magic – Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: The Notorious Virtues #1

A glamorous media darling, a surprise heiress, and the magical competition of a lifetime.

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.

**The Notorious Virtues comes out April 1, 2025**

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for this copy in exchange for an honest review

Family trials. Cousin against cousin. Social unrest in a society built on crushing the lower classes even further down. Magic only the elite could access. The scary woods filled with the stuff in legends and nightmares.

This book has it all, and while the tropes are by far from unique, the way Alwyn Hamilton weaves the story together really makes every piece come alive. I was astonished at how much I liked this book while reading it as I feel I’ve gotten more jaded with time in my reading.

Built on 4 POVs that bring to life very different perspectives, we the reader can see this world from all angles.

Nora, the heiress apparent until she no longer was with the death (murder?) of her mother, the next heir in line
Lotte, the long lost cousin and descendant of the Holtzfalls, who grew up being abused at a convent in a small town away from the city her family rules
August, the newspaper journalist seeking after the truth, or at least the next big thing to get his paycheck in a city that keeps oppressing individuals like him
Theo, the knight bound by oath from his ancestor to protect the Holtzfalls with his life, though perhaps they don’t always deserve it

I felt the pacing and tension for the next plot piece was the perfect amount. Who doesn’t love a family competition for inheritance? From Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ Inheritance Games to Kayvion Lewis’ debut series, it’s definitely a trope that draws us in. I will say that the games were not solely the focus of the book, so you are forewarned if that is what you’re hoping it would be. While the trials they face are present, it’s time on page is less often than expected. The true highlight of the book comes in figuring out the mystery behind Nora’s mother’s death.

The lore crafted behind the rise of the Holtzfalls and the purpose of the Veritaz trials was well developed. Everything has a purpose and everything is more linked than one may expect. The integration into the same world of Hamilton’s other series is also probably a huge luring factor to this book, although I haven’t read it yet. It definitely takes careful planning to draw out a world that fits with an existing story but also add new details for this part of the continent. I loved the piecemeal way we got to see how this skewed society came to be and where the Holtzfalls lost their way somehow from what it once should have been.

Beyond the plot points, the characters equally drew me in. While I definitely favoured August and Nora’s POVs, the perspectives they all provided were supremely helpful in adding individual stakes in the overall game. The unlikely alliance between a lowly reporter and the heiress was always fun to see, and their witty banter was absolutely perfection. I’m a little less enthused with the romantic turn Theo and Lotte were headed towards, but if you enjoy the damsel in distress feel, then it works well enough. The biggest character development though comes from Lotte and Nora’s growth together as they figure out what it means to be an actual virtuous individual who doesn’t just look out for themselves or their rich buddies they control. I enjoyed the progression in their characters, especially as they’re competitors for the same ultimate prize.

The ending was also not what I expected and leaves the door wide open for what may come next in the series. I love that the author enjoys shaking things up and possibly having a different story arc in each book. The overall murder and family trials definitely wraps up in book one so it’s not that kind of cliffhanger, but the tidbit of what awaits in the next book has me almost wishing I didn’t read this book so early. Whenever book two comes out, it’ll be worth the wait if it’s anything like its predecessor.

4 star, adult

Review: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands

January 15, 2024January 15, 2024 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Emily Wilde #2

When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage. Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.

And she also has a new project to focus a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

Overall Recommendation:

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands dives straight back into the beautiful and whimsical world of Emily and her dryadology discoveries in the early 1900s. It’s everything I loved about book 1 but perhaps a little less loaded in everything. In this new setting in Austria, I liked how plot points left unresolved earlier are now coming into play. Overall, a masterful storytelling that leaves me wanting book 3 immediately.

I was so so lucky to have gotten my preorder copy of Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands early to read it before it came out. The journey begins several months after book 1 concludes with Emily and Wendell on the hunt for hidden faerie doors so they can find a way into Wendell’s kingdom.

This book introduces new characters I adored like Ariadne, Emily’s niece who wants to be a dryadologist just like her. It also brought some characters I’m withholding judgment on so far, such as the old-fashioned, cantankerous Professor Rose, one of Emily and Wendell’s colleagues. On this new adventure, the stakes are still high as Wendell’s being tracked by his stepmother’s assassins.

