I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Notorious Virtues had an interesting premise, but it didn’t totally land for me. There were a lot of plot threads: murder mystery, magical trials, family secrets, politics, class war; and because of that, none of them really stood out. I usually love rich worldbuilding in fantasy, but this one felt a bit surface-level. The characters were hit or miss, and the trials especially felt rushed and underwhelming.

Thanks to Penguin Group and Viking Books for the ARC 🤍

I really liked the overall concept of the book. Granted the long lost heir of a royal family plot has been done a time or two I liked the lore and magic behind this one.

I will say there was way too much going on. Four POVs for chapters; this easily could’ve been two. So so so many characters - all with similar names - it was hard to keep everyone straight and to be able to follow along. I admit I was lost a few times and had to just keep chugging through and hope it made sense.

The way the lore was dropped was often times confusing and it was sometimes hard to tell if we were talking about the past or if we were reading someone else’s thoughts in the Lotte chapters.

The ending was very abrupt and left way more questions than answers. I feel like only one thing was truly explained. The little epilogue felt pointless and didn’t really add much to anything.

Overall I did enjoy it and I’ll probably continue the series when those become available

I had mixed feelings about this one. The world-building is great, very lush and memorable, with fairy-tale magic, family secrets, and deadly trials that kept me interested. Nora is a fantastic FMC, she felt complex, passionate, and worthy of the spotlight.

However, sometimes I couldnt keep up with what was going on in the story as it often felt scattered. The mythology about the woodcutter and the creatures of the forest was beautifully done but felt disconnected from the main events. Some of the other perspectives, like Lotte and Theo, slowed the story down and did not add much for me. Even the trials lost suspense because the characters never seemed to know when they were happening or what they involved.

Fantasy with teeth. This story blended intrigue, power struggles, and magic in a world that felt vividly real. The political scheming occasionally overshadowed character depth, but the action and stakes held strong. A bold start to a promising series.

The Notorious Virtues is a YA fantasy murder mystery novel. I understand this was under development for a very long time. The mythology behind the story of the woodcutter and the creatures of the forest was beautifully done, yet so disconnected from the current events of the book that it feels like it belongs to a different book. These parts were my favorite, and I wanted to read THAT book. What exists instead is too ambitious, not satisfied with being a fantasy story or a romance or a murder mystery. It took me far too long to get through this book, and I did try often. I've thought about reading this book more often than I've spent actually reading, trying to understand what was going so wrong. I liked Nora. I did not need August, Lotte, or Theo's chapters at all. In fact, I wish Lotte's character was not in this novel at all. I understand she's Nora's foil, but I found her chapters dull even when the action SHOULD have been riveting. Theo's duty and pining was equally uninteresting and felt like he was purely there to complicate the plot even though his character on paper should have been great. Even the trials are robbed of their glory by the fact that characters never know when they are going to happen, if they are in fact happening right now, or what exactly they may entail. The mystery results in a significant loss of suspense and tension, making them underwhelming when they actually do show up in the plot, mixed between Nora's hunt for her mother's killer, who could not have been more obvious if it was announced on the title page.
I cannot adequately explain what is missing from this novel, but the absence of it is screaming. I wanted so much, and it made the result even more disappointing.
Oh, and this ends on a significant cliffhanger. A frustrating, disappointing cliffhanger. I was teetering between 2 and 3 stars, and I decided on 2.5, rounding to 3 because of Nora. Nora is magic, complex and passionate and worthy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers- Viking for this ARC.

I waited for this book for 5 years! That ending took a turn I did not expect!!! Now I need more!! I loved the world that was built here. I’m very invested in Nora and her reporter. I really want the next book like now!

This was a great start to an exciting new fantasy series! The Notorious Virtues is a glittering mix of fairy-tale magic, family secrets, and deadly trials! There is also a lot of family drama as well! I can't wait to see what happens in the sequel!

The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton is a dazzling, high-stakes fantasy that perfectly blends magic, politics, and ruthless family dynamics. From the very first page, Hamilton sweeps readers into a world where wealth and power are tightly bound to magic, and the fight to claim both is deadly.

Nora Holtzfall is a complex, flawed, and fascinating heroine. She’s privileged but deeply aware of her outsider status, which makes her journey through the treacherous Veritaz competition feel intensely personal. The addition of Lotte, the secret, illegitimate cousin thrown into the political storm, brings a sharp and refreshing dual perspective. Their intertwined stories create a tense, layered narrative filled with ambition, betrayal, and impossible choices.

The world-building is exceptional—lush, dangerous, and brimming with intrigue. Hamilton captures the glamor and rot of the upper class while weaving in sharp commentary on privilege, class divides, and systemic injustice. The magic system tied to the family's power is unique, but never overshadows the emotional stakes and brutal competition at the heart of the story.

The plot is fast-paced, with twists that genuinely surprise, and the dynamic between Nora and the cynical young reporter adds the perfect touch of tension and reluctant partnership. While the ending leaves room for more story, the book stands strong on its own with satisfying arcs for both girls.

If you love cutthroat magical competitions, morally gray characters, and political thrillers wrapped in a fantasy setting, The Notorious Virtues will absolutely keep you hooked.

Every year, our district gives away stellar new books to encourage summer reading, and as one of the librarians helping select those titles, I’m always looking for stories that will truly capture students’ imaginations. The Notorious Virtues is absolutely one of those books.

