This book is SO good!!! Of course, I trusted Alwyn’s talent, but I was still surprised by how much I loved it! I loved all the POVs and characters, and I found the book’s structure super creative, it reminded me of some of my favorites, and I absolutely loved that. I can’t wait for the sequel!! 😩🤎

The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton had all the right ingredients—competition, magic, rebellion—but something about the execution just didn’t fully click for me. The worldbuilding is intriguing, blending fairytales with industrialism, and I loved the underlying themes of power and privilege. But the pacing dragged in places, and I struggled to connect with the characters, especially given some of the forced relationships and uneven development.

That said, the magic system was unique, and there were definitely moments of brilliance woven throughout. If you love morally gray characters, political intrigue, and a competition-based storyline, this could still be worth a shot. I just wanted a little more depth to keep me fully invested.

If a book has a competition element, there is a very good chance I’ll love it. I really enjoyed both POv’s we got, and found myself wanting to pick this one back up.

There were a few pacing issues, but overall I really enjoyed this one.

I had enjoyed the author's Rebel in the Sands series, so when I received this book from Netgalley, I had high hopes for it. But, after a couple pages in, I found that I just wasn't interested in this particular story. I'm not sure if it's because it's been a few years since I last read one of her books, or something about this particular book just didn't grab my attention. So, unfortunately, at this time I'm going to set this book aside unfinished and perhaps I'll come back to it at a later time. But I would still recommend giving this book a try if you're looking for something new to read.

Sadly this book just didn’t grab as much as I hoped it would. I put it down and picked it up multiple times but I just couldn’t connect with it. Super bummed.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I normally hate reading fantasy worlds where cars exist, but I am so glad I did not let that stop me from reading this. Alwyn Hamilton reminds me of what YA fantasy is at its best, and though one of the POVs is a little underdeveloped (August), it doesn't make a difference against everything that makes this book incredible. The Notorious Virtues is a sharp, angry book, balancing fairy tales and industrialism perfectly. Both protagonists are wonderfully imperfect, and change meaningfully throughout the book. I wish it was longer. I am distraught that I have to wait for the next one.

DNF at 20%

unfortunately this book was not for me. I hated the main character and I found the story lacking of pathos and personality

The storyline presents an intriguing dynamic between the rich and the poor, a good vs evil, fairy tale type vibe. But, with a twist - magic and charms adds a new layer to the social divide. The backstory of the woodcutter really helped and enriched the story, providing important context that helped the reader better understand the events unfolding in the present.

Unfortunately, I found it hard to be invested in the relationships or the characters that developed throughout the story. Some relationships and events that happened just didn’t sit right and seemed off from the start, while others seemed too forced or generic. All of this combined with a plot that seemed vaguely familiar, made it hard for me to stay engaged with the book and it really impacted my enjoyment of the book.

I dove into this with high expectations and was not disappointed! I was immediately sucked in by the world and the unique magic system. The pacing was absolutely perfect and the characters seemed to jump off the page. I loved all the character development too! There’s mystery, rebellion, fairytales… what more could you want? The only thing that I struggled with was the beginning; it took me a while to get into the first 25%. However, things pick up after that. If you enjoy rich folklore and mysteries, I can’t recommend this enough!

I’ve been dying for this book since Alwyn Hamilton announced it. Now I’m not sure why this book was pushed back so much, but it was worth the wait.

This book follows four different POVs as the a Trial of the Veritaz is beginning. An heiress, an orphan, a knight, and a journalist. The events are generational and political in nature, monster lurking in the woods just out of reach. It’s unique and after the first few chapters the plot really starts to get going.

I grew to love all the POVs but I was really drawn to Nora and Lotte. Nora or Honora Holtzfall is the presumed heiress to a family that has a fable origin of protecting the city of Walstad. After her mother is murdered, she must compete against her own family in order to be the selected heir. Nora is clever, confident but beginning to realize she may not know as much as she thought, and her family had more secrets than even she realized.

The trials were interesting, and refreshing take on the typical YA trials. The interwoven threads of each mystery come together nicely by the end, mostly. EXCEPT FOR THE MAJOR CLIFFHANGER.


In summary, this books is glitzy and glamorous as the 1920s with the fairytale magic and class struggle and corruption sprinkled in.


