🖤 Magical Contracts
🦋 Plague/Disease
🖤 Family Conflict
🦋 Ghosts
🖤 Beast Forms
🦋 Hidden Identity/Magic

I loved this story. I loved the blending between gothic and fantasy. Things are definitely not what they seem, but if you pay close attention you can pick up on some of the hints the autbor drops along the way.

I do have to say the last 10% was such a wild ride. There were so many twists and turns and Edita, girl finally figured thins out and found her voice! She was always opiniated but sometimes niave.

PS: I love Rorik and can't wait to see more from him.

I had a good time with this gothic fantasy romance. It felt like a classic Romantasy at times, but with unique elements that made it feel fresh. The Evers had more of a beastly, monstrous feel which felt closer to original depictions of the fae which I really enjoy.

The ‘blight’ disease aspect added to the gothic atmosphere of the setting and the story, and was explained in such vivid detail that it almost felt like aspects of body horror. Which again, gave it a unique feel compared to other similar books being released at the moment.

Overall I’d really recommend those that love fantasy romance and for those that are looking for a book that is doing something a bit different in the genre.

Six-Star Read!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

House of Blight is equal parts whimsical and dark, with exceptionally clever and memorable characters, a uniquely explored magic system, and fresh, sensory specific, writing. At its core, it's a classic gothic romance, top to bottom, with modernized themes, magic, characters, and character motivations.

Edira has spent the entirety of her life hiding in plain sight, defying her very nature, to keep out of the clutches of the Evers (immortal beings who crave her magic). When her brothers are struck with the disease ravaging their lands, however, she's forced to act and ally with the Evers to find a cure.

First, and foremost, Edira is a gorgeous creation. If you love Carissa Broadbent's FMCs, and/or if you love STEM FMCs, you will love Edira. She's very reminiscent of Lilith from Six Scorched Roses. Very inquisitive, curious, and CLEVER. Her inner monologue is such a delight that I did not miss a dual perspective, whatsoever, and usually do.

In fact, all of the female characters in this book are exceptional. All very well-drawn, unique from one another, memorable, clever, and mysterious.

As is the magic system. Exceptional with fascinating lore built around it. We've seen aspects of it before, but the exploration and explanation of it is rooted in memorable (not complicated) lore and weighted with mature, magical realism. This extends to the lore building of the Evers, themselves, and other tropes we've seen but feel fresh here, like bonded mates.

The love story, itself, is a bit of a love triangle, though not a why choose. I don't always love this, but in this book, I found it very well-done, and actually enjoyed the ping and pong of it. Largely because there's so much mystery surrounding the MMCs the whole way through.

It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but nothing that will have you wanting to throw the book. Which, of course, I always appreciate. Highly recommend and can't wait for book two!

Thank you Maxym, Harper Voyager US, The Nerd Fam, and NetGalley for gifting me this e-ARC 🩷💚

Maxym painted a vivid picture with this lush, gothic fantasy romance. The magic system was unique, and I really liked how the threadmender magic was described.. I could easily visualize it. There were twists and turns throughout, especially towards the end.

The pacing was a little slow for me for the first 50-75% of the book; after that, it did pick up, and the ending pushed my rating up to 4 stars.

I would definitely recommend if you enjoy gothic romantasy books.

Wow!! What a fun, unique read. House of Blight is a slow burn gothic romantasy. The magic system used in this book is nothing like what I’ve read in the past! I also wasn’t expecting the love triangle between Edira & two brothers but that added another fun element.

House of Blight follows our FMC Edira who has the power to heal almost anything but every time she heals, she shaves time from her own life. She is also unable to heal the disease that is ravaging their town called blight. Until she meets an Ever who might just be the answer to helping find the cure. But at what cost? Such an incredible read! I am ready for book 2 after that cliffhanger.

3.25⭐️ Thank you to the Nerd Fam, NetGalley & Harper Voyager for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a haunting and unique gothic romantasy about a human woman who has "threadmending" abilities and is taken by a powerful Ever family, the Ferngloves, to their sprawling manor to study and develop a cure for the Blight that killed her parents and myriad others. Her abilities allow her to see the lifethreads of others and use her power to heal sick threads, but at the cost of shortening her own life span. Our fmc, Edira, is headstrong and has been independently caring for her twin brothers for years. When they contract the blight and she is whisked away to the manor by Orin, the head of the Fernglove family, she is surprised by his own kindness and generosity, but intrinsically she feels something is off with the house and its occupants.

