I loved this companion novel to House of Salt and Sorrow. This fantasy story is about a girl who can see ghosts and wants freedom from her overbearing sister. She runs away, finds love, a new life, but strange things are happening. She begins to question if maybe her sister was right to be protective. So many curve balls to keep you guessing!

An engaging fantasy read about a girl who can see ghosts and wants a chance at a life out from under her overbearing sister's thumb. When she runs away to complete an art commission she finds love and a new life. But weird things are happening and she is struggling. Is life on her own worth it, or was her sister right to protect her so fiercely.

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this ARC!

Now, I know this book is listed as #2 in the series, but this is definitely a companion novel set in the same world as the first. Which was great, because I don't remember much of the first book.

I liked that this book threw some curve balls in the storyline. When I thought I had things figured out, I absolutely did not. Everytime I thought I was right, it was partially right, but with a little bit of extra thrown in that I wasn't expecting.

That ending though...like wait...what? I had to read the last parts of the end chapter and epilouge to make sure my brain wasn't making things up. Could there be another book?? I'm so confused. (In a good way)

House of Root & Ruin is the sequel to House of Salt & Sorrow. It is a Gothic Fantasy about love, ambition, and the ghosts that haunt us forever.

This is set 12 years after House of Salt & Sorrow although you truly don’t need to read that to enjoy this book. I will warn you that it will stay with you for a long time after you end it.

4.5 Stars

Omg I was so excited, yet terrified, to return to the lush and horrifying world that is HOSAS and HORAR. Verity was the sweet baby sister we kept protected at all costs in House of Salt and Sorrows, so fast forwarding thirteen years to her making her break away from Highmoor and paving her own future as one of the haunted Thaumas girls.

We start the story back at Highmoor and get to see how adult Verity is handling the aftermath of her family’s demise (hint: she doesn’t really remember much). But her desire to leave her island and see the kingdom scares her elder sisters, Camille and Annaleigh. They know things about Verity that she might not even know.

So when Verity runs away to paint a portrait of the next Duke of Bloem, we find ourselves caught up in a romantic yet horrifying mystery around family secrets, ornate homes, and the sacrifices for ambition.

I will admit that it took me until about the halfway point in the book to really understand what might be happening, but once we got to the first major twist, I COULD NOT put this book down. I found myself confused and scared and second guessing everything, much like Verity. And without giving anything away, let’s just say I kept flip flopping over her impending marriage and if it was all real, or not.

The ending has kept me up at night and I’m convinced we have to be getting another book eventually……right?! BECAUSE THAT ENDING HAS MY BRAIN SPIRALING IN THE MOST DELICIOUS OF WAYS.

This book was such a fun dive back into the world of Salt and Sorrows, while also standing firmly on its own. I highly recommend, especially for anyone who loves a good gothic setting and having spine-tingling chills as you read. And the kissing isn’t half bad either *wink wink*

Omg!!! Erin A. Craig does it again. Another incredible, very unsettling atmospheric read. This time returning back to one of the Thaumas sisters, Verity.

Verity Thaumas lives with her sister, a duchess, but dreams of finding her own way in life. This idea is solidified when Verity is invited to Bloem to paint a portrait. When she tells her sister her plans to go, it is revealed that Verity can see ghosts... and she can't tell the difference between a ghost and reality. She sets off alone in the middle of the night and soon finds herself at the duke's house in Bloem and falling in love with his son, Alex.

Of course, there is much more to this story. God's and goddesses, a sort of Frankenstein experimentation on plants and more.... and the ghosts.

I loved this so so much. I love everything this author has written, honestly. There's just a specific style and quality to Craig's writing that makes each story so haunting. Definitely recommend this!

Out July 25. 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!

When I finished House of Salt and Sorrows I knew I wanted more of this family and this world, but with the way it ended, I wasn't sure where it could go but, House of Root and Ruin 100% knocked it out of the park.

We are following Verity, the youngest of the Thaumas sisters, and she is itching to leave Highmoor and explore and travel the world. Her sister Camilla is doing whatever she can to keep her close to home, but when Verity receives a commission for a painting and she jumps at the chance!

When she arrives she immediately likes the family and has some instant chemistry with Alex, whose portrait she will be painting. However she soon finds out that Bleum is full of some disturbing secrets, and her ability to see ghosts has put her right dangerous path. I loved Verity and Alex's relationship, it was so sweet. There were twists and turns everywhere, and each reveal brought a new surprise and kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next!

