Although I finished reading it a few days ago, I’m still a bit entranced by this book. There was so much I liked about it: the uniqueness of the twist on the story of the twelve dancing princesses; the eerie, atmospheric pacing, filled with complications and revelations that kept me wondering what was really going on; the eclectic group of characters, each integral to the story. The tale was rather fascinating.
My only complaint (though I honestly think that’s too strong a word) is that it was difficult at times for me to figure out how much time had passed. Days in the story sometimes seemed like weeks, and weeks seemed like moments, so that I found myself going back to make sure I hadn’t missed something. But it didn’t detract at all from the overall story.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and will definitely read this author again. This is one I will recommend to my friends. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait a bit: House of Salt and Sorrows will be released August 6, 2019.
Many thanks to Random House/Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own!

This book tells the story of the Thaumas family from Annaleigh's POV. The family has been in mourning for five years after the deaths of their mother and four sisters. The entire town believes the family is cursed...and the family is beginning to believe the same.
This book was dark and lovely at the same time. I'll admit that I was completely creeped out at times (which never happens me), and other times, I was wrapped up in the small moments of joy had by the sisters. This is definitely a unique take on the Twelve Dancing Princesses. I loved the mythology written into the book and can't wait to see what else Erin A. Craig has up her sleeve. I highly recommend this book.
#HouseOfSaltAndSorrows #NetGalley

Extremely atmospheric, haunting, and filled with an ethereal sense of historically-tinged Gothic horror, this was something unique. The dark fairy tale retelling trend is looking up for the rest of 2019!

World: ★★★★ 1/2
Plot Execution: ★★★ 1/2
Character Development: ★★★
Gothic Ocean Vibes: ★★★★★

Well hello, Gothic ocean-inspired fairy tale retelling! House of Salt and Sorrows was something I never knew I wanted until I read it. It's a full cast list of sisters and other residents of Highmoor Estate, located on one of several islands that are home to the People of the Salt (they worship a Poseidon-like god and love the ocean), and their Gothic experiences that occur as one by one the sisters succumb to mysterious deaths and something spooky and magical is afoot.

Annaleigh Thaumas is not the oldest sister, but as her older sisters keep dying, she finds herself being the second oldest in a family that has been living in a constant state of mourning for over five years. First her mother dies, and then one by one her oldest sisters meet untimely ends. Annaleigh doesn't believe that all of her sisters dying accidentally. With a distinctively historical flair, Annaleigh embarks on a whodunit narrative to find out who killed the last one her sisters, Eulalie, and find out if the rumors about her family are true—that the Thaumas family is cursed.

I loved Annaleigh. She was full of character, inquisitive but not aggressive, and felt grounded in her historical time period. Unlike other YA heroines who feel like modern characters plunked into historical settings, Annaleigh was very much grounded in her time. This meant that while she was independent and surrounded by semi-progressive characters, she still had to deal with the gender roles imposed on women during the (what appears to be) ambiguously Victorian/Edwardian inspired time period of House of Salt and Sorrows.

In the midst of Annaleigh's quest to find her sisters' murderer, another plot is bubbling. The group of remaining sisters and Annaleigh find a "portal" of sorts on the grounds of their estate that leads them to anywhere they mentally desire. As they have been sequestered for years in mourning with no balls or entertainment, they wish for a place to dance. The sisters find ball after ball through the portal, dancing their nights away with strangers in glittering settings....but is there something sinister under the surface?

As the nights continue and the girls burn through their dancing shoes as well as their energy, Annaleigh begins to suspect that there is something wrong with the portal, Highmoor, and the people around her.

In a more typical YA move, we are also introduced to a Mysterious Boy and an Old Boy Friend Who is Now Attractive—I'll admit, it does follow the path of a love triangle. I don't want to give too much about these characters away, but while I initially was bored and underwhelmed by their introduction to the plot, this love triangle quickly gained several layers, abandoned its triangle, and actually became incredibly spooky and surprisingly terrifying.

Speaking of terrifying—this book gets DARK. I loved it, but the last 25% was definitely much more graphic, spooky, and psychologically intense than the rest of the book combined. So if you're reading House of Salt and Sorrows for the spooky element, hold out until the end. It's awesome.

So, it seems like all praise... Why not 5 stars?

One of my main gripes about House of Salt in Sorrows was its strange characterizations that seemed to adapt as the plot required, and not vice versa.

Annaleigh's father is portrayed as a loving, progressive, and interesting character at the beginning...and then seemingly overnight, his characterization morphs into another layer that did not feel authentic, and by the end felt way too much like a plot device. Similarly, Annaleigh's older sister, Camille, seemed to waver between one persona and another without much justification. And finally, while I loved Annaleigh, I did find her unbelievably trusting a few too many times. She would be suspicious of someone on one page, and then on the next she would seemingly let go of those feelings.

However, griping aside, I loved this dark story. House of Salt and Sorrows is equal parts murder mystery, ghost story, sweet dream/beautiful nightmare, and an extremely dark rendition of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale. It's a lot for one concept, but with surprising skill the author managed to weave together these intense plot devices in an authentic and engaging way.

This was so captivating in the beginning. I was immediately sucked in. The writing is beautiful and lyrical, and the conflict is basically a murder mystery. Also there are ghosts. And princesses. The whose aesthetic is gorgeous.

There are few problems though. The pacing gets really slow around halfway through. It was difficult to push through and I felt like nothing was happening. The romance too, was kind of dull. Not enough conflict there. The stakes for the whole thing seemed kind of low actually, and the main character didn't have much personality. Her voice wasn't strong enough to interest me the whole way through.

I was initially so excited about this. The opening is fantastic. But then there is too much discussion about dresses and dancing, and occasional ghosts, and not enough was happening in the present of the story. This ended up being middle of the road for me, but I could see someone else loving it for the aesthetic and mood and worldbuilding alone. I loved all these things. I just needed the other areas of the story to be more developed and interesting as well.

This was so much darker than I had anticipated, for some reason.

There was something awfully enticing with how dark and creepy this was - for the first half. And while it still had me enthralled in the back half, it was dark in a way that I was becoming less keen on especially as I was getting frustrated by not understanding what was going on. It becomes very psychological, which worked but also could be somewhat discombobulated and hard to follow.

It was incredibly original though, which I highly appreciated, and there's an interesting world here to be explored, which I would be keen on seeing further retellings take place there.

I was hoping for a different direction for the love interest, as I didn't much care for the one Annaleigh likes best. He's actually not all that bad, I just didn't feel like they connected very well. Their relationship was bland and forced and just generally did nothing for me.

Interesting read but not one I'm sure I'd come back to frequently. Would definitely check out other retellings by Craig though.

3.5 stars

Whew, this was a hard one to rate! I adored 90% of this book. Like, 5/5 star material. It was the perfect mix of floofy, fairytale princess characters and creepy, murder-ghosts and curses subplots.

Things I loved:

1. The family aspect. I enjoyed watching all the dynamics unfold—father-daughter, sister-sister, and stepmother-stepdaughter. It added so much depth and heart to the story <3

2. Craig is an absolute master at suspense. And horror! This book got down-right creepy at times, and I love it all the more for it!

3 . The worldbuilding was well executed and super unique. I can't believe how well done this was for a stand-alone fantasy novel!

The last 75 pages or so were very different from the rest of the book though, which threw me off a bit. I hate to say it got too weird...but it got too weird. If the weirdness was set up earlier in the story, it might have worked for me. But <spoiler> the gods being real and demon babies and a barely explained magic system really seemed out of left field when it was all smooshed together in the last act. </spoiler>.

Overall, I did enjoy this and would recommend! I think I'm just super picky about weirdness-level consistency.

copy provided by Netgalley - all opinions are my own

A dark fantasy tinged novel with inspiration from The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Recommended for horror fans who like a bit of fantasy, fans of Crimson Peak.

I got this book from NetGalley which means I didn't have much promo material for it, just the title and a quick blurb, and this is a book you want to be prepared for. The title follows the current YA trend "____ of ___ and ___" and it seemed to be more of a fantasy or a fairy tale retelling, which made me think it would be a bit lighter than it is. Nope, please go into this book knowing what it is. It is horror. It has some hallmarks of YA (title, age of protagonist, being fairytale themed) but I think it loses a large possible audience trying to fit it in the YA slot. (Although it is dark, it's still appropriate for a YA audience who enjoys horror and gore.)

So, my enjoyment of the book was slightly lessened because I didn't know what I was getting into (a huge pet peeve of mine, I know some people don't mind), but otherwise I really did like it. The world building is integrated into the story instead of in large chunks, the idea that gods and goddesses are definitely real and even walk amongst mortals is first brought up in a way that could be a joke or a story, the mythology becomes slowly more important as the reader learns.

In my head, I kept comparing this to the movie Crimson Peak, where even the horror is beautiful and atmospheric. There are a few jump scares, which isn't very easy in book form, and a good combo of actual physical and psychological danger. The girls are a bit interchangeable, and describing them in units such as "The Graces" and "The Triplets" made it less likely that I was going to remember who was who. It isn't all that important to the story, but I did spend some time trying to figure out ages and remembering how old Rosalie is supposed to be etc.

The ending is fast paced and frenetic, never letting you get comfortable in a turn of the plot before revealing that was never the truth. It keeps you on your toes, not sure what really happened, or how reliable the narrator is, or if you were tricked along with her. There were several plot points I guessed and I'm fine with that because there were so many points where I figured I must be wrong. I always appreciate when a possible love triangle is shot down, and while there's a bit of insta-love and clunkiness regarding the love interest, I didn't really mind keeping that plotline streamlined so we can focus on the mystery and ghosts and curse.

All in all, I think dark fantasy and horror fantasy are often very sexually explicit, and it's great to have something in this niche that isn't. (There is kissing on page, and discussion of sex, but if a teen is able to handle the gore and horror than they should be plenty mature for this.)

A really enjoyable and different YA novel. I loved the world and the characters. The story had great twists and turns. Quick, fun read.

“House of Salt and Sorrows” by Erin A. Craig is a grim retelling of a Grimm fairy tale, “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.” Set in the fictional coastal estate of Highmoor, tragedy befalls the Thaumas family when the mother and four of twelve daughters (Elizabeth, Ava, Eulalie and Octavia) die in quick succession. With a bleak mourning period ahead of them, Annaleigh, one of the remaining eight daughters, tries to investigate her sisters’ deaths as murders. But something haunts the remaining sisters’ dreams, and the youngest, Verity, begins to see visions.

If it weren’t for my intense curiosity for so many other genres and my new and persistent comic book habit, I’d read fairy tale retellings all day, every day. It’s probably a guilty pleasure at this point, since this book is clearly for people half my age. My favorites, and probably the most common, are retellings of "Cinderella" and "Beauty and the Beast." This retelling, shaped from a lesser-known fairy tale, is so unique in its execution, so haunting and emotional, that I couldn’t help but love it.

“House of Salt and Sorrows” has a hefty helping of death and grief, and all the things people do to cope with it. After the sisters’ mother dies, their father remarries a mysterious woman named Morella who just seems to want to belong to the family. The book addresses Annaleigh’s feelings toward Morella, which are mostly civil-to-welcoming, but it also validates Camille’s emotions, which focus on hostility and the feeling of being replaced.

I was intrigued to see “House of Salt and Sorrows” was a standalone novel. It would be interesting to see other obscure Grimm fairy tales told in the same universe, especially since the author makes it clear there are other parts of the world to entertain, as well as a rich pantheon of supernatural beings to consider.

