This book was, excuse my language, FREAKING INSANE! I loved it. The idea of the magic system was well laid out and the world building was done in a way that would even be easy for new fantasy readers to understand. I loved the FMC and Rorik. I gave it 4 stars because I predicted the ending early on but it was truly an amazing read.

Exactly what I am looking for in a gothic fantasy romance. The writing was decadent and the romance was so intriguing.

It had been a while since a book thoroughly left me wanting for more! I need the sequel like … right now 🤭 and idk why I’m even surprised it gripped me the way it did as I read the authors’ Kingdom of Exiles some years ago & really enjoyed that one, too. And I still have more of that world to discover as well 😍

“Trust no one” is a steady theme and lesson in this fantasy and it really rings true. The characters you start off loathing end up burrowing their way into your heart and staying there 🥰 I can’t really say much more without spoiling anything so y’all need to read it to find out 🤭

It was also really refreshing to read about a female character who is so .. I guess sex-positive, I could say? I really liked how the author described the attraction between the characters, could cut the sexual tension with a knife 😏🔥

House of Blight follows a threadmender, Edira, who has hidden her identity from the world because each time she taps into her magic to heal she loses time off her own life. She is discovered by the immortal family that oversees her village and it tasked to help cure the blight, a dangerous disease that is always deadly (and coincidentally that her brothers get around the time of her discovery and only an Ever’s magic can hold them in stasis while she develops her magic to try and work on a cure).
This was a book that I had to pick up and put down a few times to get through it. There are some really interesting pieces and lots of potential, but it just didn’t grab me like I was hoping it would. Edira wasn’t the easiest character to connect with, either in an I love you or love to hate you way, and the pace didn’t pick up until there was only about 10% of the book left. If the rest of the book had mimicked the last 10% I think it would have been more enjoyable. This book also leans heavily on the mortal girl falling in love with an immortal man trope and, when done well those are great, but I didn’t find myself rooting for Edira and Orin. Ywena the magic moth who helps Edira learn to breathe properly was maybe my favorite character.
Overall, not a bad book but not great either.

House of Blight hit the nail on the head for gothic fantasy. It managed to be creepy and suspenseful while also having cute and romantic scenes sprinkled throughout. It was very well balanced.

Edira is a threadmender in hiding due to the Evers stealing away those with magic. But then the Blight grabs hold of her brothers and she has no choice to but enter a bargain with Orin Fernglove.

Edira is a bleeding heart. She wants to help everyone she can even knowing every time she uses her abilities, it lessens her lifespan. I love how much of a spitfire she is. Never backing down. Standing by her morals and who she wants to be. I truly appreciated her character.

The Ferngloves were super interesting! Every character has their distinct quirks and it was fun seeing them come to light. There is still so much about the Evers and magic that I can't wait to see more of in the next book.

I found the plot twists to be a tad predictable but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story or the writing. This was a refreshing read in the genre and now I want more gothic esque stories to fill my shelves!

Thank you to the author, Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the earc. This is my honest and voluntary review.

DNF @ 44%
Thank you so much to Harper Voyager and Libro.fm for the advanced copies of this book. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I was so excited for this gothic fantasy romance and thought for sure it would be a favorite - how could it not when it's being compared to Rachel Gillig?! But sadly this was not the win I was hoping for.

This is another fantasy with a fantastic premise that just didn't quite deliver in my opinion.

This opens up with an amazing prologue where we learn about a woman who beats death and is gifted with immortality. In present day, the towns are controlled by Ever, or immortals, and the world is infected with Blight, a rotting disease that kills you almost instantly.

While the Evers hold most of the magic, the heroine has the ability to heal by seeing and repairing the threads of someone's life - in exchange for some of her own threads & life.

I loved all of the setup, the world, and the magic. But I didn't care for the characters... like at all.

Personally, I'm a very character driven reader, so I need to connect to a character - their motivations, relationships, something. But I found the heroine to be somewhat insufferable and the heroes to be bland cookie cutter fantasy heroes.

They were all so bland as individuals and the dynamic of sheltered heroine + gorgeous seemingly perfect savior + mysterious brooding bad boy is worn out in my opinion. I'm just so sick of seeing it that I immediately lost interest.

I do think the writing itself was lush and eerily beautiful. And if you're more of a plot driven reader, I think this fantastical, mystery premise is really intriguing. But if you're looking for character development and/or romance, this isn't one I'd recommend.

