'The Thirteenth Child' is a mesmerizing YA fantasy that brilliantly reimagines the Grimm Brothers’ 'Godfather Death.' The story of Hazel, a healer navigating a treacherous court and grappling with her fate as Death’s goddaughter, is nothing short of spellbinding. The writing is exquisite, effortlessly weaving dark fairytale elements with rich, immersive world-building. The characters are vibrant and complex. This novel is an absolute must-read, earning every one of its five stars for its breathtaking and compelling storytelling.

I was so utterly excited to receive this ARC and it truly did not disappoint. Erin Craig is a master in creating dark atmospheric fantasy stories and I fell in love with Hazel and her world right from page one. Throughout we follow the story of Hazel who is the Goddaughter of Death, who is whisked away by him from her unwanting family to learn medicine and become a healer. And we follow her as she's brought to treat the royal family and enter a story that's about love, loss, family and a bit of gore.
I don't want to give any spoilers, but this book was fast paced and kept me waiting with baiting breath to discover what was instore for Hazel every year on her next birthday. Also, a moment for the cover??? IT'S GORGEOUS!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Summary of the plot:
Hazel Trépas is the thirteenth child in her family, never really getting any recognition or attention from her parents. The only time her parents even remotely cared about her was when the Dreaded End, Merrick, comes to claim her as his own. She grows up without the love of her family until she's a young teenager. Merrick takes her away and gives her everything she needs as long as she studies to become a healer. After a year, he realizes that she has the power to see people's aliments and heal them. But she also have the ability to see when people are at death's door for Merrick to take away. When the King becomes ill with a mysterious disease that makes him bleed gold, Hazel is offered the opportunity to save him. But she soon recognizes that this disease is not natural and that healing the King may require some unnatural power...

Thoughts on the book:
I quite enjoyed this book! I haven't been a fan of Erin Craig's other books, but this one was a good one for me. I felt like the pacing was just right and that there was an appropriate amount of character and world development. I enjoyed the relationship between Merrick and Hazel because although Merrick is a god, he at times appears very human. Overall, I would recommend other people to pick this one up! It looks like a horror book but it is not.

Erin Craig always has beautiful novels. There is so much I love about her writing and it is always refreshing to read novels that can stand alone and yet contain stories of love and growth.

Her new novel follows the goddaughter of death, Hazel, from the moment she is born until the moment her godfather takes her back. You will feel such emotion for sweet Hazel, her trials, frustrations, and her truest love, as well as her greatest grief. I highly recommend this book!

This book was such an exciting read! I absolutely loved it and I can't wait to read more from this author. The plot was fast paced and was never boring. The characters were interesting and unique which made the story really enjoyable for me. Great read!

I really loved this book, minus the sections that made me queasy (I get like that, though when confronted with medical things, and when a book is about a healer ultimately that will happen). The storyline made this book hard to set down, and it was a good read. My middle school students would like it, although again with the intense scenes maybe it wouldn't be a great choice for them - maybe early high school. Overall I was impressed with this author, and will actively seek out more of the work.

Overall I really liked The Thirteenth Child. The storyline follows Hazel, who is the thirteenth child of parents who don’t want her. She is claimed by the God of Death to be his daughter and is granted specific skills.

The plot line was compelling and kept me reading. I also enjoyed the author’s writing style. There were some plot points, like a decision Hazel makes regarding the king, that I felt weren’t informed by previous lessons she learned, and I wished there was more reasoning for her choices in those instances. However, I did like that this is a novel I can recommend to my high school students who are interested in fantasy, fairytale-like stories without having to worry about too many sexual scenes.

I particularly liked the characterization of the God of Death, and also thought the other deity figures were interesting to read about. I enjoyed the complexity of these characters and would have loved to read even more about them!

"The Thirteenth Child" is a retelling of the fairy tale "Godfather Death." Written by Erin A. Craig, "The Thirteenth Child" follows Hazel, who is the thirteenth child born to a poor woodcutter and his beautiful wife. The book starts with her godfather telling her the story of her birth and of the other gods who wanted her to be theirs, but her parents turned them down and promised her to Merrick, the god of death. We follow Hazel as she grows up, first with her large family, waiting for her godfather to take her away, and then after that as she lives in a godlike in-between while learning to become a great healer.
The story is engrossing and amazingly enough feels both like it could have been written long ago in the past as a "genuine" old fairy tale, but also very modern. A recommended purchase for Young Adult and Teen collections where fantasy is popular.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Yet again I'm enchanted by Erin Craig's writing (I'm not biased by name!) the characters were sweet and well thought out, and it truly just feels like a vacation in a book. It reminds me of reading fantasy for the first time and being totally enveloped in a story and world. Really really well done.