Edira is the type of fmc I usually gravitate towards, but sometimes her personality seemed a bit inconsistent. The Fernglove family dynamics were honestly the most interesting aspect of these characters, but I did find their behavior to be rather predictable. The story itself was also rather predictable, which is where I took away the most points. The eerie setting of the manor with its peeling walls and unscented flowers was incredibly well done, it truly created that unearthly feeling found in gothic novels. The magic system employed by Edira and the Ferngloves was also unique enough for this story to be enjoyable. I often stuggle with visualizing complex magic, but the author did a good job of describing what was happening, and often with eerily beautiful prose. There was also much attention and detail paid to the garb worn by the characters, which I also loved and helped to enhance the allure of this world. The story was well paced and kept the momentum up until the very end.

What I struggled most with in House of Blight may seem so small and insignificant, but for me as a reader, it's something I notice and can quickly drop a rating. And that is the repetitive use of words or phrases that become irksome over time, as if there are no other words in the entire universe that can be substituted in their place. In this case, it was the frequent use of a "pregnant pause" or some form of "desire flashed in his eyes" that had me wondering if I was having deja vu. I usually try not to let such small details bring my enjoyment of a story down, but these were employed so much, I truly wondered if I had picked up reading in the wrong place. The romantic plot utilizes the age old love triangle, which I typically hate, but it didn't bother me as much in this care. Probably because of its predictability.

Overall, this is an enjoyable, unique gothic fantasy that will definitely do well with romantasy readers craving something dark, magical, and eerie. I will be looking forward to the second installment of this duology for continuation of the story!

House of Blight is my new fantasy obsession! It has been likened to romantasy favorites from Sarah J Maas, Rachel Gillig, and Adalyn Grace while still feeling wholly unique.

House of Blight follows Edira, a threadmender with the ability to cure disease and heal injuries. The only thing her powers are limited to is curing blight, so when her beloved brothers fall ill with the disease she has no choice but to turn to Orin Fernglove — head of a family of elite magic wielders who rule her village. At Fernglove estate, Edira will research ways to manipulate her magic to rid the land of blight, all while getting swept up into immortal feuds and dangerous secrets that have the ability to upend everything she’s ever loved.

I legitimately couldn’t put this book down! It took me no time to fall into the world and I devoured this story extraordinarily quick. I found the pacing to be consistent and the captivating energy had me anxious to see what happened next. I am a big fan of romantasy and there were many moments that felt familiar, paying homage to beloved tropes of the genre. While I was able to predict where some twists were headed, I found the magic system to be innovative and loved the roles the insects played. Who knew that a moth named Ywena would end up being my favorite character?

My favorite part of the novel was all the sensory details that are woven throughout the writing. Fernglove estate comes alive off the page with all the flora and fauna descriptions. I actually think spring was the perfect time of year to read this, as the plot deals in the natural world so heavily. The atmosphere is gothic without being haunting and leans into the cottagecore aesthetic. It is such a gorgeously depicted world and I was able to envision everything clear as day.

I can’t believe we have to wait for book two after that incredible ending, but I am so excited to see where this series goes — particularly for one couple who I found myself rooting for early on! There are a lot of variables left unknown, which leaves room for thrilling twists in the future!

Thank you Harper Voyager | Avon and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I appreciated the storyline, I found the pace to be somewhat slow. Additionally, I had suspicions about a particular character from the beginning, which ultimately impacted my reading experience. Overall, it was a good story, but it did not fully resonate with me.

Edira is a threadmender who must live in hiding, or she will be taken by the Evers. When her brothers catch the incurable blight, everything changes. She makes a deal with an Ever in exchange for her brothers' lives. She moves into the Ferngloves home and begins researching and training to cure the blight, all while trying to unravel the mystery surrounding the Ferngloves.

The more time she spends with the family, especially Orin, the more she believes she understands them. That doesn't stop her from feeling like she is constantly being watched and that not everything is as it seems.

I was sucked into this beautiful story. I love Edira and her devotion to her brothers. I greatly enjoyed the unique magic of this story, and I can't wait for book 2!

Thank you to @netgalley, @harpervoyagerus, and @maxymmckay for the advanced eARC.

Magic always comes with a cost…

This book hooked me at the prologue. The magical system and world building were so unique. There are some great twists and turns and an ending that will leave you wanting more!

Edira Is a healer (threadmender) but every time she heals…it shortens her own life. She has been in hiding after losing her parents to The Blight. When it affects her brothers she finds herself at Fernglove Manor trying to discover a cure….

