This started off as giving cozy romantasy vibe but did end up taking on a darker tone, which I loved. But the predictability and basic characters/ character development was what I ultimately didn't enjoy. Will I be reading book 2 of the Duology? Probably not.

I enjoyed this gothic cottagecore fantasy and its blight filled world building for the most part. The plot was pretty slow paced and the middle dragged for me. It was pretty obvious the Ferngloves had shady intentions and I was annoyed by how fast Edira threw all her disdain and suspicions out the window and fell for Orin. Even when deceptions come to light she continues to make excuses. Which is odd because she’s portrayed as having always been distrustful of Evers.

Now I immensely dislike insects but I couldn’t not love Rorik. A book has finally made me love an insect shifter 😂😂. And Ywena was so freaking precious I adored her 😭.

The last act of this book was fantastic and I loved Edira’s wrathful side. The ending has me hopeful for more friendships in the sequel as well as excited to see how things are going to play out!

Thanks to the Nerd Fam and publisher for the eARC, thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed House of Blight! It felt fresh & unique, while giving off vibes reminiscent of The Cruel Prince with a touch of ACOTAR. From the prologue, you're immediately pulled into this dark fairy tale world. But what truly grabbed me was the unique concept of threadmending. The magic system involves healing others but at a significant cost to your own health. The story builds this magic system that revolves around a blight that puts your life at stake AND inherited/lineage magic, creating this overall tension.

The main characters are Edira, Orin, and Rorik who were all complex and had their own compelling backgrounds and stories. I was invested in their individual journeys and their relationships, especially the romantic tension and wondering which brother Edira might ultimately choose!!

Beyond the plot, I got the strong feeling that there was more going on beneath the surface. I kept thinking about the potential deeper meanings woven into the story. The struggle between good and evil is true with the blight and threadmending itself, but the book also explores the idea of the masks we all wear, the facades we put on for others when there might be deeper, darker things hidden within us.

If you're looking for a gothic fantasy romance with an edge, a creative magic system, and some thought provoking undertones, you should definitely pick this one up!

Thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyage for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

House of Blight was an entertaining read! I felt like I was in a haunted house and the eerie, tense and gothic atmosphere really transported me into the world. The world-building was strong, and I really enjoyed the plot of the book, but I had guessed the ending halfway through (which is why I rated this 3 stars). I felt like there could have been more twists and turns throughout that culminated to the final act of the book. Instead, the book focused more on the romance subplot (although this is a romantasy). I was entertained, but I thought that it was a good 3-star read in that it was perfectly ok.

I am so torn on how I feel about this book! A lot of the early reviews speak true to my own thoughts as well.

Edira is our main character, who lives with her two younger twin brothers, all who have lost their parents to the terrible, incurable disease called Blight. Edira is a "thread mender" which is someone blessed with the magic of healing. This is kept secret though, in fear of her aunt's fate becoming her own. Her aunt was also a thread mender, who, because of this, was forced to the magical estate of a family of Evers (high society immortals) called the Ferngloves, to research and develop a cure for Blight, which seems impossible. Because of this, Edira feels nothing but hate for Evers. So when her brothers suddenly develop the disease, and she's presented with the opportunity to possibly save their lives in exchange for working for the Ferngloves as well, what is she to do? She goes on to discover there are many secrets and a lot of darkness behind the glamour of the Fernglove family, but she also realizes that maybe not all Evers are as selfish and evil as she once thought...

The magic was unique, which was intriguing for sure, but I feel like nothing really sucked me in until after halfway through the book. The romance fell a little flat for me, and parts of the story just seemed rushed, but I did become a bit more invested in the characters, which I was thankful for, because initially they kind of annoyed me. haha

Although this was not my favorite fantasy read, I am kind of interested to see how the series continues! Thank you NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC!

✨️ unique magic system
✨️ heartbound (chosen mates)
✨️ love & betrayal
✨️ vows & trickery
✨️ blight - incurable virus
✨️ gothic fantasy

REVIEW 📢
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such an anticipated read, AND IT DID NOT DISSAPOINT! 👏🏽

I was hooked from the very start of this book, I fell in love with the writing style and the way everything was connected throughout the story!

When reading, you are thrusted into the hard world that Edira lives in with her brothers. Edira is the FMC, and her brothers are the only ones who truly know of her powers as a threadmender. The one thing everyone wants is being heeled of injury and disease.

You are introduced to the Fernglove family. They are cruel and charming - well, not all of them. A typical fae charm, with a touch of deadly!

