Alwyn Hamilton's The Notorious Virtues is the first installment in the author's The Notorious Virtues series. According to reports, the sequel, titled The Glorious Vices, is scheduled to follow in the Fall of 2026. This is the first book the author has written in five years. This story follows four key characters: The focus of this story is not just Honora "Nora" Holtzfall, but Lotte Holtzfall, and Theo, a Knight sworn to protect the family, and August, a reporter who gets involved with Nora in trying to discover the truth behind who was responsible for killing her mother, and why.

This book, which is broken up into various Virtues, screams of a mash-up of the Roaring '20s meets fantasy with magic, and a city on the brink of chaos and rebellion. Set in the opulent yet treacherous world of Walstad, this novel introduces a magical competition that pits family against family, with stakes as high as the Holtzfall fortune—and the power it commands. At sixteen, Honora “Nora” Holtzfall is the glamorous darling of Walstad, a city where her family reigns supreme, controlling its wealth and magic. Groomed to inherit her mother’s empire, Nora’s life unravels when her mother is found murdered in an alley, thrusting the succession into chaos.

Enter the Veritaz—a deadly, magical trial where Nora must compete against her cousins (Modesty, Constance, & Clemency) to claim the Holtzfall legacy. However, the game shifts with the arrival of Ottoline Holtzfall, also known as Lotte, an illegitimate cousin raised in a rural convent, who possesses a surprising ability that has been deemed evil by those who raised her. Now a surprise contender with everything to prove. Alongside them are August, a scrappy reporter chasing the story of a lifetime, and Theo, a Knight sworn by oath to protect the family, whose allegiance is tested as secrets unravel.

As the trials unfold, blending charm magic, death games, and family betrayal, a darker force stirs beneath Walstad’s dazzling surface. The narrative, told through multiple points of view, weaves a tapestry of intrigue, from glitzy ballrooms to shadowy forests, culminating in a cliffhanger ending. It’s a tale of power, privilege, and the stories we tell to survive, all wrapped in a 1920s-inspired fantasy aesthetic. Nora and Lotte anchor the story with compelling arcs. Nora’s journey from media darling to embattled heiress is marked by vulnerability, her confidence masking a deep-seated fear of losing everything.

Lotte, meanwhile, transforms from a downtrodden orphan into a fierce wildcard, her outsider perspective cutting through the Holtzfalls’ decadence. August and Theo add texture—August’s ambition drives the mystery, while Theo’s quiet loyalty hints at deeper layers to unfold in future books. The ensemble’s chemistry crackles, even if the romance (light, as promised) feels more like a tease than a payoff. If you loved Rebel of the Sands or crave YA fantasy with glitz, guts, and a twisty heart—like The Cruel Prince or The Night Circus—this is your next obsession.

A true unputdownable book with full on just one more chapter vibes. This book is both refreshingly original and new but at the same time gave me a nostalgic feeling of past YA that I first fell in love with. A fantastic premise of a book that becomes so much more with characters I rooted for and a world that I am eager to get back to.

A combination of magic, art deco surroundings, a murder mystery and Hunger Games feeling trials among the heirs of the most powerful family in the country felt exciting and provided an entertaining story that I flew through. A wide range of characters and motivations that touch on class wars but at it's heart a story about family and secrets and what people will do to hold onto power. All of the drama takes place in a city surrounded by a mysterious forest filled with intrigue, the last step in the battle for a magical axe. This story took some turns that I did not predict, along with a few I did but the ending blew me away and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to the eARC.

I haven't got enough words for how much I loved this book.
The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton
Rich of amazing and deep supporting characters.
Hamilton's way of writing is once again magical.

