In book one of this new gothic fantasy duology, we are introduced to a threadmender named Edira Brillwyn. She has been hiding her ability to cure disease and heal injuries in the blink of an eye. from the powerful Fernglove family, who she knows will exploit her abilities if she is found out. The Ferngloves are charming, beautiful, possess powerful magic, and don’t take no for an answer—especially Orin, the head of these ruling elites. When both of Edira’s brothers unexpectedly contract blight, an incurable deadly virus too strong for her to heal them both, Orin offers to help. Together at his estate they’ll research a cure while Orin slows their sickness and Edira hones her magic. His kindness and honesty surprises Edira, as does her undeniable attraction to him. But the other Ferngloves may be more dangerous than the ever-present disease. The longer Edira stays within the confines of the Manor, the more the family’s pristine exterior begins to crack—until Edira discovers a terrifying secret and must choose who she can save and at what cost…

I thought when I first started this book it would be more of a horror story, but it was actually more 90% fantasy 10% horror. The author did an excellent job with world building and character development. I loved how fearless Edira was - even when faced with an impossible choice. It ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, that sets it up for the second book, so I am excited to delve into that as soon as it becomes available. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves fantasy fiction!

I liked this one. Not as much as I hoped to but I think it has potential with the remainder of the series.
I live for a unique magic system. So the threadmending was pretty dang cool. I am interested in seeing where this story goes next. If you like ACOTAR, then yeah... same vibe with the main love interest.. if you know, you know. And instead of a winged shadow daddy, you get a winged insect daddy, nice!

sad to say this was a dnf :( what started off with an enticing premise and solid prologue had a really weird execution after the 30% mark. the fmc in particular was a tad grating and i wanted to enjoy it more than i was. i would still recommend for a gothic read, it’s just not for me!

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this!! If you like gothic tales with creepy mansions and puzzling over who you can trust, pick this one up.

I am BEGGING on my hands and knees for book two and the first the first one isn’t even out yet. This a creative gothic fantasy that features vivid world building, cool bugs (i promise!!!), and a treacherous and infectious blight that is basically a character on its own. This book had excellent vibes! I savored every word of this story and kept avidly turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next.

Thank you to Harper Voyager, William Morrow, and HarperCollins for the eARC!

Edira has a secret, and she lives her life hiding it until she doesn’t have a choice when her brothers catch blight and will doing anything to save them. She’s forced to enter the mysterious and magical Fernglove Manor and deal with Evers and how dysfunctional immortal beings can be. Edira is thrust into the mess of the Ferngloves while also trying desperately to figure out how to save her brothers. Combing magic, a deadly sickness, and family drama make House of Blight and unputdownable read.

“If you think I can’t stab you while wearing skits, you’re sorely mistaken.”

Oh Edira, how I loved your attitude and determination. This story focuses on Edira, Orin, and Rorik. I feel like all the characters are fleshed out nicely and I enjoyed seeing how their character’s progressed (or became unraveled 👀). We have a sort of love triangle going on, but it really is no competition. I will not be saying any more on the subject other than I am wholly team insect daddy now. 🪲

This writing of House of Blight fully immersed me in the story. From the atmosphere, the plot, and the romance, this book has it all and I ate it up! I highly recommend picking this one up on April 8th, 2025.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to the nerd fam for the gifted e-arc!

Right off the bat the story started off grabbing my attention and kept it till the very end. I admired Edira’s willingness to do whatever it took to help save her brother from the blight taking them. I also loved Vora and her dedication to helping Edira to see the truths of fernglove manor. The ending!? I am excited to see what happens next with book 2!

I had the chance to read the ARC of House of Blight through NetGalley & couldn’t be more grateful. This book is a MUST read for fantasy + romance lovers.

There is a unique magic system, a human who can potentially help solve a multigenerational disease & more than one MMC 😍

The threadmendor chronicles are an instant buy for me after the first in the series.

If you love a slow burn, plot twists & magical men, you will love this book!

Maxym’s “the beast charmer’’ series is one of my favorites out there, so I was STOKED to see they’ve written more- super excited to have gotten an arc by NetGalley!!


This one does NOT disappoint. The house of blight is a gothic horror novel, with creepy sicknesses, curses, lies and deceit. It is a decently sized book, but moves so flawlessly I was able to devour it in one sitting. The ending leaves on a cliffhanger- but not to the point you want to throw the book. Excited for the rest!

