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No One Leaves the Castle
The Lilac. The bard songs say that she’s the world’s most fearsome bounty hunter. That there’s no criminal she can’t catch, no mystery she can’t solve.
None of that is true. Yet.
In reality, the Lilac is just a kid, and the bard who wrote all that is her best friend, Dulcinetta. But the Lilac has set her goals on becoming the best bounty hunter in the Thirteen Kingdoms—and when a priceless artifact goes missing from the home of famed monster hunter Baron Angbar, the Lilac and Netta are eager to apprehend the thief and make a name for themselves.
But when their investigation brings them to a dinner party at Castle Angbar, and they meet the Angbar family and their servants and guests—an unsavory group of nobles, mages, and assorted creatures, each more shady than the last—the Lilac begins to wonder if the reward is worth the trouble.
And that’s before the dead body is discovered.
Now everyone is magically sealed inside the castle—and there is a murderer among them. If the Lilac wants to make it out with her reputation intact, it’s going to be up to her to figure out who the killer is. But everyone in the castle—even the Lilac herself—has secrets to hide, and as the walls literally start to close in around them, the Lilac worries that her first job as a bounty hunter may be her last. . . .
None of that is true. Yet.
In reality, the Lilac is just a kid, and the bard who wrote all that is her best friend, Dulcinetta. But the Lilac has set her goals on becoming the best bounty hunter in the Thirteen Kingdoms—and when a priceless artifact goes missing from the home of famed monster hunter Baron Angbar, the Lilac and Netta are eager to apprehend the thief and make a name for themselves.
But when their investigation brings them to a dinner party at Castle Angbar, and they meet the Angbar family and their servants and guests—an unsavory group of nobles, mages, and assorted creatures, each more shady than the last—the Lilac begins to wonder if the reward is worth the trouble.
And that’s before the dead body is discovered.
Now everyone is magically sealed inside the castle—and there is a murderer among them. If the Lilac wants to make it out with her reputation intact, it’s going to be up to her to figure out who the killer is. But everyone in the castle—even the Lilac herself—has secrets to hide, and as the walls literally start to close in around them, the Lilac worries that her first job as a bounty hunter may be her last. . . .
376 pages, Hardcover
First published July 15, 2023
44 people are currently reading
5060 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Healy
18 books479 followersChristopher Healy is the author of the Hero's Guide trilogy (The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle, and The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw), the Perilous Journey of Danger & Mayhem trilogy (A Dastardly Plot, The Treacherous Seas, and The Final Gambit), and This Is Not That Kind of Book. His newest book, No One Leaves the Castle—a fantasy mystery standalone spinoff of the Hero's Guide novels—comes out in August 2023.
Chris lives in New Jersey with his wife, two children, and a dog named Winston Bean. Visit him at ChristopherHealy.com. And visit the Hero's Guide/No One Leaves the Castle universe at TheThirteenKingdoms.com.
Chris lives in New Jersey with his wife, two children, and a dog named Winston Bean. Visit him at ChristopherHealy.com. And visit the Hero's Guide/No One Leaves the Castle universe at TheThirteenKingdoms.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
November 12, 2023
8.29 on CAWPILE.
I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Such a fun time with so many twists and turns. Got me excited to pick up more middle grade again, so I am very thankful to have read this one!
I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Such a fun time with so many twists and turns. Got me excited to pick up more middle grade again, so I am very thankful to have read this one!
May 13, 2023
So much fun! This book will be really enjoyable for fans of magic, whodunnits, Clue, and Knives Out. The narrator's voice is super funny, which adds a lot of character to the book as a whole. It is a page-turner, with enough twists and turns to keep things interesting, and every character is entertaining. I really enjoyed this one!!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this eARC!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this eARC!
March 2, 2023
Christopher Healy makes a welcome return to the setting of his Hero's Guide series, the Thirteen Kingdoms, with something I'd been hoping to see: a book starring Lila. First introduced as the younger sister of one of the Princes Charming, Lila stole the show in the original trilogy, and she's more than capable of helming her own novel. (Or series! Please?) Calling herself "The Lilac," Lila has run away from her frou-frou royal life to make her way as a bounty hunter, accompanied by Dulcinetta, her own personal bard. But things don't go quite according to plan when a theft she's hired to solve turns into a murder...and a wizard has enclosed the entire castle murder scene in a magic (and shrinking) bubble. The story is a nimble pastiche of mystery and fantasy tropes alongside the sort of tongue-in-cheek humor that marked the original trilogy, none of which detracts from the more serious elements or Lila's very real achievements. Technically you don't have to have read the first set of books to enjoy this one (though it does add something), so if you're a fan of the 1985 film "Clue" and/or genre mixing parodies, this is definitely worth ploughing through the slow start for.
