⭐️⭐️⭐️

i really wanted to love this one, but it was just okay. there were some similarities to other fantasy books that i really couldn't get past and that made the book a little bit more boring than i anticipated. overall, it's still a fun read, but the plot line is not going to be twisty.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Edira is a threadmender who has hidden her talents from everyone around her in order to not be recruited by the Evers. As the blight ravages her town, Edira is sniffed out by the Thornegrove Evers and whisked away to Thornegrove manor to work on finding a cure for the blight.

The atmosphere of this book was so enchanting and immediately drew me in. Edira’s connection and love for her younger brothers was so beautiful and family was a huge theme through this book. The world building was done well in my opinion, leaving me with a solid understanding of the magical undercurrents at play.

I do wish that the romance portion of the plot was explored a bit more in depth as it felt like everything was moving too fast for true connection. Rorik’s broody self was by far my favorite character. The ending left me hoping for another book and hopefully we get some more Rorik time in the next installment!

When I start reading something marked as gothic I'm really counting on it being, well, a gothic story. I didn't get those vibes and after not feeling any attachment to the characters and annoyed by the love triangle (why choose has ruined me, perhaps?) I decided it's not going to be the book for me. Obviously not all adult books will turn a triangle in a poly situation, but honestly then just leave out the triangle ... For some reason it just makes the story and writing feels so much younger and I don't enjoy that.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher, and Author for this amazing E-ARC! I loved the concept of this book. One of my favorite reads of the year!

The concept of the blight was so much fun to read about. I loved that healing has consequences and seeing her try to figure out how to heal the blight.

All the twists and turns were also fun to discover.

First, thanks you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

House of Blight completely grabbed my attention from the very first page. The author’s writing style is rich, vivid, and well-crafted — every sentence feels intentional, pulling you effortlessly into a world that is both haunting and enchanting. I found her prose very easy to follow, but appreciated her use of vocabulary. The world-building was excellent, layered with immersive detail that made it easy to visualize the setting and feel fully grounded in this story’s atmosphere.

This author has been likened to Sarah J Maas (SJM), etc, but I would liken this author more in the realm of Holly Black, but with a much more readable style and slightly less political-focused. The immersive world-building did feel very SJM though!

The storyline itself is refreshingly unique and creative, standing out in a genre that often leans heavily on overused tropes. While it does contain one open-door scene, it’s brief, easy to skip, and doesn’t impact the plot — which I truly appreciated. It was so refreshing to find a romantasy that keeps its main focus on the actual plot rather than leaning too heavily on the romance. Also, minimal swearing compared to many other fantasy reads, which again, I appreciated!

By the end, I found myself not only eager for the sequel to this duology, but also ready to add all of this author’s other works to my TBR. If you’re looking for a captivating read with an edge-of-your-seat vibe, a well-paced and original storyline, some eerie family drama, and a fantasy world you’ll want to linger in, House of Blight is a must-read!

In 'The House of Blight', we are introduced to a captivating magic system. Threadmenders possess the unique ability to heal others by mending their threads, but this comes at a cost: they endure some of the pain themselves and sacrifice hours, days , years of their own life. However, the extent of healing required for a minor scratch or a broken leg remains unclear (we don't know if she loses only a few days for each or if she loses much more, the bigger the wound is). The author has crafted a fascinating and distinctive aspect of this magic. We initially learn a lot, and even as the protagonist studies, the information becomes sparse. She uncovers a few things here and there, and ultimately learns to use her magic more effectively, but it leaves us questioning what exactly she did differently besides simply breathing correctly. At the very end, we understand, but it left me feeling a bit confused and underwhelmed for a big chunk of the book.

Initially, she appeared to be a strong, capable, and intelligent woman. Although she is portrayed as lonely, she seems content with her life alongside her brothers for the time being. She conceals her true self, fearing that the Ever will take her as they did her aunt. Unfortunately, we only witness this aspect of her character in the first chapter; afterward, she becomes somewhat naive, even foolish, and easily manipulated. Despite being warned not to trust anyone, she naively places her trust in everyone. She falls into traps that, if she truly possessed the intelligence and capability she was initially portrayed with, she would have avoided. I understand that being taken away from your home while being responsible for healing your only family is difficult, but it shouldn't lead to such a drastic change in judgment.

