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.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this book mostly for the cover! It was a fun read (gobbled it up in just 2 days) and was a wild ride. The magical world was a bit tough to get the hang of as the book first started. The story was told from multiple points of view, but none of them really shared their inside thoughts and motivations. Lots of treachery and plenty of adventure.

This felt like too many tropes mashed together though - fairy tales, family drama, hidden away child, murder, competition, inheritance, and more.

I was able to get this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. How do you determine who the next heir of the family will be? Through trials of virtues. Nora has been trained to be the next heiress. When her mother is murdered, everything changes. This book is written so that each chapter is from the view point of a different character. I enjoyed this because it always you to know what each character is doing at the same time as others. It is well written and trying to solve the murder mystery before the characters did was fun for me. Definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries and magic.

Alwyn Hamilton’s fantasy novel The Notorious Virtues was an intriguing read with magical trials, a murder to solve and a 1920s vibe. In this world, wealth, power and especially virtues are paramount. The story follows four perspectives; Nora, Lotte, August and Theo.
I found Nora’s pov to be the most compelling. Nora is the heir to the Holtzfall family, but after the death of her mother, she must compete for the heirship along with her cousins (including Lotte, the cousin no one knew about) and prove her worth while trying to unravel the mystery of her mother’s murder.
There are two romantic side plots that add depth without overshadowing the main storyline. With all of this tension, mystery, magic and competition, The Notorious Virtues was unputdownable! I can’t wait to see where the story goes in the aftermath of that ending.

The Notorious Virtues delivers a glittering world of magic, ambition, and intrigue. While the pacing is uneven and some characters could be more developed, the rich world-building and drama make for an enjoyable read. Not Hamilton’s strongest, but still a fun escape for fantasy lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC! This book was FANTASTIC! This story was filled with so many twists and turns and I loved every second of it. The multiple points of view really added to the experience and I fell in love with the characters. I also thought the origin story of Honor weaved throughout the novel was a really interesting choice. Nora's character growth was perfect! The epilogue got me very excited and I am really looking forward to the next installment and to see where things go from here in the world post-Holtzfall!

This book was almost perfect - until the ending. Combining The Hunger Games mentality with a noir mystery is a new idea which I happily received but did not solve. I loved the characters and thought the world building was amazing.

It was an enjoyable read but not that quick. Although I do think it was too much of a slow burn - the last trial came with nowhere near enough left in the book.

Having multiple points of view is always difficult to write. Sometimes it is also hard to read. I can happily say that is not the case here. Each character comes through with a clear voice, Nora taking full center stage.

I did appreciate that although the romance(s) are apparent that isn’t a chief motivation for any of the characters. All too often romance becomes too heavy of a subplot in what should be an action-driven novel. I also like having the characters’ motivations being moral out of necessity. It allows the writer to show all sides of a given issue - how they do react, how they want to react and the middle ground.

Honora Holtzfall isn’t a character I’ll be forgetting anytime soon. I hope it gets optioned for either a film or a series. Looking forward to the next book, as I see this is a planned trilogy. Hopefully we will read about Victor’s death. I do hope for the record it doesn’t get swallowed by the Sunrise Reaping hype. This book should, and does, stand on its own.

4.5 stars

The Notorious Virtues is an intricate fantasy story set in a 1920s-inspired world with a fairy tale spin. There's magic and mystery and, yes, even murder. It's hard to put into worlds just how vast this world that Alwyn has created really is. There are so many layers to the characters and the plot, the world-building and magic, and even the fairy tale-inspired elements.

I was immediately drawn into this story, and even though it felt like a long story (there's just so much happening in every single chapter and there are four POV characters), I had to keep reading to find out who would qualify for the Veritaz Trial and who killed Verity Holtzfall.

And boy, was it worth every single page. That ending... whew! It was a LOT and I am so excited to read the sequel. (Hopefully, it won't take nearly as long for book two to come out as book one, right?)

I really love how all the different elements tie together. I love how brutal and conniving some of the characters are. I love that it loosely connects to Rebel of the Sands. I love that there's so much Alwyn has to work with for the rest of the series. And I love that cover! It's gorgeous.

This book combines so many things I adore, and I'm really looking forward to (1) reading this book again and (2) whatever sequels Alwyn Hamilton has for us next!

Mixing fairy-tale and folklore with a more modern fantasy twist, The Notorious Virtues is a fun read of family politics and duplicity. Magic, civil unrest and the opportunity to grasp the 'throne', with cousins pitted against each other to prove their worth.

Nora and Lotte are strong female leads, dealing with maternal loss and alienation in isolation until they learn to trust each other. All that they have ever known is thrown into question as their world gradually dissembled revealing long hidden secrets.

With a sprinkling of romance thrown in for good measure, this is a captivating YA read.

The general gilded age fairy tale atmosphere/vibe of this book was really fun, and I liked Nora best out of all the POVs and her arc, and there were also some pretty great twists at the end that I did not see coming. But, overall, there was both too much and not enough going on in this book. It was hard to keep track of all the characters and too many of them to be very well developed. There was this complex family and history going on that I never fully understood, but also not enough explanation of the magic for me to really get it, and the trials ended up being a real disappointment that was barely shown on the page. Basically, I never really felt pulled into the story and had to force/skim my way through it, and I'm not really interested in the next one, despite the cliffhanger ending.