*copy provided by Netgalley - all opinions are my own*

🌊 a horror retelling: this story is pitched as retelling on the 12 Dancing Princess with a bit of scary thrown in. I haven't actually read a lot of retellings following this story, so I was definitely interested in how the author was going to deliver her rendition. The world has so much to offer and the author does a really great job in introducing the People of the Salt as well as their neighboring cities. The original story was used as a foundation for the plot but there was a lot of creative freedom that was taken to make the novel unique.
🌊 vivid descriptions: imagery was definitely the highlight of this novel. The word choices made from describing the beautiful balls to the horrific visions were all so vividly portrayed. The amount of detail that is used to describe the dresses and the fairy shoes take an entirely different turn when describing the ghosts and monsters - but it had the same powerful impact of evoking very clear imagery while reading.
🌊 pacing is a bit lulling: this point was probably one of the biggest “eh” factors that made this story…less enjoyable. The pacing of this story goes from very slow to a sudden rollercoaster of events. I’ll admit, I definitely skimmed a good chunk of pages because I was getting bored and then all of a sudden had to stop and go back because out of nowhere, ten different plot twists were happening. It makes the flow of the story feel jarring with less of a flow.
🌊 relationship settings: I really loved the portrayal of sisterhood and family within the story. We start with Eulalie’s funeral and the entire family in mourning - right from the start there is deep connection between the sisters that help them get through all the ups and downs of the story. They do have their disagreements and disillusionments, but they ultimately are rooted in their love for each other. The romantic relationships on the other hand…left me conflicted. We are technically introduced to two love interests for our MC: Fisher the childhood friend and Cassius the mysterious stranger. I’ll be honest, I didn’t trust Cassius but Fisher didn’t really stand a chance. Because of those conclusions, Fisher’s interest in Annaleigh felt redundant (though he did handle her “rejection” well) and I never quite got on board the CassiusxAnnaleigh ship. There just wasn’t enough in their relationship to really ground me - I ended up skimming past their conversations and it all boiled down to just a common interest in the other and a realization that something was wrong and this stranger person could help. I don’t know, maybe it’ll grow on me.
🌊 Check out spoiler thoughts on my Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2757092338

This was an interesting take on the 12 Dancing Princesses tale. It was fantasy takes on gothic horror. Not what I would normally reach for, but it was really well done.

Annaleigh Thaumus is convinced her family is cursed. Her sisters are dying around her, and Annaleigh is sure they have been murdered. Her stepmother and remaining sisters are determined to put off their mourning and get on with life, but Annaleigh is just as determined to remember her sisters and to protect the ones she has left.

I fell in love with this story and had to dig myself out.
It begins with death and a funeral...
The people of the salt , come from the salt and return to it upon death.
This book is dark and twisting. A mystery within a mystery, within yet another mystery.

Annaleigh is attending her sister’s funeral . Another funeral, several have occurred in so many years that the people of the islands feel the family is cursed. Most of the deaths were unfortunate. A plague , childbirth . This sisters death is questionable... a murder perhaps? In a search for clues Annaleigh discovers hidden secrets, hidden passageway s and love and power at any cost . Even a devils bargain.
I highly recommended.

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book. It was so good and I would recommend it to anybody that is a fan of anything magical, romantic, or fantasy themed. At first my expectations were not that high, I will admit. But about 20 pages in I was OBSESSED! At some points in the book she starts seeing things, (I don't think this is much of a spoiler) and it does get confusing at some parts because I didn't know whether she was imagining it or if it was actually happening. After a little bit though, I eventually figured it out. I was so sad when this book ended because I had, whats it called? a book hangover? I think that's it. Because it was so good, and I really loved the main couple and almost wish there was another book where they were together in it. Like a sequel? Hint, Hint. Anyway, I would highly recommend this book to almost anyone.

This book was awesome! The writing was unique and intriguing. It kept me wanting more. This was a unique retelling with some twists and turns. A bit dark/creepy bit I thoroughly enjoyed it. I may also just be a sucker for anything ocean/beach/sea/pirate related but 4 stars!

I loved this fairy tale retelling, which was atmospheric and dark enough to please anyone who grew up with a love of the Grimm fairy tales. Recommended!!

Thank you to Random House Children's Delacorte Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book.

This was not at all what I was expecting. I have to say my initial reaction when I was finished was disappointment. I never found myself in awe at any point in this book and that was a let down. There was A LOT of crazy things going on in this book and it felt a bit messy and confusing at times However, I found that I couldn't put it down and that I was stuck questioning what the heck was happening to the poor girls at Highmoor. I felt like this book could have gone in so many different directions and it took such a weird stumbling path. Altogether this was a good read and I enjoyed the god aspect of it along with the traditions that the people of the Salt practiced. Old Maude was something I wished was a part of the story more. The descriptions and imagery in this book were excellent and I felt as though I was on the inside of the book watching the story unfold. I think readers will really enjoy this wild tale of the cursed girls by the sea.

Wow! I am truly blown away. I was excited to read this one to begin with, but this was SO much more than I was expecting. And can I just say, Twelve Dancing Princesses? My absolute favorite story as a kid. We were long overdue for a retelling, and this one is amazing.

I have not read a book this imaginative, creative, and unique in a very long time. I'm trying to think of the last book that really blew my mind like this and I can't even think of one. The world building and lore behind this story are so rich and unexpected. I don't want to give anything away, but seriously WOW. This book kept me on my toes the entire time. I never knew what to expect. The writing style was engaging and easy to sink into. The characters all felt very accessible, I was never overwhelmed trying to remember who was who of the twelve girls. I may have enjoyed and connected with the characters more had I not been so focused on trying to figure out what the heck was going on. It didn't hurt my reading experience. I'll just have to focus on the characters more in the re-read. (Because I do already want to read this one again.) I can't say much without giving anything away, but I really hope this book gets the hype it deserves. If you like dark retellings that add a new twist to an old favorite and keep you on the edge of your seat, definitely pick this one up.

This was a wild, intense, fun ride, and I'm kind of sorry it's over. Although, the ending was perfect. I can't believe this is a debut novel. Erin A. Craig is definitely on my auto-buy authors list now. I may have to pre-order this book even though I've read it just to have it's beauty on my shelves. (And probably read it again...) I think this is the best book I've read this year so far.

A fairytale retelling much more Grimm than Disney, House of Salt and Sorrows is well written and full of twists.

Madness and murder and dark horror, entwined into the story of the 12 dancing Princesses and a thin thread of romance make for a stormy plot.

HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS was a very atmospheric dark read. It's a retelling of the TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES. I, myself, was unfamiliar with such a classical tale, but having brushed myself up on it, I enjoyed the author's creative liberties. I, also, adored the literary nods to Edgar Allen Poe. Many of the characters (dead and alive) were named after some of his works. The prose and pacing were right-on. The character development was fairly decent, I'd say. The main character, Annaleigh, was fairly passive and the romance didn't grip me like I thought it would.

However, the author created a very fascinating twisted retelling and the ominous mystery kept me turning the page.

I would recommend this. 4/5

A truly cinematic and unique novel, House of Salt and Sorrows begins during a funeral where we learn that one by one, the Thaumas sisters have been tragically dying. Soon our MC, Annaleigh, starts to wonder if Eulalie's death was not accidental after all. This novels starts off fresh with a lot of faces, a ton of personalities, and plenty of mystery. I found myself engrossed from really early on, and looking forward to the wild ride this was bound to be.

After the intriguing beginning, though, I found the pacing to be a little off. The story would lag in places until I was getting close to being bored. However each time that happened, the plot would suddenly jump forward to reveal something new, something exciting, even horrific, saving it altogether. So while the pacing could have been worked a little better, I still ended this book with the opinion that I enjoyed myself greatly.

The best part of this story is by far the imagery that the author creates. The balls, the dancing, Highmoor manor, the monsters, the islands, even the weather - it's all so beautifully depicted. I found I could fully picture everything around me. And while it had me breathless at times, it also made the horror all the more powerful. There is not much I can say about that without spoilers, but let's just say that the author doesn't put on any rose colored glasses when describing the ghastly side of this story. This was definitely the most memorable part of this novel. When reading, I felt transported into this world full of magic and Gods, danger and romance. It was absolutely stunning!

There is also a lot of characters in this book. There are 8 sisters, a step mother, a family friend, a love interest and more. It was a tad hard to keep track at first, but the author does a good job of giving everyone a unique personality to make them interesting. The romance aspect in this book takes a back seat to the plot for the most part. Which was a nice surprise for someone like me who dislikes a romantic subplot taking over a compelling mystery. I found there was just enough romance to balance this book out. I did find it to be a bit swoony, however - the characters falling so deeply in love so very quickly. I didn't really feel any deep connection between them, but he was a puzzling character throughout, nonetheless. I also thought the ending was a bit too happy and convenient. Call me Debbie Downer if you wish, but I much prefer a strong, powerful ending that may have sadness and loss, over one that has a somewhat fluky happily ever after. Especially in this type of story.

All in all, this novel is absolutely enthralling. It brings you into a world that is both enchanting and cruel, dazzling, yet dangerous. Despite my issues with the pacing and such, I would still recommend it to fantasy lovers.