Aside from that, I really enjoyed the concept of the Evers, including the nature of their magic, their lore, and the distinct characteristics of each family. I would have appreciated a more in-depth exploration of their history at the start; while we learn a lot by the end, in the first half,we only know they are called Evers and use glamour to conceal their true selves, but not much else. As a result, it’s somewhat difficult to understand just how powerful they are and why they evoke such fear in others. I understand the decision to keep it as vague as possible, but I personally didn't like the way it was executed.

Regarding the romance, it was enjoyable, though predictable. The author successfully created some tension between the characters, but I wasn't fond of the 'love triangle' since it was clear who the antagonist would be. She receives numerous warnings about trusting no one after her interactions with a certain character, which heavily signals to the reader, 'Yes, he's one of the contenders for her heart, but let me remind you for the hundredth time that she shouldn't trust him, nor should you because she probably won't.' This detracts from the romance and makes it less believable. However, I really liked her other match; he was much more intriguing but also less developed/used. The author crafted him to be a bit more mysterious; we don't fully understand his desires, goals, or even his role in the family until the very end. I truly enjoyed that! I was rooting fro him from the start lol. It was obvious he'd turn out as a softie ♥

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I appreciated the concept, the magic, and the characters. However, I felt some characters lacked depth, and the character growth for the FMC could have been more "logical". Additionally, the author was somewhat obvious about the identity of the bad guy sooooo it made me less invested in the story.

I would definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a romantasy with an intriguing magic system, a touch of romantic tension, and a FMC who must train and improve to save those she cares about, all while getting caught up in family drama and wars against her wishes.

I really enjoyed this read. The characters were well developed and the world and magic system was amazing. I’m really excited to see where this goes and what’s next.

I initially tried to read this in March and really didn’t enjoy myself for whatever reason, I ended up getting the audiobook from Libro.fm and decided to give it another shot and I’m SO thankful I did!

I found the premise to be extremely intriguing, almost like Fullmetal Alchemist in the sense that there is an equal exchange that must happen with the FMC’s (Edira) healing magic. The only thing she can’t mend is the Blight, which is a super nasty disease that rots a person from the inside out. Her brothers get the disease and she ends up in a pact with an Ever (fae) to research the Blight and hopefully find a cure while her brothers are in a magical stasis.

I enjoyed the gothic world, everything had an eerie and unreal atmosphere about it. Like the Blight, there was rot lurking under the surface of everything. I do think some of the twists were obvious, but I was hit with a couple that did surprise me. This book had me questioning myself often which I really liked.

The pacing could have been better and some of the character work needed to be a bit strengthened but overall I did have a great time and really enjoyed the narration. This almost gave me Crimson Peak vibes, so I really enjoyed that aspect of it. I’m excited for the sequel, whenever that may be and I’m really glad I picked this up again!

I was not expecting this to have so many twists and be so suspenseful! The author did such a good job of keeping me on my toes and hiding the truth from the reader. I love a strong FMC and Edira was that! Absolutely wonderful world building! I can’t wait for more!

What would you do if you could cure diseases, illnesses, and injuries with your magic? But what if that very same life healing magic could only work by taking away a little of your own life to do it? Such is the life for Edira, a threadmender whose rare powers are both a literal blessing and a curse. She lives in fear of the Blight, an incurable disease that threatens those around her every day, and when her two brothers show up on the doorstep with telltale signs of the Blight, Edira is torn between survival and trying everything in her might (and magic) to save them. Everything seems hopeless until the head of the powerful Fernglove family, Orin, arrives and makes a bargain she can't refuse - he'll slow down the effects of the Blight on her brothers if she accompanies him to his family estate to work on researching a cure for the Blight. When things begin to become even more muddled and murky as Edira desperately searches for a cure and finds herself in the midst of a love triangle between Orin and his brother, Rorik, Edira is left to wonder just what the Ferngloves are up to and how she is involved.

I would say this is more of an upper YA dark gothic fantasy as it does have a little bit of spice and mature themes, but it was very quick to read and honestly I enjoyed the love triangle (which I know is not for everyone but it works for me most of the time). There are some parts of the plot that I wish were a bit more developed but I honestly can't wait for the sequel to this duology because I need some closure with Edira after that ending!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the eARC for review consideration - all thoughts and opinions are my own!