Alwyn Hamilton delivers a fast-paced fantasy brimming with magic, mystery, and intrigue. The story centers around a magical competition, an heiress to a powerful legacy, a suspicious death, and a potential illegitimate heir threatening to upend everything. It’s an intricate world with a unique magic system and a rich, if at times overwhelming, cast of characters.

Told through multiple points of view—four “main” characters, each with their own motivations—the novel asks readers to pay attention and piece together the bigger picture. The narrative drops you right into the world with minimal exposition, which might challenge some younger or more reluctant readers, but for those who stick with it, the payoff is big.

There’s suspense, drama, power struggles, and a cliffhanger ending that practically demands the next book immediately. With its blend of court politics and magical trials, this one feels like a perfect candidate for next year's summer reading program.

Recommended for readers who love complex worlds, morally grey characters, and high-stakes fantasy.

Based on the synopsis of this book I knew that I was going to like it, but WOW did it exceed my expectations! When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out!

The world building was phenomenal! The characters were complex and relatable! And the twists were SO interesting and fun!

If you’re a fan of Stephanie Garber, Marissa Meyer or you love YA Fantasy this book is for you!

I received a a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.

I am a TOTAL sucker for the “trials” trope, especially when magic is involved and throw in a good nursery mystery?! I am SOLD! The story is told from multiple point of views and I really enjoyed them all, no one really stood out more then the other for me. My only really problem with the book was it started to lose my interest about 50% of the way in and because of that when the big reveal happened, I didn’t care as much! But overall, pretty fun and unique! It’s not often we see a murder mystery with trials and magic and for that, I loved it a lot and will definitely be picking up the next one!

The Notorious Virtues is a glittering mix of fairy-tale magic, family secrets, and deadly trials. I enjoyed the trials aspect - they went beyond simple survival, testing values like honesty and unity. The family drama was intense, with every character scheming and backstabbing and I was never sure who to trust.

However, the world-building was at times confusing, with cars, magic, and futuristic elements blending in ways that weren’t always clear. Also, the opening, especially Lotte’s POV sections, felt slow, and I thought there were too many characters and a lot of the names were too similar which made it hard to keep track.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes The Inheritance Games or Phantasma.

I really enjoyed this story about a magical competition. The concept of magical competitions is nothing new of course, but with how Hamilton wrote it, it felt very fun and enjoyable to read. This concept focused on Virtues and passing trials, but it wasn’t always known what exactly they were being tested on. How they pass varied as well, sometimes by luck and sometimes by conniving to nab the win. The family dynamics was intriguing, and had everything from wealthy heiress and their staff to someone who grew up knowing nothing but poverty in the convent. There’s magic, murder, political parlaying, and plenty of family tensions. This was a fun read for me, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes the magical competition trope.

I gave up on the ARC e-book as the formatting was driving me insane. I had a MUCH nicer time reading the final physical copy.

This struck an odd tone, blending the roaring 1920's with classic fairytale vibes. I never really decided if I thought this worked okay and was a fun spin on things, or felt a little out of place with each other.

I struggled to genuinely like some of the characters for most of the book, though they grew on me by the end. I'm not convinced at all though that we needed the 4 POVS that we ended up with, and I love a good multiple POV book.

The magic system was a little confusing, made clearer by the flashbacks/stories of the "original" Holtzfall/the Woodcutter. That cleared up a good number of things, and I really liked those sections of the book, but there was still plenty left that I don't think necessarily will get an explanation. It felt more like a "it's just the ways things are". Perhaps not, as this is the first in a trilogy (I think), but time will tell.

Overall, enjoyed this one and ready to dive into the second book whenever it comes out!

This is the start of a new fantasy series set in an alternate, slightly steampunk past.

Honora is part of the family that controls much of the city. Nora's mother, the heir to the family power, has just died under suspicious circumstances and now each of the next generation must compete in trials to see who becomes the heir. Unexpectedly, an extra cousin appears to compete and she has magical powers that no-one is expecting.

There is so much within-family backstabbing going on in this one that it’s mind-boggling. Mean girls galore, rebellion simmering under the surface of everything - lots of intrigue, lots of class struggle, lots of characters trying to figure out where they belong in the family or if they even want to belong to this family at all. I'm looking very much forward to the next one.

If you're working with readers who loved Divine Rivals, point them this way!

Fabulous family drama with magic, revenge, and intrigue. I enjoyed the 1920s setting vibe and really got into the characters. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep turning pages and the ending set up for a sequel brilliantly.

Multiple POV, deadly games and trials, a roaring 20s vibe, and it’s all wrapped up in a retelling of the woodcutter.

# The Notorious Virtues (The Notorious Virtues, #1)
# 5/12/2025 ~ 5/13/2025
# 5.0 / 5.0

This young adult fantasy completely sucked me. I’m not a big fantasy reader but this is one I can get behind. Between families, mystery, and the trials I want more. The characters really had me rooting for them and I can’t wait to find out what else is going to happen. Hope to get back into this world soon!

I really enjoyed this book. I think it kept you on your toes. I enjoyed the kinda 1920s vibe I was getting. One of my favorite parts of this book was probably all the fairy tales/myths that explain the origin of the country and the royal family. World building like that is just my favorite. Interesting characters. The whole concept of virtues being twisted to almost be a problem is interesting and on a personal level it's not my favorite Idea, but I would definitely recommend this book!