I've never read a retelling of “The twelve dancing princesses”, and this fact alone made the story that much more appealing. Throw in a gorgeous cover and a plot so twisted it made me dizzy (in a good way!) and I absolutely loved House of Salt & Sorrows.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

I rated the book about 3.75 stars, but to be less nitpicky, 4 will absolutely work.

It's not every day you get a book that combines the setting of the seaside with the trappings of Gothic horror.
For whatever reason they are a rarity, which is a shame because haunted, Gothic cliff side settings used to be horror currency. Consider The Uninvited (the 1940's one), Rebecca, and even the original The Fog. Sure, the moors are a classic staple, but I love me some moody cliffs with crashing waves and a dreary climate. The thing that immediately drew me to House of Salt and Sorrow was the idea of it being Brothers Grimm *and* Crimson Peak. A beachside horror to segue from summer into autumn? Yes, please!

Now the book does drip in atmosphere. You never forget you're by the seaside and you can definitely see the shadowy and elegant corridors of Highmoor. Again, fans of Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and Victorian haunted houses in general, delight; the setting slaps.

It's also rich in family relationships, another point in favor. Because it's a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling, you have to have twelve sisters (go figure). I had been leery of whether the book could pull off twelve personalities and make them distinct *and* make them actually feel sisterly. The book does. Obviously some sisters get more spotlight than others, but I never felt any were flat or that the way they interacted was thin or false. Some were even downright complex and interesting and lovely. So there's that.

Now, plot-wise the setup is golden. A duke's family seems cursed after the Duchess and three of her daughters all die one by one. The book opens on a fourth daughter's death, and the idea of the curse goes from country gossip to out and out fact. Only Annaleigh begins to suspect otherwise, that maybe foul play was involved.

As far as murder mysteries goes House of Salt and Sorrows does offer up a robust list of suspects. We have the bereaved, recently remarried duke, his new wife, pregnant with a possible son and usurper to the family title, a family friend returned from a long absence, a broody, dashing stranger, and even a few of the sisters feel suspect. So it was certainly not a situation where I knew from page one who the killer was, or if there would even be one. As a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling, there is a definite fantasy angle, so a real curse is not outside the realm of possibilities.

So again, a lot going for it. Its biggest hindrance then was the resolution. With all of this in play to make use of, I was a smidge disappointed our solution was a bit commonplace. In fact it was the one outcome I prayed again and again the book didn't use simply because it was so oldhat. Does the narrative make it work? I mean. . .yes. There was foreshadowing. But it's hard to feel charitable about a cliche culprit no matter what the context. There's also a few things not quite tied up at the end. Sure that won't bother everyone, but if you're going to have mysterious deaths and make someone responsible for them but then only explain half of them. . .what's the point? We have a whole stew of exposition, so why omit anything?

And because the book does set up a love triangle, I have to say it was a little watered down. One of the two really never felt like a possibility, which is fine! My issue comes down to the fact that because one of the suitors never really felt like an option he didn't seem to serve much of a purpose until a very specific point. He appeared, had some chemistry and background with Annaleigh and then faded away. When he became important to the plot again later, I really didn't care because he'd been a nonentity for too long. Which is a shame because again, as a suspect, he could have been a great wildcard. The other half of the love triangle isn't really fleshed out either, so again, some of the book's end felt a little weak when I needed to care about a specific relationship.

So on the whole, House of Salt and Sorrows has some very strong things in its favor: its setting and atmosphere, the worldbuilding of its mythology, the sister/family dynamics, especially those affected by grief, loss, and the various ways people try to move on. It was sufficiently eerie, though I'd have liked a bit *more*. We have a handful of ghostly encounters but almost not enough to call it a ghost story. But the way the plot is resolved and the way some of its key pieces were not quite set up enough to really matter, holds it back. It does make for a great way to transition from summer to autumn, and it's just unsettling enough in places for those who want a quick, fun read without being mired down in outright horror.

I never read the original story but this is a retelling of “The twelve dancing princesses”. Hold on to your seats folx this is a wild ride and completely weird and totally not what I was prepared for.

So should you read it? Do you like retellings? Do you like the spooky? Do you like the terrifying? If so this book is for you. But make sure you read it during the daylight hours to manage to keep the heebie jeebies away!

