I have been so-so on fantasy romance for a while now. I love fantasy books that have romantic subplots but tend to get annoyed when the romance takes over the entire story. Maxym M Martineau has BALANCE. House of Blight has a perfect blend of fantasy and romance, along with a sprinkle of gothic horror. It also has a plot that keeps you engaged and wanting to know what comes next, as well as character that you love, hate, and love to hate.

As a medical professional, I always enjoy books that follow healer characters. It is a nice change of pace compared to hunters and assassins.

I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series.... what the heck was that ending?!?

4.5⭐️

Adored this book!! Such a fun magic system, unique world, and well written strong FMC. I loved that the romance element wasn’t overdone/didn’t overpower the main plot. I can’t wait for book 2!!!

This audiobook was excellent!!! I was completely absorbed in the world and characters. I love anything remotely gothic leaning and this hit everything I was hoping it would.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an audiobook arc!

The main character here should actually be the magical universe that was meticulously built to feature uniquely gifted characters. There is definitely a ton of potential for the next one and I’m already excited to read the next one!

nothing hugely new on the fantasy theme front, but I did really enjoy the world building and the characters. I would recommend if you like more high fantasy with a lot of details like Game of Thrones, over something lighter

This book is super well written. The way it was written made the reader feel part of the story. Beautifully detailed in a way to bring the world alive in the reader's mind. I listened to this book, and the narrator was also amazing. She reads with such emotion in her voice, I just really enjoyed this world they both created and brought to life, together.

The book is about a threadmender named Edira. As a threadmender, she can heal and mend the life threads that everyone has. She can see the threads and mend them back together, but while using this ability can be a gift, it can also be a curse, as every time she uses this power, it takes a little of her lifeline away. Bigger jobs cost more of her lifeline. In a tragic turn of events, Edira is coerced into becoming the Ferngloves' live-in threadmender. The Ferngloves are magical beings that present as immortal, but it seems they are being plagued with blight just like the rest of the mortal beings. Edira quickly realizes her need to mend the blight might just be the last thing she does.

There's a little romance in this book as well. Seems the grumpy and moody Ferngloves might not be all bad after all.

Loved the narrator for this - she did a great job.

I loved the story and the world and twists this took. The idea that her magic comes with such a price is also appealing to me. To often it seems like there are no consequences. Overall enjoyed this and looking forward to the next one!

The magic system in this new series is unique and captivating. The main character took a little time to like, but overall the characters were well rounded and interesting. The plot moved at a good clip to keep interested. All told, this was an excellent book I would absolutely recommend for any adult collection where Fantasy circulates. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

The narrator did a good job. However, I found myself losing interest after halfway through the book. I think the last half was probably the best but I still just barely made my way through and my interest didn't hold. The magic of the world was very fascinating and had promise to be very good but the romance and relationship building made me lose all interest.

3.5 stars

In the first book in The Threadmender Chronicles (set to be a duology), Maxym M. Martineau weaves a somewhat familiar but nicely crafted fantasy / romantasy about magical plagues, healing, and its costs. Edira, our thread-mender protagonist, navigates a gothic fantasy world where her ability to heal others comes with a steep personal price—each use of her power shaves time from her own life. While the setups tread recognizable romantasy territory, Martineau’s atmospheric writing and careful attention to the psychological toll of Edira’s powers and sacrifices up the intrigue...

...House of Blight leans into a sense of gothic decay. Think Great Expectations or the works of the Brontë Sisters (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights) but in an epic fantasy setting. The Ever (Fae) world has a distinct sense of rot and stagnation. Martineau illustrates how a chokehold on power eventually chokes its wielders and that stagnation breeds disease. It is messaging reminiscent of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia —although the books are quite different in storytelling and tone...

It’s an atmospheric world that will appeal to readers who like their fantasy with a gothic infusion of existential dread and sexy “shadow daddy” fairies...The slow-building suspense allows for detailed world-building, and readers who go the distance are rewarded with surprising page turns. House of Blight sets a solid foundation for a promising new series.

Audiobook Review: Narrated by Alexandra Hunter and Stephen Dexter, is a good listen. Hunter’s performance captures Edira’s internal struggles with nuance, while Dexter’s portrayal of Orin balances his charm and underlying menace. The dual narration adds depth to the story, with each narrator bringing their respective cast of characters to life in ways that build on the atmospheric nature of the book. The production quality also makes it a good option for listeners who want to dive into Martineau’s eerie gothic-romance world while working, driving, or when in need of a bedtime tale.

