I'm a big fan of classic gothic fiction. My postgrad dissertation was all about gothic literature from the 1790s, so I'm always interested to see how contemporary writers use the same tropes. For most of Gallant, V.E. Schwab did well creating tension and a creeping sense of dread. It tapped into the classic examples of the genre with the country house, mysterious relatives and isolated young girl. It sets it up to be another Ann Radcliffe-style story where she'll sneak around the house to avoid her creepy family members. Although, it turns out there's more to this than meets the eye and we learn that Gallant has more secrets to reveal. With ghosts roaming the halls and a strange wall in the garden, what exactly have the Prior family been doing at the house for all these years?

This is definitely a story that had a lot of potential. It's like Stranger Things meets The Mysteries of Udolpho, which sounds great on paper. There's a dark world with a looming figure watching over the house of Gallant. They can sense that Olivia has returned to her family home and are waiting for her. The mystery surrounding the house unravels slowly but we get glimpses of the figure at the start of each part of the book. The reader knows something is coming but has to wait to see what it is. This is the kind of book you want to keep coming back to because you get invested in the story. 

In terms of character, I think Olivia is an interesting protagonist. She can't speak, which is both a help and a hindrance during the story. She can sneak without making a sound but she also can't call for help. It added another layer of tension to the book. She's a great character but I think she could have been pushed further. There wasn't a great deal of development and she did feel quite 1-dimensional by the end. Other characters also deserved more attention than they got. The people in this book were just on the sidelines to push the plot. It's not something that works for me but I know that's a personal preference.

Ultimately, this just seemed a bit simple and rushed. The story was so easy to read because it never really stopped moving. We didn't have a great deal of time to get to know anyone or get to grips with our surroundings. There are plenty of descriptions of Gallant but there is a certain lack of world-building here. I'm all for leaving things vague but there were quite a few questions left unanswered by the end. I think it just needed to be a little longer and more detailed. The ending seemed particularly rushed and I don't think it was that satisfactory. It was obvious where the story was going but that doesn't mean it had to be so quick. I've not read anything by V.E. Schwab before and Gallant hasn't left me desperate to pick up any others. Although, it was well written and enjoyable. I wish it had a bit more depth and substance to it.