I think I liked this one better than the first. While Salt and Sorrows is more of a horrific twist on a fairy tale, this is more of a traditional gothic horror story.

It was very clear as soon as Verity arrived at Chauntilalie that something there is not quite right. There are many things that she doesn't pick up on that are very obvious as a reader, but this naivety makes sense for her character. The tension builds throughout the book, and while there are many things that were predictable, they were still sinister enough to delight, and there were some surprises as well.

Though this is presented as YA, there are some pretty intense moments and themes, so I would probably only recommend for older teens. It really is more new adult, or just adult adult.

Myth: 4.5/5

The storytelling was impeccable. I found myself thinking about what would happen next with each break that I had to take from my kindle. The story was fantastically interwoven with chapters of seeming madness and horror.

Magic: 4.5/5

While so much was similar to the world of the first book, book two definitely got to play a lot more with the magic of the world. While still heavy on ghosts and paranormal, this book dives more into the magic of the gods.

Overall: 4.5/5

Dangerous secrets, forgotten truths, and so many ways that Verity’s story could go wrong, it is a terrifying delight to flip to the next page.

Quick summary: I LOVE this dark, YA fantasy story about an interabled couple and the ties that bind (or break) families. 4.5/5 stars and a strong recommendation!

Full review: "House of Roots and Ruin" by Erin A. Craig is as Gothic and romantic as its companion novel, "House of Salt and Sorrows". I read this book in one sitting because it's impossible to put down. Make sure you have an open schedule and a comfy chair because you will skip meals and sleep to read the ending!

I fell in love with this story's dark setting and sinister characters. Bloem's lush plants and floral candles hide a twisted truth. The complex cast of supporting characters and the well-timed revelations kept me guessing until the end. If you enjoyed the plot twists and hidden clues in Craig's other books, then you'll love the dark mystery in this one.

Verity is a sweet, relatable main character. After discovering a unique ability, Verity flees her family's estate to do a portrait commission in Bloem. She develops a special relationship with the portrait's subject, Alexander, who is witty, kind, and uses a special chair to accomidate his paralysis. I love Craig's positive portrayal of an interabled couple, and I thought her decision to highlight how differences can make us special is a great message.

And speaking of relationships, Craig knew how to write a compelling romance between Verity and Alex! The couple's journey through adversity and family secrets reinforced their connection, and I'm so happy with the events in the final chapter. The epilogue is equally satisfying...and possibly sets the scene for a third book. I'm here for it!

Concluding thoughts: "House of Roots and Ruin" is one of my favorite fantasy books this year. I love the gothic setting, intricate plot, and the range of emotional and physical ability among the characters. The epilogue was very lively (literally), and I can't wait to see if there's a third book. I'm grateful to have received an advanced reader's copy of this story; I recommend this series to fantasy, YA, and dark mystery readers.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Random House Children's Books and Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

This book is the sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows. I remember loving that book when I read it. You don't have to read the first one to enjoy this book. There are some hints to what happened in the first one so that's nice. Almost everybody in the Laurent family is just horrible. There are deep family secrets and experiments, and they are just horrible. Alex is the only exception to that. He had no idea what was going on supposedly. Verity and Alex end up getting married after his brothers, his father, his mother, and his grandmother are all killed. They all had it coming. Except the epilogue sets up a third book. I will be reading it when it comes out.

What a fun read! Although there were times where us was pretty predictable, I still enjoy it! The writing is beautiful, the setting colorful. My main issue is the romance. It felt forced, even the main character questioned it the whole time! But it’s easy to overlook it with everything else the story has to offer. With the epilogue, I wonder if the story will continue!

I can barely write this review through my screams over that last sentence!!!!! Ok here we go.
Wow this was so creepy, so atmospheric, so unexpected. I thought I was prepared after House of Salt & Sorrows. But no, I was not prepared. This takes the same gothic feels, twists, and the uncanny and just ratchets it up. Plus we have a sweet romance (that again still has you questioning yourself). This isn’t exactly a short book but I read it in one sitting. I was on the edge of my seat with tension and dread the entire time. And seriously that last line left me gasping!
Highly recommended!

4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy to review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed House of Salt and Sorrows when I read it a few years ago, but for me, House of Roots and Ruin was even better! I loved Verity and the story that unfolds around her is delightfully creepy. I halfway figured out the twist and I was happy to be proven right. And then! That ending! Chillllllssss.

I am absolutely LIVING for this eerie, gothic, atmospheric thriller follow up to House of Salt and Sorrows! This is such a highly anticipates release for me and it was so well written and eerie, and I was so quickly thrust back into and immersed into the spooky and ghostly setting. Erin A. Craig is a voice to watch out for and an instant buy author for me.

