uhhh… theres definitely gonna be nightmares. how come no one told me this would be so creepy?!? wow. im such a wimp. lol.

also, early side note. i had no idea this was a retelling before i picked it up. ive never even heard of ‘the twelve dancing princesses,’ so im coming at this review with the perspective that this story is wildly original and one of a kind, because i have no idea which aspects are part of the retelling and which are craigs own invention.

that being said, if ‘to kill a kingdom’ and ‘the wicked deep’ created a hybrid world, it would be the atmosphere and setting of ‘house of salt and sorrows.’ its not exactly enchanting, because the story is actually quite dark. but there is something so captivating about a mysterious island kingdom, a family curse, and unreliable events. the writing easily transports the reader into this world, filled with ghosts and secrets, and that alone made this story worth it to me.

however, i am a little disappointed with the ending. there are a couple of things that relate to their religion/gods that come into play and it had me very confused. im not sure if i missed their introduction earlier on in the novel, but i felt like that key component was quite rushed. could just be an oversight on my part, though.

regardless, this is a hauntingly impressive debut!

Getting its foundation from The Twelve Dancing Princesses, this book takes everything gorgeous and evocative from the original gruesome Grimms Fairy Tales and wraps it in new and creepy layers. I was not at all expecting this book to have the fear factor that it did, but it delivered on chills and then some. AnnaLeigh's sisters are dying off one by one, until they're down to 6. They're known as the cursed sisters and no one wants anything to do with them, until they find a magic door that the gods use to travel quickly from one realm to another. Past this door lies all the suitors and dancing these girls could have wished for. But something isn't quite right, although AnnaLeigh can't determine if its her, or the worlds, or her sisters, or a new suitor in her life, Cassius. The resulting story is dripping with atmosphere, delicious creepiness, and just a touch of believable romance, all wrapped up in a wonderful bow of satisfactory resolution. Fantastic read!

This book was CREEPY and I loved it! I definitely think this book would be considered horror with some romance thrown in (because it’s YA, of course!). This story is full of murder, mayhem, and trickery. Be prepared to hang on towards the end because things get twisted! I definitely recommend!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

I recently read House of Salt and Sorrows and enjoyed it. While I wish the world-building had been expanded (mostly because the world was SO cool and I loved the blend of mythology and reality), I loved the characters and the mystery.

I was totally surprised because I did not expect a YA fantasy to also be a psychological thriller but I’d say this one definitely classifies, it kept me intrigued and constantly guessing. I love nothing more than not knowing which character to trust and this book did that beautifully. The romance was a bit insta-lovey but I did like the two characters together! However, the relationship between Annaleigh and her family, particularly her sisters, is what really drew me in.

If you’re looking for a darker YA fantasy that also contain a fantastic mystery, definitely check this one out!

*Disclaimer: I received an advanced digital copy book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

What the heck did I just read?! OMG! I was super enchanted by the beginning, and then the ending just turned into a non-stop rollercoaster of mind bending insanity and delight. Holy buckets! This book is awesome for the creepy fall season!

4/5 stars

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Children's for allowing me the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this mixture of YA thriller, fantasy and romance that was a retelling of the twelve dancing princesses. I have never read the original fairytale it was based on, but the story felt like a new classic the more I read. This was definitely a creepy fairytale where the less you know going into it the better. It was definitely a slow burn and took a few chapters to get into, but once I did I couldn't put it down!

<u>Synopsis</u>
For years, the Thaumas household of Highmoor has been in mourning. One after the other, the eldest daughters have died from a variety of ailments to accidents. With the latest death being her sister Eulalie, Annaleigh has grown suspicious and begins to wonder if someone or something could be responsible for her siblings' demise.

<u>Pacing & Points of View</u>
There is only one point of view and it's Annaleigh, one of the daughters. Since you were only seeing things from Annaleigh's point of view, it kept you guessing and discovering parts of the story along with her. I'll be honest. I put this story down twice, hence the loss of a star, but hang in there until 25% or around chapter ten! It might have been my experience, but this is a story that slowly builds upon itself. The creepy atmosphere was there from the start and is what truly kept me reading. Give this story time to teach you about all the characters in play and develop a relationship with this world of salt, because once you hit that mark you'll be able to finish the book quickly. I finished it within a few hours once I reached a certain point. I just couldn't put it down and I had to know how it would all end!

