Could I make this 3.5 ⭐️’s?

First thing! The audio is great, brilliant really. It was narrated beautifully and it definitely kept me listening. However the music that played at the beginning and end of each chapter kept pulling me out of the story. It really broke it up for me. Otherwise, top notch audio.

I just finished this book and I am feeling the way i usually do at the beginning of a really good fantasy…somewhat board, somewhat blehggg. I mean that in the best way possible. I have felt that way in the first book of almost every series that I have LOVED, but it’s because world building in a great fantasy take So. Much. Time. That seems to cause the first book to always feel like it’s dragging. Like there is too much exposition. BUT that usually means that the world is well thought out and goes in depth. So all of that (exposition 😉) yo say that it did seem to pick up steam towards the end.

I was definitely curious as to what was going on with the love interests and am invested in knowing how that turns out.

I really want to know more about the mc’s powers and how they work/where they come from.

The “beasts” are super interesting and I am curious to know more about them.

I want to know more about the mc’s family.

I really want some answers to some things!!! (Not mentioning because of spoilers.)


All in all I would recommend this book because of it follows as most great fantasy seems to I am sure I will love this. The first book is just always more informative/ set up than anything.

Thank you M.A. Brown, Victoria Editing NetGalley coop, and net galley for this arc. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, this book was not described well, because the description sounded right up my alley and I was very excited. The book was slow, lacked romance until the end, the FMC faced little challenges as she was powerful and smart to begin with, and had too many metaphors describing anything that happens. There was also suddenly a challenge/hunt at the end, that felt out of place.

There was so much potential in this story, but needed to go through a few more rounds of drafting, because nothing felt concrete.

Also, changing only a few words were so annoying. I don't want to hear "nochtmare", "nocht-time", etc ever again.

The narrator was wonderful. I love listening to her audiobooks!

I kind of enjoyed the music added. Music needs to change in between chapters. And also add more. One sound effect every hour was a little startling.

Thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op & NetGalley for an early copy of this audiobook to review.

Thank you NetGalley and M.A. Brown for an ARC! I really enjoyed this book and I would give it 4/5 stars. The narration and the music in the audiobook was beautiful. It took me a little while to get used to the East European accents that were given to the characters, but I was able to quickly accept it. I actually liked that they were given an accent. As for the story, it really starts off with a bang and pulls you in. Brown spends a lot of time world building and she creates such a rich world. I was hooked. I really liked Ertha as a character. There wasn't much character growth from here, but I know this is just the beginning of the story. I was a bit confused towards the end regarding the Niflheim temple (spelling? Sorry - this is the problem with listening to the audio - I have no clue how to spell anything!) and the Red Lady. However, I would definitely read the second book. You can tell that Brown has really spent time mapping out this world and is a great fantasy writer. Thank you, again!

Unfortunately this book wasn’t my personal cup of tea.

It fell into some tropes common in the romantasy genre that I find frustrating. One of these is that the central romance(s) feel more led by lust than true romance or love. Another is the “enemies to lovers” aspect… I found it very hard to connect to a romance when the main love interest is part of a group that commits truly horrendous acts. And the fact that our main character knows what he has done and still can set that aside for her own lust…

Both love interests to me seemed like the same character. The way they spoke, and treated the main character, I didn’t find them distinctly different at all.

Other reviews mention beautiful prose but sadly I can’t say that the writing was anything I was particularly impressed by. The pacing also felt a bit strange to me, not a lot happens in the middle of this book and then the ending suddenly introduces a lot of new things.

Some aspects that I did like:
- the use of music in the audiobook.
- the magic system felt somewhat unique
- the cover is really beautiful

I’m really sorry to say that I don’t think this book is particularly memorable for me. I would recommend it to romantasy readers who are ok with morally corrupt love interests.

I always feel bad writing a negative review, especially when reviewing an ARC, but alas this is simply my experience reading the book.

Thank you Netgalley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve tried to write a technical review for this story 3 times…but all I have to say is GO READ THIS BOOK. My only issue is I have to wait for the rest of the series to be released 😭 The Seventh Sister was epic. It kept me guessing and shocked me to my core more than once. M A Browns writing was perfect and the narrator was also perfect, nailing accents, pitches, songs and flair! If I could give this book a 10 I would. I can’t recommend it enough.

