📕 Title: The Notorious Virtues
✏️ Author: Alwyn Hamilton
📖 Genre: YA Fantasy
⭐ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

BOOK BLURB

Sixteen year old Nora Holtzfall should have been the default heiress to her family’s fortune, but her mother’s unexpected death triggers the start of a magical competition known as the Veritaz, forcing Nora to compete against her cousins to prove she is the most worthy. She doesn’t anticipate the addition of Lotte, a cousin who had been hidden away at a convent and sheltered from the elite Holtzfall lifestyle. And when Nora discovers that her mother’s death wasn’t an accident, she will have to balance her investigation alongside the Veritaz trials.

REVIEW

I was intrigued from the first chapter and I liked the way the premise was based on a folktale, speculating on how a magical boon would affect a community generations later.

Nora and Lotte were both well fleshed out characters with satisfactory arcs, and I liked having the perspective of two characters who had such different upbringings. August and Theo also had interesting POVs, but Nora and Lotte were clearly the main characters. I felt that the boys’ POV was included primarily so readers could see Nora and Lotte from an outside perspective.

This isn’t romantasy but there were very minor romantic subplots appropriate for YA readers. I didn’t feel like there were too many characters and the four POV felt very distinct. I had no issues keeping track of the family and side characters.

It feels important to point out that while this story does largely revolve around the Veritaz trials, the focus often shifts to the murder investigation and uncovering family secrets. The trials feel very similar to the Triwizard Tournament, though more unpredictable in timing. Though trials can have deadly stakes, this isn’t a battle royale kind of story.

The social commentary is heavy handed, far from subtle in its application as it criticizes classism and the overwhelming power of the elites. The book touches lightly on racism, though overall the social commentary is not really intersectional.

The magic system overall was pretty loose and felt inspired by Harry Potter and other popular YA fantasy. It’s not a rigid system, but if you don’t think about it too much it’s fine.

Still, this was a good book and I’d recommend it!