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.
The first thing to know, because it isn't mentioned in the blurb, is that this is (probably) the first in a series, in that it doesn't end. It reaches a stopping point, but it's definitely not finished, and there's several threads still going strong. However it's not a complete cliffhanger either, I'll give it that.
Look at that amazing cover! It's so beautiful, and every time I look at it I spot something new hidden in the design. The US version is very similar, just in different colours.
This was an interesting read! Having the main characters be descended from a literal folk hero was an interesting choice. I would have liked to get the rules of the world a bit more quickly, but we got there in the end. Parts of the story almost made me think of Batman, mostly the parts where Nora and her 'rakish young reporter' were investigating the dark underbelly of the city.
Having the four different points of view was clever as it meant we saw all levels of the society, from Nora's priviliged position to Lotte's deprived childhood and Theo's insight into the machinations of the powerful. There were a few twists I didn't see coming as well, which is great! The magic is well used, not a get out of jail free card, but just right to keep the tension and excitement going. The idea of the Trials is very clever as well.
Nora and Lotte felt convincingly different, but they shared the same spine and conviction that things could be better. Theo's problem, as so often in this kind of novel, could have been solved by talking, but then the story would have been much shorter.
Overall, if you like action, magic, found family, twists and turns and a not-totally-complete story, this is the one for you.
Book Recommendation: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – Another high-stakes competition for inheritance, filled with twists, secrets, and a protagonist out of her depth.
Movie Recommendation: The Prestige – If you want something with cutthroat rivalries, deception, and a touch of magic, this film fits the bill.
The Notorious Virtues publishes on the 1st of April, 2025. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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