I freaking loved this book! I haven't been freaked out by a story in a very long time and then, along came this gem. I literally couldn't read this at night because I was constantly looking over my shoulder. The descriptive detail was done so amazingly that it took no effort at all to insert myself right into the story.

Annaleigh is one of 12 sisters. It's rumored that her family is cursed because her sisters are dying off one by one in strange "accidents". When she gets information that leads her to think that maybe they weren't accidents at all, she enters into a world of magic and ancient gods. A world where she quickly learns that nothing is what it seems and can she really trust anyone?

I really enjoyed all of the relationships, especially between the all of the sisters and then the one between the girls and their father. They would do anything for each other, and their interactions felt real and didn't leave me thinking "yea, that's reaching a little". I hate when relationships in stories aren't believable because then you end up not caring one flip about the characters and that ruins a book! No need to worry about that here.

This was definitely a page turner for me and I can't wait to see what Erin Craig comes out with next!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Erin A. Craig, and Random House Children's for the opportunity to read House of Salt and Sorrows in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, an absolutely charming and exquisite debut novel! What a talent for writing that already has me intrigued as to what Craig will craft next!

Inspired by "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," House of Salt and Sorrows is told from the first-person perspective of Annaleigh Thaumas, one of twelve daughters to Ortun, Duke of Highmoor, a glorious manor by the sea. The catch is, Annaleigh creeps closer and closer to becoming the heir, because her sisters keep dying. The locals call it the Thaumas curse, and the daughters can't help but feel lost hope, seeing the constant death as a curse themselves. The novel opens with the funeral of Eulalie, but Ava, Elizabeth, and Octavia have already been lost, leaving eight of the twelve sisters still alive.

To top things off, their mother died after giving birth to their youngest, and Ortun has a new wife, already pregnant with hopes her child will be a son to inherit Highmoor instead of the current eldest daughter, Camille. On the islands, though, daughters can inherit, no questions asked. 

I love the gentile political aspect of this novel as well as the mystery of the sister's deaths, for Annaleigh begins digging around and very shortly suspects that her sisters were murdered.

But the sisters have mourned for a year after the death's of each of their siblings, putting their lives on hold to mourn as society dictates. When the girls decide to host a ball and move on with their lives days after Eulalie is sent to the salt, they finally learn the joys of dancing and parties. As Annaleigh seeks the truth of her sister's deaths, she learns of a myth that the sea god Pontus uses a doorway to travel anywhere instantly. She makes a game out of this for her sister's, but when they actually find this doorway, they use it to go to balls across the land, dancing through pairs and pairs of shoes. But some sort of strangeness beyond mortal comprehension is behind everything.

As much as I want to say more and could go on and on about Annaleigh, I cannot, or the allure of reading this whimsical book will be lost. A few things to note: the cover is absolutely gorgeous. Brilliantly well-done to give off both a haunting allure, but also filled with high-class. Also, the name Annaleigh is similar to Poe's Annabel Lee. Coincidence? I thought the connection was fun and creepy, very fitting for this novel full of murder by the sea.

A book I would highly recommend to teen readers, those who love a good mystery with an otherworldly twist, lovers of retellings, or even Jane Austen fans (a vibe I personally felt with this novel and loved).

One of the best book releases of 2019!

(Book teasers trailer from Underlined embedded into blog post).

Holy snap! This book was such a surprise! I loved this gothic, and morbid retelling. The world building was lush and was written in a way that laid out this eerie tale. The characters were fantastic and felt fully developed even with so many people involved. I think it should be noted that this book can be a little detailed in gore and actually may have TW for suicide and violence.

This was a strange mix of mystery, magical realism, and ditsy romance. Overall the story was unique and engaging. I definitely stayed intrigued by what was happening and wanted to know how it all turned out. It was also a little scary at times which I loved. It took a turn I didn’t expect and left me with a few questions at the end. The plot was kind of spliced for me. Integral parts of the story felt randomly added or that they were an afterthought to move the plot along. I also got a little confused with the characters because there’s so many of them. The main character refers to some as The Graces and I thought it was the set of triplets in the family but then, halfway through the story it seemed to shift and it was another set of girls. The writing kind of reminded me of a romance novel where the women are really ditsy. One of the sisters is rather annoying in her selfishness and I could have done without it. Also, we didn’t find out what happened to some of the sisters which I wanted to know for sure. Definitely will recommend this book to patrons who want an easy read around Halloween.

This book is beautifully dark and original! I am definitely going to keep an eye on Erin A. Craig from now on, because this book, her debut, has really impressed me.

