Finished reading House of Frank by Kay Synclaire. I've seen @ezeekat talk about it and when I saw it pop up on NetGalley I thought I'd apply. I didn't really think I'd get it and, honestly, I did no research into the book, past thinking 'oh pretty cover.' Now here I lay with my eyes red and a headache pounding, on the other side. I haven't cried this much since I watched Up.
Reading the blurb, after the fact, I realize the signs were all there that this was a book about grief, but I just blissfully ignored them and proceeded to plunge into a book where I cried almost from page one. Maybe it's just me. Maybe other people will think it's a nice, sweet, cozy fantasy. It is! But it could also wring all the moisture from your body.
It was a great story, well written, and filled with lovely characters, but be forewarned, have a lot of tissues and water on hand. Just in case.
The House of Frank doesn't come out until, I believe, October 15th. So be on the lookout.

I found this a little too heavy personally to finish right now, but look forward to returning to it when it is released in the fall.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the arc. I have to start off by saying I have loved every book I have read from Bindery Books and this book is no exception.

This book is cozy, heart warming and a beautiful representation of found family during grief. I really enjoyed reading this on the cozy days I have been spending with my son curled up in our rocking chair.

I loved the characters, especially the dynamic of the cherub brothers. Every character felt detailed and memorable. The representation was wonderful, I loved the chemistry between Oli & Saika. Phil had my heart. This book definitely had me in my feelings for multiple characters and how they each represented different ways of grieving. Saika’s connection to her sister was beautiful and reminded me of the love I have for my own.

This book at its root was an amazing exploration of grief, I usually do not read books that touch on the subject but I felt this book did a wonderful job at it. It felt like a hug, like your loved one tucking you into bed and telling you that everything would be okay. That our loved ones live on within us and different ways we can keep them in our thoughts and hearts.

I will be recommending this to any of my friends wanting a cozy winter read, queer representation, found family fantasy novel with witches, monsters and creatures alike.

If you're looking for a cozy read, that's a little fantastical and full of found family, this is a good fit. While the pacing was a little quick at some times and a little slow at others, overall it was an entertaining read.

House of Frank by Kay Synclaire is a beautiful, whimsical, and heart-wrenching story about grief, trust, and found family. This is Ezeekat Press’s first book published under Bindery Books, a publisher powered by the bookish community, and I was absolutely blown away by the depth and craft of Synclaire’s debut novel.
Like most of the online bookish community, I was very curious about the concept of Bindery where well-known bookish influencers publish books under their own Bindery imprints. This is the second Bindery ARC that I have read this month and so far the calibre of book that they are producing has been far more impressive that most of the new books I have picked up from big publishers in recent months. If this is the path that Bindery continue to carve out for themselves, then the publishing world may look considerably different in the next few years.
In this story we follow Saika who has come to the Ash Arboretum to finally plant the ashes of her sister after two long years of putting it off. Frank (a cardigan-wearing beast who runs the Arboretum with the help of bickering cherubs, a cantankerous elf, a fairy chef, and more) greets her at the door and welcomes her into the safest space Saika’s been in for a long time. Unable to bring herself to bury her sister right away, Saika accepts Frank’s offer to work in the Arboretum until she’s ready. With the help of her new friends, Saika gently peels away the layers of her grief and and discovers that she’s not the only one living with tragedy and regrets. Together, they might just be able to keep the Arboretum running through the constant storms and other obstacles thrown their way.
This world is introverted, warm, and welcoming while still evoking a sense of wonder and awe. If you classify fantasy as ‘cosy’ based on the setting alone, then this is definitely it. However the broader story deals with some potentially stressful and upsetting topics (check the triggers at the front), so don’t pick it up if you aren’t prepared to have your emotions utterly mangled (in a good way).
This story uses concepts that every fantasy fan will be familiar with, and therefore avoids dollops of clunky lore dumping. The characters all follow the classic rules of fantasy: witches fly brooms, ghosts are invisible, and fairies are tiny, tinkly things, but Synclaire still manages to put her own little twist on the magic system without things getting confusing.
The characters are the highlight of the book for me. There’s no shortage of them and they’re memorable and individual and they each bring their own flavours to the rich soup of comedy and tragedy. If you like the found family trope, this story practically wallows in it, as well as grumpy/sunshine dynamics and queer and trans representation. Oh, and there’s a pet dragon too.
Synclaire’s writing binds all these elements together in simple, yet evocative prose in which Saika address her dead sister, writing her letters that she’ll never read in order to process her grief and the circumstances that she had brought upon herself. This choice to write in a partial second-person narrative only adds to the emotion mangling mentioned above. This book wouldn’t work anywhere near as well without this front seat view into Saika’s thoughts and feelings and adds to the intrigue when she hints at elements of her story that she hasn’t been comfortable enough to divulge just yet. We wait patiently with Frank and the rest of the group until Saika is ready to talk, and until then we share family meals, undertake chores, and get to know the motley crew that resides in the Ash Arboretum.
This is a beautiful story for those wanting to explore themes of grief, found families, and the importance of having a variety of relationships in your life. It comes out on the 15th October 2024.

