What can I say about #TheHouseOfRootsAndRuin?
Only that it is just as good as House of Salt and Sorrow, I love when books are written that even though it is a sequel it could still be read alone and you would mostly understand.
Verity has grown into a mature young woman that feels weighted in place at Highmoor. She wants to see the world and all that it holds but feels that her sister Camille has decided her life for her and will not allow her to leave. All of their sisters have scattered out into the world and Verity so badly wants to be with them. When a letter comes from her sister Mercy she can't wait to read it and see whats happening beyond the walls of Highmoor but tucked inside the letter is another letter written in a hand that she doesn't recognize.
The Duchess of Bloem has asked for Verity to come stay with them and paint a portrait of their son. Camille of course is against this and the girls end up fighting. Verity decides its time for her to go and leaves in the dark of night after overhearing a conversation about herself that she can't believe she never noticed. The Thaumas sisters are considered cursed and poor Verity doesn't realize just how cursed she is.

She arrives at Bleum and is entranced at everything around her. Alexander is sweet and kind and she finds feelings growing but something here in Bleum is not what it seems. Danger seems to be lurking everywhere including in Alexanders home. Can Verityy unravel the mysteries surrounding her or did she put herself right in dangers path?

Special Thanks to #Netgalley for the oppertunity to read #HouseofRootsandRuin by #ErinA.Craig

Beautiful manors, beautiful people, but how much darkness can that beauty hide? This book was a twisting and turning tale that kept me guessing. I especially enjoyed observing Verity question her own sanity—enough so that I as the reader also wondered at her credibility as narrator.

tl;dr
A beautiful gothic horror that combines stunning imagery and a genuinely creepy mystery. Strong recommend.

Thoughts
I devoured this in a day, and my heart is still pounding even as I write this review. I have a deep love for gothic horror and for stories about flowers and things that grow from the earth, so this book is my "reese's peanut butter cups" of storytelling. A quiet sense of dread permeates the story, with paranoia ramping up on each page, as literal gaslights light a beautiful house full of terrifying secrets. I loved the thorough world building, and the imagery and location are very clear in my mind. It can be easy for the heroines of gothic novels to feel a little too unaware of their surroundings, but Verity is a good balance between canny and trusting. She's definitely out of her depth, but never in way that seems like she is actively being a fool. While there is a romance in here, a lot of it develops off page and through time skips, so readers don't get to see much of it unfold in real time. The tradeoff is that we get to focus on the mystery, with plenty of clues and some incredibly creepy reveals. Strong recommend for anyone in the mood for some gothic horror.

Of note, this book is a follow-up to House of Salt and Sorrows, but you don't need the previous book to jump into this one (there will be some spoilers for it, though).

What a cliffhanger! House of Salt and Sorrow ended leaving no evidence of there being another, however House of Roots and Ruin kept me on the edge of my seat and needing more! Beautifully written but more importantly the plot twists were many and very unexpected! Erin A. Craig has become an automatic buy author for me!

I received The house of salt and sorrows in a book box and I loved it, I was disappointed it wasn't a series. Then I see that we get a second book in the same universe? I might be biased but I was SOLD. I honestly couldn't devour this quick enough, there were so many twists and unexpected things I had to keep going at risk of my head exploding. I had hoped this would be as good as the 1st book and I may actually like this one better.

I absolutely adored HOSAS, so I was thrilled to receive this advanced copy of HOROR. Verity was the most peculiar of the sisters, and reading a novel devoted to her was so exciting!!

I loved how Craig tied in bits and pieces from the first novel without it being much of a continuation. This novel was very much its own story, which I thought was very well done and creative! The story provided the perfect atmospheric setting, gothic elements, and such dynamic storytelling that had me guessing and second guessing until the last ten pages. Craig’s storytelling is absolutely unmatched.

I’m not sure how much I can truly critique, as I adored it just that much. There were parts to the novel that seemed to drag, but every detail seemed extremely pertinent to the story and immersing the reader.

Here is a shivery novel that will immerse you in its world and make you question everything in it.
Verity Thaumas wants to get away from the seaside manor filled with her family’s sorrowful history. An invitation to a new life in Bloem comes just when she can’t stand it anymore. In Bloem, she can accept a commission to paint a portrait of a young future duke, Alex. She runs headlong into a magnificent new life. But she will soon find out that she cannot run far enough from everything that haunts her.
Are the people that Verity sees real…or ghosts?
Are the screams that Verity hears at night real…or something easily explained?
Are Alex and his parents kind to their guest…or setting Verity up?
This is Verity’s own story, though she first appears in House of Salt and Sorrow. (There are spoilers for the first book in this one.) Verity has a haunting history, but Bloem has a dark past of its own.
I love the way that this novel builds its suspense from the beginning to the end. It’s just what I’ve come to expect (and eagerly await) after reading Erin A Craig’s other novels. In early chapters, there’s nagging little details that can almost be explained away. Then there’s reveal after reveal until everything just blows into the open. You don’t know who to trust until the last pages. The ending is a masterpiece that will stick with me.