Fans of the Gothic? I got you. Fans of mythology? I got you. Fans of psychological novels? I got you. Apparently, this novel is based on "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" fairy tale. I have not read it, but it would not surprise me at all, because nobody can deny that House of Salt and Sorrows has some enchanting/creepy vibes.going on there.

The characters in this novel are magnificent. Twelve sisters that are misteriously dying, a suspicious stepmother, and a handsome foreigner that seems to arrive just when Highmore is in total chaos. I am going to tell you something: little girls are the epitome of horror stories. I would not say this book is purely a horror book, since it also has fantasy and romance touches; however, it is consistently spooky and I loved that.

Craig's writing is so delicate and poignant I could not believe it.. She plays with very complex concepts, such as grief, madness or naivety (all of them pretty Gothic, as you can see) and she incorporates them perfectly into her plot. Twelve cursed sisters that live in an isolated and superstitious island? This book was calling me, not to mention that the title and the cover are gorgeous.

The only thing that I did not like was the romantic component. It was too subtle for me; I wish there had been more escenes between the couple to actually make me feel that they were not merely infatuated with the idea of love. But, again, that is also very typical of Gothic novels, so it did not bother me too much. I was not expecting such a dreamy ending, to be honest, but I liked it. You have to give this book a try!

This one is SO atmospheric and spooky! The 12 Dancing Princess is one of my most FAVORITE fairy tales from childhood, and so many people have never heard of it, so I'm SO excited that it's getting some attention now with this masterful retelling! Part ghost story, part murder mystery, part romance, this book is 100% incredible writing, and it gets DARK. Erin A. Craig hold no punches, there is plenty of death and gore, suicide and blood. It starts off a little sad and spooky, but it gets haunting fast and each page builds upon the last one and it gets darker and darker and darker until the shocking conclusion. If you aren't hooked at the beginning, just keep going--if you aren't in it for the atmosphere and the 12 Dancing Princesses retelling, the action really starts about 1/3 of the way through!

For those of you who know me, you know that I love myself a good mystery!

Annaleigh was once one of many, but death has come to her sisters in line of succession. Known as being “cursed” by neighboring families, the girls find themselves struggling to find suitors.

Suddenly seeing the ghosts of her dead sisters, Annaleigh starts to believe the deaths of her sisters was no accident, but pre-determined.

When a friendly person starts to help Annaleigh uncover the mysteries behind her sister’s deaths, danger lurks closer than ever before. Will she figure out the mystery behind her sister’s deaths before she is next?

“It shouldn’t matter what your parents did, just what you do as a person.”

Craig introduces readers to a place where ghosts roam freely, death could be the next step you take, and nothing is truly as it appears. The author does a great job of creating the creepy murder mystery atmosphere, but adds a touch of paranormal into the picture.

Erin A. Craig’s new book “House of Salt and Sorrows” is one of my favorite books releasing in 2019. Craig’s book has mysterious twists and turns, along with love and magic. Her character development was detailed and enjoyable to read about. I have added this book to “must read again” list.

Thank you NetGalley for access to a early copy of Erin A. Craig’s new book the House of Salt and Sorrows for honest feedback.

Thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte for an advanced e-copy in exchange for a review!
What pulled me to this book a few months ago was the cover and the summary. The cover is gorgeous (!) and that description made me what to know what the heck was happening to these sisters by the sea. The book that I read was full of mystery, ghosts, suspense, and a romance that was actually adorable. Once I found that this was actually a retelling, I was super interested in the original and y’all, Craig does a GREAT job of creating her own story.
House of Salt and Sorrows follows the Thaumas sisters: there used to be twelve of them, but the eldest four have died by more and more tragic circumstances. Annaleigh truly thinks her most recent sister’s death was not an accident, but a murder. While she explores the circumstances of her sister’s death, the rest of the girls find a door that leads them to wherever they can think and that allows them to attend balls where no one thinks they’re cursed. As the girls begin to dance the night away, Annaleigh joins them, but soon isn’t sure if they’re something that they should attend. As her youngest sister begins to draw Annaleigh along with her dead sisters in a gruesome death, Annaleigh begins to see these ghosts, believing that they’re leading her to their killer or that she’s going mad. When she runs into a mysterious stranger in town, she hopes to find out what is going on soon as this stranger has secrets of his own that may or may not be connected. What follows is a story that keeps you on the edge, is full of twists, and may or may not have scared me out of my wits.
I’m not really one for scary stories, ghost stories, or horror stories (granted I’ve read a decent few like this in the past few months). Craig did an excellent job of keeping it high with the ghostly-horror-thriller vibe and pulled it off well. I was absolutely drawn into the story and as Annaleigh got deeper into the mystery, the more I couldn’t stop reading. This story is well-paced, well written, and well thought out.
I loved seeing the development that Annaleigh goes through in dealing with everything that happens in this book. As she’s the main character, we really see most of what happens through her eyes. Seeing her piece together everything that was happening was really well done. She absolutely was truly one of my favorite things about this book. Her journey in this book of grief was one that I could definitely read over and over again. I also really like the relationship that develops between her and Cassius. Based on the understanding that the eldest becomes the inheritor of the estate, Annaleigh is super surprised when Cassius has an interest in her as most people pursue her in the hope that the curse is real and she’ll soon be the inheritor of the estate. But, Cassius is unlike any of the men she’s met before and truly, he’s also probably one of my favorite character arcs included in this story. He truly cares for Annaleigh and becomes a huge part of this story.
House of Salt and Sorrows really hope is one that you’ll consider picking up. This is a perfect end of summer/beginning of fall read. It’s got the ocean feel of summer and the ghost feel of fall. Truly, this book is one to look out for!

