I absolutely devoured this book. I had never read this author and figured I would give it a shot and could not put it down. Now I’m just waiting for this book to drop so I’m one step closer to getting my hands on the next book. Please, please let me read the next book. I need it now. Until then I will highly encourage everyone to check this book out. The intrigue and the flow of the story had me on the edge of my seat. This is already a top book of the year in my opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Alwyn Hamilton’s "The Notorious Virtues" is a dazzling and immersive fantasy novel that delves into themes of power, family dynamics, and personal growth. Set in the opulent and treacherous world of the city-state of Valkyr, the story is a captivating blend of magic, political intrigue, and adventure that keeps readers hooked from beginning to end.

The novel centers around Nora, the adopted daughter of the influential Dacre family, who has always lived in the shadow of her more powerful and glamorous cousins. The Dacre family is known for their wealth and their mastery of the Virtues, a set of magical abilities that grant them power and influence. When the head of the family, Lotte Dacre, dies under mysterious circumstances, Nora finds herself thrust into a dangerous competition to prove herself worthy of inheriting the family’s fortune and power.

Hamilton excels at creating a richly detailed and vibrant world. Valkyr is a city of contrasts, filled with luxury and decadence but also seething with danger and intrigue. The city’s intricate politics and the complex web of alliances and rivalries add depth and realism to the story. Hamilton’s world-building is meticulous, with every detail contributing to the overall atmosphere and tension of the novel.

Nora is a compelling and relatable protagonist. Her journey from a girl who feels overshadowed and underestimated to one who discovers her own strength and worth is both inspiring and captivating. Hamilton portrays Nora’s internal struggles with authenticity, capturing her doubts, fears, and determination. As Nora navigates the treacherous waters of the competition and uncovers secrets about her family and herself, she grows into a strong and resourceful young woman. Her character arc is both satisfying and emotionally resonant.

The supporting characters in "The Notorious Virtues" are equally well-developed and add richness to the narrative. From Nora’s ambitious and ruthless cousins to the enigmatic figures she meets along her journey, each character plays a significant role in the unfolding drama. Hamilton skillfully weaves their backstories and motivations into the plot, creating a tapestry of interconnected lives that enhances the overall complexity and intrigue of the story.

One of the standout features of the novel is its exploration of power and its consequences. The Virtues, while granting immense power to those who possess them, also come with significant risks and responsibilities. Hamilton delves into the moral and ethical implications of wielding such power, raising thought-provoking questions about ambition, loyalty, and the true cost of achieving one’s goals. The novel’s exploration of these themes adds depth and nuance to the fantasy elements, making it a compelling and thought-provoking read.

The plot of "The Notorious Virtues" is intricately woven and expertly paced. Hamilton balances moments of high tension and action with quieter, introspective scenes that delve into the characters’ psyches. Each chapter ends with a hook that propels readers forward, creating a narrative that is both suspenseful and emotionally engaging. The twists and turns of the plot keep readers on their toes, and the final revelations are both surprising and satisfying.

Hamilton’s writing style is both evocative and engaging. Her prose is vivid and descriptive, capturing the opulence of Valkyr and the intensity of the characters’ emotions. The dialogue is sharp and reflective of the characters’ personalities, adding authenticity to their interactions. Hamilton’s ability to convey emotion through her writing is particularly noteworthy, making the novel’s most poignant moments resonate with readers.

A wonderfully crafted fantasy novel, this story offers a perfect blend of magic, intrigue, and personal growth. With its well-developed characters, intricate plot, and thoughtful exploration of power and its consequences, it is a must-read for fans of fantasy and adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What an interesting and creative story! At first glance one might think it is just another fantasy revolving around the over-used trope of fighting in a trial for worthiness. But, Ms. Hamilton has done a remarkable job of setting that trope on its end and developing an entirely new spin that is both refreshing and engaging.

The plot revolves around two main characters: Honora (Nora) is an uber-wealthy, pampered and indulged heiress who cares little for anyone aside from herself until her mother is killed and she lands in a fight with her four cousins to become heir. Ottaline (Lotte) is one of those cousins, although she, nor anyone else, had any idea until she is rescued from the vicious abuse she has endured her entire life at a convent in a small, obscure town. There are numerous secondary characters that are also highlighted and given page time and POVs, as well. This can be somewhat frustrating to begin with, as the reader has no immediate basis for understanding why. It does work out, however, as the story progresses and the world becomes more clear.

The “trial” itself is an intriguing twist. It requires the competitors demonstrate not only courage and intelligence, but honesty and unity, as well. These challenges can pop up at any time in a given day and each participant may experience it in different ways. Now this! This is what really draws the book into the can’t put down space! Because, this is when the character’s true inner weaknesses and demons come to the surface - and drive the suspense and intrigue!

