I was desperate to get my hands on this book ever since I saw the cover. I mean, just look at it? It might be one of my favourites of 2020. So yes, since I was judging this book by its cover you can bet I was super excited to read it! I've never tried anything by Holland before so I didn't have expectations going into this and I'm glad I didn't because I might've been disappointed otherwise. I don't mean that badly though, only that this had a much stronger mystery element and I found that also made the pacing slower than your typical YA fantasy. Still, there were parts I really enjoyed but I also found myself feeling disconnected towards the middle, before having it pick up again at the end.

Holland's writing was simple and flowed smoothly off the pages making this an easy read. I loved the concept of doors leading to other realms and that they're all connected through Haven. I appreciated the introduction to the adjacent worlds at the beginning as it helped to build a better picture in my mind. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the worlds--Fiordenkill with its ice cold beauty, magic ravaged Byrn with its storms, and Solaria with its soul devouring monsters. I really enjoyed the picturesque landscape that Holland painted of the tiny town where Omphalos, the inn, is located in the mountains; it sounded eerie and isolated at times but also magical and peaceful.

We're introduced to a lot of characters although we unfortunately don't learn much about many of them except for Maddie (MC). I liked her well enough but there were times when I found her naïveté frustrating. As running the inn is what she's aspired to doing for years, I thought that (despite the unfortunate circumstances) she would really step up to the job. Yes, she's a teenager who's unsure about many things and it wouldn't have been easy anyway, but I felt she could've tried harder. I also found it somewhat alarming how easily she would connect smaller dots while missing the larger, and sometimes more obvious, picture. I will say though that although her growth was slow throughout the read, it was well done and I appreciated it in the end. Of course, there's also a romance and it's shaping up to be a love triangle. You know how I feel about those so I won't get into that, but I can't say that I was particularly invested in either potential ships, mostly because I just didn't feel their chemistry or a connection to them.

There were several revelations/twists that were worked in throughout the story and I appreciated that it wasn't all revealed all at once at the end. I could see a few of the reveals coming from a mile away but it was still enjoyable to see how it unfolded because it was written in well, plus it kept me on my toes! I wish the ending didn't come so abruptly but it does have me looking forward to seeing what happens next. I'm hoping that we get a chance to somehow explore the other worlds or see more of them in the coming sequel(s) because that would be really interesting!

Havenfall was a little unexpected with it's slower paced, mystery infused fantasy/real-world setting and story, but overall it was an enjoyable read! Now the extra long wait begins for book two...

I'm excited to be a part of the HAVENFALL blog tour with The Fantastic Flying Book Club from February 26th - March 3rd, 2020!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Bloomsbury YA, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.

All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.

Content Warning: Prejudice, Gore/Injury, Death, Attempted murder, Abduction, Imprisonment, Profanity

"Havenfall isn’t about power, it’s about peace."

Sara Holland gained my following after reading her Everless duology. Her descriptive voice brought her world to life. I found the same to be true for Havenfall. When I found out about this new series, I had to jump on it immediately, eager to read what new concept and world Holland devised. I wasn’t disappointed.

The world-building in Havenfall is solid. Four worlds converge in the magical inn known as Havenfall. The frozen land of Fiordenkill, the hot, elemental planes of Byrn, and the mysterious and sealed-off land of Solaria, home to shape-shifters, all converge at this special Inn. Of all these places, Haven (Earth) is the only place that doesn’t have magic, which is also why it has become the neutral, safe place for the worlds to converge. Humans cannot enter the foreign lands due to their lack of magical abilities.

"The point is, people know that this is a place where you can vanish, even if they don’t know why. We’re hardly in Briar County, Colorado, anymore. We’re elsewhere."

Not all is negative for humans, as they are the only people that can manage the Inn. Maddie has grown up knowing the secret of Havenfall--as it is a secret from the rest of the human world. Her family is endowed with the responsibility to keep the inn running under the radar of the rest of humanity. Her uncle has been the innkeeper for years, and she would go there each summer to learn the ways, protocol, formalities, and whatnot of dealing with delegates from different nations.

This year, Maddie is more eager to get to Havenfall than ever. Her mother recently received the death sentence for apparently killing Maddie’s brother, Nate, years before. Distraught with knowing her mother incapable of committing such an atrocity, Maddie eagerly dives into the responsibilities set before her, as she will be taking over running the Inn for her Uncle Marcus soon.