Thank you NetGalley, publisher, and maxym for allowing an arc in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up

i loved this one! it was such a unique storyline with deep gothic moody vibes. imagine if belladonna and crimson peak had a love child—this would be exactly it! the world building was rich with vivid imagery and incredibly atmospheric. the main characters were likeable and the stakes were high for all (which is suuuuper important for me when reading).

the first 50% or so was a slow build up, but once we kicked off, i was so immersed i couldn’t stop reading. the tension and intrigue between characters was palpable, and even though everything was fanning out as fine, i had an underlying feeling the whole time that something was not adding up. around 65% in, i started piecing everything together, and immediately turned on orin. he really had me in the first half im not going to lie—the banter was bantering and at first he seemed like a good dude. i should know better after reading as much fantasy romance as i do that things are never as they seem. the reveal, while i did predict most of it, was really well written full of proper action and drama. i was SCREAMING to myself “heartbond with rorik!!! it’s the only way!!!!” and when it happened i was soooooooo thrilled. while obviously rorik was more deeply involved in the ploy than edira initially though which is devastating for their relationship, it was clear he had her best interests in mind once he got to know her and cared for her. i’m excited to explore their relationship in the second book and see where it takes us. they very clearly yearn for each other regardless of the betrayal, so i am very ready for them to come back together with forgiveness and conquer the true enemy.

i will say one thing that threw me a bit is this book read a lot more YA that i anticipated. i remember it being marketed as adult fantasy, but the spicy scenes were pretty illusionary and non-descriptive. this isn’t a negative thing by any means, just an observation.

i am also deeply interested in finding out more about the lore described in the prologue. it seems like this is going to be an evers vs. death itself plot line since the blight refuses to fully go away, and that is very intriguing to me. i will definitely be looking forward to book 2!

note to publishers, i plan on making a promotional instagram post in support of the release date and will update my links when completed.

When I finished reading House of Blight, my first thought was “wow, that was really unique” followed closely by “and when does Book 2 come out?” In a world of shadows, I confess I now just want a man who loves bugs and tells me “you’re brighter than the moon and just as steady.” The entire book is racing against a blight that is killing everyone it comes in contact with, except for Edina, a rare threadmender. When her brothers catch the blight, Edina finds herself working with the Evers to find a cure. I am keeping this spoiler free, but this books has so many twists and turns and moments where I questioned whether Edina can trust anyone but herself. If you are looking for a unique magic system and interesting world-building, and some slow burn romance, then you should definitely read House of Blight. I don’t think I am the only one who will finish this book desperate to find out what happens between Edina and a certain man.

Thank you for the opportunity to review. Sadly I didn’t finish but I was 87% in.. There wasn’t anywhere in the plot that I was itching to read more or captivating. The idea was great but could have been better. It wasn’t for me and by 87% I got a bit more information on the Evers and the blight…just not a big moment.

I liked the concept, but I didn't get into the book. From what I read, the writing style is engaging; it's just one of those cases where I was the problem. I'm going to come back later this year and update my review when I finish!

Perfect for fans of One Dark Window, ACOTAR, and Cruel Prince! I love love love what Maxym Martineau has done in creating this dark, gothic, fae-ish realm! Truly unique in all of the romantasy that I have been reading. Not only are the dark-academia vibes there, BUT the heavy themes are well balanced out with amazing banter and chemistry with such interesting characters and an enticing plot! Highly recommend.

4.25/5 stars

I've read several of Martineau's books, and they've been consistently good choices for me, so I was excited to start this one.

This fantasy romance gave hints of a Grimm Fairy Tale in its darkness and some of its physical descriptions (characters, world setting, etc.). It started just a bit slow for me but quickly picked up its pace and kept me spellbound and on the edge of my seat at times. The premise of a "threadmender" (Edira) who is able to cure disease and heal injuries (unfortunately at a cost to herself) was intriguing, and I found the passages featuring her expertise and its description well written and believable.

I felt that the characters were well-fleshed out, especially the three protagonists (Edira, Orin and Rorik). But the ensemble cast served as a good foil/background for these three as well. The "blight" became a bit of a character in itself, and its physical manifestation was quite gory in its detail.

I think upon re-reading this I would find lots of interesting allegories centered around good vs. evil, the blight itself, the concept of threadmending itself, etc.

Overall, well written and quite entertaining. I look forward to the next book.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing the free early arc of House of Blight for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I ate this book up in less than 24 hours!