"After so many years of staid blacks and tepid behaviors, the balls were invigorating. Intoxicating."

*ARC provided via NetGalley for an honest review*

I wish I loved this book more because Erin A. Craig has such beautiful writing and created an eerily gorgeous atmosphere.

SUMMARY
*A 12 dancing princesses retelling*
Four of Annaleigh's elder sisters are dead.
The Thamus Sister's were once revered throughout the kingdom, but with each subsequent death the town begins to wonder if the family has become cursed. However Annaleigh begins to question whether these deaths truly were accidents, of if there is a darker truth to it all. As Annaleigh begins to investigate, she and her sister's get caught up in a game of balls through a magical mirror. But as each night of dancing gets longer, and her sister's grow more and more tired. When a handsome stranger comes into play, Annaleigh begins to question everyone around her and unveils sinister forces at play.

REVIEW
Let me start with what I enjoyed about this book - the world building. It was phenomenal. Erin A. Craig has such lyrical writing and you can vividly imagine every image she paints with her words. The gowns and the balls came alive in the way that the wrote them. I also think that she managed to create a creepy atmosphere without losing the enchantment of the world she fabricated. It was a perfected blend.

While I think that the ending felt very rushed and quite messy, I did enjoy how Craig made me question the plot alongside Annaleigh. I was wondering how much of the story was real and what wasn't. Had I been wrong the whole time or right?

Sadly, the characters all fell flat for me. I am someone who needs strong characters, and this book did not have that. I never cared much for the sisters and found myself sometimes getting confused between who was who. There was just too much going on at times and it hindered my enjoyment. Furthermore, there was no depth or character development. I think that the sister's had so much lost potential.

Also, I did not find this book nearly as creepy as I hoped to. I don't know if it is because I am accustomed to reading thrillers, but the eerie aspects of this novel did not hit the mark for me. I thought that they created a whimsical and spooky atmosphere, but it did not do anything to move my emotions.

Furthermore, I normally do not mind insta-love, and more often than not I love it - but I had a lot of trouble getting behind it in this case. The relationship between Annaleigh and Cassius started out as a purely physical attraction and they never really seemed to grow from there. I think my favourite moment of this book was when Cassius brought Annaleigh to this specific magical place, but even then it did not build up the romance the extent that I needed. I just found it very "meh" and I wasn't squealing to support them like I do with most romances.

Overall, if you enjoy retellings and books with an eerie and enchanting atmosphere - still consider this book. Just because I did not love it, does not mean you wont.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
I love retellings and when I was in high school, they were there, but not as popular as they are today. The ones I would read is the 12 dancing princesses, so I’m use to this retelling.
This, however, is very original for a retelling. It has grit, twists, and darkness to it. I love Annaleigh’s narrative and the fact that it is hard to figure out what is actually real or not. There is a mystery as well. Who is killing the sisters off one by one? Is it someone close to them or could it be magic?
I docked it a half star since I guessed a small piece of the story, but other then that it was an amazing story that keeps you gripped.

Thank You Erin Craig for hosting a Giveaway of your AMAZING book. All opinions are my own.

I give this book five stars.

I don’t even know where to start. I just finished this book moments ago, and I cannot wrap my head around it, or put into words how much I loved it.

