This book was the perfect mix of creepy and magical. I was glued to the story from page one!
Annaleigh used to be one of twelve sisters, but is now one of eight. Living in a mansion in a small seaside town, Annaleigh's family is shaken when the Thaumas girls start dying off in different ways, one by one. Everyone in town believes the family is cursed, but Annaleigh is determined to find out why her sisters are dying and stop it from happening, before it claims the rest of them. When they discover a secret door leading to nightly balls, the Thaumas sisters start a routine of sneaking out at night to dance. But soon, when Annaleigh starts having nightmarish visions of her dead sisters, she begins to wonder if the balls have something to do with the curse on her family. Who -- or what -- have they been dancing with every night?
The prose is not only beautiful, but has a magical quality as well. It pulls you in and refuses to let go until the very end. I was very intrigued by the family and their island traditions, and the ballroom scenes were mesmerizing. I have a feeling this book will be a huge hit!

HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS has everything I love in a book. Prose from the mind of a poet, characters flawed in the most unexpected of ways, and a plot that honors the fairytale genre while subverting it at the same time. This is the kind of book that needs to be experienced, because no amount of reviews will do it justice; the writing is gorgeous, the story is vivid and intricate, and the whole book just seeps magic. It's atmospheric, spooky, and completely captivating.

It's a really odd novel, straddling the line between contemporary thriller and paranormal mystery. It opens up with information about a family who is grieving the loss of a sister. It's very nerving as they bury her and realize their reputation is tarnished because of the local village accusing them of being plagued by a curse. They family are eager is forget the bad times but not all is what it seems and THIS people is where the story really begins.

It should come as no surprise that a story as haunting as this could credibly pull off shades of the supernatural as well. The line between fantasy and reality is muddied turning this story of grief and loss into an eerie story of guilt and innocence. Beautifully written, completely enthralling… I can’t seem to find the words to do this one justice. It’s definitely a must-read.

I was not salty by the ending to say the least... *cough*

Four krakens for The House of Salt and Sorrow by Erin A. Craig !!! In short, this is what would happen if House Greyjoy from Game of Thrones gaslit the Twelve Dancing Princesses (which they would totally do). This has been a great spine-tingling ghost story to read at night, hidden under the covers in the dark as I kept reading to find out if the monsters plaguing Highmoor and the eight surviving Thaumas sister were indeed real! If you love a good scary story or retelling fairytales, definitely put this one on your list. Thanks again to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for allowing me to read this advance copy.

I hardly even know what to say. I loved this book so much!

First off, I loved that it was written in past tense. The trend in young adult fiction for several years, and in rising popularity, seems to be present tense. If I pick up a YA book, it's what I expect to see. I'm glad Erin A. Craig danced to her own waltz here, because I feel books just flow better in past tense. Just a personal preference, but I appreciated it.

There's quite a large cast of characters. I honestly found it overwhelming for a minute, but I went back to chapter one and made a written list of them all, living and deceased, and from there I had no problems.

The world is lush. We learn about different places in the world, their cultural customs, and the pantheon of gods involved in the lives of the people. Every detail feels real and believable. This is a world I hope the author explores in future books. I understand of these characters' stories are told, but the world is too beautiful and I'm not ready to let go of it yet.

This book has everything I love in one convenient place: fantasy, horror, and romance! Gods dabble in the affairs of mortals. There's murder and intrigue. A love triangle. You're left guessing until the very end, and you never know what to expect. The rules are constantly rewritten and there's a plot twist at every turn. I was dying to know how the book would end, but at the same time I never wanted it to.

The “Bookmarks are for Quitters” t-shirt that keeps popping up in my Pinterest feed reminds me of my time with this book! It took less than 48 hours for me to read it, and I was left with tired, swollen eyes, a fit of shakes, and sheer panic as I neared the final pages. I love a well-written novel that does that to me.

For starters, the beautiful cover artwork and synopsis is what drew me in, and I was quite excited to be approved for the digital ARC. (My thanks go out to NetGalley and Delacorte Press!) I only just found out that this novel is a re-telling of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” which I have never heard of, so I came in with a fresh set of eyes and no expectations.

Simply, “House of Salt and Sorrows” is about 12 sisters who live with their father, a Duke, and new step-mother at their Highmoor estate. Located on a remote island whose people worship sea gods, the unfortunate deaths of some of the Thaumus sisters begin to unravel a series of ghostly encounters, dark magic, and pure evils as one of the living sisters, Annaleigh, seeks to uncover the truth behind the Thaumus family “curse.”

Quite frankly, it was everything I love: elements of magic and mythology, a strong female protagonist (and strong characters in general), a subtle romance—just enough to make the reader's heart flutter, and an unexpected plot twist. I was completely intrigued by some of the characters’ names, as well, and they have remained in my thoughts days after finishing the story.

Fresh, fluid, slightly creepy, and absolutely wonderful! I can’t help but give it a 5/5 and am looking forward to it being published so I can share it with my friends.

A vivid, lush retelling of the 12 dancing princesses that will keep you up all night long with the light on. It is lovely and the storytelling is divine. I will recommend highly to anyone!

All I can say about this book right now is YES.  I was 100% here for this book the whole 2 days that I took me to blaze through it and absolutely loved every single nanosecond of it!  I requested this book on NetGalley and it wasn't something that I felt strong for or against.  Honestly, the name was attractive and the cover design really drew me in.  I think there may have been a mention of ghosts or strange deaths in the description that really got me.  So, thank you to NetGalley and Delacourte Press for this e-ARC!

Roughly, this story is about 12 sisters whose father is the Duke of a region or area of a world that worships a sea god and loves everything about the sea and salt.  This is a re-telling of the 12 Dancing Princesses; which I have never read, so this story was pretty new for me.  The story goes through some untimely deaths of some of the sisters and their life at Highmoor.  There is plenty of magic, evil, ghosts, monsters, and loveable characters throughout this book.  The end was not what I had expected, entirely.  It did get a little weird, but I was still there for it and loving it!

For the negatives, I don't really have anything.  The writing was nice and fluid, the world building was kinda weak, but for a story like this, you don't really need it.  If this was going to be a series (it's not, but oh how I wish!) then the world building between islands and cultures would have been much needed.  But, for this story and its expanse, you get enough to make it worthwhile and to paint a nice picture of the world where this story takes place.

The characters and the fairytale-esque shimmery feel of the story are my favorite parts.  The whole time I read this, I felt like I was in a hazy sparkly world where magic is real and gods visit each year upon their return.  At first, this was a little difficult for me to adapt to.  I am used to reading books that are realistic, even if they aren't set in the world I live in.  You have to suspend your belief so much to get into this book, but I loved it so much that I had no problem letting it all go and falling into this book.  The characters in this book are soooo good!  The story is told through the second eldest daughter, Annaleigh's point of view.  However, you do get to know the other living sisters quite well, along with the nanny/wetnurse/caregiver Hanna and the stepmother Mordella.  Along with these characters, you meet Cassius, who turns out to be a pretty crucial character and maybe my favorite.  This will be spoiler free so I won't go anymore in depth into what happens and how he plays a part.  Just know, that he is a cutie!

100% without a doubt I'm giving this book 5 stars!  I really wish this would be a series, but the author has already denied this.  Maybe she will write more stories in this same world, on different islands...! I would love to get to know more about the islands and the other cultures and I feel, if she has the stories, they would be great.  Her writing style is quite beautiful and a little unconventional; she begins the story at a funeral with the description of a necklace.  The dialogue is well done, and I was swooning so hard with most of the dialogue between Cassius and Annaleigh.  I also loved the names in this story.  I assume that the author chose some of them on purpose because of their historical and mythological significance.

This book is due to be published on August 9, 2019 and I am stoked!  I will probably buy this one for my shelf and recommend it to everybody.

This book had beautiful writing. The story line was just not my thing. I love love love retellings, however this was just a bit too dark and creepy for me. I have to say that I was not familiar with the 12 dancing princesses at all so I began this book with no expectations. Others may LOVE this book as it has great elements: romance, mystery, suspense, ghosts, haunting, magic, likeable characters, etc... I enjoyed Annaleigh's character and the development between her and Cassius. Annaleigh is a relatable, strong willed young woman who has had a ton of tragedy in her life and the most recent tragedy isn't adding up. Rather than accepting things, she sets off to solve a mystery and that aspect of the book had a very "Agatha Christie" feel about it.

This book terrified me. It was way too scary and suspenseful and if you aren't expecting it, it can be a bit too much. Fans of creepy story lines and the dark Grimm brothers stories will enjoy this. If you don't like creepy, scary, horror, Crimson Peak stuff...I would recommend not reading this because I am a sissy and this was too much for me.

Overall, I would recommend this book for fans of horror, and EXTREME suspense.

House of Salt and Sorrows
I was given an AR copy by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
4/5 stars

Was the House of Salt and Sorrows and unexpectedly great ghost story? Yes!

Would I probably read it again? Eh, maybe?

Erin A. Craig has done a great job of turning a classic fairy tale into a hauntingly beautiful story about family and loss. I went into the book thinking I was going to get a fun retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses where everyone is happily reunited in the end and the maiden fair ends up with her true love. I got a few bits of that but for the most part the story is about the lengths we travel for family and for personal gain. I loved how Craig was able to manipulate the reader into assuming the typical tropes would be presented and then smoothly pulled the rug out from beneath us.

There were a few things that irked me. The first 1/3 of the book felt slow until we see our first in-book death. Several times while I was reading I would walk away and forget that I needed to finish the story. The story was interesting but didn’t hold my interest until the action really stepped up. I practically flew through the last hundred pages. The sisters lack of mourning also upset me. As someone who has lost a family member, you don’t wave it away and claim you want to “get on with your life” so suddenly after a death. I could understand how the girls might have become muted to death by then but it wasn’t explained in such a way nor did it really make sense in my mind that they would all be so nonchalant about losing more sisters.

I did, however, love how Craig was able to twist and turn Annaleighs mind and make her an unreliable narrator. The last 1/3 of the book was by far my favorite when we really saw what was happening to the girls and who was behind it. I did not expect for our antagonist to be who it was and spent the entire read waiting for Cassius to betray Annaleigh and for Annaleigh and Fisher to end up walking into the sunset.

Didn’t happen, brilliant ending!

So overall, great read!

This book was received as an ARC from Random House Children's - Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I always love books with secrets of family disappearances and how the youngest most ambitious family member digs deep and gets themselves into so much chaos that it turns into a thrilling adventure. However, there were some parts that are a little dark at times where young teens will find it a bit scary and not want to finish the book. But if you have the readers that do like a bit of darkness and thrilling story with such a shocking ending, then this book will be phenomenally popular.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiciton collection at our library. That is why we give this book 4 stars.

House of Salt and Sorrows is about Annaleigh and her seven sisters. Annaleigh’s family is believed to be cursed by the gods, with four of her sisters dead due to the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge. After seeing ghostly visions of the past, Annaleigh believes that the latest sister to have passed, Eulalie, did not die on accident, but was murdered. Her sisters, father, and stepmother; however, just want to move on from these tragedies and get on with their lives.

I loved Annaleigh and her determination to find out what happened to her sisters. Each sister had a distinct personality, which is usually tricky considering how many sisters Annaleigh has, but the author pulls it off flawlessly. The relationships between the sisters are also unique and well-developed. I loved how much the magic in the story gave me fairy vibes with dancing shoes, magical portals, and ghosts. The world is lush and I could almost feel the salt from the sea on my skin as I was reading. The story is inspired by The 12 Dancing Princesses, which I am not familiar with, but there is definitely a lot of dancing in this story!

Overall, this is a beautiful and haunting debut full of balls, mystery, magic, and unreliable narrators.

4/5 Stars!

If someone told me that a Gothic Agatha Christie mystery was wrapped up in Crimson Peak and Caraval wrapping paper and finished off with a hint of fantasy, evil gods and folklore, I WOULD NOT HAVE BELIEVED SUCH A BOOK EXISTED!! Thank you Netgalley for pairing me with one of my favourite books!

This book was pitched as a dark, cursed, 12 dancing princesses retelling mixed with horror and mystery. And I am so, SO glad to say that this book delivers in EVERY. DANG. WAY. POSSIBLE. From the start, I got sucked into Annaleigh’s story and the grief she experiences over the loss of her previous siblings. I sympathised with Anna and her pain radiated off the pages and I did not expect her to be the Nancy Drew-esque character who is determined to find out what happened to her newly deceased sister Eulalie. She believes that the curse does not exist and that someone or rather something is behind her family.

This tale serves as a paragon for extremely well thought out story-telling and the writing is just as addictive. There is never a dull moment in this book and it encompasses almost every aspect that my gothic heart desires: horror, foreshadowing, mystery, romance, AN UNRELIABLE NARRATOR, and Jane Eyre Vibes.

Seriously, where has this book been all my life. The story does stay true to the 12 dancing princesses theme example the faeries shoes, the lush, radiant balls, masquerades, dancing and at every turn someone you cannot trust.

I also particularly enjoyed the sisterhood in the novel. While this book is a kaleidoscope of many aspects and themes, at it’s heart, it is a beautifully-tragic family story.

The romance in the novel was a little bit insta-lovey but it was not overwhelming. I found the pair to be quite complimenting to each other and the banter was cute and just the right amount. In a sense, I did get some feminist vibes from this novel which I was quite happy about. These sisters seriously don’t take nonsense from anyone.

The aspect of this book which took me by surprise was the fantasy/ God element. There are gods that the people of Salt worship and believe in. The seas and it’s aesthetic plays a huge role in the belief system of this world that the author created hence the GORGEOUS book cover which I cannot wait to have in my hands!

The were various twists that get revealed during the course of the book which took me by pleasant surprise. As mentioned before, Annaleigh is a unreliable narrator for certain… reasons that you eventually come to know. This book really does mess with your brain AND WILL HAVE YOU SECOND-GUESSING EVERYTHING!! The major reveal surrounding the death of the sister I both saw and dint see coming at the same time which adds to the fact that this is truly great storytelling!

Overall, this book has actually become one of my absolute favourites of the year so far and ail continue to be. If you love dark, gothic mysteries with a hint of fantasy and romance that will have you speeding through it’s pages, then this is the book for you!

It will be in your hands 9 August 2019! Add it to your tbrs!

ARC received by publisher, Random House and by Netgalley for review, thoughts are my own

I absolutely loved this! Exciting characters, fast moving action, fantasy worlds, romance, familial love. Add to that enchantments, a lighthouse, and whimsical festivals. What more could you ask of a novel? I found the setting intriguing, a wonderland of fantasy. The characters were fully fleshed out, endowed with recognizable personality traits that I remember from my own daughters. The plot included many twists that kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed the addition of the mystical locations and powers of some of the characters. Overall, I found this book an enjoyable read, fast paced, and very interesting.

Holy crap, this may be my favorite read this year. I love the world the author created and the characters even more so. I was sucked in from page one until the last page, not knowing what to expect next. Talk about keeping you on the edge of your seat! Definitely one of my favorite retellings.

I loved House of Salt and Sorrows so, so much. I basically cried my way all through the book, and then was seriously tempted to reread it immediately after finishing, which I very rarely do. House of Salt and Sorrows contains the kind of beautiful, lyrical writing that I love to read and one day hope to write.
This book is a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling with a healthy dose of the morbid. If you're not familiar, the Twelve Dancing Princesses is about, you guessed it, twelve princesses who enter an enchanted land and dance their shoes to pieces every night. Eventually, sick of buying them new dancing shoes constantly, their father presents a challenge to any young man who wishes to try: figure out where the princesses are going each night, and be rewarded with marriage to the eldest daughter and inheritance of the kingdom.
House of Salt and Sorrows is so much more than that. Annaleigh Thaumas was once a middle sister (I believe she was sixth in the birth order), but now she is the second eldest and second in line to the throne. Four of her sisters have died under mysterious circumstances, and everyone believes the Thaumas sisters are cursed. The story begins at the funeral of Annaleigh's sister Eulalie, who was presumed to have fallen off a cliff.
There is so much going on in this book: it is more of a loose retelling of the fairy tale, because the main focus of the book is Annaleigh's investigation of her sisters' deaths.
I really liked the world-building in this book. It was perfectly done for the type of story it is. House of Salt and Sorrows is low fantasy; there are no battle scenes or political tensions. However, we're still given a bit of background on the different countries and islands, including the island Annaleigh's father rules as a duke. They have great respect for the ocean, and call themselves People of the Salt. Instead, of burying their dead, they 'return them to the sea.' I think the world-building was just amazing.
I also loved the characters. Annaleigh has eleven sisters, but I felt like I had a good grasp of what they all were like, even the ones who died before the story begins. Annaleigh herself was a wonderful protagonist. She was brave and resourceful, but I think her greatest quality was her love for her family and her individual relationships with each of her sisters.
The macabre aspect of the book was just amazing. It was delightfully creepy at times, as well as terribly sad at others. I do think that the ending was wrapped up perfectly; so much damage has been done to Annaleigh's family, and obviously most of it could not be reversed, so I thought that the ending contained just enough sorrow and just enough redemption.

I really want to start by saying "Wow!" I haven't devoured a book this way in ages. House of Salt and Sorrows kept me intrigued and guessing until the very end.

Annaleigh is trying to discover why her family is cursed as her sisters keep dying. Her story unfolds in such an enchanting and terrifying way. Ghosts and magic sprinkled through the book made me continue to turn pages to find out what was happening after every turn. There was never a dull moment. I loved the way the detail was presented and the setting on the islands. I love the ocean and the uncertainty of ocean storms. It was a nice touch that really added to the atmosphere for me.

Annaleigh was a wonderfully brave and sweet character. She was willing to keep searching for answers even when she was experiencing terrifying hauntings and uncovering disturbing parts of her life in the salt.

The writing was very fluid and smooth. The best part for me is that the way it was written kept me guessing about who had done it/what was happening until the very end. I love a book that keeps me guessing and I don't figure it out half way through. I highly recommend this book, especially if you love young adult novels

A lovely and original take of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” though beware; this is a dark fairy tale retelling. While not quite ‘horror,’ there are more than a few moments which may lead to using a nightlight.

Author Erin A. Craig has accomplished the most challenging part aspect of re-telling this particular fairy tale; readers learn something unique and memorable about all twelve sisters. Though four are departed before we begin to follow Annaleigh’s narration, they are mentioned just enough to provide us with a window into their personalities. Even more detail is given to the eight living sisters; their hobbies, personalities, and their place within the family dynamics.

Craig created her own mythology and lore of deities for this tale; Gods of the Sea, the Night, Tricks, Nightmares, and others. Though this is a complete story with an ending, I hope Craig continues to write of characters in this world, as there are several other kingdoms. Perhaps one day we’ll read other fairy tale re-tellings set in this magical place.

This is a skillfully written YA fantasy / fairy tale re-telling that I highly recommend, especially for fans of A.G. Howard’s ‘Splintered’ series.

‘House of Salt and Sorrows’ will be available on August 6, 2019.

#HouseOfSaltAndSorrows #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

Wow, what a ride!!

This story was a total trip.

The writing: the writing was just so magical. Erin has an amazing career ahead of her, that is a given. Her world building is on point. Her descriptions - from places, to people to things like gowns and shoes are so full of wonder. She intricately weaves her magical storytelling into everything she describes. The people and the places are totally real and believable - even if they are fantastic or gruesome at the same time.

The story: To be honest, I have never heard of 12 dancing princesses before I ran into House of Salt and Sorrows, from which the story is loosely inspired. The original is Brothers Grimm - it is about 12 princesses who go dancing every night and every morning, their shoes are warn out and they are tired. The king can't figure out where his daughters go each night - they wouldn't tell him a thing - so he offers a half of his kingdom and a hand in marriage to one of his daughters to anyone who can crack the mystery. But if they won't able to figure it out, they would be executed. (totally a Brothers Grimm tale)
Well...House of Salt & Sorrows has a few similarities - the 12 sisters and them going dancing every night (or are they?), wearing out their shoes, the father who is at his wits end...but the comparison stops there, because this story is so much, much more than that.
The story was incredibly well executed - part murder mystery, part haunted house macabre, part love story. Swirled together, Erin created this beautiful cocktail of dark, dark fantasy that worked incredibly well. She threw quiet a few red herrings into the mix quiet masterfully, just for fun.
And when you thought you had it all figured out - she surprised you with a new twist with every new turn of a page.

The ending: The ending was great. Yes, you will learn all the secrets in due time. And some of them are definitely gruesome and bloody and twisted so beautifully that it couldn't have worked any other way :)

I loved every single thing about this book and I cannot wait to see (and read) what Erin has in store next.

The writing was well done and the author put a unique twist on this tale! Now, I didn’t get creeped out like other reviewers have said. I feel like I’m immune to any of that stuff since I’ve seen so many horror movies but there was a lot of cool vibes. My thing was, I just couldn’t connect with the MC or the story itself. However, I feel like a lot of other people out there will!

I’m obsessed with all things Gothic so I’ve been dying to read this book ever since it was first announced. Well, it did not disappoint. HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS is one of the best Gothic stories I’ve ever read. The writing is gorgeous and cinematic, the characters are complex and compelling, and the worldbuilding is so lush you can practically taste the salt in the air. It’s spooky, swoony, and at times Haunting of Hill House-level scary. Also, the central mystery kept me guessing (and stressed out!!) until the very end. I can’t wait for more readers to experience this spellbinding book!