Beautiful, beautiful, exciting world-building. I can't emphasize that enough. This book inspired me to create a Pinterest board for visuals - mainly because once I realized it is a stand-alone and not a series, I was sad. I need to be able to revisit this place.
Craig has created an incredible world - I love the idea of a chain of islands so big and so vast that they have completely different climates and geography, and that Craig built an entire culture for these people with its own religions, festivals, customs, and rules. So much detail and attention went into every aspect of this book.
Part fairy-tale, part ghost story, this is a re-imagining of The Twelve Dancing Princesses with some supernatural and macabre twists.
The twelve Thaumas girls are dying mysteriously, one by one, their number already reduced to eight. Rumors of a curse are gaining credence. Since the death of the girls' mother following the birth of the youngest child, the household has been in constant mourning. Tragedy has followed tragedy without reprieve. When Papa's new wife announces an addition to the family during the latest wake, Papa declares an end to the family's mourning. The "fairy shoes" were meant as a celebration - the highlight of a coming-out wardrobe for all the girls. No one could have anticipated where they would lead.

Annaleigh has gone from being sixth in line to inherit her father’s estate to second in line. It’s the last thing she wants, and she would give anything to bring her sisters back. She’s convinced that instead of being victims of a curse, her sisters have been the victims of foul play. When the girls find a way to escape to glittering balls every night, Annaleigh is torn between solving the mysterious deaths, and her remaining sisters’ wild abandon. Not to mention their growing disapproval of Annaleigh’s insistence that the deaths are anything more than terrible accidents. Only the youngest, Verity, believes Annaleigh. But it’s Verity’s certainty about facts she couldn’t possibly know, and the disturbing sketches in her notebooks that convince Annaleigh she’s running out of time.

I couldn’t put this book down. I thought it went a little off the rails at the end, and it suddenly got a little gory, but ultimately, a ridiculously original and creative suspense story to be based on a fairy tale. It has it all, love, mystery, murder, magic, and the most beautiful setting. I would recommend this to any readers of fantasy, historical fiction, fairy tales, and suspense. Even if fantasy isn’t typically your cup of tea, give it a try.

So so good!! I had several guesses about what was going on and it kept throwing me for a loop every time! I absolutely loved this. I loved the story, the characters, the twists, everything.

HOLY. FREAKING. COW.
I cannot get over this book. I just finished it seconds ago. I got this book from netgalley and started reading it and then I couldn't put it down. I'm talking driving in the car and pulling it out at red lights. It's been a good, long while since I've read a book this good. This book has it all, and its all in increasing amounts: the good, the bad, the ugly. It's all there. This is a 12 Dancing Princess retelling, yes, but its one like no other. You know how the Brothers' Grimm stories are so much more gruesome than the Disney versions? This book is like that. And the plot continues to thicken. You have your suspicions about things, of course, but you're never really certain, and then towards the end you begin to doubt everything you ever thought you knew. I seriously want to pick up the book and read it all over again just to experience it once more. READ THIS BOOK, okay? Thanks, bye.

The atmosphere of this book is lovely. Smoky and foggy, with a hint of old school mythology. I love the way this story makes me feel, blue and grays with the taste of fresh sea air.

The book starts out on a sad note that sets the undertone of the story, and adds to the mystery and magic. The author does a wonderful job of creating an atmosphere with color choices, names and flow; it reads like a magical version of a regency romance. I found the first half of this book a bit tedious. It felt bogged down with unimportant details, introduced characters too soon (then forgotten for a few hundred pages), and allowing too much internal dialogue between action. The characters were well developed and interesting to read. I liked the distinctive personalities and how they interacted with each other.

I liked the premise of this book, but it got a bit garbled in its climax. It felt like two very different books with the ending rushed and not as well fleshed out as the beginning of the story. I did love the way the story ended, I loved the authors choice of “bad guy,” and I really loved the way she wove years of mythological history.

This was a new and fresh read, it might a bit dark for younger readers at times, but a good read. I received an ARC vis NetGallery and I am leaving an honest review. #HouseOfSaltAndSorrows #NetGalley

I really loved this one. It was so atmospheric. The writing was very beautiful and vivid. I really liked the main character Annaleigh and her relationship with her sisters, especially Verity.