The atmosphere was amazing, and the characters and plot hooked me and wouldn't let me go until I reached the last page, and with the way it ended, and I really hope that were going to get another book!! I'm definitely not ready to leave this world or the Thaumas sisters yet!

Verity Thaumaus, the youngest of the cursed sisters has grown up on a island manor. She’s lived in a world of ghosts, unknowingly. When Verity is offered a commission to paint a Duke’s son in a faraway country, her own Duchess sister denies her permission. Wanting to be free from her limited life Verity travels in the dark of night to Bloem, and the manor of the Duke and Duchess who love everything green and growing. In this flourishing atmosphere she a modest romance grows between Verity and her subject. As their relationship grows and she learns of this land dark secrets begin to unfold. Meanwhile, she is keeping her ghostly visions a secret from the family. The beauty of the land, the home, and their perfections comes through many sacrifices and Verity finds herself fighting for what could be her new home.

HoSaS was… interesting. I liked it up until the very end and then it had me scratching my head and questioning everything I had read. I was a little reluctant to jump at the chance to read this one being book two but I just needed to know what’s going on.

I am here to say… House of Roots and Ruin is even better than HoSaS. I’m so glad I risked it all and read this!!! It’s sooooo gothic and lush (I hate using that word in reviews but it’s true.) Erin writes the most beautifully haunting stories that you could literally paint a million pictures off of one page.

The dark secrets + the spooky, unsettling atmosphere made this book for me. It’s been a while since reading book one but it didn’t matter! This one weaves its own tale and it’s delicious!!

This house has always felt full of ghosts to me not of spirits in white sheets and chains, nothing as cliched as all that - but of memories snatched away. Memories I'll never be able to claim as mine.

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours and the author for providing an arc in exchange for a review!


Despite dreaming of exploring the wonders of the distant shores, Verity is stuck behind the walls of Thaumas, their family estate, her sister eager to keep her protected and by her side.

When she learns of a job to paint the portrait of the Duchesses son, Verity sneaks away in the night to experience the world. However, this is with the new knowledge that she is cursed to see ghosts.

“I feel as if I'm on the precipice of a cliff,» he murmured, keeping a careful eye on them "The ground is starting to give way and it's already too late to do anything. push myself back, it will just cause the plunge to happen sooner. But staying place won't save me either."
"Then we fall together," I promised.

Alexander offers a refreshing disability representation, Craig paying attention to the limitations of a wheelchair, others’ reactions, and how his certain things may need to be adapted for him.

“People get so squeamish about the chair, about me being in the chair. They shouldn't. You shouldn't," he said with emphasis. "I've been in it most of my life. I don't really remember a time when I wasn't. It's part of who I am but it's not the only thing that defines me.”

Also, I loved the botanical interest - speaking in plants and their meanings, hiding secrets in flowers and thorns!

I think I preferred this a House of Salt and Sorrows! Admittedly, I think there was slightly less atmosphere, but there was definitely a greater growing horror in the facade of normalcy mixed with supernatural. Also, the character study was so much better as there was a smaller cast of characters we can follow more intimately, especially compared to trying to follow the twelve dancing sisters of book one.

However, similar to book one, the end was rather abrupt and sudden, but it does end on a tantalising cliffhanger…

I you enjoyed this (especially the plant elements, I would recommend T Kingfisher’s What Moves the Dead and Kalynn Bayron’s This Poison Heart.

