Wow….

The cliffhanger ending is very good. I swear Erin Craig loves making these stories dark and creepy towards the end. She really has a talent at turning something pastoral and revealing the rot underneath.

At first, I was very skeptical of this book. I didn’t know if it would live up to my love of the first one. The mystery, creep factor, and secrets were all great. Craig is very good at characterization. There were some parts of the story- secrecy siblings and the romance between Verity and Alex- that I wanted to be explored more. Especially the romance between Verity and Alex. I liked the beginning of it and how it showed Verity being unfamiliar with these feelings, but I feel like we rushed from dating to marriage too fast and Verity was just kinda okay with it. I think I would have liked the bridge between like and love to be a bit smoother.

Other than that…the ending. Holy crap. They’re alive. Like shizzz. Well done.

Much to unpack here but let's begin with this being #2 of one of my very favorite Fantasy stories. Honestly, it doesn't feel like a sequel and can easily stand on its own as original adjacent. There was nothing so complicated from the first book [House of Salt & Sorrows] that would preclude you from starting here and fully enjoying it. The trauma and cursedness of the Thaumas sisters was explained throughout and woven back into the suspense so no loss there at all.
Craig has a wonderful talent for atmosphere and giving characters a place to live and grow and be haunted in with details that are necessary to the story - still 544 pages is an awful big commitment, were I not an invested YA Fantasy reader and fan of book #1 I might pass on this one. There are slow and elegant reveals of turmoil, tension that builds between multiple relationships, and always reasons to keep reading and yet I found myself figuring this one out well before it was over so the ending didn't necessarily surprise me but it did please me and left a broad path for the continuation of the tale with Verity still in the limelight as opposed to moving on to another sister's story.
Timeless themes of creation and just who can and can't play at being a God; the Gods' involvement or lack of in the lives of ordinary people, not so ordinary people's coming to terms with their gifts/curses and circumstances, expectations upon expectations upon disappointments and always a slant on who comes to the rescue or even needs to be rescued at all. I personally enjoyed the romantic piece of this as it explored the aspect of a love that is built vs. fireworks at inception. You'll root for Verity at every turn.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-copy, this as always is my honest review.

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


Erin A. Craig returns to the world of Sisters of the Salt with a new installment in her Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling, House of Roots and Ruin, but this time a new sister will take the helm and a new story will unfold! We are long past the days of worn out dancing shoes, but it seems the meddling gods are still very much present!

First, one quick disclaimer, you do not have to have read House of Salt and Sorrow before reading this one. This one will follow a completely different sister many years after those events. You get brief mentions of those past events but it won't be anything to confuse you from the story at hand.

I was super excited to dive into this story! It takes place a magical and important twelve years later. All of Verity living sisters have married and moved on, while she remained at Highmoor with her oldest sister Camille. Though Verity longs for something more, she wants to leave Highmoor and have her own adventure, find her own chance at true love, though her sister is strictly against the idea. But when Verity receives a letter from the Duchess of Bloem asking her to come to the manor to pain a portrait of her son, Alexander, there's no telling Verity no. But when her sister does in fact say no, Verity does what any princess would do, she runs away and does it anyway!

Upon arriving at Bloem we see gardens filled with gorgeous flowers, as the Duke of Bloem is very much a man of the flower! Verity quickly learns that Alexander is a boy around her age who, after a terrible childhood accident has been reduced to life in a wheelchair. I mention this only because it is here we get the strong vibes of the next to be seen retelling, and that is The Secret Garden. But the garden here is going to end up being a very dangerous and deadly sort as we soon will learn.

Things start off well enough in the story, things are simple enough, but Verity does learn one terrifying secret before she leaves home, and that is she can see ghosts! The problem with that is she can't always tell when she's speaking with someone who is alive or with someone who is dead. Ghosts pretty much look like living people to her. She soon learns that the mansion of Bloem is hiding its own secrets and its own ghosts. Before she knows it, she's pulled into a very twisted and intricate mystery and if she's not careful, she might find herself more entwined than she's ever wanted to be.

This book...oh this book! I remember my feelings over Craig's debut were much of the same! I was loving the fairy tale vibes, and while I don't really consider The Secret Garden a fairy tale, you get a more sinister version of that story here, mixed in with ghosts, mystery, and secrets...so many secrets! It was definitely a page turner of a read with all its 500+ pages! I will admit that there were occasional moments where I felt like the story was dragging a bit, pacing wise, but it never lasted long before the next intriguing or shocking thing would happen!

Honestly, the fact that Verity could see ghosts really had me intrigued! I love a good ghost story! That Verity had trouble determining who was alive and who was not, made for decadent reading!

The mystery and secrets started to unravel themselves in bits and pieces! I mean, I'd say maybe around the halfway mark or just past it the story takes on a game-changing turn and from there it's chaos! Blissfully, delicious chaos! Oh, how I wish I could dive into this part more, but alas, I will not spoil it for you! Just be aware that, though the pacing may be a little slow in the beginning, things will pick up and you better hold on when they do because it becomes a whirlwind of a read after that!