4.5⭐️ Rounded Up

This story definitely took me by surprise in a number of ways! It kept me enthralled every time I picked it up and it felt like I’d barely been reading when I realize I was already at the end. The plot had me making theories on theories and then new theories about my theories (Yes, that IS lot of theories) I highlighted a lot more in terms of plot and foreshadowing than I usually do when reading. The ending left me with so many more question and I cannot believe I have to wait for them to be answered 😭
The romance was good, but while it plays a factor in the plot, it was not an overly romantic plot line. It definitely is building for what is to come and setting a foundation. We get a hint of a love triangle but it basically resolves itself in this book. We also get a couple spicy scenes to set the tone. I think there is a lot of potential for the romance side of the story moving forward
The prose in The Seventh Sister is beautifully written and almost felt melodic to me at times. I’m not usually a fan of the style, and I will say it gets a little flowery for me at times, but I really enjoyed M.A. Brown’s writing stifle and felt drawn in for the majority of it. I also loved how there was art the book to really help give a visual to the words. I think Brown’s style is very good at invoking imagery, but this was incredibly helpful to someone like me who can’t visualize in their head.
I was also fortunate to have the ALC for this story and I enjoyed having a truly immersive experience of reading and listening at the same time. I very much enjoyed Jacci Prior as the narrator. She has a really nice voice to listen to, and she did a great job bringing the characters to life with their own tones and accents.
All in all, this was a really intriguing story that left me wanting answers and more in general. I look forward to seeing what comes next!

Thank you NetGalley for this Arc

This was okay. Very slow in the middle I felt it would have better pacing if the big twist was 75% in instead of the last sentence of the book.

Thank You Netgalley and M.A Brown for ALC of this story

I won't do summary bc I think i might give out to much, but the story was written beautifully! The prose was poetic and raw, the story while dragging a little did not disappoint. I loved the mythology the author provided us with and the inventing separate religion for this book's setting.

I will just say that the other love interest was someone i did not enjoy. Fortunately, he was barely in the book. Mind you this is true enemies to loves with a lot of slow burn. And this is exactly what i was craving to get from other popular romantasy novels (which i rarely see in genre so im thankful author of this series is taking things slow!!)

I loved the ending and will gladly purchase book 2 when it comes out! Thank you again M.A brown for letting me immerse in this beautiful story!

The audiobook has music and it's narrator does great job :D i really enjoyed the journey :)

*✦ Review:

The Seventh Sister is a dark romantasy steeped in fairytale tones and rich, immersive worldbuilding. The story follows Ertha, a True Healer taken from her sacred temple by the infamous Sons of Uther thrown into a world full of secrets, shifting loyalties, and eerie, otherworldly forces. The premise itself is intriguing and laced with tension, and while it starts off a bit slow, it ultimately sets the stage for a story with strong series potential.
One of the biggest hurdles early on was the number of unfamiliar names and places. In typical fantasy fashion, it throws readers headfirst into a layered world—but because I listened to the audiobook, the lack of a glossary made the beginning especially difficult to track. I often felt like I was missing key context. By the 30% mark, I was still unsure of some world details, which left the pacing feeling slow even though the plot itself kept me curious enough to continue.
Ertha, as a protagonist, was frustrating at times, particularly because of her internalized views about modesty and other women. Her use of the word “illicit” to describe clothing, and her judgment toward women in Uther (especially those who had slept with Fenris), came across as borderline slut-shaming. That said, it’s clear these thoughts stem from how she was raised in the temple, and I appreciated that she began to shift her perspective by the end. Her growth felt subtle but present.
By the halfway point, the plot picks up speed and tension starts to build. I still wouldn’t call it unputdownable, but it had a distinct pull and a few of my favorite tropes done in a fresh way. However, some major reveals fell flat due to convenience. For example, key information literally falls into Eartha’s hands at the perfect time, with little effort on her part, making her arc feel more passive than earned. Despite this, the mysterious lore (especially around the different gods) and the cliffhanger ending left me curious enough to continue with the series.

**✦ Audio Review:

The narration for The Seventh Sister was amazing! The narrator had a clear voice with smooth enunciation, making it easy to follow. One feature I loved was how music played at the start of new chapters—it helped me stay grounded in the story, especially since audiobooks can sometimes feel a little disorienting without visuals.
What made this audiobook truly stand out were the extra touches. There’s original music incorporated into a few key scenes, including a nightmare and a ballroom sequence, as well as a folk song that was fully composed and performed. These touches made the world feel more alive and cinematic.
As far as format goes, I’d still recommend the audiobook, especially if you enjoy extra immersive features. But if you're someone who needs a glossary or likes to flip back to clarify worldbuilding, you might prefer print or ebook. For me, audio added richness, but occasionally made it harder to keep up with complex details.