February 8, 2023
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
No One Leaves The Castle was honestly better than I expected. Another review was correct in saying it seems similar to the board game Clue in ways!
The book involves some magic, a bounty hunter, a bard, fantasy - and a cast of interesting characters.
The author did a great job with world-building and character development. Some of the characters were so unique and fun to read about.
The storyline was DEFINITELY unique for me. I haven't read anything like this before.
No One Leaves The Castle was honestly better than I expected. Another review was correct in saying it seems similar to the board game Clue in ways!
The book involves some magic, a bounty hunter, a bard, fantasy - and a cast of interesting characters.
The author did a great job with world-building and character development. Some of the characters were so unique and fun to read about.
The storyline was DEFINITELY unique for me. I haven't read anything like this before.
February 26, 2024
Review
No One Leaves the Castle
5 out of 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
First, let’s take a look at all the positives.
1. Great twists!
I barely saw any of these coming. They were shocking and not at all predictable!
2. Strong characters!
The way this is written, I found it easy to relate myself to some of the characters in the book. They seemed very realistic.
3. Intriguing!
Once I began reading, I literally could not put it down. I was always waiting for the moment where I could sit down, relax, and find out what the heck happened next!!! This was a real page turner!
4. Narrator
I really like how the narrator spoke with the reader as well as telling the tale. It gave the book a nice touch.
Not every book is perfect though. I found a few things that negatively impacted this perfect murder mystery tale.
1. Slightly crowded
The book was very good, but with all the twists and turns, there was a little too much going on all at once. Nonetheless, if you are thinking about reading this book, don’t worry about this. It did not affect the overall plot and my enjoyment at all.
2. Slightly underwhelming ending
I read a lot of books, and lately, I have noticed that a lot of endings have been underwhelming and not quite the happy ending I had been hoping for. The ending was dark, yet it wrapped a bow around the story. It did not cause me too much trouble.
Recommendations:
I was so sad when it finished, because it was really a very good book and a page turner. If you are older than 9 or 10, I think you would enjoy reading this book. I know I did. I normally do not read murder mysteries, so this was a nice change and opened my eyes to this new, superb, and interesting genre. Therefore, you have my recommendation to read this book. 👍
No One Leaves the Castle
5 out of 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
First, let’s take a look at all the positives.
1. Great twists!
I barely saw any of these coming. They were shocking and not at all predictable!
2. Strong characters!
The way this is written, I found it easy to relate myself to some of the characters in the book. They seemed very realistic.
3. Intriguing!
Once I began reading, I literally could not put it down. I was always waiting for the moment where I could sit down, relax, and find out what the heck happened next!!! This was a real page turner!
4. Narrator
I really like how the narrator spoke with the reader as well as telling the tale. It gave the book a nice touch.
Not every book is perfect though. I found a few things that negatively impacted this perfect murder mystery tale.
1. Slightly crowded
The book was very good, but with all the twists and turns, there was a little too much going on all at once. Nonetheless, if you are thinking about reading this book, don’t worry about this. It did not affect the overall plot and my enjoyment at all.
2. Slightly underwhelming ending
I read a lot of books, and lately, I have noticed that a lot of endings have been underwhelming and not quite the happy ending I had been hoping for. The ending was dark, yet it wrapped a bow around the story. It did not cause me too much trouble.
Recommendations:
I was so sad when it finished, because it was really a very good book and a page turner. If you are older than 9 or 10, I think you would enjoy reading this book. I know I did. I normally do not read murder mysteries, so this was a nice change and opened my eyes to this new, superb, and interesting genre. Therefore, you have my recommendation to read this book. 👍
January 10, 2024
This book had its moments, but on the whole it’s a significant step down from a lot of the very, very good fiction that has been released for this age group recently.
The bones of the plot are fine, though not really anything new and I found my attention wandering a lot, even during the sections of the book that were clearly meant to be more exciting.
And though some of it really is funny, the book falls victim to something we see less in young reader books these days but that used to be a frequent problem: Obnoxiousness disguised as humor. The jokes in this do hit occasionally, but they’re grating and irritating far more often. I expect that opinion would be less common among kids reading this as a rule, though my own kids agreed that the attempts at humor were disappointing, and they thought the characters were unengaging.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
The bones of the plot are fine, though not really anything new and I found my attention wandering a lot, even during the sections of the book that were clearly meant to be more exciting.
And though some of it really is funny, the book falls victim to something we see less in young reader books these days but that used to be a frequent problem: Obnoxiousness disguised as humor. The jokes in this do hit occasionally, but they’re grating and irritating far more often. I expect that opinion would be less common among kids reading this as a rule, though my own kids agreed that the attempts at humor were disappointing, and they thought the characters were unengaging.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
September 15, 2024
This book is so funny!! 😂
Even though this is my third time reading this it's still Amazing!! 🤩
Now...You guessed it!
