DNF at 10%. The premise of this book sounded awesome, but I just wasn’t pulled in or invested in the characters or writing style.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️

Wow, just wow. This fairytale esque story is rich in prose, character development and heart wrenching plot lines. I’m not lying when I said this had me by the throat and could not stop reading it.

We follow our FMC as she navigates the complex and often dangerous world of the “Evers.” Coerced into figuring out how to cure the incurable Blight, she rushes against time to save not only her Ever employees but also her brothers. The only family she has left.

In the world of the Evers, all that glitters is absolutely not gold and we watch in real time as Edria figures that out. There are so many reveals (some comfortingly predictable, some so surprising it made me gasp!)

This is absolutely a recommendation. And while I wouldn’t say that it ends on a cliffhanger, it’s definitely unfinished so I am looking forward to the next in the series.

10/10 do your self the absolute favor of reading this

Just finished House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau, and wow… my heart needs a minute. Or maybe a week. This book is dark, magical, and absolutely unrelenting—in the best way. The worldbuilding? Immaculate. It is eerie, and full of that “I-trust-no-one” energy that keeps you on edge. Imagine a world where magic is as beautiful as it is deadly, where every step you take could be your last, and where trusting the wrong person isn’t just a mistake—it’s a death sentence. The Blight is as eerie and dangerous as it sounds, and you can feel the tension crackling through every page. It is a nightmare wrapped in beautiful, deadly magic. The FMC Edira (who I simultaneously want to protect and shake by the shoulders) is thrown into a web of secrets, power plays, and magic that’s as beautiful as it is deadly. And the love interest? Yeah, I’m not okay. The push-and-pull dynamic had me whispering, “just kiss already!” while also being low-key terrified of what would happen if they did. Martineau doesn’t hold back. The betrayals hit like a gut punch, the stakes are sky-high, and the twists? I swear, she wrote them just to watch readers suffer. (I loved every second.).

If you love morally gray chaos, plot twists that punch you in the gut, and characters who make terrible but understandable decisions, pick this up immediately. Just prepare to lose sleep over it. This book is dark, immersive, and absolutely ruthless.

I absolutely adored House of Blight! It sucked me in right from the beginning. Maxym M. Martineau paints such a vivid picture of this fantasy world overrun with a disease called blight. It destroys everything it touches in a rather horrific way, and Martineau does not shy away from the all the disgusting details. I found it really helped immerse me in the story, and it was easy to picture this world, the characters, and the horror that is blight. The magic system was incredibly interesting as well, particularly when it comes to Threadmenders. The idea that healing others comes at a steep price, cutting your own life short by an unknown amount every time, really raises the stakes.

I really enjoyed these characters, even the less savory ones. Edira, Orin, and Rorik were, of course, my favorites, though I’m giving honorable mention to a certain important stag and moth. I really loved the description of the estate, Fernglove, as well. The manor and its grounds were instrumental in crafting the gothic atmosphere of this book.

In short, the vibes of House of Blight are simply immaculate. Think Crimson Peak. I’m so excited for this duology and would highly recommend House of Blight to gothic fantasy lovers everywhere!

Thank you Harper Voyager for the early copy of House of Blight. All opinions are my own!

I think that the marketing for this book is completely correct and people that enjoyed ACOTAR and Fourth Wing will enjoy this book, but I didn't enjoy those series, so this novel didn't work for me.

First what I liked. I like the magic system. I think that it is interesting and that it has enough mystery to hold some surprises in the next book. I like that human use of magic has serious consequences. I liked Edira's relationship with her brothers. We didn't get a lot of it for obvious reasons, but they had a great family dynamic from the very beginning. I truly love the idea that "heartbonds" are a choice and permanent. Again something that could be explored in the next book more deeply.

What I didn't like. The relationships between Edira and all the Evers. I never got any real sense for why she would like Orin. Their flirtation seemed to come out of nowhere and kept going even though they spent very little time together. I thought the chemistry with Rorik was much more fleshed out, but again, they never spent enough time together for me to buy their inevitable coupling. Amalyss and Tasia are flat and uninteresting.

I found the ending predictable which cut the tension out of the entire book. I assumed that the Evers had poisoned her brothers with blight. I knew the gold beetle belonged to Rorik from the moment we met Ywena and there wasn't enough character development to make up for the generic plot.

This book wasn't for me, but I know several people who would love it. I recommend it to those looking for something to fill the gap while they wait for the next SJM or Fourth Wing book.

This really solidified a 4 star rating around 80%. The first 3/4ths of the book kinda dragged for me and I felt like our FMC was being dumb. But then again I’ve seen these tropes before in other books and our FMC hasn’t. I felt like some of the reveals were obvious, but some mildly surprised me. However, the end made me gasp! I definitely will be reading book 2!

