Macmillan Children's Books Enchantee

I loved this book so much. It's got my heart ♥

The moment I found out what Enchantée is about, I was sold! I needed to read this YA Historical Fantasy Fiction set in France in 1789. The first chapter started off on a high note and I was hooked, mesmerized by everything that was happening. The plot develops quite slowly at first but in a good way. I was so glad there wasn’t too much of an info dump right off the bat. Instead, we get to know the main character, her family and other side characters – their problems, hopes and goals, their motivations and fears.I loved the story for the most part. Getting to experience Paris, the Palace of Versailles and in that time period was one of my absolute favorite parts of the story. I also liked how magic was woven into the story. On the one hand, it can help Camille get through the day and provide for her siblings but on the other hand, it has a price and can easily harm you or put a target on your back.I just had a bit of a problem with the pacing and the length of the book. I enjoyed the plot twists and the undercover con vibes – but things seemed to resolve too quickly towards the end without proper punishment or justice or taking the time to savor the turned tables. I wanted just a little bit more over the top drama. Things were tied up too abruptly and lightly at the end, for my taste.The writing was lovely, easy and fun – the audiobook was great too! I especially loved the random French phrases that were sprinkled throughout the story – made me so nostalgic! I’ve always had a love for the French language and it gave me great pleasure to read this book and connect with the story and the magical and atmospheric writing.The main character, Camille, is brave, loyal, protective, caring and very strong. For most of the book, I really liked her – how she was willing to do anything for her siblings, then stood up for herself when she needed to. At great personal risk and cost, she used magic to disguise herself and participate in games at court.In the matters of the heart though, she comes across quite naive and scared and that annoyed me a little. It’s good to be cautious and all but she was constantly doubting everything to the point that she was in denial of what was right in front of her.The romantic interest is charming and sweet and also trapped in a seemingly impossible situation like Camille. His father is French and his mother is Indian, and he’s had to deal with a lot of discrimination, snide comments, never felt like he belongs etc. But he’s wonderful and I just liked their chemistry so much!It's set in 18th century France right before the start of the Revolution – such a fascinating time period for me to read about and I loved everything about it! The growing unrest among the ordinary folk, the hatred for the nobility, the simultaneous need for and fear of magicians. It was AMAZING!Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I was definitely enchanted with the plot, the setting, the characters and descriptions etc. And since I’ve heard that there will be a sequel, I’m even more excited! I can’t wait to follow my favorite characters and see what happens during the revolution when there’s la magie involved!Recommended To…Fans of Historical Fiction Fantasy, slow-burning YA romances, France or the French Revolution.

I love historical fiction books especially when they have magic involved so I was super excited to this!I really loved this book, there was great world building and I loved the characters so I was really invested in their story. The was a lot of intrigue and suspense and a major theme throughout the book was that everyone was hiding something so the deception kept me hooked. I wanted to know what was truly happening, who each of the characters truly were.Each character had their own secrets for various reasons, from needing to blend in to keeping a loved one safe, and it made their deception grown until they were almost spiralling out of control. It really made me root for the characters and wanting them to work everything out.I personally loved the romance in the story, even though there isn’t a lot of it, it felt very realistic for the time period it’s set in and honestly they were so adorable!The world building was amazing, it was rich and intricate, so I felt like I was right there walking the streets with the characters. It shows Paris’ dark and bleak side where the common people live but also the glitz and glam of the aristocracy. It made it seem much more real.I also loved how Gita incorporated true historical events and people into the story, from the revolution to Marie Antoinette to the hot air balloons. I especially loved how the hot air balloons were shown as the revolutionary event in the story as it was so accurate for that time and how the characters were so invested into making using a hot air balloon a reality. Their enthusiasm and zeal was completely addictive and it made me want to join them in the hot air balloon!I was really glad to see that Gita accurately depicted the stark differences between the rich and the poor and how the rich often cared very little for the suffering of others. While Camille and Sophie had to deceive people to just be able to buy bread, the rich were gambling and drinking their days away. Showing this made it clear why the revolution happened.I loved the diversity in the books and how it was portrayed from Lazare being half Indian and facing racism even amongst the aristocracy, with them making it clear that he is not their equal. To Chandon having to hide his relationship because it was seen as unacceptable.Although I loved the book I did feel it dragged a little near the end but it did not lessen my enjoyment of the book. Then the ending was a lot more fast paced and I loved the way it ended.One thing I did love was that although there will be a book two, this book had a complete arc so you can technically read it as a standalone. I am most definitely looking forward to reading more and being back in this world as I so want to see what will happen with the characters during the revolution.If you love historical fantasy books I highly recommend you pick this book up