For Maddie, being at Havenfall gives her assurance. But when her uncle falls into a strange slumber after being attacked by a Solarian from the banned world, she finds that the innkeeper title suddenly falls on her. Not only that, the gate that was previously sealed off to Solaria is cracked, and a threat to the Summit and Havenfall itself. If Earth is open to Solaria, that means that shape-shifters, also known as soul-devourers, may now be among them and can attack at any moment.

"There’s a very specific kind of splintering feeling that comes with seeing the people you trust fall short or fall apart. They are the ones who are supposed to take care of you."

Maddie’s story is one about growth and stepping into her responsibility and position even when she doesn’t feel ready for it. Maddie quickly learns that being the innkeeper is a difficult position, as she now is responsible for her guests from the other realms and their safety. With a possible Solarian threat, an emboldened, otherworldly prince, a missing friend, and her unwell uncle, Maddie often times finds herself without support. Her self-doubt is palpable, and she often times is thrust into making decisions for the good of Havenfall first.

What Maddie uncovers is that there is much more at play than the occasional Summit at Havenfall. Betrayal strikes home when Brekken, Maddie’s dearest friend and love interest is blamed for opening the gate to Solaria. Since, his disappearance only incriminates him further as a conspirator against the adjacent realms. Maddie must uncover why the trustworthy soldier would go against everything he has ever stood for since she had known him, and why now.

The thing with Havenfall that I encountered that I didn’t nearly as much in the Everless Duology (maybe this is just because I’ve read many more books since then in this genre) was that it was pretty predictable. I felt like the antagonist could be spotted from a mile away, and the true intentions of a select few characters were obviously not what they appeared to be at face value. However, Havenfall doesn’t fully disappoint, as there is a rather-surprising plot twist revealed in the very end, which I think makes up for some of the previous predictability.

Maddie, and a few other characters identify as LGBT. She is exclusively interested in Brekkin, a boy she grew up with who hails from Fiordenkill, but shows curiosity in a peculiar acquaintance known as Taya.

With the way that the story concludes, it makes me wonder if other worlds will be opened back up to access Havenfall in the future? I would be curious to discover what other worlds were previously engaged with the Haven of the realms because the different worlds are what make this read so ensnaring. Despite some downfalls with predictability and a slower-paced plot, the world-building and ending make Havenfall a good read.

Vulgarity: Moderate.
Sexual content: One scene of making-out.
Violence: Moderate with some gore.

My Rating: ★★★1/2​

I really enjoyed the fantasy world that Holland creates for us, and the way that the Havenfall inn must maintain impartiality towards each of the three realms. The role of Innkeeper is something Maddie hopes to step into one day, when her uncle wants to retire, but turmoil, violence, and betrayal leads to her unexpected ‘promotion’ before she’s been trained and prepared for it. Will she maintain order? Or are the worlds about to destroy all alliances?

I love love LOVE Maddie as a character. She’s got a Tragic Past™ that for once is actually used to create depth in not only herself but also in the narrative going forward. Her interactions with love interests are very cute, and this is the first time I’ve read about a character who was bisexual and comfortable with that knowledge. A lot of times, I feel like sexuality is portrayed as a struggle and an identity crisis, and while that can certainly be the case it felt so positive to see a model who’s already confident in who she is, even if she’s not confident in her new political Innkeeper role.

How the different realms interacted and the power dynamics of the different delegations (and all their magical powers) were so cool to read and felt really well thought-out as magical systems go. I can’t say too much without getting into spoiler territory but I’m so excited for the sequel already! I need more Taya in my life.

This one unfortunately became part of my dnf stack. I just couldn't quite hook into the fantasy. That said, for a more patient reader, this book may have a great story to offer.

I sat on this review for a few days because I was not sure about my feelings because what I liked about this book is connected to what I found... lacking.

I enjoyed the book because of the plot, the pace was slow but the mystery was engaging and the list of suspects and theories cycled at a moderate speed. The style is fantastic, the description of Havenfall and the delegates from the is great and imagining the ball makes me want to be Maddie just to get a glimpse of all that. There is a myriad of characters that appear throughout the story and that become involved somehow that I was trying to piece everything together in every chapter.

I loved the plot, I loved the mystery. But...