<u>Characters</u>
Annaleigh was the most sensible, practical character out of the sisters and I loved her. I don't think I could have made it through the whole book otherwise. I really liked seeing the glimpses of personality from the other sisters, especially little Verity. The bonds between the sisters and family were strong and easily felt while reading. Camille was the only one that drove me crazy, but only because as the eldest she should have had more of Annaleigh's sense. Cassius and Fisher were the leading men and definitely kept me guessing throughout the story.

<u>Overall</u>
Overall, I really liked this thrilling retelling and spin on the twelve dancing princesses. The entire story came together so beautifully by the end and I loved how it mixed several genres in YA fiction. I can't wait to read more from this author!

I would highly recommend the audiobook as well. Some of the eeriness of the world jumps out at you and makes this story worth a listen around dark, stormy nights!

I finished House of Salt & Sorrows - Given by Netgalley for an honest review.

This book felt dated. Like it was written by an old white cis man. The romantic elements are very very childish though. The ending was also very weird. Surprising, but nit in a good way.

House of Salt and Sorrows is a liberal retelling of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” by the Brothers Grimm. One part gothic romance, one part whodunit murder mystery, and one part gorgeous secluded maritime setting. Read this when you are in the mood for a dark, dazzling story about a Cinderella-esque heroine who falls down a rabbit hole and lands in a fantasy world full of weird, wonderful characters. This is an August #yasofthemonth, and my seventh grader and I both loved this one. It is Caraval by Stephanie Garber meets Circe by Madeline Miller with The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware vibes. Best paired with cups of cinnamon tea, plates of lemon cookies and gingered scones slathered with butter.

I will definitely recommend this title. It is very well thought out and imaginative. I can't wait for more titles by this author.

The nitty-gritty: Evocative world-building combined with an overstuffed plot left me with mixed feelings about this YA fantasy debut.

I had read some glowing reviews of The House of Salt and Sorrow, so I jumped into this with rather high expectations. Unfortunately, even though there is a lot to love about this book, as a whole there was something missing for me. I was expecting more of a fantasy, fairy tale vibe, but folks, this book falls more in the “horror” genre than fantasy. I knew that four of the twelve daughters are already dead when the story starts, but it gets worse (sorry, minor spoiler).

The story opens with a funeral. The Thaumas family is mourning the death of Eulalie, the fourth daughter to die in a matter of months. There used to be twelve daughters, but a string of bad luck has befallen the family and now there are only eight left. The story is told from the perspective of Annaleigh. Her sister Camille is the eldest, and because of that she is first in line to inherit the family estate of Highmoor. The family has been in a constant state of mourning due to all the recent deaths, but the Thaumas triplets—Rosalie, Ligeoa and Lenore—are about to turn sixteen, and so they convince their father to let the sisters come out of mourning in order to celebrate their birthdays with an extravagant ball.

But Annaleigh is not in the mood to celebrate. She’s convinced that someone is killing off her sisters, even though the deaths all appear to be accidental. And so she begins her own investigation, questioning the men at the docks who may have seen what really happened when Eulalie “fell” to her death from the cliffs. Her investigation leads her to a mysterious man named Cassius who is determined to help her find the truth.

I want to start this review with the elements I enjoyed. By far my favorite part of this book was the world building. Craig has created a wonderful world called Arcannia, made up of a string of five different islands. The story takes place on Selkirk Island, where people worship the sea god Pontus. Their lives revolve around the sea, they mark important occasions by drinking seawater, and even their dead are eventually relegated back to the sea. We only see glimpses of the other islands, and I would have loved to learn more about them and their customs. I also loved that Craig has given her story a Jane Austen vibe. Honestly, it was like reading Pride and Prejudice at times, as the Thaumas sisters get excited when they are able to dress up for a dance, or Camille frets over finding a husband someday. When the Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling finally kicks in, we get to see the sisters’ excitement over getting a new pair of “fairy slippers” to wear to the birthday ball.

I also loved the creepiness of the story and the idea that the dead sisters’ ghosts are still around. There are some very gruesome sections that made this veer into horror territory, which I was not expecting, but I thought they added to the overall mystery of what’s going on. Craig has a wonderful talent for writing atmospheric scenes, and I could easily picture everything about this story. I especially loved a particular bathtub scene, but you’ll have to read the book if you want to know what I’m talking about.

I think my biggest complaint about this book is that there is just TOO much going on. I know many debut authors tend to overstuff their stories, and this one is no exception. First, there is the Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling aspect, which really only appears in a very minor way. We have the subplot of the sisters’ stepmother Morella, who has moved to Highmoor from one of the other islands and is basically a fish out of water. Her storyline is pretty sporadic. She appears in the beginning and then sort of disappears, and then comes back in a big way at the end. There’s also a ghost story, since the youngest sister Verity appears to be able to see and talk to her dead sisters’ ghosts. Later we’re introduced to the mythology of this world, as Annaleigh discovers the truth about Cassius and where he comes from. There’s a fascinating chapter set in his home, where we learn about his family and how he's involved with the Thaumas deaths. And apparently, Annaleigh’s dream has always been to be the Keeper of the Light, the person who works in the lighthouse and keeps the flame burning. All these ideas are tenuously connected, but those connections felt forced, as if the author was determined to make them work together.

One of my biggest pet peeves is the trope of “is it real or is the character just imagining it?” I feel like it’s a cop-out and a way to “explain away” the more confusing aspects of a story. I won’t go into detail about this, because obviously I’d be spoiling certain plot points, but let’s just say Craig uses this trope in her story, and it sort of made me mad. It reminds me that I also don’t like stories that involve dreams or visions, because you just don’t know whether anything you’ve read has actually happened. I can see utilizing this method of storytelling if you’re writing non-genre fiction, but the fact that this is obviously a fantasy made some of the reveals hard to swallow.

As you might expect, a romance is part of the plot. Annaleigh is attracted to two different men, which made things a bit confusing. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a love triangle, but it did muddy the waters and frankly, the jealousy and posturing between the two men didn’t add anything to the story. I honestly felt bad for Camille, because as the eldest, she is the one searching the hardest for a husband. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have much luck! 

It sounds like I’m complaining a lot about this book, but it actually works really well on lots of levels. I just wanted MORE of the elements I loved, like the world building, the mythology of the islands, and a little more character development. This book had the potential to be outstanding, but the scattered plot and confusing action made it feel like a debut that just needed a little more polishing. I seriously want to know more about this world, as Craig barely touches on the specifics of other islands of Arcannia, and I certainly wouldn’t mind reading more books set in this fascinating world.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS. AH! I have so many thoughts. House of Salt & Sorrows swept me off my feet and into a waltz worthy of a masquerade.

I love the way Erin blended the stories of Twelve Dancing Princesses and Annabel Lee into this. I loved the decidedly Crimson Peak and Agatha Christie vibes. This book has an undeniably eerie and gothic atmosphere and I was absolutely living for it.

The story's narrator is Annaleigh, one of twelve daughters of the Thaumas family. Annaleigh has five older sisters, however only one is living. The story begins with the funeral of her sister Eulalie, the latest tragedy in a string of untimely deaths that claimed four of Annaleigh's older sisters and their mother. The people of the Salann Islands have begin to suspect the Thaumas family and their manor at Highmoor are cursed, and the family has begun to suspect so themselves.

However, Annaleigh will not settle for that answer. Curse or not, she believes there is a reason for her family's terrible luck and seeks to discover why. This story blends fantasy, mystery and mythology, with incredible and atmospheric world-building to create a story that will constantly have you swept up into its wondrous landscape and asking "whodunnit?"

As Annaleigh searches for answers, she is joined by her sisters, childhood best friend and a mysterious young man new to the islands. After so many years of mourning, their family seeks a way to move on without seeming callous to their beloved lost and the communities of the islands. Under secret, the sisters attend peculiar balls of grandeur where they dance their shoes to bits and as her sisters become increasingly obsessed, Annaleigh begins to suspect all may not be as it seems.

In addition to the mystery surrounding the Thaumas family deaths, the sisters feeling increasing pressure to find a suitor and marry. Annaleigh herself finds love may not be as unobtainable as she had previously suspected. I thoroughly loved the romance sub-plot in this book and found it interesting and charming, especially as more light is shed about the mystery at the core of this story.