Thanks for this ARC netgalley. Thanks Martineau for the awesome read. But you did hurt my heart a little lol. I just finished this book right now and I'm at a loss for words to describe it without spoilers. But it was heartbreakingly beautiful. It has a happyish ending. It's not sad. But not where you expect it to end. That being said I can where this can be remedied in a second book, which I have hopes for given this Goodreads page is titled threadmender Chronicles number one. So please make a book two. You can hurt me a little and then make it all better. I want more beetle man😂😂😂

This story has everything and more that a reader would want in a complex romantasy. Magic, hate to love, a gothic castle, healing magic, and more. The FMC has the power to heal but as always, magic comes at a steep price. In Edira's case, it is her own life. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this duology. I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone and everyone who is a fan of dark fantasy with romance. I definitely feel that it was much more of a fantasy with romance than an outright romantasy. Did I also mention the dark gothic castle? Because of course we have a dark gothic castle and I'm convinced no story can be bad with a dark gothic castle in it.

This book drew me in with its unique concept and gothic atmosphere, and it absolutely delivered! The plot is rich and layered, blending dark fantasy, romance, and mystery in such an engaging way. Edira is a compelling protagonist—strong, selfless, and relatable—and her magical ability as a threadmender adds a fresh twist to the fantasy genre. The Fernglove family is fascinating, especially Orin, who quickly became one of my favorite characters. Their dynamic is complex and full of tension, both romantic and suspenseful.

While the pacing is a bit slow at times, the buildup pays off with plenty of twists and a growing sense of unease that kept me turning pages. The world-building is vivid and immersive, and I loved the eerie, gothic vibes throughout. Just be warned—it ends on a cliffhanger, and now I’m desperate for the next book!

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rachel Gillig who enjoy a mix of slow-burn romance, dark secrets, and high stakes.

I hope everyone reads this book! After reading it I have a feeling this is going to be big. It’s slow burn with bouts of action, culminating in such a great ending (total cliffhanger though we absolutely need book 2 like right now).

Love the magic system of threadmending, and the prologue at the start grabs you immediately. There’s romance and a touch of spice but the character build made this book. And c’mon gotta love Rorik. Might be my book of the month /top ten of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Edira is hired by the Fernglove family to search for a cure for an illness that has killed too many people, she does so only to save her brothers. It was odd that Orin showed up at her house when something terrible happened to Edira. We found out later why that it is, but at the time, I just thought it was some strange coincidence. While Orin seems to be a good person, something about his actions makes you question whether he is hiding something. Rorik, on the other hand, was always himself, and I appreciated his character so much.

Thank you to the author and Net Galley for the ARC!

This was such a fantastic and gorgeous read! I went in without any expectations and ended up really enjoying it. It’s a gothic romantasy with eerie, vivid worldbuilding and a cool magic system based on equal exchange.

This was so good and hard to put down. Can’t wait for the next one to see where the story goes. Can’t wait to see what else Maxym has for us.

I think this is fine for those who enjoy a little magic, a little romance, and a setting in a creepy gothic town. While I enjoy the setting and the characters there is a slow start to the story. It took me about 20% to become invested in where the story was going and what was going to happen next.

⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️/ ️🌶️🌶️

If you had the power to heal anyone, in the blink of an eye, but every time you did, it cost you time of your own life, would you use your gift for good or keep it secret? It definitely isn’t an easy question to answer, but this is one of the questions our FMC has to ask herself over and over. Maxym has written a powerful book where secrets are around every corner, questions are always answered with 5 more questions, and sibling rivalry is brought to an art form. With wonderful gothic tones, this fantasy guarantees to keep you on the edge of your seat and unable to put the book down.

Edira has a powerful gift, but one that costs her greatly. She has worked hard to keep this gift a secret, but can’t when her brother’s lives are at risk. Upon using her gift to save her brothers, she is found out by a powerful family and taken to their home to find a cure for Blight, a disease with no known cure and is spreading quickly. Once there she finds herself surrounded by mystery, two brothers who are always trying to one up the other, and the family dynamic is questionable at best.

As the story progressed, it was impossible to put this book down. The banter and sass that Edira partakes in had me laughing, gasping, and smiling numerous times throughout the book. While not super heavy, the romance definitely was noticed and I really hope to see more in the next book. No spoilers, but the chemistry is real!

This is my first book by Maxym M Martineau, but I know it won’t be my last. As I anxiously await the second book in this duology, I am excited to read other works of hers.

As always, review any author notes before reading.

What to Expect:
🖤Dark, Cunning Immortals
🟪Dorian Gray Vibes
🖤Female Rage
🟪Gothic Romance
🖤Powerful FMC
🟪Tension and Secrets

House of Blight by Maxym Martineau follows Edira, who is a threadmender. When a blight is ravaging the world, she tries to help where she can without losing too much of her life. I really enjoyed the idea of threadmending and the entire world was described beautifully. I found the twist to be unexpected but so well written. It does end in a bit of a cliff hanger, to which I’m not opposed to reading I’m just impatient to find out what happens next. Overall, this was such a great read and wonderful for fantasy lovers!