"House of Frank" is a charming debut and a welcome addition to the cozy fantasy genre, handling the subject of grief with nuance and care. Saika is a relatable and heartbreaking character who I rooted for all the way. The family she finds in Ash Gardens is incredibly heartwarming, and I loved every character. The romance in the story is super sweet, yet it doesn't overshadow the main plot. This story had my whole heart from start to finish, and was a rollercoaster of joy, sadness and loving family I didn't want to leave.

This is the first of four Bindery titles being published in October. "House of Frank" was selected by Ezeekat Press, and I highly recommend pre-ordering, requesting it at your local library, and picking it up when it comes out..

This was a lovely story with themes of grief and found family with a background mystery. I really enjoyed it. There was a bit of a slump in the middle where the story could have been tightened, however still a very good read.

First, thank you NetGalley for giving me this eARC!

This was a really good cozy fantasy which deals with the heavy topic of grief in such a beautiful way. It's still quite a heavy read, but it feels like the book gives you a hug while taking you through the story. This also has to do with the found family that the main character, Saika, has found. All these characters were so wonderful! They all had their own stories in dealing with grief. One thing I wasn't a fan of though, was the fact that sometimes some of these characters were just forgotten about by the others. I felt like that didn't entirely fit within the found family trope. Another interesting thing about this book, is that it refers to the reader as 'you' and as Saika's sister. While not everyone might like this, I did and found it to complement the story.

Also, it has to be said, the cover is absolutely gorgeous!!

I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you like cozy fantasies such as Legends & Lattes!

This book felt like a warm cup of tea, a bandaid and a kiss on the forehead. This book is my definition of cozy but with serious substance. It’s beautifully written and addresses grief in a way that’s relatable, soft and kind. Anyone that has lost someone close to them will immediately relate to one or multiple characters throughout the story. It healed something inside of me that I didn’t know needed to be healed. Yes, I cried. The story is warm, beaitifil and heartwarming. I’m so excited to see what else Bindery and Ezeekat Press releases because this was a slam dunk.

When I think of a comfort book, this is instantly the first book that comes to mind! This has instantly become one of my new favorite books and I cannot wait for others to be able to read this story!

In House of Frank we meet Saika, who is a witch that hasn't been herself since her sister's death 2 years ago, on her way to Ash Gardens to bury her sister. Upon arrival she is welcomed in by Frank who ushers her into the decaying house to get away from a large storm approaching. Frank offers her a room for the night, which she begrudgingly takes until she can hold her sister's ceremony in the morning. When the time comes to bury her sister Saika isn’t quite ready yet to let her go. With the house needing repair Frank offers her a role as a caretaker of the estate. Within the estate she meets other magical beings that help shape the gardens into the safe and comforting place many flock to to bury their loved ones. As the house repairs become more daunting, Saika must decide if she wants to share her magical struggles with her new acquaintances or if the power of the fallen star in her possession will be enough for her to get by.

