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!

This is a fun retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princess mixed in with some Greek inspired gods. The main character was interesting and the unreliable narrator’s aspect added intrigue. Some people in reviews seem to have found it creepy but the deaths were not detailed, and I didn’t feel as attached to some characters so that it did not affect me much. The ending felt rushed and the love triangle was unnecessary. However, I enjoyed the book and look forward to more from this author.

With a description so Gothic and a cover that is achingly beautiful, I was excited to read House of Salt and Sorrows, by Erin A. Craig. I was really impressed by the world-building, characters, and story. There was plenty of Gothic horror that was very creepy, making this a fun book to read.

What I Liked:
World-Building:

The author did a wonderful job introducing the reader to the culture and society of the fictional Salann Islands. There is a complicated religion with gods and demons that, at times, appear and mix with humans. There are nobility kind of like in Europe, with the oldest offspring (not just men) inheriting and titles and property. Most pertinent to the story, there are many rituals that happen when a family member dies.

I also love the detailed descriptions of the clothes the characters wore (which did become important in the story). All of these details create a complex, satisfying world for the reader to immerse themselves in.

Characters:

Annaleigh and her many sisters have a life of sorrow. One by one, her siblings are dying. I found myself rooting for Annaleigh. She is so full of love for her sisters, and has compassion for everyone, even her very young step-mother. But she is also no pushover. She could go toe-to-toe with anyone trying to push their will on her. I also like that she was a Gothic Nancy Drew, questioning the string of deaths.

Story:

The story had some truly creepy moments with twists and turns I didn't see coming. I loved that certain moods in the story were tied to the weather (storms are NEVER a good sign in this novel). There was plenty of suspense that made this book a page-turner.

What I Was Mixed About:
Ending:

The ending was a bit too tidy for my taste. Given how suspenseful the story was I was surprised... Sorry I can't get too specific, but I hate putting spoilers in a review.

Give me a good re-telling any day. And when you give me a re-telling of one of my favorite stories as a child, The Twelve Princesses, then you have me hooked. Welcome to my shelf House of Salt and Sorrows. House of Salt and Sorrows is an eerie re-telling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. If you're familiar with the original, it's a story of sisters who love to dance all night, a quest to figure out what is happening to their shoes, and a story of family. But what Craig has done is not only add a gruesome and creepy atmosphere to the story, but root the story firmly in sisterhood, family, and the importance of knowing nothing is as it seems.

There were so many times while reading where I thought, "Am I going to be able to sleep at night?" Well the answer was yes, but it was difficult. That being said, I have a pretty low tolerance for scare factor and anything with ghosts or psychological scare will terrify me. So Craig, you got me. But if you're anything like me, just know that House of Salt and Sorrows will keep you on the edge of your seat and it is entirely worth it.

3.5 STARS


CW: loss of a loved one, suicide, body horror, animal death, self-harm, gore, graphic childbirth scene

It's always strange to read a book that wows me in some ways and completely misses in others, House of Salt and Sorrows being one of these odd books. I went in not entirely sure what to think in terms of genre (really, it's a blend of fantasy and murder mystery at its core), and knowing only that it's a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

I'll admit that made me nervous. I'm not always a huge fan of retellings.

BUT, in a lot of ways, HoSaS went above and beyond expectations, leaving me pretty happy with the results. I'll also have to keep an eye on the author, because if this is only her debut, I suspect her future projects might be even better than this. Hopefully, it's only up from here! 

Anyway, for those who aren't really familiar with HoSaS yet, it follows Annaleigh (this name feels like an "Annabel Lee" Poe reference to me) in the wake of her sisters' deaths, as she tries to figure out what's plaguing the House of Thaumas, slowly cutting its way through the twelve sisters. Along the way, there is, of course, dancing in beautiful slippers, a competition to find out how the girls are going through so many shoes so quickly, and a fair dose of unsettling gothic horror, like a six-year-old drawing graphic pictures of her dead sisters, and ghosts wandering the manor halls. Overall, it's incredibly atmospheric, and you really get the proper sense of being stuck in a gloomy, salt-stained mansion by the sea. It's possibly the book's greatest strength.

Another thing I really appreciated, though, was that this is almost more of a murder mystery with a dash of fantasy, rather than fantasy with a dash of murder mystery. Annaleigh is determined not to let her sisters' deaths go unanswered for, even when everyone around her is certain it's the result of some mysterious curse. She digs in spite of everything, and I really enjoyed how she seemed to come close and then fall away again more than once. The mystery didn't feel too easy to piece together, but it didn't feel impossible.

Mostly. There was some fantasy meddling that appeared WAY TOO LATE to be satisfying (it should have been on my radar sooner if it was going to be part of a big, sweeping solution), and that fantasy meddling had the unpleasant side effect of suggesting Annaleigh, and by extension the reader, can't trust anyone or anything already discovered, that it could all be a lie. Which undermines, I think, a ton of the work already put into setting the solution up.