But this is all because Maddie is so, so, SO NAIVE AND EASILY MANIPULATED. The villain is charming and reliable, and I understand that Maddie is dealing with a lot of and lack of confidence through the book after being appointed the Innkeeper. But she decides to trust and rely on a character she JUST MET over the people she has known for years. This makes me facepalm so hard. Her beliefs are so easily swayed that it had me screaming out loud. Through the book she basically reacts to what is happening around her and she would have been helpless if she had been alone. I can't help but feel that if she didn't trust so easily then the mystery wouldn't have developed as good as it did.

Honestly? By the end of the book, I don't really feel that she grows as a character, but I hope she grows a lot more in the second book.

I definitely want to read the second book because, like I said, the plot itself is pretty good. The twists revolving the characters were amazing and I want to know what happens with Taya, the Solarians, and the rest of the realms after everything is resolved.

Havenfall was a unique YA fantasy. I personally loved the world the best. The way the world was setup felt like something I hadn’t read before and I really loved that part. However, it was a bit hard to connect to the characters, for me at least. Despite not being able to connect with the characters I still liked it, I think many will find this one to be a breath of fresh air and love it.

Maddie Morrow has one wish in the world, that when she comes of age her Uncle will put her forward to become the new Innkeeper at Havenfall, a sanctuary that connects other worlds to earth, so when her father tries to send her to her grandma’s for the Summer Maddie doesn’t hesitate to get on the wrong bus and go to her favourite place in the world instead. But something is amiss at Havenfall, and before Maddie knows it she finds herself responsible for the whole of Havenfall. This summer could change everything and Maddie might have the weight of the world on her shoulders…literally.

Having never picked up a book by the author before I had little expectations going into this but it met every single one and more. With some beautifully descriptive writing, intriguing and likeable characters and a storyline with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very last pages I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Havenfall.

Maddie was great perspective to read from. After spending most of her youth in the walls of Havenfall it is the one place she feels safe, the one place where she feels like she fits in, home. Her dream in life is to become the Innkeeper after her Uncle dies, the person who runs the inn and attends meetings with delegates from the other worlds. She has an awful lot of unanswered questions in her life and this number grows exponentially over the summer. I really enjoyed seeing her character growth, she gets put in a hard situation and seeing her deal with it, not always in the right way but who are we kidding? She’s a teenager! She goes from someone who likes to stand on the sidelines to someone who, although still shies from the spotlight, realises that being in it is what comes with leadership. The other characters are all side characters in my opinion, some of them have a bigger role to play but they are all well developed.

The world that Holland builds was a truly beautiful one. Havenfall, an Inn in the middle of the Colorado mountains is the worlds best kept secret because underneath it are tunnels which lead to magical worlds. Some have been closed over time either due to the world ceasing trading or it being forced shut as in the case of Solaria, a once peaceful world who’s shapeshifing people revolted, and because of this were banished from the Inn. The only two working doors lead to Bryn a world full of elemental magic, its people only exist because the Silver Prince managed to create a barrier between them and the deathly weather and Fiordenkill, a world covered in Ice and snow where soldiers ride of great wolves and the aurora burns bright in the sky. The author manages to bring these worlds to life with her writing, almost making them seem like places you could hop on a plane and visit. Haven, or Earth as we call it is the only connected world with no magic which makes it the perfect neutral place for the other worlders to converge.

The romance wasn’t overwhelming in this book by any means. We get a little insight at the start and then it tapers off until the end of the book. As the reader you can see potential relationships blossoming and I would love to see some of these focused on more in book two.

This book was full to the brim with twists and turns, you are never sure who you can trust and who is working against Maddie which makes for a page gripping read. There were some I felt predictable, but the author still manages to make you question your beliefs. My only issue is I felt the ending fell a bit flat, it certainly set itself up for a sequel but I just didn’t feel the emotional impact I think the author was going for with certain reveals. I also found the authors writing of ‘battle’ like scenes to be a bit bland. I could’t really picture the images in my head and it all moved a little fast for me. That being said I enjoyed the book as a whole and would definitely pick up book two and the authors other works.

Love the mystery plotline and the setting, but parts of the magical worldbuilding didn't work for me. Longer RTC.

“Most of the townsfolk of Haven don’t know the truth, I think, about Havenfall and the Adjacent Realms and the Accords that commemorate every summer with a summit. But everyone knows there’s something special about this place—an undercurrent, a breath of wind from another world.”