Review:

What I Liked:

World-Building/Setting. I found the world of this book extremely appealing and interesting to read about. I had a hard time putting down the book because I wanted to know about the strange new world/the Gods. The setting was well crafted that I felt like I was with the character in it

Main Character. I found myself mainly connecting with Annaleigh, one of the 12 sisters because we follow her for the whole novel. I felt that she was a strong and interesting main character. Some of the other sisters were well-written as well but I would have liked to see more of them.

Writing Style. The aspect that kept me reading, especially at the last 20%, was the stunning writing. The descriptions were beautiful and detailed. I adored Craig’s writing style and will be seeking out more from her in the future.

Imagery. I found myself thoroughly creeped out by a lot by the ghost/horror imagery in this novel. I would recommend not reading this one before bed because I was not expecting the number of horror elements but they were well done.

What I Disliked:

Romance. I think that the romance could have been omitted and the focus placed more friendship and the relationships of the sisters.

Ending/Twists. I was completely hooked by this novel and loving it up until the last 20% of the novel. I felt that the ending was rushed and the answers to the mysteries were thrown at the reader/info-dumped. Plus, the ending was a little too perfect/fairy-tale ending for me. I think this should have been stretched to two books to have more character development and a stronger conclusion to the story.

Too Many Characters. The fairy tale, 12 Dancing Princesses, is a hard one because you have to put in 12 or more characters into the retelling. The novel only followed one of the sisters. It is rare for me to say this but I think the book would have benefited from some more points of view as a way to make some of the sisters more fleshed out. I only connected to a few of the characters because of how many there were.

I recommend still checking this one out because of the stunning writing and amazing world-building! I’m looking forward to seeing what this author does next.

Rating:

3.5 Stars Out of 5 Stars

The first thing that drew me to House of Salt and Sorrow by Erin A. Craig was the absolutely gorgeous book cover, (I cannot resist a pretty cover!). I was also completely intrigued by the summary for the book, and I knew I would have to check it out. I am SO glad I did! This story was deliciously creepy, while also being just a little familiar, and I loved every minute of it.

So, if you haven’t yet read the summary for the book, (you should), then I will tell you that this book is a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses story! I have read a few retellings of this story, and this one is definitely one of my favorites. However, I cannot say that any of the books that I have read so far have had the creepy twist to it that this one had. I’m not usually a fan of creepy, but this book had me hooked, and once I started the story, I couldn’t stop!

I don’t like comparing books to other books, but the feeling that I got while reading this book reminded me very much of Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand, (which is another really awesome, creepy read), and though these stories are not similar AT ALL, they still gave me the same vibe, and I loved it. AND I also really loved that the story felt familiar as well, with the 12 Dancing Princesses theme. I definitely need more books like these in my life.

Overall; If you’re looking for a creepy read to add to your Halloween TBR, or just to read ANYTIME, definitely check out House of Salt and Sorrows! This book had me flying through the pages, and I loved it. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by Erin in the future!

This was a great story! I enjoyed the story and how it was an adaptation of a classic story! I truly enjoyed it and can't praise the story enough!

I can hardly believe this is a debut novel! House of Salt and Sorrows is beautifully written and captivating. This novel is deliciously dark and has many unexpected twists. Craig kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next twist to reveal itself. Highly recommend, it would especially be suited to add to your October/spooky TBR.

Omg I loved this book. The last part of it was especially intense. I got this book as an ARC from Netgalley with the promise of an honest review. It is based on the Grimm’s fairy tale of the 12 dancing princesses and anything based on Grimm’s fairy tales is a winner for me! Great job! Can’t wait to see what else this author does.

House of Salt and Sorrows was a ​Twelve Dancing Princesses/Edgar Allen Poe mashup. It did well, but at times, including both was too much. Everything happened really quickly at the end - almost too quickly. However, it was still spooky and enjoyable.

I had a gut feeling about the two boys in the book - Fisher and Cassius. I was mostly right about them, but didn't exactly have them figured out. It was nice to have the justification of being right without having the story spoiled for me. Also, I appreciated that the sisters were easy to keep straight - with so many, it could have been extremely easy to confuse them. However, all of them, or each group of them, were distinct enough that I never got confused.

​Over all, this was a delightful mix of fairy tale, mystery, and horror. It's a perfect October read!

I can't even form coherent sentences right now. Still recovering. This was SO good! This will definitely be a reread for me, and I am going to buy a finished copy.

My review: https://youtu.be/hwCtkbEonoM

Annaleigh and her sisters are proud of their Salt nobility, raised to respect the waters of the sea. Once twelve, they are now seven, as one by one tragic accidents claim the lives of her mother and sisters, and it is rumored that their family is cursed.



