WOW. This one drew me in and then blew up in my face (in a good way). So much to process, but I loved that it picked up the younger generation from the first book and let those characters shine! This is a great follow up to House of Salt and Sorrows. I hope there are more to come! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

**Partial review: will update upon finishing the book when it is released in print to the public**

Although I’ve only read the first 7 chapters of HORAR, I am so beyond excited for the adventure to come. Verity had some big secrets she’s learning to accept and making a name for herself. Family is not always the best at dealing with crisis and verity is showing her sisters just how much she feels stifled and isolated. This book will be in my top three for 2023 and I’m ready to continue on!

The House of Roots and Ruin is a YA Gothic romp. I enjoyed the story and really enjoyed the twists. With the title following the trend of YA stories, House of A and B or Crown of A and B, I anticipated this tale would follow one of the usual YA storylines. Just when I thought, okay... here is where x happens, the story went in a different direction. I can't give any more information without sharing spoilers, but House of Roots and Ruin is definitely worth reading for those who like a little gothic horror in their novels.

House of Roots and Ruin was a fantastic addition to the Sisters of the Salt saga. Verity is an incredibly compelling character, both as a haunted little girl and as a young women trying to find her place in the world. I loved seeing how her relationships with her sisters had changed since the last book. Her relationship with Alexander was beautifully written and it was lovely to see a disabled love interest. That being said, I'm not sure the surprise twin and final twist (where "Alexander" crosses his legs) was executed to the best extent. I was waiting for some kind of inversion of these tropes, but that could occur in the next book (which I'm hoping Craig will write). Overall, House of Roots of Ruin's strength is the careful balance of genre; it succeeds as a coming-of-age story, a Gothic mystery, a thriller, and a fantasy.

This is the PERFECT gothic horror novel. The romance is to die for and the plot is filled with dread and horrifying imagery. It’s just dripping with eerie fervor, charm, and spine tingling discomfort. Erin A Craig’s writing is so descriptive you feel as though you’re in a dream. It’s so beautiful yet haunting. The character development is completely unpredictable and absolutely divine. This is a must read. If you haven’t read House of Salt and Sorrows, I would recommend you read it first because the characters carry over from the first novel- HOWEVER House of Roots and Ruin can totally stand on its own.

#HouseofRootsandRuin #NetGalley
A dark gothic thriller that you will not put down. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-Arc copy of this novel.

I loved House of Salt and Sorrow, so when I got approved for the ARC from Netgalley, I was beside myself. I'll be honest, I had reread a recap of HoSaS because all I remembered was stepmom being the villain in all of it, but I had forgotten about the gods. After that recap, I hunkered down with Roots and Ruin and prepared for more shenanigans of the creepy kind. I was not disappointed. I think this book creeped me out more than the first one. The plot twists wound around the story like thorny vines, and the reveals at the end had me inwardly screaming. I did find the romance a bit rushed, and the timeline was a little too vague to keep the romance from looking rushed, but that did little to take away from the overall story. I swear if a 3rd book isn't coming, I will riot.

Five out of five read! There isn’t anything I love more than the trope of a character trying to play God. I found this book to be gothic, eerie, and romantic. Erin Craig writes stories so well! Ver was a main character I adored and I loved how we saw things through her perspective. It reminded me a lot of crimson peak. I will say the Gods and Goddesses background probably could’ve been introduced earlier or explained a little better, but loved this story

Super exciting, gothic thriller set in an eerie manor with ghostly hauntings and plenty of fun twists. I loved Verity and Camille, and I thought this was a great follow up to House of Salt and Sorrows.

Verity, one of the Thaumas sisters, is haunted by visions she is unaware of in the captivating sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows. Seeking refuge, she accepts a commission to paint the portrait of Alexander at Chauntilalie, a residence riddled with secrets beyond her own. The book's intricate plot and exceptional foreshadowing kept me up until the early hours of the morning, and I was enthralled by its richly textured writing.

Verity, who has matured since the first book, remains a fascinating character with her unique ability to see the unseen. Although I would have liked to see more ghostly interactions, the other characters were equally intriguing, and their revelations kept me engrossed. I'm eagerly anticipating further answers and can't wait for more from this series.

If you appreciate gothic novels with a touch of romance and richly detailed atmospheres, I highly recommend this book.

This was super fun! I love gothic things and especially atmospheric stories! While I didn’t like this as much as House of Salt and Sorrows, it was still really cool! There were lots of twists and turns and I hope there are more stories set in this world!