Years ago I read House of Salt and Sea when it came out, so I was curious to see what Craig would do with a sequel (although per her words it also stands by itself and you don't need to have read or remember anything about the original novel). I would say that that is correct, although I wouldn't be surprised if there are things you pick up on that might make the story fuller if you have (recently) read "book 1". I'll basically be talking about this book as if it's a standalone. With that in mind there were some excellent aspect of this title. Craig is great at building that feeling of foreboding, and for a YA novel she certainly includes some fairly adult-level horror aspects into the story (which I didn't mind, but please prepare yourself/your audience accordingly). Verity is an interesting main character. I'm sure there are going to be some people who call her naïve, and I can see that. She certainly seems younger than she actually is, and while there's a a valid reason for that I'm sure it will put some people off; I certainly found it frustrating at times. As I said above Craig is great at building up a feeling of wrongness, but in doing so I will admit it takes a while for the actual story to get going. When the first major twist is revealed (and I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about said twist), I remember thinking the story must be almost over, but it was only about half-way done. She completely nailed the gothic horror element though, and the summery setting was a great juxtaposition to all of the horrific details that were revealed as the story went on. In the end I think it might have gotten a little long-winded and perhaps a touch too complex, but it was certainly lush and beautiful I'll almost certainly be thinking about it for a while thanks to that ending. I'll also be more than happy to hand-sell it to people who are looking for something that fits this bill. It also has made me curious about her second novel (Small Favors) which I have but haven't read, and I'm excited to see what her adult debut will be like when it comes out some time in the next few years.

Verity has known so much tragedy. After the deaths of several of her older sisters, as well as both her parents, the lives of her family have finally calmed down somewhat into a semblance of normal. Some of her sisters are out living grand lives, others are married, but unfortunately for Verity, she’s stuck at her childhood home with her oldest surviving sister, doing little more than playing babysitter. But when an invitation comes from Bloem, one to paint the duke’s son, Verity thinks this is her opportunity to finally leave and actually make a life for herself. Too bad her older sister doesn’t agree. But Verity won’t let that stop her. She makes her way to Bloem and to a flower-covered estate that’s grander than anything she’s ever seen before. But that estate holds more secrets than she could have ever imagined, and Verity soon learns that some flowers have thorns.

I received an advanced reading copy of House of Roots and Ruin in exchange for an honest review.

House of Roots and Ruin is a young adult fantasy novel by Erin A. Craig. It’s also the sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows, which I read literal years ago. Luckily, to pick up House of Roots and Ruin, you don’t actually have to read the first book, since it stands alone fairly well. Sure, you’ll probably understand parts of this book more if you’ve read House of Salt and Sorrows, but I appreciated that it wasn’t necessary, especially since it had been so long since I’d read the first.

From early on in the book, what stood out to me the most was the setting. The manor that Verity spends most of the book in is so sumptuous, but there’s a sense of foreboding throughout. I honestly loved how Craig created this setting, a place that should have been filled with so much beauty, but there was a sense of disquiet all throughout. Of something being not quite right. It was my favorite part of the book, especially when so much of the setting became tied into the rest of the plot, and it really informed everything that was happening with the rest of the book.

As for the plot itself, it hooked me from pretty early on. We have a fairly common beginning: a young girl wants to leave her family home and actually make a life for herself, but then it diverges from that significantly. We discover early on that the reason that Verity hasn’t been allowed to leave her home is that her sisters believe she can see ghosts, and they’re terrified of the fact that someone will catch Verity doing it. I loved this detail, especially since Verity often couldn’t tell the difference between someone living and someone ghostly, which led to me questioning all throughout the rest of the book who was real and who wasn’t. This, paired along with the setting, made for such a good reading experience.

The rest of the plot is also delightfully spooky, with terrifying nights following what should have been perfect days, as Verity lives a dream that should be too good to be true: painting a handsome young man in an idyllic setting. I couldn’t call absolutely any of the twists in this book, but they had me holding my breath in those final chapters. I actually almost let out a real scream at the end, not of fear, but of a twist that was so epic that I just couldn’t stand it.

I don’t know if there’s going to be a third book to this series, but I know that if there is, I absolutely must have it as soon as it’s released. Craig impressed me so much with this story, and I liked it even more than I did her first book.

I’d recommend House of Roots and Ruin to anyone who likes gothic fantasy, thrillers, ghost stories, and even general horror. A great book to pick up, especially when the flowers are in full bloom. Remember that flowers have more in them than just beauty!

House of Roots and Ruin will be released on July 25. You can preorder your copy from Delacorte Press here.

I love love LOVED House of Salt and Sorrows and have been looking forward to this sequel since I heard about it. I didn't think it was possible, but House of Roots and Ruin might be even better than the first book.

This book was an absolute page turner! It picks up 12 years after the events of the first book, and then hits the ground running. Little Verity is now almost 18 and still seeing ghosts, but that is only the beginning of her adventure in this book.

The descriptions of everything actually transported me into the book, and I felt like i was experiencing everything right along with Verity. The dark, twisty, unsettling plot left me anxious for most of the book. For the whole middle section, particularly the goings-on at Chauntilalie I found myself saying "what?" and "what is happening!?" out loud, often earning me strange looks from people around me. The plot is full of un-truths and lies, ghosts, and secrets and at no point did I feel like I had anything figured out until the end. And then there was a cliff-hanger, and I nearly threw my book across the room!

The book was very engrossing and I ended up binge-reading (even while at work) just because I needed to know what happened next. Great storytelling, good pacing, and I enjoyed the character development throughout the book. Verity was very naive in the beginning, and I was very concerned that she was experiencing a whole lot of red-flag situations but continued to ignore her gut. I feel like I would not have stuck around in Chauntilalie as long as she did.

But I loved it; all of it. It was all so very exquisitely delivered. I know this is allegedly book #2 of 2 but PLEASE let there be another one because I need closure from how this book ended! Seriously!

Thanks to PRH for the NetGalley ARC!

I usually am in bed by 10pm, so it speaks volumes that I write this review at 1:30am, having just finished this book.

Wow... That was a WILD (a good and spooky wild!) ride for my most anticipated read of 2023. Most of my reads this year have had endings that have sorely left me wanting, but Erin, once again, did not disappoint! This book was everything I wanted and more.

It was so nice to revisit the HoSaS characters, especially Verity, after so many years, and the entire Laurent family was absolutely captivating. You could tell right from the beginning that beneath their floral facade, something was just a little… off. That’s all I’ll say. :) Alexander especially was such a treat to read.

Erin particularly excels in the story’s world-building. Bloem and Chauntilalie blew me away. When I wasn’t reading, I was constantly daydreaming about the colors and the flowers and the scents. So decadent and sickly sweet! It’s the kind of world I’d simply love to jump through the pages and live in, despite its more macabre elements. Erin thought through every detail, even down to the color of the candle tapers, and it made for one of the most immersive settings I’ve ever read.

Above all, Erin knows how to write an unsettling tale. She knows how to write ghosts, and she’s mastered making things go bump in the night. When you think the story can’t get anymore twisted, she tosses in another wrench (or several) to keep you quite literally on the edge of your seat. She expertly combines seemingly “fairytale” elements with all the dark trappings of a scary story. Many gothic/paranormal/thriller books I’ve read this year haven’t hit the mark in this regard, but Erin succeeds time and again.

I’m so very excited to see what else she has in store for us! She’s an automatic-buy for me, and I hope she will be for you too.

I really enjoyed House of Roots and Ruin!
I have to admit I was a little worried about reading House of Roots and Ruin as I didn't remember much about House of Salt and Sorrows as I had read it years ago but I found that this one worked quite well as a standalone.

The book was really atmospheric.
It had some really creepy moments that were genuinely disturbing.
Also, that ending!
It was so good!
It was quite open-ended, and while I think a sequel would be awesome. I actually think the ending was perfect for the story and quite fitting for the genre.

I also really liked Verity as a character, though I have to admit she did annoy me at times.
In the end, this really was a great book, and i highly recommend it!
It actually reminded me of Crimson Peak, so if you love that movie, you will definitely love this book.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so obsessed with this book! It was so good. This author is the queen of twisting stories and making you second guess everything. The ending was insane and if I don’t get another book to continue this story I will riot!

DNF @ 43%

Honestly, if Craig were to write a tour guide for all the bizarrely themed mansions/estates/palaces in this fictional kingdom, it would be way more interesting than this book… Craig’s biggest skill, in my opinion, is her brilliant descriptions, particularly of structures, scenery, and clothing. Everything else was, quite frankly, boring and slow.

I was nervous when I saw that this book was a whopping 140 pages longer than House of Salt and Sorrows (which I reread in preparation for this one), but even though that one was a touch on the slow side, it had mystery and magic and fanatical elements fit to keep one interested. This one had outlandish characters who can’t be bothered to explain themselves, a “tell instead of show” attraction-turned-romance, a single supernatural element that is thrust upon the MC and then patently ignored in favor of said romance…

What I did really like was the disability rep. The love interest uses a wheelchair and there are some fantastic conversations around the injury, his mobility and independence, and the accessibility of various locations.

But plot? What plot? No plot, just vibes. It didn’t hold my attention at all.