Things are not always what they seem…something sinister is going on. There is this sense of tension throughout the book, almost this sense of unease as Edira navigates trying to figure out who she can trust.

This story isn’t all dark and sinister - there are some funny moments and great banter and even a dance party. There are several layers to these characters and this was a fun read. I can’t wait for the next book!

✨What To Expect:
🥀Gothic Romantasy
🖤Forced Proximity
Slow Burn
💋Female Rage
🔮Magic & World Building
🪽Beast Forms
⁉️Secrets
⚔️Wild Family Dynamics
🪲Fae Like Beings
🔀Twists & Turns
🦋Insect Daddy

I found this book really hard to put down! The world has such a mysterious, eerie vibe that pulled me in from the start. The magic system was fascinating and even though I couldn't always follow along or understand how things really worked, the story still flowed well, and the threadmending magic on its own was easier to grasp and was a bigger part overall which pulled me back whenever I got a little lost.

Edira as a main character did feel a little young or naive at times and some of her decisions had me shaking my head a bit—but in a way that actually made sense for her background and situation. It didn’t feel out of place, and it kind of set the stage for what I hope will be some character growth going forward. Not every main character has to be fierce and flawless from the start, and I actually appreciated the more vulnerable angle here.

The Fernglove family dynamic was one of my favorite parts—so creepy and polished on the outside but clearly hiding so much. I loved that slow unraveling feeling as things started to fall apart at the edges. Some plot points were a little predictable, but I still had a couple moments that took me by surprise.

The ending wrapped up in a satisfying place while still leaving a ton to be explored, which I love. I'm definitely looking forward to book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC of this book!

House of Blight was a unique gothic fantasy romance that was original and had some twists and turns that kept me engaged with the story. It was filled with lush story telling and was set in a fantastical world that was familiar yet different. We have fae and humans and magic galore, and I enjoyed reading this story’s version of the fae and their magic.

Edira was strong FMC for this story. At times I did think she was somewhat naive, but that goes along with the idea in this world that the fae cannot be trusted. She has a healing power that is rare in her world, and it was a unique spin that when she uses her power she losses some of her life span in the process. She loves her brothers and its because her brothers get sick that she decides to make a bargin with a mysterious fae lord for help.

Overall, the story was unique enough to keep my interest, however I definitely felt that it was slower for the first 2/3 of the book, which was keeping the story around a 3/3.5 for me. I also feel that the romance dragged on (for the plot I realize it was necessary but it still made me impatient) and I was concerned of a love triangle, which I can confirm does NOT happen. Also, if you pay attention you will cleary know who Edira will ultimately end up with. The ending though made the story worth it and the cliffhanger definitely has me wanting to read the next book.

I think I might be the odd man out here with my opinion, but House of Blight was incredibly mediocre to me. Overall, it did hold my attention, and was not badly written whatsoever, but it was very predictable and just meh.

4.5 ⭐️

Wow I really loved this one! This was such a fun and refreshing read that had my attention from start to finish.

The magic system in this book was so unique, and it was nice to get something new in the fantasy world. I appreciated that the romance part of this book did not take away from the actual plot and them trying to figure out a cure to the Blight. The gothic world building added to the story as well and really made it seem like the sickness had just overtaken everything in its path.

I wouldn’t say I love loved the FMC but I also didn’t hate her. I think she was a strong character overall and was smart in her work and how she went about trying to cure the disease. But there were also times when she made certain choices with her love interests that had me wanting to pull my hair out 😂 now I don’t want to ruin anything but one of the MMC’s was calling my name from the jump lol. As soon as she described his character I knew he was going to be the one for me in this book😂 I also did enjoy some of the side characters and think they had some growth throughout the story as well

I am very interested to see where the story is going to go after that ending and I will definitely be reading it as soon as it comes out because I just know the banter is going to be so good! I definitely recommend this one if you want a unique romantasy series.

This book wasn't really for me, but that's okay! This book is very derivative of ACOTAR (specifically the first book in that series), and if that's something you think you'll love, then you should absolutely pick up this book. Unfortunately, that was not something I was looking for.

The characters are very interesting in this book -- I really liked the side characters, though I wish there was more depth to everyone. They were compelling characters, just a little surface-level. <spoiler>Orin's "secret" motive was very easy to predict, especially considering all the ways he reminded me of Tamlin. The romance just felt too easy and he was too open and trusting. </spoiler>

The plot itself was very predictable and almost immediately I figured out one of the big twists. Though, I will admit that I did not see <spoiler> all of the Evers being blight-ridden</spoiler> coming. The magic itself was also confusing at times. I thought her healing powers worked by transferring the illness/injury to herself, but then it was a big reveal when <spoiler>she learned she could transfer the blight to herself</spoiler>? Like wouldn't that be the first thing you try? I also thought the ending was a little like putting a bandage on the whole thing.

