Havenfall by Sara Holland ~ 320 pages ~ to be published 3/3/20 by Bloomsbury YA

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

A safe haven between four realms. The girl sworn to protect it–at any cost.

Hidden deep in the mountains of Colorado lies the Inn at Havenfall, a sanctuary that connects ancient worlds–each with their own magic–together. For generations, the inn has protected all who seek refuge within its walls, and any who disrupt the peace can never return.

For Maddie Morrow, summers at the inn are more than a chance to experience this magic first-hand. Havenfall is an escape from reality, where her mother sits on death row accused of murdering Maddie’s brother. It’s where Maddie fell in love with handsome Fiorden soldier Brekken. And it’s where one day she hopes to inherit the role of Innkeeper from her beloved uncle.

But this summer, the impossible happens–a dead body is found, shattering everything the inn stands for. With Brekken missing, her uncle gravely injured, and a dangerous creature on the loose, Maddie suddenly finds herself responsible for the safety of everyone in Havenfall. She’ll do anything to uncover the truth, even if it means working together with an alluring new staffer Taya, who seems to know more than she’s letting on. As dark secrets are revealed about the inn itself, one thing becomes clear to Maddie–no one can be trusted, and no one is safe . . .

 

What I Thought:

*I received this book for free from Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.* 

After reading and loving Sara Holland’s first series, Everless, I had high hopes for her newest book. I feel like my expectations were met, and I am excited to see where she takes the world of Havenfall in the future.

First, I really loved the world building in this book. The concept of having multiple worlds that all converge in the basement of an inn in Colorado was such a fun concept. And the fact that it is a safe space, where anyone can meet with someone from another world in peace is a really great place to begin this series. I love that the inn of Havenfall itself is a little magical, even though Earth itself isn’t. We don’t learn a ton about the worlds of Fiordenkill, Byrn, and Solaria, but I’m hopeful that we will find out more about them in future books.

Our main character, Maddie, was quite believable as a teenage girl that is suddenly thrust into a position of power. She laments a lot about not getting to just laze away her summer, and that was absolutely believable to me. What 16 year old wants to be put in charge of delicate political talks? I certainly wouldn’t have! At the same time, it was cool to get to watch her mature and grow as the story went along. Her relationships with Brekken and Taya were fun, and I still don’t know who I want her to end up with. 😉

This book really kept me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t know who to trust for a vast majority of the book. It was kind of fun, but I wished that there was at least one person that she absolutely knew she could trust (my poor little heart was just having a hard time with that). The fact that it was a fantasy but also a little bit of a mystery was a fun surprise though.

Overall, I think this is a great start to what I hope will be a great series! I definitely want to see what Holland has in store for the future of Haven, Fiordenkill, Byrn and Solaria!

 

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I gave Havenfall 4 STARS! If you like fantasy with some mystery and the smallest hint of LGBT romance, you will like this book. 🙂

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Are you interested in learning more about this book? Check out the links below! 

Sara Holland’s Website

Sara Holland’s Twitter

Havenfall on Goodreads

Pre-order Havenfall from BN.com

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Do you think you will pick up Havenfall? Have you read Sara Holland’s Everless series? Are you a fan of fantasy that has some mystery involved? Let’s talk in the comments! 

 

Love and happy reading,