this story. I’m certainly not an expert on the French Revolution, but I know more about it than a regular person does and I thought historical facts were woven in well throughout the plotline. The magical elements were also well thought out and the ending was justifiable. I would recommend this book if asked.

Enchantée transports you right to the heart of 18th Century France. The comparison to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is quite apt. Practically nothing differentiates Trelease's Paris and Versailles from those of history, except a fine thread of magic that runs through all manner of places, people, and things. Camille, if you'll pardon the expression, enchants. A perfectly ordinary girl, she must learn quickly to survive and thrive in Marie Antoinette's court. She and Lazare have wonderful chemistry together that stretches through the entire book, but ultimately this is a story about every part of Camille's life. Enchantée will immerse you in the contradictions of France during the waning days of Marie Antoinette's reign: the luxury and poverty, the manners that gloss over all manner of cruelty. It's a lovely and indulgent story that soars just like Lazare's hot air balloon!

Full review + links coming February 2019!

*Spoiler free*

Books that take place in Paris will also catch my attention. There's just something about it that makes me turn my head and seem so magical. Plus, this book takes place in 1789 which was just more incentive for me read it! I was lucky enough to get an e-ARC from the publisher (!!!!!! I know! My first time getting an ARC from a publisher!!!) and was looking forward to reading it.

I'm pretty sure this is one of the first historical fiction books that I didn't feel stifled by the time period. I also get stuck on the etiquette of the time and usually get bored or uninterested. This book features such a strong cast of characters, that I think the time period wasn't such a big deal for me. They are all so well rounded and interesting that I wanted to know more about them.

Camille was strong, but incredibly flawed and human. She was just trying her best, but her decisions weren't always the best. Sophie was the the freaking cutest ever. She didn't have a huge role, but she still managed to capture my heart. Lazare didn't show up as much I would have liked him to and his struggles seemed very back ground to me, but he still seemed very well rounded.

This book takes a soft approach. There's nothing face-paced about and it takes things at a slow pace. This softness both hurt and helped the story. It was able to capture the heart of Paris and Versailles beautifully. It was able to pack a punch without fast paced action around every corner. Swings are taken with words, not with swords.

I found that were multiple plots lines and themes running through the book. They never seemed to intertwine enough and none of them seemed to take the lead. So many things were very subtle, such as the magic system, the court games, and the sense of feeling trapped in your own life. They were all there and done well, but none of them stood out. This book didn't have an overwhelming theme and things just didn't connect enough for me.

Despite this, I fell in love with Camille and 1789 Paris. It was interesting to see significant historical events that I vaguely remember taking place haha. There are also French words scattered throughout the writing, which I thought was really fun! I took French two years ago and it was cool to use my very limited knowledge here.

This story was so vivid. The writing is beautiful and the setting comes to life. I loved reading about hot air balloons and the struggles that Camille went through. I wish her, Sophie, Lazare, and friends the best life, cause they certainly deserve it.

Magic, History, and Paris all flow together to make this one beautiful historical adventure. The magic development fit in perfectly with the era and you could see all of the research that went in to make this book possible. It had all of the elements a historical fantasy should.
My only downside was the beginning was a bit stale for me. It took about 6 chapters before I was interested in the book and committed to the characters.

The only way Camille Durbonne knows how to provide for her and her sister after her parents die of smallpox is through magic. But anything she makes, her brother Alain steals away to quell his gambling addiction. So Camille has to take more drastic measures: use her magic to trick her way into Versailles to win back the money they have lost. But France is becoming more tumultuous for aristocrats as the French revolution brews within the city. As Camille gets caught up in the glamour of the rich, she learns the dark secrets behind the palace of Versailles. She must decide if she wants to keep up her glamour or join the revolution.

I received an eARC of this from NetGalley and and Flatiron books in exchange for my honest review. What a wild ride this book was! I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction, but Gita Trelease put a magical spin on the era of the French Revolution that will have you absolutely enchanted (pun intended). 

