I really enjoyed this fast paced ya fantasy it was a little info dumpy at times but still had a really good time. This books follow a group of cousins who are competing to be the next heir while having a lot of political battles with their rivals. One thing this book has is a lot going on, there were quite a few POVs and a lot of information and history about the kingdom that was easy to get confused in. The character POVs were all entertaining to me but could be a little confusing at times. The magic system in this one was never really well fleshed out and I wish we would have gotten some more info about how the magic worked. I really enjoyed the last half of the book as it had some fun twists and excited to see what will happen next. This is my first book by this author but look forward to reading the next on the series. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

The story world in this book feels a little bit like “The Gilded Wolves” series. It’s fancy, and the magic feels high-tech. There’s a lot of classism happening in the story. There’s not exactly a heist, but there is a contest and a powerful magical object up for grabs.

The story follows the point of view of several characters. First, there’s Nora, who was the default Holtzfall family heir until her mother (the actual heir) was murdered. That murder set off a new magical contest among Nora and her cousins to see who the rightful heir would be.

The narrative also follows Lotte, a girl raised in a small town convent with the ability to read minds. Her ability becomes a pretty powerful asset in the attempt to solve a notorious murder and stop a vigilante group from dismantling the Holtzfall legacy.

We also meet August, a young journalist who desperately needs a big story in order to break into the business and provide for his mother, and Theo, a young knight sworn to serve the Holtzfall family.

Primarily, those voices tell the story, but there are a few scenes from other points of view spliced in here and there. I enjoyed all three main points of view, though. Nora is very analytical and figures things out quickly. Lotte is more of an intuitive person. August and Nora have great banter back and forth.

At first, I was nervous about reading this 500+ page book, but the complexity of the plot really demanded that many pages. The story is pretty tightly wound, packing in a lot of drama and intrigue in those pages. The ending left me desperate for more of the story.

I think readers who enjoy books like Six of Crows or Gilded Wolves will want to check out this book. I think it’ll also appeal to readers who enjoyed Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning will love the family intrigue and magic in The Notorious Virtues.

DNF

The clunky worldbuilding and infodumping made this laborious to get through. The setting was weird because I couldn't quite put my finger on when exactly this takes place. I'm putting this down for now, I'm not sure if I'll revisit it later.

A new all-time favorite! For those who waited. This book didn’t disappoint.

I’m honestly at a loss for words to fully describe just how much I love this book.

The story is told through four perspectives: Nora, Lotte, August, and Theo. I love them all! The plot centers on an heiress murdered and that opens up the heirship to the rest of the family where they must win trials of virtues to become the next heir.

This book is everything —a perfect blend of mystery, twists, and high-stakes trials. I’m beyond excited that it’s part of a trilogy, but also a little heartbroken that I’ll have to wait for the next installment. If you're looking for the next book. This is it.

It was intriguing enough that once your get about info I couldn't put it down and had to know what happened next. That the story just jumps right in an adds world building and the history of the Veritas trails as you read. Although at first it makes the trials seem like they are going to be the main focus of the book when it feel more like a sub plot compare to the murder mystery and finding out the truth of the family secrets. There are some dark twist and turns. The magic system need to be explained more it's very presently use but not explained enough.

Hi friends! I had been waiting on the Notorious Virtues for so long, so when I was approved for an eARC of it, I was overjoyed! I wasn’t able to actually get to reading the ARC until after the book came out (I’m going to have to blame work and life on that one), but as soon as I was able to, I grabbed it and got to it! While The Notorious Virtues might not have been the best executed book, there were a lot of fun elements to it too and I think it’s a great start to a new series!

The Notorious Virtues

3/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads: A glamorous media darling, a surprise heiress, and the magical competition of a lifetime.

At sixteen, Honora “Nora” Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad. Her family controls all the money–and all the magic–in the entire country. But despite being the center of attention, Nora has always felt like an outsider. When her mother is found dead in an alley, the family throne and fortune are suddenly up for grabs, and Nora will be pitted against her cousins in the Veritaz, the ultimate magical competition for power that determines the one family heir.

But there’s a surprise contestant this time: Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora’s aunt. When Lotte’s absent mother retrieves her from the rural convent she’d abandoned her to, Lotte goes from being an orphan to surrounded by family. Unfortunately, most of them want her dead.

And soon, Nora discovers that her mother’s death wasn’t random–it was murder. And the only person she can trust to uncover the truth of what happened is a rakish young reporter who despises everything Nora and her family stand for.

With everyone against her, Lotte’s last hope is hunting for the identity of her father. But the dangerous competition–and her feelings for Theo, one of the Holtzfalls’ sworn protectors–turns her world upside down.