Romance, because you know I have to touch on that! Verity and Alex definitely have a bit of chemistry going between them! They have that sweet first love kind of romance going on between them. Alex has never really ever been able to leave his house and go places, and Verity was always confined to her manor, they have a lot in common...and yet, I was a bit surprise they never seemed to want to make plans for traveling. I get that Alex was in a wheelchair and travel might prove difficult, but they never really said, "we'll find a way!" They both just seemed content to stay in a house of their own for the foreseeable future until it was time for Alex to become the Duke of Bloem. Weird, but just one of those tiny nuisances you think of after the fact.

The ending of this book was unbelievable! Just as one shocking moment came to a conclusion it's followed by a series of jaw dropping moments! I don't think I've ever been so shocked before in my reading lifetime! Lol! Although, I will admit, I did have questions at the end, like so many questions! None that I can voice because of spoiler reasons but then that last sentence! Oh that last sentence kind of ruined me! Lol! Only in the sense that I was right! Which then presents the problem of is this THEN END?! I rather think it is...but I never say never to a sequel. I mean the author might...but then I've seen them go back to a "finished" series before and create a new story to add onto things. Will this be the end of the Thaumus sisters or will there be another story for perhaps another one of the girls? Who's to say, really?

House of Roots and Ruin was without a doubt one of the most jaw-dropping reads I've read this year! It was such a perfect blend of fantasy and thriller and I am in love with this new genre idea! The joys of "fairytale" like settings blended with the absolute chilling! It's a genre I feel like that needs to be greatly expanded up in depth! Luckily for us, Craig seems to have this genre down pat! If you want something fantastical and chilling, look no further than Erin A. Craig!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars


House of Roots and Ruin releases July 25, 2023

A perfect YA spooky book! I love the twist of this retelling and it’s gothic fiction perfection. I liked Verity immediately and found myself thinking about the story long after I put the book down!

House of Roots and Ruin is the sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows, a book I really enjoyed. This book follows Verity, a Thaumas sister and painter, who learns she can see ghosts and runs away from home to take a portrait commission in Bloem, but all is not well…..

I really love the ATMOSPHERE that Erin A. Craig creates in her stories. Everything drips with gothic flair and foreboding and it’s the same for HORAR, full of creepy plants and flower lore. This story took some time getting off the ground in the first half but the second half was full of revelations and twists! Good fun and great to see another piece of the world she’s created. Four stars!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC copy. This is my honest review. HORAR comes out July 25, 2023.

House of Roots and Ruin is coming July 25th , and all I have to say is THAT ENDING!! 👏😱 I wasn’t sure if the book was a 4.5 star or 5 star read for me as it was coming to an end. Then the last few pages came, and it became a 6 star read. I can’t decide if I need a novella or if I forever want to be in this state of HOLY CRAP!
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House of Roots and Ruin is a hauntingly beautiful story of the youngest Thaumus sister, Verity. After discovering a secret about herself, she leaves Highmoor for the first time and flees to Bloem. She is asked to paint the portrait of the Dutch and Duchesses son, Alexander, and resides on their estate during the painting process. And so an adventure of romance, ghosts, lies, betrayals, and twists begins. ⁣
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You need to add this book to your TBR. It’s a YA fantasy thriller with gothic and paranormal elements that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole book! ⁣
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What’s your last 6 star book? I have about 50 pages left in Fourth Wing, but I have a feeling it’ll be a 6 star read for me as well!⁣
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Erin A. Craig has done it again. This second foray into the lives of the Thaumas sisters focuses on young Verity. Unhappy with being stuck at home with her older sister Camille, Verity jumps at the invitation from the Duchess of Bloem to paint her son, Alexander. Camille forbids the trip, however, and her reason involves a long-held family secret. Camille and Verity argue and Verity flees from Highmoor to Bloem. There, she finds danger, intrigue . . . and love. Which one of these will decide her fate? I loved Verity's story, and the end of this one had me questioning everything. This one is a must for ghost and gothic story lovers.

Let’s start with the setting of this book. After Verity runs away, she lands precisely where she means to at Chauntilalie manor. I don’t know what it is lately with authors making flowers creepy, but I’m here for it. Despite the friendly facade and splendor, the house immediately felt off. It’s all just a little too perfect. I definitely loved this setting, and the atmosphere really fit the story. It does take a while for things to truly get creepy, so I’d say in pacing it’s similar to Small Favors.

I also seriously loved the plot There were so many twists and turns, and even though I guessed half of them correctly before they happened, there were a few I didn’t see coming. Just like with House of Salt and Sorrows, at the end you are truly questioning your own sanity. The ending definitely proves that you should, so I’ll leave that at that.