Maddie Morrow has spent every summer in the mountains for Colorado at her family’s inn, Havenfall. But this inn is different because not all of it’s guest are human or from this realm. Haven fall has always been the center, the safe place, for delegates to meet. Maddie plans to spend the summer in the one place that makes her happy and with her best friend Brekken. However this summer doesn’t turn out exactly how she thought it would. Now Maddie’s best friend is missing, her uncle is unconscious and won’t wake up, weird things keep happening and she thrown into the role of innkeeper. Though it always been her dream to take over that role from her uncle...she is so not ready for it.

Oh my goodness I really enjoyed this book. I love that it was set in Colorado. I think it’s just the perfect setting from the story. I also really enjoyed all the main characters. The story kept me interested and wanting to know what would happen next. I only really guessed one plot twist but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.
I must note that I love Brekken and need a whole lot more of him in the next book Also with that ending I need the next book like yesterday!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!*
*I received a eARC in exchange for a honest review*

Not Done Yet! But enjoying so far! Will edit when finished!

Not Done Yet! But enjoying so far! Will edit when finished!

Not Done Yet! But enjoying so far! Will edit when finished!

Read from February 25 to February 26.

I was kindly given an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was first interested in this book because it’s about a hotel on top of a mountain where the doorways to other worlds were hidden. I didn’t need to read anything else about it in order to be hooked. Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

I love the concept behind this book so much. Havenfall exists to be a neutral place where people from all the different worlds can come together for discussions, trade negotiations, etc. I also love that our main character spends her summers here with her uncle exploring and meeting all these different people before having to go home to the “real world.” I really enjoyed meeting all these different types of people and learning about their worlds. I think the setting itself sounds really beautiful and I think the author did a great job putting that picture in the readers’ brains.

However, there were some things I struggled with in this novel. I didn’t think the author gave enough time for what was happening. Things didn’t really get a chance to develop. This is a fantasy novel about a bunch of different worlds and peoples and a ton of action and it all takes place in a little over 300 pages? It’s just not enough. I can’t get my mind wrapped around one thing that happened before we’re already moving on to the next. I also felt like so many different outrageous things were happening that I couldn’t suspend my disbelief anymore after the 250 page mark. It was just too much. Or, again, maybe just too much in too little time.

I really do love this world and the main characters in it. I just wish everything had a bit more time to develop. I’m excited to see where the next book goes with the way the last one ended. Havenfall comes out on March 3rd.

This story wasn’t what I expected, but I really enjoyed reading it. Maddie was one of my favorite characters, she was strong and relatable. I never knew who I could trust other than her, and there were so many plot twists. I wish I could spend a summer at Havenfall getting to know delegates from other worlds. Havenfall was a magical story that’s worth the read!

HAVENFALL came into my life when a book like this was exactly what I was looking for and needed. I adored Sara Holland's first duology, EVERLESS and EVERMORE, so I couldn't wait to see what she came up with next. In the midst of some personal turmoil, I found myself struggling to read the deep fantasy book that was my current read. I picked up HAVENFALL on a whim one night and the next thing I knew I was a quarter of the way through the book.

HAVENFALL is the start to a new contemporary fantasy series set in current day Colorado. Haven is a neutral mecca for ancient magical realms. Each world can harness magic in a different way. It's up to the employees at the Inn to keep the magic and people a secret from the human world. HAVENFALL follows 17 year old Maddie Morrow as she navigates unexpectedly becoming the Innkeeper at Haven during the annual Summit for the remaining Adjacent Magical Realms. Her uncle may not wake up, her best friend has gone missing and weird things keep happening. Maddie finds herself making questionable alliances and trusting people that perhaps don't have her, or the Inn's best interest, in mind.

This book was a real treat! The scenery described was breathtaking. As someone whose parents grew up near the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, I could really visualize everything taking place in this story. The character development was great and the twists and turns the plot took had me on the edge of my seat. I found some of the plot twists a little predictable but that wasn't to the detriment of the story. I need book 2 RIGHT FREAKING NOW! Omg the next year is going to feel like an eternity. If you're a fan of magical realism, a quick paced book and a unique and fun cast of characters, I highly recommend picking this book up.

I received an early copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review (thank you! *waves*)

Oh man, I really wanted to like this one. I really wanted to love this one. I almost DNF-ed at 55% in this ebook, but ended up skimming the rest of it so that I could see what happened in the end (and so I could write a slightly more comprehensive review).