House of Roots and Ruin is incredible. Erin A. Craig has such a talent for gothic horror. Her books absolutely sweep you away with their atmospheric writing. When I first read House of Salt and Sorrow, I was so sad that I did not have more books of hers to read and I am SO glad it got a sequel. This book gave me so many chills!! Absolutely iconic, beautiful, spinetingling, and compelling!!

There is something about Erin A. Craig’s ability to write a book that is so addicting, you can’t put it down. The first time I read House of Salt and Sorrows, I barely slept. I almost considered calling out sick just so I could finish it. When I saw she was writing a sequel, I was so excited.

House of Roots and Ruin was almost as addicting as its predecessor. It’s spooky. It’s scary. There were so many plot twists, nothing about this book was predictable. It was well written. Everything about it will suck you in from beginning to end. Although I would have loved to continue reading about Annaleigh, Verity was also a strong protagonist. Her character had intrigued me and this book answered a few unanswered questions from the first book.

However, I found this book a hard one to review. Did I spend far too many sleepless nights reading this, unable to put it down? Yes! Was I immediately sucked in like the first book? Yes! Did I love it as much as I did its predecessor? No, not really. I personally dislike the instalove trope. The relationship between Verity and Alex happened so quickly. And while I appreciate Verity’s insecurities and her struggles, the sudden love triangle seemed to come out of nowhere. I also dislike cliff-hangers and that ending frustrated me. It was certainly a plot twist meant to set up a sequel, but I didn’t appreciate it. A third book could have been written without the need for a cliff-hanger ending.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I love Erin A Craig’s writing style. Her ability to write gothic horrors is top notch. However, I have to deduct points. It simply wasn’t as strong as the first book. This doesn’t mean I won’t read the next book. The moment it’s available, I will be up all-night reading that one too!!

I really liked this book! It was a little more YA than I usually read but it kept me interested through the whole thing. Will definitely read more by this author.

Erin Craig did it again. I loved House of Salt and Sorrows, so I couldn’t pass up reading House of Roots and Ruin. I loved getting to read Verity’s story. It kept me on my two the entire time and I fully feel that the mystery isn’t over. The book sweeps you into that world, i wish I could step in an explore the whole universe Craig has created. I’m already anxious to see what comes next in this series.

Erin Craig's follow up to House of Salt and Sorrows follows the youngest Thaumas sister, Verity, as she discovers that her house is still cursed after the events of the previous novel. Verity can see ghosts, but grows up not realizing this until it's revealed by her older sister, Camille. Desperate to break out of her sister's smothering guardianship, Verity takes a job with the People of the Petals to paint the duke's son, Alexander.

Craig has this ability to really get into her setting. Where you could practically taste the salt in HoSaS, HoRaR is over the top with perfume. Flowers everywhere! Flowers in the shape of unicorns! Flowers in the soup! It's a lot, but it's in keeping with the nature of the series, so it works fine. I mean, one might ask what the economy is like in a place obsessed with petals, but that's besides the point. Essentially, Verity and Alex hook up pretty quickly with the full-throated encouragement of his parents. Alex is in a wheelchair, which was nice disability rep, but otherwise he's a bit of a limp dishrag as far as personality. Verity has to spend arguably too much time soothing his fragile ego, and she spends a lot of time deciding whether or not she's actually into him, which hampers the romance for the most part.

There are some pacing issues--I felt the first half of the book was rather slow with moments of dread that were quickly explained away. When the book gets going it's like a 0-60 turn, but I did enjoy how it shook out and the twists leading up to the very end. It's an atmospheric historical fantasy horror asking interesting questions about perfection, and generally a meatier story than its predecessor.

This follow-up to House of Salt and Sorrows was even creepier than the first! I really enjoyed the 12 year time jump from the last book. Even though Verity's older sisters barely play a part in the story (except for Camille), I liked reading about them and what they were up to in passing. Lenore's situation did make me really sad though - if Craig continues writing about the Thaumas sisters (and I hope she does), I'd like to read about Lenore dealing with her grief and growing past the death of her sisters.
I definitely wasn't expecting the twists with Alex's family. I liked Alex, although I did think there was a little bit of insta-love and for awhile thought that Verity would end up with one of Alex's brothers. I really appreciated the presence of a disabled love interest who's still portrayed as attractive and desirable, and I liked that Verity verbalized that she didn't want to go be with someone else just because Alex was in a wheelchair.
I felt like the horror elements in this book were more in-your-face than the previous book, which I really liked. Most of the horror in HoSaS was dealing with death, but this book was way scarier to me.

