The Notorious Virtues
by Alwyn Hamilton
a fantasy of intrigue and nature of magic. The personal struggle of responsibility and family connections. The idea that espionage and subjugation are just the facts of life.

A surprise TRULY WONDERFUL book!! While classified a YA book, it held my attention MUCH more than most of the books of its kind (as an adult reader). The characters were fun,and the world Hamilton has created is remarkable. Read if you liked "Spinning Silver" by Naomi Novik, There is very light romance as the book is more of a mystery/fantasy. The blurb does not do it justice. Truly a new hidden gem. I read many books as an early reader, and the past several YA books have only earned 3 stars from me, so this book's rating of 5 stars is high praise.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC #sponsored.

I'm a sucker for a book with trials or competitions, especially ones set in mystical, magical, fantasy lands! Toss in a little elitism, nepotism, murder mystery, corruption, paternity tests, and jealousy, and you've got The Notorious Virtues.

This book is told from four points of view--Nora: the assumed future heiress of the Holtzfall family; Lotte: the long-lost-but-totally-unknown-and-mostly-forgotten daughter showing up too late to sign up, but still somehow on time enough to compete; Theo: a sworn knight of the Hotzfall family who's entire personality is being of aid to the young women in the family, until one day it's not; and lastly August: a journalist whose main characteristic is he smells like newspapers and coffee. I love a predictable pairing, and it's clear from the start which young man will gravitate toward which young lady. But I did find the POV chapters from Theo and August to be somewhat unnecessary and added to the length of the book. I appreciated seeing more into Theo's perspective, but I don't know if they both warranted so much time/space. I do think their POV chapters will become more important in future books in the series, but for this first, I wished for only Lotte and Nora's voices.

I found it difficult to relate to some of the characters for their contradictory vices and awful personalities, primarily the greed and self-serving nature of most of the Holtzfalls. Some felt like caricatures, making them one dimensional and predictable. Nora was difficult for me to relate to for awhile, until we got to see her brain work more and I could separate her as intellectual and naive. I liked where her character started going, but I yearned for a more dramatic change after the events of this first book. I think this is mostly why I found the villain reveal a bit predictable--while I didn't guess the motive early in the book, I was able to guess the responsible party/parties.

My favorite parts of the story line were the trials, but I wanted MORE! We see the first trial in the first half, but the remaining four trials don't start until almost the last third of the book and they move quickly. I liked the spontaneity of the trials, but I wish these scenes were slowed more and more of the narrative spent exploring the characters through their choices in these moments.

While the ending wasn't my favorite of any book 1 in a series, that epilogue left me wanting more! I have a feeling away from the exposition for the remaining books, this series will grow into one that is much more enjoyable for this reader. While I don't believe the trials will come back in future books, the main conflict that is suggested will be even more epic.

This one was an interesting take on a magical hierarchy and societal norms in that world. It combines inherited magic, politics, the value of virtues, and the power all of these bring. The main family has been political leaders, both revered and hated equally for many generations. Each generation brings a new set of family trials for the new children in which they have to prove they are worthy to inherit the leadership. There are royal guards in play, stolen memories, and mysterious deaths, all culminating to end this generation’s trials with revelations untold. I liked the concept, though the magic system was never really explained. Some of the characters were with depth, and others fell short as flat characters. Overall, I’d give this book 3.5⭐️ and am rounding up to 4 ⭐️ for its uniqueness. I was gifted an ARC by NetGalley and publisher and all opinions are my own.

Nora has been groomed her whole life to succeed her mother as heiress - but then her mother is murdered and the title is up for grabs. Lotte is the cousin Nora never knew she had. Lotte's lived her whole life in a convent and had no idea she was a member of the Holtzfall family. Theo is a knight bound by oath to protect the Holtzfalls. August is a reporter searching for a story to boost his career. These complex, flawed, and well-crafted characters make up the four POVs in the story, and boy, do they make it a compelling read.

The Veritaz competition for the title of heir is deadly and sneaky. It's possible you won't survive, but you also won't know when the trials begin. They could happen at any time, any place. The contestants don't fight each other to the death, but are instead tested on virtues such as honesty, courage, and unity. I liked that element of uncertainty - it keeps the competitors on their toes.

Members of the Holtzfall family possess different magical abilities, something they're allowed to use during the trials. With this much power and position on the line, nearly anything goes, and trust in the wrong person can cost your life. Warm and loving aren't words that describe this family. Cunning and backstabbing are better descriptors.

