A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yes! Someone finally wrote a Godfather death retelling! My life is now complete!

The Thirteenth Child by Erin A Craig is a YA fantasy retelling of the Brother's Grimm story Godfather Death.
Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive. When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick. But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?

I'm a suck for anything and everything Erin A Craig writes, after the amazingness that is Small Favors. And this one is no different. The plot is enticing and the characters are all motivated in their own twisted ways. How can you say no? You need to do yourself a favor and read this book immediately.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with a digital arc of this book!

The Thirteenth Child is a young adult fairytale retelling of the Brother's Grimm fairytale "Godfather Death". It follows Hazel Trepas, a young thirteenth child who has been promised to the Dreaded End, Death himself. After a grim childhood in a volatile house with parents who generally dislike Hazel, her godfather, Merrick, finally rescues her and whisks her away to a special home he built for her. Once there, he reveals to Hazel that he has given her a gift. She can now heal anyone of any affliction, but this gift comes with a price: she can tell when someone is going to die and must kill them. Soon after, Hazel is enlisted by the royal family to help the ailing king, but when she finds that he is supposed to die, Hazel finds that she might have to defy Death himself.

Perhaps the strongest part of this story was the atmosphere. And from glittering masquerade balls to a plague that causes a person's blood to turn to gold, this story certainly has the atmosphere nailed. I also thought the romance was particularly compelling. I loved Leopold and his development from beginning to end.

That being said, I did find the relationship between Hazel and Leopold to be lacking in some parts. The development was slow in the beginning and then entirely too rushed near the end. They really just needed more time to get to know each other before rushing into a relationship. I also thought the pacing of the story overall was off. The beginning was rather slow, almost to the point of me DNFing it, and the end happened so quickly that it was hard to really know what happened. Overall, I did enjoy the story and I think it absolutely merits a reread. 3.5/5 stars.

This went on a bit for my taste, interesting idea but didn’t enjoy it as much as I wish I had. Not much more to say.

This was a fascinating retelling of a dark Grimm fairytale. Erin A. Craig is a phenomenal writer that has such a gift of retelling a story in a brand new light. This is a great standalone novel that I finished in two sittings.

I absolutely loved this book! It was so unexpected and fresh in it's take of the thirteenth child and "death" concept. I adored the fmc and appreciated the author spending time with her actually as a child at the beginning of the book. She established Hazel's status in her family hierarchy and how neglected and abused she was in comparison to some of her older siblings. Her parents were vile and yet you could understand them.

Death taking her in and dissonance of his "caretaking" versus his future aspirations for her was so refreshing. Hazel is so precocious and stubborn - I loved reading about her learning, what drives her and what she ultimately wants for herself.

This book is so different and absolutely perfect for the spooky and holiday season both! I'm tempted to reread and jump into this world again!

I always love Erin’s books and this one was just as wonderful as her others! Beautiful writing and an addicting story!

Erin A Craig has quickly become a new favorite for me with their earlier works and their unique authorial voice continues to shine in this most recent work.

What I Adored
1. As a stand alone dark atmospheric fantasy this story allows the reader to become fully invested in its charecters and complete their story arcs in one tome
2. The pacing was perfect for creating a somewhat errie atmosphere without dwelling too long on any one section.
3. Dialogue was expertly handled throughout the work.

Who i woud recommmend this title for
The Thirteenth Child is an excellent read for existing fans of Erin A Craig while also serving as a delightful entry point for other readers of dark fantasy.

A wonderfully dark, enchanting fairytale. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale and the candlelit journey of Hazel, the thirteenth child. I liked that the romance did not take center stage and the focus was more on Hazel’s personal growth and relationship with her Godfather. The ending was just perfect and wrapped up the story completely.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s Delacorte Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #TheThirteenthChild

Oh I really loved this book. I wasn't sure at first because it was different from Craig's other books, but I actually ended up liking it better and it's my favorite of her's so far!

I really liked that the romance wasn't very prominent and that it was mainly focused on Hazel's relationship with her God father.

Overall I really enjoyed this!

I absolutely loved this book! The vivid imagery and imagination involved was incredible. I loved how the main character developed within herself and in her relationship with her siblings, parents and her godfather. This story continued to surprise me throughout the tale. Erin A. Craig has become an autobuy author for me!

I struggled with this book at first but it quickly became one of my favorite standalone fantasy books ! It’s hard to find a good fantasy book because most of them have to be series to round out the world building and storyline. This book took care of everything, it making sense and having a great ending. I was very impressed ! The main character was slightly annoying because she kept doing things she knew she wasn’t supposed but I get why she did. All in all, this was a great read and I’m excited to read more by this author.

*
*

FYI: on a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars ~ Nothing at all. Chefs kiss. No notes.
*4 Stars ~ It could use some slight adjustments here and there but pretty solid overall.
*3 Stars ~ Adjustments need to be made and rewriting needs to be done. Good but could be a lot better. I read it once and don’t need to do it again.
*2 Stars ~ This book needs a lot of work. Whether it be rewriting the plot, characters, style or ending. Something or everything needs to be changed.
*1 Star ~ Dumpster fire.