Let me just say right off the bat...I absolutely LOVED this book. From the interesting characters, the intriguing magic system, the vivid world building, to the lovely writing style. This book checked off so many things I enjoy in a romantasy.

Not to mention the story itself. The delicious tension and slow burn that I just ate up but then that reveal?? Heartbroken. But at the same time I’m also not cause what the hell man. Feminine rage in many ways.

I love the twists and turns it had and the Dorian Gray vibes. It had a bit of mystery to it. Who do you trust? Who’s telling lies? Is this only a half truth?

And that ending??? What a cliffhanger. I’m super excited to jump into the next book whenever it comes out. I have to know what happens!

The MC Edira is a threadmender, a healing magic that claims its price by taking time off the user's life (possibly up to years!). I thought the cost of threadmending magic was interesting and clever. The land where Edira lives is plagued by a deadly blight that even she can't heal. When her brothers catch blight, she ends up at Fernglove manor, the home of a powerful and influential family of Evers (fae like beings with insect characteristics). The Ferngloves are mysterious, dangerous, and many are cruel.

I love books with weird plants so the storyline with the blight was great, plus add in the healer main character and gothic fantasy setting and I'm sold. I'll admit, this one took me a minute to get into, but by the end I was like, yes. I get it. Edira was a bit naive especially when it came to the romance, I was rooting for her but definitely yelling at the book a bit too! I really liked her as a character, and Rorik too (insect daddy IYKYK). The end was great and I'm looking forward to book 2!

4.25/5

I am and always will be a sucker for a healer FMC and Edira was no different. However this one just fell flat for me at about 55-60%.

I know I read a lot of romantasy but it felt so painfully obvious who the bad guy was gonna be, what was gonna happen and everyone could see it *except* Edira. And even when she did realize it there was never a moment of “wow I should have seen the signs”.

It felt a bit like it lacked world building (what was the blight and where did it come from????), there wasn’t really much relationship building and again—some of the foreshadowing was so in your face that it wasn’t even fun when it came true.

Bummer all around, definitely won’t be picking up the second.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy! It’s out 4/8!

And I oop 🫣 there is something to be said about writing a whole book where 96% of the content didn’t make sense and the story setting was just a mishmash of about five other romantasy books.

I am not new to this author, I’ve read five books by her by now but I will say that this is the first time I haven’t been able to grasp the concepts she’s written out- I just feel like she had so many ideas and couldn’t execute them.

I liked the end, only because the romance went the way I wanted it too but this book has been removed from my “I wanna buy it” list

This book was fan freaking fantastic. I fell in love with the mystical beauty of Fernglove, as well as the mystery that the property provided. It was like I was transported to another world.

Edira was such a beautiful and evolving character. She’s attempting to solve the mysterious blight that has taken over her town, as she is the only threadmender that can heal others…. while also trying to figure out the peculiar members of the Fernglove family and unravel their lore.

There was a major plot twist where I had to reread the pages a few times because I was like NO FREAKING WAY. I was glued to my kindle and biting my nails. That’s how good the moments leading up to the plot twist, and the plot twist itself were.

If you like fantasy romance with a touch of mystery and thriller aspects, you’re going to love this book.

This book has drama! Fae magic, bargins, challenges on a passive aggressive manner, and force politeness. The author does a fanastic job developing the Gothic vibe and drawing you into the magical world. The intensity of the story, the journey, and the possibility of the demise of the FMC when saving someone. You will feel the turmoil and chemistry between the fmc and mmc. This story will have everything you are looking for in a romantasy series.

This was such a fun read. This should definitely be on your radar if you enjoy:
🪲 slow burn romance
🪲 animal familiars
🪲 forced proximity
🪲 trainer x trainee

Nothing is what it seems in this gothic cottagecore romantasy. The magic systems are very unique. As is the world. Imagine a moody and darker version of the Spring Court from ACOTAR. This story is full of tension and mystery and kept me intrigued the entire time. I am so excited to see where this story goes.

Now I can't forget to mention the Insect Daddy. Yep, you read that right.... INSECT DADDY. I wasn't sure how I would feel about him, but this man is a tortured soul and I easily fell in love with him.

Gothic fantasy? A deadly, incurable virus? A girl who can heal but at a cost? SAY NO MORE. I was obsessed with this book from the very first page.

