Enchantée mon trésor - be Enchanted by this 1789 historical fantasy

Non spoiler book review

Enchantée = 'Enchanted' in French
Mon trésor (used in title) = my treasure

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Title: Enchantée
Author: Gita Trelease
Publisher: Macmillan Australia / Pan Macmillan
Publication date: 26 February 2019
RRP: $16.99 AUD

Synopsis:

Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries - and magicians...

When smallpox kills her parents, seventeen-year-old Camille is left to provide for her frail sister and her volatile brother. In desperation, she survives by using the petty magic she learnt from her mother. But when her brother disappears Camille decides to pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

Using dark magic Camille transforms herself into the 'Baroness de la Fontaine' and presents herself as the court of Versaille, where she soon finds herself swept up in a dizzying life of riches, finery and suitors. But Camille's resentment of the rich is at odds with the allure of their glamour and excess, and she soon discovers that she's not the only one leading a double life.

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My rating: 3.5/5


Firstly, don't let the year 1789 get the best of you, this historical fantasy is written for YA readers and was incredibly easy to read. They do use some French language throughout the book - which I loved, but I only realised when I was almost finished the book that there were some translations in the back which will help you if you know none of the French language.

The plot is an interesting one, our main character, a magician, in this French era trying to get by literally day by day for her and her sister to survive. You'll come across the brother from time to time who is a complete arse, but try to bear through it because you don't get too much of him. Sometimes the back and forth of Camille going to court seemed to drag a bit; a few times I was wondering what it was ultimately leading up to - and not in a 'keeps you guessing' kind of way, it just seemed a bit slow at times. Nonetheless, it got there in the end and I found myself reading the last fifth of the book relatively fast (despite starting the uni semester!)

Camille is an absolute pleasure to read from (the only point of view); I felt she was written in a way that reflected someone who would actually be in her shoes. While some of her actions were naive, they also added to the reality to the extent some people feel they need to go to to save their loved ones - no matter the cost to themselves.

I would have loved to learn more about Camille's sister Sophie, I felt she was too much in the background. It would have made the relationship between the two seem stronger from a reader's point of view. Lazare was also a great addition, though there was definitely a bit more room to learn more about him as well - which I was kind of craving haha. My favourite 'side character' was definitely Chandon *insert clapping hands emoji* - that's literally what I want to do when I think of him, clap my hands. He brought more depth to the story and was a nice safe haven for Camille while she was at court. I loved all the other side characters - they all brought something different to the story and it wasn't hard to keep track and added so much to the story.

Enchantée is a magical story set in Paris and Versaille before the French Revolution. The flow of the story is excellent and easy to read with French translations in the back of the book. I definitely recommend this for those interested in historical fantasy/fiction or those wishing to be enchanted by an older Parisian time.


*Thank you to Macmillan Australia for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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