The first 80% of this book, I couldn't put it down. I loved it. The last 20% for me kind of dragged because I predicted what would happen, so I was just waiting for it to happen.

I think the writing is well done and immersive. The plot is interesting but I do think in some places the blight could be explored more in depth. The pacing for the most part is page-turning.

I found myself connecting to the FMC and her plight to save everyone including her brothers. The villain, to me, is obvious, and he is a jerk. The love interest is perfection. I'd like more of him in the next book. He is just the right amount of broody with banter. I enjoyed the character interactions.

I think this series has a lot of potential and I will definitely check out the next book!


Thank you to Avon books and NetGalley for the eARC.

First and foremost, thank you netgalley for the eARC! I will cherish this book as it was my first ever approved netgalley 🧡

Secondly, this cover is EVERYTHING! It was one of the first books that caught my eye and I applied for the arc so fast, and was ecstatic when I was approved!

Thirdly, I ADORE this book - it’s the perfect cozy fast paced gothic-read of the season! The beginning was so intriguing with the intricacies of the world building and magic system. A world of beasts and blight, a decaying realm of darkness brought to light by Edira Brillwyn and her unique and sacred thread bending magic. She finds herself in a Tamlin situation, brought to a new home of glamoured prestige and unlocks the secrets of the beasts that dwell there.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (rounded to 5) 🌶️🌶️

I could not put this book down, it was a page turner for sure with top tier banter and mystical intrigue and ethereal beauty. & don’t even get me started with that ending UGH! This for sure will be an amazing fantasy/romantasy pick of 2025!!! Highly recommend for readers who enjoy an eerily darkly vibe like One Dark Window! I am beyond excited for book 2!!

TROPES:
✨Ethereal beasts
💀Death & Decay
✨Healing Magic
💀Hidden Vows & Secrets
✨Sexual Tension
💀Female Rage
✨Maple Moth Familiar

Wow! I really enjoyed this book. The story introduces us to Edira, a threadmender/magical healer hiding from the Evers. We also meet her twin brothers, who she loves dearly. The Evers are a group of immortal fae-like creature who rule society. Most people seem to worship them but Edira hates them. The last threadmender, Edira’s aunt, was taken by the Evers and warned Edira before she disappeared that she should never use her powers to heal. The story dives right into the action and we’re introduced almost immediately to the blight, a mysterious disease ravaging the world. It literally turns people to ash in a matter of minutes and no one seems to know where it comes from or how to cure it.
Despite trying to avoid them, Edira gains the attention of the head of the nearest Evers clan and ends up an “employee” there. The plot is twisty and turny and all the Evers remind me of viscous fae, the kind who trick you into bargains and make you dance until your feet bleed for drinking the wine. They are tricky and mean and Edira has to navigate a world she doesn’t understand while trying to keep herself and her brothers alive. It’s a great book and I highly recommend it.

The first half of this book took so long to get through this. The ending didn't feel as satisfying as I was hoping it was going to be. It still was heartfelt and had a surprise love triangle that didn't even end up where I wanted it to. I just kind of felt robbed of the happy ending that I was expecting. So if you go into this one hoping it all gets solved in the end just know that some endings aren't always happy.

This book was excellent! Great pacing, characters that are written with depth, and a very creative magic system. I enjoyed the writing style as well.
Looking forward to further books in this series for sure! Gotta see where they all go from where it leaves them…
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I will start by saying that I LOVED this book and it was a struggle to put it down once I started reading it.

Edira, our FMC, has a magic ability to repair a persons life threads at the expense of her own lifespan called thread mending. In order to heal her brothers she begins working for the Fernglove family, an magical family of Evers, to solve the mystery of the Blight. While at the Fernglove's manor she interacts with the entire family, but most notably the two brothers, Orin and Rorick.

The premise of this magic system and world was captivating, it seems so unique but natural at the same time. It was an easy world to fall into and understand the basics of from the beginning. Edira's power is inherently tragic, as she gives up her own life to heal others, giving it such a weight and consequence. She really has to think about when she would magically heal someone, but she doesn't let her own mortality hold her back from helping those she cares about and people in need.

The characters were charming, witty, frustrating, .....did I mention charming? Edira is a perfect narrator for me. She has intelligence and confidence in herself ( most of the time) that is very refreshing. She is put in a situation where she does not fully understand what is happening and I think it would be very easy to make your FMC in that situation clueless and dependent on the Male Leads. An although Edira does rely on Orin and Rorick for things she truly doesn't understand, she doesn't lose herself when asking for help. ( I'm not sure if that makes sense). The tension, romantic and otherwise, between Edira, Orin, and Rorick was delicious. Every character interaction had purpose and more often than not there were hints or double meanings in a lot of the scenes.

This book has mysteries and plot reveals, two of my favorite things. The pacing felt good and even with some of the more "predictable" reveals, there was always details that I didn't realize played into it. The reveals always felt surprising, which is great. The author also makes point to include those "hints" that appeared earlier in the book to show the connection to the reveal when it is happening, which I LOVE. It showed a lot of planning and thought behind the decisions characters were making.

