I really enjoyed this unique romantasy book. I liked the main character, Edira, in this story and enjoyed follow her as she worked to try to cure the blight. I loved the author’s writing style and how she created an atmospheric world. There were a lot of twists and turns throughout this book and I can’t wait to see how it continues in the next book.

Read this if you like:

📖 Gothic romantasy
📖 Forced proximity
📖 Unique magic system
📖 Slow burn romance

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the gifted arc.

I absolutely loved this book and all the characters in it, from our supposedly knight in shining armor here to save the day all the way down to the smallest of bugs (literally).

House of Blight is a refreshing and unique take on the romantasy format we are used to reading. The story follows Edira, a human with the ability to heal almost any ailment at the cost of her own life, who makes a deal with an "Ever" after he walks in on her trying to save her brothers from the 'Blight', a plague guaranteed to kill anyone it touches and which Edira is not able to cure on her own. The Evers are these magical beings who own the little town that Edira grew up in, and after making a deal with the Ever, she ends up going to live with them on their expansive estate while she researches a cure.

This book has a love triangle that is pretty obvious but I thought it was extremely well done. Talk about a golden boy and the black sheep, that is how you should be doing it. But where this book really shines is in the details. It is extremely descriptive, from what the doors look like to what rooms smell (or don't) smell like, and tidbits of the lore being dropped. Those points are extremely important in this book and made the reveals that much more impactful because nothing was done without a purpose. Edira's interactions with all the Evers keeps you at the edge of your seat as you are constantly questioning motives and intentions. There were parts of the story where we knew Edira was making the wrong decision but I also couldn't keep my eyes away. I read this book in just two sittings.

If you enjoy a well executed love triangle, dark fantasy, magical vows, betrayals left and right, and well thought out lore - I think you will love this story!

Thank you Nerd Fam and Harper Voyager US for this eARC!

Initial Thoughts: OH.MY.GOSH - it is actually torture that this book isn't out yet and that I can't tell everyone and their mother to go read this. It stuck the landing. This was just so good. Like don't get me wrong, it didn't reinvent the wheel but it was so refreshing to have such a unique take on a setup that is familiar. There were tears shed in the final chapters. Full review coming later because I've been reading this book non stop for hours because I couldn't put it down. Just wow. Wow wow wow.

I absolutely DEVOURED this book. The pacing, the story, and the relationships are all wonderful. The plot is engaging and fresh. The blight feels like its own living, breathing character. Everyone has a secret (or two or three) and you are left guessing right up until that grand finale where you’re headed. Every character is complex - no one dimensional characters here. You will love this world and its characters. I highly recommend for fans of Sarah J. Maas and other similar authors

3.5/5 stars.

If you are looking for something to recapture your attention and emotions after finishing something like A Court of Thorns and Roses, or From Blood and Ash, this is a good place to start.

What I liked:
- interesting magic and main conflict. Edira is a threadmender, a special kind of magic that heals. The cost? Pieces of her own life threads - the more she heals, the more of her own life she gives. The main conflict centers around a "blight", a disease that has been ravaging populations in this world and one Edira is desperate to solve.
- interesting cast of characters. I think this is the first romantasy where I've seen characters across a range of ages/maturity. We have the classic young adult woman and ageless immortal men, but also some family dynamics within the immortal race (sisters/brothers, grandparents and their children). The sibling and family rivalries feel like some of the most realistic elements to how these characters interacted, and I wish we had gotten a little more of those interactions than we did.

What I didn't like:
- predictability. While I know that tropes exist and are popular for a reason, the result in this story is a bit formulaic. We spend most of book with Edira being clueless to basically everything, and then the last 50-100 pages things move insanely fast. Do we trust the first love interest? Who is the dark haired MMC?
- timeline. This definitely falls into some insta-love/lust. The timeline is also incredibly unclear - based on the events of the story and the patterns of training/studying/recovery, it seems like Edira's time in the Evers is over the course of at least 6 months, but then it turns out to have only been 8 weeks? In which Edira went from HATING the Evers to falling in love with one, with no real in-between?
- repetitive word choices - it was easy to see how some of the popular and established romantasy stories had a influence, with very specific and repetive word choices. How many times do we need to read about eyes "darkening with desire".
- spotty world building. From the outside, the world building is built on a gothic romantic aesthetic - a fancy old house, small village, big parties and marketplaces. However, looking just a little closer, a lot of things don't really make sense. Exactly what is the relationship between the Evers and the regular humans? Why have humans let themselves be subjugated by the Evers (I don't need like a fully history lesson, but I spent most of the book thinking that most humans did not like the Evers either, but then all the villagers show up at the estate party). We also once again (cause we've seen it a gazillion times before) get a situation where with very little real training (I'm sorry, its gotta be more than just breath control) or understanding, our main character is suddenly a master of her magic.