Oh my goodness this book is just perfection! Probably my favorite teen novel of the year so far. The characters are dynamic, the story is engaging, readers are drawn in from page one, and all the family dynamics are just messed up enough, you must know what is going to happen next. I love all four characters highlighted. The voices for each are unique and just jump off the page. I also enjoyed the fantasy mixed with the family turmoil. The magic added to the story and made sense with the fairy tale that allows the Holtzfall family to be in power. I noticed that people have been waiting for this book for a long time. In my opinion the wait is worth it, and I hope that readers loved this just as much as I did. I know that this will be a book I’ll highly recommend.
Thank you to Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

This was a good one.

A town with a 20’s feel, where magic is real.

Only a Holtzfall can have or perform magic which has made them powerful and rich.

So, a murder of the next Holtzfall heir results in a competition between cousins to take over as top dog in their family.

There are multiple POVs but my favorites were Nora whose mother was murdered and she’s set on solving it (she will by the end of the book).

My other favorite was Lotte, the illegitimate child that no one knew existed but has as much right to win as any of the others. It was fun to learn about the family with her.

The trials were awesome, but I wish there had been more-or extended scenes of those-because they were a lot of fun.

One of my favorite books I’ve read this year so far and now I have to wait for Book Two lol.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin/Viking Books for a free copy of this lovely book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I ate this up! I've said it before and I'll say it again, throw a magical competition in a book and I will be hooked. When Nora Holtzfall's mother is found dead suddenly Nora's guaranteed life as the heiress to her country is up in the air. For centuries her family has tested its children to find the most virtuous to lead the people. Nora's mother won her Veritaz trials and as her only child Nora was the heir apparent. Now Nora must compete in her own Veritaz trials against her cousins to secure her place as heiress once again. However, her cousin's have been jealously watching her all their lives and they won't give up their own shot to one day rule, especially not with their magic on the line. While Nora should be focusing on her trials she can't stop herself from sneaking out into the night with a new journalist friend desperate to understand what led to her mothers death.

I really liked the cheeky naming conventions for Nora's family. Nora's full name is Honora, her family boasts names like Modesty, Constance, Clemency, Grace, Prosper, ect. I love that they took the test of virtues and said okay well now all the kids must have virtuous names as well. I also enjoyed the trials themselves. Each trial is testing one specific virtue and there is a trial equal to the amount of contestants where at the conclusion the winner earns a ring that grants them passage into the woods. The woods are a realm where tricky fae-like creatures roam and dangers are abound.

There's a moment where it's mentioned the woods have been closed off for many years due to humans trying to go in and gain more magic like the Holtzfall family has. This is where I admit I got a bit lost with the world building. We have several facts; Nora is mixed race, her father we are told came from the desert and his mother was a desert princess. The city which borders the woods is divided into several rings with the first ring being made up of the elite 1 percent but the first ring also seems to be the outer ring since we're told Nora's grandmother's house borders the woods. We get the point of view from a character outside the city, Lotte, who makes no real mention of the wood or it affecting her life before she is drawn into the Holtzfall games. We are also told at one point the characters can't leave and so a revolution is brewing with people unhappy with the Holtzfall's claim on owning all of the land with no opportunity for the regular citizens to get out from under their thumb. My absolute biggest problem was I just could not wrap my head around what this world was supposed to look like, I desperately needed a map. (A bookstore had an early copy out and I went to look to see if one had been added and sadly I must report there is no map at all.) It also makes no sense how Nora's father can be foreign. If the current citizens can't leave how is it that people can still come in? My other gripe is smaller and it's that I wish we had gone into more detail with how charms i.e. the magic works in this world. There seems to be professionals who make charms and anyone can use them if they can afford to purchase them. However, a regular citizen has a low level of magic energy within themselves so their charms quickly expire. The Holtzfall's have much more magic and so can get more use out of charms. There's moments thought that I swear it was said that Nora's family who lost their magic in previous trials were still able to use charms, so I feel I must have misunderstood something.

Complaints aside, this is such a fun fantasy with some roaring twenties vibes mixed in with a murder mystery amid a treacherous competition.

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed the world and the characters, and I thought that the author's ability to weave in the different mysteries and intrigue was really well done. The different POVs helped keep the pacing pushing forward and they were fun to read. Everything was just action-filled, twisty and turny, and really compelling. I cannot wait for the next book because I have so many questions still! Really awesome, and I also am excited to get our physical copies in at my branch!

This was the first book I have read by this author, and I am in love. The world building was top-notch with a lot of characters that were well-written and well-developed. I really liked that there were multiple points of view. The book kept me guessing due to all the mysteries and secrets and I couldn't put it down. I cannot recommend this book enough! There was a lot of action with some romance, magic, fairy tales and twists and turns. I have so many questions and need to know what happens next. I hope the next book will be here sooner rather than later!