Many thanks @flatironbooks for my free copy of ENCHANTÉE by Gita Trelease
This is totally outside my normal reading but it enticed me with a beautiful cover, Revolutionary Paris, and magic…I was in!
In an alternate history of 1789 Paris, Marie Antoinette is in power, people are starving in the streets, but there is magic at play here. We follow Camille, a teenage girl who has the power to turn inanimate objects into coins. Her older brother, Alain, is a drunk and gambles away all their money so Camille is forced to look after their younger sister Sophie who is in poor health. Their parents both died of smallpox so Camille reluctantly, cautiously gets by turning scrap metal into coins. But Camille’s fate changes when she delves into darker magic by using items in a secret trunk, specifically a magical dress that transforms her appearance. Because of this, she ends up immersed in the elegant and glamorous world of the aristocrats. It is here that she finds out the consequences of her magic.
There is a lot packed into this story, even at 444 pages, but I really enjoyed it. I love the 18th-century Paris setting, vivid descriptions, magical elements, and the unforgettable characters. Trelease does a wonderful job creating an atmospheric story combining history with magic. This is a fun, lovely debut with a stunning cover! Highly recommend to YA readers and magical humans!
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