Let’s start by talking about the good in this book: the magic system was really interesting and I liked how the lore of the woodcutter was interspersed throughout the book, the Vertiaz trials seemed like an interesting concept, the whole royal/protector relationship being done through a sworn blood oath with real, dire consequences was cool, and overall, I thought that Lotte and Nora could have been really fun characters. In terms of the bad, I never felt like any of the ideas were 100% fleshed out, so I was never really immersed into the book, which made caring about what was happening to the characters kinda hard. I really think too much was happening, and everything was going in so many different directions- in the end, the two big endings/twists made it good, but I think we really only needed one maybe? We had 3 main stories going on at any given time and that’s always a little hard for a reader to keep up with. Overall though, The Notorious Virtues kept my interest enough that I’ll definitely read book 2 when it comes out.

*Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*

The Notorious Virtues follows four characters as they partake in deadly trials, magical mysteries, and the death of an heiress. Honora “Nora” Holtzfall needs two things: 1. To uncover the truth behind her mother’s murder, and 2. To reclaim her place as heiress of the powerful and wealthy Holtzfall family. To do this, she enlists the help of August, a desperate journalist who will do just about anything to ensure he gets a story worth selling, including investigating the already solved death of Nora’s mother. At the same time, Lotte discovers that she is a part of the Holtzfall family, but in order to claim her place, she must compete in the Veritaz, a deadly trial meant to find the most worthy heir of the Holtzfall legacy. Finally, Theo is one of Holtzfall’s most loyal guards, who is trying to understand the sudden death of his brother and is forced to choose between loyalty and blood.
I really enjoyed this book. The plot was unique, the mysteries surrounding the death of Nora’s mother were super intriguing, the magic was interesting, and the characters were fleshed out. However, I did have a few problems with the book, hence the four stars. My biggest issue with this book was Lotte. For over half the book, I simply did not care about Lotte (or Theo for that matter). Nora’s chapters were so much more entertaining, her character was more likable, and I loved her relationship with August. Lotte, on the other hand, was boring, annoying, and rather irrelevant to the plot as a whole. Yes, towards the end her character became better and more needed for the plot. But for the majority of the book, I only enjoyed reading Nora’s and August’s POVs. Four POVs are a lot for one book, and I felt like Lotte and Theo just weren’t as engaging or interesting as the other two. There were so many storylines and plot points that I sometimes would forget which characters were doing what or who knew which pieces of information. That being said, my favorite part of the book (besides Nora and August, everyone knows I love a good banter-filled relationship) was the mysteries that surround the Holtzfalls.
The death of Nora’s mother and the sudden appearance of Lotte were the two main mysteries, but there were also questions about magic, blood-ties, and more that made the book almost impossible to put down. The revelations, plot twists, and surprises were so well-written, and I loved finding out more. The ending was absolutely amazing, and I am super excited for the next book.
Overall, while I did have trouble getting through two of the POVs, the plot and mysteries kept me engaged in the book, and I ended up really enjoying it.

The Notorious Virtues by Alywyn Hamilton is the first book in the series of the same name. If you haven't grabbed this one yet, I recommend you pick it up when you can.

Nora Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad. Her family controls all the money and the all the magic in the entire country. When her mother is found dead in an alley, suddenly the family throne and fortune are up for grabs and Nora will be pitted against her cousins in the Veritaz, the magical competition for power that determines the one family heir.

The world that Hamilton has built in this book was an interesting one. It is class-based and Hamilton does a great job of building up the background of how it came to be that those with the money and the magic have it all and how the Veritaz came about. By having one child, Nora's mother thought she would be able to save Nora from having to compete but her murder prompts the need for the competition to take place.

But there's a surprise for the competition this time - Lotte. She's the illegitimate daughter of Nora's aunt who was abandoned at a rural convent as a child but is now seen as an opportunity to gain power. Unfortunately for Lotte, the rest of the family want her dead but luckily for her, Theo (Nora's guard) has her back. The big question for Lotte is around who her father is and since no one really knows her, she tries to keep her real self hidden from most of those around her. The only one who truly sees her is Theo and eventually Nora.

While Nora is trying to figure out what happened to her mother and who was responsible for her murder, she pulls in a reporter named August to help her dig into things. The mystery surrounding this is core to Nora's storyline. There are the beginnings of a romance here as well but it's important to note that August is from the wrong side of town so the question also becomes whether Nora's grandmother will actually let this continue.

