I recieved an excerpt of this book and it has gotten me very excited to read the full story. I was sucked into the story by reading the premise alone and the section I was able to read did not disappoint.

The concept is intriguing and I loved the pairing of real-world and fantastical. I am still somewhat new to fantasy so I loved how easy it was to get into this book and start learning about the world and fantastical elements.

I will definitely be picking this one up when it comes out in order to read the full book

Really enjoyed reading this. I loved the fantasy world woven into reality and the magic of Havenfall. I was engrossed from the beginning and couldn't put it down.

I thought the premise of this one sounded amazing: but it ended up being a little lackluster for me. A book set at an inn that acts as the meeting place between magical worlds?! Sign me up! But unfortunately it didn't quite work for me

We follow Maddie, the niece of the Innkeeper of Havenfall. Havenfall is the inn between different magical worlds and earth, known to these magical worlds as Haven. When Maddie's uncle is attacked, she must stand up in his place to keep the peace between magical beings as an unknown evil roams Haven

There was no depth to anything on this book: the plot or the characters. I did find the world interesting, and felt there was a lot of missed potential with it. The world is why I gave it a 3 star not a 2 star rating

The entire 300 page novel felt like a prologue, just the introduction to this world. It was interesting and enjoyable when seen as a prologue, but not when you remember it's an entire novel

Overall I found this one promising, and the premise and world interesting, but it wasn't executed well or with enough depth in my opinion

<b>BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED FANTASY WORLD</b>

Rating this book took me a while, because there were things I liked and things I disliked and I couldn't figure out which weighed the most for me. So, in the end, I settled for a 3 star rating.

<b>👍 WHAT I LIKED 👍</b>

<u>Universe</u>: Havenfall is the neutral passageway between the different world, where Earth is one of them. I really liked this concept, this idea, and I felt like it was well crafted and thought out world with a rich history, that I look forward to getting into more in the next book.

<u>Maddie</u>: Our female lead, Maddie, was a relatable and sympathetic protagonist. She was insecure and vulnerable, which I really enjoyed. She felt real.

<b>👎 WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE 👎</b>

<u>Plot</u>: The plot was large and had many tangents all over the place - in my view, too many. It made the story feel busy and messy. Luckily, it all came together in the end, but the getting there was rough.

<u>Twist</u>: There were some major plot twists in this book that were probably supposed to be real shockers. However, they were not, they were so transparent.

I really loved this book. It is very well written, and I was hooked from the start. Have already preordered so I can enjoy again and again, and have recommended it to friends

ARC received from Netgalley and Book Box Club

4.5 Stars

Havenfall is, essentially, a fantasy mystery story. In the story, Havenfall is an inn in our world under which there are doors leading to other worlds, most of which have been closed off, but two - Fiordenkill and Byrn - are still open. Though we never actually get to visit these other worlds in this first book, we meet many of their inhabitants as they arrive at Havenfall for what is essentially an annual summit. Weird stuff happens - including a monster on the loose - and the protagonist, Maddie, has to step up and take charge when her uncle is no longer able to do so.

I flew right through this super fun book. Usually the books I consider fun lean more towards humorous, but Havenfall charmed me with its mystery instead, and the mix of fantasy and mystery really worked for me. While I did guess some of the twists, I certainly didn't piece them all together, and there was one in particular that totally caught me unawares. I hope the sequel is just as twisty!

In terms of characters, I'm not head over heels for them yet, but I definitely do like them and could easily grow to love them. I particularly liked Maddie's character arc - there's something very relatable about a character who is determined to prove herself, but constantly falls short of her aspirations. The way she grew in the story felt very realistic; there wasn't any point where she didn't feel like an actual teenager desperately trying to fill her uncle's shoes, and there was something rather refreshing about that. The romance was pretty realistic too - there's kind of a love triangle, but not of the early 2010s variety, thank god. It's a very small part of the story, and I'm actually intrigued as to where the author will go with it.