The world is a bit confusing. It reads as a fantasy-type world, yet there are cars and many aspects that lean toward a contemporary “real” world. The best description might be a semi roaring 20s era with magic. The overall feel of the story also rides a bit on the dark side, as most of the characters are rather nasty and/or self-serving. Our main characters do slowly grow and learn, however, which allows us to invest in their success.

A word of warning, though. The book does end in a substantial cliff-hanger. The overall challenge is not reconciled, only paused until the next book publishes. That was super frustrating! Still, it is a superb read overall, one that is absolutely worth the wait for the next round!

I really appreciate the placement of The Woodcutter stories throughout. It helps with the world building and gives a good understanding of where everything started and how everything evolved. Without those I would’ve had completely different thoughts on the book.

Power and family secrets are the driving forces in The Notorious Virtues. One family has the most magic and money and the defendants compete to be the head of the family. Even though this is a huge part of the world it’s not the biggest part of the book. There were so many surprises throughout and a whole bunch I didn’t see coming.

The last 30-35% is where the pace picks up. Everything before that has a good pace but the last bit the gloves come off and then we are naturally left with a huge opening for more books.

I am very rusty on folk tales and children’s stories but I got the feeling that this is roughly based on a folk tale. I could be completely wrong but it’s the vibe I got.

This immediately caught my attention because I had recently finished Alwyn Hamiltons other trilogy The Rebel of the Sands. These two have wildly different stories and both stories I was dragged into from the start. With this book the world and the magic felt so fleshed out and I really enjoyed the origin story chapters of the Holtzfalls ancestors and how tge family came to be so powerful with their magic and their political ties to the city. I will say that their are 2 romances happening in here that I just kind of didn't care for just due to how many things were happening around the characters that were just way more interesting. That and the trials that the younger members of the family kind of felt rushed along to further another plot with made the pacing kind of seem off and yet I couldn't put this book down. I loved this book pretty much until the end and then I was like "that's it?" The ending came so abruptly and I felt like it was just setting up for a sequel which I don't mind usually but this just felt like the characters were running off a cliff. Not hanging, just jumping straight off. It was very jarring and made me kind of feel cheated, so readers will definitely be upset at the end of this one which might just be intentional to get them to read the sequel. Overall great worldbuilding, unique magic system reminiscent of we are all villains and some really crazy starlings kept me on the edge of my seat. Hamilton really knows how to write well thought out stories.

Loved this story. It really surprised me through out and I was dying to know where the story would go. These characters are epic and their journey is top tier.

I really liked this. I enjoyed it setting and I am curious what we'll learn about the rest of the world in coming books. I also grew to really like our four protagonists. Unfortunately it became a bit predictable towards the end and it was slowed down by what I call a 'Just-Talk-Already'-plot. But I am looking forward to a sequel after it's ending

This sounded so good and everything I really do love for this genre. Alas, this did fall a bit flat for me. I'm admit, right from the start, it was a bit of a struggle for me to get into and then to continue reading. I do love the folklore of this one quite a bit.

This book sounded so good and I was excited to read it. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t a great book to me. I found it boring and had a hard time finishing it.

Blair Waldorf and Peter Parker team up to solve her mom Martha Wayne's murder! But her secret cousin Cinderella appears and might take everything in their grandmother's will! Rich people suck!

"Eat the rich" is good, but it's also fun when the rich eat each other.

This is The Blacklist Episode "T. Earl King IV" mixed with crime noir mixed with 1920s debutantes mixed with Gossip Girl. It's also a somewhat heavy-handed takedown of wealth inequality and feudalism. Not subtle, and some of the characters are foolish, but it's also YA and they're teenagers. I did think it was weird that Theo dropped Nora (when they were raised to be like siblings) lightning fast to pant over Lotte, but maybe he likes fellow blonds.

This was a breath of fresh air in the YA fantasy genre. The various mysteries and family power machinations made this a very quick read, and it seems like the sequel will lean heavily into fantasy with that cliffhanger. I just hope it doesn't go all Animal Farm.

I had been really excited to get into this book, as the description of dangerous magical trials and a murder mystery sounded right up my alley, but unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The overall storyline and the magical elements were fun and interesting, but could have all been delved into a little deeper. The trial competitions were kind of blink and you missed it. I was expecting them to be bigger and more obvious (their own isolated events), but instead they were quick moments mixed into what was regularly happening. I also didn’t really connect or become invested with any of the main characters. I didn’t dislike them, but I did feel pretty indifferent. I am curious enough to continue reading the series to see where the story goes (as it did end with a bit of a cliffhanger), but as I didn’t LOVE this book, I’m kind of in the middle of whether or not I would recommend reading this. If it sounds interesting, I’d say go for it. I don’t think you’ll have a bad time, but also don’t go in expecting to leave with a new favorite book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

As a fan of Alwyn Hamilton's previous work, I had high hopes for this book, and it did not disappoint!