OMG OMG!!! I was so excited to drive back into the eerie and atmospheric writing of Erin A. Craig. Verity was one of my favorite characters in House of Salt and Sorrows, so having a new book with her front and center had me highly anticipating this book.

Instead of the dark and moody island of Salann, we travel to the incredibly beautiful Bloem, where Verity is tasked with painting the portrait of Duke and Duchess Laurent’s son Alexander. Against her eldest sister, Camilla’s wishes, Verity flees their home in the night. In a last resort to convince Verity that traveling there is a bad idea, Camilla tells Verity a very devastating truth that shakes Verity’s whole world.

Upon her arrival in Bloem, it’s quickly evident this place is not what she is used to, though she is an adaptive girl. Alex, the kind and beautiful boy she is to paint, swiftly catches her eye… and her heart. But, there is a darkness in Bloem that begins to show itself and Verity starts to realize the danger she is in.

This place is full of secrets and uncovering them had me on the edge of my seat. The people Verity meets, the things she sees, GOODNESS!!! It had me reeling. This was everything I wanted it to be and more. There was a bit more intensity, a bit more heat, more ghosts… and that ENDING?!? I need there to be more!

Erin Craig never misses! This much-anticipated sequel to the amazing House of Salt and Sorrows delivers so many thrills and delves deeper into the haunting world of gods and monsters. Definitely more YA horror!

I will always loudly recommend Erin A Craig and anything she writes to anyone and everyone. It mystifies me that she isn't more well known. She has mastered the beautiful and slowly more and more creepy way of telling a story. I'm obsessed with her writing. Read this and all of her books.

"A modern masterpiece, this is a classic Gothic thriller-fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Erin A. Craig, about doomed love, menacing ambition, and the ghosts that haunt us forever.

In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed.

Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family's estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia. When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem - wife of a celebrated botanist - is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won't allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she's kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn't know it.

Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and - with nowhere else to turn - makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape and is quickly drawn to charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance...blossoms.

But it's not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade...."

Oh, the question then becomes, who are ghosts and who aren't!

I enjoyed visiting the world Craig created in the follow-up to House of Salt and Sorrows. The sequel follows youngest sister Mercy as she accepts an invitation to the mainland where she will paint a portrait of a duchess's son. At first, Mercy is captivated by the manor and the family it houses until strange things happen that make Mercy question the reasoning on why she was invited to the manor.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and could overlook the instant love coupled with a random insertion of a love triangle that absolutely did not make any sense. After one twist was revealed, it was easy to predict the others and so I focused more on the world of the manor instead of the mystery.

Writing: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Character Development: 5/5

Themes: Gothic, Romance, Mystery

House of Roots and Ruin is about the youngest Thaumas girl trying to find a way to live her life and not being labled as crazy. When she is asked to paint a future young Duke far away from her home she jumps at the chance to see new things and hopefully begin living. This book had such a spooky atmosphere that had me hooked in just a few pages. When I first read House of Salt and Sorrow I thought there was no way this book could top that, but it did! I love the characters, especially Varity and Alex. It had a gothic romantic feel but also a mystery. If you liked the first book you will love this one.

I received an arc and am leaving an honest review.

Verity has never left the safety of life at Highmoor. She’s the last of the cursed Thaumas girls and desperate for adventure. When she tries to plan a trip, her sister Camille forbids her and reveals that Verity has always seen ghosts. Verity’s world is shaken, so she hastily decides to accept an invitation to paint the portrait of a young man. At the Bloem’s floral estate, peacocks scream in the night and the meaning of flowers holds dangerous messages. Verity must unravel the secrets of the estate before she becomes permanently intertwined with the mysterious legacy of the Bloems.

Erin A. Craig is one of my favorite authors! She excels at fantastical stories with that creeping sensation that something isn’t quite right. I could not put this book down! Verity’s ability to see ghosts was fascinating and I loved the twist that she doesn’t initially know if she is talking to a ghost or a real person. The vivid descriptions of the estate and flowers were beautiful. I enjoyed how Verity was able to use the language of flowers to communicate and reveal secrets.

I loved Verity’s bond with her sisters, which held even when she tested it by leaving the safe haven of Highmoor. I enjoyed the cameos from Annaleigh, Camille, and learning what happened to the other sisters from House of Salt and Sorrows. The world-building was richly detailed and it feels like there are more stories to tell in this world. There were SO many excellent twists! I can’t talk about most of them without spoilers, so I'll just say that I highly recommend you pick up House of Roots and Ruin.

The ending made me shriek! Craig is so elegant with her writing and can change the trajectory of a story with two simple lines. I can’t wait to read the sequel and find out what happens next! Readers who enjoy a spooky atmosphere, complicated family dynamics, and a house with dark secrets will love House of Roots and Ruin! I would recommend this for readers who enjoyed House of Salt and Sorrows (Erin A. Craig) and Within These Wicked Walls (Lauren Blackwood).

