Thank you to NetGalley and Midnight Tide Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to be honest I requested this because the cover is beautiful. (We also get some beautiful illustrations throughout the ARC.) The synopsis had elements that I typically love like political intrigue and enemies to lovers. Even the opening prologue lays the groundwork for an incredibly interesting world with warring god factions. Unfortunately, this kind of missed the mark for me. A lot of the elements feel very surface level and we just spend a few hundred pages with the FMC, Ertha, thinking about potential ways to escape in between lusting after two men who killed countless members of her countrymen. Beyond that it doesn't feel like anything else really happens. The political intrigue does not exist. Ertha simply is not present enough within the court nor does she posses the intellect to successfully navigate complex court relationships. There are several interesting ideas that I wish could have been explored with more depth and care. I was incredibly intrigued with the plot line revolving around the enemy king, called simply the Father, who cannot find a woman able to successfully carry an heir to term. There are also a lot of interesting threads with the world's gods and I would love to see that lore explored more. I get the vibes that the author has a giant file filled to the brim with lore on the gods and it would be great to see more of that make it into the work. There's also just a pet peeve of mine present here and it's that I hate accented language in text. It just pulls me out every time and there are two characters who speak in such a weird "old-timey" type of way for no reason. There was also a weird decision on the part of the author to change the word day to dey and night to noct. Every instance where the word would appear is replaced, so nightmare is noctmare and daylight is deylight ect. There's no reason given for this choice and it just felt incredibly pointless.

I liked the magic system and the world’s atmosphere, although I think the world-building could’ve been developed a bit more. I enjoyed the plot and I’m intrigued to see what happens next, but I couldn’t connect with the characters, especially the main character, who I really didn’t like. She made me angry and, at times, I even found her stupid😫

This book kept me on my toes, not for a minute did I know where it was going and by the end I still don't know where it's going I'm much confusion but I enjoyed the ride! I will definitely be following the author because I need to know where this story is going!

I am utterly blown away by this entire novel. It was unputdownable! I was completely captivated from start to finish.

It had a fascinating plot that I was so invested and absorbed into - interwoven with secrets and mysteries, courtly intrigue and politics, mystical religions, and kingdoms at each others throats. The background lore to the world was so stunning and enchanting. I truly felt like I was living in it alongside our main character.

The world building was just impeccable and so intricate. Every unique minute detail from descriptions of culture, music, food, and clothing brought the world vividly and richly to life. You can tell when an author has pored their entirety into a book, filling it with passion and soul. Not to mention the gorgeous illustrations included within.

This book had a cruel and twisted darkness to it whilst still feeling gentle and dreamy like a fairytale. The themes of mythology, astrology, and the many deities were just ethereal, and the brutal viking inspired enemies and dark gods were nightmarish. It had the perfect blend of wonder and horror that reminded me of the grimms fairytales.

The prose was just divine. The author has such an eloquent and magical way with words. Every sentence was crafted so beautifully. What a talent this author has!

Now onto the magic. Healing powers have to be one of my favourite types of magic, but it needs to be done well. I have never read anything like this. The concept of the healing magic was executed brilliantly. The descriptions of Ertha's powers in use were visceral and just otherworldly. I absolutely loved how in tune she was with her body - as well as those she touched - and the way her magic flowed through her. The descriptions of what her body felt were so perfect in immersing the reader and making the world and the existence of magic feel all the more real and believable.

Every flicker of flame and bite of chill, every emotion and vision flashing through our main characters mind, went right through me. I had such an incredible reading experience! The romance wasn't superrr developed, and was certainly a slow burn which I always prefer anyway, but I'm so excited to watch it develop and see where it goes in book 2!

Thank you so much to the author and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) for free in exchange for an honest review*

**ARC READER**
thank you to Netgalley for this arc.

3.75/5 stars (i might bump it up to 4 stars, but that remains to be decided)
** This review will contain spoilers! **

Firstly.. The cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous and i honestly can't wait for this to end up on my bookshelf. And yes, this will in fact end up on my bookshelf so if you take anything away from this review then it should be that.