Hazel is a strong female character who wants to be in control of her life and is a good role model for young women. . I enjoyed watching her grow and mature as the gods and others around her took advantage by playing games and not sharing the whole truth. I liked the relationship between Hazel and Leo. I think it was great that he was vulnerable and honest with her.

Grateful to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this early!

Once again, Erin A. Craig delivers a stunning, atmospheric tale. The Thirteenth Child is her best work yet. It follows Hazel, who is Death’s goddaughter. Though he promises to take her from her poverty stricken parents and gift her with a long successful life, he doesn’t take her at her birth. Instead, she spends her childhood being hated and neglected until the day he finally decides to claim her and share her true purpose, which is to become a healer that even kings ask for by name. Her journey is not easy or completely happy, but with his gifts she changes lives. She grapples with the multitude of gods and their wishes, right and wrong, and the greater good versus her own happiness.

All of these issues kept me turning pages well into the night. Hazel’s decisions kept me on the edge of my seat (bed), while we both worried over the consequences. There were so many moments where it seemed like her choices were made for her and so many moments where she had to decide whether to disobey or give in. I felt her stress, her guilt, and her heartbreaks. But I also felt all of the wonderful moments too. The author balanced these feelings brilliantly, always keeping me hopeful that Hazel’s happiness would come out on top. This is a story that truly emphasizes how important each decision we make is - how each choice to follow our fate or defy it could change many lives around us.

In terms of characters, it’s hard to discuss them without giving away too much of Hazel’s journey. I loved Hazel and loved how much she cared about taking care of others and doing the right thing. There was never a moment where I felt like she was being a stereotypical dumb heroine. Her godfather, Merrick, was fleshed out (no pun intended) quite well. He was terrifying and intense, but his love for Hazel was a constant, even when he was deeply angry at her. The characters Hazel meets in the city are each wonderful in their own way.

The story was perfectly paced and the twists and turns kept me guessing throughout the story. At no point did I wish it to hurry up or end. In fact, I wished the end would reveal that there was another book coming. But alas, there was no cliffhanger and I suppose I will have to wait until Mrs. Craig publishes her next incredible story (no pressure since this one is not coming out for a few months …).

Long story short, mark your calendars for Sept 24 and make sure you add this dark and delightful story to your bookshelf immediately. I for one cannot wait to put this stunning cover on my shelves!

The Thirteenth Child made me cry. There. I said it. I found the gauntlet of emotions in this one: hope, dread, love, laughter, tears, and heartache. It was a beautiful dark fairytale following Hazel, the God daughter of the Dreaded End himself — the thirteenth child, unwanted by all but her Godfather but even then she waited birthday after birthday for him in a family that barely cared for her. When Merrick, her godfather, arrived he whisked her away and had her study medicine — which would be her calling, and a gift with a price. Hazel was destined to be able to see the cure for any disease, unless, she saw the Deathshead and their flame was to be snuffed instead. She carried out her duties, a burden and heartache so great that the ghosts followed her, but then it all changed when it was the King himself was destined to die.

A story of gods, love, choosing between what is destined and what is right. I fell in love with every page of this book. It was beautifully crafted and impossible to put down. I loved that Erin Craig didn’t shy away from the heavy parts of the story and instead dove straight in. There honestly aren’t enough words to say how much I truly loved Hazel and her endless compassion and honesty. So light a candle, bring the tissues (perhaps the salt, too) and let this story haunt you well into the late hours.

Thank you so much to Penguin Canada for the opportunity to read early.

There is nothing you can say that would convince me that there is a bigger Erin Craig fan on the planet than me. I LOVE HER WORK.

When I tell you I was excited for her new book, there are not words. I was SO EXCITED. What I think Erin Craig does so well, probably better than any other living writer, is her ability to create her claustrophobic atmospheres where her characters interact with the environment and each other. After I read the House of Salt and Sorrows for the first time, I thought about it every single day. I still do, years later. I love her work, and I think her ability is unmatched.

There are a few things I wish I had known before going into this book. Her other work is horror. This book was not, at least to me. The world here is also more expansive than anything she's done before. But as always, her characters are visceral and well-rounded, leaping off the page.

This is the story of Hazel, a thirteenth child. She is claimed by a god, the Living End, who provides a life for her that would have otherwise been impossible for her. As she grows, she becomes the person that she was always meant to be...an exceptionally talented healer. The king hears of her talent, and as he's suffering from an uncurable illness, he calls for her to cure him.

There is a lot more to this story, but I don't want to spoil it. Just know that Erin Craig has given us another masterpiece, one I am chomping at the bit to add to my shelves and reread over and over. In living with Hazel for a while, I learned something about myself, which is something I think only the best books can accomplish. I know this is a book I will be thinking about for a very long time. It's pure magic.

TW: Gore, abusive parents, death