Besides the Veritaz, there's also the mystery of who killed Nora's mother. Plenty of red herrings steer the reader in the wrong direction, and I love a good challenge. August and Nora work together to uncover the culprit, and he soon learns she's not the shallow, spoiled rich girl he'd expected. I enjoyed their snarky dynamic.

A high stakes competition with power and a life-changing reward, secrets, betrayals, murder - there's a lot going on in this well-paced story to keep readers turning the pages. After that cliffhanger, I'm sooo ready for the next book. Recommended for fans of

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Nora is daughter to the heiress of the Holtzfalls who control all the money and magic in the country. Her mother is found dead and the position of the new heir must be decided by the Veritaz, the family magical competition. The 16-year-old must beat the cousins she dislikes and one new addition to the family, Lotte. She is the illegitimate daughter of Nora's favorite aunt who'd been left in a village convent. From being an orphan Lotte is suddenly surrounded by a family that mostly wants her dead. While Nora tries to find who murdered her mother with the help of a journalist who hates what she stands for, Lotte searches for her father's identity as the danger of the Veritaz looms...

Hamilton knows how to set the scene. We enter this world, looking around in wonder and taking it in. A place of town cars, brass bands in clubs, champagne, milk being delivered and newspapers. But also of magic, sworn knights and undying things living in the woods. This mixture of urban richness with touched-by-the-fantastical darkness creates a potent uniqueness. The luscious detailing and figurative speech of creative vividness and beautiful wording along with the sharp dialogue bring this story to life. The world's history and people's backstories are given mostly through thoughts and remembered incidents and contribute admirably to building this tale, never hindering its flow. Ohh and fairytale-like excerpts between chapters.

Multiple POVs with clarity of emotions and true intentions for each of the protagonists who feel like outsiders for different reasons. These characters are deliciously flawed, trying to promote their own agendas, some for greed, some for self-worth, even for self-preservation. Theo, a knight-protector, honorable and dutiful, seems to be the exception. But you are invested in all the characters.

The storytelling is exquisite. Cynicism and sarcasm rage as we have family drama reaching the extreme, people being ruthless, entertaining zingers and backhanded comments and devious plotting. The competition being for virtues is ironic if you count the behavior of these contestants. The trials are nothing like you expect. The magic system where power is used through a wide variety of charms and the existence of singular gifted individuals is quite creative. Things get more intense as the story threads are woven expertly, the suspense had me with my hand on my chest as if I could hold my heart & breath while everything seemed to blow up as we got closer to the end.

This book touches and examines the topics of privilege and social inequality in an engaging way. It also shows the complexity and often ugliness of human nature. Purpose is an important theme here.

Showcasing captivating action, intrigue, secrets, mysteries to solve and conspiracies it is chock full of gasp-worthy events. The spark of rebellion and civil unrest threaten the city on the verge of igniting. Saying I adored it is an understatement. I was totally immersed and felt like I was in a high-quality, magic fantasy thriller TV series.

4⭐️

“this is what belonging to someone is supposed to feel like”

wow this book takes on a lot!!! its a YA fantasy with trials, a murder mystery, political intrigue/unrest, and family drama!

💌what i liked:
-nora!!!! such a cool character! i always got excited when it would go back to her POV!
-the romance subplots were actually so good!! didn’t expect it but i ate each romance crumb up:)
-i truly didn’t know where things were going. the trials were unexpected and it kept me on the edge of my seat. the ending PLOT TWIST?? it got me good! 😱

📖what i struggled with:
-the INFO DUMPING in this book is insane. way too much! the world building is so confusing.
-a bit too long. i think some subplots could have been cut out to keep me more invested.

overall, if you’re a big YA fantasy fan i think you’d enjoy this book! it’s fun and fresh and i would recommend this book to any teens for sure!!

⚠️ no spice, just brief kisses. no explicit language.

thank you so much penguin young readers group and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review:)

This was a fun read! A great mix of fairy take with a murder mystery aspect to it. Walstad have off steam punk vibes sprinkled with the world of The Great Gatsby.

The story played out in a beautiful and intriguing way that kept me wanting to read more. The characters were diverse in their personalities and it made the story so much more enticing.

I will definitely be reading the next book!!

Honora "Nora" Holtzfall is sixteen and part of the most powerful family in Walstad. Her family controls money and magic, and the family members are soon pitted against each other in the Veritaz, a magical competition for power that determines the one family heir when Nora's mother is found dead in an alley. All of Nora's cousins are present, including Lotte, the illegitimate daughter that Nora's aunt once abandoned to a rural convent. The Veritaz is deadly for all involved, and the cousins must work together to survive.