Each death upends their family again and again, as well as their father's recent remarriage to a young second wife. Nightly balls distract the sisters from their sorrow, as nightmare, reality, and daydream blend together into a maddening fray where Annaleigh doesn't know who to trust, or what is real or just illusion.



A spellbinding and engrossing read that takes a familiar tale adding elements of seaside life and darker otherworldly elements. This is a strong debut, with defining attention to detail that made each of the seven sisters stay distinct in my head. This story was very good at keeping me guessing, with red herrings, blending mythology with the psychological. Annaleigh is a admirable young woman who never asked to be a heroine or bear her family's grief, she loves her family fiercely, and fights to bring them all together again.



A wonderfully told tale, with characters flawed in ways that brought them to life realistically. Powerful world building, mystery, intrigue, fantasy, and even romance, this book has a lot going for it. I really enjoyed the differing dynamics between the different sisters, as well as how they grieve and deal with the changes in their lives in their own ways. Even though there were some moments of more adult content, I felt like in the context of the story it was dealt with well in that it wasn't overly explicit. I stayed up way too late reading this one, so to say that it was gripping would not quite do it justice as I am a person who values good sleep. This surpassed my expectations, and I will definitely be on the lookout for future releases from Erin A. Craig. If you are a fan of YA fantasy with a fairy tale twist and don't mind them taking a darker turn than the original, then this one is for you!





I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Okay wow! I was not expecting ANY of this book but especially the ending 🤯🤯🤯 I’m sitting here so speechless. This book was easily 4.5 stars for me. I’ve been waiting not so patiently to read this! I highly recommend!!!

You put creepy and retelling in one sentence; that's a surefire way of making me read a book. House of Salt and Sorrows is such a deliciously dark and creepy retelling of "The 12 Dancing Princesses". I'm not sure why I procrastinated picking up this book because once I started it, I finished it in one sitting.

~A dark atmospheric setting to match my soul~

The setting has a definitive dark Gothic feel to it that I ADORED because what better place for a creepy retelling than on stormy islands with family mausoleums and huge houses? The author does an amazing job describing the setting that I was surprised to look up from the book and realize I wasn't actually at a stormy beach. There are also these micro settings that are wonderful - like a cave the characters discover, the marketplace, magical gardens and I'm just here for all the whimsical, atmospheric places in this book.

~The horrors that kept me awake the night after I read the book~

I wasn't like scared out of my wits? But there are these scenes in the book that are creepy in an eerie, almost real way. The kind of creepiness that makes you check over your shoulder for any shadows that seem out of place or sneak a glance at the mirror to see if everything looks normal. The main character Annaleigh sees some pretty disturbing visions around their house and some of them were quite graphic. If you're easily creeped out or super scared of the dark, definitely walk into this book with caution.

~The 12 Thaumas sisters and the ones still alive~

The story pretty much is shrouded in death, so much so that it literally opens with a funeral. The author doesn't pull any punches with that. The were 12 Thaumas sisters once but now 4 have died in gruesome ways. The people think the sisters are cursed and as Annaleigh says, their eyes always seem to be asking the sisters, "which of you will be next?".

~The dash of mythology, culture and fashion~

The islanders primarily worship the sea god Pontus and I really liked how the author built a wonderful culture around that. The idea of a Churning festival, change of seasons caused by Pontus stirring the sea with his trident and such little pieces added so much to the world building and made me crave for more myths and stories.
Also I generally don't enjoy description of dresses and accessories in books but in this book, I LOVED it. Considering this is a retelling of the 12 dancing princesses, there is of course a focus on beautiful fairy shoes and dancing gowns which added beautifully to the imagery.

~The plot that slaps you in the face with twists at every turn~

This boom was definitely NOT predictable. I legit never saw those twists coming. I did make a guess about a certain person which turned out to be partly true but STILL, so many reveals in the second half of the book that left my head churning. Erin A. Craig brilliantly brings together seemingly unrelated events with such finesse that I'm gobsmacked as to HOW IS THIS A DEBUT?

~The one thing that made me a bit sore~

I couldn't buy into the whole romance subplot. I mean there were sweet moments that were lovely on their own but as a part of the story, the romance felt kind of insta-love and super rushed to me. i'm not a fan of the whole proclaiming allegiance to someone you met a couple days ago. But many reviewers seem to have enjoyed the romance, so I think this is a case of "It's not you, it's me"

~Overall, it is an absolutely wonderful retelling with a generous dose of the creepy, the magical and the thrilling. ~

Am I the only person who didn't love this book? It has a 4+ star rating on GoodReads! I just don't see how...I wanted to like it. I wanted to LOVE it! Come on, just look at that cover. It's stunning. Sadly though, the cover was really the only thing I could 100% get behind with this book.