Edira Brillwyn is a threadmender, which means she can heal injuries and cure diseases but every time she does, it drains her own life. So she keeps her power a secret… until the powerful Fernglove family finds out. When her brothers fall sick with the blight, a disease with no cure, she’s forced to make a deal with them to save her family. But stepping into their Ever world? Huge mistake. Because the Ferngloves have secrets, and the deeper Edira digs, the more she realizes she may not make it out alive.

🕰️ WHY I LOVED IT:
✨ The gothic, eerie vibes
🔮 The magic system is so unique
🖤 The Fernglove family? Fascinating and a little terrifying.
⏳ The suspense! The secrets!
🔥The slow-burn tension. I COULDN’T STOP READING.

This book is dark, atmospheric, and super addictive. If you love gothic fantasy with deadly bargains, morally gray families, and secrets that could ruin everything, be sure to read this one!

House of Blight was a lush, darker romantasy with an interesting magical concept.

Edira is a threadmender - a person who can view the life threads of others and stitch them back together to heal, at the cost of her own threads. Her aunt, also a threadmender, was taken by the Evers years ago and never came back. She told Edira to heal no one and she kept that promise until the day her brothers brought home their dying friend. She couldn’t heal him, as he had blight. She tried and failed and within days her brothers were dying, too. When an Ever catches her trying to heal them she makes a desperate bargain - he’ll stabilize her brothers so they do not succumb to blight if she uses her magic to try and find a cure for the blight. But with no know cure, Edira has her work cut out for her. Especially since many a threadmender had gone missing from the Evers domain before her.

Edira is as at times quite smart but also quite dense. I enjoyed that she acted like any person would when basically forced into a work contract with people she despised. She didn’t sugar coat her feelings and I found that rather believable at first. Over time her anger felt like a bit much at times, but considering how that family treated her, I’ll give her a pass. Orin felt like the stereotypical family head love interest. His family hated him, he appeared charming to Edira but had no problem ordering everyone around. He seems like a pretty on the nose love interest, similar in vibes to like Tamlin for me.

There was a love triangle, but honestly, the whole romantical plot felt a bit mechanical. The progression in both relationships felt quite stiff and I didn’t really believe in either of them. I did like Rorik more than Orin, but I always tend to root for the underdog in love triangles.

The writing was lovely and atmospheric. I enjoyed how the world was described and how things were laid out. The plot wasn’t anything too out there and I had a hunch how things were going to go after about 50% but I still enjoyed the ride. It does a good job at closing off book one and leaving it open for the next book. I’ll probably read it!

Overall I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to someone looking for a good ol gothic romantasy!

Thanks very much to HarperVoyager and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is a must-read book I don't want to give any spoilers, but you won't regret getting this book, you won't put it down till you're done reading the whole this.

This book was truly a unique experience. It blended captivating storytelling with dark, atmospheric vibes. The characters are well-developed, and the narrative keeps you hooked from start to finish. This would be a great book for fans of both mystery & fantasy. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys immersive, thrilling tales. Highly recommended!

I was at the edge of my seat the entire time, it was a magical mystery as everything unraveled. I was completely Immersed. I don't know if it's just me but I instantly didn't like Orion and on the other hand i was planning my future with Rorik. The plot was interesting, my instincts told me that something was wrong from the beginning.

What a delightful book! I usually read somewhat fast, but House of Blight was a book I simply couldn’t put down as it had me invested from the first page all the way to the end. First, I absolutely love Edira— she’s feisty and yet kind, and I personally love healers of any form. A threadmender is a very cool and unique concept to the occupation and I loved the way the book describes the terms of the power and limits it has and I’m really glad to say that she stays true to herself throughout the entire book. Second, I love the environment of the book, as both Willowfell and the Fernglove locations were described in a way that made it easy to envision in my head as I read.

Reading about the characters was also fun! Orin and his family were given more than enough screen time to where I felt like I could get to know each of them without them feeling like they were overshadowing each other, and I loved getting to know even the minor characters that had their part to play. The mysteries had me on the edge of my seat, wanting to figure out what was going on and how Edira would handle each of the scenarios she was placed in, and I was invested the entire time. Overall, I really loved this book and I’m really excited to see how the series progresses.

This was a very unique story. I have never seen anything like this story. Much of it like a magical bargain are common but so much of the rest are completely original. I read it quickly because it always held my interest but I would not say it was exactly my kind of story. The heroine Edira is a very serious person, which makes sense after all she had been through, but she makes rash decisions that seem completely out of character for her which annoyed me. It’s a very dark story for the most part with very little humor or romance. There was a lot of really fun elements but for me I wanted more of those to change the darker tone to the story. I am not sure I would read the next book. It definitely sets up the sequel but for the most part I would say it is a satisfying conclusion for those who hate cliffhangers.