Wealthy Celebrity lifestyle x deadly trials x magic x revolution as the murder of the head of a family sparks a set of trails that the winner gets everything. The Holtzfalls are a wealthy powerful family and when the head of the family is murdered the rest of the heirs must complete in the Veritaz trials to win fame, fortune, and superiority over the rest of the family. To help them in their trials are blood sworn knights, bound and forced to do everything the family says. The story follows four characters. Nora, Theo, August, and Lotte. Nora is the main heir to the Holtzfalls and is investigating the death of her mother with August, a junior tabloid reporter. Theo is a knight sworn to protect the Holtzfalls but finds himself assigned to Lotte while trying to discover what happened to his brother, a knight who was also assigned to the family but died... or so he thinks until he receives a mysterious letter. Lotte is an outsider who finds herself as the newest member of the family and thrown into the trials... and has the magical ability to read people's minds. This is the first book in a series and it ends on a cliffhanger. For me this book was extremely hard to get into, like it really doesn't get going until about 50% in and the amount of info dumps that you are thrown is too many. The trials themselves weren't all that interesting and the story just kind of felt super boring. I really wish I could like this more because it had an interesting premise.... but I found myself falling asleep and disassociating while reading this. This just wasn't my cup of tea but I do think other fantasy readers who love a big cast and a bit of a mystery will have a better time with this than I did.

Release Date: April 1, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I didn't manage to read this one before the book actually came out, but it's one of my most highly anticipated and I can't wait!

Nora Holtzfall was born into power. The city of Walstad exists and humans live safely in it because of the bargain her Holtzfall ancestors made with the dark, magical forces in the woods several generations back. As the only daughter of the Holtzfall heiress, Nora is set to control all of the money and magic in Walstad someday. But when her mom is murdered, Nora will be forced to compete with her cousins to remain heiress. Nora is determined to uncover the secrets behind her mom's death and win her trials, but there are other forces in play. One of them is Lotte, who never knew she was a Holtzfall until her long lost mother fetched her to join the trials. Raised in poverty and abused, Lotte will never be a Holtzfall in the eyes of some family members, but she still has a chance to become the most powerful person in Walstad, changing it forever. That is, if the local resistance movement called The Grims and the heiress trials don’t kill them all first.

The Notorious Virtues is the start of a trilogy, and you could feel that in the pacing. There is worldbuilding aplenty, but it felt like the plot took a while to kick in. Part of that is because the vibes of the individual Veritaz trials, which will determine the next heiress, are very different. Some are personality-based and feature quick, innocuous scenarios, while some are big, spectacular action sequences. Things felt a little drawn out at times, but I was really satisfied with where the plot was going by the end of book one.

There are four POV in the novel— Nora, Lotte, Theo, a knight sworn to protect the Holtzfalls who finds himself in a precarious situation while assigned to guard Lotte, and August, a junior tabloid reporter helping Nora investigate her mother's murder. Nora and Lotte are featured more than the others, but all of them had a distinguishable voice and motivations. I had a soft spot for August, who's the most earnest of the crew. He and Nora also had great chemistry. Nora should be a character you dislike very early on, because she represents the oligarchy, but it doesn't take long for her to question things and become pretty intriguing. Theo's dilemma and Lotte's journey are both compelling, but neither felt as fleshed out to me. There were a lot of interesting secondary characters, but most of what makes them interesting can't be discussed without some degree of spoilers. Except Modesty. All my homies hate Modesty.

The world also features a complex magic system, but I wish we'd seen more of it. Each Holtzfall has a really impressive power. There are also small charms ranging in potency, mostly available to the wealthy. The moments when they do use the magic feel big and impressive, but they're not used very often. I just wish it's possibilities were explored more.

The Notorious Virtues is good groundwork for a trilogy, but it just needed a little bit more— more character personality, more action, more stakes. The explosive conclusion to the book suggests that we will see those things moving forward, so I do plan to check back in for book two!

This was an interesting read, set in the late 60s, in an upscale community, While the upscale aspect of the 60s was beyond my reach, I do remember the mood and swinging aspect of it. It’s interesting to see that aspect captured from a distance.
The story focuses on three different women as they navigate challenges in their personal lives in this tumultuous time. Settings were well defined, and the three women were well formed. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel any real connection for any of them. None of them were particularly likable for me. In the one most intimate scene, I skimmed… I confess I usually go a little more for the detail.
There were still things to recommend - the description of the settings, the house, the paintings all appealed.
Round up to 4 from a 3.5

