{"product_id":"the-notorious-virtues-isbn-9780451479662","title":"The Notorious Virtues","description":"\u003cb\u003eBestselling \u003ci\u003eRebel of the Sands\u003c\/i\u003e author Alwyn Hamilton is back with a glittering fantasy thriller about a glamorous media darling, a surprise heiress, and the magical competition of a lifetime.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis gorgeous hardcover first edition features emerald hued edges, creating a lush look for this stunning fantasy.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut 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.\u003cbr\u003eAnd 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile the dangers of the Veritaz competition threaten each of the Holtzfall girls, and the stark class differences turns political outrage to terrifing violence—the new cousins must fight to stay alive, no matter what.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIncredible tests, impossible choices, and deadly odds await both girls. But there can only be one winner.“A secret heir? A battle for a glamorous inheritance? An intricate whodunit? This book has everything I love about the best stories. Most of all, Lotte and Nora will burrow beneath your skin and make you laugh and cry alongside them. Hamilton’s writing is transportive and full of rich detail. I was lost in her world of wealth and intrigue; but most of all, \u003ci\u003eThe Notorious Virtues\u003c\/i\u003e is a tale of family tragedy across generations, spun by a masterful storyteller. I can’t wait for the next one.”—\u003cb\u003eRenèe Ahdieh\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003e#1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Bestselling Author of \u003ci\u003eThe Beautiful\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Notorious Virtues\u003c\/i\u003e is 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.\"\u003cb\u003e—Samantha Shannon, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Bone Season \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Priory of the Orange Tree\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A decadent, whip-smart treat of a novel full of mystery, intrigue and adventure. Aesthetically rich with intricately crafted fairytale, \u003ci\u003eThe Notorious Virtues\u003c\/i\u003e had me in a chokehold.\"\u003cb\u003e—Bea Fitzgerald, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eGirl, Goddess, Queen\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Hamilton's \u003ci\u003eThe Notorious Virtues\u003c\/i\u003e is an absolute triumph. The world of the Holtzfalls is a glittering realm of treachery, wonder and charm. Lotte and Nora are exquisitely drawn characters whose verve and determination will ensnare readers. I read this in one sitting and cannot wait to return to this dizzying, dazzling, devious world.\"-- \u003cb\u003eRoshani Chokshi\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of the Pandava Series\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"An irresistible feat of stunning world-building and first-class storytelling, \u003ci\u003eThe Notorious Virtues\u003c\/i\u003e is so glitteringly good, it sparkles. I devoured every single page!\"\u003cb\u003e—Catherine Doyle, author of the internationally bestselling \u003ci\u003eThe Dagger and the Flame\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Hamilton is back with a galloping, glittering, twisty treat of a book. This world felt like \u003ci\u003eGossip Girl \u003c\/i\u003emeets\u003ci\u003e Gladiator\u003c\/i\u003e and I can’t wait to read the next instalment.\"\u003cb\u003e—Kiran Millwood Hargrave, bestselling and award-winning author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Deathless Girls\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"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!\"—\u003cb\u003eAlexandra Christo, author of the internationally bestselling \u003ci\u003eTo Kill a Kingdom\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"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.\"—\u003cb\u003eKatherine Webber, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eTwin Crowns\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"A fabulous, addictive blend of magic, gangsters, and 1920s glamour, packed full of family feuds and fairy tale references that had me hooked from the very first page – every fantasy fan is going to adore \u003ci\u003eThe Notorious Virtues\u003c\/i\u003e.\"— \u003cb\u003eKatharine Corr, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eQueen of Gods\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A masterful blend of fairytales, family politics and murder mystery evoking the glamour of the roaring twenties, with stunning prose and characters you can’t help falling in love with.\"— \u003cb\u003eA. S. Webb, author of \u003ci\u003eDaughter of Chaos\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A sparkling concoction of family rivalry, propulsive plot, fairytales, charm magic and revolution against the backdrop of a city divided. Like \u003ci\u003eGossip Girl\u003c\/i\u003e with magic, I adored it.\"— \u003cb\u003eRachel Greenlaw, author of \u003ci\u003eCompass and Blade\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"A twisty and clever fantasy thriller that combines classic fairytales with betrayals, politics and murder-mystery to create a page-turning treat of a book. I loved every second I spent in this stunning world.