If you’re a fan of Crimson Peak, then I definitely think you’d enjoy this! It was dark, moody and atmospheric. The magic system was unique, the characters were complex and flawed, and the botanical horror aspect was eerie. It gave me The Last of Us vibes and I was here for it! I felt like I had been transported into a world that I was unlikely to survive in and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. My heart was racing as Edira fought against time to save not only her brothers, but the Everglove matriarch, before they could succumb to the blight that threatens to unalive them.

This story was rife with betrayal. My jaw still drops when I think about the way this ended. To say I am excited for the next book would be a complete understatement! I NEED IT!

I feel like this definitely had more plot than romance, but the chemistry and banter were top notch! The slow burn was done so well. I was swooning over both guys but for different reasons. While this is set up to have a little bit of a love triangle, it’s not the kind that makes your heart hurt…so I definitely enjoyed it.

If you like family drama, love triangles, healer magic, and did I mention family drama, I’d recommend picking up House of Blight! Following Edira, who can heal with her magic but at the cost of her life (literally. She loses time every time she heals) as she is swept away to an immortal family’s estate to heal their dying matriarch from a disease that is affecting them all. There, she meets Orin, who sweeps her off her feet, Rorik, who annoys her at first glance, and the rest of the (complicated) family. As she researches a cure for the blight, she’s tugged into their family history.

I enjoyed this one, but with the crazy amount of romantasy recently it’s hard for one to stand out. This wasn’t a drop-all-and-read-it recommendation for me but it was fairly easy to pick up on the world. I would have loved some more in-depth discussion of the history of the Ever families and their connections, but that may come more in book 2. The threads (lol pun intended) left for book 2 weren’t super strong and didn’t reaaaally make me want to read it; I think with a few minor changes this could have been a bit longer and a solid standalone.

For those who love gothic Romantasy and tropes like slow burn romance, forced proximity, secrets and intrigue, gothic haunted castle, unhinged family, maple moth familiar, and tension, this is a MUST READ!

House of Blight is everything I want in a gothic fantasy—haunting, atmospheric, and emotionally charged. Edira Brillwyn is a threadmender who can heal with her magic… but every use takes years off her own life. When her brothers fall ill with the deadly Blight, she’s forced to strike a bargain with a fae lord and enter the eerie Fernglove manor to find a cure.

The mystery, the magic, the stakes—it’s all so deliciously tense. The Fernglove brothers are a tangle of secrets and power struggles, and Edira’s strength and vulnerability absolutely shine as she navigates the manor’s twisted halls and her own impossible choices. I devoured this in just a couple of sittings!

Maxym Martineau crafts a darkly enchanting world where every secret feels like a trap waiting to spring. The tension simmers from start to finish, and Edira’s quiet resilience left me breathless. I 100% highly recommend this one!

Thank you so much to the author, HarperVoyager US, and NetGalley for the gifted e-ARC!!

This is by far my favorite ARC of 2025. If you love gothy, vibey, dark twisted fantasy romances akin to One Dark Window, you’ll love this book. Edira is a threadmender, meaning she has lifesaving magic, but it comes at a high cost. A powerful family learns her secret and she must go to live with them in order to save the lives of her brothers (the only family she has left). I’d rate this 1.5 chili peppers for spice. Tropes: love triangle, enemies to lovers, betrayal. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the next one!!

This book was nothing like I expected and I absolutely loved it! I devoured this book! I give it 4.5 stars. The storyline of this book is so unique. I haven't read any fantasy like it. The magic system is super unique as well on top of the magical creatures. I did not expect the magical creatures to look like they did but as I got used to them I loved it! The turns in this book are crazy and unexpected. This book was just so so good!

This new fantasy release is a fantastic duology opener for romantasy readers who enjoy dark gothic themes and unique magical capabilities! The FMC, Edira, is a threadmender whose magical powers can heal and save lives, but with the cost of shortening her own life. She is able to hide her abilities until a powerful family discovers her and forces her to come to their estate in exchange for saving her brothers’ lives. The estate and powerful Ever families are all seeking a cure for Blight, and they think Edira is the key to saving them. This plot is so twisty; there are cutthroat court/rival family politics, tricky deals and oaths, hidden identities, and a delicious pull of attraction between Edira and two powerful brothers. Mystery, suspense, training lessons, magical balls, and powerful insect-shadow-daddies (say, what!?) had me flipping pages to the conclusion! I can’t wait to see how the story continues in the next book.

This was a super fun and interesting book! For fans of the Acotar series, you’ll love this!

The twists and turns were epic and I really enjoyed it!