House of Salt and Sorrow was one of my favorite reads in 2022. Now House of Roots and Ruin is one of my favorite 2023 reads! Erin Craig has a way with words. Her descriptive nature puts right in the heart of the story. You find yourself getting goosebumps as you read along!

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book. Erin A. Craig does it again. She paints such beautiful pictures with her words and I definitely wish I could visit Chauntilalie.
We start off at Highmoor manor. Verity, the youngest of the Thaumas sisters is almost 18 years old. She is living there with her older sister, Camille, now the Duchess of Highmoor, and her family. All the rest of the sisters, who were alive at the end of House of Salt and Sorrow, have moved away. Verity wants to do some exploring of the world and is tired of Camille always denying her the ability to do so.
Verity doesn’t remember anything from her life before age six. She doesn’t remember any of her sisters’ deaths, her dad’s, or her stepmom’s. (If you read House of Salt and Sorrows, that means she doesn’t remember any of that.) She just remembers growing up for a period of time in Hesperus at the lighthouse with Annaleigh, Honor, and Mercy, while Highmoor was being rebuilt.
Mercy sends her a letter from the Duchess of Bloem, Dauphine Laurent, who wants to commission her to do a portrait of their son, Alexander. Verity wants to go and asks Camille for permission, but Camille denies her and reveals a secret as to the real reason why she hasn’t ever let Verity leave. Despite the secret she’s learned, Verity is still determined to go and leaves in the middle of the night leaving behind a note for Camille.
Verity arrives safe and sound and starts the groundwork for the portrait of Alex. She and Alex get to know each other over the coming weeks as they spend most of the days together. After the work for the portrait in the morning, the afternoons are spent outside enjoying the different sections of the vast grounds surrounding Chauntilalie.
Even though they’ve only known each other for a few weeks, Alex has fallen in love and proposes to Verity. She enjoys being with him but she’s so afraid that she is going to mess up that she is never in the present when he kisses her and isn’t sure if she loves him the same way, but she says yes anyway. She doesn’t want to go back to Highmoor and doesn’t really have any other place to go.
As she and Dauphine rush to plan the wedding, just over a month away because it has to be on certain dates that are important to the People of Bloem, and Dauphine doesn’t want to wait months for the next date, things start to change in a negative way. There are many dark secrets at Chauntilalie and Verity is even warned away and told of some of the terrible things that will come if she stays. However, Verity is determined to stay and marry Alex. What terrible things are the Duke and Duchess of Laurent hiding? Will Verity and Alex get married or will they be stopped from tying the knot? Read this Gothic horror masterpiece to find out what fate awaits Verity!

I'm a big fan of Erin Craig. House of Salt and Sorrows was one of the best books I read last year and I am so glad I got a chance to dive back into that world. Getting see Verity as an adult was awesome.

I loved this book! I am a huge fan of Erin A. Craig's writing since I picked up her first book which was a House of Salt and Sorrows. I am glad that she wrote this one as a follow up to a House of Salt and Sorrows.. I enjoyed getting to see read more of the world that she developed in that first book. This book did not disappoint. I liked that we got to see Verity's character grow from a little girl to being a young women. I enjoyed the gothic vibes in this story.

House of Roots and Ruin is a dark fantasy sequel that holds up well as a stand-alone novel while continuing the world building and character development readers craved after reading house of salt and sorrows.

Fans new and old to dark fantasy will find themselves drawn into the finely crafted tale that Erin A. Craig has presented here .

This was a fantastic follow up to the House of Salt and Sorrows. I think it was better in a lot of ways. Instead of trying to show horn her world into a familiar fairytale Craig takes us off the island and into the rich world she only touched upon in the previous book. As Verity found her wings my heart ached for the little girl she had been and the childhood she lost. I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment

I loved this second book and a glimpse into a now grown sister. Salt and Sorrows was a top book for me last year, so I loved continuing their journey and the growth of the world.

