Recommended: ALL THAT GLITTERS (ENCHANTÉE, 1) by Gita Trelease

Publisher’s Description of All That Glitters

Love.
Magic.
Revolution…

All That Glitters (Enchantée, 1) is Gita Trelease’s imaginative debut fantasy about an impoverished magician desperate to provide for her beloved sister on the eve of the French Revolution.

Paris is a labyrinth of twisted streets filled with beggars and thieves, revolutionaries and magicians. Camille Durbonne is one of them. She wishes she weren’t…

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

Using dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into a baroness and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for magic. As she struggles to reconcile her resentment of the rich with the allure of glamour and excess, Camille meets a handsome young inventor, and begins to believe that love and liberty may both be possible.

But magic has its costs, and soon Camille loses control of her secrets. And when revolution erupts, Camille must choose―love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, reality or magic―before Paris burns.

**Rebecca’s Thoughts on All That Glitters:**

I love so many things about this book!

How the first pages pull you into the time period and magic system with a fun, light glimpse of a candle maker searching for his missing wig and finding the coins in his till are nothing but bewitched scraps of metal.

How it deepens, introducing the thief, Camille, and the magic she uses as she struggles to keep herself and her ailing sister off the streets following their parents’ death from smallpox.

How it pivots, to show us a different side of Camille as she sprints across a field to save a handsome aeronaut when his hot air balloon flounders, at the same time introducing the revolutionary science of the time.

How it deepens again, as Camille’s last remaining food and money are stolen, forcing her to turn to a more dangerous magic to pay the rent, and to more risky marks – the aristocrats at Versailles.

Then pivots again, and again until the reader is fully enmeshing in the politics at the brink of the French Revolution.

Trelease’s writing is cinematic in its detail, the characters are fresh and diverse, the historical aspects of the book researched with great care, and the plot is always moving forward. All That Glitters is a stand-out, perfect for readers who love fantasy, love historical fiction, or simply love a worthwhile story well told. It makes pre-revolutionary Paris relevant to today’s teens.

Highly Recommended!

Since Gita is a member of The Winged Pen, you might not be surprised to learn that other Pennies loved it as well!

Jessica V: Enchantée is everything I could ever want in a YA novel; adventure, intrigue, magic, and romance all woven together in a gorgeous historical setting with characters we can’t stop rooting for. A must-read for 2019!

Michelle: Enchantée reads like fresh cream, rich and filling. With three-dimensional characters that walk right off the page and into your heart and a lavishly described setting that transports you to pre-revolutionary France, this striking examination of power, privilege, racism, and bias truly enchants. I found the magic fascinating, especially that it draws on sorrow for fuel. It reminded me that sorrow and grief are powerful forces that can harm us, but that can also precipitate change for the better- a revolution for our souls. A unique plot full of heart, a slow-burning romance, and plenty of twists and turns. The history, deeply woven into this decadent and captivating story, has been deeply researched, making Gita’s debut sparkle with even more dimension. And the last 50 pages- WOW! WOW! WOW!

Mark: I don’t normally go for YA fantasy, but I found myself ripping through this tale. Historically significant events are rarely boring, but they can certainly be presented that way. Gita did a wonderful job not only setting this tale within rich stories from the past, but she threw in some beauty and magic as well. I loved the complex sibling relationships and I was smitten with the flirting and gambling. I’ve already recommended it to many of my local booksellers and librarians. I also have eyes for a copy of the beautiful UK edition.

Karin: In Enchantée, Gita’s descriptive and evocative language transports us to France on the eve of the French Revolution. We follow Camille, her spirited heroine, as she manages to pull herself out of the seedy streets of Paris and into the decadent and lavish halls of Versailles. Enchantée has it all–magic, romance, revolution. C’est magnifique!

Marty Mayberry: A stunning debut from an author to watch. Gita Trelease takes your hand and leads you to the richly detailed, 18^th Century France, where a poor young woman, Camille, is caught in a web of treacherous magic. I was equally bespelled by the slow-burn, poignant romance, the lasting love between the sisters, and the warmth Camille finds with her friends in Versailles. Add to that decadent balls, hot-air balloons, parlor games, glittering dresses, and the dark dismay looming over France just prior to the Revolution, and you have the perfect mix for a story to be treasured. Enchantée should be savored beside a crackling fire, along with dark chocolates and a glass of deep burgundy wine. French wine, of course!

From the moment I opened this book, I was swept away by the gorgeous writing and the complex world building. But be warned. Once you start reading, you’ll be unable to stop until you’ve reached the dramatic conclusion.

All That Glitters received a starred review from the School Library Journal. “Romance and fantasy readers will enjoy the magic realism, ruse and tension of Camille’s double identity, authentic historical references, and Camille’s daring, passionate spirit. A must-have.”

All That Glitters will be released on February 5th. It’s not too late to qualify for Macmillan’s special pre-order gift! You can check All That Glitters out on Goodreads or order from Indiebound, Am azon, or Barnes & Noble. If you want to start reading right now, there’s a free Kindle sampler!

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Need more book suggestions? If All That Glitters sounds good, you might also like other young adult books discussed on The Winged Pen.

Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer
Seafire by Natalie Parker
Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert