By Alwyn Hamilton
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Print Length: 320
Release Year: 2025
Genre: Young Adult, Romantasy, Mystery
Avg. Goodreads Rating: 4.27
Available on Amazon, B&N, AbeBooks, and WorldCat
Special thanks to Faber & Faber and theWriteReads for providing me with an eARC.
At sixteen, Honora “Nora” Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad. Her family controls all the money–and all the magic–in the entire country. But despite being the center of attention, Nora has always felt like an outsider. When her mother is found dead in an alley, the family throne and fortune are suddenly up for grabs, and Nora will be pitted against her cousins in the Veritaz, the ultimate magical competition for power that determines the one family heir.
But there’s a surprise contestant this time: Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora’s aunt. When Lotte’s absent mother retrieves her from the rural convent she’d abandoned her to, Lotte goes from being an orphan to surrounded by family. Unfortunately, most of them want her dead.
And soon, Nora discovers that her mother’s death wasn’t random–it was murder. And the only person she can trust to uncover the truth of what happened is a rakish young reporter who despises everything Nora and her family stand for.
With everyone against her, Lotte’s last hope is hunting for the identity of her father. But the dangerous competition–and her feelings for Theo, one of the Holtzfalls’ sworn protectors–turns her world upside down.
Incredible tests, impossible choices and deadly odds await both girls. But there can only be one winner. (Goodreads)
When Honora’s mother is found dead, the media darling finds herself in competition for the thing. The Notorious Virtues not only follows the story of Honora but also the surprise appearance of her cousin Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora’s aunt. Hamilton boasts a story full of mystery, glamour, romance, and magic that keeps the reader engaged throughout.
Hamilton drops you into the action from the get-go. This is both a blessing and a curse, depending on the reader. For some, like myself, it will hook you in right away, immediately making you crave more, wanting to know what happens next. Others may struggle with the subsequent infodump that comes with being thrown directly into the action. That said, Hamilton does a good job of pacing the initial bombardment of information and the continued revelations and story development throughout. This is one of those few books I would say might have benefited from being slightly longer.
The story follows several points of view, from Honora as mentioned above and Lotte to love interests in Theo and August, as well as an interesting supporting cast of secondary characters. Writing a book with this many points of view is a feat in itself, and Hamilton manages to do so quite well.
The Notorious Virtues shows off its fairytale roots. It gives a magical Gatsby told by Grimm. Hamilton ties the story together masterfully, leaving a genuinely edge-of-your-seat cliffhanger.
| Writing | 85 |
| Story | 87 |
| Characters | 80 |
| Setting | 78 |
| Atmosphere | 90 |
| Enjoyment | 75 |
Final Score
83/100
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