\"— \u003cb\u003eRavena Guron, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis Book Kills\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A captivating story filled with magic, mystery and betrayal. Prepare to lose yourself in this glamorous, dangerous world!\"—\u003cb\u003eLauryn Hamilton Murray, author of \u003ci\u003eHeir of Storms\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This sweeping tale hits the ground running as readers are pulled through the dazzling country of Walstad… those looking for a propulsive new duology with dynamic leads will find it here as characters navigate scandal and familial politics with the skill of seasoned professionals.”—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Strong young women lead in this atmospheric tale that’s oozing with magic, secrets, and temptation. The cliffhanger conclusion of this riveting series opener that explores themes of trust and growth will leave readers eager for the next installment.”—\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“…an enigmatic premise, sly dialogue, and an immersive 1930s-style setting add grit to the complexly rendered dynamics, making this a propulsive exploration of the bonds of family both biological and chosen.”—\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"Hamilton weaves a thrilling narrative that explores the themes of power, privilege, and rebellion in a richly imagined world that draws inspiration from fairy tales right out of Grimm.\"—\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSLJ\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eAlwyn Hamilton was born in Toronto and lived between Canada, France, and Italy until she was three, when her family settled in the small French town of Beaune. She studied history of art at King's College, Cambridge, graduated in 2009, and lives in London. She is the author of \u003ci\u003eRebel of the Sands\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTraitor to the Throne\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eHero at the Fall\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003ci\u003ePrologue\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Charmed City\u003cbr\u003eIt was known as the Enchanted Hour.\u003cbr\u003eThe sliver of day \u003ci\u003ejust\u003c\/i\u003e before the clubs and bars and dance halls turned out their revelers. But after the factory workers and shopgirls had risen for another day.\u003cbr\u003eThe maids, cooks, footmen, and butlers had already hurriedthrough predawn streets to get to their posts. They waited, as the sky lightened, for their sleepless employers to stumble home, discarding shoes and bow ties that their staff would tidy up behind them.\u003cbr\u003eThe lumbering delivery trucks had made their rounds, with their clinking glass bottles of milk, tightly bound stacks of newspapers, and cooling loaves of bread. But the sleek taxis and grand town cars still idled sleepily.\u003cbr\u003eYesterday was forgotten, but it wasn’t quite today. Before the upper half of the city slept and after the lower half rose.\u003cbr\u003eBut the undying things in the woods never slept. They watched. They watched as a sleepy maid hurried to the back entrance of a white marble home, stumbling a little as she tucked her hair under her white cap. They wondered if she might lose her footing and cross out of the borders of daylight. They wondered if the footman shaking a cigarette into his palm might lean against a tree and come within reach.\u003cbr\u003eAnd they wondered at the sight of the dark-­haired girl, appearing and disappearing between the gaps in the grand houses. Walking alone through the streets in stockinged feet, her dress still dancing in the rising sunlight. Looking like the whole city belonged to her alone.\u003cbr\u003eBecause one day, it might.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChapter 1\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNora\u003cbr\u003eHonora Holtzfall was never late.\u003cbr\u003eEveryone who arrived before the Holtzfall Heiress was unfashionably early. Everyone who arrived after her was embarrassingly tardy.\u003cbr\u003eExcept Nora was no longer the Holtzfall Heiress. Officially, she never had been, though every newspaper had called her that. She’d been the heiress to the Heiress. But now the Heiress was dead, and Nora was no longer guaranteed to succeed her as eventual head of the family. She was just another granddaughter of Mercy Holtzfall.\u003cbr\u003eAnd there wasn’t a person in Walstad wealthy enough that they could afford to keep Mercy Holtzfall waiting. Not even Nora.\u003cbr\u003eEspecially not Nora.\u003cbr\u003eEspecially not on the first day of the Veritaz Trials.\u003cbr\u003eThe clock above the bank on Bauer Street showed ten minutes to the hour.\u003cbr\u003eNora would just make it.\u003cbr\u003eObviously, in an ideal world, she would have arrived both on time \u003ci\u003eand\u003c\/i\u003e wearing shoes. But Nora couldn’t have everything, no matter what the papers liked to say.\u003cbr\u003eToday was the equinox. Allegedly the first day of spring, although Nora would have contended the chill in the air wasn’t exactly vernal. But it meant that today, there would be exactly as much day as there was night. And even now, in a city lit with magimek bulbs, days like the equinox still held power. \u003cbr\u003eTwice a year the immortal Huldrekall would willingly emerge from the woods. If they didn’t ask the Huldrekall for a Veritaz tonight, they would have to wait for the first day of autumn before they could start the trials.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eStay out of the woods, little one.\u003c\/i\u003e The old folktale refrain whispered in Nora’s mind.