This book was so much fun! It was a mashup of the glitzy Roaring ‘20s and a high stakes YA fantasy. The story is centered on the succession of the Holtzfall family, and it has everything I could’ve wanted. There’s magic, fairytale elements, a deadly competition, a murder mystery, investigative journalism, family drama and secrets, rebellion, and a little romance. The book is told from four people’s perspectives: Nora, the Holtzfall heiress, August, a desperate journalist, Lotte, an abandoned orphan, and Theo, the stalwart guard. All of them are compelling and nuanced characters, and their storylines weave together to create a dynamic tale that is full of wealth, backstabbing, scheming, ambition, and dark secrets that threaten to undo everything. It was one of the most unique fantasies I’ve read in a while, and I highly recommend it!
🪓
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🪓
Read if you like:
▫️heiress x reporter
▫️magical competition
▫️political uprising
▫️murder, mystery, family secrets
▫️multi POV
🪓
Thank you to PenguinTeen, Viking, Penguin Random House, Alwyn Hamilton, and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to the publisher for the arc
I really really enjoyed reading this book. It was so fast paced and entertaining, so fast paced, in fact, that I'm writing this review at 1:30 am after binging the last half, trying to go to sleep, and failing, leading to this rambling review. I took off half a star, however, because the ending felt very quick and cut off. I was confused about not the events leading up to it, but what happened after and why. The epilogue was also pretty inconclusive. Is there going to be a next book? Was the story meant to just cut off there? What happened to the girls after they left? Other than this ending confusion, I had so much fun reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin/Viking, and Ms. Hamilton for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

What a way to start off April. It's been a pretty good year for books so far, actually, and The Notorious Virtues is another winner. Definitely one of my favorites for this year (and they're racking up). The Notorious Virtues has SO much to like: competition, magic, upheaval, unlikely love(ish. Don't worry, it's not really a romance), secrets, twists, betrayals, danger, and more.

Lotte (Ottoline) and Nora (Honora) were two amazing characters. I was hoping I wouldn't have to pick one over the other and the author did a really good job of making both easy to relate to and easy to cheer for. Neither one is perfect and they're both perfectly placed to make some VERY interesting moves in book #2. The twists are REALLY good too. I'm not much of one for guessing; I did guess one but ALL the others were surprises.

There was a lot of Germanic influence in the names, words, etc (for example, the monetary unit is the "zaub." I kept racking my brain trying to remember what that means - all I could remember is Der Zauberer, the wizard; zaub isn't technically a noun but I guess its etymological root is something like conjure? magic? And the names, other than the virtues, are all very commonly found in Germany: Angelika, Helge, Oskar, August, Brigit(t)a, Hilde, Frederik, Holtzfall, etc.). The German-language influence tied in nicely with the fairy tale portions, which had a distinct Germanic flavor.

I can't wait for the sequel. I hope Ms. Hamilton is already writing it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2 rounded up.

Walstad is a magically protected community that was founded and has been nurtured by the Holtzfall family for generations. Each time a new heir comes around, they are tested, along with their cousins of the same generation, as to whether or not they are the most virtuous. The victor then controls the family and in turn the whole city. However, this power has spoiled and corrupted the Holtzfalls heirs and the latest scandal and death has the whole system in upheaval. What boundaries will people push for power?

This is an excellent start to what I hope will be a great series. The first book has me hooked and ready for the next. The author does a good job refreshing the siblings and cousins fighting for the top spot in the family trope. Nora, Lotte, Theo and August are great voices that offer important perspectives and depth to the unspooling of the history and secrets of the town of Walstad. They are easy to cheer for and hate all at the same time. I’m looking forward to seeing where this story goes. 5 stars.

Based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by Penguin Teen, Penguin Young Readers Group - Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you!

Phenomenal story that I was so glad to read and so sad it ended. I was enjoying it so much and felt every twist and turn because it felt like I was in the story, one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far!

