<i>ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review</i>
I was pretty excited for this book as I remember enjoying the first book a lot. Sadly this one was not as enjoyable for a whole slew of reasons. I found the beginning to be a little boring and then Verity’s subsequent fighting with her sister which leads to her running away didn’t leave a good look for either of them. Once Verity arrives at the Bloem estate the book turned more into a gothic soap opera than anything else. The writing style is easy to get sucked into as is the slow build of tension. Nothing went the way I expected and some of the revelations are a bit mind boggling. The ending though is what really has me stuck. I don’t like it and it’s mostly because I have more questions and I feel like I need some concrete information that my mind can actually understand. I can’t even say for sure there’s a happy ending because again, I'm not sure I'm fully grasping how it all wrapped up and that’s a huge bummer for me.

After reading House of Salt and Sorrow, I was content. I thought that the story was over, but when I found out that this book was going to exist, I could not contain my excitement. YA gothic horror is such an underserved genre, and I am so excited that this book was such an excellent entry.
Verity Thaumas, feeling stifled by her much older sister, accepts a painting commission from Duchess Dauphine Laurent of Bloem where she is to create a portrait of her son, Alexander. But despite Bloem's lush, luxurious landscapes, it is also dark, gothic, and has the atmosphere of a garden, beautiful, but dependent on rot for its sustenance.
Verity is an excellent protagonist, because she is genuinely deeply flawed and develops and grows up over the course of the novel. Her romance is Alexander is lovely and develops so organically, even if it felt a bit rushed. The overall vibes of the book support the plot excellently, constantly hinting at false facades and underlying decay. And beyond this, the twist at the end is slightly predictable, but still quite enjoyable. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I would not be upset to find out that there is a third part to this story that has yet to come to realization.

I liked the dark and creepy atmosphere of this book. The ending was fantastic. I think it could have been tightened up in the editing process.

I have been dying to revisit the world of House of Salt and Sorrows since the shocking ending and I'm thankful that House of Roots and Ruin didn't disappoint. Taking place 12 years later we revisit some familiar characters in what feels like an even darker fantasy tale woven with mystery. I was so impressed with this one I will be recommending it to everyone!

I really enjoyed this gothic and chilling fantasy mystery!

I think the strongest aspects of this book are the consistently eerie atmosphere and all of the parallels to gothic manor romances like Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, Mexican Gothic, or Jane Eyre. House of Roots and Ruin fits in perfectly with these classics!

The other aspect that I loved was Alex. I loved him from the very beginning and yay for more fantasy novels with disability representation!

I found the early middle of the book to be a little slow and dragged out a bit. The plot is great - exciting and mysterious, so I never lost interest.

But about halfway through, the plot really sped up! That’s when some really exciting events unfold! And while I wanted things to progress a bit faster early on, I think the slower pace did compliment the chilling atmosphere.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t crazy about Verity as an MC. Sometimes I felt like she was too naive and didn’t take enough precautions. Other times, she felt stubbornly blind about events in the story, refusing to consider what was in front of her. She is a bit quick to her own conclusions. These aspects made it a little hard to relate to her.

All in all, this was a great read - super creepy and thrilling - a perfect book for spooky autumn reading!

Dark and twisting, I never knew what to expect from this story. I thought I knew where the plot was going, and I did guess at several of the main twists. But that ending! An excellent sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of House of Roots and Ruin! I love stepping into a complex, dark fantasy, and this novel did not disappoint. This is a sequel, the follow up to House of Salt and Sorrows, and takes place twelve years after those events, which still have an effect on the characters. I love that this book took on a darker, more mysterious and Gothic feel. If you haven't read Erin Craig's other novels, definitely get started so you can read her latest, which I think is her best yet!

Set twelve years after the House of Salt and Sorrows, this sequel follows youngest Thaumus sister, Verity, now a young woman living a sheltered life in her sister's household at Highmoor. Verity wants to have an adventurous life, but her sister wants to protect her because Verity is still being haunted, only she doesn't know it. After an early reveal of this information, Verity runs off to accept a job as an artist in Bloem, painting a portrait of a young man. The house she finds herself in is even more creepy than the one in the first book, and she isn't sure who to trust.

This story was so atmospheric! A creepy gothic fantasy that kept me guessing until the very end. I genuinely gasped at the ending, and I hope the author writes more in this series.