Craig offers readers horror and beauty mingled in equal measure as we get reacquainted with The Sisters of the Salt.

We find sweet Verity Thaumas still meandering through the halls of Highmoore. As a ward of her overprotective sister, Camille, she spends her days close to home, painting for pleasure and dreaming of a world outside of the estate. When an invitation is sent from the Duchess of Bloem, offering Verity an opportunity to travel to paint a portrait of the Duchess's beloved son, Verity jumps at the chance. Camille protests profusely and as Verity pushes back a truth to horrifying to believe is unveiled. Fleeing from the truth and the only home she's ever known, Verity finds herself in Bloem, in a world of opulence and and secrets. As she begins to paint the charming Alexander Laurent, an easy report blooms between the two but blossoming love isn't enough to make Verity forget the ghosts of her past.

House of Roots and Ruin is easily my favorite offering from Craig yet! She has woven a tale that is engaging, atmospheric, and so stinking bingeable! The gothic atmosphere is thoughtfully crafted, creating a constant feeling of dread. The juxtaposition of lush garden landscapes and glittering gown make the darker bits all the more terrifying!

Fans of the authors earlier works will fall easily into her telltale style of writing while enjoying a fresh story that will leave you clamoring to know....what the heck are those other sisters up to!!!????

Endless thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy in exchange for my honenst review.

As a full disclosure, I did not realize this was a sequel when I received an ARC of it last month. However, I don't think it's necessary to read the first book before reading this one, since there's a bit of a synopsis at the very beginning of this one as Verity gives a brief overview of the fate of her family.

<i>House of Roots and Ruin</i> is a fun gothic fantasy that has great world-building. It reminds me a lot of <i>Mexican Gothic</i>, but I actually think I enjoyed the execution a little more since <i>House</i> builds as the story goes along. There are enough twists and turns to keep things interesting and I think the ending lends itself to continuing the story (please tell me there will be a third book because it was a great cliffhanger!). Fans of the first book will love this one for sure.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This is the sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows. In House of Roots and Ruin, Verity leaves her family and heads to Bloem to paint a portrait.. Erin Craig writes atmospheric gothic novels. Verity is full of self doubt after learning she can see ghosts. She never really knows if she can trust what she is seeing. The reader is kept off-balance along with Verity. Did she hear peacocks screaming, ghosts or was she hallucinating? Unfortunately for me the supernatural spookiness didn’t pay-off. I wanted more of these elements. Where some of Craig’s other novels really excelled at was the spooky, supernatural, horror elements. This felt like a gothic rich people behaving badly story. The romance with Alex was sweet and believable. The first 50-60% was great with fantastic build-up but as the final events ramped up I lost interest. There were a few villains instead of one and that might have added to this feeling unsatisfying. The direction this went in the end felt like a soap-opera. I enjoy the author’s writing style and her gothic horror niche in YA novels and will certainly read her next novel.

Thank you To NetGallely and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow…I’m at a loss for words after that completely mind blowing ending. Erin Craig definitely didn’t suffer from the sophomore slump with this sequel. I really enjoyed House of Salt and Sorrows, but I loved this one even more.

This book starts out in the same world as HOSAS, but we are instead in the mind of Verity, the youngest Thaumas sister, 12 years after the events of the first book. As Verity makes her way to Bloem and Chauntilalie Manor, we are introduced to Gerard, Dauphine and Alexander. As Verity and Alex continue to learn more about each other, I honestly couldn’t get enough. Each chapter unfolds with new and intriguing information and I was so interested in what would happen next. I don’t want to give away anymore information due to spoilers, but I was seriously hooked from the beginning of this book. I didn’t want to stop reading and was pulled in to the scenery and setting that Craig described. The twists and turns left me on the edge of my proverbial seat and that ending left me wanting more. I honestly cannot wait to see what else Erin Craig has in store.

