I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I recently got into mystery books within the YA genre. I didn’t know anything about this book so when it became clear to me that this was gonna be little bit of mystery within I was glad! I love this world, the characters. I want to know about these gods so please there be a book 2 about the gods! IM BEGGING HERE!

My absolute favorite kind of book to read is a weird, spooky fantasy retelling and let me tell you, this book was right up my alley! I really didn't know much about the fairytale this book is based on, but the cover and description immediately caught my attention.

Annaleigh's family has terrible luck. In fact, many people believe their family is cursed by the gods. Her mother died years ago followed by four of her older sisters who have died one by one and left her family in a state of perpetual mourning. After the latest tragic death, Annaleigh worries that they haven't been as accidental as previously believed and decides to take matters into her own hands.

I. Loved. Annaleigh. It isn't often that I find a main character that I absolutely adore, but Annaleigh is amazing! She is smart and brave and resilient and loves her sisters with a passion. Speaking of her sisters, there are a ton of them. Eight sisters is a lot to keep up with and I will definitely admit that I still couldn't name more than a few of them, even after finishing the book, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.

This wouldn't be a good YA retelling without a fantastic romance! At first there is a hint of a love triangle between Annaleigh, her childhood friend, and a boy she meets in town, but thankfully it is quickly resolved. And it's a good thing because the romance is so wonderfully swoon-worthy, I couldn't get enough! There was a moment when I thought that things had happened a bit too quickly, but when I realized how much time had passed in the story, I quickly changed my tune. Everything about the romance is perfect and I would love more of these characters!

Of course, this story is a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, so there has to be dancing and there is a ton of it. House of Salt and Sorrows has no shortage of magic and gods, ball gowns and dancing, but Erin A. Craig has put a whole new creepy spin on it and I loved it! The villain is not who you'd guess and the reveals are incredibly well written. This book will seriously have you second guessing everything you've read by the end. There are so many twists and turns I'm surprised I didn't end up with whiplash!

Speaking of creepiness, let's talk about the atmosphere! This author knows how to take a reader and plant them right in the middle of a new world. I felt like I could see the cliffs and feel the salt on my skin while reading this book. The world was so easy to picture, I felt like I could see myself in it without even trying. I cannot wait to see what beautiful, gothic world Emily A. Craig comes up with next!

In case it wasn't obvious, this was an amazing read! I was so invested in this mystery and the characters I couldn't put this book down. House of Salt and Sorrows is a unique, spooky YA retelling that I can see myself reading multiple times. If you're a fan of dark fantasy or retellings, definitely give this a try!

Ohhhhh, this book quenched my gothic heroine thirst.

I lovelovelove a gothic mood and this YA retelling of The 12 Dancing Princesses does not disappoint--dark passages, macabre secrets, midnight dancing, handsome strangers, and brine-encrusted mausoleums fill the pages. The mystery, the heroine and the local myths/gods are all very well-done. The story drags in places, but never for long.

Did you study the gorgeous cover? The artwork reflects the story perfectly.

I highly recommend The House of Salt and Sorrows and will read the author’s next book for sure. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have a soft spot for retellings, and especially for any fairytale Barbie's also adapted (I'm looking at you, The Enchanted Sonata!) We all vaguely remember 12 Dancing Princesses from our childhood, but it's one of those lesser known fairytales that's ripe with opportunities for reimagining. Although we only meet 8 of the 12 "princesses," this was probably for the best because even with eight girls, only some of them (Annaleigh, Verity, Camille) had clearly outlined characters, and the rest were just kind of...there. But that's the nature of any story.

The plot took a while to get going, and things moved very slowly for the first 3/4, and then moved very quickly in the last 1/4 of the book. It really takes Annaleigh to figure everything out, but in the meantime I was doing a lot of guessing and wondering with her, and I found it an amusing mystery. I will admit, I really wasn't sure where this was going. I kept giving different guesses, changing my mind about who's behind the deaths, but in the end I kind of turned out right, but not nearly as closely as I thought I would be. [ From the outset I'd assumed Morella was up to something, but it was such a classic, cliché move, pinning everything on the stepmother, that I actually thought it was going to be a deconstruction of sorts, and while that ultimately wasn't true, I did find her more compelling, even after her big confession. I also had my doubts about Fisher and Cassius, but that's probably just me distrusting random men with crushes on the protagonist, so there's that. The ending with all the magic and gods and stuff was kind of out there, as the seeds were only slightly planted earlier in the story, and I really hadn't been expecting it to take such a fantastic (as in fantasy) turn. Indeed, I thought it was fairly gripped in reality, but then when in the last quarter reality itself it just turned on its head, I was definitely surprised. (hide spoiler)]

Overall, this was a pretty fun and creepy take on a lesser known fairytale that was a pleasure to read.

I loved this book. I had goosebumps in certain parts, swooning in the next. It’s the perfect amount of romance, mystery and darkness! The cover is gorgeous too. I will definitely add this book to my collection!

I absolutely loved this book! It was fun, the characters were loveable, the retelling was amazing! I felt like every single element for this book was there.

I could tell that it was a retelling, and yet, it continued to be its own story which I loved so much! The story was so unique and I just loved it. I don't have any other words for it.

The main character was so interesting! And the way she dealt with the curse while the other people in her life would never believe her. She was pretty much on her own except for some of her sisters who were there for her, but even then, none of them ever really believed her.

There was also this little triangle, but I liked how it wasn't the most important part of the story and that the story fixated on the curse and Annaleigh trying to figure it out.

Overall, this was a solid novel and I am super excited for the rest of the world to read it! Thank you so much for this ARC!

I really enjoy retellings so I wanted to pick this one up. Thank you Netgalley. I enjoyed it, it was darker than I thought, but I really enjoyed the characters! Would recommend

Wonderful book. I loved this so much. Full review to come closer to release date I will post an entire full review for this book because it was incredible. Thanks so much for allowing me to review this one.

I loved this unique story which is a take on the fairy tale the twelve dancing princesses with a dash of horror thrown in . Annaleigh and her twelve sisters live in a manor by the sea . Their life of privilege is cursed by tragedy as several sisters and their mother die terrible and mysterious deaths . Intrigue , romance , magic , mystery and scares while keep you turning pages at a rapid pace .

Okay first off from reading the synopsis it makes you think that you’re diving into this creepy woman in black, crimson peak esque story and that’s not what you get. The story felt very under developed. no one had any character development and the ending felt very rushed.

I recieved a advanced Ebook copy of this from Net Galley in exchange for a review.

House of Salt and Sorrows began with a great premise and excellent world building. Unfortunately, the story began to flake at the edges about three-quarters of the way through, and by the end, I wondered what had become of the immersive mystery story I’d started reading.
Annaleigh, the protagonist, has a strong voice and comes off reasonable and likeable. Most of her sisters, the triplets excepted, have their own unique personalities. I especially liked Camille, as her character was the most complex. I wasn’t as pleased with the incredibly speedy romance between Annaleigh and Cassius, although that’s to be expected from this genre. I felt their relationship built naturally until the point where he finds her locked in, and then the entire thing went off the rails. In fact, that’s where the entire book went off the rails.
I understand that this book was supposed to be a twist on the fairy tale about the twelve dancing princesses. I even appreciate the plot twist that none of the extravagant balls as described in the fairy tale had been real. However, I feel that the story arrived at this revelation too late. A ton of information was packed into the last few chapters, so it was impossibly hard to follow why Cassius suddenly wasn’t suspicious, who Kosamaras was and where her influence over the story’s events began, and what exactly Morella’s bargain with the trickster was. It was further unclear how Cassius and Ortun died, and why Cassius was able to somehow come back. Annaleigh ending up as the lighthouse keeper was satisfying, if predictable. Overall, though, I felt like this book built up a ton of momentum that never really paid off. I could have greatly benefited from a much slower and more gradual exposition, a map, and maybe a directory of the gods, if the story wasn’t going to explain them.
This book had so much potential, and I was so excited to read it. I wish I could say I was still excited after I finished.

While this book took me awhile to get through, I was very pleased with it. My main complaint is that the romance wasn’t nearly as prevalent as I’d like it to be. I found myself rushing through pages to get to the dialogue and hoping we’d see more of the love interest. He was everything you wanted in a fictional boyfriend and just when you doubted him he swept you off your feet *swoon* so I’ll be adding him to my list of loves.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am impressed by the depth of the story. The author built a world that I felt I was actually apart of and the images she drew were beautiful!

I will say that the ending had me speed reading! I don’t know if I’ve ever wanted to finish a book faster than I wanted to finish this one. It was terrifying! I didn’t expect it to scare me so much, but it was my worst nightmare come to life! The author was so good at pulling you in and freaking you out—I felt like I was watching a horror movie and caught myself looking in the corners of my room more than once.

house of salt and sorrows

3 out of 5 stars

E-ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Delacorte. Thank you :).

I am a sucker for fairytale retellings, so I had to read this. The writing of this book was good. The prose is pretty, and all the creepy and unsettling moments throughout the story (of which there are many) were very well done. The creepy/horror parts (is it horror? I have a high tolerance for horror and this wasn’t that scary for me, so I’m calling it creepy) were beautifully rendered. The build up in that aspect was SO GOOD.

The 12 dancing princesses aspect was fine. But, it was like reading two completely different stories put next to each other instead of reading one cohesive plot. There’s these creepy moments where you debate if things are real or not, and then there’s Annaleigh blushing and stumbling when she talks to a boy. I liked both of those stories well enough (hence the rating), but they could have been mixed together much better. There’s a mystery, then it takes a backseat for many pages of various fluffy things, and then we’re back to the mystery, and back to blushing. It’s like the two aspects exist in separate worlds, rather than being woven together.

I will say, it’s hard to keep track of all the sisters. There’s 12 of them in total (hence, the 12 dancing princesses). I think this is because a bunch of them are lumped together. For example, the group of triplets, who basically have three names and one personality. And “the Graces”, who all have virtuous names (Mercy, Honor, Verity). Mercy and Honor are lumped together into one, but Verity stood out. And there’s Eulalie, who stands out, and then the 3 other dead ones are lumped together.
On the upside, it helped show which sisters Annaleigh was closest to. I felt like we only got to know sisters that she spends the most time with. She spends more time with Verity than the other Graces, and it shows. On the downside, the majority of the characters in the book fade into the background, or are kind of bland. I could tell you Verity’s personality, but not Honor's or Mercy's. I could describe Camille, but not the triplets. I could describe Eulalie, but not the other dead sisters.

The way the magic aspect is introduced is very clunky. It was awkward, and the attitudes of most of the characters towards the gods and magic are too vague and inconsistent. The magic was not explained in as much detail as I would have liked, especially because this is a stand-alone.

The romance was… meh. You can see it coming for a million miles away. I liked the characters well enough outside of the romance, so it wasn’t the worst.

I like Annaleigh, our narrator and main character, well enough. She’s not annoying or anything. But she is sheltered and gets flustered very easily, and becomes passive and distracted. Her character as very soft and trusting, and she just believes so many things without questioning them or thinking them over. Someone asks her to do something, or says some version of "not now", and she abandons whatever task with little thought to it later. This would normally be fine, as her characterization is pretty consistent. But it doesn’t work here when it comes to the plot, because she’s the narrator, and main character who’s solving a mystery, but isn’t working as hard as she could (imo) to solve it. It takes a lot of the urgency out of the narrative. Things that are important and take urgency in one scene are pushed away in in the next.


All in all, I will definitely read another book that this author writes. I thought this one read like different stories mashed together, but I I liked all of those stories, and the prose was good.

My kindle became slippery in my sweaty palms, my pounding heart causing me to gasp for breath. I had made a huge mistake. I was reading this book on my kindle at night... in the dark... and I was completely terrified in the best possible way.

I really don't like scary stories, I'm a bit of a chicken, but I couldn't put this one down. I needed to know what was happening after every beautifully delicious plot twist. Right when I thought I was on the right track everything would be ripped from me and turned upside down. The way this book was written blew my mind and kept me always searching for answers.

The sisterly love was one of my favorite parts of this story. I found myself crying and laughing right along with the them. Their story is tragic but gripping. You can't stop reading and caring for these characters.

The ending felt a little rushed to me. I would have liked more during the last big climax, but overall I really enjoyed it. This book was the perfect mix of dark fantasy and a little romance. I will definitely be reading more from Erin A. Craig.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Erin A. Craig’s debut House of Salt and Sorrows is a fairytale worth waiting for! It’s a retelling of one of my most favorite fairytales, The Twelve Dancing Princesses. It’s not as common as our other princess tales, but I read a kid version of it once and loved it! Erin’s story is quite different from the original tale, though its concepts are similar. I found I was quite enamored with this story and never wanted it to end!

Annaleigh and her sisters believe they are under a curse, they were once twelve and in the beginning of the story we learn that they are eight. Tragedy has befallen this family time after time. Their mother died many years ago and their father remarried and then sister after sister has died in some tragically devastating way. The most recent sister died by falling off a cliff, but Annaleigh thinks there is something more to the story than just a simple accident and she decides to investigate.

It’s important to know in this world, people believe in a set of entities, I’m not sure if they are considered gods and goddesses, it’s possible, but I was never really clear on that impression. They do pay homage and honor these entities, so I guess that’s considered godlike. Anyway, it’s because of their beliefs that the sisters stumbled upon a doorway for one of them. One that takes them to a magical place where there’s dancing and parties all night long. They continue to visit this magical place night after night, wearing through their shoes in one night’s time, completely baffling their father.

Then Annaleigh meets Cassius, a newcomer in town, one is her age and just the overall man of mystery persona. Annaleigh begins to lose sight of her sister’s death as she and her sisters continue their nights of dancing, but she soon finds herself focusing on the mystery once more.

This book has left me speechless! I don’t know if there’s ever been a fairytale retelling that has taken the original fairytale and turned the story on its head so much as this one! And I mean this in the best possible way! We have the general theme of the story remaining true, but the reasons and the mysteries behind it are so vast compared to what the original story had! Here there is magic, curses, gods, tricksters, and most of all, murder!! This book seriously had it all, all while remaining true to its fairytale nature!

Fairytales are where I found my love for reading! I always loved reading the magical tales that were so different from the Disney movies (lol)! This one had me feeling every fairytale vibe that I get when reading the original ones and when an author can do that to you, you know they have real magical talent! This story enchanted me from start to finish and I am only sad that it’s over.

This story isn’t without its romance either! Cassius, our man of mystery, is the love interest for Annaleigh and let’s just say there were a few romantic interludes between these two!

Erin does a magnificent job of keeping the reader on their toes! I mentioned there’s a great deal of mystery in this one and there were so many instances I found myself falling down rabbit holes thinking one thing, only to have something occur later that shattered my theories. I loved that this one kept me guessing at every turn! It was mind-boggling and yet, I loved that about this story! I loved that I never knew what to believe! I really should remember my rules for fairytales and never trust anything! The added fallback of knowing the fairytale tropes helps too. Had I remembered these things, I wouldn’t have been caught off guard! Lol.

House of Salt and Sorrows was without a doubt the most magical and magnificent read I’ve read this year! It’s the kind of read fairytale fans live for and not one of them should pass up on this read! It’s spellbinding and lyrical style will have you mesmerized from the beginning and you will not want to let go! If there’s one fairytale book you read this year, make it this one!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars


House of Salt and Sorrows releases August 6, 2019

This book was awesome! I loved everything about it. It was enthralling and super creepy at first! I loved the way the entire story came together. The last 60 pages were insane, I couldn't have put the book down if I tried.

I had a hard time getting into this book at first, but I thought it had a really unique plot. I think it took me about five chapters to get into, but once I did I liked the characters. I thought the retelling part about the Twelve Dancing Sister's was very unique. This was one fairy tale I didn't know as much as the others but I still enjoyed it.

One of my favorite characters was Fisher, he was a family friend loved by all of them.

One thing I did not like was the ending. It seemed like everything was going smooth and then the author realized at about 90 percent how much time was left and it was like a whirlwind of action. There was definitely a lot to take in at the end, and my mind is still trying to wrap my thoughts around it.

Overall, it was a four star read. I do recommend it to those that like eerie retellings. I think House of Salt and Sorrows is perfect for fans of Truly Devious and These Vicious Masks. It just had the same haunted vibes and mystery those books had.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read it.

This review will be on my blog tomorrow.

I absolutely loved this book. I am a sucker for a fairy tale retelling, and the Twelve Dancing Princesses was a story that I was fascinated with as a kid, so this story was right up my alley, and it more than met my expectations. The setting was amazing, and so real that I felt like I could smell salt and feel the fabric of the dresses. Annaleigh is a wonderful heroine, and the story is so twisty and surprising. It was excellent. I highly recommend this book.

This story is the reason books are written.

House of Salt and Sorrows is a wildly original, intricately woven, and absorbing tale of mystery, family secrets, love, monsters, Gods, and magic. I rarely give out 5 stars but this book earned it easily along with a spot on my "favorites and recommends" list.

I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, character development, history, world building and pacing. I love when a story is so well written that it effortlessly plays out like a movie in my mind, without hesitation to details. I read it slowly, wanting to soak in and devour all the details as if they were rare warm rays of February sunlight, and not wanting it to end. I had to sit back in silence, contemplating for a few minutes, not even able to write my review right away. Stunning, Spellbinding. Wholly satisfying. If not my favorite book of 2019, it's destined to be in the top 5. This one will stick with me for a long time to come. I will be on the lookout for more work from this author.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with a copy.

House of Salt and Sorrows is a book filled with twists and turns. I was continuously surprised and couldn’t guess what would happen next.

Annaleigh is the daughter of a Duke living in a manor by the sea. Her family has suffered one tragedy after another beginning with the death of her mother when the youngest of twelve girls was born. In the time since that tragic day four more of Annaleigh’s sisters have passed away unexpectedly and now everyone believes that her family is cursed.

Annaleigh doesn’t believe in the curse but starts to question what happened to her sisters after she starts seeing their ghosts around the manor. Were their deaths truly accidents or something more? Annaleigh begins to search for answers but starts to worry for everyone’s safety the closer she comes to discovering the truth.

In a land filled with magic, gods, and mystery I love the world that Erin Craig has created. It took me a little time to get into the story at first primarily due to the number of characters and trying to keep all of the sisters straight but once I got pulled into the story itself it was difficult to put down. I’d recommend House of Salt and Sorrows for those who love a bit darker fairytales and want the be kept guessing until the very end.