Ultimately, this book read too similarly to a look of other fantasy I’ve read: a murder mystery, a mysterious alien race (who - surprise, surprise, is not as evil as they are made out to be), a childhood trauma, a cast of characters with secrets aplenty. I wasn’t shocked by who the traitor was, fooled by the red herrings laid here and there along the way, or inspired by the new status quo by stories end.

The writing struck me as a little immature sometimes, and characters were prone to speechifying/monologuing. Perhaps this just wasn’t the right story for me right now, but ultimately there was better fantasy waiting on my to-read shelf.

LOVED the idea of an inn that guards the doorways to other worlds and this book did not disappoint! The main character Maddie is very reliable and human. And the love triangle that is forming is very delicious. Cannot wait for the next book!

Today's word is FUN. [fuhn]

noun
1. something that provides mirth or amusement;
2. this book from start to finish

Was it the best fantasy in the world? No, but don't let that dissuade you. Sara Holland has a way of giving you what you didn't expect and yet exactly what you wanted. To be honest, the world building is what made this such a delight. It felt very tongue in cheek at times, and I adored it. It is a well-though out fantasy that is complex but simple enough to understand and keep track of. Any small issues I had I suspect come from reading an unproofed ARC. The Inn at Havenfall is a sanctuary for magical beings, nestled deep in the Colorado mountains. It is here that the portals to the different worlds converge and the various races can intermingle on neutral ground to craft trade deals and peace treaties. I loved the concept of the Inn. It felt wholly unique as a setting, but also very familiar as I pictured the Enzian Inn in Leavenworth where I have spent many a happy vacation.

What surprised me the most about this book was how twisty it was. And when I say that, I mean twisty. There's a lot going on over the course of the plot, and it pulled me in a completely different direction every time I thought I had it pegged. There is well-layered mystery throughout that grows and grows, and I'm very satisfied with where it went. I'm also very proud of myself, since I did figure out the biggest twist of all. No spoilers, I promise, but the signs were all subtly embedded in the events and I picked up on them all. That it was obvious to me is not at all a bad thing. As I said, this book took me for a ride.

While the cast is highly diverse and repping LGBTQ+ nicely, I did not warm to the main character as much as I would have liked. I related to her and her struggles, no problem. The place you love more than anywhere is suddenly threatened, and the responsibility you've always wanted is thrust upon you about twenty years sooner than you thought. And you're woefully ill-equipped to handle it. No, that wasn't the issue. My deal with Maddie was that I was not floored by her. I despise the term "Mary-Sue," but it might actually apply here. For example, another character said her name and I literally went, "Who dat?"

This is not exactly feedback, but I usually go through other reviews when I'm ready to write my own, and someone said this wasn't gothic. AND NOW I CAN'T LET THAT GO. I mean, it's perfectly fine as is, but now that it's got me thinking, that would have been amazing. Someone write that. NOW! Maybe I will.

Was this better than Everless? Absolutely not. But that doesn't make me like this book any less. If the second book crosses my path I absolutely will snatch it.

Blog tour post review to come!

Firstly I want to say thank you to Netgalley and The Fantastic Flying Book Club for providing me with an EARC of this book and for also inviting me to be part of the wonderful blog tour (28/02/2020). I am so grateful for this opportunity.

Havenfall was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I have not read anything from Sara Holland before but have heard so many good things about her books that I knew I needed to get my hands on it as soon as I possibly could. This opportunity has meant that I am lucky enough to have read this book before it has been released which I am so grateful for.

The first thing I would like to highlight is the glossary in the front of the book, not enough books adopt this method and I feel like it is so necessary. The amount of times I have flicked to the back of the book to look something up and been greeted with a spoiler is irritating. To find that Havenfall's glossary is at the front is so refreshing. I would like to highlight at this point that this is the setting for the EARC I have not seen a finished copy yet.

I really enjoyed that I got to learn about the separate worlds before I began this book. I feel like a lot of authors throw you in and expect you to learn along the way. This is okay but I feel like that then takes me away from the world and the characters. I liked that I was given the tools that I needed to begin with, I was given just enough to have a good understanding that I could expand on as I continued throughout the book.