This is the first installment in a duology and it introduces Ertha, a young woman torn from her home and thrust into an enemy kingdom where loyalty, identity, and survival are constantly in question. The narrative explores themes of power and trust, all set against a backdrop of divine lore and political intrigue.

The writing is beautiful - both brutal and elegant. The prose demands attention, often revealing its strength through subtle phrasing. I found it had a rare balance of emotional weight and stylistic control.

The worldbuilding is ambitious, particularly in its mythology which is heavily inspired from the norse mythos (albeit different enough to become its own thing). There is an abundance of unfamiliar names, and it can feel overwhelming but this is alas a rather familiar issue most fantasy readers will recognize. Fortunately, a glossary is provided so when in doubt, look no further. The plot unfolds at a measured pace and has a romance that plays a quiet, slow-burning role. I am assuming that the romance will take a more prominent role in the second installment.

Ertha is a grounded, capable protagonist, and her arc is handled with nuance. Some of the twists were somewhat predictable, but i find that the story maintains enough tension to keep readers engaged.

All in all, this is a beautiful debut novel and i can't wait to see how the story unfurls. This is a fantasy recommendation to those drawn to morally complex characters, slow-burn fantasy, and richly crafted lore.

This book reads like a dark fairytale. The writing is slow paced and whimsical, helping to immerse you onto the pages.
Ertha a healer is kidnapped and taken away from everything she once knew. I love a found family and throughout the story Ertha interacts and befriends a whole bunch of friends.
Being taken away, I would have expected her to struggle more, she is a strong FMC but maybe a little too strong and is able to solve everything.
I did find the romance side to the story a little lacking, I would have liked a bit more chemistry but who doesn't love a who hurt you moment.
And the ending was a good shock!!

Overall thoughts:
I loved this book. I thought it was beautifully written. Fenris had so many moments of gentleness with Ertha, even if he spent the rest of the time being weird towards her. Throughout the book I actually thought it would be 4-4.5 stars, but when I got to the keep your hands off my wife trope, I was fully sold. My only one criticism is that the ending felt a little rushed for me. But I did not feel this detracted from the story.

Characters:
Ertha - Ertha shows so many great characteristics, and the whole "healing is blind" thing was so moving. She kept her soft and gentleness, despite the horrible situation she found herself in and not knowing who to trust.
Fenris - UGH, what a man. I held onto the hope that he would protect Ertha, even in times where it seemed he didn't. When he calls her Princess, I became a puddle.
Kastor - I felt very betrayed by Kastor. The end.

Plot:
I loved the premise of a healer being kidnapped and taken to a foreign hostile land. It allowed Ertha to grow and show her qualities. I liked the pacing of the plot throughout the majority of the book, but as stated above, it felt a little rushed towards the end.

Needless to say, I need book 2 like right now!!!!!

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

The premise of this story intrigued me right away! The story has so much potential, but the execution wasn’t there. The magic system and unique world were so interesting but the world building was not solid enough to truly be able to enjoy the story. There are huge pieces of information just dropped into the FMCs lap that she barely does anything with.

I really wanted to like the FMC but I didn’t see much character growth and she honestly just seemed incompetent most of the time. She is told multiple times not to trust anyone and to look further into people’s motivations, yet she never does and then is shocked when she is betrayed. So many situations she found herself in had very easy solutions.

Overall, this is an interesting story but the execution took me out of the reading experience.

The premise of The Seventh Sister sounded right up my alley, but the deeper I got into the book, the more bored I became. It ended up reading like so many other familiar, lust-filled YA fantasy stories: a heroine with an inexplicable power, captured by the enemy and forced to heal their soldiers, caught between rugged men she’s supposed to hate, and torn between her kingdom and her captors.

Unfortunately, it felt like the main character had little growth, no real internal struggle, and no flaws to overcome. Beyond wanting to escape (from a captor she was somehow instantly attracted to), there wasn’t much emotional depth or development driving her actions.