In the mountains of Austria, Heather Fawcett continues to weave more legend and lore in Emily’s new journal dedicated to her research for a map of the faerie kingdoms and secret doors into them. I still love all the footnotes but I found there were less than its predecessor. In fact, that’s probably the one reason I couldn’t give this book a full 5 star rating. Everything felt just less than the first book. There were less character building interactions with the villagers, the pacing wasn’t quite as fast, and the worldbuilding wasn’t as heavy (though I suppose that’s a good thing for those who thought book 1 was an info dump).

Emily and Wendell’s connection continues to be strong as they face looming attacks from Faerie. The tension between them isn’t as present now that they’re not quite rivals anymore, but Wendell’s proposal still hangs over their heads with Emily sorting out her feelings. I do think the romance continues to be the perfect amount balanced with the fantastical elements of the story, with this book taking their romance further.

I will say my favourite part is the way Heather brings together plot lines from earlier that were left open and have now become important in this sequel. Emily’s knowledge of faeries and her fearlessness continues to help her in the varying situations she and her companions find themselves embroiled in. I wish there was a little more action in this book but I suppose it happens when it’s only book 2. I honestly can’t wait to see where this series takes us. It’s definitely an auto-buy series for me.

3 star, YA

ARC Review: A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

January 1, 2024January 1, 2024 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.

Overall Recommendation:

A Fragile Enchantment had a beautiful premise with all the vibes of Regency era England and a forbidden romance with a prince. I wanted to love it but my expectations weren’t quite met. This is far more a romance than a fantasy with less worldbuilding and substantial plot than I would’ve thought. However, the characters were cute and the read was still somewhat enjoyable.

Publication Date: January 2, 2024

A Fragile Enchantment was my first foray into Allison Saft’s novels and I came in with high expectations, perhaps a little too high. Set in a fantastical version of Regency era England with allusions to events that actually occurred in Ireland, this romantic story both fulfilled and disappointed at the same time.

Niamh is a dressmaker who can imbue magic into her garments. The exact workings of this magic isn’t fully explained but that’s okay. The memories and emotions she’s feeling, especially if they’re strong enough, can be transferred into the clothing while she is making it. For example, feeling invisible or in the background can lead to a garment that sometimes makes you actually invisible while wearing it. That’s cool but it’s one of few magic present in this world. It seems magical bloodlines run in the nobility circles more as they like to keep it “pure” in their bloodline to pass on like a legacy. The other forms of magic that aren’t explained much either seem to take the form of natural element control, whether the forces coming from the sky (ie. Lightning and rain) or growth from the ground (ie. Flowers and vines).

The extent of the world building kind of ends here. We get an explanation there are a few different kingdoms and political marriages to foster allies. Some of the relationships between kingdoms are rocky but it never brings into the story any actual political strife that occurs. The main political tension arises from social class inequality which I enjoyed as Niamh’s own countrymen were seen as secondary people in a way in Avaland. I just wish there was a little more focus here along with the mysterious gossip columnist (a la Bridgerton vibes) that was pushing for reform.

At the heart of this story is the romance between Niamh and Kit. I love a good forbidden romance. I will admit there were cute banter scenes and some tension in places, but sometimes it felt the transition to love was a little quick before I felt truly invested in them. Maybe I had too high of an expectation, but when it’s the main focus of the story, it’s kind of hard not to expect something. However, I will contend that this may just be an issue for me, in this particular time of reading, and their chemistry may in fact be sufficient for other readers to absolutely adore them.

My last little gripe I wanted to learn more about is Niamh’s white streak of hair. It is said to represent her fragility as the streak grows with the use of her magic, and it will one day be the cause of her death. It’s a big plot point that drives her to always put others first and seek her own happiness last because she doesn’t know how much time she may have. I don’t know if this was resolved in the story as it ups the stakes but doesn’t fully explain it. I mean, everyone is technically dying all the time. Why does her magic alone cause such a demise? It felt like a little loose thread I’m just pulling at right now but I am curious as it ties deeply into Niamh’s arc.

Overall, it was a fun story to read but I definitely came into it with some expectations that weren’t fully met. If I had known this was mostly a romance but just set in a fictional version of the Regency era, I might’ve come into it a little differently. There may be some loose threads but the story stands alone well enough to make romance readers relatively happy.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review