I gobbled this book up, it was so good! I loved the characters from their (mental) imagery, their personalities and just the welcoming-ness each brought to the table in their own ways. It felt like I was a part of this motley crew and was anxious to see if they were able to overcome the challenges that came their way throughout the book.

Thank you Bindery Books, the author and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

For anyone who has felt washed away from grief, "House of Frank" will envelope you with an embrace that you wished you had in your hardest moments.

Saika is a grief stricken witch who ends up on the doorstep of a magic funeral home, ready to lay her sisters ashes to rest. What she finds is a purpose, found family, and the lengths we will go through in our worst moments.

A cozy and queer fantasy that will pluck your heartstrings without sending you over the edge into an existential crisis. Delightfully queer and full of heart, if you're looking for something akin to Under the Whispering Door, this is your next read. 5/5 stars!

A story full of magic that takes us along Saika’s journey through grief and the healing power of love, connection, and found family. This cast of characters is delightful as they each reveal their own grief and the ways they’ve come together at Ash Gardens and find a place where they can heal and feel loved while passing that on to the families who gather to plant loved ones in the arboretum. Parts of the beginning were difficult to read as I processed grief of my own, but what a wonderful story and thought that those we’ve loved stay with us and in this world in some form.

My thanks to Net Galley for the digital ARC.

This book took a while to grow on me but once I spent some significant time with it, I fell hard.

This is the story of Saika, a witch mourning her sister, her best friend. Her sister's last wish was to have her ashes planted in Ash Gardens, a magical arboretum from which a tree would grow. It takes Saika two years before she can even travel there.

Saika has been grieving all alone, but at Ash Gardens she meets other people who bring healing and comfort to the bereaved even as they tend to and hide their own pain. She finds work to do and slowly learns about the community around her.

So much about this book spoke deeply to me and my own experience of grief. At times it was painful to recall, but the vulnerability and truth of Saika's thoughts and words opened a small door into light.

She does grow and change and heal on her own, but her healing is strengthened and deepened as she is supported by and supports her friends.

Some people view fantasy novels as escapism or a way to tune out the "real world," but this novel taps into raw and messy feelings that come from an authentic place. I don't often cry when I think about my sister, but I could cry for Saika and the power of her love and loss. And that's a form of magic too.

Review also posted to goodreads.

I was so excited to read this book, I started immediately the moment I noticed my request for an ARC was accepted. Unfortunately, it didn't go as well as I wanted it to.

Let's start with the stuff I liked because there's unfortunately less of it.

First of all, the premise - it was a great idea that had the potential to be a great cozy fantasy along the lines of Howl's Moving Castle and Under the Whispering Door. The found family, the magical ash-planting arboretum, the magic of falling stars, and a group of magical creatures who are outcasts in one way or another - all ingredients for a great book. On paper, it sounds perfect.

Another thing I loved was the casual queer rep. Most of the characters were queer and there was a cute wlw romance with a grumpy badass witch. It was accepted as the norm and everyone was happy for the characters that got together.

One last thing was some of the characters - Oli and Hilde especially, but also Evette, Merry, and Phil, even though they had a bit less pagetime. They were the ones who didn't annoy me to no end and while they still were a little bland, I liked them most of all.

Okay, now to the bad. The main character, Saika was the worst. She was self-centered, judgemental, and extremely co-dependent on her dead sister. She constantly addressed her sister in her inner monologue, even in scenes that seemed absolutely inappropriate, such as romance scenes. She was also whiny and constantly thought her life was the worst and nobody had it as bad as she did. She judged Ignatius without ever meeting him and not knowing what was he doing for Ash Gardens. During the book, she learns about a dragon that used to belong to Frank's wife, Kye and she does something that is completely inexcusable. Until the end of the book, she insists that she was in the right and that Frank will at some point be grateful for it and needed her to make that decision for him. Even in the epilogue, the book goes out of its way to insist that what she did was right. She drove me crazy.