All that said, I found the ending of this book somewhat interesting in its take on the final common tropes, so while I won't be rabid for the next one, I'll probably check it out once it comes.

Wow, this book. Just wow.

- gothic romantasy
- magic
- slow burn
- forced proximity

The world building- so good. Its dark, spooky, intriguing, mysterious, twisty and turny. I was captivated the entire time, read it in 1 sitting because I literally could not stop.

Edira, the FMC, is sassy as crap and I loved it. She is so caring and giving too, even when it is to her own detriment.

The Fernglove family is insane, but it was perfect, and their insanity had me laughing at times.

And the ending- holy crap. I absolutely can't wait for the next book.

The House of Blight is a dark, addictive read that pulls you right in with its atmospheric world and intriguing characters. The story follows Edira, a young woman who can heal others by sacrificing her own life force. When her brothers get sick with the Blight, a deadly disease ravaging their world, Edira makes a risky deal with Orin Fernglove, an immortal with his own secrets, to save them in exchange for helping him find a cure.

The world-building is detailed and immersive, with the Fernglove family’s eerie magic and hidden motives adding plenty of mystery. The slow-burn romance between Edira and Orin is filled with tension, and the plot is fast-paced yet deep, with twists and a magic system that keeps you guessing.

I sometimes found the pacing a bit quick at times, however the story’s mystery and character dynamics are totally engaging. The gothic vibes are complemented by a touch of cottagecore, and the adorable sidekick, Ywena, adds some charm. If you’re into dark fantasy, magical bargains, and complex family drama, this book will hook you—and the cliffhanger will leave you impatient for the next one.

Thank you Nerd Fam for the ARC!
Gothic Romantasy? Moody Cottagecore? Say less! House of Blight is the first in the Threadmender series and it hooked me from the very beginning! I love when magic comes with a cost so the careful line our FMC walks while racing against time had me hungrily turning those pages in turn! The blight felt like a character in itself, its eerie presence always lurking as Edira and the Evers try to find a cure. There’s a sense of foreboding that’s woven throughout the story and I had so much fun speculating like crazy. While sometimes a bit predictable (all of my theories were correct), I still had a great time and the fast paced plot didn’t make me wait long to confirm any suspicions I had. Also can we just talk about the moth companion Ywena??? SO CUTE. I very much enjoyed this trip to the sinister spring court of Fernglove and will absolutely be visiting again for book two!

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review!

2.5 stars, rounded up to a 3 for the purpose of this review. I had so much hope for this book, the premise sounded so intriguing but sadly it ended up falling pretty flat for me. I saw the plot twist coming so it left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. :( Very much gave ACOTAR vibes with the “blight”.

House of Blight definitely wasn’t a bad book, 2.5 stars is still an average rating overall but I just wanted more from the story! I will say, the author does a beautiful job of describing the threadmending magic. It was very ethereal and a really cool take on healing life threads!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this ARC early! To start, this was a quick read for me. I found that I was turning the pages to eagerly get deeper into this story but it never really got there. The romatasy aspect hooked me but was also frustrating. The characters definitely felt a little flat, and wanting further development. I started off having high-hopes for the main character but she didn't hold up as the book progressed. The focus on the relationships seemed to take over and as much as I appreciated the atmosphere and setting, the story itself just fell flat. I sort of felt like the prologue made sense but also not really? Her brothers healing felt like a flash compared to the slow-burn of the romance and I had a hard time believing she really wanted to heal them? It just felt like more of an erotica focus than I was expecting, and although I generally enjoyed the story, I was left disheartened in the end. Maybe it just wasn't exactly my cup of tea but I would recommend it to readers of rom-fantasy.