Spoiler time!!!
(⚠️🚫⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️🚫⚠️)
I absolutely love everything about this book- it's funny, suspenseful and to top all of that it's a (cue in dramatic pause). Who dunnit!!! It's a mystery book, and it's spectacular ✨
I should probably get to the spoilers now...
Okay, let's get started!
First of all, please do not read this unless you have read the entire book. Because this can spoil Everything for you. 😅
Well, I warned you. 🤫
The very first time I read this, I thought Grimy
was the Murderer. Then, after I read some more, I thought it was Hecatina. I also thought Hecatina was an Assassin, Ha, instead she turned out to be a Gravedigger!! 😂
However, I Never expected it to be Kade!! 😱
(Cue In Second Dramatic Pause).
That part was absolutely unexpected.
But, I loved how this ended!!
How do I put it. 🤔
Ah, it's like when you tie a bow. Wrapped up perfectly.💝😄
Even though this is my third time reading this it's still Amazing!! 🤩
Now...You guessed it!
Spoiler time!!!
(⚠️🚫⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️🚫⚠️)
I absolutely love everything about this book- it's funny, suspenseful and to top all of that it's a (cue in dramatic pause). Who dunnit!!! It's a mystery book, and it's spectacular ✨
I should probably get to the spoilers now...
Okay, let's get started!
First of all, please do not read this unless you have read the entire book. Because this can spoil Everything for you. 😅
Well, I warned you. 🤫
The very first time I read this, I thought Grimy
was the Murderer. Then, after I read some more, I thought it was Hecatina. I also thought Hecatina was an Assassin, Ha, instead she turned out to be a Gravedigger!! 😂
However, I Never expected it to be Kade!! 😱
(Cue In Second Dramatic Pause).
That part was absolutely unexpected.
But, I loved how this ended!!
How do I put it. 🤔
Ah, it's like when you tie a bow. Wrapped up perfectly.💝😄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2023
This is a fun fantasy/mystery middle grade following The Lilac, a fearsome bounty hunter. At least that's who she wants to be. First she has to get people to hire her. Since she's just a kid, that's proving to be more difficult than she thought it would be. With the help of her friend Netta the would be barb, anything is possible.
Being a kid isn't her only obstacle, her true identity must remain a secret.
This was a lot of fun. I loved the characters, and the humor.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
Being a kid isn't her only obstacle, her true identity must remain a secret.
This was a lot of fun. I loved the characters, and the humor.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
May 25, 2024
I might lean towards a 3 1/2 star, but this was a fun, quirky, at times surprising & hilarious in turns.
Magic, murder and mayhem including a runaway princess, secret passages & a satisfying ending.
Magic, murder and mayhem including a runaway princess, secret passages & a satisfying ending.
December 22, 2023
In another mood I may have liked this more, but it was just so busy and hyjinxy that there was little time to care about what was going on.
January 6, 2023
No One Leaves the Castle has a novice bounty hunter The Lilac set to first track down the thief of the missing Emerald Axe of Angbar, which is missing, returned, and missing again. Then there is a murder, which she is now set to solve with her trusty bard (and BFF) by her side Dulcinetta. The Lilac at first a bounty hunter and now a detective will discover the truth no matter what or else No One will Leave the Castle alive.
No One Leaves the Castle is a very cute and deliberately silly mystery for children. It would be hilarious to read this one out loud with the little moments when the narrator speaks directly to the audience. Naturally easy to read and ridiculously ridiculous at times, but fully enjoyable and will no doubt be a hit for its audience.
No One Leaves the Castle is a very cute and deliberately silly mystery for children. It would be hilarious to read this one out loud with the little moments when the narrator speaks directly to the audience. Naturally easy to read and ridiculously ridiculous at times, but fully enjoyable and will no doubt be a hit for its audience.
September 28, 2023
What a fun mystery/ fantasy/ comedy. I laughed out loud so many times! There are some great plot twists I didn't see coming. I might have loved this more than the target audience. This would be a great book to listen to on a long car ride with a family of elementary age kids up to teens. The narrator is really great! And...There might possibly be more books with mysteries for Lilac and her side kick Netta to solve.
nope-dnf
October 24, 2023I just can not do it anymore. DNF15 %.
.
.
.
I am 8% into this book currently and I honestly want to DNF it. I'm not enjoying it so far because it's reading Very, very young. The audio narrator is being a bit dramatic and over the top. Which makes sense for a children's or middle Grade book, but it's making listening to it kind of annoying.
Everyone feels like a caricature...like the whole book is just too over the top.
I'm just not engaged.
.
.
.