The plot of the book is full of small, illogical things that simply don't make sense. Characters don't know things they should know based on their previous relationships - for example, Frank had no idea how to take care of the dragon even though he'd been married to a person who loved it and spent a lot of time taking care of it. Nobody bothers to give Phil any sort of way of communicating even though he can interact with normal objects just fine. A lot of this stuff could be fixed just with a tiny bit of communication but that's unfortunately too difficult.

That brings me to the next point - the setting. It's hard to pinpoint what kind of time or place is the book set in. While there is technology like photos and trains etc. some things feel very medieval-fantasy-like. The way the characters speak switches between modern and a little archaic and overall it's very hard to define the world around. And while I get some books to thrive on the fairytale ambiance, there is too much detail put into the worldbuilding here to leave it unexplained. This is not that much of an issue for me but I know it could get confusing.

All in all, while this book unfortunately wasn't for me, it does have plenty of raving reviews so it may just be for you. If the premise interests you absolutely go check it out because there are plenty of people who loved it.

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley, Bindery Books, and Ezeekat Press for providing me with an eARC for an honest review!

This book, despite any flaws it may have, has become one of my favorite books. I'm always a sucker for an exploration of grief, and The House of Frank does it beautifully. Off the bat, I think my main criticism is that the world does feel like it could use a bit of an expansion, as it feels like this book is set in no particular place or time. At the same time, however, this is a strength of the book, as it allows for the themes and the story to have an ethereal and timeless quality, like many of the myths and legends that involve the creatures and people of the story. It also allows for the characters to take center stage, which is by far the greatest strength of this book. Exploring particular forms of grief, loss, and identity through each character allows for the themes to take on personality and provides a space to connect with them. On top of all of that, this is a beautiful story about the power of found family, and how grief can bring people together. I highly recommend this book!

I really liked the premise of this book. And once reading it and meeting all the characters it was so nice. Everyonr being so understanding, giving space and time in difficult situations but also still being near and close by to help or be there for the other when they need it is so good. It was a really nice book to read. Not my favorite, but I'm still happy I got the chance to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was a truly lovely and cozy fantasy novel that deals heavily with themes of grief and loss, but manages to instill real hope and joy alongside it. I was reminded of books like Legends and Lattes and The House on the Cerulean Sea, for the themes of found family, the cast of different fantasy creatures, and the unquestioned queerness. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys fantasy with a bit of romance and can handle the challenging nature of grief themes. I’ll definitely be looking forward to reading more by Kay Sinclaire in the future!

There's really not a way for me to describe this book. It's a weird and fun story that just throws it all at the reader: fantastical creatures, witches, ghosts, love, life after death, storms, magic, promises, grief, falling stars, and dealing with loss. Every character here deals with loss, memory, and love in a different way, and they all felt real (whether it be a small cherub or a purple witch covered in tattoos, or a huge beast-man of indeterminate origin).

The one thing I disliked, and the reason I took a star off, was the main character narrating in first person to her sister. It was distracting, and having to read "Fi" however many times took me out of the narrative. But otherwise, great writing, great story, great representation, wonderful feeling when I was done reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book.

3.75/5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 4 on NetGalley)
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Just like many debuts, this book was lacking in a few areas, but was good enough that I can overlook those issues and recommend this book. My biggest gripe was with the pacing being a little off, certain scenes should’ve been cut shorter so others could have been longer and more prevalent. The ending felt a little rushed and I think the book could’ve had a stronger ending if we got another chapter or two, instead of a quick end chapter and epilogue. Also, the spell work from Saika felt a little juvenile, though I’m not sure if that was intentional or not (I do not want to speculate in a review and spoil anything).

However, all issues with standing this book made my grief filled heart full and made me feel less lonely in my grief. I’m incredibly thankful for the space the author created and cannot help but wish the House of Frank was a real place that I could visit and plant my loved ones. As well, the author nailed the found family trope. I absolutely loved the characters in this novel and felt as if I was part of their found family. If you want a book that either feels like coming home or recieving a hug this one is for you!

This book has a very intriguing premise and the theme of grief and love kept me intrigued the entire time. I feel so deeply for the loss of a loved one, in light of a recent loss, and this book has done much to help me come to terms in my own process of healing.