I quite liked this one! I’ve been getting more into the gothic side of fantasy, and I thought this was a great addition. It’s eerie, grabs you quickly, and is quite immersive. Overall, a great read.

The world was so unique with the different Ever families and their realms (though I'm not sure if realm is the right word?) Plus, how they keep their magic and immortality going! Edira lives with her brothers in the human realm and is trying to hide her magic. The more she uses it, the quicker it kills her, so she has to keep it top secret. But Blight doesn't discriminate and when it comes for her brothers, she's willing to sacrifice everything to help heal them.

i'm a hc employee; all opinions are my own.
i loved this audiobook and story. the narrator set the mood for what was a beautiful, haunting gothic romantasy. can't wait for book two.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the eAudiobook ARC! House of Blight is a gothic romantasy that follows Edira Brillwyn, a threadmender with the ability to cure illness and injury (though at the expense of a sliver of her own life). She's kept this a secret her whole life, but when the secret is discovered by the wealthy Fernglove family, they will stop at nothing to recruit Edira to their service. When Edira's brothers fall ill to the blight, Orin Fernglove offers them safety in statis, if Edira will work with them to find a cure. Soon Edira finds herself working and training with the family and herself growing ever closer to Orin. Can the Ferngloves be trusted or are they hiding more dangerous secrets?
The audiobook features compelling narration by Alexandra Hunter and Stephen Dexter.

Short synopsis: Edira is a threadmaster, trying to rescue her brothers infected with blight. She finds herself at Fernglove Manor trying to find a cure.

My thoughts: This took me a minute to get into, but once I was immersed in the fantasy world I couldn’t stop. This is a duology (which I love) and I’m so excited to see what happens in book 2.

I loved how fiercely Edira loves her brothers, she’s so selfless and determined. All of her choices reflect her desire to help them. The familial love is so refreshing.

The gothic vibes in this are a fun addition to the fantasy genre, and the magic was unique and different.

I thought the audio on this was really well done. I love when the narrator brings a book to life and the narrator achieved that!

Read if you love:
* Gothic vibes
* Magic
* Selfless characters
* Love triangle
* Feminine rage

This was great. At first. I thought it was giving 'Beauty and the Beast,' but then it was almost 'Snow White.' It felt so familiar and new at the same time.

I am a bit confused by the decision to have only a fraction of the book read by a different narrator. I understand it was from a different POV, but the main narrator had been doing that character's voice for most of the book.

Wow! This was a new take on immortals that I have not read/heard about before. Edira is a threadmender with the ability to heal grievous injuries and illness but at a cost to her own life expectancy. She has been hiding this ability her entire life but now her brothers need her.

Sometimes I felt Edira was smart and strong, other times I was slapping my head with her naivety and poor judgement of character that led her to making dumb decisions. Overall I could understand since she was out of her depth and I can appreciate a character that grows throughout the book, which she did.

I was never a fan of Orin but I also am a sucker for morally gray MMCs. So when he came in trying to be sweet despite the circumstances he has allowed humans to live in, I hated him more for it.

Narrated by Alexandra Hunter who did a superb job at delivering this story in a way where you felt every emotion. I was happy with the distinction in characters, delivery of emotions, and pronunciation of words and dialogue (I’m weird and that bothers me in some narrators lol).

House of Blight follows Edira as she tries to understand the Evers, a family that never ages and can't die. In their understanding, she hopes that she will find a cure for a magical illness that is killing her brothers.

This book starts off with the story of a woman who tricks death, and honestly, that was my favorite part. I found the main story a bit slow and kind of boring. Now, I do think a great many people will enjoy this book, but I am not one of them. The book feels as if it is written for a younger audience that likes the back and forth of who is the love interest, who is the bad guy, will Edira ever learn anything about her magic, etc.

I think folks who enjoyed ACOTAR will enjoy House of Blight.

Lastly, the narration was wonderful, it pulled me through otherwise lackluster moments.

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.

You can’t always judge a book by its cover, but in the case of House of Blight, you absolutely can. This gorgeous facade is just the icing on a riveting fantasy story filled with romance, magic, and betrayal. This story is the perfect blend of gothic vibes and fantasy mantas whimsy. Edira is an incredible FMC and her journey as a threadmender trying to eradicate an incurable virus, blight, is heartfelt and thrilling. I really enjoyed this one and the narrator was excellent!