If you enjoy: gothic fantasy, spooky manors with secret passageways, necromancy, lush green settings, family secrets, sinister plots and unexpected twists and turns, this is definitely the book for you.

5 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for this ARC.

I enjoyed House of Salt and Sorrow but I LOVED House of Roots and Ruin. And the ending? Please let there be a third book. Craig does a fantastic job of writing a good Gothic story that’s also exciting and romantic. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

In this beautifully dark continuation of House of Salt and Sorrows, Verity, one of the Thaumas sisters is still plagued with visions, unbeknownst to herself. When she finds out, she flees, to the house of Chauntilalie, where she’s been hired to paint the portrait of Alexander. There, she discovers more than just her ‘curse.’ There are many secrets woven in the walls of Chauntilalie, more than just her own.

This unexpected sequel did not disappoint! I have to say, I think I enjoyed it even more than the first one. It was incredibly written, beautifully detailed. The foreshadowing was incredible! The twists and turns, I was up past midnight unable to put it down.

Verity is an interesting character, grown up from the first book. She’s still seeing things, unlike her other sisters, and starts off unaware of it. I do wish we could’ve seen a bit more of her gift, I do love ghostly interactions in books.

The other characters were also quite fascinating, despite their roles in the story. I loved all the little reveals, I was hooked!

I do hope there will be more! I need more, I need answers!

Highly recommend to those who love beautifully detailed and atmospheric gothic novels with some romance sprinkled in.

Thank you Net Galley and Random House for the opportunity to read this amazing book!

When Verity receives an offer to leave her family’s estate in order to complete a portrait of the next Duke of Bloem, her older sister and caretaker, Camille, adamantly refuses. She soon realizes that the reason she has been confined to her family’s secluded island is because she has unknowingly been living amongst ghosts her whole life. Despite Camille’s instructions, Verity sets off in the middle of the night to seek her own adventure by accepting the painting commission, regardless of the people and spirits she will meet along the way. Shortly after she arrives at the Duke’s estate, she realizes there is something not quite right about the family and grounds and she soon finds herself entwined in a dark and twisted scheme.

House of Salt and Sorrows fans, get ready!!! New York Times bestselling author Erin A. Craig has another successful novel coming out in July 2023, “House of Roots and Ruin” and we CAN’T WAIT! My keywords for HoRaR are fantasy, horror, retelling, romance, and gothic fairy tales. Creepy and thrilling, this is especially for fans of “Belladonna” by A. Grace and “Once Upon a Broken Heart” by Stephanie Garber.

This is book two of the Sisters of the Salt series, and takes place 12 years later. The cover of the first book, “House of Salt and Sorrows” was gorgeous, and this next book will have a beautiful cover as well (sure to be a collector’s item!). Go to Barnes and Noble to find the Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition includes bonus content by the author, a jacket with gold foiling, a custom case and endpapers, and burgundy sprayed edges. I am buying this ASAP for my readers to use. HoRaR is an amazing, scary, gut-wrenching story following Verity Thaumas, who is seeing ghosts, and running away from the Salann shores towards danger, and the dream of love. She finds herself at Chauntilalei, Bloem's gothic mansion. Verity realizes secrets need to be discovered, and evil is lurking to find her again. Will she survive? The twists, turns and tension will keep many enthralled to the end. And then readers will be hungry for more! I can’t wait to advocate this book to my readers - please Erin Craig, we beg you to give us more books like this in your future! Five of five stars!

Thank you to Random House Children’s & Delacorte Press via NetGalley for this arc. I voluntarily read this book and all opinions are my own. Review will be published according to the publisher’s timeline recommendations.