I love that this book was both dark and light. But a lot heavier on the darker side. I do recall reading The Twelve Dancing Princesses growing up, and I remember watching a Barbie movie with my daughter when she was growing up, so I could appreciated this this dark, sinister retelling.

Craig gutted me a few times throughout this book, there are some deaths that really just pulled at my heartstrings. (Sidenote, I won an annotated copy, so I know that certain scenes really hurt the Author to write too)

The character development was spot on for me too, Annaleigh, Verity, and Cassius were among my favorite. I loved the details in the world that Craig built, it was so vivid, and imaginative, and another thing, the names of the characters and the villages were simple, and realistic. Nothing crazy, absurd, or hard to pronounce. (Which is a huge pet peeve for me in Fantasy books)

The last few chapters of this book wrecked me. When everything in this story wrapped up, and all my questions were answered, I was left with one thought. “I need more”

A very strange retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. You don't know what is real and what is a nightmare. Annaleigh must figure out why her sisters keep dying and what is causing the bizarre happenings in her home.

All I can say is WOW.

This book gave me serious Crimson Peak vibes and I loved every second of it. For a story that begins with a funeral, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm not much for things that are scary, but this had just enough creep factor to it that kept me interested but not hiding under the covers.

I won't give anything away because honestly, you need to read this book, but I will say that it plays tricks with your mind and that's just some brilliant writing.

I am a huge fan of fairytales and retellings and I was disappointed that I had never read the 12 Dancing Princesses beforehand. Obviously, that is now very high on my to-do list.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I understand some reviews that say there was a lull that made them uninterested or put it down--but trust me, you want to get to the end! Every single thing the book does or says leads to the mind-boggling ending that you truly can't miss out on.

This is me, waiting not-so-patiently for a book two so I can get more of my favorite characters.

Short and Sweet

Annaleigh lives at Highmoor a manor by the sea. Once it was filled with her 12 sisters but four of them have died and each death was more tragic than the last. When Annaleigh starts seeing the ghosts of her dead sisters, she starts to believe that their deaths weren't accidents and something more suspicious is at play. The rest of Annaleigh's sister sneak out at night to go balls and dance the night away, and Annaleigh doesn't know whether to join them or stop them.

Characters

Annaleigh: Our main character. I really liked Annaleigh she was more cautious than her sisters and always suspected that something was off even while they were out having fun. She cared about her sisters and was always trying to keep them safe, all while trying to figure out if her other sisters were murdered or not.

Camille: Camille is the oldest Thaumas sister, and she'll eventually inherit everything. Camille was more uptight about everything but she loved going to the balls and dancing. Annaleigh and Camille are close and I'm glad that when it came down to it Camille believed and trusted Annaleigh.

Fisher: Fisher is a friend from childhood who comes to visit and stay with the family. Fisher was a love interest for Annaleigh and he usually protected the sisters when they went into town.

Cassius: Cassius is someone Annaleigh meets while in town, and she tends to bump into him a lot. Cassius was mysterious and he did have a few secrets he was keeping so you never know if you can trust him or not.

Romance

Annaleigh and Fisher: Fisher is a childhood friend and there was a few moments when he would get jealous when Annaleigh would talk to Cassius. In the end I think Fisher was more of a brother figure in Annaleigh's eyes than a romantic interest.

Annaleigh and Cassius: Cassius is mysterious and theres not much of a back story on him. He came to town to take care of his father who is sick and ends up meeting Annaleigh. I really liked these two together. Cassius would try to soothe Annaleigh, and helped her during a time when no one else would.

Quotes

~"Just push me into the sea and return me to the Salt."

My Thoughts

~ The Thaumas twelve is now down to eight. Every surrounding village believes that there is a curse on the family and some people even avoid being around them.

~ The family usually mourns for six months but Morella, the girls stepmother believes that they should cut the mourning short to celebrate her pregnancy along with the triplets 16th birthday.

~ The book does start slow but things start to pick up around the 30% mark.

~ Annaleigh seemed to be the only sister that thought there was foul play in the deaths of her older sisters. But Annaleigh wasn't the only one that could see the ghost of her dead sisters, her youngest sister Verity could see them too.

~ I liked the relationship between Annaleigh a Verity, Annaleigh always looked out for Verity and tried to make sure she was okay. Annaleigh also worried when Verity started sketching pictures of their dead sisters.

~ The visions of the ghosts Annaleigh would see were creepy. I was worried for Annaleigh that something may happen but she was fine.