The Good
The writing itself was quite good. I would read something else by this author without hesitation. It was just the actual plot and storyline I didn't care for.
As I've already said, the cover!
The creep factor in the last half of the book really amped up and was extremely well done. I completely doubted the conclusions I had already drawn, haha! The author was great at dragging the reader right along into all the confusion and dream-in-a-dream confusion of reality along with the characters.
The Bad and the Ugly
Our heroine, who is built up as this fearless, snarky, go-getter in the first few chapters of the book, takes one look - LITERALLY one look - at a handsome man and becomes a tongue-tied, bumbling, helpless girl. She's had a sheltered life, has met very few men outside one of her family's servant's sons and her father, and all of a sudden she sees a stranger and completely falls for him. Really? This is 2019, I thought we were past this sort of ridiculousness.
The first half of the book is almost all dancing and balls and fancy dresses and shoes. I wanted to stab my eyeballs out. How many descriptions of dancing shoes and ballgowns does one really need? Like nothing was happening except they were dancing. I get it, it's a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses...but COME ON.
The villain of the story was SO OBVIOUS and it was such a worn-out trope I wanted to fling the book across the room (except, I was reading on my iPad, so I couldn't). Can stepmoms catch a freaking break already?
At the very end, I actually thought the author was going to redeem the story by not wrapping everything up in a pretty little bow as far as the romance. BUT OH NO! There must be a romantic interest and there must be a pairing up or I guess it's not a good YA story.

2.5/5 stars. If you're a die-hard fan of retellings you might enjoy it more, also if you're more of a love-at-first-sight person than I am. Otherwise I'll have to recommend you skip it, but keep an eye out for other books by the author!

I went into this book pretty blindly. I am not familiar The Twelve Dancing Princesses so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I really enjoyed this story. It was a very dark fairytale and had me guessing throughout the book. Once I thought I knew what was going on, something would happen to prove me wrong. I really enjoyed the writing, the plot line and the characters.

Before reading this book, I didn't know that fairy tale horror was a genre I needed in my life. (OK, that's not entirely true, Mira Grant's Into the Drowning Deep kind of clued me in.) The 12 Dancing Princesses is a fairy tale you definitely don't see retellings of very often, and as I'm also working on retelling of this story (though mine's in an Urban Fantasy setting), I knew I HAD TO read this book.

House of Salt and Sorrows gets off to a bit of a slow start, and then was just sort of OK for me until about chapter 26-ish. Then I hit the end of chapter 28 and I couldn't put the book down until I was finished. I kept going "WHAAAAAT?! No way!" And then the ending is a bit abrupt, but still pretty dang awesome. I want to say more but I'm trying to stay away from spoilers! I was pretty sure I knew what was going on/who the "bad guy" was, but then Craig kept throwing all these curve balls out there that were so wonderfully surprising. I would have liked a little more from Annaleigh's "love triangle," but that's the romance reader in me. There are also SO MANY QUESTIONS I still have about certain events, so I wish some of the loose ends had been tied up a little more neatly. The spooky gothic elements are by far the best part of this story, and a lot of that doesn't start until about halfway into the book, so stick with it through the beginning to get to the spook-stuff!

All in all, House of Salt and Sorrows great read and a SUPER great debut. I can't wait to see what Erin A. Craig writes next, because I am SO on board!

I really liked this book! The ending did seem a little rushed and the romance was a little insta-lovey, but overall I highly enjoyed it! It was very atmospheric and perfect for fall.

Thank you for a copy of the book to review.. I really enjoyed the book.. I enjoyed most of the characters and the bond between the sisters..It had parts that were creepy, touching and just a overall sense that people can relate to.. I didn't see the plot twist coming and I thought it would go a different way.. Those are the books I enjoy most can't predict it.. Looking forward to reading more by this author.. Recommend? Yes.. ~ Happy Reading ~

I unfortunately dnf this book but only mainly because it is too creepy for my liking. Up until I dnf'd it, I really enjoy reading it.
I've heard of the twelve dancing princess but never really know the full story of it and having a thriller twist to it is a really great idea. Unfortunately, I'm too much of a coward to continue reading it. >.<