The Notorious Virtues

Who will be the next heiress? Let the Veritaz trials commence.

The bestselling Rebel of the Sands author is back with a glittering fantasy thriller duology, featuring a family obsessed with money, power, fame - and magic.


At sixteen, Honora 'Nora' Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in Gamanix; her family controls all the money - and all the magic - in the entire country. But when her mother is found murdered in an alley, the family throne and fortune are up for grabs, which means Nora will be pitted against her cousins in the deadly Veritaz trials to determine the rightful inheritor.

But there's a surprise rival in the form of Ottoline, aka Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora's aunt, who was left with nuns as a baby. Thrown into the Veritaz, she is suddenly surrounded by a hostile family she never knew she had.

But as the Holtzfalls wage their battles of privilege, something bigger and more sinister bubbles beneath the surface, and revolution is in the air.

Incredible tests, impossible choices, and deadly odds await both girls. But there can only be one winner.

Review

A sparkling cocktail of fairy tales, family conflicts, mysteries and magic, bubbling with rebellion and vibrant characters. Beneath the intoxicating glamour of Walstad, you'll soon find a dark fable about power, the importance of storytelling and our primal fear of what lies in the woods. Alwyn Hamilton is back and better than ever. -- Samantha Shannon, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

A glitzy and sinister blend of fairy tales, murder mystery and dazzling socialites. Combining old fables with modern glamour, Alwyn Hamilton has created a more-than-magical start to a series that readers are sure to devour! -- Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom

An irresistible feat of stunning world-building and first-class storytelling, The Notorious Virtues is so glitteringly good, it sparkles. I devoured every single page! -- Catherine Doyle, author of instant #1 bestseller The Dagger and the Flame

I love this book! The world building is brilliant, the stakes are high and the character chemistry is off the charts. The mix of fairytale magic with the thrill of deadly trials, all shaken together with a decadent 1920s inspired setting makes for an absolutely intoxicating, irresistible read. -- Katherine Webber, bestselling author of Twin Crowns

This sprawling story's multiple narrators never lose their footing, even as they race along the twisty pathways of forbidden love and shocking alliances and reveals . . . This riveting series opener . . . will leave readers eager for the next installment. Strong young women lead in this atmospheric tale that's oozing with magic, secrets, and temptation. ― Kirkus

A decadent, whip-smart treat of a novel full of mystery, intrigue and adventure. Aesthetically rich and laden with finely crafted fairytales, The Notorious Virtues had me in a chokehold. -- Bea Fitzgerald, author of Sunday Times Bestseller Girl, Goddess, Queen
.

About the Author

Alwyn Hamilton was born in Toronto and spent her early years bouncing between Europe and Canada until her parents settled in France. She left France for Cambridge University to study History of Art at King's College, focusing in on painting in the French Revolution. She then moved to London where she now lives and put her degree to use working for an auction house. She now writes full-time and REBEL OF THE SANDS was her first novel. @alwynhamilton on Tiktok.