One should know this story depicts some horror elements in possible poltergeists, gore and talk of murder/suicide. I didn't find this to be too much, personally - if anything it really added to the atmosphere of the story, however those that scare easily may want to skip a few paragraphs here and there.

Overall, this story had be guessing until the end. I suspected some of what came to be, but much of it took me by surprise - hat's off to that because I was certain I had it figured out!

Finally, after reading or listening to this - definitely reread Edgar Allan Poe's Annabel Lee. You'll be in for a treat when you see all of the ways Erin was able to inject the poem into this story.

A dark, twisted, creepy, ghost filled retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princess written originally by the Brothers Grimm. If you don’t know now let me tell you those original tales are not the fairy tales i grew up with. They are just as dark and creepy as this retelling. At times i was so entranced by what was occurring on the page that if a dog barked or some loud bang happened i totally shrieked or jumped out of my chair.

This story was absolutely outstanding.
I devoured it in under 48 hours. I couldn’t skip work, but I almost should have.
I was sucked into the mystery of who done it right away.
Near the end, I had goosebumps because it got so spooky!
I loved the fairytale writing and feel- I could picture everything.
I even like how a fairytale in the story became part of the story!
The writing was wonderful, the main character was so brave and kept me captivated, and I want to read more!

3.5 stars

You can read all of my book reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I enjoyed it, but there is just something about it that kept me from loving it. Perhaps it's because I don't really like horror, and wasn't expecting it to go there. Partly because I was frustrated with the book because I couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be. Only after I read the book did I learn that it was a retelling of a Grimm's fairytale called "The Twelve Dancing Princesses."

Annaleigh lives in a manor by the sea with her father, sisters and mother in law. At one time, there were 12 girls, but a series of tragic accidents cost the life of 4 girls and their mother. The house has been in a constant state of mourning for years. When the family decides to try to break out of their grief and get the girls out into society, they find that the family is considered cursed and no young man wants to date any of the girls.

Annaleigh is upset that the rest of the family wants to move on, and begins to investigate the death of the last sister to die. She also begins to have frightening visions of her dead sisters and mother. Meanwhile, her sisters are sneaking out every night to attend balls throughout the country and dance the nights away. She occasionally joins them but has some disturbing encounters, so she tries to get her sisters to stop going. Annaleigh gets involved with a mysterious stranger with a secret of his own as the urgency to discover what is happening with her family intensifies.

To me the story was uneven at times. It also seemed to take a really weird left turn toward the end and turned into more of a horror book than fantasy or romance. The writing was good and I think most people will enjoy the book, there were just parts of it I didn't care for.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read. The writing is beautiful and infuses magic into every line. The setting of the book is unique and fascinating. The mystery kept me on my toes and constantly questioning every character. And the world that is spun out between the pages is carefully crafted and curated. When I was reading I couldn’t but this book down. The problem was picking it back up after it being set down for more than a day. Due to the world being so decadently elaborate, it took an adjustment to sink back in.

*Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

House of Salt And Sorrows by Erin A. Craig is in concept a really cool book. We have got this amazing cover. And then, we’ve also got a retelling of my favorite fairy tale – the twelve dancing princesses with an oceanic setting. Unfortunately, this didn’t quite deliver on all the expectations that I had. Still, it’s an actually okay book and I’m open to reading more from Craig.

Annaleigh (which FYI I love love love that name) is one of twelve sisters, as you may have gathered. They all live in this manor by the sea called Highmoor. The oldest child is set to inherit regardless of gender. Just, keep that in mind. So anyways four of Annaleigh’s sisters have died and there’s a possibility more will die. Some say it is a curse, but Annaleigh is not so sure. And so, it is up to her to unravel what exactly happened to her sisters. Things take a few different weird turns – especially what is behind the dancing and the balls that her sisters are going to.

Ultimately, this was a lush tale, but a little too lush for me. I did not entirely gel with the weird bits and the end was really hard for me to get through — I have this weird sensitivity around pregnancy and losing children. Your average YA reader won’t care though (seems like most teenagers have not been to the stage of life of having kids and that is great!). So I would totally say give this a go if you are actually a teenager.