It surprised me so pleasantly. Going in all I knew bout the story was that it was a gothic thriller so as I kept reading I just knew that it was only a matter of time until some creepy shit went down. I trusted no one from the estate that commissioned Verity. The story starts with Verity a sheltered girl who dreams of exploring beyond the island she calls home. Her opportunity comes when she gets an invitation from the Duchess of Bloem. The Duchess wants Verity to paint the portrait of her son. Verity is very excited for the opportunity but her sister is very against the idea of Verity leaving. Verity is told that she can see ghosts, but Verity had had no idea since the ghost look so real to her. She defied her sisters wishes and left for Bloem where she meets the handsome son of the Duchess, Alexander. The first half was very much setting up for the rest of the story which unfolds at a much faster pace. As we learned more about Alexander and his family the more we see that something isn't right. His father is a botanist obsessed with his work and strange things start to happen to Verity. Then once some revelations happen the story really takes off. I was definitely intrigued and did not want to stop reading. There was a lot towards the end that i was not expecting and was left pleasantly surprised. At fist I wasn't convinced by the romance but towards the end I didn't even care of this had romance or not because I was so invested in finding out who was going to survive! I compare it to Ready or Not because it has that same fighting for your life against some rich crazy people thing going on.

Excuse me, that ending???? I screamed.

This was a great follow up from House of Salt and Sorrows. (Which was one of my fave releases in 2019). I didn’t know I needed a second. But now I know I need a third, immediately. Stat. Erin did a wonderful telling - it gave me gothic Frankenstein, Dr. Moreau vibes, and I loved every second of it.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive an arc in exchange for my honest review!

I started House of Roots and Ruin with a lot of excitement as I really enjoyed the first book. I got to about 30% when I chose to DNF this book. I tried to keep going several times, but the pacing of the book was a bit too slow moving for me. I kept wanting to skim or put the book down, so I decided this wasn't the book for me.

I absolutely LOVED House of Roots and Ruin.

First, I love the way Erin Craig writes. Her attention to detail is everything and grabs the readers attention immediately.

Second, I loved how she made Verity the main character in this sequel to Salt and Sorrow.

A few years after the fire in the Salt Verity is living with Camille. One day Verity receives a letter from Duchess Laurent to come and paint a portrait of her son, Alex. Alex and Verity end up becoming fast friends but Verity being Verity knows something is amiss at Chauntilalie. She soon finds out exactly what is going on. The ending, the cliffhanger was left perfectly. Even though there was apart of me that was hoping it was ending in a fairytale dream, I knew better! I’m glad the ending was what it was. It leaves a huge door open for another book and I’m really really hoping there is one. I mean, there are more sisters and I do believe Verity and Alex have a story to continue.

Five stars and beyond for House of Roots and Ruin!!!! I can’t wait til July so I can purchase my own copy!

A wonderfully lush and dark Gothic tale about the sinister side of ambition, love, and the ghosts that haunt us.

Seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas longs to leave her home in Highmoor for and adventure of her own, just as her older sisters have done. When she receives word that the Duchess of Bloem has expressed interest in having her paint a portrait of her son Alexander, Verity believes her adventure is beginning. However, her eldest sister Camille will not hear of it. In order to keep Verity from leaving, Camille tells her a secret she has been keeping: Verity has been seeing ghosts for years without knowing it. Verity is unable to accept the truth, and leaves for Bloem in the middle of the night.

In Bloem, she is welcomed by the the elegant Dauphine Laurent; her husband Gerard, a celebrated botanist; and their handsome son, Alexander. Verity is charmed by the rich verdancy of Bloem and the kindhearted Alexander. Romance soon blooms between them, but the longer Verity stays with the Laurents, the more she begins to realize that something is terribly wrong. Nightmares begin to show Verity that beneath Bloem's sickly-sweet charm lies a rot that threatens to destroy everything.

This is a fantastic sequel to House of Salt and Sorrow. Craig smartly made Verity's tale all her own, and has created a new world for readers to explore within the land of Arcannia. The secrets are dark, the romance is scorching, and the twists are delightfully unhinged. Craig also portrays a character's disability with honesty and sensitivity. A must-read for fans of Belladonna by Adalyn Grace, or any Gothic fantasy.