I loved the idea behind this novel, but it just didn't live up to my expectations. I love that Craig plays into Gothic tropes, and thought that was well done. I think my interest was waning on the main characters. I found the heroine immature and hard to relate to.

I didn't quite love this one as much as I fell in love with the first one... This one was just a bit harder to get into.


But let me just say Erin Craig will still be auto buy author for me. The writing was still just as great!
Don't get me wrong this book was good, I think I just had higher hopes because of how much I loved House of Salt and Sorrow!

Erin A. Craig sure knows how to write a damn book. I put this book down to go to sleep but I couldn't stop thinking about it and ending up waking up to read the rest of the whole darn thing in one night. The characterization and plot twists (that you get crumbs for! but are you smart enough to eat them?) I will read anything this author writes from now on and this book just solidified it.

I am not really one for horror or suspense but after reading House of Salt & Sorrow, I had to read House of Roots and Ruin.

In House of Salt & Sorrow, Craig's writing drew me in and it felt almost impossible to stop reading, even if I was scared and the same is true for this book. Craig writes so well that I am willing to be frightened.

A spellbinding sequel that also works well as a standalone.

A gothic fantasy, terrifying and intrigue filled, it kept me guessing until the very end. Not my typical read, there was definitely some spicy content, more than the things briefly mentioned in the previous book.

I was drawn in by the twisting plot, mysterious characters in a fantastical and haunting setting. So many surprises, and plot pivots. It kept me reading, but I'm not sure if I'll continue the series.

I received a complimentary ebook. Opinions are my own.

I loved HoSaS SO freaking muchhhhh! And then HoRaR was just not it for me :/ I DNF'ed at about 43% on this one unfortunately. The pacing was off, "nothing" really happened, and the central plot thread only got updated every fourth chapter. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

I love a book that feels slightly haunted and eerie, and I love, LOVE a book with a twisted ending. Even though I saw it coming, I'm so glad she went there!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was incredibly atmospheric but slow at first. I found the subject matter and content to be quite adult focused and would not recommend this for a YA Audience. Regardless of this, I quite enjoy Craig's flowery writing and gothic stories (as an adult) so I will keep reading Craig's books.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

I didn’t really love this one, but didn't hate it either.
Compared to the first book, it was a bit slower and took me much longer to get through. The storyline was interesting but not interesting enough to captivate me. I did like that it was set more into the future and we were able to see more of Verity's character and an insight on her development, but I honestly wish it involved more of her sisters and not just Verity. If you liked the first book definitely still give this one a go, it just definitely didn't live up to the first book.

This was good story. Not great, but good. I struggled a bit and I know this is a classic case of, “it’s not you, it’s me,” since everyone I know that read it, loved it.

I loved this even more than House of Salt and Sorrow!! This was full of mystery, romance, and fantasy! I was SHOOK for a couple of the reveals! It was an amazing read! Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read!!

Audiobook
I enjoyed this storyline. I did think it was a little long, but the mystery keeps you on your toes. I didn’t really like how this ended. Kinda leaves you hanging with your mind jumping to conclusions. I have to remind myself that Verity is barely 18 and maybe that accounts for her actions/ stupidity. She did bug me sometimes. She definitely thought she was older than she was. With Verity’s level of maturity, the romance parts threw me off. More than fade to black, mostly emotional elaboration about the thinks her and Alex do/ how Victor makes her feel (I might have gotten some characters mixed up sometimes).

All the words I think of to describe this fall short- dark, twisted, mysterious, intriguing. My biggest beef is the length (absurdly long) and Verity’s personality (borderline unbearable).

Special thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the digital ARC.

Another wonderful book from Erin A. Craig!
Craig writes in a magical sort of way, one that will suck you in and before you know it, you've read most of the night away. I was excited to join the Thaumas sisters again, as the first installment of this series has lingered with me for all these years. Another instant favorite and addition to my library!

I loved this book as much as I loved the first. The writing was so well done and atmospheric and it was such a uniquely written book.

I loved House of Salt and Sorrows so much that when I heard another story in the Thaumas family was coming, it was an automatic pre-order. HoRaR was even better than HoSaS for me which I didn’t think would be possible!

This second book picks up a few years after the first book ended.

Some sisters are off living their lives. Camille is running the estate. Things seem realtivly normal again.

Except when Verity introduces Camille to someone who isnt there and the truth is revealed to her.

In a haste, Verity leaves home in the night and goes to paint this portrait. It's all new to her. Leaving abruptly, going away from home, seeing a new town.

It's a lot at first, but Verity is welcomed with such kindness (minus grannys tude). She quickly becomes fond of Alex and they explore the home for hours finding the right place to sketch and learning about eachother.

Things seem good, too good at that. As the end nears, things change quickly.

Siblings revealed, experiments were more than just on plants. Truth of Verity coming besides painting a portrait. In the end leaving a handful of people lost, a marriage and a whole new start you didn't see coming.

Compared to the first book, this one was better and held my attention more. Did I love this? No, its still just okay for a series. I didnt hate it, but I didnt love it either. Overall an okay series worth reading if you have the time.

Erin Craig has easily become one of my favorite authors of contemporary gothic literature. House of Root and Ruin is a fantastic sequel to Craig's first novel, House of Salt and Sorrow. With a massive house haunted by as many secrets as it has ghosts, our main character, Verity, must tread carefully if she wants to survive the strange happenings at Chauntilalie Manor.

I read House of Salt and Sorrow four years prior to picking up this sequel, and thankfully no refresher was needed. Craig was able to easily bring me back to the world of the Thaumas sisters without feeling like I'm drowning in missed information. Traveling to a new part of the world definitely helped with not feeling lost by giving readers a whole new place to explore.

This book was an interesting read. It kept me entertained and did a good job building upon the first book. The tone and setting were great, and the character work was interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of House of Roots and Ruin.

This is the third book I’ve read by Craig and while I absolutely loved the first two, I’m torn on my feelings about this one. The first half moved dreadfully slow, the last half was amazingly suspenseful, and the ending was predictable but enjoyable. She creates a wonderfully gothic atmosphere as usual, but I really struggled to become interested in Verity’s story as she makes terribly rash and naive choices throughout the entirety of the book.

I enjoyed both House of Salt and Sorrows and House of Roots and Ruin, but I’m left wanting more - please tell me we can expect another book in this series!!