💜 House of Blight by @maxymmckay

✨ “If you think I can’t stab you while wearing skirts, you’re sorely mistaken.”

🪲 This book was the perfect Spring read! So many whimsy vibes and I loved it! I really loved the prose. The writing was so well done and was very immersive. I loved the atmosphere of Fernglove Manor.

💜 Edira’s love for her brothers is so relatable for me. I know I would do anything for my own brother, so I really connected with her. She’s a threadmender and sacrifices minutes of her own life to heal others.

✨ Edira is whisked away to Fernglove Manor by Orin to try and find a cure for the blight. He promises to keep her brothers safe in exchange.

🪲 But as the plot thickens, things are certainly not as they seem. There’s cracks in Fernglove Manor, and they slowly begin to show. But can Edira find the cure and save her brothers before it’s too late?

This is one of those fantasies that throws you in and explains things along the way instead of starting with tons of world building before anything happens (which is just how I like it).

Edira, the FMC, is moved into a whole new world filled with powerful magic wielders. Making her healing powers seem like nothing in comparison. And she’s not sure who she can and can’t trust. But let me tell you- she may not know who to trust, but I knew immediately

The magic system was interesting and there was a specific male character I was immediately drawn to. The plot was a bit predictable, but I still really enjoyed reading (listening) to it and will definitely be finishing the duology!

Oh, and there’s a cute little moth companion

The narrator had a wry drawl that I wasn't overly fond of, and some of her pronunciations were odd. She wasn't bad, but it did stick out to me.

As for the story, I saw it compared to Rachel Gillig and I think that is inaccurate. I would compare this much more in style and quality to Belladonna by Adalyn Grace. While it is gothic, and a romantasy, it lacks depth and immersive atmosphere. The plotting was a little bit clunky and I often found myself getting frustrated at the obviousness of the breadcrumbs being left that were not so obvious to the protagonist. The strongest aspect of House of Blight was the world building/conflict and I thought the Ever culture was interesting, even if it was just a different take on fae. Also, the concept of the blight/sickness was different BUT I don't think the story reached it's potential. The book hits a lot of the same points recycled in the majority of romance led fantasy and lacked depth and substance.

It was fine. I will consider picking up the sequel and can recommend this to my gothic romantasy loving customers. Just for me, personally, I thought it could have been better.

HOUSE OF BLIGHT is a witchy-adjacent gothic romantasy, filled with magical healing (with a cost), magical vows, tensions and a bit of a love triangle (between brothers 😏) The romance is swoony. The world is cottagecore. The characters are magical. It’s a lovely start of a duet that will leave you counting the days to book two. Perfect for readers of Rachel Gillig.

This was such a fun read. I loved the magic system, world building and character development. The romance and not knowing quite sure which direction it would go was perfect.

Thanks to HarperAudio for the gifted copy!

Edira Brillwyn is a threadmender -- she has lifesaving power, but it comes at the high price, taking slivers of her life as she uses it. When her brothers get sick with Blight, she endes up at Fernglove Manor, working with the powerful head of the household, Orin, to find a cure.

I LOVE a fantasy duology, but am not sure that gothic fantasy is always for me... it's just a little too slow-moving. I did love the side characters, especially the little mothy pet creature, Ywena, the magical vows, and the slow burn romance. This was definitely a unique take on a fantasy with the "insect daddy" and cottagecore aesthetic, and I think a lot of readers will appreciate these vibes. I did find some of the plotlines a bit predictable and wanted more of a certain brother, but we'll leave that for the next book ;)

I did really enjoy the narration by Alexandra Hunter and Stephen Dexter.

Let’s start with the obvious—this cover is absolutely stunning! It immediately caught my eye, and thankfully, the story inside is just as intriguing.

Edira’s threadmender magic is such a unique concept—she can heal, but at the cost of her own lifespan. When her brother falls ill with the Blight, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with Orin, the mysterious MMC, to uncover a cure. The book starts with a bang, immediately pulling me in, and I was so excited to see where it would go.

While the middle hit a bit of a lull, I still thoroughly enjoyed the overall story. And let’s talk about the audiobook narration—Alexandra Hunter and Stephen Dexter absolutely deliver, making this world feel immersive and dynamic. I’d 100% add them to my must-listen list!

Final Verdict: Good, not great—but still an enjoyable read with a fascinating magic system, high stakes, and strong narration. 3.5 stars--I would absolutely recommend.

✨ Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy the ARC and ALC copies of this read. My immersive read was lovely!

There is a healer main character, gothic fantasy setting and romantic tension. It took me until I was about 25% through to get into, but by the end I was hooked. There is an interesting magic system was interesting. The idea that the healer would take time off her life by using healing magic added to the suspense. I am looking forward to the characters growth in the next book.

Greatly looking forward to the next in the series. This one had interesting world building a plot twist that kept me engaged the entire time.

Book: I love books with weird plants so the storyline with the blight was great, plus add in the healer main character and gothic fantasy setting and I'm sold. I'll admit, this one took me a minute to get into, but by the end I was like, yes. I get it.

I thought the take on using healing magic literally taking time off Edira's life was interesting. I don't know if the Ferngloves and the like are specifically given a name of what they are, but I'd describe them as fae adjacent. I loved the creepy family and estate. I got a bit of cruel prince vibes and one dark window too.

The twist was really good and I liked how things were kept confusing by the Ferngloves the entire book. Edira was a bit naive but hopefully lessons have been learned now!

Audiobook: Alexandra Hunter and Stephen Dexter provided an excellent performance. I hope we get more dual POV in book 2! A well-done a great quality audiobook.

4.25/5

Threadmenders can heal the sick even on the bring of death, but no Threadmender has ever brought anyone back from Blight.

When her brothers are infected, Edira doesn't have any choice but to expose her magic to the Ferngloves to save not only her brothers, but the entire kingdom.

House of Blight is an engaging world built on secrets, lies, and glamour, perfect for romantasy fans!

I followed along with audio at about 60% until 80% of book and from what I followed I was fully engaged and loved it!!