Thank you so much to Erin A. Craig, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

This was an atmospheric and incredibly Gothic tale that I enjoyed. I wasn't aware going in that this was part of a series, but this worked as a standalone! However, it just fell a little short of my expectations.

Thank you to PRH and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

PLEASE tell me there is going to be a sequel. Because that last line -- and that epilogue were EVERYTHING.

This book is everything a good gothic mystery should be. Old houses, screaming, weird noises, don't know who to trust...yeah, this book was everything. Sometimes plots are predictable -- this plot wasn't. There was so much going on, that I was in awe. Craig is an absolute genius at crafting such masterful plots.

I absolutely adored Verity, LOVED her so much. Her narration made this book spectacular. I loved that she was coming into herself. The romance between her an Alex was nice, but honestly, I wasn't as invested in that as I was the mystery. It was a nice aspect of the book, but this book was -- I have no words.

My heart was pounding the whole time I read this, and when I got to the last 30% I could not put the book down, and then the final bit? WOW. This is how you write a gothic thriller. THIS is one of the best gothic mystery/thrillers I have EVER read.

I'm speechless. Godsmacked.

No words.

This was an absolute page turner and I am eagerly looking forward to all the other things Craig has in store for us!

Seizing an opportunity to experience life away from the tragic, haunting past of her family, one young woman learns that all families seem to have unpleasant things lurking beneath the surface in House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig.

The youngest daughter of the cursed Thaumas family, Verity lives at the family estate under the protective care of her older sister Camille and spends her time sketching and painting, but she’s eager to experience the world beyond Highmoor, daydreaming of adventure. When an invitation arrives from the Duchess of Bloem for Verity to paint a portrait of her son, Alexander Laurent, Verity is excited for the opportunity, but Camille quickly dismisses the notion. After her heated exchange with Camille about her confinement to Highmoor, Verity has an unsettling encounter with two of her dead sisters, an experience that’s unique to her that her remaining sisters have kept secret from her, which forces Verity to confront an uncomfortable realization about herself. Shocked by the revelation, Verity flees toward adventure, heading to Bloem to begin the commissioned painting. Captivated by the lush landscape and the charms of the Laurent family, especially those of Alexander, Verity is quickly drawn in by the wonders of this life and the potential of a blossoming romance. But not all is as wonderous as it appears when Verity is plagued with nightmares, kept awake by screams in the night, and repeated warnings from ghostly beings to leave the Laurent estate. With the dark secrets and plots of the Laurent family stemming from the Duke of Bloem’s botanical experiments surfacing, Verity faces the reality and consequences of the situation she’s in as she makes her decision of who to trust with her future.

Depicting the life of the youngest daughter of the Thaumas family twelve years after the events of The House of Salt and Sorrow, this tale presents a slowly building plot devised by meticulous and manipulative cultivating characters whose actions contribute to an ominous, yet enticing, atmosphere. As this story focuses on a different sister than the first novel of the series, there’s relevant information provided in the text on an as-needed basis to flesh out and connect the stories and the world the characters reside in, but the story can stand on its own well. There was interesting representation of disability and the accommodations for Alexander as a wheelchair user to function independently were inventive and fittingly within the scope of technology of the established world. The prose of the novel was highly descriptive with floral imagery and an added layer through the language of flowers featured prominently throughout the narrative; those details and other abundant clues offered foreshadowed what’s to come during the more slowly moving middle portion of the story, though the clues presented shine clearly and brightly as Chekov’s guns, leaving readers to ponder just when they’ll finally come into play. Similar to the structure of the first in the Sisters of Salt series, the supernatural elements were gradually introduced, ramping up in presence and involvement for driving the narrative forward to a wild, rapid series of events constituting the ending, which teasingly raises some unanswered questions to pique interest in what Verity’s future might hold.

Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been around six months since I read Erin Craig’s other books and the horror of them has stayed with me the whole time—I have no doubt this will stick around in my head, too! Where “Small Favors” dealt more with a distrust in others and “House of Salt and Sorrows” was more of an atmospheric horror, this was psychological to the very end (and by that I mean to the very last word). There were clues all through the story to hint at where different parts would lead, and seeing them all come together in the last couple of chapters was extremely satisfying—and the ending? I’d pay money to see Alexander wake up in the crypt and immediately beat the crap out of Viktor, but I know that won’t happen (and honestly, the horrifying realizations that the reader is only able to imagine coming after the story’s end is probably the best part of the story, and probably the best part of all of Erin Craig’s books).

Rest assured, Ms Craig will have me deep in her pockets for the rest of my life. Nothing I can do about it. Keep writing horror. Please.

This is a dnf for now. I might get back to the book in the future but for now I could not get into the story and will have to set it down.