To say I was a little weary about reading something categorized as a horror type novel would be a great understatement. I am not usually one for the spooky and creepy, especially since books are usually how I get to sleep. I knew about three or four chapters into this book that I was going to be up all night for two reasons: 1) House of Salt and Sorrows is absolutely haunting, and 2) no matter how hard I tried, I could not put this book down.

The beginning was a little slow going, I will admit, as we are introduced to all of the key players in this story. And there are quite a few. Even though several of the twelve sisters are already passed prior to this novel’s beginning, there are still a few sisters that aren’t immediately distinguishable still living. While you are following the key sister, Annaleigh, you do quickly start to become more familiar with the other sisters as well. (The youngest sister drawing pictures of all of her diceased sisters in the manner in which they died? I ate that up! So scary!)

This story builds at a heart pounding pace, where every chapter reveals something new. This book leaves you guessing until the very end, and no stone is left unturned. I was afraid things would be left open-ended or ambiguous by the end, but I was wholly satisfied with the finale and the way everything wrapped up.

I cannot wait to read more from Erin A. Craig.

Meh.

I think I’m officially out on aquatic fishing town fantasies. There have been a lot of these lately, and I’ve been almost universally disappointed.

This is an allegedly gothic retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. It’s pretty true to the spirit of the fairy tale, but this particular spin on it didn’t work for me.

Aside from the overused aquatic adaptation, the book is too long and drags badly for most of the way. Things don’t get interesting until the very end, and by that point I already felt like I had walked a marathon in wet shoes.

And while it does include some gothic elements, it’s not truly a gothic retelling, and the pacing wasn’t that of a delightfully creepy gothic slow build. It was just plain old slow.

The protagonist was a good character, reminiscent of a more modern fairy tale heroine inserted into a traditional fairy tale. This aspect of the book worked just fine, though the other characters were thin and underdeveloped. Most of the sisters were shrill, obnoxious, and indistinct from one another. And the male characters were dull and tropey.

If you want to read a really good retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, I would suggest Genevieve Valentine’s The Girls at the Kingfisher Club instead.

This books really came as a surprise to me. I went into it not really knowing much but came out really admiring it overall. I didn't know that is was a lose retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses until a good bit in because I loved that story growing up. I really liked that element because it was very closely based on that story and that allowed this book to still keep it's own story.

With that said I had no idea this book was going to have aspects of horror and I am a big wuss however the mystery was just intriguing that I was able to get through it. I really loved the family aspect and the way the girls interact with one another. I also was totally here for the romance, I love having romance in my books especially slow burn. I love plot twists in books and I there were definitely things I didn't predict which was fun.

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. The only reason I deducted a star was because I felt the beginning was slightly confusing. I did a buddy read with some girls on instagram and we stopped halfway to discuss and we were all so confused. However, some of that was part of the mystery we would find out later but some was just do to sloppiness. I really admired that it wasn't your typical fantasy. It had such a unique plot with beautiful characters and a killer ending (no pun intended).

& of course thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for allowing me to review this title!
I will be uploading a review on my blog here: https://floralfireheartreads.wordpress.com
And also discussing it on my bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/floralfireheartreads/

House of Salt and Sorrows was quite honestly a very cluttered book. There were so many layers and layers that it was easy to lose track. Sometimes this can be bizarre and interesting. Unfortunately, the characters simply weren't compelling enough. The main character was mostly bland. The overall structure of the family taking on the second wife/step-mother without fully informing her of the cultural differences actually stressed me out. I have a hard time imagining they shouldn't have hired some sort of tutor or taught her themselves.

Finally, the supernatural stuff felt like jumping the shark over and over. I know this was supposed to be a rewrite of 12 dancing princesses, which is a favorite of mine, but this was so far away from that I just separated the two in order to keep going. This story shouldn't be advertised with that connection to keep people from jumping to conclusions.

This was a book that got so much hype and early buzz last fall and I was so excited to get to it. This was pitched as atmospheric, creepy, and the new "it" YA book. So, did it live up to the hype?

Um....kind of..?

I'm not going to lie, review this book is so hard because I absolutely adored the atmosphere and lore woven into this world, but I was so disappointed in the ending. To fully get into my thoughts, I will have to go into spoilers, but I'll stick them in a spoiler corner.

Okay, let's start with the positives.

This book was just dripping with atmosphere. Craig created the eery drowned world that was like a love child of House Greyjoy and a twisted Lovecraftian world.