For a family that started out with a virtuous man named Honor who wanted to protect his wife and stay warm in the winter, the Holtzfall family became the premier and politically powerful family in Walstad. The family members compete each generation for the role of Heir, which means being the head of the household, controlling that money and power. In this glitzy gilded age type of world, they have incredible wealth, charmed items and trinkets, and the ear of politicians as well as a family of knights bound to protect and serve hers. The four cousins have little love for each other, continually competing for attention and a sense of worth. This is the world that Nora is born to, but she's smarter than she lets on and is determined to find her mother's killer. The Veritaz can be a deadly competition, but political unrest from the lower class and police corruption add to the city's dangers.

We are told this story through various POVs. We have Nora, Lotte, the knight Theo, and the reporter August. Nora wants to find her mother's killer as much as she wants to win the Veritaz and maintain her lifestyle. Lotte wants to prove she belongs to a family and isn't cursed. Theo isn't as good a knight as his brother but is put in an impossible place between duty and family. August works for a budget newspaper and hopes for more prestige by working with Nora to find the killer. These lives intersect and twine around each other as the Veritaz begins and the protesting lower classes start to intensify and threaten the upper-level residents. The tension slowly rises throughout the novel as the story brings them together or puts them at odds.

The trials and the murder investigation run concurrently, and there are all kinds of secrets behind the scenes. The family had been in charge of the city for so long, and there were always secrets throughout the generations in order to do so. The trials are meant to test the virtues of the descendants to see who is worthy of being the heir, to hold the magic and the wealth, and to protect the city from the dangerous magic within the woods. Clues take on different meanings by the time we get to the final part of the book, which is masterfully done. It's an enthralling book, and I couldn't put it down until it was done.

This is an intriguing fantasy book where the bulk of the magic is in the hands of a family who built up the city of Walstad from a tiny village after being granted a special axe by a creature in the woods. The heir is determined by a dangerous trial among the children of the head of the family. Nora had been the heiress to the heiress until her mother was murdered and now she must go through the trials with her cousins. I really enjoyed this book with its many plot twists and look forward to the next one.

This book is the ultimate family reunion, filled with cousins who would want you dead and a prize that everyone covets. It was an entertaining read start to finish, written so well that it played out like a movie in my head. This was the first book I've read by this author and I am eager for more.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to review!

The Notorious Virtues is a great blend of things I like in a book: we have a well-developed world (that is inspired by the Roaring twenties!!), complex characters, political and social issues, and a magical challenge! I cannot wait for the second book!

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. DNF. I am so sad. I have been waiting for another book by Hamilton since her last series that I loved. I was intrigued by the beginning of this but some of the characters are irritating and this is less fantasy-like than I wanted. I don’t know why but when this was first announced I thought this would be more fantasy but it feels different. I’m only rating this because it makes me and reviewing so it doesn’t hurt my feedback ratio.

Book review: 4/5 ⭐️
Genre: YA fantasy
Themes: duty, virtue, family drama, steampunk, capitalist control
📖 Read if you like: The Hunger Games, The Trial of the Sun Queen, Powerless

In a world on the brink of a social revolution, the ruling class has their own changes. The Holtzfall family controls all the magic and therefore all the money in Walsted. Born of a fairy tale for the worthy, theirs is a family lineage that was given the means to protect and a worthy heir. When the family heiress is unexpectedly found dead, a new heir must be selected from the matriarch’s granddaughters. The obvious selection was the heir apparent Honora “Nora”. The cleverest of the lot, she is also the black sheep in the family. She wears it in a carefree facade, but in her grief Nora seeks to solidify her position by winning the Veritaz trials and once again regaining the mantle of heir.

Yet she and her cousins are in for a surprise when a long lost Holtzall daughter comes out of the countryside. Lotte was kept locked up in a convent where the nuns punished her for her magical ability of mind reading. All she has ever wanted was a family and to be claimed by them. So when two strangers whisk her away from village confinement, she has no idea of the dangers awaiting her. She goes from orphan to belonging to one of the wealthiest families in the land, when suddenly she is entered into a trial by fire.

I didn’t like the insta-connection between Lotte and Theo, nor that he would betray his oldest friend for this stranger. I also think that being able to read someone’s mind in any relationship without consent is just super invasive. This was the weakest link in the story, both from character development and this sort of forced proximity. That being said, I would have read this book for Nora alone. Perhaps because her dark looks stand out in a sea of blond, or that her greatest virtue is her mind, and despite her upbringing she is not as capricious as the rest.