Speaking of the audio – I think this one is worth a listen. The narrator is Emily Lawrence. The book is 12 hours and 50 minutes long. Honestly I listened at a variety of speeds and have nothing at all negative to say. House Of Salt And Sorrows is a decently produced audiobook and worth investigating, especially if you are actually a teen and like books with nautical settings and otherworldy twists.

I don't usually read YA novels, but this book was very good! Told as a retelling from Grimm's "Twelve Dancing Sisters" and it was phenomenal. While out of my comfort zone, the quality of storytelling was amazing. This is Erin's debut novel and I'll definitely be a recurring reading after reading this book.

I LOVEEEEE IT!!! First, I'm a huge fan of retellings and when I found out this was a spin off of the 13 Dancing Pricnesses I couldn't help but want to read it IMMEDIATELY! I really like how this took a darker side to the age old story. There were so many creepy parts that reminded me of the Haunting of Hill House with the younger sister who sees the ghosts and the bathtub scene about made me pee my pants!!! There was just so much creepy to this story that I couldn't stop reading until I found out what the hell was actually going on in these poor girls lives!

This definitely is not one to read in the dark though if you are easily spooked with all the crazy weird things happening, you never know what might come right out of the book and into your own life! just kidding! But it did spook me enough to have to read with the lights on, in my whole house. lol

The characters are amazingly vivid as well as the scenery. This was probably the first book in a while where the ending completely threw me off, no matter how many guesses I had at the start, they were nothing like how the story actually ended. Which is refreshing to be surprised in a book!

I loved this and think that it was a perfect spooky summer read and am so happy that I had the opportunity to read it!

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Hmmm, there were things I really liked about this book and there were things I didn't. Twelve Dancing Princesses is one of my favorite fairy tales that frankly, I don't think gets enough love, so I was really excited to see this retelling. I think the author does a great job with the atmosphere and the creepiness of the story. It gets surprisingly dark at the end which didn't bother me but might others. However, I feel like a lot of the sisters could have used some personality as it was hard to keep some of them apart. The plot was really slow at times and the ending was just weird. <spoiler> What happened to their father at the end? Did he just die? Also, so because AnnaLeigh wished upon a cake, Cassius came back? Why didn't she just wish for her sisters to stop dying. I didn't get it. </spoiler>

...and the award for Exceptional New Voice in YA Horror goes to...

ERIN A. CRAIG!!!!

Annaleigh lives at Highmoor, a remote manor on the sea with her father, stepmother and sisters. Where once there were twelve sisters, at the start of our story only nine remain.
The most recent to die, Eulalie, plunged to her death after falling from a cliff into the sea. It is rumored she was out to meet a lover and run away with him.
Tragedy has struck the family so many times, in fact, the villagers whisper that they are cursed. While some of her sisters buy into the curse, Annaleigh has other ideas. She doesn't believe Eulalie's death was an accident. Perhaps her other sister's deaths weren't accidental either?
Teaming up with a handsome and mysterious stranger, Annaleigh begins to investigate what is truly happening at Highmoor.
As many of you may know, House of Salt and Sorrows is a retelling of a fairy tale known as The Shoes That Were Danced To Pieces, or The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Going into this, I expected a typical YA fairy tale retelling. Fortunately, there was nothing typical about this!
Truth be told, a lot of this story creeped me the heck out!
There was one night, I was up late, reading this on my kindle with all the lights turned off, I got to a section where there is a particularly lucid scene involving one of Annaleigh's dead sisters and I legit almost put that thing in the freezer! I had to switch to something fluffy just to be able to go to sleep that night.
As someone who is a great fan of the dark and macabre, I must say, I was beyond impressed with Craig's writing. Her ability to conjure truly terrifying moments and atmosphere is absolutely fantastic.
I am calling this a YA Horror, because even though the story isn't exactly a Horror story, I am calling out Erin A. Craig as a Horror writer!
I really hope she continues more in that vein with her future stories. There was an ominous feeling surrounding this whole story. (view spoiler), it was all incredibly visceral.
I have never read the original source material, so I cannot weigh in on the merits of this as a retelling but I imagine, most folks who have read the original will be impressed by this. In my opinion, this book has it all and if you are a fan of gothic-feeling stories, you CANNOT miss this one. Pick it up, you won't regret it!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to see what Craig comes up with next! You better believe I will be buying it!