I ended up DNFing at 42%. The only reason I stuck with it that long was because the audiobook narrator was fantastic. The voice acting gave the characters more life than the actual writing did—otherwise, I probably would’ve bowed out even earlier.

3.5⭐️

I went into this book really intrigued with the premise and the cover is so beautiful. I absolutely loved the illustrations at the start of each chapter they were stunning! The way it was written with the spacing in each page was really refreshing to me as well.

I really liked Ertha as a character, she was relatable and I also enjoyed how her thoughts were portrayed, she felt like a real person and I personally feel like some characters in books can be really over exaggerated but I didn’t get that when reading this book.

There seemed to be a really strong bond between the female characters which I am particularly liking in my reading at the moment in general.

I also really enjoyed the mysterious element and how it has set up for future books and the magic system I really enjoyed.

I did feel like it was slightly slow at parts but It was part of the world and character building.


I am genuinely looking forward to the next book!

Thank you for the Arc

3.5/5 - rounded up to 4 stars!

I honestly had very mixed thoughts on this book - it felt like large chunks of the books were a little bland and I found myself not too interested for long periods of time and just reading passively rather than excitedly. However, when it felt like interesting and important things were happening, it really did get my attention and make me get lost in the world and events

I did particularly love the almost instant camaraderie you're able to feel between female characters - with Ertha being thrown into a new place against her will, I feel like the support and togetherness that she gets from Munnin and Rhapso is something that was absolutely pivotal to have in this book in order to make sure it wasnt entirely doom and gloom.
The end 20% of this book really kept me drawn in though and I literally couldnt put the book down. I feel like everything was tied up to a perfect degree while also bringing SO many more questions that are left to be answered now. I would absolutely love to be able to see where this book goes next in the future!

DNF at 20% – A Beautiful Concept, But Not the Right Fit for Me

I was genuinely drawn in by the synopsis of this book. The idea of a stolen girl caught in a web of political intrigue, mysterious protectors, and hidden forces steering her fate had so much potential in my opinion. The cover is stunning, and the little illustrations at the start of each chapter were a really nice creative touch that made me hopeful.
Unfortunately, I had to DNF at around 20%.
The writing style is very formal and leans toward an older, more poetic even, tone—almost "Old English" in feel. I’ve read books with similar styles before, like the Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy, and that one actually pulled me in. I read the entire trilogy in under a week because I was so invested. So in a way, I don’t mind stylized or lyrical prose, when it’s paired with pacing and tension that keeps me hooked and turning pages non-stop.
But in this case, I struggled a lot. With ADHD, it became especially hard to focus. I found myself zoning out or rereading sections, and even then I didn’t feel connected to the characters or the stakes even if I really wanted to :c.
Despite the strong premise, it felt like the story was dragging, and I wasn’t feeling the spark that would make me want to keep turning the page.
I truly believe this could be a hit with readers who enjoy atmospheric, classical writing and a slow-burn fantasy. It just wasn’t the right match for my reading style.
Anyway, I'm still thankful for the opportunity to be able to read this 🙏 ✨️

Let me start off by saying WHAT! Like REALLY!! The ending was Epic and the cliff hanger made my jaw drop. Don’t get me wrong I had an idea of the ending. I almost had it right. There was couple of twist I didn’t see coming but so made sense when they occurred. But all I can say is WHAT!!

Seniorita M.A. Brown please put us out of our misery and let us know when the next book will be coming. UGH 😣

The Seventh Sister Tropes
✨ Magical/Dark Fantasy
✨ Slow Burn
✨ Morally Grey
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Mates/ Bond
✨ World-building

The Seventh Sister is truly a fast pace story that I could not put down. This book is truly plot driven and the suspense kept me on my toes. This of course while ensuring that the FMC did some character growth and the MMC was just as alluring, morally grey and extremely protective.

So if you are looking for a quick read that has suspense, yearning, great storyline, twists,and great characters (main/supportive) with some Viking elements, then this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.