It seems as though I was hearing about this book forever. I remember coming across the cover and immediately thinking that I wanted to read it. I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy. I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

It feels like a long time coming, but Alwyn Hamilton’s The Notorious Virtues delivers an exciting start to a new series. Honora is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in Walstad. Despite having everything, she never felt like she truly belonged. And when her mother is found dead he entire life is erupts into chaos. Suddenly she finds herself thrown into a competition against her cousins with the prize being becoming the one true heir. My only real complain is that I thought the world building was a bit on the subtle side. It has an almost Great Gatsby-ish vibe about it, which was quite unique. But when it comes to the story this one is loaded with magic, intrigue, deception, family secrets, and betrayal. Now the wait begins for book 2. I’d like to thank PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Notorious Virtues.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RJAAVGD0MPZTY/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I was ready for a new exciting fantasy series to delve into, and The Notorious Virtues did not disappoint. Nora is the daughter of an heiress who ends up murdered. But to be the next heiress, there will be the Veritaz Trials where three cousins will vie to become the holder of magic in the family. However, Nora discovers her mother was murdered so she is also on a mission to discover who committed the crime.

While it may take a while to get into the story, once you are in, you do not want to get out until you have finished all the twists and turns that Alwyn Hamilton takes you on. And yes, there are more books to the series so it is not a one and done. The world of Walstad is revealed through several points of view. The adventure you are taken on is not like other fantasy or dystopian books, so it was great to be able to be immersed in a new idea. Do not be frustrated with the cliff-hanger only be patient for the next installment!

This was my first read by Hamilton, and I was not disappointed. I will have to look for more!

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the first Alwyn Hamilton book I've read but it won't be the last. I was enthralled by the characters, the storyline, the writing, and the unexpected twists. This is the first in a potentially 3 book series and I will anxiously await the next installment. The fully developed characters immediately captivated my interest, and the brisk pace of the story kept me turning the pages late into the night. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for an advanced reader copy.

“This maddeningly entitled fascinatingly frustrating heiress”.

Twice a year, the immortal Hudrekall would willingly emerge from the woods for the Veritaz Trials to choose a worthy heir. Mercy Holtzfall will be asking the Hudrekall which of her granddaughters are worthy to be her next heiress after her most recent Heiress was murdered.

Nora used to be the heiress, until her mother was murdered. Now, not only will she have to fight her way back to being the heiress, she’s determined to find out who murdered her mother. With the help of a rather sassy journalist, she may be able to get her revenge.

Lotte has always lived in a convent where they treated her like she’s a curse because of her unique ability. One day, someone comes to fetch her stating she’s the daughter of Grace Holtzfall and must come with them to enter the Veritaz Trials. Lotte now has a chance to be who she was always meant to be and maybe have a family.

This book made me think of the Great Gatsby with its glitzy glamour, parties and high society gals, with some rather darker undertones. These filthy rich spoiled heiresses who know nothing except for having money, going to parties and getting ALL the attention.

This world had such unfairness to it that you couldn’t help but root for the “bad guys”. But were they really the bad guys? So many just wanted, no needed more money, but these Holtzfalls went from being a family that cared about people to only caring about themselves.

There’s a tale throughout the book that tells you how the Holtzfalls came to be and it’s so fascinating to see how different they’ve become since then.

But Nora and Lotte are different.

Nora reminds me of Lady Mary from Downton Abbey. She’s my favorite. I loved Nora, just as I loved Lady Mary. She’s redeemable. She is rather vain, always knows what to say or how to act when something doesn’t quite go her way. She’s one of those ladies that you kind of wish you were because she just has an answer for everything, a quip to say back. And yet she’s also grieving after her mother passed and she’s angry. You can tell she has good intentions and yet she doesn’t realize you actually have to DO something about it, until August points it out to her making her think and stew about it. Her growth was so well done. She was still a spoiled heiress, but you could see minute changes here and there of how she really started to see the world and that if she were heiress, she could actually do something about it. She was an even better person by the end of this book. I look forward to seeing more of her growth.

Lotte came from a convent where they treated her terribly. She has a very special and unique ability that…let’s just say allows her to read people very well, and it has helped her get by. Now she’s entering the glittering world of the Holtzfall and has to learn how to be one while also not be killed. Her life was literally turned upside down, and despite being more nice and less spoiled, she’s angry too and it made me wonder if she would change because of her anger, but she didn’t.

The friendship Lotte and Nora develop had rocky moments, but wow did I love how their relationship developed to be more like sisters and less like enemies or rivals.

Theo and August are the other two POVs and I loved seeing their perspectives.