**✦ Final Thoughts:

While The Seventh Sister didn’t fully blow me away, it did succeed in building a vivid world with compelling mysteries and romantic tension. The writing is lush and descriptive, the lore is promising, and the characters—though sometimes frustrating—are layered. It has a strong series opener feel, leaving just enough unanswered to tempt you into book two.

The premise of The Seventh Sister sounded right up my alley, but the deeper I got into the book, the more bored I became. It ended up reading like so many other familiar, lust-filled YA fantasy stories: a heroine with an inexplicable power, captured by the enemy and forced to heal their soldiers, caught between rugged men she’s supposed to hate, and torn between her kingdom and her captors.

Unfortunately, it felt like the main character had little growth, no real internal struggle, and no flaws to overcome. Beyond wanting to escape (from a captor she was somehow instantly attracted to), there wasn’t much emotional depth or development driving her actions.

I ended up DNFing at 42%. The only reason I stuck with it that long was because the audiobook narrator was fantastic. The voice acting gave the characters more life than the actual writing did—otherwise, I probably would’ve bowed out even earlier.

The biggest issues for me were the writing and character work. Tons of super long sentences, and metaphors that felt more like telling than showing (e.g., “grief like a knife” — okay but show me the grief!!). The MC’s character arc was hard to follow — they felt inconsistent and sometimes oblivious just to move the plot along. Also... their whole dynamic with Fenris gave major Stockholm Syndrome vibes, and the romantic payoff felt rushed and unearned. The tournaments? Randomly thrown in. I didn't get that part.

I wanted to like this — I’m a romantasy girlie through and through — but it didn’t deliver the character chemistry, development, or emotional stakes I was hoping for. This felt like the book was marketed as a romance for exactly that : marketing. That said, the world has promise, and with more revisions this could've hit way harder.

This one starts out with a (pretty violent) bang! Ertha has been abducted by an enemy kingdom, and not only does she need to keep her full identity secret, but she also learns that she’s more powerful than she even knew. (And of course, throw in a couple of hot, morally grey men for fun!)

I really enjoyed the premise of this new fantasy world, and loved the narrator. She did a great job giving different voices to the characters so I felt immersed in the story.

I did get a bit lost in the middle. I think it would’ve been helpful to have a physical copy to look at to keep some of the character names, places, myths, etc. clear in my mind.

The end picked up and concluded with a very exciting revelation! Overall, I enjoyed my first book from this author!

A special thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op & NetGalley for an early copy of this audiobook to review.

4/5

My full review for the book itself is in the link below and has also been completed via Netgalley! This review will be focusing more on the narrator and delivery of the book via audiobook :)

I absolutely loved this narrator! She truly puts in insane work to make everyone with dialogue be instantly recognisable and I found myself completely drawn in by them and able to visually imagine characters better. She articulates super clearly and with clear emotions even while doing differing accents which is a relief!

I will say - the intro sound for each chapter does quickly get pretty annoying, I would be fine if it happened at specific times i.e. when the last chapter was really impactful. Generally though, I found that it was taking me out of the book and then I would have to work through the start of the chapter to get myself fully immersed again. There's also instances such as chapter 10 where characters are dancing and music plays - the idea itself is really pretty and nice however I personally listen to my audiobooks sped up so it ends up sounding a little silly. After speaking to a big group of friends I found they also listen sped up so this point is just food for thought

The Seventh Sister is an upcoming epic dark romantasy with pronounced Viking and fairytale influences. The plot centers on Ertha, a True Healer, who is kidnapped from her sanctuary at the Selenyss Temple and carried to an ominous enemy court. There, she becomes ensnared in deep political intrigue and must decide whether to trust her captors—either the enigmatic right-hand man of the king or the soldier she heals who pledges to protect her.

The mythology draws on Norse inspiration, yet it feels distinct and original, with atmosphere that evokes both lush fairytale settings and icy political machinations.

I loved the almost lyrical feel of the story, and felt the pacing was good / relatively consistent throughout, but would have loved to see a bit more of the world building.

The premise of the book is what initially grabbed my attention and I definitely enjoyed it, but wished the love interests were a little more interesting? Overall though, definitely would recommend!

Beautiful Storytelling

The Seventh Sister by M. A. Brown is a masterpiece is dreamy and beautiful storytelling full of descriptive characters and detailed scenery. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its fast paced story that kept me invested in the plot throughout.