I loved this world so much, I loved that the worlds were different and there were different doors that led to them. I liked the idea of the monsters and the politics that occurred within the book. I am not big on fantasy books with a lot of politics but I can assure you that this is not too heavy and adds just enough to the book to be enjoyable but not overwhelming.

I really liked Maddie as a character, I must admit it did take me a period of time to get really into her character and understand her. But once this had happened, approximately 100 pages in, I really appreciated her and cared what happened with her character. I don't think i build as good of a relationship with any of the other characters but I am hoping as the series progresses this will change and the author will build on those that maybe need a little bit more development.

Havenfall was fast paced and very much to the point, Sara Holland did not linger on unnecessary plot points of descriptions just to add to the length of the book. I think it felt like a fairly short book for a fantasy, but it was jam packed and a very good first in the series. I feel like the ending left the reader with a lot of unanswered questions which I really hope are answered in books to come.

I enjoyed this book and the finished copy has already been added to my amazon wishlist. I am intrigued to find out what happens next and am very much looking forward to seeing what happens next. I would recommend this book.

3.5 STARS


It's okay to go in wary.


If you're anything like me, maybe you've read Sara Holland's work before. I tried reading Everless, and hated every minute of it. Only the premise of Havenfall kept me from bypassing it entirely; it sounds an awful lot like TAZ: Amnesty, which I loved to pieces. An inn sitting near the boundary between worlds? Murder? Desperate attempts to foster peace between factions on the cusp of violence? Yeah, it sounded a lot like Amnesty, so I gave it a shot.

And hey, 3.5 stars isn't so bad! It was a hell of a lot more enjoyable than expected, and did some solid things with the plot that I'm eager to see a conclusion to. Plus, the mystery aspect kept me guessing even when I had some of it spooled out, and I never complain too much about a story keeping me on my toes like that! 

And when you top it off with a casually queer cast (bi lead? lesbian side character? innkeeping husbands? hell yeah!)? Plus some fun plot twists? Absolutely a fun time.

But I still think I ought to dig into the good and the bad, because what else am I here for?


More murder than magic, but there's still a healthy dose of both!


Set in the mountains of Colorado, Havenfall follows Maddie Morrow as her perfect summer at the one place she truly belongs goes horribly awry. With a murderer on the loose and her beloved uncle, Havenfall's innkeeper in grave condition, it's up to her to preserve the inn and the peace it represents for the remaining realms. 

The murder alone, I think, was the best part of the story for me. I never turn down the chance to weed out suspects one by one until I have the answers, and I adore a good plot twist that shakes up everything I know (while still making perfect sense). Thankfully, Havenfall had both of these things, keeping me attached to the page to the point of reading the entire book in one sitting. As I tend to do. But with more gusto than usual.

That single murder sets everything in motion, and manages to tangle up so many disparate threads into a core mystery. There's some degree of YA predictability that means you'll probably see pieces of the plot coming, but it's engineered in a way that remains engaging all the same. 


"There has always been war; that doesn't make us all monsters."


Possibly the thing I appreciated most, in a "this is going to be underrated" sort of way, is that Havenfall doesn't go the typical route with the expected antagonist. There are some elements of it that rubbed me the wrong way, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense that certain characters thought the way they did, while others were obviously far too prejudiced and inflexible. It made for a story line that didn't excuse past actions and perceptions, while also outlining the real antagonists.

Of course, if the characters had been stronger, this might have come across even better. As it is, most of the side characters are on the weak side, particularly the love interest. Maddie herself is interesting once you get past the initial tragic backstory, and Taya caught my attention (even if Sara Holland has written her as a terrible motorcyclist when transporting a passenger, but I'm just picky when it comes to literary motorcycle safety, thank you), but I wish other members of the cast had been more prominent. Many feel like props, and didn't lend themselves toward a fully nuanced approach of the theme.


And...where's the magic?


Like I said, the story is more mystery than magic in many ways, and I can't help feeling let down by the fact that we never see the realms that Havenfall protects. We also see very little magic (in part because of the properties of Havenfall, but still), and that disappointed me. I can't control how a book meets my expectations, but it can affect the rating nonetheless, especially in this case. Show me the elemental realm with the raging storms! Give me a better look at that frozen realm and its people! Show me the other realms that have since closed!

At the end of the day, this is what brought Havenfall down below the 4 star mark. While it made for a fun read, the characters weren't as strong as I would have liked, and it didn't quite meet expectations. Am I still too in love with TAZ: Amnesty to let something so similar into my heart? Was this just not quite strong enough to earn a spot on my favorites shelf?