Theo is trying to remain loyal to the Holtzfalls, while also having to decide whether to betray them for a reason only he knows. I loved his loyalty and protectiveness. When learning about him being a knight and what it entailed for these oathbound knights, I was shocked. It’s not a pretty thing to learn what they’re literally forced to do or be like. They basically have their rights taken away and have no choice and so again, you can’t help but root for those who want a better world. Violence just isn’t the answer though.

I adored August! He’s this quirky, reserved, sassy journalist. I loved him with Nora. The banter between the two was glorious. He knew what to say to her. He didn’t treat her like some precious fancy spoiled heiress. He actually treated her like a normal person and I loved that about him. These two are just 👌🏻

There’s so much that happens in this book with the trials, relationships and friendships developing, the Grims who are trying to end the Holtzfalls and even some hints of romance. There’s basically no romance, but you can feel and see the draw in here and I’m excited to see where they go because I love a good slow burn romance, and where there’s two, even better! There’s twists I saw coming and some that I was like “oh duh” 😆 there’s people you will love and some that you will just absolutely despise. I don’t always hate a character, but there are some in here that were awful, one particular one that will never get any sympathy from me, especially after that ending.

And that ending! Wooooow just so much happened and I’m so…I have no idea how to feel except for upset I have to wait to read what happens next.

Such an amazing book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A dazzling tale jam-packed with drama and deception.

“The Notorious Virtues” follows Honora “Nora” Holtzfall—the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad—and Lotte—the illegitimate daughter of Nora’s aunt—as they compete in a series of magical trials for power that determines the one family heir.

Hamilton’s latest publication is an exploration of power, privilege, and complicated family dynamics set against the backdrop the Veritaz Trials. The Veritaz creates a thrilling, high-stakes atmosphere that I found both captivating and intriguing. With the Holtzfalls competing to see who will be the next heiress, this book definitely has a “Knives Out” feel to it. The betrayals, unique magic system, and murder-mystery work together to keep readers entertained and on their toes.

Hamilton’s cast of characters further sucked me into the story. I enjoyed alternating between the perspectives of glamorous heiresses, rakish journalists, and dashing knights. Each play a part in piecing together what happened to Nora’s mother while also being each other’s biggest competition. I really enjoyed their distinctive personalities and learning more about Nora and Lotte’s motivations for wanting to win the trials.

This story ends with several loose threads and I can’t wait to see where they lead in future books!

The Holtzfall family has ruled for generation upon generation. Their matriarch, Mercy Holtzfall, controls everyone and everything with an iron fist. She has unfettered power and greed. When her heir and daughter, Verity, is murdered, it triggers a new Veritaz trial to determine who will be the next heir. Nora and Lotte are two of the five granddaughters who are put to the test. One was raised in extreme privilege and the other was raised in a convent where she was mistreated by the nuns. Lotte can read minds, a coveted trait. She is the first one born with the gift in a hundred years. Nora’s gift is that she can scry. The Grims are rebels fighting for a share of the magic and the wealth. They’ve become a real thorn in the side of Mercy and the rest of the elite class.
This is the first of a fantastic new YA fantasy series. It’s about power, privilege, classism, and family. It has magic, monsters, fabulous parties and a winner take all competition. There’s also the matter of Verity’s murder and who did it. And blossoming romances too. It’s a totally engrossing tale and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. 5 stars

I was so excited to receive this book as an ARC and now I understand why the hype was so high around this book.

The story opens with Nora who is heir apparent, and Lotte who has been secluded away in a convent for most of her life. Once Lotte is drawn back into the fold of her cut-throat family, she soon finds herself as a contending heir to inherit the title of Heiress to the family of Holtzfall.

There is a bit of fairy tale mixed with magic and conflict. the family is pitted against each other as they try to become the victor of the competition. Nora feels as though the title should be rightfully hers as her mother was the previous heiress until she was murdered. Lotte knows very little about the antics of the family but having grown up in an environment of want and with no family, she sees this opportunity as the only way to finally earn everything she has dreamed of.

I'm on the fence about this "lost heir" trope. I do feel like it is often overdone. It works well for the story since we do have some darker fairy tale vibes mixed with the magical competition trope as well. I can't wait to pick up the next book when it comes out and see where the cliffhanger ending takes us.