Erin Craig has done it again! There's nothing she can't do. She's easily one of my very favorite YA authors, and horror authors in general. There's nobody else that can do what she can do in terms of creating the claustrophobic atmosphere, incredible worldbuilding, complex characters, and a plot that just won't quit in terms of twists and turns. She kept me on my toes the entire time.

I think this book works well as a stand-alone, but it means even more to those of us who have loved House of Salt and Sea so much that they still think about it every day, even though they read it several years ago. (I recommend that book to everybody that I think will love it).

This book takes a darker spin than her other two, in my opinion. While there isn't anything a mature eighth grader couldn't handle, it does feature a scene or two where a few of the characters get hot-and-heavy (nothing beyond intense kissing), but where the darkness lies is in the world-building Craig creates. There are descriptions of ghastly creatures that could turn stomachs of squeamish readers, and there are some gory moments as well. But overall, her use of plants and science was fascinating, her created world was so intricate and beautiful, and I wanted to wrap Verity in my arms and giver her a big hug several times throughout the book.

The world she has created here is dark and scary, but her characters are full of love and light. It's a rare and special thing Craig is able to do, but she does it with glorious perfection that isn't done nearly as well by anybody else. Everything about this book was pure, luscious magic, and the darkness was perfectly done. There was mystery, ghosts, scary moments, but all of it felt done just right.

Let me also just say that the very last sentence of the epilogue has me hoping for another book in this world, which is just fine with me, because the way Erin Craig writes makes me never want to leave it.

I loved how Verity took control of her life and knew what she wanted to do and go where she wanted. However events from book one still have an effect and I loved the mystery and the immersion that Erin Craig weaved.

Erin A. Craig does it again. She has become an auto request for me. I loved House of Salt and Sorrows and was super excited to get a sequel. Can’t wait to read her next book!

Book 2 of the Sisters of Salt and other than the same sweeping gothic setting and the sisters (of course) this book is drastically different than book one.
This time around does involve some more intense psychology and gaslighting. Saying there are trust issues doesn't even cover it! And there is also some "sensuality" and "awakening" in this one in case you are on the fence if thinking this age appropriate for the YA readers in your life. sixteen? yes, thirteen? parental discretion.
Then there is reading it just for sweeping and epic way the author integrates all the readers sense. The smell of the salty sea, hard to see in the dimly lit rooms, your skin damp from the weather, the ache in your bones. Beautiful gothic tale for all ages.

Content warning: body horror, murder, drugging, poisoning, suggestion of sexual assault

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

It's been a few years since I read HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS, so I was curious to see how easy it would be to step back into this world, and if I was going to be lost since I didn't remember much about the plot. Craig does an excellent job of subtly recapping readers with the important information they'll need in order to understand this older version of Verity. I do wish more of the Thaumas sisters were featured in this novel, though understand why the focus was on Verity.

Craig excels as building the level of creepy as the plot progresses and while this one started off a little slow for me, once things started happening in Bloem, it was hard to put down... and things get bonkers in Bloem. Just when I thought I knew where the plot twists would end, Craig would throw another one in. There were a handful of times when I was internally screaming at Verity and Alex how it was frustrating that they couldn't see what was happening, but it was fun in this type of novel to know something the characters don't as they try to work things out. And while I saw the ending coming... HOW DARE YOU ERIN A. CRAIG leave readers with THAT ending. I'm sincerely hoping there will be a third novel in this series that starts off where this one leaves off because... I have QUESTIONS.

Honestly, I LOVED the first book in this series so I was very excited for this one and while it's good... for me it just didn't have the quite the same gothic magic of the first. This one was more disturbing and unsettling given Gerard’s experiments.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.

Atmospheric and oh so spooky!!! Wonderful sequel, waiting with bated breath for any info on the third, there HAS to be a third! Fa-reaking out!!!!!!

The grip this story had on me was insane. I don’t read a whole lot of horror/suspense, but I absolutely adored the taste in this book. At first I tried so hard to figure out the plot twists, but failed so badly I gave up about half way through and just let myself be immersed into the world. Comparatively (to Salt & Sorrow), this book was a little less “creepy” and quite a bit more sad. I really enjoyed the setting especially, I kept picturing the house from Crimson Peak.

What a slow burn turned thrill ride!! This is everything my gothic living heart wanted. First and foremost, I have read House of Salt and Sorrow…but it was 2 years ago…and I couldn’t tell you anything other than it was gothic and I loved it. I was able to read this one without knowledge of the first. So don’t let that stop you (although HoSAS should be read because it’s equally awesome!). Verity is the youngest of the Thalmus sisters from the first novel. She lives with her sister Camille, and longs for something more. She is sent for to complete a portrait of a future Duke, and what lies ahead is the slowest of slow burns with gothic sci fi vibes that would make Mary Shelley proud. I think it’s best to know that this book deals with poisonous botany, dark family ties, societal expectations, and hubris. It’s honestly amazing and the speed at which the action happens is appropriate and not rushed even though it is extremely fast paced. Loved it loved it loved it and I know my students will love it as well.

4⭐️

<b>This house has always felt full of ghosts to me—not of spirits in white sheets and chains, nothing as clichéd as all that—but of memories snatched away.</b>

Verity is the last of her sisters to leave home, and she dreams of a life of adventure beyond Highmoor’s walls. Verity lives with her eldest sister, Camille, the lady of the manor. Many of their other sisters have left, or were lost tragically. When Verity receives word from her sister, Mercy, that the Duchess of Bloem wants to commission a portrait of her son Alexander, Verity believes it is her way out of Highmoor. Camille and Verity argue about Verity’s potential leaving, and Verity agrees to stay. However, Verity observes something strange that changes her mind and herself: her dead sister’s ghosts.

I really liked a lot about this book, and my favorite thing about it was the atmosphere the author creates. It’s gothic and spooky and amazing. Beware: some spoilers ahead.

<spoiler>Verity’s ability to see ghosts is <i>so cool</i> but I feel like it was completely overshadowed or forgotten in the last half of the book. A lot of Verity’s concerns are that she’ll speak to someone no one else can see not realizing they’re a ghost and having those around her think her mad. She spends a lot of time worrying about this, and I would have liked to have seen it come into play in the story more than it did.

The whole triplets thing was totally off the wall and I didn’t like it as a “twist.” Gerard’s experiments were creepy and weird and added some interesting elements to the story but I think there was just so much going on that it wasn’t fully developed in a satisfying way. Also, the whole thing with Viktor and Verity didn’t make sense at all. Everything at the end of this book felt really rushed and almost like a completely different book. </spoiler>

The romance between Alexander and Verity was cute and I thought they were really sweet together. Verity’s hesitance and somewhat disappointment in their first kiss was a little confusing, but seeing their relationship turn into more was nice. I would definitely continue reading books from this author and I enjoyed a lot about this book!

<b>There was horror within those gilded walls.</b>

🥀 House of roots and ruin is the second book in the sisters of the Salt series. This time, we follow the story of Verity Thaumas. she received an invitation to paint a portrait of a duke’s son, and she agreed to it, despite her sister’s objections. As a People of the Salt, Verity spent her whole life on the island of Salann,  but she wanted adventures. Little did she know that her trip to Bloem, the place for the Peole of the Petals, would give just that– and more. 


This YA gothic fantasy book gave me the same eerie feeling when I read House of Salts and Sorrow. The writing is so descriptive, and the vibe shifts through the atmospheric writing as the story gets darker. Erin knows how to build suspense. having a big manor with several passageways and surrounded by plants serve as a good backdrop to the mystery. 

The duke is a botanist and has dedicated most of his life to experimenting with plants and flowers, and the descriptions of their mutations were both fascinating and dreadful. There’s also a love story on the side between Verity and Alexander, which I find sweet. Until Verity slowly uncovers the dark secrets of his family.

I am honestly kind of sad about this book. I really loved the last two from this author but this one kind of lost me. The first arc felt like it took too long compared to how rushed the second half was. I feel like this book would have benefited from being in two different parts. That way all the characters would get to shine and the plot would be a little less confusing. Not giving the plot time to grow is definitely what hindered this book in my eyes. I couldn't connect at all to either of the love interests because it just felt so rushed. Despite that I will give the second one a try just to see where the plot ends up going just because of that ending.

Gothic fantasy at its finest. Reminiscent of Jane Eyre and Rebecca, this novel weaves an atmospheric spell around its readers. However, spicier scenes may keep school libraries from ordering for collections serving young teens.