This story has you hooked through out, it includes everything you need in a five-star romantasy! Something to fight for, love, betrayal, magic, unexpected twists and turns!

I loved the little eggs sprinkled throughout the book. If you pay attention by the end of the book, it brings everything together so perfectly!

House of blight is the first in this duology!
Once I picked up this book I couldn’t put it down.
We follow Edira our FMC who is a healer by trade.
She is forced to work with the Evers of Fernglove (the high society immortals) to come up with a cure for the incurable, not only for them, but for her only remaining family.
For lovers of:
First person POV
Gothic fantasy realm
Forced proximity
Healing magic
Elemental magic
Training scenes
Love triangle
I cannot wait for book 2!

This book started off a little dense, and I’ll admit—it took me a minute to settle into the world. But once the deception, angst, and unraveling family dynamics kicked in? I was hooked. Maxym M. Martineau masterfully builds tension between the characters, keeping you second-guessing alliances and motives right up until the end.

The emotional turmoil was raw and well-executed, and I found myself truly invested in the relationships, both fractured and complex. As usual, I caught myself rooting for the morally gray character—the one most would hate—and loving every second of it.

Surprisingly, the main villain here wasn’t the kind I’d usually sympathize with. They were just… awful in the best way. No redemption arc, no soft spot—just pure villainy. And honestly? I loved the change of pace. By the end, I enjoyed this book even more than I expected. Dark, dramatic, and full of secrets, House of Blight is a wild ride that rewards you for sticking with it. Highly recommend if you like your fantasy with emotional wreckage, tangled loyalties, and just a dash of darkness.

This book grabbed me from the prologue! After that opening scene, I knew I had discovered something amazing. This book feels vaguely reminiscent of that one certain red book but does it SO much better: immortal fae-like beings with political/court intrigue, a magical bargain, and one of the most unique and well-described magic systems I’ve read in a while. This book feels familiar but wholly unique at the same time.

Edira and her human brothers toil away in the shadow of the Ferngloves: a family of immortal beings known as the Evers. Edira is a threadmender, a human who possesses the power to heal and cure any ailment. But this power comes at a cost to her own life, and has its limitations: it cannot cure Blight, a terrible disease that preys upon the humans. When her brothers fall victim to the Blight, Edira makes a bargain with the Ferngloves in the hopes of harnessing her power to save her brothers.

My favorite aspect of this book was the magic system. I loved the idea of the threadmenders and how their magic works. As a healthcare professional myself, I’ve always had a soft spot for main characters with healing magic. I too, attach much of my self-identity to my ability to heal others and found Edira to be an extremely relatable main character. She is inquisitive, intelligent, and dedicated to her family and her practice of healing others, often to her own detriment. Even the magic of the Evers was very interesting and I can’t wait to get more in book two.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★★
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 🌶️
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Maxym Martineau
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 384
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: April 8, 2025

This book had me hooked from the description alone, so I am very glad that it lived up to my expectations. It was like Beauty and the Beast meets ACOTAR, but with it’s own unique elements that made the story feel completely different. Some plots/subplots can definitely feel overused, so I was excited that this storyline still felt unlike anything I had read before.

Edira is a very endearing character, who is in charge of a magic even she doesn’t quite fully understand. However, she doesn’t hesitate to use it to protect those she loves, and proves to be even more of a badass that I thought she would be. The love interest situation (no spoilers, people) had me anxiously questioning what would happen, although I had a feeling I knew how that would end (although I didn’t see it ending EXACTLY like that lol). That plot twist at the end definitely had me screaming and kicking my feet all at the same time. I cannot wait to see how the next book plays out. This book was full of secrets, and while we uncovered some, I have a feeling there are still many more to discover.

Marked as Spoiler on Goodreads

5/5 🌟 5/5 🎧 1/5 🌶️

Fae/Humans. Gothic Vibes. Magical Vows. Slow Burn.

Favorite Quote: "This was fury, and I wanted to see him, all of them, burn." 🔥

If you have a chance please for the love of god listen to the audio for this book! 🙌 The narraters did such a good job!

The prologue immediately sucked me in and I just knew this book was going to be so good! The magic concept is so unique and interesting and I LOVED Rorik! 🥵🪲

The whole book gives me gothic/cottagcore vibes and is so mysterious. There is also a little bit of a love triangle and it was giving Tampon/Rhys hardcore! 👊

Thank you to Harper Voyager for an ARC of this book.

