I would give this 4.5 stars if I could….

This book 😮

When House of Salt and Sorrows came out it dazzled me! Yes, dazzled… there’s no other word for it. So, when I heard about House of Roots and Ruin I was over the moon. I’m so very thankful to @netgalley and @delacortepress for granting me early access to this captivatingly creepy sequel. I struggled to put it down, literally found myself waking up in the middle of the night just to read more. I love the Thaumas sisters and it was fun to see them in a new light all these years later. This story follows the youngest sister, Verity, as she discovers shocking truths about her past and herself and boldly goes out into the world on her own new mysterious adventure.

All I can say is 😱… there better be more in this series or I’ll have a serious bone to pick with @penchant4words!

I liked this book. I think if you enjoyed the first one, you will enjoy this one too! I want to read more books from this author.

Return to Highmoor and re-meet Verity, now a grown woman ready for an adventure of her own! This book was everything I could have wanted in a sequel for House of Salt and Sorrow. Not only do we get to see how the events of the first book continue to impact and shape the Sisters of the Salt, but we get to learn more about Verity and her ghosts. Is she going mad or is she in fact cursed after all?

Craig’s writing is so atmospheric it instantly transports you to the time and place of her novels. Her ability to immediately create a sense of unease in her plots, combined with characters you can’t help falling in love with, is what gives her stories that special something that makes them addictive and sensational. Craig continuously cements her place as one of the foremost YA fantasy novelists of our time. I can’t wait for everyone to experience this novel for themselves - a must read if you loved House of Salt and Sorrow!

Thank you to NetGalley Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

When I received the notification that I received an ARC of this book I was so excited! Did I stay up all night to read it? Yeah I did. But I have to admit it was hard. I liked the first book and I was hoping this one would make me love it more. But I think the story felt dragged out and sometimes forced. I feel like there was something missing.

In House of Roots and Ruin, Erin A. Craig returns readers to the lives of the Thaumas sisters from House of Salt and Sorrow. Verity, the youngest of the twelve sisters who is turning eighteen when the new book opens, narrates the story. Six of the twelve Thaumas sisters died in House of Salt and Sorrow, a mysterious retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Verity now resides with her oldest sister Camille, the Duchess of Highmore. Verity’s talent for painting earns her a commission to create a portrait for the 20-year-old son of another aristocratic family living on the mainland in Bloem, and when Camille, who is worried about Verity’s ability to see and talk to ghosts, forbids her leaving, Verity runs away so she can prove herself to her family while learning more about the world.

Fans of House of Salt and Sorrow will be delighted with Craig’s new book which is filled with romance, mystery, and Gothic details. Although the new book is a stand-alone novel, it revisits the Thaumas sisters who have scattered across the islands and mainland to begin their adult lives. Verity’s narrative voice pulled me back into Craig’s beautifully rendered world, and, because Verity was seeing the mainland for the first time, her descriptions filled me with a sense of wonder. Craig’s writing is full of sumptuous detail. The windswept shores of the islands which feature in Craig’s first book are replaced by the heady gardens and overflowing greenhouses of Bloem. I loved reading about the beautiful fashion, architecture, and customs of the “People of the Petals”, and I enjoyed the fairy tale references to dark secrets, hidden passageways, and forbidden chambers inspired by The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Bluebeard. As Verity begins a romantic relationship and becomes increasingly isolated from her family, she encounters life-threatening scenarios that keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Craig’s books do feature shocking plot twists which appeal to her young adult audience, and while I would have preferred more restraint in the conclusion, I was so riveted by the Gothic details, mysterious characters, and haunting settings that I couldn’t put the book down. Craig’s writing transports me to new worlds, and I hope she follows House of Roots and Ruin with a new fairy tale inspired story of another surviving Thaumas sister. Fans of Gothic fiction, mystery, and romance will love this book!

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

Just as good as her first if not better! I hadn't realized how badly I wanted a sequel to her first book until I read this.

I downloaded the ARC of this book on Saturday morning and barely put it down. It’s now Sunday night and I’m sitting here stunned at Erin A. Craig’s skill. It was easy to be drawn once again into the dark world of Highmoor, this time with young Verity. She’s almost 18 and frustrated with her lack of future options due to her sister Camille guilting her into remaining home. She receives a commission to paint a Duke’s son far away and believes it’s finally her opportunity to seek adventure and leave Highmoor to find herself. What she gets is far more than she bargained for and her very future is quickly in danger. Darkness follows her as she strives to uncover the secrets hidden behind the beauty at the Chauntilalie estate.

This sequel contains all of the fantastic gothic details that the first had. There are times when Verity - and the reader - must wonder what’s real. The pacing was perfect and no moment felt too slow or drawn out. Verity’s romance was sweet and though his family seemed just perfect at the start, I loved watching everything unravel to the point where Verity had no idea who to trust. I was dazzled by the description and detail and stunned by the continuing plot twist. Once again, Craig has shown that she is a master of mixing romance, suspense, and gothic horror. I cannot wait to share this novel with others when it comes out!

A great read with great characters and a good follow up to House and Salt and Sorrow I'm sure fans of this author will enjoy this book!

This was such a great read! I absolutely loved this story and characters which is why I flew through this book. The plot was exciting and full of twists and turns. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

Summary:
This story follows Verity Thaumas as we revisit Highmoor Manor. Verity remains haunted and dwells in Salann with her sister Camille yet she feels sheltered and longs for adventure. An avid painter, she receives an invite by the duchess of Bloem to paint a portrait of her son Alexander. Upon her arrival she is fascinated by the grandeur of the estate and the Laurents.
When she begins to see and hear things that shouldn’t be possible she discovers what is truly growing within the grounds and the twisted secrets it holds.

What I Liked:
- The innocence of this love story between Verity and Alex.
- The intricate imagery, detailings.
- The antagonists are well hidden. The mood is eerie and suspenseful.

What Could Have Been Improved:
-The pace was slower than expected however the last quarter really drew me in. I like a faster pace.
- I wish there was more interaction between the sisters.
- The love story seemed a bit sudden within such a short timeline.

Final Thoughts:
This is a story about embracing who you are, taking a leap of faith and confronting your fears. The love story gives an extra layer to the story but it wasn’t convincing to me. I love Erin’s books and would definitely recommend this one after reading House of Salt and Sorrows.

Thank you to @delacortepress for the eARC.

House of Roots and Ruin was a beautifully written book filled with mysteries and suspense and a very sweet love story to top it all off. I loved that the story started at Highmoor and Verity finding out some harsh truths about not only what she has seen in the past but also the present as well. I enjoyed the tension between her and her sister and her stubbornness as well as her determination to have an adventure of her own. As always I was pulled in with all the details describing every little thing which brings such a visual in the readers head while they are reading this story! I also really enjoyed the romance between Verity and Alexander and appreciated their healthy relationship and will to be strong together as ghastly events unfold in Bloem. The mysteries and twists and turns certainly kept me on my feet and kept the story exciting! I also really enjoyed how Verity's curse relates back to House of Salt and Sorrows and it wraps that mystery up very well. Overall this was a fantastic read that I think readers are going to love!