Now here’s the thing I struggled with. I was not at all sure about the characters. Verity is likeable enough, but she does not have fantastic problem solving skills. There was many a time when she could’ve spoken up about something but chose not to do so, which led to a couple of mini-miscommunication instances, which just really annoy me. In the end I did like the love interest, but I feel like I just distrusted him from the beginning because of the nature of this book. And while Verity did have a character ARC, I felt like his was a bit lacking.

Nevertheless, this book ended with quite a bang, and if we’re not going to get a sequel to this I’m going to riot.

This book was magic. I loved everything about it. It was spooky, it was romantic, it was magical. It had everything you could ask for in a novel.

Though it is part of a series, this book can stand alone. It is one of those stories that you need to read with friends so that you have someone to discuss it with when you're done. Not one but two twists that leave the reader wanting more.

I requested House of Roots and Ruin without reading the first book in the series and when I was approved and realized my error I quickly remedied the situation. I'm so glad I found these books and the deeply haunting, eerie, and evocative world of the Sisters of the Salt.
House of Roots and Ruin took me a little longer to get into than House of Salts and Sorrows, but once it got going it was hard to put down. I found myself puzzling over the story, wondering how the mystery would unfold. There were so many unexpected twists, so many times I was left wondering who to trust. And the ending left me reeling. The only thing I wish this story had more of were the other sisters because that's something I enjoyed so much about the first book.
I hope to return to this world again soon. (Maybe Lenore can tell her story next?)

I really enjoyed the first book by this author and so I was happy to read this one! It was a good story and I love the world that Craig has created. I hope to continue reading her books and my students who enjoy fantasy will like this book also!

A stunning read. Absolutely haunting. This book disturbed me and captivated me and constantly kept me guessing. I am fairly certain I loved this even more than the first book in the series, and I truly did not think that was possible. I am now hungry for more books in the same gothic-fantasy-fairy-tale-horror genre, but I fear that even if I find something else close to this, it will not measure up. I adore Erin Craig’s writing and I cannot wait for more.

-posted on Goodreads

This book left me screaming for more. It is such a great twisted tale much like the movie Crimson Peak. Verity is naive and it's that naivety that makes the story even more thrilling. Erin Craig has written another great hit!

Erin Craig is a masterful storyteller combining Gothic and fantasy with a hint of romance. we meet Verity Thaumas who lives with her sister, Camille. When Verity decides to leave to paint a portrait of the Duke of Bloem, Camille shares a family secret. Distraught Verity flees the island that has been her home. Once in Bloem, she learns of a new life and paints Alexander. Then as secrets of Bloem are revealed, Verity is trapped. This fast-paced gothic thriller/fantasy/romance will keep you turning pages until the end and hoping for the next installment. Thank you to NetGalley & Delacorte Press for the egalley!

4.5 Stars
Absolutely loved diving back into this world and atmosphere again! I loved the spookiness and creepy atmosphere. The writing was lush, moody and easy to follow as usual. I would recommend reading House of Salt and Sorrows first before reading this one. Verity is a great narrator and I loved seeing how her being really young during the events of the first book affects her understanding of the world around her in the present. Definitely super interested in reading the next book!

P.S. I really like the idea of following a different sister in each book

Seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has dutifully remained at her families estate with her older sister Camille despite her other sisters scattering across Arcannia. Verity receives a letter from her sister Mercy stating that the Duchess of Bloem would love for her to come paint a portrait of her son Alexander but Camille denies her request to go. At first, Verity doesn't understand why her sister keeps her hidden away but then she discovers that a secret has been kept from her...Verity can see ghosts. Despite the danger she flees Highmoor and heads to Bloem...straight into the arms of charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. Alexander is not what she expected and they quickly begin a whirlwind romance but not everything is what it seems and Verity may have just put herself in harm’s way.

House of Roots and Ruin is the exciting sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows (Sisters of the Salt). The first novel was one of my top reads so it's not surprising that House of Roots quickly became my top read for this year. I love Erin Craig's writing style and this novel hints that we might be seeing more of the Sisters of the Salt...I can't wait. This novel takes place years after House of Salt with Verity, now a teen, wishing for adventure and finding herself being kept hidden away. She soon discovers that her sister is trying to protect her from the ghosts that Verity can see. Unwilling to hide away she flees in the night straight into what appears to be the answer to her prayers...but soon becomes a nightmare. A novel I couldn't put down and definitely a must read for 2023!

4.5 rounded up
Erin A. Craig has a way of writing such atmospheric stories. I could see this playing out like a movie so clearly. I did find it a bit predictable hence the 4.5. I almost feel like some of it being predictable added to the horror of it though. I was just reading with this aching sense of dread waiting for the shoe to drop and yelling “No Verity No!” I really hope the twist at the end means we are getting more stories in this world. I need to know what happens next!
Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book much more than the first book. It gives you all the gothic spooky vibes with a sweet romance tucked in. If you enjoyed the first book you should definitely give this one a go!

Unexpected sequels usually are a turnoff for me but somehow I liked this one even better than the original! Excellent dark, moody storytelling and a mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat.