Havenfall by Sara Holland is an intriguing fantasy novel that blends mystery, magic, and a touch of danger. The story follows Maddie, a young woman who works at her family’s inn, Havenfall, a magical place that connects different worlds. When a murder happens in the inn, Maddie is forced to uncover the truth about what’s really going on, all while facing the secrets of her own past.

The author's world-building is one of the highlights of the book. This book has a unique setting, and the mix of magic and suspense creates an atmosphere that pulls readers in. The characters, especially Maddie, are well-developed, with Maddie’s internal struggles and growth adding depth to the story. The romance is subtle but adds a nice layer to the plot.

The pacing is steady, with the mystery unfolding slowly, keeping you engaged without feeling rushed. While the premise of multiple worlds isn’t entirely new, Holland’s take on it feels fresh, and the twists and turns in the story make it hard to put down.

Perfect fall read. Great characters, intriguing plot. Twists and turns, high stakes suspense with just the right touch of cozy mystery. Couldn't put it down. And the audio version was very easy listening. Narrator totally fit the role and gave a believable performance.

I would like to thank Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, Sara Holland and NetGalley for this excerpt in exchange for an honest review.

This excerpt felt too short! I will definitely buy this for myself and read it. The story is eerie as soon as the protagonist reaches the peak of a mountain alone in the bus. All I can say is: The plot is on my style, the characters have secrets for sure and the setting is nothing like I read before.

Can't wait to read the whole story!

I finally read it and unfortunately it's not for me. there are many better developed YA books with the same tropes and well written characters. I'm sorry but that's a big nope for me

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

The premise of this book gave me a lot of excitement - an inn that connects worlds?! give it to me! On reading though, while the worlds were intriguing, this book focus on more of a murder mystery surrounded by untrustworthy two dimensional characters.
I think this one would have been better more fleshed out and published as a full novel rather than a short book. I know there is a sequel but I wont continue with it.

This was a nice snippet to get me interested in the book, which I will be checking out now. I enjoy all things small mysterious towns, and it's even better when they're in the mountains and and magic is involved!

DNF @ 174 pages (60%)
I thought this was going to be something completely different. I thought it was a portal fantasy where we explore different worlds but it's just a glorified murder mystery party in an inn with creatures that came from those different worlds. I did not expect an urban fantasy and I wasn't enjoying it. I was not intrigued by the mystery plot when I usually love a mystery plot. I also did not care for the characters because our main character kept repeating her feelings every two pages and I'm like we get it. I wish we got other people's perspectives instead of just hers.

So much detail was packed into this extract. The author has managed to describe a world so perfectly in so few words. It’s only two chapters long and yet I am drawn in and need to purchase this book immediately. Would definitely recommend based on this extract.

Gorgeous cover! This is only a preview of the book so I really don't feel like I can rate the book properly as I haven't read it all, but this seems like a promising story!

This one unfortunately was not for me - I kept zoning out when reading, could not concentrate on the plot and had to skim read the final 50 or so pages! I really wanted to love it but sadly it fell a bit flat for me and I didn't think it had a very strong beginning.

This was just a preview and, although the plot seems interesting, I wasn't overly enamored with the writing style. Also, the way the book started was a bit confusing, maybe this would have been ironed out in the next few chapters, but it was a little disorienting. I don't know if I'll read the full book, but the premise seems interesting.

I really loved the cover of Havenfall, and the promising prologue, that following Marcus as he read an age old book that promises to keep everyone safe.
I really liked the characteristic of the book and the enemy side of it, and the diversity in it.

Havenfall is a quick fantasy read that (I think) can be someones favorite or hated book.

This cover is gorgeous and is what initially drew me in to pick this one up. This is a contemporary fantasy, that bridges on a portal fantasy (which I love). However, in this book the reader only stays in this world. You can definitely tell that this is a first in the series type of book and I'm hoping that the other worlds will be explored in the later books. I liked the characters okay (I'm hoping that in the later books that there will be more character development though), but I loved the setting. I loved it being in a small town and how it was a safe haven for all the realms but it was also a safe haven for Maddie. The plot and world-building are definitely unique. The pacing of this story was pretty slow and I felt that it could have been condensed down, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Reading the first two chapters in this excerpt absolutely made me want to go and pick up the full novel! The descriptions of the town and this world were beautifully done (and that cover!) and everything was so vivid I could picture what was going on as if it were a movie. It read more suspensefully than I was expecting, but that just helped to draw me in more. Definitely looking forward to reading the full book!

A great novel that was slow in a few places. I loved the characters and how they interacted with the world around them. Can't wait to read the next one!

An intriguing excerpt that has left me excited to buy and read this book, especially because I loved Everless.

Disappointed that this excerpt ended too soon! I was enjoying the book and wish there has been more.

This is an great intro to portal fantasy. For someone who is new to the sub-genre, this would be a fantastic read without being too high fantasy.

However, I do wish the worlds were a little more fleshed out. It seemed a little one note, but I did ultimately enjoy my time reading Havenfall.

Why I took so long to read this I don't know it was such a great book. I loved the idea of the different worlds and gates into the worlds resting on one, peaceful plot of land on Earth, and I think the plot was amazing. I can't wait to see where this is taken in the next book, and the one good thing about me picking this up to read so late is that I have less time to wait to get my hands on the next book!
Definitely one to add to my favourites list.