An absolutely stunning sequel that honestly may outdo the first book. Fans of gothic horror will love the story of Verity uncovering the truth about her new settings and herself. This is full of unexpected plot twists, mad science, and a beautiful (although terrifying) setting.

Highly recommended.

In “House of Roots and Ruin” Verity has the desire to see the world outside of Highmoor in Salann shores. Camille, her older sister thinks that Verity should stay right there where it is safe. One day, Verity receives an invitation to paint a portrait for the Duchess of Bloem’s son Alexander. When Camille tells Verity to deny it, the whole truth comes out and Verity’s world is flipped around. That night Verity runs from Highmoor to Bloem. While their not only romance began to bloom but nightmarish events began happening too.

Once again, Erin A. Craig has kept me on my toes. This was not like anything I have read before. The twists and turns were unexpected. I couldn’t predict anything. I was shocked throughout the whole book. Whenever I got to a part that shocked me to the core, I physically put the book down and looked into a non existing camera. This book is perfect for those seeking thrill and mystery. The characters were written fantastically. I can’t believe how everything went down. I also really enjoyed the romance in this book. I loved the relationship. I was super cute,

I have loved every book I’ve read by Erin A Craig. This book is definitely on my recommending list.

Erin can now consider herself one of my auto-buy authors because wow!

I rememeber binging A House of Salt and Sorrows one fall afternoon - I specifially saved it for spooky season and boy did it deliber. I coulddn't figure out what was happening and for a YA book it was also enjoyable for all ages I think and thrilling.

This book was no different. I wish I could say I paced myself but I didn't. I did nothing but read this book in a day and I'm okay with it.

Firstly, the way Erin can world-building is a gift! She does it without being over the top to a point that you become bored. It's balanced - her writing. It makes it so easy to read! I really want to blab but I think that like House of Salt and Sorrows, House of Roots and Ruin is best enjoyed when you go into the book without really knowing much. Simply put, if you enjoyed her first book and liked the twists and turns, this will be no different! It's actually a perfect spring/summer read - with a twist!

Sisters of the Salt #2. The youngest of 12 daughters Verity Thaumas has never known anywhere but Highmoor and longs to explore outside her island and have adventures. Her family has suffered many tragedies and the family is considered to be cursed. A gifted artist, she is thrilled when she receives an invitation to paint the portrait of Alexander, the heir of Bloem a neighboring province. When her sister Camille. also her guardian, forbids it, she flees in the night. Upon her arrival she is enchanted with the beauty of the estate and develops a strong bond with Alex. But soon Verity begins to have nightmares and seeing ghosts, a gift she fights to keep hidden. Underneath the beauty and graciousness of Bloem and the family lurks a dark and disturbing reality. Diabolical experiments, murder and outcast sons are just the beginning. I enjoyed "House of Salt and Sorrow" but the story of the younger sister was even more compelling for me. The character development and world building was very well done and the plot kept the pages turning. The unexpected twists and stunning revelations were breath taking. This was a mashup of gothic, fantasty with a big dollop of horror. A dark and broody YA with nefarious deeds and denizens. I am anticipating the next entry in this delightful and dark series.

Erin A Craig simply does not miss.

“House of Roots and Ruins” is a tangled web of deception and horror as youngest sister Verity hopes to make a name for herself and see a world beyond the island and its tragic past and when the opportunity arrives she finds herself in a dazzling world of wonder and love but something darker haunts the halls of her new estate and if she’s not careful it may swallow her whole.

Truly cannot say enough how much I love this author every book since I was lucky enough to get an arc of her first has been incredible and they’re just getting better and better!

This felt a bit like Crimson Peak with a sprinkle of Bluebeard as we follow a naive Verity so eager to see what all is out there and boy does she find it. The characters were fascinating and horrifying as the layers are peeled back showing all the skeletons that lay beneath.

There’s so much to unpack and I want to shout it from the rooftops but it would spoil everything so I am left racking my brain with what it all means and if there will be more to discover in future books (pretty please?). This sort of haunted gothic take on fairytales has truly been one of my favorite things and the sprinkle of mythology went up quite a few notches in explaining Verity’s unique skill set and opening the door for more chaos and tricks from the gods in the future.

I truly adore these books, I want to be friends with the author and more importantly I want you all to read this so you can tell me what if all means because my good that ending was incredible.

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

This book is the sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows, and this author killed it!