House of Blight is a gothic romantasy and the first book in a new duology, The Threadmender Chronicles. Edira is a threadmender who can heal people. But her healing powers always come at a cost to her. Every time Edira heals someone, she loses a little of her life span.

When her brothers contract a deadly disease she can't cure, Edira has no choice but to make a deal with the powerful magical family, The Ferngloves. If she agrees to work for them, Orin, the head of the Fernglove family, will help Edira find the cure for her brothers. When Edira arrives at the manor, she slowly learns that everything is not as it seems. The Ferngloves use glamor to disguise their true monstrous nature. The manor is more spooky than splendid, and the glamor hides death and decay. Some family members are not welcoming to Edira and even downright hostile. Orin's motivation to help Edira find the cure is not as selfless as it initially seemed.

I enjoyed the setting with its gothic vibes, a crumbling manor, and an intriguing magic system. There were a lot of interesting characters in the Fernglove family, some likable and some horrible. There is a love triangle between Edira and two brothers, which I wasn't a big fan of. Also, the book read more like YA than an adult fantasy, as Edira often behaved immaturely for her age. The ending was satisfying, if a little rushed. House of Blight is rich in gothic vibes, but it fell a little short in other aspects, in my opinion.

This book review had me battling with myself over how many stars to give. Normally I have a definite decision made in my head between 2 or 3 stars…..not this time.
Let me explain. This book started out with a promising premise. Healing magic , a dangerous disease, magical beings all rolled into one book.
The struggle is that this book felt like a mix of at least 2 books I have read recently. The magic very similar to The Last Bloodcarver, and the love triangle/ the twist very ACOTAR.
I might have been able to overlook all that except the characters felt undeveloped when compared to the others. There were no real meaningful interactions between anyone, but we are supposed to believe the bonding? Every single EVER plays a stereotypical character that could be exchanged for anyone. Added to all that…….probably because of all that to be fair…….i saw the twist coming from the second we meet the Evers. And had zero doubt of the outcome for the entire book.
If you’ve read this far, know that there is only one spicy scene in this book. So if you’re not a fan of spice you can just skip over it. If you’re looking for a steamy read, you will be disappointed.
A lot of people love this read. And a lot of people really will are going to read and love it. So this perhaps goes out to those of us jaded by romansty/fantasy books that don’t quite bring the magic.
Overall I had to go with my instinct. I had to give it 2.5 stars as I firmly feel that it is slightly higher than a two for me. I just couldn’t round it up to 3.
I received a ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

House of Blight - Maxym M. Martineau

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE: 🌶️
TROPES: magical sickness, slow burn, gothic romantasy, duology

“The only pain I’d ever intentionally inflict on you is the agony of making you wait to feel the pleasure of release.”

Wow… what an amazing book. Where do I begin?!

The characters within. Edira is such a sweet soul but can be feisty when need be. She was like a Disney princess. A little naive at times but cunning when it mattered most. The Fernglove family were a bit creepy though. The twins were like something out of the Shinning. They just gave off creepy vibes.

Now the concept of this world built within. I really really liked Edira’s threadmending magic. Not everyone has magic but Edira is able to sense a persons life threads and mend any damage. There is a price to pay. You shed a bit of your life depending on the level of severity. Then we have the Evers who want nothing more but to use the threadmending powers, but due to this anyone with the power tries their best to remain unknown. Hidden.

I loved the plot twist at the end and I can’t wait to read the next book to see what happens!!!!

House of Blight had me hooked from the very first sentence! Edira is a threadmender, meaning she can heal others. However, that also means that every time she uses her power, her lifespan is shortened proportionately. The blight has infected their lands and their people, and it's the one thing that Edira can't heal. The Ferngloves are also magic wielders as well as the ruling elite, and when Edira's brothers contract the blight, Orin Fernglove is there to help save them, at a price.

I loved the gothic vibes of this story, the sinister nature of the Ferngloves, the secrets hidden, and determination of our main character. I was really intrigued by the magic system, Edira's abilities, and the way that the blight affected different species. It's atmospheric with high tension and a fast paced plot, propelling you to keep turning the page. Edira wants so much to save her brothers that her decisions and actions aren't always rational, leading us down a twisty path of never quite knowing who to trust.

This is the first book in a duology, and I cannot wait to see how the prologue comes back around (it has one of my all-time favorite tropes, but was not active in the main story).