The overall mystery was gripping as well. As a reader, you're thrust into the mystery of Annaleigh's sisters dying off, resulting the family being in an usually long morning period and the villagers believing Annaleigh's family is cursed. After talking with a villager who had an unexpected connection to one of her sisters, Annaleigh believes that her sisters were murdered. When no one believes her, Annaleigh takes it upon herself to solve this mystery.

As this is going on, the sisters also begin sneaking out to mysterious parties thrown at night and spends the time dancing the night away (and ruining shoes at an alarming rate).

Overall this was a solid retelling of the twelve dancing princesses with a compelling mystery. There was a bit of a love triangle in here, but ultimately it was pretty forgettable. I'm writing this review about a month after reading the book and I honestly don't remember anything about the love interest (though that may due to me reading this around the time all hell broke loose).

Though, like I mentioned at the beginning of this review, the ending really killed this one for me.

Spoiler Corner

Okay, so the whole book was leading up to what was going on with the family. Was there a curse or no? And sadly the answer was yes there was a curse, yes it had to do with the mythology described in this world. But it came down to a deal with a deity backfiring. While I don't necessarily hate this concept, I was just ultimately let down. There was a lot of build up and overall the payoff didn't satisfy me.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this is a pretty polarizing book. It's one you're either going to love or hate. I would still recommend this one as there were some pretty strong attributes to it, especially in the first half. That being said, the ending is what's going to split readers. I've seen a ton of praise for this one and a ton of hate.

Fairy tale retellings seem to be a hit or miss for me unless they are Alice in Wonderland. I found it intriguing that the author chose to do a take on the twelve dancing princesses and thought I would give it a try.
First of all, I loved the creepy, dark atmosphere that the author was able to create. I almost felt as if I could feel the wind and sea spray and see the ghosts of those that were lost. She was able carry this throughout the book and even intensify it which I appreciated.
Only a few of the characters seemed like actual individuals and the rest were repeats I have seen in other stories before. I liked Annaleigh as she was relentless in her pursuit of the truth and loyal to a fault. She was a great leading lady and pushed the story forward.
I would have liked for the plot to have been more developed. The author does well with trying to misdirect readers away from solving the mystery but I still found part of it predictable. I wanted to author to leave more breadcrumbs and establish certain pieces of the plot from the beginning.
I also hate to sound like a broken record because so many other people have already said this but I didn't like the very ending of the book. When you decide to take your book in a certain direction then I believe that you should commit to that and don't backtrack. I think the author should have just cut the last three pages of the book.

Holy horror, Batman! This is a loose retelling of Grimm’s Twelve Dancing Priestesses in a nautical fantasy world and in that Craig definitely delivered. The world building was perfection, and despite the large cast, everyone stood out as distinct characters. The romance was also lovely. I wasn’t expecting some elements to be quite as dark or graphic, but it didn’t bother me. In fact, they were executed so well and I loved never quite knowing what was real. There were a few things toward the end that felt a little convenient or unbelievable, but I was able to suspend that belief because I was so enthralled with the story. It’s stands out in a sea (pun intended) of other YA fantasy!

Honestly, what a fresh, chilling book! I knew going in that House of Salt and Sorrows was a loose retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. To be honest, this isn't a tale I am familiar with but it is one I will be looking up because there was mystery, dancing, darkness, magical dreams, balls and ballgowns, romance, and horror! The overall book is about the twelve Thaumas sisters who live by the sea with their father. After their mother dies, tragedy hits the family hard and the girls (as well as everyone in the neighboring villages) begin to think that the family is cursed as the daughters die off one by one. Annaleigh--our main character--believes that her sisters' deaths are not accidents. She sets out to investigate and dark leads to darker, and there is basically nothing more I can say that won't give away plot points in the story!

There were a couple negatives for me in reading this book. First off, the beginning dragged for me a little bit. I had a hard time connecting with Annaleigh and really placing myself into the mindset of the story in general. It took me a bit to sort out the characters (twelve daughters plus a couple of other coastal characters) and what the father's role and status as "duke" truly meant (I still don't think I really know--I don't think it means anything other than some money, travelling, and a house, really). By about halfway through, the action really started to pick up and the mystery was really growing. The final five or so chapters were completely un-put-down-able and I was absolutely enthralled. There were so many twists and turns, I absolutely feel like I need to turn around and re-read the entire book to find out if I missed more excitement at the beginning. Maybe I was just not paying attention. Maybe I was doing it all wrong! But overall, all was redeemed and I loved the end.

* Warning - this book is a retelling of a fairy tale, but it is gothic. There are darker, gothic scenes in this book that are quite nightmarish. This is not an illustrated Disney rated-G classic tale. Read with caution.

Twisted and with a horrifyingly misleading blurb, House of Salt and Sorrows is a rich and hauntingly beautiful story of family, revenge and the classic Gothic element, love. Wicked creatures that lurk in the dark and horrors that creep in the night mix in with omnipotent gods that almost seem real a la Percy Jackson for a surreal retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. A handsome princely character appears out of the blue and characters you grow attached to will die. But, it is far from tragic.

While the Barbie rendition of The Twelve Dancing Princesses is a whimsical and darling tale, that's not the case here. It takes what was already a ghoulish tale and twists it further with much success. Annaleigh and her sisters are cursed; each one of them dying in increasingly tragic ways. To make matters worse, Annaleigh and her sisters seem to be seeing the ghosts of her dearly departed sisters lingering around the house and adding to the terror and sorrow the family is suffering from. But with the latest death in the family, Annaleigh's step-mother has had enough of the doom and gloom. 

She orders that happiness and light be restored to Highmoor, the manor in which the family resides. And along with that, she orders that the sisters come out of mourning and get new clothes for themselves. Annaleigh's sisters are particularly enamoured with a beautiful pair of dancing shoes and every sister gets a pair. And that's when the dancing begins. Every night, Annaleigh's sisters sneak out to attend glittering balls, dancing until their shoes are ruined. Even though their doors are locked. But there is more to these balls than meets the eye; her sisters return and don't wake until late afternoon where they seem to be living in dreams until their next dance. 

Oh, and there's a handsome man thrown into the mix but I'll get to that in a bit.

House of Salt and Sorrows is terrifying but it sinks it's claws into you and hooks you for dear life. I'll admit, I'm a scaredy cat and I can't watch even Buzzfeed Unsolved's True Crime series in the middle of the night. But, I couldn't stop reading. With every turn of the page, there was a new twist that added more and more layers to the rich world that Craig has woven. Just like how the characters discover layer upon layer of the twisted world that lay just out of reach of their fingertips. The prose is beautiful, painting a wicked and cruel world from the vivid descriptions of death to the rough and unforgiving Highmoor.

Annaleigh is possibly one of my favourite characters of 2019. She is a no nonsense character with a firm head on her shoulders and a loyalty to her family that is admirable. If you've read enough of my reviews, you can see that I have a particular love for family-oriented characters, especially if she's older. Although she is morose and can often be depressing (given that it is a Gothic-styled novel), she is defiant and headstrong. She is determined and although these are not the most unique characters, makes her stand out from the rest of the characters. And, she's possibly the least creepy person in the story.

But, if creepy is your kind of thing, I present to you: House of Salt and Sorrows. The creepy factor is turned up to the maximum and you can practically feel your skin crawl. Verity, one of Annaleigh's sisters not only see the ghosts of their dead sisters but also sketches them out in increasingly disturbing and horrifying depictions, often visions that the sisters send her. The manor is creaky, the worlds that Annaleigh discovers are creepy, the townsfolk are creepy...even Cassius is creepy, at least when we first meet him.

Cassius, as you probably can guess, is the love interest introduced. Possibly because the original fairytale had a prince coming to rescue the princesses from their nightly dancing fates. Cassius is the light in Annaleigh's very dark and depressing world. But, he is more than meets this eye despite being effortlessly charming (even I could get swept off my feet!) and always willing to help. While Cassius starts off a little sketchy, being the only guy introduced (there's a love triangle as well but that's not important) and that's pretty much all I can tell you. The romance between Cassius and Annaleigh is severely underdeveloped which renders him an unnecessary factor. Take him out of the equation and you'll realise he doesn't matter much. Just, a bit of eye candy, is all.

While I absolutely loved House of Salt and Sorrows, I have to point out that the book had terrible pacing for the first half. It was so glacial and dreary that I gave up quite a couple of times. It was only my obligation to finish reading ARCs that made my power through to reach the second half where things picked up like a roller coaster. It was full speed ahead! I did not really see other people having this sort of problem so, it could have just been me because YA Horror is not my cup of tea. 

Which brings me to my next point, the ending: it was far-fetched, underdeveloped and a little bit of a letdown. While well-written, I thought the ending was a bit of a far cry from what the rest of the book was. There were magical elements and a little bit of the supernatural. However, in the end, there was some mentions about the gods and how it ties in to the whole mystery but because we barely see any mention of them throughout, it feels a little bit off kilter with the rest of the book. 

Just to note before I wrap up that House of Salt and Sorrows is pretty graphic. With the YA trend leaning towards more graphic depictions of blood, gore and violence (I'm looking at you, Sarah J. Maas), it feels more on beat rather than gratuitous in House of Salt and Sorrows. In most other books, it feels like pulling a Game of Thrones: for the shock factor. But here, it just served to amplify the atmosphere of the book, painting and creating as vivid and terrifying a world to keep you jumping at shadows. But, if blood, gore and violence is not your thing, I'd suggest that you keep your distance unless you've prepared your stomach for it. I promise, I winced a couple of times. 

In conclusion, House of Salt and Sorrows is a fantastic novel and one that I absolutely enjoyed! I actually read it in 2019 but I finally had the time to sit down and bang out a review. It was slow to start, almost crawling it's way through the muck but once it broke free, it was whirlwind adventure or should I say nightmare, that kept me on the edge of my seat with my fists clenched so tight I left crescents in my palms. The writing is phenomenal and even though Horror is not my thing, I can't wait to read what else Craig has in store for the book world!

This was a great retelling! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The only really issue I saw was that it was hard to keep the sisters straight because all of them seemed cut from the same cloth and none of them had super defining personality traits.

At first, I was like, "wait, is this a retelling? hmm of what?" But as there is dancing incorporated and there were 12 sisters originally, I knew it was a retelling of 12 Dancing Princesses. This book is unpredictable, carries an eerie vibe and fast paced. There were lots of mysteries going on and to be solved. At times, I think I figured it out but nope, I was wrong.

I love the bond between the sisters, I think they all being mentioned equally most of the times so one can remember their names pretty well. Personality wise, sadly, I didn't find any particular trait that stood out for me for all the girls. I even found them inconsistent with their personality and there's no character development almost, I felt.

Anyways, I love the overall story. I love how the author kept tricking this mind of mine on which is illusion and which is the truth. I also love the ending. It was bittersweet.

This book was an amazing retelling! Magical, terrifying, suspenseful; it really was an interesting spin on “The 12 Dancing Princesses”. I loved the setting and culture of the place and how we got to read a lot about the traditions and festivals of the Salt people. The main character Analeigh was amazing and strong and brave. I enjoyed reading from her perspective. And wow the different twists and mind games that occurred while reading this book kept me hooked!

And can I say just how creepy this book really was? I wasn’t expecting that, but the twists that comes at the end just made blew my mind. Plus that heartbreaking turn at the end just about killed me, but then it was all resolved nicely (I’m being vague but if you read it, you know what I mean). I felt conflicted because the tragedy really makes you feel pain, and I wanted everyone to have some kind of happiness after all their suffering, but it also kind of took away from the intensity of that scene. Still, I’m overall pleased with how the author tied things together.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and all opinions stated are my own.

3.5*
Some retellings follow the original tale very closely and some have a thin connection to the tale they are derived from. The latter is true here with the sisters and their worn-out dancing shoes as the central link between Grimm’s tale and this story. Craig has added much more to this story of dancing the night away. This is a tale of a family who seems to be cursed. What began as a tale of twelve sisters has dwindled down to eight girls who are still living. The central question here is about the deaths and the possibility that outside forces might be behind the so-called curse.

Besides the questionable sister’s deaths, other mysterious elements include the strange dance, a newcomer who’s quite secretive and the death of others connected to the girls. There’s a lot going on here but it is the mystery of the deaths that what will captivate readers. Craig is ambitious in her story but it somehow fails to totally work. Though the book held much promise, it didn’t quite deliver. The characters needed more depth, more heat and energy. Still, readers who like a Gothic feel with a mysterious, eerie atmosphere will enjoy this story that veers into new territory.

House of Salt and sorrow was dark. But in an amazing way. I haven't read a book like this in a really long time. It had me hooked from page one! It was super amazing!! Usually I am pretty good at predicting who the bad guy is and this book threw me for a couple of loops and I quite enjoyed it!

Erin did a marvelous job writing a spooky tale with intriguing characters and a unique storyline.
I read a few reviews prior to receiving this copy, I had no idea what the 12 dancing princesses was.
I did figure out early in the book the one behind all that befell this family, but it did not take away the pure enjoyment from reading this story. Only down fall was I did not have a super strong connection with the characters so it was not one of those books I could not put down. It did take me a bit to finish it.. I was however drawn to the cover, it was just so well thought out and makes you want to see what the book is about.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig is standalone, YA fantasy inspired by Grimm’s The Twelve Dancing Princesses and is full of ghosts and aquatic gods set in fascinating, maritime world dusted of sea salt and lichens.

One thing readers are going to notice right away is the brooding atmosphere and mythos of House of Salt and Sorrows.

I’m a fan of Gothic stories and Craig writes a tale that evokes the darker tones of one while still imbuing it with the charm of an old fairy tale.

The setting lends itself perfectly to this kind of story as it takes place on a set of rugged islands that are populated by people with the belief in a water deity and oceanic lore, which I found fascinating to read about.

The story takes its cue from The Twelve Dancing Princesses and I think this is the first time I have read this retelling with such a gorgeous, yet chilling, oceanic setting permeating its witting.

Death is never far away, and in this story, Craig writes the story with four of the sisters lives already taken in tragic accidents. Usually, when reading a version of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, the sisters disappear, one-by-one. Here, their deaths are already haunting the story.

Although we do not get to personally meet them, through their remaining sisters reflections, they become individuals that feel real and we find ourselves sympathetic to. The sadness and morning surrounding the remaining sisters feels real.

The story becomes increasingly hard to put down as the protagonist Annaleigh begins to have ghostly visions of her deceased sisters deaths, leaving her suspicious that they were not accidents.

Annaleigh becomes even more concerned when her living sisters begin to sneak out each night—attending mysterious balls dressed in rich dresses and jeweled slippers, where they dance all night, not returning until the next day dawns.

Each day the sisters wonder who will be next while at the night brings forgetfulness—but who or what are the dancing with. Is the curse part of these nights of abandonment or something else?

In the End

Readers can enjoy writing that is visually rich with descriptions—painting a hauntingly, moody atmosphere to settle into.

I ended up really enjoying the darkly atmospheric, maritime setting and chilling mystery. I did have some minor issues with the pacing, and despite its beautiful writing, I found myself putting the book down for breaks. But, it was never far away, and quickly picked it back up again. I’m looking forward to reading more stories like this from the author and cannot wait to see what she writes next.

I love reading books based on lesser-known fairytales. Think The Twelve Dancing Princesses, but more creepy and romantic. I loved it. Now, I’ve never actually read the original tale, but I don’t think that had much bearing on my enjoyment of House of Salt and Sorrows. This book was always going to have my heart because of its atmosphere and world.

Annaleigh's life is filled with gorgeous dresses and silk shoes, but also tinged with grief after the death of her sisters. She balances her mourning with her family's desire to move forward and her own budding romance. However! There is also an element of mystery (which will always, always get me) because Annaleigh’s sisters have all died dramatically, and she wonders if they might have been murdered.

The mystery aspect of the novel is as sweeping as the glamour. I was deeply invested in finding out what happened to Annaleigh’s family, and found myself easily carried away by various aspects of the story. The plot grows more and more intense towards the end, and Craig brought the novel to a solid conclusion. Of course, I never wanted the book to end at all! I was trying to unravel the mystery as Annaleigh put the clues together, but a few twists had me gasping in surprise.

House of Salt and Sorrows seems like a magical book from the very beginning, what with the rituals of Salten and the Thaumas’s glittering lifestyle, but the magic becomes more real towards the end of the novel. Despite the late introduction, I found everything completely believable, and didn’t hesitate to let myself fall into Highmoor.

No fairytale fantasy would be complete without a romance either, and especially one with a mysterious stranger! Cassius, Annaleigh’s new beau, has some secrets of his own, but oh my wow! What a stunning and romantic relationship these two had! I’d put this one in the books with Feyre and Rhysand of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Harper and Rhen from A Heart so Fierce and Broken.

Overall, House of Salt and Sorrows earns 5/5 stars from me! It was one of my favorite reads of 2019, and I hope you all will pick it up as well.

Thanks netgalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. This is an absolutely stunning retelling of the 12 dancing princesses. With incredible world building and excellent character development, this novel does its predecessor justice. I truly enjoyed this one, I’ve never read a retelling of the 12 dancing princesses, however, the retelling of fairytales are a small passion of mine. Craig is an amazing talents and I truly look forward to seeing more from her in the future This was everything we could ask for when giving an old tale a new twist.

Enjoyed reading this novel and even went out and bought a copy when it came out! Fantastic plot and great characters!

This book was eerie and mysterious. I loved that I wasn't sure how it was going to end the entire time I was reading. It lived in that area between magical and realistic - kind of like Bone Gap by Laura Ruby except more magical than real. I especially loved the descriptions of the island, ocean, and the salt. There was a rich mythology surrounding the island that really added depth to the story.

I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Erin A. Craig in the future and you should seriously pick this book up!