Every time Erin Craig announces a new book, I immediately yearn for it. She's an automatic-buy author for me, and for good reason. She ALWAYS delivers. HOUSE OF ROOTS AND RUIN is no exception. I think this book embodies quiet horror; it's not as flashy or blantantly full of terrifying scenes and imagery as her other two novels, but there's always something unsettling about what you're reading, and that alone makes it entertaining. I would call it a fantasy thriller, which is a combination that's so fun to witness.

THE SETTING. I can't remember the last time I felt so immersed. I can't gush about Bloem enough. When I would set the book down for a break, even a short one, I would long to go back to Chantilily and Craig's mastery of its aesthetics. I felt like I was among the twisted flora and wandering the halls of a looming, marble mansion just by virture of reading the book. The world alone should sell you on picking up this book.

The characters were very fun, and distinct. The mood of a scene shifted depending on the players on the page, and I love how everyone had some trait or personality type the characterized them. Not only did it help to keep my thoughts in order amongst the mysteries of HoRaR, it made for characters that were enjoyable to read, rather than just a way to ferry plot points around. I liked Verity's tenacity and wit, it was a good addition and contrast to Annaleigh and Ellerie before her. Her and Alexander's banter, and her interactions with the rest of the cast, heightened by the setting, always kept my interest.

The plot itself, as mentioned, felt like a thriller more than a horror, something I liked immensley. Every chapter added some new puzzle piece to put together from a slowly unwinding story, and every time I flipped the page, I was watching for some new detail that I had to keep track of. It gave everything a lot of substance, and the chapters with scares packed more of a punch. Verity felt like an active participant in the plot rather than a victim of it, and instead of being along for the ride, she was furthering the story along.

This book, in a way, felt like a Grimm fairytale: it was beautiful and brimming with gorgeous description and prose, but underneath the layer of fantasy elements, there is a distinct distortion and decay. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book, and be prepared to grab the next one Erin A. Craig releases.

I really enjoyed this book. It was such a fun and ghothic story. I think i loved the main character in this book and the romance more then book 1 and loved the romance a bit more. It had a nice balance of horror and mystery. I still really liked the regency connection to this story and really liked the new elements of a retelling tied in and i thought it was so good!! I thought the ending was a bit rushed but such a soild read!!

A gothic mystery set in a mysterious beautiful manor filled with stunning plants and a family with a dark secret. Verity is an artist who is commissioned to paint the portrait of the Duchess of Bloem's son, Alexander. She has been living with her sister in their family estate for years and yearns to finally explore the world and go on an adventure, this would be the chance for her to finally escape. Verity Thaumas comes from a family that is said to be cursed, her parents died, six of her sisters have died, but now the rest of her sisters are happily living their lives except for Verity who yearns to explore. When her sister Mercy sends her a letter telling her that a Duchess is interested in hiring her to paint her son's portrait for his 20th birthday, Verity immediately accepts. Then she discovers that her sister Camille is adamantly against it because of the secret she has been keeping form Verity, the fact that Verity can see and communicate with ghosts. That doesn't stop Verity from going though and soon she fins herself in the gorgeous and luxurious Bloem estate beginning a romance with the handsome and kind Alexander Laurent. Yet strange things are happening and she keeps getting warnings from ghosts that she should escape because there is a monster here and that something much darker is going on with this family. Can she figure out the secret lurking beneath this sickly sweet facade of a family? Unfortunately for me this book was a big let down, it fell flat so many times and I honestly was fed up with Verity for a majority of the book and the romance didn't work at all. This was advertised as a gothic horror with romance and honestly it was just meh. Verity see's so many things wrong and see's so many red flags but purposely chooses and knowingly chooses to ignore them. The romance was so bad, it was insta love, except the entire time Verity was just gas lighting herself into thinking she was in love with Alex despite the amount of time she notes she doesn't really feel like she's in love and doesn't really feel all that much about Alex except that they have a nice time together. Then there was the weird love triangle introduced and ugh, seriously what even was this book. I didn't read the first book but had no trouble following along with this one. Overall, this one was a miss from me, I love gothic romances and mysteries but this one just missed the mark a bit. However, if you do enjoy gothic mysteries with twisted families then give this one a go maybe you'll have a better time with it than I did.


*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*