I'm so glad this was the ARC I got in my Book Box Club box. Netgalley provided me with the first two chapters, and given I was hooked from the start the wait for the rest probably would have driven me mad. Apparently this series is just a duology, but it could easily be a trilogy - there's just so much to explore! Definitely looking forward to the sequel.

The short excerpt was definitely a teaser that made me curious and I'll be wanting to read this book, sometime in the future! Interesting writing style and characters I want to get to know more.

Excerpt read voluntarily via Netgalley.

High in the Colorado mountains is the Inn at Havenfall and it is a sanctuary for more than just humans. It was built upon a spot where there are currently doorways to three worlds, each with their own people and magics. The Innkeeper and the Inn itself are neutral which provides a place of safety and belonging to those who seek it. Maddie Morrow's history is chock full of sorrow and disappointment - except when she spends her summers at the inn. The inn is where she grew up with the Fiorden soldier Brekken, it's where she can hopefully forget that her own mother sits on death row sentenced for murdering Maddie's brother and it is where she will hopefully become the Innkeeper after her uncle decides to retire.

Maddie's hopes for this summer come crashing down faster than an avalanche when a dead body is discovered on the grounds of the inn. After her uncle is found mysteriously unconscious suddenly she is in charge of the inn and everyone's safety but she finds herself in even more dire straits when Brekken goes missing and a dangerous being is also loose on the grounds. Maddie finds that she will do anything to keep the inn and everyone in it safe - even if it means relying on Taya, the new staff member with mysterious intentions as well as origins. Will Maddie be able to find the truth among the dark, dangerous and sometimes predatory secrets of the inn itself while keeping everyone safe?

Oh Havenfall - had I not started reading late at night I would've finished in the same day. Sometimes I wonder why I read anything other than fantasy novels, I live for books that transport you to other places. Especially if you literally don't realize the passage of time while you're reading. I really enjoyed the concept of portals to other worlds being in underneath mountains in my own home state. I think what stuns me the most about fantasy writers is the depth they have to put into everything that isn't a part of our known world. I believe it's much harder because you don't have a common knowledge base for your world(s) but you can also do whatever you want with it.

It is true that we don't get much other than a broad description of each world that a portal leads to (Byrn, Fiordenkill and Solaria) but it makes sense as our protagonist Maddie cannot visit the worlds. Other than experiencing physical objects that can be transported through the portals each race only has the knowledge and descriptions provided through the experiences of others. My hope for book two is that it dives more into the worlds, the races, Maddie's family history and relationships.

The LGBTQ aspect of this novel I feel is really light - it's more mentioned in passing and factual than written about in length. There are not many sensitive topics in this book other than the LGBTQ aspect, some mild violence and romance via make out session. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy young adult fiction, fantasy, and LGBTQ characters. Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this up and coming fantasy series - I look forward to reading the rest of Maddie's adventure.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, and already can't wait for the next one in the series! The worldbuilding was great and the world itself is a welcome change from normal fantasy tropes. I did see one of the twists coming a mile off but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story. The one thing I would have appreciated was a little more explanation of how magic actually worked, but maybe Holland will go into more detail about that in subsequent books.

Great plot and interesting characters, I hope in future books we get the opportunity to know more about the other worlds, including those no longer accessible according to the current plot. I look forward to reading what happens after that ending!

I had pretty high expectations for this book, I loved the Everless duology and after reading a sampler of Havenfall last year, knew I needed it. I didn’t really have any doubts that I would love this and it was one of my most anticipated books for 2020. It definately did not disappoint and I think I actually loved it more than I expected.

At the beginning (before the prologue) there is a few pages with a brief introduction to the adjacent realms, which was so helpful because I went into the actual story knowing the basics; there are many, many realms, which have all slowly been closed off for various unknown reasons. Haven (Earth), Fiordenkill and Bryn are the last three that still have communication between them, an incident at the inn on Haven caused the door to Solaria to be closed off years before and Solarians are feared because of this, with some possibly being loose on Earth still years later. We know that humans cannot step foot on the other realms for more than a few moments, and every year on the summer solstice delegates from all three realms come togther in Haven to celebrate the Peace Summit. I love seeing Maddie and Brekken’s childhood friendship grow into something more, and I love it even that their closeness isn’t frowned upon because they’re from different realms, but because it may look to the Byrnisian delegates that she is being biased towards the Fiordens. Maddie’s dream is to take over from her Uncle Marcus’ role as Havenfall’s innkeeper when he’s ready to step down from the job, but when something happens to him, she has to learn the role pretty quickly and we see her struggle with the pressure. Her struggle is portrayed really well, there’s no cliché of her knowing exactly what to do and just fitting into the role perfectly from the get go and she also has to deal with Brekken disappearing to who knows where.