I liked the atmosphere of the novel, I liked how monstrous the Evers were, and I liked how magical the book felt. Making the magic that the Evers use have a scent was a very good decision, it really made the magic come alive. While I won't understand why the Evers couldn't just be Fae, I still liked that they were Fae in everything but name. I'm interested in the lore of the world, as well as what actually causes the blight, as neither of those are explained in this book (they'll probably be explored more in the sequel). I have my theories, and it might be just enough to get me to read the next book.

I think this book has a really good foundation, and that the author is really talented. I also think that this book was too derivative and would have shined more if it was a little more unique. Even if I decide against continuing this series, this is an author I will be very open to reading from again in the future.

This book was a great concept but it dragged a bit for me and I wasn't a huge fan of the FMC but this is a beautiful world and an interesting concept.
3.5 stars

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖: House of Blight

House of Blight is the first in a gothic fantasy duology. We meet Edira, a threadmender who loses a piece of her own life essence when using her magic to heal others.

To save her loved ones, she enters into a bargain with an influential family to help counter the blight. As dark secrets unfurl and time runs out, Edira faces shocking discoveries and painful truths that force her to decide what she’s willing to risk and lose.

Tropes:
🙌Female rage
🧚Insect daddy
👀Beast forms
💫Training scenes
🦋Maple moth familiar
🫂Forced proximity
🔥Slow burn romance

I was drawn to Edira’s dedication and was invested in her journey as she encounters looming dangers, unravels mysteries, and forms deep connections during her time in Fernglove Manor.

With clever twists and reveals, this story immerses the reader within its vivid world teeming with unique magic, dark themes, and atmospheric Gothic backdrop.

Huge thanks to the author, Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and The Nerd Fam for the review copy opportunity! This is my honest and voluntary review.

Okay wow.
This could be one of the next fantasy books to blow up on tiktok/instagram.

If you are a fan of darker gothic romantasy and a unique magic system this is your winner.
I was not a huge fan of One Dark Window, but I loved this so much more.

The world building was super easy to follow along with and I felt like I could actually see the world in my head.
Super interested to see what happens in book two of this duology.
Do not overlook this book!!!

Thank you Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC!

✨What was the last book that left you wanting more?✨

Thank you so much Maxym M. Martineau, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for both the eARc and finished copy of House of Blight. All
Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have you ever been in the mood for a magical gothic mystery full of twist and turns, high stakes energy, and a strong FMC determined to control her fate? If so, you absolutely need to add House of Blight to your tbr!

I’m always drawn to books that feature a heaping dose of the mysterious and House of Blight is no exception! I was enthralled by Edira’s journey to Fernglove Manor and her quest to heal the blight before it could consume the people she loved most. I found her to be brave, relatable, and whip smart, which is my favorite kind of FMC!

Another aspect of House of Blight that I enjoyed as a reader was that you know exactly as much as Edira at any given time. The slow unfolding of the mysteries of the Manor had me questioning everything right along with Edira, which made the whole story feel like I was experiencing everything with a friend.

Finally, one of the most addictive parts of the story was never being sure who you could trust! From chapter to chapter I could never quite anticipate who would turn out to be a true companion to Edira and who would betray her to her face or behind her back. If you’re anything like me, House of Blight will have you questioning everything until the very last page!

Finally, the ending gave me so many feels! I can’t wait to see where the story goes next!

In the pages, you will find:

🤧A mysterious illness
❤️‍🩹Healing Magic
🏰An ominous Manor house
🤝Strong family bonds
❤️Romance (light, one spicy scene)
😳Unexpected friendships
🤯Betryals
👀An ending that will leave you wanting more!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5

#maxymmmartineau #harpervoyager #netgalley #houseofblight #mythoughts #romantasy

The author does a great job at showing rather than telling. There was a lot of things to take in and it was nice to slowly be fed that through out the story.

I felt like I was getting whiplash going back and forth on who I think Edira should trust. And the point of that being, you shouldn’t trust anyone. But they’re hot… yes they.

The amount of detail that went into describing the infected was so intense. I felt like I could smell the decay. Ok yes gross, but so well done at the same time.

I think book 2 of this duology was set up very nicely. I am definitely going to read the next one.