Thank you to Faber & Faber for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Without a doubt, Nora is a whirlwind. She knows what she wants and she isn’t afraid of getting dirty to achieve it. She is such a brilliant character. Her intelligence is astounding and really assists in making her such a deviously delightful person. You can see she is the product of her grandmother’s wants and wishes - however, as the book progresses, we see Nora step more into her own shoes and realise just what is her way of thinking. I loved that she is so sassy and confident but has those moments where she is more vulnerable and allows herself to stop, reflect and feel her emotions. Being in her head was certainly a lot of fun - I just wished we had even more of her POV!
Lotte seems so docile and nervous in the beginning but she is certainly a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Hamilton really knocked it out the park with Lotte. I love the way she thinks and how she is so inquisitive. She maintains this facade that allows her to blend into her new surroundings and take stock of what is going on. And when she starts to click with Nora more, we really get to see her emerge from her shell and allow herself to be the person she has dreamed of being - someone who is wanted, someone who is respected, someone who isn’t shunned for merely being her. I really hope we get more in Lotte’s POV because my attention was permanently fixed on events from her eyes.

I’ve been following Hamilton’s work for years. Having enjoyed the Rebel of the Sands trilogy (I am definitely due a reread!), I knew I wanted to read her newest book and see where she would take me. Even better that it’s a big mystery with plenty of intrigue and magic thrown in! I can safely say that this book is brilliant. It has a plot filled with so many twists and turns that I scarcely wanted to stop reading so I could find out what happened next! The magic system and class divides bring something incredibly enthralling that holds your attention and breathes such life into the story. The whole book takes place over a couple of weeks but the flow is so wonderful that you don’t feel jolted by any little jumps in time. There is quite the cast of characters here which isn’t surprising. Considering the trials the family has to go through and those who despise the rich, we see a lot of difference faces, personalities and motives. I liked that we got multiple POVs as it helped add depth to the overall story - but also gave the reader a better understanding of everything taking place, and what motives the characters have. I loved that everyone was so individual as well! There wasn’t a lot of focus on romance here which I really appreciated. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good romance. But this story doesn’t need its inclusion to push it forward. It was just a nice bonus! Now, that ending… My jaw dropped. What a way to finish the book! I would like the sequel now, please and thank you!

Overall, The Notorious Virtues is another brilliant story from Hamilton that everyone needs to read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to Faber & Faber for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

I really enjoyed this one and was hooked from the start! The multiple POVs helped me understand each character better. I like the premise of the book and found the link/twist to fairytales really interesting. I’ve not heard of this author before but now I’ll definitely explore more of their books!

A fairytale X folklore story with a modern twist.
I was hooked on this book from the very beginning, it includes trials, romance, political intrigue, family drama and a unique magic system.
The story follows the Holtzfall family who are the ruling family - they all have their own unique powers. When the current Holtzfall heiress is found dead in an alleged robbery, the remaining potential heirs must participate in trials in order to determine the next heiress. The winner will become head of the family and will keep their powers, the losers will lose theirs, that is if they survive the trials.
There is multiple POVs - Nora , lotte, Theo and August
Nora - heir apparent - rich, spoiled heiress who is quick witted and smart.

Lotte - lost heir, grew up in a convent and was brought back to her family home in order to take part in the Veritas trials and reclaim her birthright.

Theo - knight sworn to protect the Holtzfall family.

August - Journalist at the bullhorn.

The world building is complex yet so easy to understand. The story is embedded with story’s of the past and how the Holtzfalls became what they are today, this is such a unique aspect to this book. It tells stories of how the town of Walstad became to be. There is a Unique magic system that revolves around magic charms.

I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read more by this author.

3.5 ⭐️

I kind of feel bad that I received an ARC of this book as everyone seems really hyped for it but I really struggled to get into it.

I did love Nora's character but I felt that the trials were barely highlighted and some of the characters (like August) blended into the background, even though they had their own chapters. There were some brilliant twists but then also a reveal that was pretty obvious as soon as you'd read the set up.

I found the first half of the book quite hard to get into and took me a few days to get through, but then the last 50% I read in a few hours as I was so invested. So it was a bit hit and miss for me.

I'd definitely read more if does end up being a series and I hope everyone that is really hyped for this book enjoys it more as I think it was a me problem rather than the book.

Mild spoilers! Sorry!

I was lucky enough to receive a digital ARC of Notorious Virtues, and wow—what a ride! This book had everything I love: multiple POVs, deeply layered characters, and an intricate, multi-generational story that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Right away, I was drawn into the rich worldbuilding and the unique Legend of Korra-esque feel of the story. The interludes were perfectly placed, adding depth and history without slowing the pace. And the relationships—especially between Honora and Ottoline—were beautifully developed. We so often see romance or sibling bonds take center stage in YA, but watching these two cousins grow from wary rivals to true allies was a refreshing change.

The character dynamics were another highlight for me. August completely won me over —his quick wit and dry humour were a perfect contrast to the more serious stakes of the story. Theo’s internal battle between honour and family felt familiar, but never predictable. I initially thought he and Honora would fall for eachother, but by the end, I was fully invested in him and Ottoline (book two needs to explore this more!).

And can we talk about the villain? I thought I had it all figured out, only to realise I had completely overlooked the real threat! In hindsight, the clues were all there, and yet I still got caught off guard—Alwyn Hamilton’s storytelling is just that good.

If I have one complaint, it’s that when I got to the last page, there were no more pages—I need book two immediately!

Also, I'm so investing in finding out how many Holtzfall and Rydder love children are out there?

Absolutely 5 stars from me—this does not read like your typical YA, and I loved every second of it. If you’re looking for courtly intrigue, family drama, and characters you can’t help but root for, Notorious Virtues is a must-read!

enjoyed this read, I read it several months ago but had somehow forgotten to post my review.

The fantasy element was here within the trials, however I did struggle to connect to the characters with the split POV. That is a personal struggle I typically prefer single POV structure.

I read this amongst some incredible 5/6 star reads for me which made it difficult to get into it - I will hope to re read this in the future and give it its true opportunity to show me what everyone else has got from this. However my rating is based on my experience

Thank you so much NetGalley for letting me read this early! I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but it certainly blew all my expectations out of the water. I really really enjoyed this story and read it so fast, I can’t wait for book 2! The best way I can describe this book would be a cross between The Selection, The Great Gatsby with old magical folktales in the 1920s.

The setting of the book was brilliant from the start, Nora, at first glance, is not the sort of character you would like in real life but because we get to experience her POV she’s immediately likeable. A rich, spoiled heiress who’s extremely clever, quick witted and loves attention to the outside world, but to us she feels like an outsider, a pretender and is suffering a big loss. She’s very multifaceted which I love in a main character. Lotte was really great to read too, I was really surprised at how great all the POVS were in this because usually there’s always one that you can’t wait to get over with. In this though all 4 POVS were equally good and the way the puzzles fit together through them meant I couldn’t put the book down.

The magic system and folklore was very interesting, so unique but also intertwined with old folktales. Each member of the Holtzfall family have their own unique power until the trails where the winner with keep their magic and the losers - if they escaped with their life will lose theirs. So many different storylines were happening in this but it didn’t feel overwhelming it was written so brilliantly and I felt as though I was solving mysteries and couldn’t wait for the characters to catch up.

There’s really sweet romances, found family, wild magical trials, betrayal, dashing knights and mysteries and I can’t tell you how much I loved every minute of this! Very excited for book 2 and I highly recommend this to anyone that likes fantasy, strong female characters and magical trials.

Interesting concept in a fantasy novel. Very engaging and entertaining.

A plutocracy, mainly led by one family, reign over a city and this novel deals with the rivalries within the family as they vie for power. There’s a lot of magic involved and the novel really has a bit of everything in it (without giving anything away). There’s plenty of revelations, betrayal, backbiting, questions of loyalty among all the characters which are well developed and interesting. It looks as if a sequel is on the cards which I look forward to reading. Highly enjoyable. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I LOVED this!!

The basic premise is that the ruling family determines their heir each generation through a series of magical trials that date back to a magical agreement between them and one of the powerful tree spirits that protected them.

I love magic trial concepts anyway, but the world-building around it all is what made it such a satisfying read. It's simultaneously creepy magic fairy-tale woods vibes, but also 1920s flappers and gangsters. It's knights sworn to oaths, and also magic made into circuitry and electricity, and also a murder mystery.

And then the characters - I loved that each of the POV characters have their own arcs going. Even when they're against each other, you're rooting for them all to win.

Nora - the heir apparent. I love her growth from spoiled but clever to genuinely understanding the people. She's basically Batman

Lotte - the hidden heir coming to claim her birthright, who learns how to play the game but be true to herself

Theo - poor knight who just loves his brother and is stuck with a terrible deal 😂

August - the everyday guy just trying to survive and gets swept up in way more of this than he expected

And honestly I loved the whole cast of secondary characters too, everyone had their own schemes going. The twist was delightful and I really want to see how Hamilton manages to tie all this together.

Thank you Netgalley for introducing me to a new favourite author!

Fantasy, magic, trials with crimes and mysteries to be solved?! Sign me up, The story is gripping and pulls you in by chapter one and is a true joy to watch all the threads that are weaved through the story start to pull to create an intricate story told through the POV of Nora, Lotte and the journalist.