There's a lot I can't say about this one without ruining the story for you so I can't say much more...I know, I'm sorry. Just know that this was a solid book one and the ending on this one definitely makes me want to have book two in my hands so I can continue to read about these characters and see what will happen next. If you're looking for a YA Fantasy that has magic, mystery, romance, and some twists and turns, consider picking this one up. I'll be grabbing the next book in this series as soon as I can.

LOVED IT! An incredibly fun and intricate magic system with an equally-as-captivating city and society to go along with it. You can tell how much thought and care went into this book because reading it does really feel like stepping into a new but somehow familiar world. I already can’t wait for the second one. #netgalley

BOOKTOK REVIEW: https://www.tiktok.com/@lucy_readss/photo/7493714562210991403?lang=en

GOODREADS REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7479440289?book_show_action=false

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. In full transparency I opted to borrow the audiobook after publication from my library.

The audiobook has a full cast as this follows Nora, Lotte, Theo, and August which really makes for an enjoyable listen. Each of the four main characters plays a substantial role in the storyline and I really appreciate when there are distinct narrators for each point of view.

I really enjoyed this. This follows Nora, heir apparent in a familial competition to determine who is the most worthy to be the next heir. The Holtzfall family is very powerful and want for nothing. Their magic and power stems from a long line of woodcutters, and the next heir is always chosen through a set of magical trials. Nora's mother won the trials the last time they were held, so it is only natural that Nora would win next, but only the trial can determine if she or one of her cousins will claim the role. Enter Lotte, and illegitimate cousin who never knew she was a Holtzfall and eligible player for the competition. She has grown up in a convent and now she is thrust into the glitz and glam of the Holtzfall lifestyle where money and power reign supreme. She and Nora quickly become friends as they work to unravel what happened to Nora's mother and discover who Lotte's father was.

While the trials progress Lotte befriends one of the Holzfall guards, sworn to protect one of her newfound cousins. Theo takes his oath very seriously, but as the competition to determine the most worthy family member progresses he discovers that plots to destroy the family and his order are afoot. Theo isn't sure who he can trust, but he knows he has to protect Lotte no matter the cost. We also have August, a reporter looking to make his big break who happened to get some photos of the crime scene that help Nora's investigation into her mother's murder. Nora and August find themselves on their own investigation that leads them down a very unexpected path.

I really enjoyed this. This has an interesting magic system, well explained lore, an interesting competition with high stakes, political maneuvering, and much more. We get great character development and good banter between the characters. I thought the pacing was good and that the author did a good job bringing the four POVs together. Interspersed with the 4 character POVs we also get chapters of the lore of Holtzfall family and how they came into power and how the trials started. Over the course of the book this explains the traits the next heir is expected to have in contrast to what is happening in the real world. This has good commentary about elitism and classism.

This does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, which leaves you with lots of questions. I am anxiously awaiting the next book to find out what happens next. This is my first book by the author but is certainly will not be my last!

The world building was interesting but the characters were insufferable at times and I wasn't that invested in the story overall, I feel
I may pick up the next book but not sure

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Alwyn Hamilton for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Notorious Virtues coming out April 1, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was really hoping for something fun and epic. Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me. There were a lot of POVs. I definitely mixed them all up. I just found the characters very arrogant and I wasn’t really rooting for anyone. They weren’t very likable to me. The book was very long to me. I would check out other books by this author.

Only an elite few have access to magic in this book, but Alwyn Hamilton proves she had magic when writing this book.

Honora "Nora" Holtzfall was heiress apparent to the expansive, magic fortune of the Holtzfalls...until her mother was murdered. Now she's fighting her cousins to prove she was always meant to be her grandmother's heir. For the Holtzfalls, that means competing in the deadly Veritaz Trials. This set of trials comes with an extra surprise: Nora has illegitimate cousin, Lotte, coming from a rural convent to compete. May the best Holtzfall win.

The book is told in four perspectives, with a heavier emphasis on Nora and Lotte. The mystery surrounding Nora's mother's murder combined with the Veritaz Trials themselves makes for a fast paced, thrilling read. I would definitely recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book.

This was interesting, but I’m not sure it will work for everyone. I go into books blind now after too many summaries have spoiled things, then I read it after I finish-so I will say this: it really isn’t that much of a magical competition book. If you’re looking for that aspect, you most likely will be disappointed. Also- what romance between Lotte and Theo?
Focusing on my reading experience, I was pretty hooked from the start, you are thrown into this world without knowing anything. It did have a little pacing issue when you get some of the info dump, but there are enough mysteries that made me want to read on. I think it’s doing a fair job on commentary about the ultra rich, politics, and who is in power. There are a number of unanswered questions that I assume you have to read on to get any insight. While Lotte is a pretty easy character to like, I really appreciated Nora’s character growth, especially after meeting August. There is no way this book is only 300 something pages though GR-it must be more like 500. I definitely want to read on with that ending.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.