I received an ARC of Havenfall by Sara Holland from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The inn at Havenfall is a safe haven between the four realms and lies hidden deeply in the mountains of Colorado. Every summer delegates from the realms meet at the inn at Havenfall to trade, mingle and above all to maintain political alliances op peace between realms. But the safety and stability of Havenfall is being threatened when a door to a previously-sealed realm starts to open and a monster escapes into Havenfall. Maddie is the niece of the ‘Innkeeper’ and wants to learn how to host the delegates that come every summer in the hopes of being next in line. But when her uncle is attacked she has to take over the role of Innkeeper. She feels under – prepared and has to cope with a betrayal, protect the guest and face the monster who brings back memories from her childhood.

This was my first time reading a book writing by Sara Holland and I really liked her writing style. although it was a complex world and there was a lot of information to take in I found the story easy to follow and I really enjoyed it. The cover is beautiful and I’m definitely going to buy a printed version of the book when it comes out on March 3th!

4 ★★★★

I was drawn to this book because a) THAT COVER! and b) the description sounded amazing. So I definitely had high expectations going in - hoping for something amazing. And I wasn't disappointed, Havenfall provided a much needed fresh world and story in YA Fantasy.

Havenfall is based in a magical inn, nestled in the mountains of Colorado. It is the gateway to other worlds, and a place of peace where people from all worlds can come together and find safety. Maddie's uncle is the innkeeper, and one day she will follow in his footsteps and run the inn herself. But when the door to a dangerous world, sealed a long time ago for everyones safety, is opened, leadership is thrust upon Maddie and she is faced with challenges she feels unprepared to handle. We join Maddie as she unravels the mysteries of the present and of her own past.

I really loved that concept of this book - the idea that the inn was the gateway to other worlds/realms/universes. It felt fresh and different to a lot of YA Fantasy I've read recently. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me interested and the ending wasn't a cliffhanger, but still kept things open for future books. However, the pacing in parts was slow and was filled with a lot of dialogue and descriptions. Whilst I enjoy some good world building, it was sometimes prioritised over pushing forward with the plot. This didn't stop me from enjoying the book overall, and I'm definitely excited to see what the next instalment brings. I think there is a lot of scope for where the story could go, and I'm hoping we get to learn more about the other worlds.

Maddie was an enjoyable and realistic character. She spent much of this book fighting the limitations she believed she had, and that were put on her by others. This was her journey of discovering the strength inside of herself, and her own abilities to lead. She doubts herself a lot, and constantly believes her own gut instincts are wrong. I live for character flaws, and even more for watching a character overcome their flaws.

I wish we could have seen more of her relationship with Brekken, because whilst we witness her relationship grow with Taya, we are only told that she does/did have a strong relationship with Brekken, but we don't actually get to experience much of it for ourselves which prevented me from feeling invested.

Overall, Havenfall was highly enjoyable and so interesting. I can't wait to read more and sink my teeth deeper in to this intriguing world Sara Holland has built. I haven't actually read any of her other books (despite them sitting on my book shelf) so I will definitely be finding the time soon to read them!

Thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Read the first two chapters and it got me completely hooked. Can't wait to read the rest of it. Haven't read her first book yet but now I'm changing my mind and it's probably going to be the next one on my list.

Sara Holland's debut, Everless, was a huge surprise for me as I really enjoyed it. While this was only an excerpt, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read more.

