This had a lot of elements that I really enjoy seeing in a gothic fantasy book, such as a vivid setting and creative magic. It also had a vivid storytelling that made everything super easy to imagine, almost to the point where it felt like a movie in my head. The fact that it was also very fast-paced helped with that feeling too.

The romance was already established when the book started, which is not something I normally enjoy, but I think the author did a good job at making the reader invested in their relationship without it distracting from the plot.

The biggest downside for me was the predictability of the story, not even 20% in and I could figure out the direction the whole book was going in. I usually don’t mind things being sort of predictable as long as the so called twist fits the story, and while this one did, I feel like after the reveal the book wasn’t as strong. The ending fight scenes felt a little anticlimactic in my opinion, and I just expected the story to do more after the reveal than it did.

Overall, even though it’s kind of predictable and the ending didn’t do as much as it could have, this was nevertheless an enjoyable read that I would still recommend.


Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

🅞🅥🅔🅡🅐🅛🅛 🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ . 25

What Wakes the Bells was a lovely, intense, haunting story that I enjoyed very much! I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next! I loved the magic and folklore and the setting of this gothic tale. I felt very immersed in the story with the authors beautiful writing and felt like the storyline was super unique and unlike any fantasies I have read lately. I love the concept of the city “coming to life”, super creepy and fun!

Very well written with beautiful storytelling and witty characters. This could also be enojyed by adult audiences since the voice and writing style is strong.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

What Wakes the Bells is an immersive, fierce YA fantasy with fantastic characters, a beautiful romance, and lovely prose that hooked me from the first page.

Oh, I loved this one. The writing was beautiful and fit Mina’s character and the world perfectly. The story and magic system were fascinating, and the pacing and characters kept me entertained and eagerly awaiting the next chapter. I felt seen in so many aspects of Mina’s character, and I also appreciated the half-sibling representation, as a half-sibling myself.
The action scenes and twists were well-written, and I loved the dark, twisty atmosphere of the novel and the sentient city. The romance was so sweet, and the ending fit the book wonderfully. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!

I really enjoyed this one. First download that I’ve finished off of NetGalley! I was a bit skeptical because it’s young adult but I really enjoyed the premise and world that was created. While I found it a bit predictable that doesn’t mean it was bad, just that you could easily see what was coming before our main protagonist. Overall a great fantasy YA book (especially if you’re tired of spice in your young adult books lol). Thanks again to NetGalley!

WHAT WAKES THE BELLS is such an intriguing debut!! I had a great time reading it and loved the vibes a lot. I’m looking forward to more books by Elle Tesch!!

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.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What Wakes the Bells by Elle Tesch is a gothic tale about a city facing off against an ancient evil, bent on domination while leaving destruction in its wake. Its only saviors are in the form of Saints in hiding and the bell keepers tasked with keeping the evil from waking.

I really enjoyed the pacing of this story and the relationships flushed out by the author. I especially enjoyed that as the reader, you never knew where the story was going to end up and if your favorite characters were going to survive, it really upped the stakes. I feel like the author did a good job of wrapping up the tale into the perfect fantasy standalone novel.

Overall, I gave this book four-stars because I loved the setting of the story, the folklore and magic felt really fresh, and it was well-written. It was such an easy read without a ton of info-dumping or unnecessary world-building, which can sometimes be overdone with standalone stories. I definitely recommend this to fantasy fans and those just dipping their toes into the genre!

Perfect for fans of Hannah Whitten’s THE FOXGLOVE KING and Rebecca Ross’s DIVINE RIVALS. Author Elle Tesch creates a fully realized fantasy city with a rich saint-filled history. Mina and her family are in charge of the Vesper bells that keep the Bane from returning. But the bells strike 13 times and the Bane has chosen a new human host. In addition to finding and stopping an ancient bane set on destroying their city, Mina is navigating a relationship with her mother who has been critical of her since Mina’s father died. There is romance, but it is already established when the story begins.