Additionally, the romance just held no value for me. Probably the number one complaint you've seen from me if you've been reading Words Gremlin reviews for any length of time, but I mean it, I really do. The LI was flat and uninteresting, and mostly just had some convenient magical happenings that made him both and ally and suspect without giving him any real death. He's mostly there to explain the fantasy aspects Annaleigh can't hope to know, and to hold her hand. Standing out as a fully rounded character, though, just isn't in the cards for him, and because of that, his interactions with Annaleigh fell short of the mark for me. If you're going to have two characters orbiting each other romantically for period of time, it shouldn't feel like instalove by the end. Immediate physical and aesthetic attraction is one thing. It's normal for characters to look at each other and think the other is cute. What's disappointing is never really getting any measure of depth to the relationship past that.

On the whole, though, House of Salt and Sorrows was a pretty strong read, and like I said, I'll be watching out for Erin A. Craig titles in the future. Her debut isn't perfect, but it is pretty solid (and pretty spooky), so I'm hoping anything else she brings to the table will only improve on what HoSaS offers so far. 

And if a salty sea mystery is what you're after, there's still time to pre-order HoSaS or request it through your library! It releases on August 6th, a week and a day from today, so you won't have to wait long to get your dancing shoes and eerie octopus crests and MURDER.

That's what most bookworms are here for, right? The murder? Yeah, sounds about right to me.

[This review will go live on The Words Gremlin at approximately 10am EST on 7/29/19.]

House of Salt and Sorrows is an amazing retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses written by the Brothers Grimm. In a manor in Highmoor, where once there were twelve sisters who lived with their father and stepmother, now remain eight. The villagers believe the family to be cursed as first their mother dies in childbirth and one by one the girls die of mysterious circumstances.

Annaleigh, our protagonist, is heart broken over the death of another sister that is labeled a horrible accident. But knowing her sister the way she does, she begins to suspect that there is something more to the story and that maybe she was murdered. Searching for clues leads her into dangerous and mysterious places, and into the arms of Cassius Corum. And when another sister goes missing, and the danger increasing ever more, will the sisters ever escape this cursed life?

For a debut author, the story-line is gripping. Fantasy with horror, in a wonderfully written story filled with mystery, suspense and some romance. This is my favorite type of YA. It was so creepy and horror filled and had me on the edge of my seat. What would happen to the sisters? Why would someone seem to target them? Every page got darker and drew me in even more. The best part is that while I figured out some of the mystery, I was completely blown away by most of the reveals. What a fantastic book! I seriously can't wait to read more from this author.

I really, really, really wanted to love this.
But I couldn't get into it. I tried several times. I put it down and thought maybe I just wasn't in the mood. But it turned out that I wasn't ever in the mood. The story itself intrigues me. The premise is fascinating and enticing. But I just wasn't able to lose myself in the writing or the storytelling on this one. In the end, it just didn't work for me. DNF at 25%.

To be noted:

I was given a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This book was free, and my review is not biased towards that fact in any way. These are my opinions only, (as everyone is entitled to them) and should only be taken as an idea for whether or not you would like to read the book yourself. In the end, no matter what review I give, props to the author for writing what they love, and actually publishing a book.


Firstly, I’m still stunned after finishing this one. I will not be giving a synopsis on this book with my review as I feel the title says a lot.

Second off, I still think I am a little confused and will need to read this book again. But you should definitely give it a chance. The ending threw me for a loop and honestly the majority of it I didn’t expect. I felt myself cheering for the main character, as she was strong and very kind hearted. She was a good soul all the way around.

This book was a whirlwind of emotions for me that I finished in two days. It took me forever to finally sit down and read it, but once I did, I was glad of it.

In order to truly understand this book you need to read it, have no distractions, and probably re-read it again. This author was very artful in her wording, and she had beautiful descriptions of the different ball scenarios in the book. I applaud her imagery, deception, and her ability to take my emotions and twirl them around on her own dance floor.

There were a few parts of this book that fell flat, however it picked up and was better in the next chapter. My only other complaint is that there were times that the story didn’t flow as it should and I found myself going back over the same paragraph again to make sure we had actually jumped from one plot point to the next so quickly.

Without giving away any spoilers on this one, if you like ghosts, ghouls, tricky gods, and sisters who love their home almost as much as each other; pick up this book and give it a shot. You won’t be disappointed.

I don't remember the story of Grimm fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, but the cover and description were compelling enough to draw me to this book.

This novel is very atmospheric, and leans toward the Gothic side.  It's an engrossing blend of mystery, secrets, magic, and gods, with a tinge of horror.  When the ghostly visions began, I was all in, and the imagery is spectacular and chilling.  I could easily picture Highmoor manor perched on a steep cliff overlooking the churning sea below.   

When Annaleigh sets out to prove her sisters' deaths were no accident, the author provides a long list of characters, all with motivation, and plenty of red herrings for distraction.  Although the hints were there all along, I was a bit disappointed at a turn the story took, but near the end, along with Annaleigh, the reader isn't sure what's real and what isn't.  

With a suspenseful mystery, excellent characterization, and a Gothic atmosphere, House of Salt and Sorrows is a perfect book to curl up with on a stormy night.  

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This book! *squeals* This book! House of Salt and Sorrows has its ups and downs, but it does not disappoint! It's Twelve Dancing Princesses meets murder mystery meets Crimson Peak (take from that what you will), and it is completely unexpected. I'm giving this book a 5 star rating, but it probably deserves more of a 4.5. But it was so good at the end I can't bear to mark it at 4 stars. That twist, people!

This is a world where the gods walk among mortals. On an island which solely worships the god of the sea, the Thaumus family lives. It opens with a funeral, four of the twelve girls have gone back to the sea. Their dad has remarried, the remaining sisters are trapped in an endless cycle of mourning and they are just trying to survive (oh yeah, did I mention that they are cursed?!). Soon, they break their cycles and try to live, but seem to be trapped by death. Something is really not right, and its up to Annaleigh to figure it out (in between figuring out her handsome new boyfriend, that is).

The book starts out really well, then kinda plateaus in the middle. Nothing really has any effect, they dance, murder remains unsolved, and life goes on. But the ending, oh gods, the ending. It really takes this book to the next level. It's completely unlike any Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling I've ever read. I really loved the magic and the twists in this book. While I don't know if I would want a sequel to this book (let them be happy), I would love a spin off of one of the other sisters or someone else in the new world Craig writes.

(Insert "things are not what they appear" gif from Pocahontas 2 here :p)

If you like sister relationships, murder mysteries, Crimson Peak style horror, and strange magic, I can almost guarantee you'll love this book.

"House of Salt and Sorrows" is a very loose re-telling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" with elements of macabre and mystery that often felt ripped from a Gothic novel. The story begins with protagonist Annaleigh Thaumas attending the funeral of her sister Eulalie, the most recent of her siblings to tragically pass away. The family is believed to be cursed and much of the plot focuses on what really caused these tragedies and how Annaleigh and her living sisters grapple with loss and public opinion.
The aesthetic details in the novel were fantastic. Descriptions of dresses, chandeliers, and most importantly, shoes, were vividly crafted. Once Annaleigh starts to further unravel the mysteries of her sisters' deaths, she becomes an even more compelling character. Craig did a good job grounding the class and gender conventions of her society by having Annaleigh dreaming of being a lighthouse keeper, but unable to because of her family's elite status. There's some interesting intertexuality between characters reading novels and how the story's narration and stakes unfold.
I really loved the elements of the gods in the story but they weren't fully fleshed-out enough and often the world's magic was confusing. Some of the characters were a bit flat but I think that speaks to the challenge of having such a large ensemble cast (12 sisters!). As a personal preference, I don't love instalove which is how the main romance felt.
Overall, "House of Salt and Sorrows" is a great pick for spooky beach-reading! (3.5/5 stars)
Thank you to Random House Children and NetGalley for the ARC.

This one might be a bit tough for me to review.  House of Salt and Sorrows is a pretty slow paced book.  I generally struggle with those and didn't always want to pick this up.  But there were parts where I didn't want to put it down.  The writing was beautiful and I loved the setting so much.  There were some weird things and I never knew what was real and what wasn't.  But I'm guessing that was the point. 



Annaleigh's father has a huge house and all daughters.  Usually, a male heir would take over, but not where they live.  They are the people of The Salt.  When someone dies, they are returned to the water.  They only have one God there, but other lands have multiple Gods that they worship.  Pontus is the God for the people of The Salt.  Annaleigh's father remarries after his wife died, but the woman wasn't from The Salt.  She seemed confused that while she was sure she was pregnant with a boy, he would be last in line to inherit the home.  She struggles to understand their traditions, especially mourning for a full year after someone dies.  The family was in constant morning because they were "cursed".  The Thaumas family had twelve daughters.  But the oldest daughters were dying off one by one.  



We are born of the Salt, we live by the Salt, and to the Salt we return.