Beautiful Storytelling
The Seventh Sister by M. A. Brown is a masterpiece is dreamy and beautiful storytelling full of descriptive characters and detailed scenery. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its fast paced story that kept me invested in the plot throughout.

The details of each character makes them feel so much more realistic and relatable. I enjoyed the diversity of skin tones, hair colors, and sexualities given to each.

While reading I really loved the illustrations on each chapter and in the page breaks. It added a bit of whimsy to the pages as I read and I enjoyed the more immersive experience.

I think this book is a great addition to the Romantasy genre and gave an ethereal sense of depth that made the atmosphere that more perfect.

I give it 3,5 stars. Well thought-out world building, even if it was a little simplistic. I loved Ertha, the protagonist, and all her inner world: her magic, her thoughts, her nuance, even her naivety. Loved the way she slowly became aware of her magic like an entity, and I liked the mystery a lot. Didn't like the smut bit, probably because I could see from a mile away the Kastor plot twist (I think I've read too many books like this, I'm starting to guess everything). Nevertheless, it was a quick read, and it kept me up until I finished it. I don't believe I'll think about it a lot, cause I didn't connect with any other character, but I'll be sure to look out for the next book in the series. Overall, a good read.

Started out promising… then just kinda ended.

Picture this- you're going about your day and suddenly gets kidnapped. They are all family, but they're fighting over you like you're the last piece of chicken wing (mind you, they are all male crew).

I kept waiting for the story to go somewhere and for the plot to develop, but it didn't quite deliver.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book was very intriguing to me and I was curious about a sort of dark romantasy with fairytale vibes. The beginning of the set up was interesting and the prologue felt truly magical.

Sadly I couldn't really get into other parts of the story as well as the characters and found myself bored for a major part of the story. I also was bothered by the fact that 'day' is spelt 'dey'. At times the modern language was a bit jarring since I expected a more lyrical prose based on the premise and prologue. Ertha was a complicated character to me since she already has a privileged position and a certain magical talent, but stays rather naive throughout the story. The set up to her getting kidnapped by the Sons of Umbra felt like it only happened because of her naivety. I couldn't necessarily understand her choices at that point of the story. I wanted her to grow more, but felt like there wasn't much space for it. I also didn't really feel the chemistry with the love interests and waited to feel invested in them, but it sadly didn't happen.

I think that the idea and premise of the book are really good, but it didn't explore them enough.

I did very much enjoy this slow burn Romantasy with a great FMC who is a healer that gives Claire from Outlander vibes. The romance is a very slow burn with the captor/captive trope that works quite well as he’s constantly protecting her despite their ‘ire’ for each other. I had a really good time with this book and the ending definitely makes me want to pick up the next one.

I appreciate the opportunity but unfortunately this is a DNF for me. Some parts felt repetitive and I would have like to have seen more depth from the characters/world.

I’m honestly obsessed.
I picked up The Seventh Sister not knowing exactly what to expect, and I was completely hooked within a few pages. The atmosphere, the mystery, the slow unraveling of Ertha’s place in this strange and dangerous new world and what her destiny was going to be.
Ertha is such a beautifully written character. I felt everything she felt...her fear, her confusion, her determination to fulfill her destiny while still trying to be true to herself "healing is blind". Don’t even get me started on the Sons of Uther. The dynamic between her and Fenris, tension for days. And the soldier she heals… I didn’t expect the plot twist, but wow. The emotions were definitely high, and I loved every second of not knowing who to trust.
This book had that perfect mix of fairytale magic, dark romantasy vibes, and just the right amount of romance and danger. The writing is immersive and cinematic, and the pacing? Honestly, I lost track of time completely.
If you love morally grey characters, secret agendas, slow burn tension, and stories that make you feel things... this one’s for you. I already want to re-read it, and I’ll definitely be first in line for the sequel. I also purchased the last special edition that was available on the authors Etsy page!!! I cannot wait to receive it and to see what her favorite quote of the book was (asked her to write it with her signature).