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for an e-arc of this book!

I let this one sit on my shelf for WAY too long and now I regret it because this was so good!! I went into House of Blight by Maxym Martineau with no expectations or ideas. I think I requested this on NetGalley because it sounded cool and I liked the cover.

What a great premise! The magic system was so cool. Edira is a Threadmender with a magic that can help heal people but it takes some of her life as well. But when her brothers get sick with the Blight, she will do whatever she can to help heal them. Only problem, no one knows how to heal the Blight and even with Edira’s powers, she can’t heal them. But then Orin, a beautiful and powerful Ever comes in and promised to help Edira figure out how to save them and learn to heal the Blight! So she moves in with the Fernglove Evers hoping to learn and heal her brothers.

I mean the Threadmender magic is so cool but then the Fernglove magic being this like earthy magic? So cool! I couldn’t get enough and I just want to learn more. I think that Ediras magic - which of course she can’t share… is so complex but really keeps her isolated.

This book kept moving and it was well paced for me to not lose interest. I was riding on the relationship that Edira was building with Orin and the other Fernglove (looking at you Rorik… 👀).

Okay, I’ll say it, I was obsessed with Rorik, from the start. Literally from when we met him, I was like - I like him. And I loved how their relationship evolved throughout the book. Rorik felt like someone who just cared for Edira and wanted to push her but not for the same reasons that Orin did.

The twist though… 😩 I was surprised and yet not surprised and I LOVED IT. I couldn’t get enough. The ending was exactly what I wanted but knowing that it’s a Duology and I can’t wait to read more about Edira and her journey and relationship.

Also, Orin… yeah. I see you. 🫣

Definitely recommend if you like fantasy, magic, and some romance. Very excited to read more!

An easy 5 stars! The author's way with captivating language and imagery at times had me feeling like I could actually see, taste, and smell what was going on in the pages. Truly felt like I got to be a part of this beautiful, dark, captivating yet repulsive world. I felt the overall pace was good. I lived for the banter and tension. There is some skippable spice (one open door scene, not too graphic) and a bit of course language throughout. I will be thinking about this story for a while. I can't wait for more!

*I got to read this book early and my opinion is my own and freely given.

I received this book as a gifted eARC and loved it. The author's writing created a beautiful world with an ugly secret that makes you pay attention to what's going on. Medium paced story line with a love triangle to peek your interest, family drama, plus the cutest companion 💕

I truly enjoyed this book. The concept of the threadmender and a mysterious uncurable disease had me hooked from the description and I fell in love with Edira's character as I read. She was strong and caring and thoughtful without feeling too forced. I was slightly frustrated at her willingness to trust some of the Ever's but I think we were supposed to be. While the basic bones of the plot were predictable I still couldn't put the book down to see how Edira was going to react to the reveals. I am bummed I have to wait so long for the next book in the duology to find out what happens next in this world.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read early in exchange for my honest opinion. House of Blight is the perfect gothic novel mixed with a perfect blend of magical elements. Edira comes from a family of threadmenders where their magic is very unique and can see one’s “life threads”. She can heal others injuries within seconds, however it is very unforgiving when it comes to her health and it takes away her own life threads. The only thing Edira cannot cure is blight, but she can ease the suffering of one passing from it. However being a threadmender can be deadly and if found out from an Ever, an immortal powerful family, Edira will be taken away to work for them. Fortunately, Orin Fernglove, an Ever discovers she is a threadmender and strikes a deal for Edira to work with him in exchange for curing her brothers who contracted blight. All of the Ever families have secrets they are trying to keep from coming to light.

i think the book was very well written, easy to follow. The beginning felt very YA for me but the ending really sold it for me with everything that started to pop off!

Review of House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau

House of Blight is a dark, immersive fantasy novel that grips readers from the very first page. Maxym M. Martineau has created a world teeming with intrigue, power struggles, and a deep sense of danger. The narrative is steeped in tension, and the author’s atmospheric writing ensures that the reader is drawn into every twist and turn of the plot.

