Enchanteé by Gita Trelease – Blog Tour and Book Review

Title: Enchantée

Author: Gita Trelease

Release Date: February 5, 2019

Book Form: ARC

Page Count: 459

Genre: YA Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Publisher: Flatiron/Macmillan

“Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries—and magicians…

When smallpox kills her parents, Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her frail, naive sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on petty magic—la magie ordinaire—Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy the food and medicine they need. But when the coins won’t hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family’s savings, Camille must pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

With dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’ and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for la magie. There, she gambles at cards, desperate to have enough to keep herself and her sister safe. Yet the longer she stays at court, the more difficult it becomes to reconcile her resentment of the nobles with the enchantments of Versailles. And when she returns to Paris, Camille meets a handsome young balloonist—who dares her to hope that love and liberty may both be possible.

But la magie has its costs. And when Camille loses control of her secrets, the game she’s playing turns deadly. Then revolution erupts, and she must choose—love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, freedom or magic—before Paris burns…”

Reading Enchanteé was a truly magical experience for me. I was a bit intimidated by it when I first received it – historical fiction isn’t usually my genre, but I was dying to get my hands on this book. But once I started it – I absolutely couldn’t put it down.

Camille was an amazing main character to follow. I loved her and her younger sister, Sophie, who she does everything in her power to protect. Her brother, Alain, was absolutely infuriating. I hated the way he treated Camille, it totally broke my heart.

From the moment Camille stepped into Versailles, I was hooked. I loved the magic system, and everything just felt so charming and magical and dream-like. All of the friends Camille made at Versailles were so wonderful (with the exception of a certain someone), and her relationship with Lazare was sweet. I particularly loved Aurélie and Chandon, Camille’s most charming friends.

Lazare and his associate, Rosier, were lovely and charming – I hate to keep using that word, but it’s really the best word to describe this book and it’s characters! Armand was less so, but I still liked him anyway. Their inventions and obsession with aeronautics was fascinating – aeronautics is one of my passions, as well. Camille going up in the hot air balloon with Lazare was the sweetest and most magical, adorable moment. It was incredibly romantic and hearing Camille describe the experience once she was on the ground made you feel like you were there with her. It made me want to ride in a hot air balloon, and I’m terrified of heights!

I loved the representation in this book! It’s diverse and also features LGBT rep. While prejudices are discussed, the negativity isn’t a large part of the story. Camille and her friends accept each other for who they are, although Camille often worries that her friends will no longer like her if they find out she isn’t an aristocrat and doesn’t come from money.

I really don’t have a single negative thing to say about this book. I felt transported to 1789 Paris, like I was there next to Camille throughout her adventure. I felt for her when bad things happened, I celebrated with her when things went well. This is the type of book that carries you away, making you feel like you’re in it’s world for the duration of the book – then when it’s over, you’re just dying to dive back in and be carried away once again.

Enchantée is nothing but magic.

My Rating: ★★★★★

Check out the other stops on the tour!