Whatever the reasons, I still had fun, and I'm looking forward to the next book. Hopefully it has an equally stunning cover, as well as further exploration of the key characters and realms. That would improve on the current situation quite a bit, and shape the core source of conflict into something even more urgent and personal.


CW: violence (including gun violence), loss of a loved one, gore, underage drinking, self-harm (for magic), graphic injury, kidnapping, nudity

[This review will go live on Hail & Well Read at 10 am EST on 2/24/20.]

I finally finished reading my digital ARC copy of Havenfall by Sara Holland (thank you so much to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for letting me read it early!) during some of my snow down time! The concept for the book was definitely really interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. 

Havenfall 4/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads: A safe haven between four realms. The girl sworn to protect it--at any cost.
Hidden deep in the mountains of Colorado lies the Inn at Havenfall, a sanctuary that connects ancient worlds--each with their own magic--together. For generations, the inn has protected all who seek refuge within its walls, and any who disrupt the peace can never return.
For Maddie Morrow, summers at the inn are more than a chance to experience this magic first-hand. Havenfall is an escape from reality, where her mother sits on death row accused of murdering Maddie's brother. It's where Maddie fell in love with handsome Fiorden soldier Brekken. And it's where one day she hopes to inherit the role of Innkeeper from her beloved uncle.
But this summer, the impossible happens--a dead body is found, shattering everything the inn stands for. With Brekken missing, her uncle gravely injured, and a dangerous creature on the loose, Maddie suddenly finds herself responsible for the safety of everyone in Havenfall. She'll do anything to uncover the truth, even if it means working together with an alluring new staffer Taya, who seems to know more than she's letting on. As dark secrets are revealed about the inn itself, one thing becomes clear to Maddie--no one can be trusted, and no one is safe . . .

I really liked the idea of there being an inn in Colorado that connected multiple worlds- i feel like normally when I think of places connecting worlds, I think of Europe or one of the coasts, but Colorado never really comes to mind, so that was a fun new setting. I also really liked the two other worlds that we were introduced to- Fiordenkill and Bryn. And the world we were kinda introduced to- Solaria. I feel like this book did a really good job setting the scene and making me really interested in everything that was going on, but then I felt like right when I was super invested and right when I wanted more, Sara Holland ended the book! Thankfully, there's going to be a book 2, but I'm a little worried that after reading book 2, I'm going to feel like both books should have just been combined into one book.

Even with the small complaint that I have above, I really liked the pacing of the book and the plot was super interesting and easy to follow and it definitely kept me engaged throughout. The characters/character development wasn't the deepest, but that doesn't really matter because it was a really fun book that didn't need deep characters. All in all, I definitely enjoyed Havenfall and I think y'all will too! It comes out on March 3rd, so make sure you pre-order it or request it at your local library today!

3 stars
..
A convergence and meeting place between adjacent realms, the Inn at Havenfall has long been a safe haven and sanctuary for those within its walls; a place to come together, form alliances and make trade. For Maddie Morrow, it's also the place she considers home more than any place, alongside her uncle the Innkeeper, whose footsteps she intends to follow. But this summer things at Havenfall are falling apart, and it falls on Maddie to step up and take responsibility for Inn and it's delegations long before she's actually ready to, and Maddie has no idea who she can and cannot trust.
..
I feel if you've enjyoed author Sara Holland's Everless/Evermore series you'll find more to enjoy, and if you're looking for a quick magical getaway that embraces the idea that there are pockets of magic in our own world, HAVENFALL will be right up your alley.

For me, it wasn't necessarily the case. I absolutely adore the premise of this book, however much fell flat for me. I enjoyed what world building was there, but it didn't feel like enough and I was constantly hoping for more. More descriptions. More interaction. More magic. You can tell me it's there, but I need to see (read) and feel it. Most of the world building was through dialogue, which in itself isn't a bad thing. But the dialogue felt stilted and none of it ever flowed well enough for me. I found Havenfall an entertaining for the most part, there were even some twists and turns that I thoroughly enjoyed and didn't see coming right away, but the plot itself never got into a good rhytyhm; too slow and stilted for me to really get into what I was reading. That being said, it reads fairly quickly and I never felt like I was weighed down to the point I was slugging through the book.

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review.