~ I thought that Annaleigh looking for clues and following her gut feeling was great. She knew something wasn't right and she kept going even when everyone doubted her.

~ The ending was perfect and everything was wrapped up well.

~ This is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, which is a story about twelve sisters who go out dancing every night and their dance shoes become worn out. Their father who is perplexed at this offers anyone who can figure out what the girls are doing their pick at which girl they want to marry.

Overall

I thought this book was great. I liked that there was a little bit of mystery along with the fact that this is a fairytale retelling that had its own spin. This was a great debut novel and I would definitely recommend it to those looking for a retelling with a chilling spin to it!

Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. Torn between 2.5/5 and 3/5 so I will just round up. I did enjoy the dark moments throughout and the retelling aspect, but I felt like at the same time this book took foreverrrr and nothing much happened. 🤷🏻‍♀️ That’s just my opinion. The creepy atmosphere and the family being cursed was all interesting, but the overall mystery was just okay as was the romance and the characters so I just feel okay about this book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy for an honest review!

"Get swept away in Erin A. Craig's mesmerizing House of Salt and Sorrows. As one by one her beautiful sisters mysteriously die on their isolated island estate, Annaleigh must unravel the curse that haunts her family. Be careful who you dance with....

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last - the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge - and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister's deaths were no accidents. The girls have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who - or what - are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family - before it claims her next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a spellbinding novel filled with magic and the rustle of gossamer skirts down long, dark hallways. Get ready to be swept away."

A dark and disturbing take on The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Take a classic fairy tale put it in a bottle, shake it all up and add a dash of darkness that makes it all seem new and fresh. Pour it out into a make believe world and you have one heck of a story that will leave you mesmerized and wanting more.

A story so lush in detail, mystery, the paranormal, and imagination, that it truly feels like a unique original story that isn't only enchanting but completely addicting.

With hints of the classic that feel like a long lost friend, House of Salt and Sorrows will completely take you away to not only another world but into a whole other state of mind.

Curses, deceit, enchantments, love, horror, ghosts, demons, and gods, it truly has a little bit of it all and I just couldn't get enough.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig is a book I had my eye on ever since I saw the cover. I know the saying but don’t judge me…I love a pretty cover! All of that aside, the book was great so in this case, I feel justified.

Annaleigh is the main character and she lives at Highmoor, a fairly isolated manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and their stepmother. At one time she had twelve sisters but through a number of tragedies, four of Annaleigh’s sisters are dead and there are rumors that their family is cursed. As Annaleigh digs into the death of her sister who died most recently, she begins to believe the deaths are not accidents.

There are a number of things going on in this story that really helped to keep things moving and although it may seem they aren’t connected to the main story of the deaths, think again. As the family has been mourning for a very long time, there is a sense of loss, not only for the sisters, but for everything else the girls would like in their lives. They want to be able to go to parties, meet boys, and wear clothes that are not for mourning. When their stepmother takes the opportunity to announce her pregnancy (tackily at the most recent wake), everyone begins to argue that they should be celebrating, and it’s decided that the family will have a party in honor of the twins’ birthday. Annaleigh pushes back a little and I thought she would have stuck to her guns a bit more (even with her father pushing her along) but eventually she joins in and follows the lead of her sisters.

As the party nears, Annaleigh meets a mysterious stranger in town and is immediately drawn to him, but he clearly has some secrets. When the party doesn’t have the outcome the girls were hoping for, they find another way to have fun by going to balls and dancing all night. Annaleigh decides to skip out on this activity after experiencing some disturbing things around the manor, but she also worries that the parties are having a negative effect and taking a toll on her sisters.

I loved how the relationships were addressed in the book. Of course, the sisters are key to the core story, but they had a lot of engagement with their father and stepmother...especially Annaleigh, and it helped to see those interactions and relationships to understand her and her motivations more.

All of these things combine to make an interesting story. I’m clearly not going to tell you all the things here as I don’t want to ruin the mysteries behind it all but there are a number of twists and turns in this book that I wasn’t expecting which made me enjoy it even more. Add to that well-developed characters and writing that sets the stage and atmosphere, and you’ve won me over as a reader!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to add a finished copy to my bookshelves. Based on this story, I will be looking for more books from Erin A. Craig in the future and I recommend you pick this one up when you can.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful and magical story with dynamic characters!

I am so in love with this book! It’s been weeks since I’ve read it yet I still can’t stop obsessing over how amazing it is.

I have been raving to my friends about it in hopes that they’ll pick up a copy for themselves. This book was unforgettable!