“What Wakes the Bells” is a darkly beautiful debut! The world-building pulled me into the story, reminiscent yet wholly unique. Mina and her family are tasked with guarding the bells to prevent the thirteenth toll. If this happens, a long-lost, unknown dark force will return to destroy the city. I absolutely loved the atmosphere and aesthetic of this story and its living city. The plot was perplexing, overlapping with the romance. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author!

For those who enjoy:
🔔 Sentient City
🔔 Unique twist on Enemies-to-Lovers
🔔 Difficult Family Dynamics
🔔 Political Intrigue
🔔 Religious System
🔔 Standalone Fantasy

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was such a wonderful and fast-paced read. I had just finished reading two contemporary novels, so I was eager to immerse myself in a completely different world. I really enjoyed the writing, and the imagery was so vivid (I especially loved the descriptions of the statues coming alive in the snowy city, the catacombs, and the body horror).
I also liked the demi rep! So good :)

I guessed the twists pretty easily, but it was still fun to follow Mina as she tried to figure out how to save her city. I'm sure some people might feel differently, but I do like how it ended. Honestly, after recently watching a few dramas with unsatisfactory/open endings, I need some happy closure in my fiction!

Overall, this was a great debut, and I'm excited to see what Elle Tesch writes next!

A wonderfully plotted world full of breathtaking prose. I rooted for Mina the entire time, spellbound by her tender romance and resilience. I would highly recommend this!

A YA fantasy based on a Prague legend (I think the large St. Vitus Cathedral bell? correct me if I'm wrong), a demisexual FMC, THAT COVER!! I was so hyped for this!

3.5 rounding up. I'll try to avoid spoilers, but I loved the whole statue thing (if you liked the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who but wanted them deadlier, here you go), how otherworldly the Saints were, and the catacomb scenes. The magic and worldbuilding were very interesting: a city that's alive? built on the skeleton of a giant magical creature? protected by ancient sorcerers that transcended humanity? Love it. There was also some decent body horror imagery with the Pox.

Sometimes I wonder if I've aged out of YA. The MC felt a bit juvenile and self-centered to me ("woe is me, no one trusts me to be competent and responsible and save the world even though I've given them no reason to and only just turned 18"). Some of the plot beats were very predictable, partly because of heavy-handed foreshadowing and partly because of standard romantic tragedy tropes. There was also a very deus ex machina happy ending. I kind of wish the book had ended a little darker to at least subvert expectations there.

Most of this book centered on the romance between the MC Mina and her boyfriend Max. They're already happily in love when the book starts, and the angst between them is what happens when the bell rings/the plot truly begins. I found this relationship kind of unfulfilling. Max is supposedly great because he never pressured Mina for sex in flashbacks (we do love a boy who respects boundaries and asexuality), but idk... He was just kind of there and handsome. They're in love and they stay in love. The End. The more interesting relationships to me were between Mina and her mother (toxic) and Mina and her brother (loving). But Mina literally says that she loves her boyfriend as much as her family, and it just rang as hollow teenage immaturity.

I do think this is a satisfying read for the YA demographic. I just craved a little more complexity and darkness, but that could be me as an adult reader so I'm trying not to deduct for that.

Rating: 4/5*

What Wakes the Bells is a dark, modern fairytale set in a lush, gothic and sentient city. The plot follows a fairly standard hero journey but remains compelling due to the uniqueness of the characters and the nuances of their relationships.

The story provided an impactful representation of an ace romance while maintaining a robust plot outside of it. The high stakes and ever-climbing suspense kept me engaged throughout the text. Further, the heroine, Mina, was complex and appropriately angsty for an eighteen-year-old without being irritating. She was flawed enough to not be a "Mary Sue" while also being competent enough to fit into the narrative around her.

Somewhat similarly, the villain was so diabolical I was eagerly awaiting his defeat.

Overall, if you're looking for a dark gothic fantasy for an upper YA age bracket that follows a classic hero's journey, What Wakes the Bells could be for you.

I liked the idea of this story. It reminded me of the hunchback of Notre Dame. Other than some hiccups in the beginning. It was a quick read. Would recommend it. 8/10

This is probably one of my most anticipated 2025 releases and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! The characters, the world building, the intricate details, there's nothing in this book that I didn't love. I also think it's incredibly important to see more books with Demi rep and Elle did it so beautifully! 10/10 would recommend this read to anyone, it's great for both YA & Adult readers. Truly loved every second of my read!

Thank you for giving me this book in exchange for a review :)

I really enjoyed this story and watching Mina go on her journey to figure out who the Saint is hiding in. I liked her character growth. The author is very good at keeping me focused on the book and it is very well written, I devoured this one in a few days (which is fast for me). If this book sounds interesting to you, get it! You won't regret it.

What initially drew me in to this book: the cover is lovely, and I was immediately intrigued by the title. I loved the concept that these bells in their city kept something at bay. What does wake the bells? I needed to know!

What I liked: There were some scenes with great imagery, like the catacombs and how they come up later in the book (I'm being as vague as possible to not spoil this for others). The secrets and lies within this city were intense. How Tesch kept all of that straight and continued to weave in little glimpses into the things that came before the book - what set up the plot in the first place.

What I think could have been done better: I saw many of the reveals coming from a mile away. I did love the secret around the bells themselves. I did not see that being part of it. But the love interest, the Saints involvement, the relics, etc. All kind of predictable. Mina's relationship with her mother was pretty terrible too. Her mom was horrible to her; treating her like an outcast. Obviously until things get too hot to handle and then it's "I was so worried about you. Let's be family again." Not my fave. The ending also ties things up in a neat little bow. I would have appreciated some more questions being left to the reader.

Overall, 3 stars for this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for a chance to read a copy of this book.

I’ve been disliking YA as a genre recently so I did not expect to like this book as much as I did!!! But really this has all of the best ingredients and none of the worst thing.

What there was:
A sentient city with magic bells that will wake up millennia old monsters if they aren’t cut twice a day? Check.
Gargoyles and statues coming to life and chasing people? Check.
Saints from historic legends (along with stained glass artwork of said saints)? Check.

What there was not:
Instalove? NOPE.
Overpowering YA angst? NOPE.
Love triangles? NOPE.

The absolute best part of this book was the setting. The history and saints and statues gave so much depth to the book, and all of that being overlayed on a sentient living city that actually FELT alive was incredible. I would live in Vaiwyn. The saints and their relics were so cool. The belltowers were so cool. Immaculate vibes for an October read.

The second best part of this book was how incredibly well done the romance was. Y’all know I’m a romance hater 99% of the time. There’s nothing I hate more than instalove. But in this book the MC had been FRIENDS with the LI for a significant amount of time before anything romantic started happening. And not the “friends who are really just horny for each other and don’t actually have a friendship” trope I’ve seen so much in YA. They had a genuine friendship outside of their romance. Their chemistry wasn’t just pure sexual tension with nothing actually meaningful to it. That detail alone is enough to make me want to read every book Elle Tesch ever writes.

Bottom line: I LOVED THIS BOOK

TRIGGER WARNINGS (minor spoilers): there’s a scene where Mina is forced to kiss someone when she doesn’t want to. Her body is used against her will by a spirit. Her father died from a plague and her mother became abusive afterwards. A side character is severely alcoholic.

This had a lot of elements that I really enjoy seeing in a gothic fantasy book, such as a vivid setting and creative magic. It also had a vivid storytelling that made everything super easy to imagine, almost to the point where it felt like a movie in my head. The fact that it was also very fast-paced helped with that feeling too.

The romance was already established when the book started, which is not something I normally enjoy, but I think the author did a good job at making the reader invested in their relationship without it distracting from the plot.

The biggest downside for me was the predictability of the story, not even 20% in and I could figure out the direction the whole book was going in. I usually don’t mind things being sort of predictable as long as the so called twist fits the story, and while this one did, I feel like after the reveal the book wasn’t as strong. The ending fight scenes felt a little anticlimactic in my opinion, and I just expected the story to do more after the reveal than it did.

Overall, even though it’s kind of predictable and the ending didn’t do as much as it could have, this was nevertheless an enjoyable read that I would still recommend.


Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

🅞🅥🅔🅡🅐🅛🅛 🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ . 25

What Wakes the Bells was a lovely, intense, haunting story that I enjoyed very much! I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next! I loved the magic and folklore and the setting of this gothic tale. I felt very immersed in the story with the authors beautiful writing and felt like the storyline was super unique and unlike any fantasies I have read lately. I love the concept of the city “coming to life”, super creepy and fun!

Very well written with beautiful storytelling and witty characters. This could also be enojyed by adult audiences since the voice and writing style is strong.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

What Wakes the Bells is an immersive, fierce YA fantasy with fantastic characters, a beautiful romance, and lovely prose that hooked me from the first page.

Oh, I loved this one. The writing was beautiful and fit Mina’s character and the world perfectly. The story and magic system were fascinating, and the pacing and characters kept me entertained and eagerly awaiting the next chapter. I felt seen in so many aspects of Mina’s character, and I also appreciated the half-sibling representation, as a half-sibling myself.
The action scenes and twists were well-written, and I loved the dark, twisty atmosphere of the novel and the sentient city. The romance was so sweet, and the ending fit the book wonderfully. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!

I really enjoyed this one. First download that I’ve finished off of NetGalley! I was a bit skeptical because it’s young adult but I really enjoyed the premise and world that was created. While I found it a bit predictable that doesn’t mean it was bad, just that you could easily see what was coming before our main protagonist. Overall a great fantasy YA book (especially if you’re tired of spice in your young adult books lol). Thanks again to NetGalley!

WHAT WAKES THE BELLS is such an intriguing debut!! I had a great time reading it and loved the vibes a lot. I’m looking forward to more books by Elle Tesch!!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What Wakes the Bells by Elle Tesch is a gothic tale about a city facing off against an ancient evil, bent on domination while leaving destruction in its wake. Its only saviors are in the form of Saints in hiding and the bell keepers tasked with keeping the evil from waking.

I really enjoyed the pacing of this story and the relationships flushed out by the author. I especially enjoyed that as the reader, you never knew where the story was going to end up and if your favorite characters were going to survive, it really upped the stakes. I feel like the author did a good job of wrapping up the tale into the perfect fantasy standalone novel.

Overall, I gave this book four-stars because I loved the setting of the story, the folklore and magic felt really fresh, and it was well-written. It was such an easy read without a ton of info-dumping or unnecessary world-building, which can sometimes be overdone with standalone stories. I definitely recommend this to fantasy fans and those just dipping their toes into the genre!

Perfect for fans of Hannah Whitten’s THE FOXGLOVE KING and Rebecca Ross’s DIVINE RIVALS. Author Elle Tesch creates a fully realized fantasy city with a rich saint-filled history. Mina and her family are in charge of the Vesper bells that keep the Bane from returning. But the bells strike 13 times and the Bane has chosen a new human host. In addition to finding and stopping an ancient bane set on destroying their city, Mina is navigating a relationship with her mother who has been critical of her since Mina’s father died. There is romance, but it is already established when the story begins.