Review: Everything That Burns (2021) by Gita Trelease

All That Glitters (formerly published as Enchantée) was one of my favorite reads of 2019. The story followed Camille Durbonne, an orphan who worked magic to change nails into coins to feed herself and her sister, and whose brother used and abused her in order to pay for his expensive gambling and drinking habits. During All That Glitters, Camille joins the royal court at Versailles to test her luck, and ends up with far more than she bargained for–love, redemption, and revolution.

Everything That Burns is the follow-up to her story in All That Glitters, following Camille as she begins a new life as a pamphleteer during the French Revolution. Camille is such a beautiful testament to strong women everywhere. If she sees some injustice happening, she does everything within her power (magical and non!) to correct the situation. 

The story begins with her helping a flower seller escape the clutches of an inappropriate (and gross!) man as he attempts to proposition her for, well, more than flowers. Camille uses her new-found wealth and social standing to chastise the man, and helps the girl flee the riotous crowd that’s whipped up by the spurned gentleman. Later, her life is entwined with the flower seller’s as Camille writes stories in her pamphlets about the girls who live beneath a bridge, and stirs up Paris’ sentiments toward the girls, helping them avoid eviction. 

Camille’s name is soon on every Parisian’s lips, and her notoriety earns her accolades and invitations to some of Paris’ most elite parties. Her relationship with Lazare grows even as the young man’s own social standing rises in Lafayette’s balloon corps, a labor of love for both his own curiosity and love of his country. But darkness lurks beneath the underpinnings of the revolution, and soon Camille fears for her own safety as magicians are blamed for the drought, the lack of food, and the king’s own debauchery and lack of compassion toward his citizens. Camille’s very life hangs in the balance because of her innate magical abilities.

I won’t go into details in fear of spoiling the story, but Trelease’s writing is superb, painting a stunning picture of 18th century France in the grasp of revolution. The cast of characters are expertly written, a range of regular citizens, the girls facing eviction, and a host of magicians who now fear for their lives. Everything That Burns is a magical reimagining of the French Revolution, and it is a beautiful tribute to the historical fiction and fantasy genres both.

If you love stories of magic, love, revolution, and friendship, you will love the Enchantée series by Gita Trelease. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest review.