For the romance, there is spice. I am incredibly biased, as soon as Rorick entered the page I knew I was sold. He is my classic MMC haha. There is are moments for the Orin girlies and the Rorick girlies, so no worries there. The romances felt intentionally rushed in certain aspects, so even though this is marketed as a slow burn there was still scenes to build off of.

Overall, this book was very enjoyable and I cannot wait for it to be released. I will definitely be continuing this series, I need to know where it goes!

I was surprised by how quickly this story hooked me. I loved the way tiny details came back into play later, and how the threads of the ending were masterfully woven in all the way back from the beginning. The magic system is really lovely, and the description of threadmending as both a process and an experience is captivating. The description of the blight was absolutely disgusting, and totally served the story well. The mystery aspect had me on the edge of my seat, and the conclusion both satisfied and left me needing more. Definitely recommend!

House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eARC!

In the town of Willowfell lives Edira Brillwyn, a 25-year-old Threadmender hiding from the notorious yet magical Evers. With only her brothers for company Edira will do anything to keep them safe. Even help the Fernglove Ever family. When Edira’s brothers, Noam and Nohr, fall ill to the Blight plague she accepts Orin Fernglove’s offer in exchange for slowing their sickness even if it means loosing her life.

This book jumped between a slow to fast pace read for me! There were times when the author gave us beautiful descriptions but also jumps scenes. What bothered me the most was the dialogue. While the characters get developed gorgeously is this fantastical setting, the choice in diction is fairly modern which interrupted the transportive feeling for me.

I enjoyed reading about the whimsical aspect of the different Ever families! It was fairly unclear what creatures exactly the Evers were in the book but it reminded of Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince creatures meets Alex Aster’s Lightlark courts.

I would definitely give this 🌶️/5 but maybe a 2 for sensitive readers. Martineau focuses on slowly developing the tension between Edira and the Fernglove brothers with a small resolve that left me wanting more from the interaction as it was a bit hard for me to support either of the MMCs.

🔮Snarky FMC
🔮Hidden Healing Powers
🔮Love Triangle
🔮Fantastical Creatures

Ultimately, it was a bit predictable for me but I think Martineau gives us an enjoyable romantasy and set up an interesting plot line for book 2!

3.75 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc!
First, I want to say that this book is SO readable, the plot and dialogue moved so fast that I finished it in two days. I simply couldn’t put it down.
This definitely leans into the romantasy genre in ways that make it a fun book, but not necessarily a perfect book. I struggle with romantasy where the fantasy setting is at odds with the dialogue/cursing/and spice levels of the book.
Using modern language and characters wearing “bralettes” while they are in somewhat of a Victorian or pre Victorian setting always rubs me the wrong way.

I enjoyed the characters and the dynamic of the Evers. The goal of cheating death that was laid out in the beautifully written prologue really grabbed me. The writing in the prologue is honestly the most engaging part of this book.
I do think the characters fall prey to the insta-love or Stockholm syndrome-y plot devices, that make the romance a bit hard for me to get behind. But I understand why it’s used to move the plot along for the second book.

Overall I loved the book and Edira’s constant goal of saving her family. She is a very lovable main character that you are rooting for - even if you don’t agree with her romantic choices 😇
I will definitely be looking forward to the second book.

Dive into a world where secrets are as dangerous as diseases!

Edira Brillwyn has a power—she can heal people, but it drains her life bit by bit. She’s been keeping this secret under wraps until the Fernglove family, who are all kinds of powerful, find out.

When her brothers get hit with a deadly illness, Orin Fernglove steps in to help. But the more time she spends with Orin and his family, the more she realizes they’ve got some skeletons in their closet. Things get wild, and Edira has to figure out who to save... and what it’s going to cost her.

This book sucked me in from the start! The world-building was on point, and the characters were so well done.

Orin is your classic broody hero with communication issues, and the Ferngloves? Total mystery!

The ending had me on edge, and the twists? Wow, I didn’t see half of them coming.

If you’re into broody guys, family secrets, and a story that’ll keep you guessing, you’ll love this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

Super Special Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

Where do I even start with this book. Everything about it was so well done; from the characters, to the world building and even down to the minuscule details that play a bigger role further in the story.

To avoid any kind of spoilers, I'll keep my review centered around the broad aspects of the book.

Edira is a very special character. She not only has abilities that make her an essential part of the story, but she also is a character that's easy to relate to. She cares for her brothers more than anything and would risk it all to make sure that they are safe. From beginning to end of her story, we see that she develops and grows as a person and admits (mostly) when she is wrong. Her conflicting emotions about certain characters and situations make her feel very human, which is not something easily done considering that most protagonists have what I like to call "immortal plot armor." I enjoyed getting to know her and her past and read how it shapes her present and future.