I did find myself either really rooting for the character or rooting against them as their characters developed and the choices they made however I absolutely adored Nora, I think she is a fantastic FMC and I truly feel not knowing too much about this story is the best way to go in to this. You will be in for a gorgeous, magical, YA fantasy surprise.

A fairytale in the Grimm style, with dark shadows lurking in the woods on the outskirts of town. I loved the writing, even though was often eerie and somewhat unsettling. A brilliant read.

For fans of Divine Rivals and has a blend of This Vicious Grace. The stories are very different but I found myself having the same vibes of both of these books which felt nostalgic and new at the same time.

Tha.ctual story was fun, a heiress finding herself in competition with cutthroat family members to win her Grandmother's status and the family wealth. With fun side romance with the bodyguard of the family, this somewhat contemporary fantasy had lots of fun twists.

Alwyns writing has a very specific note to it which I find reminiscent of the rebel of the sands trilogy

A brilliant concept with an intriguing plot and plenty of world-building to hook you into the story. I enjoyed my time with this novel and can't wait to read more!

Fantasy, magic, family power struggle with mysteries and crimes to be solved. I really didn’t expect to spend the day between the covers of this book. But it grabbed me, and that happened. There is a cliff hanger, and I see in GoodReads there are books two and three to come. Not soon enough for me I expect! Thank you to Faber and Faber and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I did, I enjoyed it. Thank you to the writer, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

I really enjoyed this book and thought it really picked up by the end and I did hope there would be a bit more to the trials part of the book given so much was made of it. I really enjoyed the political side of the story and in particular look forward to seeing more from Nora’s other grandmother and how characters cope with the new normal.

I absolutely adored this book and couldn’t put it down! Fast paced and so exciting to read, I read it within a couple of days, and started it again right away! Absolutely brilliant!!

This book was absolutely fantastic. 
This is the first book I read by this author, but I can say it won't be the last, and I intend to read all her previous works. That's how much I enjoyed this one. 
The story was gripping, I couldn't put it down, I just needed to know the answer to all those mysteries. I connected with all the main characters, and I was so invested in their story that after finishing the book, I just can't stop thinking about them and what's going to happen. I need the next one like right now. 
By the end of the book, following the lead of all the clues you follow together with the characters, I reached the same conclusion as the characters just a few pages before them, which to me is perfection. If I cannot imagine even a little, the twist usually makes no sense, and if you figure everything out way before the characters in the book, they just appear plain and unintelligent. None of that happens here. The balance was perfect. With still some bits that caught me by surprise at the very end. 
It was a remarkable read I will be adding to my shelves, and crossing my fingers for some beautiful hardback editions to come out too

The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton had a lot of hype on Goodreads – it seems to have been a postponed release since 2020 and a lot of people were waiting with vigorous anticipation, so I was excited to request the ARC.

When one of the rich and famous Holtzfall’s dies, the spot of heiress is wide open, and a time-honoured tradition of the virtue trials is enacted. Daughter of the fallen heiress, Nora, believes she will win this contest easily, but when a secret family member emerges with their eyes on the prize, the competition becomes a lot more serious…

The Notorious Virtues jumps perspective from Nora to Lotte and journalist August, along with a few side characters as well. They all have their unique narrative voices though to keep things from being too confusing. There’s a lot of characters to get to know and the world is quite 1920s in style, but with fantasy elements. I enjoyed the folklore stories which interweave with the main storyline to show how the trials came about and how the family originally gained power.

I would say the one thing I was quite disappointed with were, ironically, the trials themselves. I was expecting lavish magical trials, but the first one comes and goes without even the characters knowing they were being tested. Another one, later in the book sounded exciting but all of them lose their memory and so we as the readers don’t really get to experience it properly which was a shame. There were some which were a little more interesting but in general, if you are expecting Triwizard tournament or The Hunger Games level of trials, this might not be the read for you. Due to this, some of the middle part of the book did feel like it dragged, slowing the pace down.

This book very much ends on a complete cliff-hanger, so be ready for a wait for book 2. I’m hoping that in the 5 years some were waiting for a release of the first book, the next one (and maybe more after it, if it’s a series), will have been written and edited by now so hopefully it won’t be too long to wait.

Overall, The Notorious Virtues is a solid fantasy read, but the trials themselves take a bit of a backseat which is a shame. Thank you to NetGalley & Faber and Faber for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing. It was a bit slow at the beginning but about halfway through it really picked up and I was racing through it. I found myself with very strong feelings abut most of the characters, either really rooting for them or against them. I cannot wait for the next book to be able to continue the story!