💐💐💐💐💐 out of 5 💐s
#HouseOfSaltAndSorrows by #ErinCraig
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This book is an absolutely magnificent retelling of the 12 dancing princesses fairy tale, set in a brooding landscape that rivals #WutheringHeights.
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Annaleigh is one of 12 sisters living in a kingdom by, of, and on the sea. Her very name conjures Poe's haunting poem "Annabel Leigh."
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Several of the sisters have died under increasingly suspicious circumstances, and Annaleigh must figure the mystery out before there are more victims.
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You can almost feel the spray of the sea, smell the scent of seaweed, hear the crashing waves. I adored this book. I received an ARC in return for an honest review.
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#bookstagram #readersofinstagram #booklove #wutheringheights #edgarallenpoe

Annaleigh has loved her life on the edge of the sea. Daughter of a duke in a sea-faring land, her life would be perfect except that tragedy will not leave her family alone. When another of her beloved sisters mysteriously dies, Annaleigh knows something sinister is going on, but no one will listen. In a world of gods that are known to prowl among the living and where the ocean is on your doorstep, Annaleigh has to start asking questions that might not lead to anywhere she wants to go.

I’ve read other retellings of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, but this one several uniquely dark and gruesome twists. I liked the fantastical setting and the family drama, the mysteries kept me reading - but the horror did startle me sometimes! It definitely kept me guessing, near the climax it was so trippy that I had a hard time knowing what was really happening. I also wished that the ending hadn’t wrapped up so quickly and nicely but in the end, it was an entertaining read.

I received a free copy of this book through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Actual rating 4.5

I loved this book! It's everything I expected it to be and more! So atmospheric and magical, reminds me of old fairytales! This is what a retelling should be like!
I loved the way the world was introduced to us. No info dumping and not too slow, I wasn't confused or bored. It was just sprinkled here and there and little by little we learn everything. And I just adored this story! A perfect mix of fantasy, mystery and horror (there were some scenes that scared me and made me look up and check for ghosts).
So many great characters. It's a retelling of Twelfth Dancing Princesses, so there were a lot of characters to follow. Annaleigh is our main protagonist and we follow her on this journey to find out the truth about her sisters' deaths. We learn more about her sisters throughout the story as well as other side characters. They don't blend in together, and don't look like a cookie cuter characters. I loved getting to know them all!
The writing style was easy to follow and Erin created a wonderful atmospheric story full of mystery and dancing! I loved reading the descriptions of their gowns and shoes and places they went. It just all adds to this amazing tale!
My only issue was the romance part. It was all good until the end. It was just a little bit too much and very unrealistic. It didn't feel natural to me. (Also I was hoping for another character to win Annaleigh's heart).
Overall, I definitely recommend this book! It's a dark fairytale retelling with lots of twists and I loved it all!

This book was fantastic! I loved the magic, the bond of the sisters, the setting, the description, the gods they worshipped. That was a big run on sentence but this book was absolutely wonderful. The author did an amazing time with the description. It felt like I could picture everything so clearly in my mind and was there with Annaleigh and her family. It had love interests which are always good. There was also drama and mystery. There were some spooky parts which I loved. I actually found myself scared during a few parts. All in all I will definitely be picking up a copy when this is released and any other future books from this author as well!

House of Salt and Sorrows is more than just a retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." Craig does a terrific job building a world that is interesting, unique, yet believable, and she somehow does this without sacrificing story, character development, or readability.

House of Salt and Sorrows is atmospheric and compelling without becoming a gothic trope. A seafaring duke and his second wife are raising his eight remaining daughters in a castle by the sea. The first four daughters all met with an early death, as did their mother, fueling gossip that there is a curse on the family. Our protagonist, Annaleigh, the sixth eldest daughter (now second in the succession) believes one of the sisters was murdered and seeks to discover the truth.

What I love most about House of Salt and Sorrows is that it is not predictable YA fantasy romance fare. Annaleigh is not a stubborn Mary Sue, and the sisters are well-defined. I guess you could say there is a love triangle, but it's definitely not the focus. I also adore that House of Salt and Sorrows is a standalone novel. We don't need a book for each sister, and Craig avoids the series trap that many, many authors have fallen into these days for books that are better on their own.

Annaleigh has her own goals and ambitions, but she's not pigheaded about them or trying to achieve them at all costs. She also doesn't blindly run around bashing into everything as she tries to save her family from impending doom. She occasionally steps back and trusts that she's done all that she can to persuade them, even if she's wrong. In short, Annaleigh is a realistic character.

Actually, what I really love most is how interesting the world is which Craig has built. It's like Sea Witch but better. A series of islands, some with very unique sociocultural traditions and climates, but not in a trope-y way. The explanation of the different gods and how geography affects religious beliefs was intriguing without being an info-dump. While giving us a Greek/Romanesque view of gods as being more hands-on in the human population, the interactions are unique and don't necessarily need to be explained ad nauseam.

All in all, a really interesting and well done novel, especially for a debut.