It was an action packed page turner that took me out of my day. Rooted in both fairytales and the history of the imperial revolution in the east it was an atmospheric world that channeled magical realism.

Between the trials, the social uprising against the wealthy and the mystery of the last heiress’ murder there were a lot of well integrated story lines. If I had to be critical of the set up, I didn’t really understand why Lotte was allowed to complete if she had not bargained her magic. If it was just tradition and not a requirement, why would any of them doing it? I actually thought her whole character had a lot of missed opportunity. She had the chance to have a really interesting perspective, but came across more rather bland in a combination of petulant and angry. Still this is an exciting new series that was a load of fun to read! It also ended with a bang setting up for more folklore in book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for a copy of this book.
Pub date: April 1, 2025

Rated 4.5 Stars

The Notorious Virtues was fantastic. I loved it. The pacing was a bit slow but what an amazingly told story it was with a clever magic system and well fleshed out cast. I got a very good sense of each of the characters, their internal and external battles, their struggles and desires and as such I couldn't help but feel for them and root for each of them, Nora, Lotte, Theo and August even though some of their goals were in direct opposition. There was a forbidden aspect to the relationships which I loved. Forbidden romance is one of my fave tropes so I was all over this. The stakes were high and the twists and turns ramped it and the tension up one hundred fold. Things got really intense at times and I loved the way the author used the shifts in points of view to keep the momentum and draw out the intensity. The setting and world building were superbly executed. This author is clearly a master of her craft. I cannot wait to continue with this series as well as read more of her work. I highly recommend this book because everyone needs to experience it.

📖 Title: The Notorious Virtues book #1

✍🏾 Author: Alwyn Hamilton-new to me author

📅Publication date: 4/1/25 | Read 4/4/25

📃 Format: eBook 512 pgs.

Genre:
*Fantasy
*YA
*Romance
*Mystery

Tropes:
*class dynamics
*magical competition
*politics
*inheritance
*family drama
*fairytales-Grimm

👆🏾POV: 3rd person, multiple Nora, Theo, Lotte, and August

⚠️TW: death of a parent, absent parents, murder, abuse

🌎 Setting: Walstad

Summary: Nora and Lotte compete in The Veritaz Ceremony, which is a family tradition in which Holtzfalls have to compete against each other and be the first to retrieve Honor Holtzfall's legendary axe from the woods.

👩🏾 Heroine: Honora "Nora" Holtzfall-16, daughter of most powerful heiress- Verity

👩🏾 Heroine: Ottoline "Lotte" -16, illegitimate daughter of Nora's aunt. Was abandoned at a convent and abused by the nuns

👨🏾Hero: August Wolffe-17, a reporter at the Bullhorn newspaper who hates Nora and her family

🎭 Other Characters:

* Theodric "Theo" Rydder-sworn knight to the House of Holtzfall
* Mercy Holtzfall- 60, Nora's grandmother-head of Holtzfall family for 40 years
* Alaric Rydder-Theo's brother, presumed dead
*Verity Holtzfall-Nora's mother-murdered
*Modesty Holtzfall-Nora's cousin/in the trails
*Leyla Al-Oman-Nora's paternal g-mother

🤔 My Thoughts: This was a great start to a new fantasy series. Strong heroines, a little romance, competition, and family drama were the central themes. All with underlying class disparities between the poorest and richest (the Holtzfalls). It caused riots with Grimm rebels, attacks on the Holtzfalls, and murder. It ends in cliffhanger with a great twist.

Rating: 5/5 ✨
Spice: 1/5 🌶️ kissing only

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group | Vikings Books for Young Readers, and Alwyn Hamilton for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

An interesting blend of historical fiction and fantasy, this novel will certainly appeal to fans of books like the Hunger Games or works by Sabaa Tahir and Renee Ahdieh. The historical era described seems to be the 1920s so it's almost like a YA mashup of the Great Gatsby and romantic fantasy. The story itself is a bit sprawling and at times it seems like there is too much going on but it is the first book in a series so it may all pan out in the end. Overall, the two plucky heroines and themes of social power and political struggle made it an enjoyable read and one that should resonate with readers.

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy.! You can pick up The Notorious Virtues now.

Alwyn Hamilton dazzles readers with a glittering, 1920s-inspired fantasy world steeped in folklore and legend. The combination of Roaring 20s and fairytale magic is absolutely breathtaking, as are the four main protagonists we follow in this story.