Enchantèe was one of the books I really looked forward to back in February. It had been a while since I read a historical fiction and so I was very excited to finally get into it. Even though there were many aspects of the book I admired, I can’t say that it was all that I had hoped for.Trelease does a fantastic job of paying close attention to the visual/historical details of 18th century France. The dress, customs, and language are given some room to shine and the smaller details successfully contribute to the construction of a romantic vision of France on the brink of revolution.Camille is an enjoyable character in that she is smart, headstrong, and wistful. She employs a great deal decisiveness when faced with adversity, namely that of her good-for-nothing brother and financial necessity. While magic, let alone blood magic, is frowned upon and kept a secret, Camille is willing to do whatever it takes to discover a better life for her sister and for herself.The family dynamic among Camille, her sister, and her brother is a strong point in the book. There are several points of contention among the siblings. Camille holds much love for her sister as well as the past self of her brother, while Sophie is naive in her distribution of love, choosing to trust both her siblings even though it is apparent one does not earn that trust. These combative emotions between the two sisters lead to interesting outcomes, some of which are much more dangerous than first realized.Camille’s relationship with Lazare is also a glimmering aspect of the book. It’s not too quick in its development and the added focus of the hot air balloon project adds some whimsy to their delightful little romance. Lazare is a sweet love interest, though I can’t say much else. This leads me to some of the more disappointing parts of the book.Even though the book is centered on the idea of magic, it feels as if the magic is overlooked. The details of ordinary magic and blood magic are quickly introduced, but then the weight of their usage by Camille doesn’t hold as much gravity as it is supposed to, mostly because the scenes in which she relies on magic are few and entirely glossed over most times.Gambling is already a suspenseful sport. Add some illegal magic and you have a natural source of suspension and thrill. The first gambling scene is tense but then all the gambling scenes thereafter suffer from being summed up and accelerated past in favor of romance and hot air balloons.Also, the “villain” is completely unnecessary and by the end, completely contrived. Camille’s effort to conceal her identity while using illegal magic to solve her financial troubles, as well as the slow build-up to the revolution is powerful enough to behave as proper sources of conflict. Adding a singular villain into the mix feels superfluous.This was the Paris of the strivers, of those who dwelt low, not high. This was not the Paris of balloonists. It was her Paris, and it was the same as it had been this morning. But she, perhaps, was not.I did mostly enjoy the ending, which leaves both a sense of hope and doom as the French Revolution is on the horizon. However, the book is very slow to build up to this point. It takes a while to get into Enchantée, but the characters are interesting, the atmosphere is well-developed, and the gilded depiction of Versailles and Paris are absolutely enchanting.

I did not originally plan on purchasing this novel. I noticed it on several bookstagramers and heard good things about it but didn't think it would be a book I would like at all. I was honestly intimidated in reading this book. I knew that it would be set in Paris. I do not know much of Paris and was also intimidated that it would have French terms and phrases that I would not understand and would cause me to just disconnect from the story.There were indeed French terms throughout the story, so that is the first thing I want to note. However the author did provide a glossary at the end of the book for readers which helped a lot. I could tell the author wanted to make sure the reader really enjoyed her novel, and I extremely appreciated the inclusion of the glossary. My not having taken any French in high school or college did not affect my reading, and having that experience in this book was extremely interesting. It actually kept me more invested in the story and what the characters were saying.The story was very interesting, and the struggle the main character endured drew me in. However, the conflict was fairly "lukewarm" in a way. The novel focused more on the characters rather than the plot or main conflict. I enjoyed the characters very much and was really glad this was not an over-dramatic, romance-filled novel. However, I did find myself at time questioning what the main conflict was. At some point, the characters seemed to forget their troubles, but it seemed like that was intentional. I found myself asking if the character even really cared about the financial difficulties that drive the beginning of the novel. At some point, I said, "Camille, it's time to snap out of it. Remember what you told herself."By about forty to fifty percent into the novel, Camille's focus changed. Or rather, she got distracted and too caught up in the elegance of her facade. I mean, I couldn't blame her. I was just as much invested in it as she was. The elegance and beauty of it just drew me in, and I just wanted her to remain in that state longer so I could enjoy her lavishing experiences. I do admit that I wished her family conflicts drove more of the plot, but it drove it enough to lead Camille to other small conflicts and obstacles that held my attention. I expected the family struggles to provide more urgency than they actually did. However, they did eventually catch up to Camille and remind her of what she was fighting for.Who would I recommend this to? Anyone in love with France and elegantly clever female characters. Magic lovers. Fantasy lovers. And history lovers. This book has a bit of everything. There's a bit of romance, but it is not the main driving force of the story, which I actually enjoyed for a change. There is just enough of it to draw you in.