First off I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Children's Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig. Before reading this book, I have never read or knew anything about the story of the Twelve Dancing Princess. I love when a author takes a fairy tale and twists it into something like House of Salt and Sorrows. As from the synopsis, the story follows the lives of a family who is believed to be cursed. This curse is killing off the daughters one by one. The plot takes many twists and turns. I was not expecting several of them nor was I expecting the ending. The author does a really good job with the suspense of the plot and definitely keeps you on your toes. The character development is also pretty good. I could visualize each daughter and understand their personality. The book even turned a little scary a few times which I was not expecting. Not like horror scary just enough to creep you out a bit. House of Salt and Sorrows is definitely on my top list of reads this year and I can't wait to pick up the hardcover when it is available.

I have read quite a few retellings of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, and this was definitely the strangest. Without posting spoilers, I will just say that a little over halfway through, this book turned into something completely different and unexpected. Honestly, I did not care for the tonal change. I greatly enjoyed the main character, Annaleigh, and her journey was fun to read. There were two possible love interests as well, and I really liked them both. The book was not wrapped up very well in my opinion. Overall it was a book I'm not sad I finished but just wasn't my cup of tea.

This book definitely wanted to be something. Several somethings. Fairy tale, ghost story, fantasy- it just doesn’t succeed because it wants to be all those things while trying to set up an uninteresting romance. I don’t really understand how this is scary for anyone- and nearly everything scares me. It would have been excellent if the whole book had been Annaleigh’s slow descent into madness through gaslighting.

The story seems to veer off course for a really long time. The main character falls in love instantly and we don’t even seriously try to solve the mystery until the book is practically over. I also knew exactly who the “villain” was within the first three chapters. The whole story falls apart with the addition of the gods and their playing with peoples lives. It seems like something contrived to create some sort of magical element that was totally unnecessary if it had just been a proper ghost story.

Overall it’s an easy read and the writing itself is fine. It’s just a mess and seems like a few different stories smashed together to create one.

I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings and the story of the "Twelve Dancing Princesses" has always been one of my favorites, so I was pretty well hooked before I even made it to the first page. Craig's macabre take on the tale did not disappoint, spinning an entirely unique vision of the princesses' fate that mixed elements of mystery, fantasy, horror, romance, and psychological thriller. The characters and settings were richly depicted in a world that I sincerely hope the author chooses to revisit.

My one complaint, and the only reason I did not give the book five stars, is that the ending felt rushed compared to the almost leisurely (but effective) pace of the building mystery of the princesses' curse that had me aching for a resolution. That resolution came, but felt comparatively trite after the careful layers the author built to reach that point. Regardless, I would happily recommend this book and look forward to future works by this author.

Once known as the Thaumas dozen, Annaleigh, and her remaining seven sisters have been burdened with tragedy. They reside in Highmoor, a manor by the sea, where their father, The 19th Duke of the Salann Islands, rules over the people of the salt. Annaleigh's mother and four older sisters Ava, Octavia, Elizabeth, and Eulalie, each died tragically, one after the other, inciting rumors of a family curse. Annaleigh is certain her sister Eulalie's death was not an accident. Disturbing ghostly visions, a mysterious stranger, and enchanted nightly balls might just hold the key to her families secret...if it doesn't kill her first.

House of Salt and Sorrows is a fantastic dark reimagining of the fairy tale 12 Dancing Princesses. Similar to the classic fairy tale, the remaining sisters are transported to an enchanted ball each night where they wear out their shoes, a mystery to be solved. Unlike the fairy tale, someone or something is murdering the young women. This novel is a dark fantasy with filled with Gods, Goddess, Ghosts, and magic. This definitely has some very graphic and violent content so it might not be suitable for some young readers. The novel was beautifully written with a unique twist on the original tale. I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed and felt a little disjointed from the rest of the novel but I'm keeping the 5 star rating for several reasons: I enjoy dark retellings, I love the cover, and the author used a fairly unique fairy tale versus one that's been overdone. This book hooked me from the first chapter and I really didn't want to put it down. I will definitely be adding this to my library when it releases so I can revisit it over and over again. As someone who reads quite a bit of YA fantasy, I feel like many novels begin to feel very similar. This was a very refreshing and much needed change from the mundane. This is definitely going in my favorites as a must read for 2019!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

House of Salt and Sorrows was so freaking good! I honestly couldn't put it down once I started it. This book had so many freaking twists and turns in it that I didn't see coming. Now if it was because of the wine or how freaking tired I was - I have no idea or witnesses to prove this. Either way, I enjoyed the heck out of this book.