Oooof... It always feels so weird to go against what so many are saying and being an outlier. This book really could have been great, but something was missing when it came to the romance portion. The chemistry between Orin and Edira wasn't doing it for me, it felt more forced than natural. I did like Rorik better, but I've always been a sucker for enemies to lovers. I also couldn't stand so many of the characters, just insufferable.

Other than that, I can see what everyone is talking about. I did enjoy the magic, as well as how atmospheric the author made the descriptions. It was all so easy to visualize.

Edira is a threadmender, she is able to cure others from illnesses and ailments but it takes time off her life for every person she helps and of course she is fiercely protective of those she loves. When an incurable disease is taking everyone she loves from her she finds herself in a bargain with the people she least likes and trusts, the Evers, specifically the Fernglove family. They are “beasts” who glamour themselves to look beautiful and this is the same family who took her aunt to work for them and eventually died trying to help them. Despite several warnings, Edira finds herself opening up to and developing feelings for the head of the house, Orin, but she can’t seem to shake his dark, broody, and very good looking brother, Rorik. There are so many lies and tricks Edira doesn’t know who she can trust. The time stamp with saving her family, helping the Ferngloves, and keeping herself alive adds the best bit of drama. By the end of the book your head will be spinning and you’ll be dying for the second book in this duology, like myself! Did I mention that Edira finds herself with the cutest little bird companion who saves her life many times?!

A new fantasy duology that follows Edira, a woman whose magic has the ability to heal others but comes at the cost of shortening her own lifespan. A blight has taken hold in her world that ravages the bodies of those infected so quickly they die within minutes of infection and Edira’s magic cannot save them. Edira finds herself entangled with the Evers, the magical beings of her realm with near-eternal life (think Fae). They have tasked Edira to use her magic to find a cure for blight.

Giving this book 3 stars. I think the world building was good, but the storyline was very easily predictable and the FMC’s attitude, actions, and inability to see how she was being manipulated was extremely frustrating. Not sure if I will read the second book when it comes out.

I did not vibe with this. I think it had a very cool idea with just lackluster execution. The worldbuilding was lacking and I get that our FMC was a fish out of water but I still needed more. I think this will appeal to a specific crowd!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC

An excruciating slow burn. A magic system that puts you through all the emotions. Enemies to Lovers.

Edira, our FMC, is exhausting. Her history. Her sacrifices to help others. A true heroine. Of course, there are times you want to throttle her. But you get over it. Orin, the MMC, I'm still questioning. But his sisters .... horrible.

The first part of what is sure to become a epic Gothic Fantasy Duology. I'd highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Just after reading the prologue I know I’d be in for a world of learning and wisedom. Can one really cheat death permanently? Then, after reading more, I realized I was in for a world of heartbreak. The world building in this book is fantastic and it definitely had me feeling like I was emersed in this world. Some of the characters I loathed, well because they were turds lol. Some of them had me changing my mind by the end. I didn’t know I’d be on an emotional rollercoaster that would make me mad and cry. The pure amount of betrayal. I feel like I saw it coming but was just waiting for boom to drop and it dropped hard. The two characters I loved through the entire book was Edira and Vora. Ediras journey is wild and left on a cliffhanger. I was like wait no this can’t be the end 💩 is gonna hit the fan again!
Dark…fantasy…mystery…some spice..love this book.

This is my first book by Maxym Martineau, and I am in love with her writing.

I love the vivid world building. I am able to clearly see the events in my head. She clearly describes the scenes with out bogging down the story.

The characters are so filled with emotions, thoughts, ideas, that it is impossible not to love (or hate) them.

Edira Brillwyn is trying to take care of her brothers after her parents die from blight. She is also hiding that she is athreadmender, cure disease. When her bothers come down with blight, Edira's power is discovered by the Orin Fernglove, a member of one of the elite ruling families. Edira is forced to make a deal with him to gain the needed power to save both of her brothers.

I am so ecxited for the second part of this story to come out, I have to know what happens!!!

I was really looking forward to this one after reading the premise but unfortunately, this wasn’t my favorite. I felt it was very slow in the beginning & I found myself a bit bored & skimming through the pages. Once there was maybe 35% left in the book, that’s when I felt things start to pick up but at the moment I just wasn’t invested in the story anymore. The character were alright but not my favorite. The romance between Edira & Orin unfortunately just felt a bit flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced ready copy . It took me almost two weeks to get 64% in and it’s just not the vibe I look for in a fantasy book. The concept of the story is great but takes to long to get to the point