The premise of the book is fantastic (as is the cover) - a hotel in the mountains that stands guard over the doorways to other worlds & acts as a neutral zone for the different people to meet, trade & gossip.
The Innkeeper plays an important role in maintaining neutrality between the different worlds, settling disputes and also protecting our non-magical world from anything that might slip through.
The main character, Maddie, hopes to inherit the role of Innkeeper from her uncle. When her uncle is incapacitated she gets her wish a little earlier than expected and then has to deal with a monster on the loose & the threat of war between the worlds.

In general, I enjoyed this story. It had an great premise, a range of interesting & complex characters - all seemingly with secrets or hidden agendas, a mystery to solve. The location is beautifully described and makes you want to go off into the mountains in the hope of finding a magical hotel hidden there.
But the main character was fairly useless and kept repeating that she trusted the wrong people whilst simultaneously trusting everything anyone tells her.
We also never get to visit the other worlds, with all the action taking place in and around the hotel in our world. The confines of this book, with the promise of expansion in the next, makes it feel like a prolonged prologue - the speed with which I whizzed through it probably didn't help with this feeling.
Overall, an intriguing set up with lots of potential.

I absolutely loved this book! Beautifully written! I can’t wait to see more from this fantastic author.

I would like to thank Bloomsbury Publishing Plc & Sara Holland for my copy of the ARC. Due to this kind gesture, I have decided to leave an honest review.
I absolutely adored Everless so when I was approved for a copy of Havenfall, I got giddy with excitement! I love the way Sara writes and she manages to catch my attention at the start of her books which is really important for me as I tend to lose interest if it doesn't. I struggled with my rating here but I have settled on a modest 3.5 stars!

When all the whispers of the town are directed towards you, it gets lonely trying to escape them but Maddie manages to keep it together because every Summer for 3 months, she gets to escape to the most amazing place ever.. Havenfall. Maddie's uncle Marcus owns an Inn deep in the mountains of Colorado, but it isn't just any old inn of course. Its a place where worlds connect, mingle, trade, but what if the peace is disturbed? Can Maddie help be the new Innkeeper? or will Havenfall.. fall.

I have fell in love with this new series! We have new worlds that absolutely intrigue me. Fiordenkill, a world encased in ice and forst, where animals are big, colourful an beautiful. Palaces of packed snow under amazing auroras and stars. Byrn, a world in ruins of sweltering heat and bad storms due to magic. Their King has built an Oasis behind walls to keep it safe from the storms, but if you live within the walls you can no longer use your magic, except the nomads. Solaria, a tiny seled off world that no one knows hardly anything about. Shapeshifters with advanced technology where mythology surrounding vampires, djinni and demons began. All under a blazing sky. Now tell me whats not to love about this?!


The plot was pretty good, but a little slow. Did you kinda know what was going to happen? A little... but Sara did put in twist an turns that had you second guessing yourself. I have fell in love with the worlds, the reason I haven't given the book any higher than 3.5 stars was due to it only being in the Inn. I seriously hope we get to explore them in the next book.

I did like our characters, even the bad guy! We had our leading lady Maddie, her uncle Marcus and his husband Graylin. Willow and the mysterious Silver Prince. Taya and of course The Heiress. Lastly, our handsome Brekken! I didn't really connect to any of our characters but at the last length of the book I started to a little place in my heart for Taya. Also, I loved our bad guy, like seriously.. I hope he lives up to it.

All in all its worth the reading, I feel it leans into the more younger YA readers but it is still enoyable!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "Havenfall: by Sara Holland. I was disappointed to find out that I only had an excerpt of this book! I was completely intrigued and devoured the little bit of this book that I did have. Maddie Morrow is a very interesting main character. I would love to see where the rest of her story takes her.


Update: I did re-download the book and somehow, I have the full version now. Full review of the book to come!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

UGH, I got the tiny version again and not the whole book? Complete sadness. Even though I did completely enjoy re-reading this little extract again. My heart is just a teeny tiny bit broken because I thought I finally got the gigantic full book. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

I wish Maddie luck on her adventure.. and maybe next month I will be able to purchase and read the full book. Maybe.