In it, you will meet Annaleigh. Now she believes some of her family members were murdered. However, no one believes her because of her evil stepmonster.. I mean mother. Enter her savior, I mean man crush.. I mean Cassius. Oh lord, was he swoon-freaking-worthy guys! The romance between them was completely ship-worthy!! I absolutely loved them and now I'm already missing this book that I can't wait to dive back into it.

Besides the romance and mysterious deaths in this book, it's super creepy. But it's like a good creepy because you are constantly at the edge of your seat.. Or on the tips of your toes. Mostly because you have no freaking idea what the hell this book is going to throw you. It's probably why I loved it so much.

Overall, I'm already planning on re-reading this book.

I have rarely struggled this much to write a review for a book. My thoughts are all over the place: I absolutely loved this book, but it also really let me down sometimes. I’ll do my best to articulate the many feelings I have about this book.
First of all, look at that beautiful cover! I just have to appreciate a cover that gorgeous. Second, I’m a sucker for retellings and I’ve never seen a popular Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling before. I actually wouldn’t call this a retelling as much as an original story with a retelling incorporated into it. The Twelve Dancing Princesses aspect wasn’t a huge part of the plot, but it was still there.
90% of this book was 5 out of 5 stars for me. The writing is incredible, incorporating fairy tales, romance, a little horror, and just overall AMAZINGNESS. I was obsessed with this book. A warning, though, that it is slightly slow in the beginning, but it didn’t bother me much. The characters were all so different and brought to life by Craig’s beautiful descriptions. I really enjoyed the creepy parts of this book, I definitely got goosebumps multiple times from reading this. There were so many interesting ideas woven so perfectly together: the gods these people worship, curses, princesses, close family ties. Perfect.
I just can’t get over the ending?????? It had me on a total roller coaster, one second I was like yes, this is going to be an awesome ending! Then the next second I’m turning back pages to see if I missed something. The “villain” was predictable and everything was resolved too quickly. there was 5% of the book left, and I was thinking to myself that there’s no way everything is going to be wrapped up nicely by the end. I think the author should have given the ending a lot more attention and explanation.
I almost feel bad for the negative things I’m saying because I really did enjoy the majority of the book and I feel like the author did really well on many aspects, but I just feel too let down on the ending. I’m still trying to wrap my head around how such a great book could have gone this wrong in my eyes.
Minor spoilers ahead:
The romance was sweet and I did like the love interest, but I wasn’t convinced that Annaleigh really liked him all that much. It more just seemed like an intense crush that was turned into love because the author was desperate for romance. One second Annaleigh believes Cassius murdered her sisters, then (now that she knows he’s not a murderer) 75 pages later she calls him “her world”.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was ... I don't even know how to clearly say it. At one point I'd be completely overcome by my interest in the descriptions, then another point I'd be completely annoyed by the fluff of the romance and everything around it. But once I understood where it was all coming from, I LOVED IT. Give me a twist in a storyline any day of the week and I'll fall head over heels for the book. The retelling was just amazing. It threw in different themes that reminded me of a Grimm's fairytale WAY more hope. Erin Craig did wonders with this story and I hope there are more retellings for her in the future.

This ended up being a lot creepier than I was expecting! I thought it would be a Victorianesque fantasy/murder mystery as a spin on the old 12 Dancing Princesses fairytale, which it still was. But there was a really Gothic and twisted element to the story that was a welcome surprise.

All of the characters come off as at least a little bit sinister as you attempt to unravel the strange events befalling the Thaumas family. You're never sure what's real and what's not, which is disorienting in the best way. It's a really devastating story, even if it ends on a high-ish note, there's a lot of death and destruction. I'd suggest not reading while on any downers.

The one thing I wish wasn't as prevalent was the romantic element. Maybe it's my cold, un-dead heart, but I kind of feel like it takes away from the familial love and trauma if in the midst of mourning your sisters there's a week-old romance that gets all the grand gestures and statements. But it's based on a fairytale, so the heroine is expected to fall in love with the first person who says "bless you" when she sneezes, I guess.

On the source material, I really, really liked the answer to the question: "How do the princesses' shoes keep getting worn out?" Craig is quite clever with this storyline and it's one of my favorite parts of the whole book!

So at first I wasnt to sure about this book but once they started to get to the balls, man it picked up!
They want you to believe the bad guy is one person but I knew it wasnt because it was to obvious. Also can I just say that I really like this person.
With about 6 or 7 chapters left you think she has it all figured out. I actually thought it was the person it turned out to be around this point just because I hated that person the whole book. I knew they werent nice.
I was generally surprised with the way it all happened. The ending kept me guessing.
What is real and what isnt.
There are some kind of gross parts during this. I cant deal with maggots and there was a part with them