\u003ci\u003eThere you will find dangers you do not yet know how to face.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOf course, every newspaper in the city had an opinion about the trials being held so swiftly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAt  Least Wait Until the Last Heiress Is Cold Before Picking a New One\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSome couched it in feigned sympathy for Nora.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLet the Girl Grieve Before You Make Her Compete!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut like most things, Nora agreed with her grandmother rather than the press. The sooner they held the trials, the sooner she could regain her rightful place in the family.\u003cbr\u003eSo tonight, Mercy Holtzfall, head of their family for the past three decades, would ask the Huldrekall which of her granddaughters was worthiest of being her heir.\u003cbr\u003eIt was a rite that stretched back centuries.\u003cbr\u003eHeld over generations.\u003cbr\u003eBound up in blood, custom, and ancient oaths.\u003cbr\u003eAnd \u003ci\u003estill\u003c\/i\u003e Nora wouldn’t put it past her grandmother to disqualify her if she was even a few minutes late for breakfast.\u003cbr\u003eNora turned onto Konig Street just as the metal grating of a kiosk clattered open noisily. Inside, the kiosk’s owner began slicing open the thick bundles of morning papers, arranging them among packs of gum, cigarettes, and small charms, so that their headlines faced out.\u003cbr\u003eThe front page of \u003ci\u003eThe Walstad Herald\u003c\/i\u003e caught Nora’s eye. It was a picture of her sitting at one of the small tables at Rik’s, taken just a few hours ago. Her head was thrown back in laughter, and a flute of champagne loosely dangled from one hand, while the other rested on Freddie Loetze’s shoulder as if to say, “Oh, Freddie dear, you’re too much.” A diamond the size of a cherry glinted on her finger, and the thin strap of her effervescent dress slid off one shoulder, carelessly displaying her skin. Nora pulled up the same strap absently now. She looked carefree in the photograph only because she had taken a lot of care to appear that way. The headline was printed in fresh ink above it:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCheers to Better Days Ahead for the Once (and Future?) Holtzfall Heiress\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNora waited for it: the intoxication that usually came with seeing herself on the front page. But she felt as sober as ever in the cool morning light.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eGrief-­Stricken Former Holtzfall Heiress Drowns Her Sorrows\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWell—­Nora plucked the \u003ci\u003eGazette\u003c\/i\u003e out of the rack next to the\u003ci\u003eHerald\u003c\/i\u003e—­\u003ci\u003ethat\u003c\/i\u003e was definitely another take on things. There was a photo of her sipping from a frothy coupe with the blur of the brass band at Café Bliss behind her. She was still wearing her Lussier heels in that picture, kicked up brazenly amidst the chaos. She must have left them at the Ash Lounge, then. Or maybe the Ruby Rose Club.\u003cbr\u003eHer fingers flicked through the rest of the broadsheets as the kiosk owner set them out. She was on the front page of most of them, obviously. News about the Holtzfalls always had papers flying off the stand before the ink was even done drying.\u003cbr\u003eEspecially since the murder.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eShock in the City as Verity Holtzfall Found Dead!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor a week, everything else had dropped off the front page as the same picture graced every newspaper in the city under a series of revolving headlines.\u003cbr\u003eNora’s mother’s lifeless body.\u003cbr\u003eLit by police headlights.\u003cbr\u003eAnd the flash of journalists’ greedy cameras.\u003cbr\u003eJust hours before that picture, her mother had absently reached out to kiss her cheek before she left for the evening, as if Nora were a small child again. Nora had resisted the impulse to wipe at her cheek, which would have made her feel even more like a child. Instead Nora had said something flippant about not wanting to wear her mother’s lipstick as rouge. Or maybe she hadn’t said it. Maybe she had just thought it as she’d swept out the door without glancing back.\u003cbr\u003eShe wasn’t sure, because in the moment, it hadn’t mattered.\u003cbr\u003eIt only mattered a few hours later. When it became the last time she would ever see her mother alive. When she would next see her as a body on a newspaper cover.\u003cbr\u003eThat was how she’d found out. Leaving the Silverlight Café near dawn to a newspaper boy brandishing a broadsheet, calling out\u003ci\u003eExtra! Extra! Holtzfall Heiress Tragedy!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheo was waiting for her.\u003cbr\u003eIt was a burden to be as smart as Nora was sometimes.\u003cbr\u003eBecause in that moment, before Theo could even speak, before she’d fully caught sight of the picture of her mother’s body, she’d put all the pieces into place. A Holtzfall knight sent for her, the cries of the newspaper boy, the carefully controlled grief in Theo’s expression—­her mother was dead. \u003cbr\u003eAnd if she was dead, so was Alaric, Theo’s brother—­and her mother’s sworn knight. There was no way to her mother except through Alaric.\u003cbr\u003eNora was an only child. But Theo and Alaric—­they were like brothers to her. And in one night her mother and Alaric were both gone. The small circle of people she cared about had constricted around her so suddenly she could barely breathe.\u003cbr\u003eThat photograph of the crime scene was the last she saw of her mother’s face.\u003cbr\u003eAnd the papers showed it over and over and over under a carousel of headlines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eVerity Holtzfall Stabbed to Death in Mugging Gone Wrong!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew Suspect in Holtzfall Heiress’s Brutal Murder!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMugger Confesses When Jewels Found in His Possession! \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLukas Schuld Admits to Stabbing of Verity Holtzfall!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePapers with her mother’s body on them flew off stands. Even after Lukas Schuld confessed, speculation ran wild. What had Verity Holtzfall been doing in the 13th circle after dark? What kind of seedy business would draw the Holtzfall Heiress far from the safe upper circles of the city? How had her sworn knight failed to protect her? Had Alaric, whose body hadn’t been found, been in cahoots with Lukas Schuld?\u003cbr\u003eAnd when they ran out of things to print about the murder, they turned their lenses on Nora.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA New Heiress Must Be Chosen! Who Is the Worthiest of Them All?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eGrieving Former Heiress Not Seen Since Mother’s Funeral!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDriven Mad by Grief: Honora Holtzfall  Unfit to Compete in the Veritaz?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThose headlines had been like pebbles tossed against the walls of her solitude. Taunting her even as she sat a hundred floors up from where the photographers were camped on the street. They were waiting for the grieving daughter to make a scene.\u003cbr\u003eFine. If they wanted a scene, Nora would give them the whole show.\u003cbr\u003eShe had chosen a dress made of bright rippling streams of gold fabric sewn into waves that hugged her body outrageously. It was scandalously sheer with a tendency to slip dangerously around her shoulders, hinting at a mishap that would never happen, thanks to the charms sewn into the lining. The shoes were Charles Lussier, one of a kind, made from stained glass, charmed to be strong as steel. Her makeup exaggerated her Mirajin features, inherited from her desert-­born father’s side of the family. The brightest red lipstick in her arsenal made her look like she couldn’t possibly be\u003ci\u003ein\u003c\/i\u003e trouble, she \u003ci\u003ewas\u003c\/i\u003e trouble personified.\u003cbr\u003eShe had stepped out to show them that she was not beaten.\u003cbr\u003eBut the reality was, only one thing would truly show them she was still the heiress they all remembered.\u003cbr\u003eWinning the Veritaz.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSpoiled Honora Holtzfall Gloats as Heirship Comes Within Reach\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat headline was the \u003ci\u003eBullhorn\u003c\/i\u003e’s. Obviously.\u003cbr\u003eThey’d run a picture of Nora wrapped in a white stole, which she had also abandoned in the course of the night, smirking knowingly into a camera. It was printed next to that familiar photograph: her mother sprawled in an alley stained with blood.\u003cbr\u003ePictures were worth a thousand column inches when paired like that: Nora seemingly celebrating only days after her mother’s body went into the ground. To the\u003ci\u003eBullhorn\u003c\/i\u003e’s disreputable credit, at least they stuck to their Holtzfall-­bashing agenda even in the face of her tragedy.\u003cbr\u003e“Does this look like a library to you?” The kiosk owner was eyeing the steadily increasing stack of newspapers Nora was holding with the sort of suspicion that suggested he didn’t recognize her from the front of those same papers. “Choose one and move it along.”\u003cbr\u003eAh. That was going to be a problem. Nora was one of the richest people in this city, but she didn’t have any money\u003ci\u003eon\u003c\/i\u003e her. \u003ci\u003eObviously\u003c\/i\u003e. Carrying cash was something that waiters and shop assistants did, not Holtzfalls. She sighed, working the small ruby ring off her finger. The papers were all one zaub apiece; the ring had cost her just over 10,000. “Here.” She set the ring in the change plate. “This should cover it.”\u003cbr\u003eShe tucked the newspapers under her arm and continued down the wide avenue to her grandmother’s house. She heard him call after her, “If this thing turns out to be tin and glass, I’d better not see your face around here again!”\u003cbr\u003eFor the first time since her mother died, Nora felt a real laugh bubble up on her lips. She waved one of the papers over her shoulder, flashing her face on the front page at him. “That would be a lot of papers you’d have to stop selling.”\u003cbr\u003eShe had the satisfaction of watching recognition dawn on him a moment before she spun back, dashing the rest of the way to the Holtzfall mansion.","brand":"Viking Books for Young Readers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305005863141,"sku":"NP9780451479662","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780451479662.jpg?v=1767740749","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-notorious-virtues-isbn-9780451479662","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}