While, for me, the beginning of the book was a bit slow, once Camille makes her entrance in Versailles, I didn't want to put the book down. This book has almost everything that you could want: magic, intrigue, romance, revolution, the taking down of the powers in charge. Though it's set in history, the book reflects the current politics of the United States, which will make it all the more relatable to teens when it's released in February.

Trelease's writing reflects the subject matter of the book as well; including French phrases (with a key at the back of the book) adds to the magic and intrigue of the story. Her lyrical style transports the reader to the magical version of historical France that she has created, making the book even more enjoyable.

The addition of Lazare and the hot air balloons also showed readers a different side of the aristocrats, showing that not everyone has to fall into what they were bred to be. This fantastical retelling of the French Revolution will have readers spellbound.

A more honest rating would probably be closer to 3.5.

If there's one word to describe this book, it's "rich." Rich writing, a richly-drawn world, and richly-layered characters. This is the kind of book that I know, objectively, is fabulous. Solid writing, great characters, and a world that sparkles off the pages. To begin with, I'll say that I've never truly been a fan of historical settings, but I really loved the setting of this one. There was a sharp contrast between the poorer parts of the city the protagonist and her sister lived in, and the glittering world of the Palace. It was so well-written I felt I was actually there. The plot and character is where it fell thin for me, for a handful of reasons. This is a deeply character-driven novel, which I didn't realize at first glance, and unfortunately, I struggled to connect with any of the characters. I'm not sure why. Camille was not an unlikeable character, but I couldn't connect with her, and I didn't know why. I just...didn't, and if you don't like the main character of a book, I feel like that does taint your enjoyment a bit. The slow-burn romance was great, though. In terms of plot...I felt like there wasn't much? This book consisted of worrying over their financial situation (understandable, of course), worrying over the use of magic, gambling, dry court politics (which usually I would LOVE, but it was. so. dull)...and not a whole lot else. It did pick up a bit by the end, and it's clear that Ms. Trelease is a fabulously talented writer, and I can tell why it's getting so many lovely reviews...but not for me.

Title: Enchantée
Author: Gina Trelease
Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary
Enchantée is about a girl named Camille who lives orphaned with her sister Sophie in 1700s France. They struggle paying their bills and staying alive, but they have one secret: Camille is a magician. Her powers are the only thing that can save her and her sister. Camille soon discovers the Palace of Versailles and the mysteries and magic that float through the palace. She meets a few interesting characters along the way and gets caught up in the Revolution.

Likes
The number one thing that roped me into this novel was the setting. Anyone who knows me knows that I love France and Paris and historical fantasy novels. So this was kind of a perfect harmony for me. I found the writing to be enchanting and I could barely put it down! I finished it in two sittings. Camille was a fantastic female lead: she was strong and resourceful, but also witty and likable. I thought that the historical setting was weaved in very well and I liked how it showed the budding of the revolution, which is one of the most fascinating historical events in France for me. The magic was also really awesome; in some ways, it reminded me a little bit of Caraval, because of the two sisters and the magical nature of the story. I think it was believable and Lazare was one of my favorite characters, too. I thought the aeronaut storyline was interesting and played in well with the entire story.

Dislikes
As evidenced by my rating, there isn't much I didn't like. I would have liked a little more historical perspective on the Palace of Versailles because I absolutely love that place, and more revolution weaved into it. I didn't absolutely love it which is why it's only 4 stars but I rarely give 5 star ratings. I was able to devour this book and it was a somewhat quick read, too, which is always a plus.

Recommendation
I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction as well as those who enjoy a fantasy magical element. I thought it was done so well and this was a fantastic debut for this author!

Happy reading! ~ Taylor

I had been looking forward to reading this one since it's compared to Caraval, but the first two chapters didn't draw me in. I would have continued regardless to see if the storyline changed, but the formatting repulsed me from the first page. I received a digital ARC and at least two times per page there were lines filled with words squished together without spaces. That frustrated me and was the primary reason I stopped after two chapters.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

My copy was a little messed up like some of the ones mentioned. I really hope to read it when it's published as a final copy.