Annaleigh starts to question her sister, Eulalie's death.  She begins to believe she was murdered.  Especially after finding out the secrets she kept from her sisters.  Annaleigh meets a young man named Cassius and she finds herself very attracted to him.  Her sister Camille is the next in line, but if Camille dies, Annaleigh will have to marry and stay at the home.  Morella convinces her husband that the morning needed to end.  They decide to have a ball for the triplets birthday.  They got new dresses and fancy dancing shoes.  Everything started to change.  Their old friend, Fisher, was even back.  Things seem to be going ok, but the youngest daughter, Verity, starts seeing ghosts.  She draws pictures of her dead sisters.  Things she has never seen.  After some time, Annaleigh sees them, too.  This makes her think that maybe they were all murdered. 



Things start to get weirder when they find a door to a secret passageway of the Gods.  The girls enter and they end up at a ball somewhere far away.  Each time they go in, they end up a different places.  They start to become obsessed with dancing.  So much so that they are out all night and exhausted the next day.  Annaleigh feels something is wrong, so she doesn't go as often.  She cannot convince her sisters to stay home, especially Camille.



Annaleigh starts seeing even more.  At the balls, too.  Things are not right, but how can she convince her family?  They believe she's going crazy.  Only Cassius seems to believe her.  By this point, I was questioning what was real and what wasn't.  Was Annaleigh going crazy?  Were the sisters?  Was there really a curse and why did they keep dying off?



We do find out the answers at the end, but it felt a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book.  I wasn't thrilled with the ending, but I didn't hate it either.  I was torn on my rating because of this and decided to go with 4 stars.  I liked the strange story and the writing. 



Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy for review.



Warnings for death, possible suicide, dead animals, blood, childbirth, death of children/babies, mental health questions, ghosts, and some gory scenes.

Super creepy and unexpected ending. The love story was hard to buy into, it the rest of the story pulled me in. If this book were made into a movie, I would have to watch with my eyes closed!

The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the cover. Also, the name! It totally grabbed my attention and I have to say, it was a read that kept me wanting more! It was a total thriller read and I loved the author's style of writing. This book is full of twists and turns and I loved the fantasy aspect of it. Definitely, an author that I will be looking forward to reading again! If fairytales (that are re-told) is your thing, you will love this book!

I am still reeling minutes after finishing this book. But the one clear thought that pervades the mess of emotion was that this book was phenomenal! It took me on a journey that has left me hopeful yet sad and putting how wonderful this book was into words will be hard but I will attempt it.

I was left with a few questions at the end of this book mostly regarding deaths but nothing vital to the story. And despite the slightly unexplained ending I adored this book and would definitely recommend it.

This will be a reread for sure! I think I used the book synopsis too much when trying to figure out where the story was gonna go. I was confused at first thinking that it's different from the summary and what was promised. But towards the end it got unbelievably good! It's creative and original and I'm all for stories that take place in a castle by the sea! Sign me up!

It's a story I've never heard before and will be adding this to my list of books to reread.

The premise of this sounded amazing and it has so many great reviews, so I was pretty bummed when it didn’t live up to my expectations. House of Salt and Sorrows is an eerie thriller full of fantasy elements. Unfortunately, the book just didn’t wow me.

I was impressed by the atmospheric setting. She managed to create a very spooky/eerie vibe, and yet there was a slight fairytale quality to the writing. Erin A. Craig also did a great job with the horror descriptions; had I been reading this had night, I definitely would have gotten some goosebumps.

While I found the descriptive writing and the mystery intriguing, for whatever reason the book has trouble keeping my attention. Maybe it was because I didn’t feel too much of a connection to Annaleigh. Maybe it was because it took awhile for the plot to start to really pick up. But whatever I was enjoying about the book, the romance kind of ruined the rest of it. The love triangle was super unnecessary and the relationship Annaleigh has with the love interest was basically insta-lust.

The ending and plot twists were not terribly unique, and I was able to guess a few of them very, very early on in the story. I also thought the way everything wrapped up was not only a little rushed compared to the more leisurely pace of the rest of the story, but came together a bit too neatly and conveniently. I was really looking forward to House of Salt and Sorrows but I couldn’t seem to enjoy the story as much as everyone has.

This retelling of the twelve dancing princesses opens on a more sinister note as the narrator introduces the reader to her world of uncertainty and fear. One of the eight sisters still alive, Annaleigh lives under the constant veil of mourning. For the past six years she’s been in dark clothes, as one after another of her family members die. While most of the deaths were explainable, her most recent sister Eulalie died alone in unknown circumstances.

While the tale of the 12 dancing princesses is often disconcerting, the author took the story and made it into something altogether more uniquely gruesome. At times I was completely taken aback by the detail she goes into on death and the supernatural. More magic was incorporated than I originally thought, but it was the perfect amount. Despite having a slow start, it picked up halfway through and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. It gradually got more intense and I read faster to figure out what happened to the sisters.

It was an interesting take on the 12 dancing princesses. I really enjoyed the dark angle but the characters and relationship development didnt grab me and hold on. Enjoyable read.