This was an immersive read, with plenty to love:

- Roaring 20s/gilded age vibes
- Wealth and class politics
- Cutthroat competition and delicious secrets
- Immersive worldbuilding
- Multiple POVs that provided dimension and depth to the story

While I will say that it took a bit of getting into at the start, right around the 25% mark, I was absolutely hooked and couldn't put it down. The characters are complex and multidimensional, the plot is unpredictable, and the story is so very well done.

I look forward to the next in the series, and I will absolutely be purchasing and recommending this one to my students!

A poor man's gossip girl.

I was so excited to see that Alwyn Hamilton had a new book coming out after so long since her trilogy, but this new book left me unimpressed. It was boring. I couldn't connect with any of the MC's. It was trying to hard to say something about wealth but in my opinion failed greatly at it.

I don't think I'll be picking up the next installment but thanks netgalley for an earc in exchange for an honest review!

An heiress whose inheritance has been challenged and a girl thrust into a world she knows nothing about will compete in a magical competition to win the power of a city. But the tension between the rich and poor is reaching a boiling point, and the competition is the perfect setting for dissent to rear its head. Add in a mysterious murder, family politics, and girls trying to figure out who they are, and you have the ingredients for a perfect YA fantasy. Told through alternating perspectives, The Notorious Virtues is an ideal for YA readers looking for books in the same vein as These Violent Delights, A Tempest of Tea and Three Dark Crowns.

Read if you like…
🥂Deadly tournaments that pit cousin against cousin
🌿Champagne parties that spill over into desolate streets
🥂Roaring 20s meets Gilded Age vibes
🌿Industry competing with magic
🥂Dashing journalists
🌿Magical woods lurking at the border of a modern city
🥂Charms running on spells fueled by blood
🌿Gangsters fighting knights of old
🥂Blood oaths that pit orders against desire
🌿Complex female characters
🥂Shifting alliances
🌿Trials that test for virtue
🥂Strong familial relationships
🌿Glamorous dresses and Old Hollywood starlets
🥂Confronting generational secrets (and trauma)
🌿“Let’s build a better world.”
🥂Fairytale meets modern industry

This book combines a gripping succession story with a splash of magic, a murder mystery, fairy tale vibes, and an urban fantasy backdrop. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect since urban fantasy isn’t usually my go-to, but it quickly pulled me in. While the story is told through four different perspectives, each character has a distinct voice, so it wasn’t hard to follow. Bonus: the romance is super light, which was a nice change of pace.

The magic system stood out as one of the highlights. Some characters have innate powers, while others rely on enchanted devices and talismans, which added a fresh layer to the world-building. Nora was a standout—her struggle to balance solving her mother’s murder while competing for her family’s legacy was captivating. August, the journalist, was another favorite, and his dynamic with Nora (despite their contrasting backgrounds) was fun to watch unfold. Lotte took a bit to grow on me, but she ended up being an intriguing part of the story.

There were plenty of twists to keep things exciting, though I’ll admit a few were predictable. Even so, this turned out to be one of the more unique fantasy reads I’ve picked up recently. That said, it took some time to hook me—it wasn’t until about 25-30% in that I felt fully invested, and the third-person POV with multiple narrators made it tricky to connect with the characters at first.

The story reminded me of *The Inheritance Games*, *The Hunger Games*, and classic fairy tale elements—kind of like a mashup of popular fantasy tropes that somehow worked. While the character development was solid, I didn’t feel particularly attached to any of the romances.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with a gorgeous cover, and I’m excited to see where the next book takes us. If you’re into fantasy with layered mysteries and a unique magical system, it’s worth picking up when it releases in March!

- A wonderful mix of magic, secrets and betrayal -

Before I get into the full review, I’d just like to say, I’ve been waiting for this book to come out ever since it was announced in 2019. I adored Alwyn Hamilton’s previous books, so I had high expectations for this one, and to say I was excited when I received the ARC is probably an understatement.

Now, onto the review:
When her mother dies, Honora - “Nora” - Holtzfall, previous heiress to the Holtzfall family, suddenly finds herself competing against her cousins in the Veritaz, a magical competition to determine the true heir. As secrets about her mother’s death come to light and an illegitimate cousin enters the competition, Nora has to navigate shifting alliances, family betrayals, and the brutal trials of the Veritaz, all while class differences spark political outrage and unrest among the citizens of Walstad.

I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story, but once I did, I was hooked. Alwyn Hamilton has a gift for building worlds, and her unique integration of magic adds a fascinating layer to the narrative. I particularly liked the exploration of family dynamics, especially Nora’s and Lotte’s relationship ant the contrast of one of them being born into privilege versus the other stepping into it later. I have to say, I actually was way more invested in the cousin’s relationship than I was in the romance, but I don’t feel like that was a bad thing at all. One thing I’ve always adored about Hamilton’s writing is her wit, and this book doesn’t disappoint. The sharp humour and playful banter made me laugh more than once, adding some levity to the high stakes. There were also a few small easter eggs in there, so if you’ve read the Rebel of the Sands trilogy, be sure to look out for those!
I have a few small things that I didn’t quite like as much, but they were really minor. Like I said, I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story and I feel like this might have been, in part, due to the multiple, changing POVs. There might be people who enjoy those immensely, but for me, it usually takes me out of the flow a little, which was also the case for this book. Another thing that I didn’t really like were the names. Both of the characters and also of the places. I understand the reason for the characters first names being what they are - virtues - but it still felt a little odd. As for the rest, a lot of the names were borrowed from German and having places be called Lebkuchen House was a little weird, though this might just be because I am a native German speaker.

That said, these things didn’t majorly detract from my overall enjoyment, and I can’t to see where this story goes!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is March 25th, 2025.

Oh my gosh this absolutely dis not disappoint! 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.

*Full review to be posted closer to publication!*

This was my first book from Alwyn Hamilton and I am officially hooked! This was such a fun and entertaining read that packed so much into it. It has a delightful blend of fairy tale, whimsy, some urban fantasy vibe, mystery and intrigue, and so much more. There's a vibrant cast of characters that we follow in a multiple POV format which I think worked really well for this story. I loved the rich folklore elements and the magic system was unique and interesting to explore as well. Characters struggle with family conflict, ambition, a little bit of romance, all of which provided me as a reader with some great twists and a fresh narrative. I don't read a lot of YA these days, but this one absolutely stands out and I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it!

The Notorious Virtues follows Holtzfall Family as they go through another round of the Veritaz Trials to see who will be the next heir after Verity Holtzfall (the current heir) is murdered. With mysteries surrounding her mother's murder, Honora Holtzfall must form an alliance with a young journalist to uncover who was behind it and what was the motive.

Meanwhile, the Veritaz trials are occurring. This composes of trials to see who is most worthy and deserving to become the next heir. Honora is favored by her grandmother and current head of the family but she must win against her 3 envious cousins....and now a 4th long lost cousin has been brought into the mix. Lotte was kept away at a convent in the country until two mysterious men come to grab her and say she is a Holtzfall and she has the chance to find out who her family is and beat them in a once in a life time opportunity to change her life.

This book has a magic system where the elite have the most magic with each Holtzfall being granted a gift if they're blessed enough to have one, and the ability to use magical charms. Society is divided by circles with the inner upper circles being the elite and magical individuals and the lower circles with hints of magic to none, fighting for a change in the distribution of power.

This book was interesting with side stories occurring within the book but it felt slower paced due to it being the first book in the series and developing a new world for the reader. I liked the action sprinkled throughout but I wasn't hooked onto it until the last chapters of the story. I felt that the book felt like it was dragging but once the end occurred it really picked up and a plot twist occurred that I didn't see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this ARC.

This is a fun book. I know, it’s a throw away line, but I had a great deal of fun reading it even though I found the characters characters somewhat tepid, being more archetypal than detailed (the prideful one, the angry one, the vain one, etc;). The plot, told through newspaper headlines, memories, fairy tales and present day machinations, is the real star of the show as Nora, her cousins, and the mysterious Lotte have to face challenges to prove themselves worthy of being the heir of the powerful Holtzfall family while their aunts, uncles and grandmother watch, and plot, and manuever while the populace of their captive city — held firmly in check by the magic, money, and armed men the Holtzfall matriarch holds over their heads — plots and plans in the background.

It’s all about wealth and class — in a shallow, surface level way. Nora is entitled, spoiled and only somewhat aware of how much power and privilege her family gives her. Lotte, raised in an orphanage where she was abused and tormented, sees the wealth almost as much as she sees the idea of family, and neither of them really look beyond their immediate situation except in a vague manner.

However, I can somewhat forgive this as one, they’re young; two, they’re working on this great competition for a place in the family; and three, the grandmother is really, really good at manipulating people to see what she wants them to see, to say what she wants them to see, and to do what she wants them to do. She’s not above using force on her own family, and I appreciated her as a villain.

The world building is glossy and slick, with excellent vibes (for lack of a better word) but it still feels somewhat shallow. Again, that might be because most of the focus is on Nora and Lotte trying to both win the challenge, and solve a murder mystery, so the hows and whys of the world aren’t the main focus. All in all, this was fun, and I’ll be looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.