This book was so much more well written than the first one in this series. I loved every bit of this book. I love gothic books and this one was so perfect. Haunted girl, haunted mansion, ghosts, pain, love, and lost... this was a very up and down book. The ending though!!!! so so good, makes it easy for Erin to add to this series. I cant wait to read more books by her.

Haunting,.... Spooky..... Mysterious...... this second installment in "The House of Salt and Sorrow" is a very captivating book. This storyline follows Verity Thaumas, the youngest of the infamous Thaumas Sisters as she strives to know who she is after the events in "The House of Salt and Sorrow". She finds life full of love, mystery and danger on her first time away from the family manor. This was a great and captivating book! I absolutely loved this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin Craig & Random House Children’s for an arc of House of Roots and Ruin in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

“In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed.

Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family’s estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia.

When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem—wife of a celebrated botanist—is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won’t allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she’s kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it.

Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and—with nowhere else to turn—makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape and is quickly drawn to charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance . . . blossoms.

But it’s not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade. . . .”

I am so happy to have gotten an early copy of the follow-up to House of Salt & Sorrows, which I loved! I didn’t even expect a sequel, but squealed with joy when I saw it!!! House of Roots & Ruin publishes on July 25, 2023 and I highly recommend picking up a copy if you enjoyed House of Salt & Sorrows and if you haven’t read House of Salt & Sorrows, read that one first!!

Dare I saw that House Roots & Ruin is better than Salt & Sorrows? Wowza – such a good book. Erin Craig is a master at YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy! No sequel slump happening here!

Twist upon Twist upon Twist – I now need a martini with a TWIST! Make sure that you allow yourself enough time to finish this in one sitting because I promise you that you will not stop once you start. And now that we got this sequel, I definitely want more. Erin Craig – do you hear me? WE NEED MORE!!!

Mark every notification app you have with the release date of this one and then RUN to grab your copy.

5/5 Stars

4.2 (rounded down to 4) out of 5 stars.

‘House of Roots and Ruin’ was a beautifully spun thrill of a story. When I heard we were getting another installment following a Thaumas sister, I didn’t think it would be like this! It is definitely for fans of indie horror rpg ‘Mad Father’- it’s full of the same thrilling, family secret heavy, blood behind the beauty story of a girl trapped in a whirlwind of the past resurfacing for closure.

Verity Thaumas is still cursed. Seeing ghosts and things beyond their realm, she’s haunted by secrets in the rebuilt Highmoor and when things come to light, she flees to Chauntilalie where only darker secrets and pasts await.
Erin Craig delivers her usual spooky read again with HORAR, and it was so binge-able, I was reading page after page whenever I could on vacation- so queue lines were definitely bearable!
As some others have said, the story is a little slow in the beginning. It’s a lot of introduction and getting a feel for Verity, filling readers in on little tidbits of what has happened since HOSAS.
I’ll also agree a bit that the romance arc of this moved on a little fast. It was a little hard to follow along with the swiftness of the two getting together, but it was all sweet nonetheless.
And of course, it wouldn’t be an Erin Craig book without plot twists! Just when you think you’ve figured out what is going on, she throws you in for another loop that’s got you wanting to read more. It gets a little messy, so be sure you keep up with names and remember- don’t stop to smell the flowers if you ever find yourself visiting Bloem 🌺

Y'all I picked this up because I liked House of Salt and Sorrows but didn't realize that this was a sequel of sorts (it's really more of a companion novel, I'd say). Luckily it's a sequel TO House of Salt and Sorrows and I found a recap of that book online and was able to move forward with this one (if a publisher is reading this, please put recaps in sequels). And I'm glad I did! Craig is excellent at creating the atmosphere of horror (like the carp scene GAH) and the worldbuilding in these is pretty epic. Our main character is pretty naiive, but that makes sense given her upbringing and she learns fairly quickly. There's also a large element of poisoning here which was fun as I was reading a non-fiction book about poison at the same time, so that matched up nicely (I'd recommend that book too FWIW - A Taste of Poison by Neil Bradbury). So yeah, if horror/fantasy with some romance sounds appealing to you, this one is a lot of fun. I'll be widely recommending it! 4 stars.

This captured my attention from the beginning. I felt drawn to the characters and the story was amazing! Definitely need more from this author!

This book was so creepy, but it in a good way. I loved how it always kept me guessing and it oftentimes made me uncomfortable. I may have nightmares after reading this but I'll be ok with them because this book was so good. I loved Verity's story and if you enjoyed Craig's previous books, you should definitely check this out.