So I am a little confused because I believe I have read a similar ARC of this already.. I did see this was pushed from 2020 to 2025. There is a significant difference between both of them but also the author's writing and plot.
The side characters:
The romance was stiff a little? Lottie had great character development, but the romance wasn't romancing for me.
The pacing was awkward for me because I definitely felt there was chapters of information dumps, and I was like where's the plot?
The plot was great for the latter half of the book, and I needed more.
The writing was great for setting and set up for the background and the luxurious fantasy I felt this was.

Perfect if you love:
Old Hollywood with YA GOT vibes
multiple POVs (some people do)
Competition
Slowburn Romance
Elemental Magic
YA fantasy
Fancy Fantasy

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this arc!

DNF - May revisit later

I think there’s potential here, but it just wasn’t capturing my attention. I was skimming and eagerly waiting for the chapter to end and I only was 10% in.

From what I did read, it felt on the younger side of YA. Which I have no problems with, I love reading middle grades. But wanted to give the heads up.

Also what era was I supposed to imagine this in? Modern? Roaring 20s?

But yeah, I think right now I’m not in the right head space or mode for this style of book. However, there’s so many positive reviews that I want to try again at a later date.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

4.5 Stars

The Notorious Virtues is a young adult fantasy that starts a little slow, but builds into a page-turner.

Told from multiple points of view, the book mostly focuses on Nora and Lotte and their male “love interests” (for lack of a better explanation). Nora and Lotte are better realized but all four are compelling.

Author Alwyn Hamilton is adept at world-building, creating varied settings that feel grounded. The overall feel is that of the 1930s — both the glitter and grit. Hamilton’s writing is strong and assured.

The Notorious Virtues is a fast-moving read that explores a society and all its complexities — power, privilege, poverty and revolt. It’s an exciting read that ends with a humdinger of a cliffhanger.

3 ⭐️

I'm feeling pretty mixed on this one. The premise was so intriguing, and the last 30% made me want to read the next one, but it was losing me in the middle.

It took a little while, but I really warmed to both Nora and Lotte by the end of the book. Are they virtuous? No. But i think that's the point. Even the magic has been fooled by how good this family has gotten at playing their parts. I liked the romance aspects too. It was nice to see it take a smaller role in the story, but the development is going nicely.

The magic system was interesting, I'm hoping we get to see more of it. Noras' ability was one i really liked. It's not something you often see in fantasy books. No spoilers, but the third trial was definitely my favourite, and I think that's the tone I thought the whole book was going to have. A little bit twisted.

I've seen people say in their reviews that they felt the POV of the male MCs wasn't needed, but I disagree. I actually wish we had a little more of August. It's mentioned that most people are actually born with a little magic and either use it up for things like heating or selling it to make ends meet. I would have used his POV to show the anger of the poor even more. We need theos POV to understand that the knights literally can not outright disobey an order. Knowing this completely changed my perspective on what was going on.

I will say the major twists were very obvious. Like from the beginning, obvious. I wish we had spent more time on the trials and really making them the focus because they felt a little shoehorned into the murder mystery plot. I think this is why it started losing me part way through, the pacing was a little off.

In a way, I feel like this was one big prequel to set up the rest of the plot, and with the murder aspect hopefully now taking a backseat to the rebellion it should very intense. I think I will continue with the series. I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This book was a lot, a lot of characters, a lot of POVs, a lot of subplots and lots to get through at the beginning. I think this series has great potential and that cliffhanger at the ending, I will definitely have me reading the next one. Overall the last bit of the book really picked up and left me wanting more.

The Holtzfall’s have run the town of Walstad for many generations - they control the magic *and* the money. The story opens with Verity, the current heiress, being killed, late one night in the streets. Her knight (bodyguard), Alaric, is nowhere to be found. Verity’s daughter, Nora, has been in the process of being groomed to be the next heiress-to-be, but the death of Nora’s mother changes the plan.

All living daughters of Nora’s generation must now go through the “Veritas Trials”. Trials are unsuspecting and there is one trial/each contestant. In this case, four trials. Nora and her cousins “come to the table” if you will, to bet their current magic, which will go in a flood to the winner.

On the day the Trials kicks off, however, there is an unexpected arrival. Verity’s sister, Grace, had an unknown child, Lotte, who has been brought to the trials - in the nick of time - to compete for the fortune.

The story is based on different storylines, primarily Nora’s and Lotte’s as they both work through issues with the mother’s as well as wanting to be the next heirs to the family fortune.