Dear Alwyn please don’t take so long to write the next one because I’m ready for it now.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC in exchange for a honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved both Nora and Lotte as as the side characters. I’m a sucker for the trial/games trope and feel like Hamilton did a really great job keeping the plot original while still carrying that theme. z

The only thing I did not like about the book was the worldbuilding. It just felt like it couldn’t decide if it was a fantasy or real world. not even really mixing them well

i really liked this one! the world-building was super interesting, and the competition aspect kept things exciting. the main character was easy to root for, and the mix of drama, intrigue, and romance made it a fun read.

I’m sorry I did not like this book. It was hard to get into with multiple POVs and I had to DNF the book. In respect to the author since I did not finish the book, I will not post a negative review online.

This well written dark fantasy thriller has a wonderful premise and intriguing points of view. Lots of readers will enjoy the games, the twists, and the murder mystery. But readers should beware - this is a very dark tale. It is one thing to be told "a narrating character's mother just died and it might have been murder." It is another thing entirely to read it on nearly every page for the first chapter. Those who grieve their own parents would benefit greatly from knowing just how often this hits readers over the head, again and again, before picking it up to read.

The Notorious Virtues had the perfect blend of fantasy and mystery with a unique magic system. As somewhat implied by the cover, it reminded me of a fantasy version of the inheritance games due to the trials and the loveable cast of characters but it was a wholly unique book. I was on the edge of my seat from the first line to the last and the romance added the perfect amount of tension. I loved the background provided by the fairytale-like interludes that explained how the magic came to be. I am so excited for the next book to answer my remaining questions!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Canada for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, it took a bit to get going but once it did it was very intriguing. I liked the characters and the multiple POVs. It felt like an early 1900s inheritance games but with magic and murder mystery. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

🥂📰

Wow, this was so good, intense and emotional!

There are four great pows immersing us in the book. I loved Nora from the first page. It took some time to develop feelings for Lotte, but my love for her grew with her character developmemt. The amazing boys added depth to the story.

I loved to follow the main characters through their enterwined connections, journeys, trials, and all those other events, smartly placed in the plot so that you have no chance to get confused. Characters, four pows, trials, politics, investigations, family dramas and yet everything is clear, but you just find yourself buried in the story not being able to stop reading.

The world is absolutely unique, filled with new versions of familiar technologies and charming magic. Politics played their impostant role adding another depth to the plot and making the book unforgettable.

I swallowed the second half in one sitting! Heating up emotions and raising the stakes, it was full of exiting events and twists. I'm delighted, shocked, amazed, and overwhelmed with so many other strong emotions. Can't wait to read all the next books in this series!

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Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing me with this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Oh my goodness, where do I even start with this book?? It was everything I didn't know I needed and so much more. The glittering world that will both dazzle and frighten in the same breath. The fairytale-esque nature of this book in both its world and its eldritch creatures/curses, not to mention its lessons and virtues. The characters that made me want to scream and cry and throw up with how much I loved them and how scared they made me.

This book was perfectly paced, artfully crafted, and so wonderfully executed that I honestly cannot think of anything I disliked about it. It left me hanging onto every single word, and at the end, I was turning the end pages looking for more. This is the beginning of such a beautiful world full of wonderful and (maybe a little too) relatable characters. Their development is so well crafted that you barely notice the directions you are being pointed in, just like the characters themselves.

I cannot wait to see where this series goes, I just know that it will end up being spectacular!

This book follows the story of Nora and Lotte, two cousins who are pitted against each other for control of a magic ax and their family's legacy which created a bubble of safety for humanity amongst a wild, magical wood. Unfortunately, over the generations, their family has been corrupted by power and oppresses those who rely on their magic bubble to survive. Nora is raised as the heir apparent, until her mother is murdered. Lotte is raised in exile and abused by nuns who hide the truth of her own magic from her, until she's fetched "home" to compete for the ax and the right to lead her family into the next generation. A fascinating magical competition ensues, complicated by additional cousins who are all unworthy in one way or another, as Nora and Lotte attempt to solve various mysteries and come to terms who the reality of the world around them. It ends on a cliffhanger, which normally would make me cranky, but resolved enough that I am instead eager for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin/Viking for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately this book did not work for me and I am DNFing this book at 50%.
The premise of young rich heirs competing against each other for the chance to become basically in the style of American Horror Story The Supreme of their family and head of a city dedicated to them was the part of this story that I was drawn into. Unfortunately after the first 20%-25% of this book it turned into a uninteresting murder mystery and missing relative comes back to take center stage story and I felt myself become completely bored by all of the characters and the plot lines.