This was such a wonderful read that I completely lost myself to! It's magical with so many twists! The author did an epic job of keeping you in suspense, not seeing the truth until she wants you to. I loved Edira! She's strong, feisty and so smart. She loves entirely and is so ferociously protective of her loved ones. The world building is magical! It gives you that swept away feeling. I desperately want more!

Book Review: House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)

While House of Blight had an intriguing premise and a rich gothic setting, I struggled with the pacing throughout. At times, the story would jump forward abruptly, then slow down significantly in other sections, which made it difficult to stay grounded in the narrative.

I also don’t think the writing style was a great fit for me. The plot felt a bit scattered, and I often found myself confused about where we were in the story—especially after taking breaks between reading sessions. Unfortunately, the book didn’t fully capture or hold my attention, which made it hard to stay invested.

That said, readers who enjoy moody, atmospheric fantasy with morally gray families and slow-burn romance may still find elements to appreciate here. It just wasn’t quite the right match for me.

3.75 stars

I’m actually so sad it took me so long to start this book cause it was really good!
House of Blight follows Edira, a threadmender capable of curing diseases and healing injuries. After her brothers are infected with a blight, Edira makes a deal with an Ever named Orin. He’ll keep her brothers protected and in turn she’ll help cure them as well.

I was hooked from the beginning and it was everything I wanted from a fantasy novel! I won’t give any big spoilers but I had a bad feeling about one of the characters and I was right. All in all, House of Blight was a fun, fast-paced book that I’d definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc!

The writing in this novel is everything! The prose is soul catching and it fits the gothic fantasy aesthetic perfectly, much like Rachel Gillig and her stylistic prose. The characters are deep and engaging and the world is richly crafted. The plot centers around the FMC who has healing magic, but it uses her life to heal others. So, she shortens her lifespan whenever she heals.

A mysterious, incurable disease is ravaging the world, and has already taken her entire family except her brothers. So, she decides to use her power to heal them knowing she will likely die along with them anyway. Before she is able to attempt healing her brothers, the Fae lord who owns her family’s property asks her to work with him to find a cure. I’m eager for book 2 to continue the story, and I think this is a fantastic read.

House of Blight delivered fully on the atmospheric Dark Gothic vibes for me. I really enjoyed the unique magic system - our main character has Healer magic and she is known as a "threadmender". As a threadmender, she is able to see other people's life/soul threads and mend them. However, each time she does that, she loses years off her own life. Yikes. The pacing was a bit off for me and I did find moments where I was able to fairly easily predict what was going to happen next. Other than that, the storyline definitely hit the mark on being a Slow Burn romance, it was very well done. All in all, I would recommend this one.

This book sucked me in from the beginning and wouldn’t let go. I loved every minute of this story!

House of Blight follows Edira as she desperately tries to save her brothers and the Evers from a sickness called the Blight. She finds herself in a house full of secrets, with people she doesn’t know if she can trust. She has to look past the glamour and fake smiles to find the truth of what’s going on.

This is a fast-paced story, which I enjoyed, but it also made the romance feel like it was moving at a fast pace too. There is a very sudden change between Edira and Orin went from, I hate you and want nothing to do with you, too, I crave to be with you so quickly. I wish there would have been more buildup on the romance part.

This book did not need the romance to keep me entertained. It had me wanting to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next.

The ending felt perfect and unending at the same time. I’m glade Edira grew as a person and was able to see past all the lies at the end, but there was also a little bit of heartbreak with how everything went down.


Thank you to The Nerd Fam and Netgally for the gifted ebook.

4.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the E-Arc in exchange for my honest review!

To be honest, I had low expectations of this but I got into this enjoying the writing style and following the pacing of the story. Kind of insta-lovey and although I did find the ending and "twists" predictable, I still can't wait to read the next book. It got me intrigued on what would happen next and if I'm able to predict the next ending and 'twists' lol

DNF-ed at 20%. This failed to hook my interest, because it felt way too similar to other romantasy books I’ve read. Those trying to recapture the vibes of ACOTAR may enjoy, but I was hoping for something more original

Edira is shouldered with an immunity to a blight taking over her community. She is brought to the elite class to try and see if her powers can be molded into healing the blight in others. It had a lot of plot points/scenarios that are not uncommon in romantasy, but definitely make for easy consumption. Hello, forced proximity and a love triangle. There were certain things that I called from the others, while others were surprises. Is anyone telling the truth? I am interested in seeing where this heads!

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC of this book for an honest review.