The world building and the magic in this book are unique. There's a disease called the Blight that seems to be a huge part of our story and a huge part of our characters lives. As you read, you learn more about this mysterious disease and the role that Edira plays in potentially finding a cure alongside the Head of the Fernglove family, Orin.

Overall, I would give this book 20/5 stars if I could. I can't wait to read more about Edira, the Ferngloves, and all their future adventures in the next book!

There was something missing for me in this book - I think the world felt too flat and the plot felt too quick for me to feel any connection with the characters or the world. I also felt like there were a lot of audience questions about the setup and dynamics that were glossed over too much. I was unable to to finish this book because it felt too unconnected for me, but I feel like I might come back to this book later and finish it because it did have some good gems, just not enough for me to want to finish this right now.

I am so excited for the upcoming installments in this new gothic fantasy series by Maxym Martineau - it was smart, atmospheric, magical, and unique. I am excited to see what comes next for Edira and the Ferngloves (and don't you just love that last name?!)

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

WOW! I loved this book! It's like if ACOTAR and Spark of the Everflame had a lovechild. House of Blight has everything you could ever want in a romance fantasy: broody MMC with communication issues, family full of secrets, spice, and our special FMC that has to save the world! I truly enjoyed following along with Edira's story and will be (un)patiently awaiting the next installment of the series.

The beginning of this book seemed very predictable and I had to switch to a different book for a while. But once I came back, I was hooked. The slow start was SO WORTH IT because I could not put this book down! The climax at the end was riveting, the build up to that point wasn’t forced and it flowed naturally. The romantic connection was perfection and I need it to be explored in a second book!!!
The very beginning was a deathly hollows mix with spring court of ACOTAR, but became so much more! I would’ve loved for more magic outside of the threadmending because the Evers are supposed to be powerful so please ramp up the magic in a fantasy series. Still 5 stars tho, must read!

Wow wow wow I honestly don't even have enough words. It was slow to start but once I hit the 55% mark I devoured the rest in a matter of hours. I giggled, I felt visceral rage, I felt unbelievable love, i sobbed. I am absolutely awe stuck by the ending to this book, there were so many twists and turns I didn't see coming at all. The magical system is very unique and the characters are very well written. I absolutely can not wait to see where this series will lead!

*House of Blight* by Maxym M. Martineau is a captivating read that was hard to put down, with incredible world-building that draws you right in. Edira's role as a threadmender, tasked with healing at great personal cost, adds a unique dimension to this dark and gothic tale, and the Fernglove family is as mysterious as they are dangerous. The tension between Edira and Orin, combined with the family secrets lurking beneath the surface, kept me hooked from beginning to end. While some plot points were predictable, the rich atmosphere and strong character dynamics made this a thrilling journey, and I can't wait for book two!

There were some incredibly cool ideas and visual moments here, but to me, the worldbuilding fell too flat to support it. It might just be me, but I could not get over all my questions about the mines, specifically her brothers working in them. (They're seventeen! How young were they when they started? Was she just okay with that? Does she worry how long they'll be working that job? Or is it something everyone in town does for work?) They and their friend seemed to be the only ones working in them. The town was supposedly built around the mines, but everyone else was rich and did other work. I feel like there is so much more that goes along with mining towns: dust inhalation, cave-ins, other work-related injuries, that it seemed almost odd to be concerned only with blight. I think having that part not ring true ended up pulling me out of the story so I kept questioning things instead of letting myself get swept away. Probably not a deal-breaker for everyone, but for some reason I just couldn't get over it.

This was an easy to read and hard to put down story. The way this was written was really well done. For reference, how the main creatures were not thoroughly described was absolutely my favorite part. It left open the imagination with subtle hints here and there as to what they could be. That's an awesome thing to pull off and it was really done well. The story is very medium paced with a few slow parts here and there. But they weren't distracting from the overall plot to slow it down. I really enjoyed this one!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! The name and cover immediately caught my attention, and I was drawn in by the synopsis. I am so grateful to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me the opportunity to ARC read this story.

I was extremely enamored with the setting and aesthetic of the story, one of a gothic and fantastical fantasy. From the little village where Edira and her brothers live to the elusive and creepy Fernglove manor. The description of characters, their clothes, and the unique nuances to the world were wonderful.

I appreciated the author’s writing style and ability to draw you in to the story. I was hooked from the start, and I truly enjoyed how questions developed but didn’t get answered immediately. I was kept guessing and questioning until the end. I love the twists and turns, and I’m so eager to learn what happens in book 2.

Some areas of the book seemed to lull a bit, and I was worried about how fast Edira was moving with her relationship, regardless how everything played out in the end. I didn’t pick up on any grammatical errors or obvious plot holes, either (this was a proof and not a final draft ARC read).

Overall, I gave this read a solid 4/5 stars, and I have been recommending everyone add it to their TBR. Extremely enjoyable, unique magic system, beautiful characters, and a wonderful story with a dedication that hit me straight in the heart.

Again, thank you for the chance to ARC read this book! It was the best introduction to ARC reading!!