The story follows Verity as a young adult. While the plot line is consistent with and includes facets of the storyline from the first book, this is a very different novel. The plot development was perfectly executed culminating into a suspenseful conclusion. This was a hard book to down! The reader will find themselves on a journey with the protagonist trying to figure out where the veil lies between reality and delusion, good and evil, and dead and alive.

Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Erin A. Craig for this ARC digital copy.

This is in some ways a direct sequel to "House of Salt and Sorrows" and a companion novel. The story is set in the same world and centers on the Thaumas family from that first novel. However, our narrator now is Verity Thaumas rather than Annaleigh, and the world expands as Verity travels to Bloem and away from Highmore on Salann. Verity has fled her home to gain some agency over her life, and as the novel develops, she both gains agency of choice, and struggles with the feeling of loss of control.

Because this isn't a direct sequel, it's not necessary to completely reread HOSAS but I would recommend being at least familiar with the plot and characters because they are important and often referenced! Other than a refreshment of the original narrative, I would recommend going into this story relatively blind - the less you know, the more the twists of the gothic horror will land and creep you out. And the book IS creepy (in the best way possible). Originally I was getting some strong Secret Garden vibes, but as the story progressed, I definitely saw inspiration from Crimson Peak, Island of Dr. Moreau, and The Haunting of Hill House. The inclusion of the language of flowers was a nice touch, and I'm really excited to read this again to see what I hints I catch about the twist(s).

The novel has a slow burn to start, but once the first major plot shift is introduced, it really starts to ramp up and ramp up hard. The novel as a whole is, I think, better-paced than HOSAS. There is more time given to the development of certain events and those events land more strongly because we have the time to let them sit and resonate. Be warned - the ending is both deeply satisfying and 100% WTF. I genuinely cannot wait to read what comes next.

I received this as a ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am so happy to see a sequel for House of Salt and Sorrow. I enjoyed the first book and happy to see we are coming back to visit little Miss Verity all grown up.

I'll admit it took me a little bit of time to get into it. It was a little too slow for me at first, but I think after a quarter of the way through, it really picks up. I literally could not put the book down once it did. I was sitting on the edge of my seat! The mystery aspect was well thought out and a good pace. Its nice to see every detail written becoming a well placed clue and not just straight up information dumping.

I absolutely adore Verity, Alex, and them as a couple! They are couple goals, quite honestly. It's also refreshing to see a male lead that is handicapped but is also so much more than that.

I really enjoyed this book, even better than the first. Definitely recommend it! It does sort of end on a cliffhanger and I hope to see more of Verity and Alex! I want to see more from this world and the other sisters' stories as well! Erin A. Craig has done a phenomenal job fleshing out the world in this book. It would be a shame not to!

Tropes off the top of my head:
- Amnesia
- Fish Out of Water (Very fitting for Verity)
- Dark Secrets
- First Love

It was such a delight getting to return to Arcannia, the Thaumas sisters, and the world of House of Salt and Sorrows. House of Roots and Ruin is a very different type of story than book 1, but I enjoyed it just as much if not more than the first book.

Verity is desperate for adventure. She longs to leave the island and find her own path in life away from her family. She's watched her sisters leave and create new, independent lives and with her approaching 18th birthday she believes its finally her turn. A portrait commission from the Duchess of Bloem feels like the perfect opportunity. Her oldest sister, Camille, opposes Verity leaving Highmore and is forced to reveal a long held family secret in a last attempt to prevent Verity from following thru with her plan. Shocked and confused, Verity flees her family estate for Bloem. Life at Chauntilalie at first seems like all Verity dreamed it would be, but dark secrets and evil motivations soon begin to threaten her hopes and dreams for the future.

What a wild wild Erin Craig has given us with House of Roots and Ruin! Vivid descriptions paint a fully fleshed out world that it was easy to not just see but also feel immersed within. I was captivated by the story, its unexpected twists and turns, and the dark, haunting atmosphere and setting created within the pages. My gothic loving self was over-the-moon happy with the claustrophobic, eerie tone of this story. We're given secret passages, a poison garden, ghosts, gods and goddesses, creepy Menagerie statues, grand and mysterious estates, long buried family secrets and all manner of gothic, nightmare inducing material.

This is another beautifully written, mesmerizing story from the pen of Erin Craig. Her storytelling once again captured me to where all life's responsibilities had to go on hold until I turned the last page and read the final stunning revelation. House of Roots and Ruin is modern gothic fiction at its finest. It was truly a pleasure getting to spend a few hours with Sisters of the Salt and People of the Petals.

Thank you to both Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for providing me a copy to read and review.