Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

The premise of this book gave me a lot of excitement - an inn that connects worlds?! give it to me! On reading though, while the worlds were intriguing, this book focus on more of a murder mystery surrounded by untrustworthy two dimensional characters.
I think this one would have been better more fleshed out and published as a full novel rather than a short book. I know there is a sequel but I wont continue with it.

This was a nice snippet to get me interested in the book, which I will be checking out now. I enjoy all things small mysterious towns, and it's even better when they're in the mountains and and magic is involved!

DNF @ 174 pages (60%)
I thought this was going to be something completely different. I thought it was a portal fantasy where we explore different worlds but it's just a glorified murder mystery party in an inn with creatures that came from those different worlds. I did not expect an urban fantasy and I wasn't enjoying it. I was not intrigued by the mystery plot when I usually love a mystery plot. I also did not care for the characters because our main character kept repeating her feelings every two pages and I'm like we get it. I wish we got other people's perspectives instead of just hers.

So much detail was packed into this extract. The author has managed to describe a world so perfectly in so few words. It’s only two chapters long and yet I am drawn in and need to purchase this book immediately. Would definitely recommend based on this extract.

Gorgeous cover! This is only a preview of the book so I really don't feel like I can rate the book properly as I haven't read it all, but this seems like a promising story!

This one unfortunately was not for me - I kept zoning out when reading, could not concentrate on the plot and had to skim read the final 50 or so pages! I really wanted to love it but sadly it fell a bit flat for me and I didn't think it had a very strong beginning.

This was just a preview and, although the plot seems interesting, I wasn't overly enamored with the writing style. Also, the way the book started was a bit confusing, maybe this would have been ironed out in the next few chapters, but it was a little disorienting. I don't know if I'll read the full book, but the premise seems interesting.

I really loved the cover of Havenfall, and the promising prologue, that following Marcus as he read an age old book that promises to keep everyone safe.
I really liked the characteristic of the book and the enemy side of it, and the diversity in it.

Havenfall is a quick fantasy read that (I think) can be someones favorite or hated book.

This cover is gorgeous and is what initially drew me in to pick this one up. This is a contemporary fantasy, that bridges on a portal fantasy (which I love). However, in this book the reader only stays in this world. You can definitely tell that this is a first in the series type of book and I'm hoping that the other worlds will be explored in the later books. I liked the characters okay (I'm hoping that in the later books that there will be more character development though), but I loved the setting. I loved it being in a small town and how it was a safe haven for all the realms but it was also a safe haven for Maddie. The plot and world-building are definitely unique. The pacing of this story was pretty slow and I felt that it could have been condensed down, but it was still an enjoyable read.

The plot was interesting and convincing but at times I think I kinda went ahead and predict the story sometimes, That's what happens if you read too much fantasy. Still it's an interesting read.

Reading the first two chapters in this excerpt absolutely made me want to go and pick up the full novel! The descriptions of the town and this world were beautifully done (and that cover!) and everything was so vivid I could picture what was going on as if it were a movie. It read more suspensefully than I was expecting, but that just helped to draw me in more. Definitely looking forward to reading the full book!

A great novel that was slow in a few places. I loved the characters and how they interacted with the world around them. Can't wait to read the next one!

An intriguing excerpt that has left me excited to buy and read this book, especially because I loved Everless.

Disappointed that this excerpt ended too soon! I was enjoying the book and wish there has been more.

This is an great intro to portal fantasy. For someone who is new to the sub-genre, this would be a fantastic read without being too high fantasy.

However, I do wish the worlds were a little more fleshed out. It seemed a little one note, but I did ultimately enjoy my time reading Havenfall.

Why I took so long to read this I don't know it was such a great book. I loved the idea of the different worlds and gates into the worlds resting on one, peaceful plot of land on Earth, and I think the plot was amazing. I can't wait to see where this is taken in the next book, and the one good thing about me picking this up to read so late is that I have less time to wait to get my hands on the next book!
Definitely one to add to my favourites list.

As I was only provided with an excerpt of the book (first couple of chapters) I don’t feel I can give an accurate review of the book. All I can say is that I was really intrigued by the concept that was laid out in the sample and wanted to learn more about Havenfall, other realms, and the magic within it all. The writing was engrossing from the start and I felt that the characters were off to a good start. It was good enough that I’d want to read more of the full book.

Surrounded by dozens of capable adults our teen leading gal ends up running a whole inn that houses three different species (including humans) from three different worlds (including Earth). If you’re thinking; wow this girl is a special snowflake isn’t she? You’d be bang on. She’s also dumb as a post. Sara Holland brings up an interesting set-up and story; but unfortunately it is plagued by teen tropes, a clueless heroine, and a really skewed view of mental health.

Dumbest Girl Ever
I don’t even know how to be nice about this. Our leading gal, Maddie, is just so dumb. At every corner she is given tons of knowledge, help, and clues; yet somehow she still manages to remain clueless. Albeit she’s only a teen but even a five-year-old knows not to trust random people they don’t know. Especially when it’s known that danger and strangers lurk around every corner. The worst of it is that because our heroine stays clueless the reader has to be strung along, painfully, until she ‘discovers’ things for herself. Havenfall is much too predictable in both it’s story and leading gals actions.

Mental Health
Holland may win the award for having the most offence line in a book I’ve read in 2020; and that includes Harrow the Ninth and other gruesome, gory stories.
”You have more happy memories than scary ones, don’t you? Why give the scary ones so much space in your head”
Only someone absolutely ignorant to PTSD, flashbacks, night terrors, and reactive anxiety would even consider saying this. To me this is like saying ‘just be happy’ to someone with depression. If it were that easy we’d all have done it by now!! I just about put this book down at this point because I was so frustrated. Who would ever think that someone whose mind is struggling with disturbing topics would dwell on them on purpose?!? My guess here is that Holland has literally never been down a dark alley and been concerned for her life; never mind feared for it. Even the average teenager, by 18, has had at least one incident in their life that was intense or terrifying. Apparently Holland is a super special snowflake, just like her leading girl, and has never, ever had nightmares (never mind night terrors), a traumatic incident that brings on PTSD or PTSD-like symptoms. If only we were all so lucky *drips with sarcasm*.

Overall
The world building here is very interesting; and the ending has some real potential for the future story. Unfortunately the actual writing, execution, and leading gal are subpar at best. There are just so many better teen/YA books out there that I can’t in good conscious recommend this one unless you are desperate or really, really like the idea or Holland’s writing from her previous books. Otherwise I would be confident in saying this is a series to pass over; especially if, like me, you have a huge TBR.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Havenfall is the first in a new fantasy duology from Sara. I absolutely loved her previous duology Everless so had high hopes for this next series, and it did not disappoint. The concept and setting of Havenfall is brilliant; an inn at the point where the ancient realms intersect with an innkeeper (human) who keeps the peace between the magical lands. I could not get enough of this setting. Maddie, the main character, is next in line to be innkeeper, but finds herself pushed into the position early when there is a murder at the inn and her uncle, Marcus, is incapacitated. Maddie has a lot to balance on her shoulders, it's a lot of responsibility and you really feel for her, but she is brave, clever and determined and gets things done. This book is filled with secrets and mysteries. There are some big shocks and unpleasant revelations. There is a dangerous romance and some big betrayals. It has everything that you want from a fantasy book. I am really looking forward to the sequel.