The novel follows a compelling protagonist who navigates a world of deception and betrayal, all while grappling with her own past. The depth of the characters is one of the strongest points of the story. Martineau has a talent for writing flawed, multi-dimensional characters who grow through their struggles, making their emotional journeys resonate deeply. The protagonist’s internal conflict is portrayed with such nuance that it adds a layer of richness to the story, allowing readers to connect with her on an intimate level.

The pacing of House of Blight is spot on—there’s never a dull moment. Action sequences are balanced by moments of reflection, and both contribute to the tension that builds as the plot unfolds. The relationships between characters—whether allies, enemies, or somewhere in between—are complex and multifaceted. The shifting loyalties and hidden agendas keep the reader guessing, adding to the suspense that permeates the book.

Martineau’s world-building is another standout feature. The settings are dark and atmospheric, almost tangible, allowing the reader to lose themselves in this dangerous, ever-changing world. The blend of magic, political intrigue, and personal drama creates an engaging and immersive experience.

The unexpected plot twists keep the story fresh, with each revelation adding new layers to the already complicated narrative. Fans of dark fantasy will appreciate the intensity and the emotional stakes that Martineau builds throughout the book.

In conclusion, House of Blight is a captivating, intricately woven fantasy novel that delivers both in terms of action and emotional depth. With its strong protagonist, complex relationships, and atmospheric world-building, it’s a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and those who enjoy stories that keep them guessing until the very end.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read early in exchange for my honest opinion. House of Blight was a very interesting gothic novel! Edira comes from a family of threadmenders where their magic is very unique and can see one’s “life threads”. She can cure injuries in a blink of an eye, however it is very taxing on her health and it takes away her own life threads. The only thing Edira cannot cure is blight, but she can ease the suffering of one passing from it. However being a threadmender is dangerous and if found out from an Ever, an immortal powerful family, Edira will be taken away to work for them. Fortunately, Orin Fernglove, an Ever discovers she is a threadmender and strikes a deal for Edira to work with him in exchange for curing her brothers who contracted blight. All of the Ever families have secrets, illnesses and things to hide. In trying to cure blight, will Edira be able to survive or will her own life threads give out on her too?

This was an enjoyable read. I think a lot of people are going to really like. I did not find any errors on the ARC either.

I loved that we got that POV near the end as I did like that character early on. I liked the characters for the most part, too, and how it's definitely one of the more realistic reactions to a situation/world like that I have seen. Emotions are raw and real. Our characters experience them.

However, I feel like there were some issues with pacing of the story. It was a bit slow, and characters were either absent for parts or they just changed demeanor really quick. The twists and turns were good. Naturally, some I saw coming and some I didn't, but I am definitely interested in book two.

I feel so privileged to have read this book early. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Nerd Fam for the gifted ARC.

What a joy to read! Martineau took fantasy in an all-new direction with House of Blight. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique aspect of healing and illness in this story.

What set this book apart for me is that the story had so many twists and turns, and it takes you for a ride! The MCs were cunning and often cruel. The navigation of an enemy that wasn't necessarily sentient, plus the actual sentient enemies mixed with feminine rage was so well done in this book.

The world building and magic systems were easily accessible, and I feel this book would even be good for non-fantasy readers.

This book really stood out for me so far this year because it didn't feel like 1) a traditional romance and 2) a traditional romantasy. It is definitely worth the read, and I'm excited to say it will be a book I'll happily reread again.

3.5 stars

This is the first book I’ve ever read by Maxym and it won’t be the last for sure! The prologue of this book hooked me immediately. I do feel like as we got further into the story, the plot started to lag a bit and wasn’t quite as impactful as that first 10% of the book. But holy cow, the gothic atmosphere and vibes and the mystery of it all was everything I wanted. Slow-burn romance, magical notes and haunting tones, I really enjoyed this one.

Looking forward to reading whatever the author puts out next.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this book so much! I was not expecting all of the twists and turns at the end. I loved the relationships that Edira made along the way. I am excited to see how this story progresses in the sequels. I thought that the Prologue really set you up to learning about Threadmenders and evers. I think that this gothic/romantasy was a really good take on the whole "Fae" based era we are in. I think the addition of the blight was interesting and a different take. I can't wait to read more in this series!!