The details of each character makes them feel so much more realistic and relatable. I enjoyed the diversity of skin tones, hair colors, and sexualities given to each.

While listening to the audiobook I really loved the slight music added to the background in certain scenes and the music beginning each chapter. The narrator had a pleasant voice.

I think this book is a great addition to the Romantasy genre and gave an ethereal sense of depth that made the atmosphere that more perfect.

I wish I could rate this audio an infinite amount of stars!

This beginning was very emotional, and that how I knew I was going to be completely obsessed with it. The production of this audio is truly incredible. For a moment I forgot I was listening to an audio book and not a graphic audio! The music and singing was a very nice touch. The narrator perfectly captured every emotion and held me captive in every scene. The characters were complex and easy to get to know. I loved them so much I have only been able to think of them since I finished! The world and magic were both complex and unique. I can’t praise this book, the narrator, production, and AUTHOR enough. This was truly a masterpiece.

finally dipping my toes into some more fantasy and this one did not disappoint!! Ertha is a healer with incredible abilities. In her village her and her best friend are always getting into trouble. One night they got caught out past curfew and this is the night that changes everything. everyone is slaughtered except her- when she is found healing a man the people that were there to conquer decide she would be very helpful and kidnap her. she is forced to leave behind everything she knows to go to an unknown place with unknown men. Ertha is a strong female main character and a total badass. She does not take any crap from these men and is devising her escape from the very moment they reach the village where she will be held. during this time she learns so much about the people holding her captive but also new information about herself. This one had me hooked from the very beginning.

I usually love Jacci Prior, but for this book it felt like her voice was very flat and it made it harder to concentrate.

The story was a bit slow for me and I found it a little boring. I enjoyed the ending, but I always enjoy a villain ending.

I was gifted an advanced copy of the Seventh Sister Audio book in exchange for an honest review
I really enjoy the calming nature of the narrator and the background music really allows you to become lost in the story. However I do find the narrators adopted accents and personas for the male characters quite humorous, though difficult to understand at times.

My thoughts on the book;

The story starts off seemingly complex, but loses momentum for the first half of the book. The plot picks up a bit in the last few chapters but it did leave me quite confused in some parts.
The author has gone into a lot of detail regarding the creation of their kind, but really doesn’t continue to add to any world building thereafter, instead using dialect to mark subtle differences between people and a lot of hyperbole.

Ertha is royalty forced into, what I believe to be a nunnery/sisterhood. An attack on her village leads her to wander off on her own, and she finds a fallen enemy she decides to heal. This leads her to be captured by the sons of Uther
Fenris magically binds them with a binding bracelet quite early on, and there is some back and forth between him and the fallen son of Uther that Ertha saved early on in the book.
Despite being seemingly traumatised by her capture, there is no urgency or real attempt to rectify her situation. Ertha kind of falls into semi-reluctant acceptance of her situation.

All of the character connections feel very shallow, and the characters themselves are not explored in any depth. Therefore, it’s difficult to feel any attachment or connection to anyone in the book.


Overall I feel like this book has great potential, but is currently falling a bit short in execution. I believe that the second book may add strength, and hopefully the author will choose to really focus more on showing more character and world building.


There are a couple of real issues for me that I would like to highlight:
*There really needs to be Trigger warnings as the book mentions highly sensitive topics such as non MC child loss. I had to personally skip those parts and would have appreciated notice, either in the beginning of the book or on a clickable link in the book’s description.

*The change in character pov is difficult to navigate with the audio narration and I found it incredibly confusing

* The author’s random changing of words does not contribute any strength to the story and just feels unnecessary. I felt genuine discomfort hearing “nochtmare” over and over again, it almost made me DNF

My many thanks for the author for the privilege of reading the advance copy.

I have the pleasure of listening to the ARC. The narrator did a great job creating separate voices for each character. Her flow of the story was very natural and fluid.

I personally really loved the writing style and the story itself. I found the FMC Ertha to be likeable and earnest. I do wish that we had a chapter or two POV from one of the MMC and hope that that will be a thing in the sequel.

My only issue with the ARC, is around chapter 16 or 18? it cuts to the MMC's POV very abruptly and feels like something is missing. This is never brought up in the FMC's internal dialogue again and I'm unsure if it's meant to be.

Overall great narration, enthralling story, and the ending most certainly left me wanting more.

Definitely will read the sequel.