I am 8% into this book currently and I honestly want to DNF it. I'm not enjoying it so far because it's reading Very, very young. The audio narrator is being a bit dramatic and over the top. Which makes sense for a children's or middle Grade book, but it's making listening to it kind of annoying.
Everyone feels like a caricature...like the whole book is just too over the top.
I'm just not engaged.
Read
October 30, 2024Very fun, tongue in cheek kind of murder mystery. Some books with this kind of irreverent, breaking the fourth wall kind of humor try a little too hard but this one gets it right. It’s funny, has great characters, and I didn’t guess the culprit. (Though honestly, I never do so take that as you will.) The narrator for the audiobook was excellent. Would recommend for anyone needing a light hearted, entertaining book.
August 26, 2023
this was cute, more an middle grade book nicely written, good flow, some funny parts though i am mostly not a fan of funny with a corpse kind of a person and strong female main character with flaws and real.
February 27, 2024
This was a fun middle grade mystery/fantasy! It's like if a bunch of Dungeons and Dragons characters got put into the board game Clue. The characters were silly and interesting with lots of secrets to be revealed
I did think the middle drug a bit, but the ending was intriguing, revealing a plot twist before twisting again, then again.
I did think the middle drug a bit, but the ending was intriguing, revealing a plot twist before twisting again, then again.
October 16, 2024
While this is probably my least-favorite Healy I've read so far, it was still really very good. It had me fully wheezing with laughter several times, and the amount of money I would pay to see this adapted in an animated fashion is a lot. It's a loose spin-off of the League of Princes books; though only one character carries over, she's one of my faves, so I'm not mad lol
4.5 stars from me!
4.5 stars from me!
January 9, 2024
This book was an amazing mystery full of suspense and surprising turns. I loved all the charioteers and the songs Netta, the bard made. I’m not usually one for mystery’s but this one was good. I hope they make a sequel to follow the lilacs adventures!
September 28, 2024
“No One Leaves the Castle” feels like Dungeons and Dragons meet Agatha Christie. As a fan of Christopher Healy’s series “A Hero’s Guide to Saving the Kingdom” this book was just ok… a good middle grade story, but doesn’t add anything new to the genre. It’s a little forgettable.
January 6, 2024
I loved this! It was so fun and silly and clever. I was chuckling throughout.
The audiobook was exceptionally well done. It really added to the story!
The audiobook was exceptionally well done. It really added to the story!
February 11, 2024
Loads of fun! Great middle grade read.
March 14, 2024
A Terry Pratchett style romp. The mystery isn't really solvable, not least because it is difficult to know what is and isn't possible where magic is involved. But a thrilling and mysterious adventure? Very much so. Great fun.
October 25, 2024
Delightfully chaotic from beginning to end, with some of the most memorable characters that I have read in a while!
June 7, 2025
3.5 rounded down to 3 out of 5 stars.
November 16, 2022
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think the dinner and the murder vibe it has absolutely sold me. I felt like I was reading a new rendition of Clue and it completely gave that nail-biter "Who did it?" twist and turn. It doesn't have many reviews yet so I'll wait before giving any spoilers in my review!
I think the dinner and the murder vibe it has absolutely sold me. I felt like I was reading a new rendition of Clue and it completely gave that nail-biter "Who did it?" twist and turn. It doesn't have many reviews yet so I'll wait before giving any spoilers in my review!
January 1, 2024
My kids and I are major Christopher Healy fans, so we were excited to read his newest story together. What a fun surprise when we discovered it was set in the Thirteen Kingdoms, home of the League of Princes Charming!
June 9, 2024
3.75 stars
December 2, 2024
I certainly would not mind if this became an ongoing series.
October 9, 2025
This book is definitely for someone, but I'm not that someone. It was basically a flip book of reveals. Every chapter is a new gotcha moment. The characters you want to like, eventually become likable, but I liked that journey for them. I found this book a little exhausting, but I know it has an audience out there.
September 7, 2023
A cautious 4.
I loved revisiting Healy's fictional world from The League Of Princes series. The humorous tone was there, the sly poking fun at convention returned, and the varied cast of characters were fun to get to know. It was a wise choice to begin with a new main character, though a reference to her brother would have been a nice touch(He was conveniently ignored).
It felt a bit long once or twice (especially the flashbacks). And they couldn't let one man be good enough to be good? But if he writes a sequel I would love to give it a chance.
I loved revisiting Healy's fictional world from The League Of Princes series. The humorous tone was there, the sly poking fun at convention returned, and the varied cast of characters were fun to get to know. It was a wise choice to begin with a new main character, though a reference to her brother would have been a nice touch(He was conveniently ignored).
It felt a bit long once or twice (especially the flashbacks). And they couldn't let one man be good enough to be good? But if he writes a sequel I would love to give it a chance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews