I was blown away by this twelve-dancing princesses inspired story. This book is nothing that I expected and I was blown away by all of it. This kept me guessing on what was really going until the very last page, like a great thriller.

This book has a complicated family relationship, with a middle sister far closer to inheriting her family's estate and shipping business than she ever would've liked. But when something doesn't sit right with her sister's death, Annaleigh starts to question everything she's ever known. With whisperings of a curse upon the sisters and a mysterious, handsome stranger appearing, Annaleigh's world becomes even more complicated than she could've expected. Had someone in her family brought down the wrath of Pontus? Another god? Or are they really cursed?

I loved everything about this novel. Annaleigh was a wonderful MC who loves her family more than anything on the planet. She's kind, levelheaded and stubborn. The customs on the island were unique and magical, truly making me feel like I'm a world away while reading this. The festival they went to was truly one of the most magical parts of the book. I loved all the descriptions of the elaborate gowns they wore to the balls and the glamour and magic that they found there, from swan boats that carried them of their own accord to elaborate costumes at a masquerade.

The relationships in this book were stunning. Annaleigh has a unique relationship with each sister and I loved seeing all these different, close relationships. From Camille who is an annoying best friend to Verity her little shadow, each relationship comes across differently on the page. There's an interesting relationship with an unwanted step-mother and a doting yet angry father. The love interest that comes along reminded me of Prince Caspian and I couldn't get enough of him.

At the end of the day, is anything real in Annaleigh's world? Or is she stuck in her worst nightmare?

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

*Spoiler free, 4.5 stars*

I saw this cover, read the synopsis, and knew that I definitely wanted to read it. While I haven't been head over heals for the 12 Dancing Princesses fairytale, this seemed like it would be really good. And I enjoyed it enough to be really intrigued.

I loved this book. I really, truly did. It was so good.

The setting was so strong. I felt like I could taste the salt in the air. Highmoor felt dark and closed off, while also feeling bright and welcoming. I thoroughly enjoyed being there. It's absolutely gorgeous and incredibly easy to picture.

I was surprised on how easy all the sisters were to picture and how easy it was to keep the straight. Going in, I honestly had no hope of figuring out who was who. It's a lot of sisters to keep track of! And while in the beginning, it was a tad hard to know who was who (again, a lot of names and faces!), I sorted them out really quickly. I feel like every single one of them was well developed and such a full character. I'm kind of floored with how much I connected with all of them!

I didn't go into this book thinking there would be huge twists. I'm not sure why, but I didn't expect this book to shock me to the core. BUT IT DID WOW. It has the kinds of twists you don't know are happening until their over. And then the foreshadowing clicks into place and it is so intricately and masterfully woven. You can see the small hints dropped along the story and everything makes complete sense. It was amazing!

I also loved Annaleigh's character. She was soft, but fierce in her own way.

The writing was spectacular. It pulls you into the story and spins it around you with an effortless grace. It felt like the heart of the story and I loved it.

I also really enjoyed sea turtles and other sea creatures that made appearances!

I did have a few issues, despite loving this book a ton. I didn't feel the deep sadness over the deaths. It affects Annaleigh in a huge way, but it's also sort of offhand. I didn't feel the connection towards that aspect. Yes, the plot has to progress, so some things have to be put on hold. I just thought that sometimes her feelings didn't feel proportioned to what had happened.

I also wasn't a huge fan of the romance. It felt rushed and kinda thrown in there. I loved Annaleigh and her love interest together, I just didn't love how it came about.

I also wasn't a huge fan of the ending. It felt sort of abrupt. I would have liked more of a conclusion, something that made this story about family bonds instead of what it was. Despite that, I still felt like it wrapped up the story well and I felt like the plot was wrapped up. (Maybe a few faint lingering threads for a companion novel which I would totally love!)

Despite my few issues, the things I felt were done well overpower whatever I didn't like. The amazingness is so prominent that it's all I want to focus on haha. I also couldn't stop thinking about the Barbie movie version of the 12 Dancing Princesses. In a good way! This book and that movie work together weirdly well haha.

This book was magical! From every little detail that made up the setting and world-building to the enchanting retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses", to the eerie and horrific mystery and captivating characters, I enjoyed every single page. I loved the mystery that kept me guessing even though I suspected and questioned a certain someone and ended up being (sort of) correct. I loved Annaleigh for her persistence for justice and being the strength her sisters needed. I loved Cassius for just being Cassius. I loved the traditions they carried throughout the book in the name of the Salt and absolutely loved the dancing. Where can I get myself a pair of those fairy shoes? They sounded magnificent.

I'm craving more of the 'Salt and Sorrows' world and Cassius - please tell me there's more coming?!

Summary

This is a re-telling of the classic 12 Princesses fairy tale. It follows the story of Annaleigh and her 11 sisters, whose family is under a curse that kills the sisters one by one, as well as their mother. Their father is wealthy and re-marrried, and for once there isn't an evil stepmother involved. They begin to attend balls in hopes of finding romantic prospects, but magic has another idea for them. Annaleigh must traverse tales of ghosts, mystery and what isn't real in order to figure out how to save her and her sisters from more death and despair.

Likes

As evidenced by my rating, I loved this book. I absolutely devoured it and I'm still left wanting more. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I was enveloped by wanting to know what happened next. Annaleigh was an amazing main character; I truly felt her love for her sisters and how much she wanted to save them at any cost. She was also incredibly intelligent and her sleuthing abilities were something that I really admired as well. The sisters as characters in general felt genuine and I could feel their bond and love for one another. I cared about them as a whole and felt attached to them as characters. I liked that there wasn't a focus on a romance in the story because not every novel has to have that to be a great novel. I also felt some Pride and Prejudice vibes from this too and that was welcome because I love that classic! 

Dislikes

As evidenced by my rating, there isn't much I disliked. This is--luckily!--the beginning of a series and I can't wait to see how the rest of it plays out. I would give the critique that while the world-building was mentioned briefly, I didn't feel as much solidly as I had wanted. I want to know more about the legends in the book and the origin of them, as well as more about the other provinces mentioned. This, though, was a small critique and I look forward to more expansion in the rest of the series! 

Recommendation

I would recommend this book to fans of re-tellings as well as someone who likes mystery and magic. I felt like this storyline was really unique and you won't be able to put it down!

Pardon my French but wow Erin A. Craig was not fucking around when writing this novel!

“House of Salt and Sorrows” sees a family surrounded by grief as they bury another sister and struggle to rebuild their reputation as their small island town whispers of a curse that plagues their family. As Annaleigh tries to honor her sister in the old ways the rest of the family is eager to move on and seek out ways to meet suitors and dance the night away but not all is as it seems and if they’re not careful they might find that their dreams of parties and luxury are nothing more than a nightmare.

I wasn’t aware of the 12 Dancing Princesses story before reading this so I was afraid it might leave me a little in the dark as I moved forward but thankfully the book manages to have some of those key moments stand in between the pages of a plot that’s so twisted and completely unique that even those who did know of it before hand will be completely surprised at how this take on the fairy tale turns out.

Fairy tales isn’t the only aspect that shines in this book but mythology stemming from the old gods plays such an important role and I loved every second of it. Crafting an entire novel that gave us moments of grief and joy all the while knowing that something sinister was at play was so much fun to read and watching these characters descend into their own forms of madness to the point that as a reader you’re unsure of what’s real or not is something not many authors can do let alone do well but here it was as if I could hear the music enticing me to dance and smell the salt in the air as I read as fast as I could trying to figure out the ending!

I am just in awe of this book and even though it’s January this holds the top spot for my best read of the year and I know it says it’s book 1 which makes me all the more excited for what may come next!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**

Thank you to Random House Children's for the arc of this book.
This book held me from the get go, very well written with so many twists and turns you think you have worked it out only to be wrong.
My heart did break towards the end, I have come to the conclusion I am a hopeless romantic.

What a delightful surprise this was! I admit I was originally drawn to House of Salt and Sorrows by that gorgeous cover, but when I saw it was a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses I knew I had to read it. And let me tell ya, it blew my expectations out of the water!

Erin Craig did such a wonderful job of adding a unique spin on an old tale and making it her own. I particularly loved the mythology she created and how it anchors the story without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary details. The mystery surrounding the deaths of Annaleigh's sisters kept me guessing until the end. The writing is so fluid and perfectly paced; I couldn't put it down and finished it in a single day!

**Thanks to the folks at Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.**

An atmospheric fantasy novel featuring a strong lead, unique worldbuilding, and a gripping plot. This is a gem of a book.