Nora, the wealthy presumed heiress born into the life of the Holtzfalls, is as cunning yet kind as they come. August, an intrepid reporter, works with Nora to uncover the truth of her mother's murder. Theo, a knight sworn to defend the Holtzfalls, finds himself caught between duty and family as traitorous rebels blackmail him. And finally, peasant-turned-princess Lotte is thrown into the glitz and glams of the Holtzfalls as the Veritasz trials begin.

I loved seeing the original story of the trials play out side by side with the present day. Though the Veritasz is all about finding the most "worthy" and "virtuous," we see how the trials can be played to put unworthy candidates on top. We see desperate acts, familial betrayal, lies and manipulation, and more from the Holtzfalls and their enemies, the Grims. For so many moving parts, it was easy to keep up with what was happening in the story and how everyone's POVs were interconnected.

I can't wait to see what else Alwyn Hamilton builds within this world and how it'll affect our main heroes. Though the cliffhanger was unbearable, I know it'll be worth it when we get book 2!

3.5 stars - When I saw that Alwyn Hamilton had a new book, I immediately jumped on it since her Rebel of the Sands trilogy is one of my all-time favourite trilogies!

The story has many great elements: a unique magic system and complex and flawed characters set against the backdrop of the Veritas Trials. However, it didn't work as well as I had hoped. The first two-thirds of the book felt like a slog to get through. The pacing was slow, and we sometimes were thrown too much new information. I struggled with connecting with the characters. While I immediately loved Nora, I didn't feel as connected with the other characters until the end. Part of it is due to how the multiple POV was handled. They started too soon. I wanted to spend more time with Nora and Lottie, but I didn't feel we needed Theo's POV.

Nora was the true highlight of the book for me; she's the smart, cunning and complex character I love. I kept reading because I was invested in her story, but by the end, I also found myself invested in Lottie and her journey. Despite its flaws, I recommend sticking with this book. The payoff in the ending is worth it, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group/Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC.

Thanks to Alwyn Hamilton, Penguin Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Don't read this for the competition; I kept forgetting there even was a competition until the last quarter or so, when it ramps up and takes more focus. Read this book for the world building--the civil unrest, the political intrigue, the family lore, the history and culture of the people, the magic.

I loved this book, but I didn't love it until the end. It's a long book, so naturally the middle gets a bit tedious and started losing my attention, but again, the plot starts coming to a head in the last quarter. I really didn't want to stop reading then.

At first I thought Nora was just an okay character, not very relatable and her arrogance wasn't exactly endearing. But when she started to struggle and we got to know her better, alongside August, I really came to admire her. Speaking of, August seemed like a good guy and had some charisma but wasn't super memorable. His and Nora's romance was adorable, though.

Lotte and Theo held their own as far as demanding the readers' attention. Heck, Lotte was more a protagonist than Nora. She had Harry Potter vibes---underdog, everyone wants her dead, holds special power, was shut away and had no idea of the world she truly belonged to but thrived in it once she got there--and Theo was a protector torn between blood and duty. His conflict was the most heart-wrenching; the plight of the knights in general was heart-wrenching.

There were a couple things that I could use clarity on: who the Grims are and how they formed, and how Oscar was a knight without being a knight. The former was probably part of that tedious middle and I just wasn't paying close enough attention, but I was very tuned in for the latter and I still didn't quite understand. It was kind of anticlimactic, actually. Also, a big factor in the plot went completely unexplored, the magical being in the woods that came across to me as the secret puppeteer of it all. I can't remember the name of it. But I'm hoping its role and motivation will be fleshed out in book 2, which I'll be looking forward to!

Wait---I just remembered I wanted to mention, how old are these characters, exactly? I believe Lotte was 17, but I'm not sure about Nora; I feel like I remember 15 for her? Maybe? Yet she and her similarly-aged cousins were out partying and drinking alcohol like its water and having blase attitudes about lovers . . . and no one thought anything of it. Maybe that was normal for their culture, and undoubtedly it was normal for their family, but it really filled me with dismay every time alcohol was casually offered to these teenagers. The author's Canadian, where the drinking age is 18 or 19, so it's not like she's from a culture with a low drinking age like Europe. I wonder how old the boys were supposed to be, too---August lived with his mom but was earning a living and worried a lot about bills, like he was an adult. Should I find it creepy that he was developing a romantic relationship with a girl who, if I understood correctly, was 15? No one was still in school, which, now that I think about it, is strange. It's easy to get caught up in the drama and lore and forget how young these characters are supposed to be when they're acting like adults, but when you think about it . . . it's shady. If any of these matters were addressed in the story, I didn't catch it.