The pink blossoms on the tree shimmered in the fading sunlight. Their otherworldly sparkle bringing a smile to her face. A dark fog began to shroud the ground and fear crept up her spine as she realized what was happening. Then it all went black.

The Thirteenth Child is a dark fantasy retelling of a Grimm Brothers’ fairytale, “Godfather Death.” This story follows Hazel, a young girl whose godfather is the Dreaded End. When he finally returns to her life and bestows her with a gift, she learns that not all gifts are welcomed… some come with a hefty price.

This was dark, gothic, eerie, and entertaining. I love Erin’s writing and while this story took me a little while to get into, I couldn’t put it down once I did. I loved the atmosphere and I really enjoyed following Hazel’s character as she learned about her gift and made tough choices as she grappled with the consequences.

If you like dark fairytales and gothic retellings, give this one a read!

I listened to this and read along to it as I could and I very much enjoyed it. It was not a quick moving story, so for those of you who are looking for a face-paced adventure fantasy, this may not be for you. However, for me, it unfolded like a Grimm fairy tale, dark and grim. There were many moments of sadness, especially for Hazel, but I loved being drawn into her tale. Her early years as the unwanted 13th child led her to treasure the small moments, to value human connection, while her destiny as the goddaughter of death made human connection next to impossible. I don't want to reveal anything, especially if you're not familiar with the original tale (I wasn't), but I loved watching Hazel learn from her mistakes and try to make right what she could. I loved the ending. I ended up reading and listening to this on a long drive to NC and finished it on the flight back. I felt like I was being lulled into her tale and as I said, I really enjoyed how her tale ended. Whether any of this is in the original tale, I am a fan of this one.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I so wanted to love this book and it started out so well too. One third of the book was really good and engrossing. I emphasized with Hazel and her plight. I liked the concept of the different Gods and I was intrigued by Merrick, the Dreaded End.
Then it was like a switch had flipped and the story just went downhill. I didn't like who Hazel became. There was no character growth, no maturity. Her naiveté got more and more annoying. The love connection as well wasn't there. Conflicts appearing out of nowhere and then getting resolved without clarity. I did like the last chapter but the journey to get there was full of holes.

This book is spooky fairytale perfection. I know everyone else is out here gushing about it (at the time of my review, it's sitting at a cool 4.17 on Goodreads and Storygraph, a minor miracle for recent YA releases), but I'm gonna echo the chorus here: I freaking loved The Thirteenth Child. This book follows Hazel Trepas, the thirteenth child of poor villagers who cannot afford another mouth to feed. On the day she's born, they give her away to The Dreaded End (their god of death), but she spends 13 years waiting for him. When he finally shows up, it's to tell her that her destiny is to be a healer to kings and princes; blessed with the magic to instantly see what afflicts a patient, Hazel carves out a reputation for herself in the countryside, but when the king comes down with a magical plague, her life changes.

For me, plot and character obviously matter, but it's the quality of the writing that makes the story. Very rarely do "lush" and "poetic" books live up to their promises for me, drifting instead into purple prose, but this...THIS is the writing I wish I saw more: clean, evocative, not a single word wasted and yet capable of cutting you in two with a sentence. On a line level, this is perfection. And the story itself fits perfectly. I love how Hazel's world starts small and expands beyond her wildest dreams, and how the writing flexes alongside it. I loved tracing Hazel from her inauspicious beginnings all the way to the royal court at the end of her teenage years. The magical plague (the "Shivers") is brilliant, and the pacing is on point. My favorite part is Hazel's life before court (reminds me a bit of Emmett's time in Seradith's workshop in The Binding, if anyone's read that and enjoyed it). But I also enjoyed how provincial Hazel navigates the politicking and mess of their French-inspired court.

I have the tiniest little nitpick (AKA, what's keeping this just shy of 5 stars for me): the romance. I do think that Leo's change from playboy prince to actual decent human being feels earned, but it kinda just feels like Hazel's going for him because he's the only marriageable young man she sees on a daily basis. I got his attraction to her--she's freaking amazing--but he's just kinda decent to her? And that's about it? I got more best friend vibes than lover vibes, and that one scene where they get together (spoilers: it's a dream) felt very out of place, both in its graphic-ish content and in its placement. But, that's honestly such a minor critique. It's not a marketing issue, and it didn't detract much from the main story for me.

I want to say "oh my god, WHERE has this author been all my life?" but like...House of Salt and Sorrows has been out for years and on my TBR for years, and I've been sleeping on it for years, and yeah. I am the problem. Whether you've read Craig's other books and adored them, or are new to her works like I am, this is a can't-miss dark fairytale that you'll want to devour like one of Hazel's decadent birthday cakes.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Erin Craig for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a good read. First time reading this author
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this one

a very enjoyable take on myth and gods, woven into a beautiful fantasy world that will touch readers

I will always devour anything that this author writes. It was such a hauntingly beautiful book and I could not put it down. The world building and the characters were wonderful!

The Thirteenth Child was everything I've come to expect from Erin and then some! Hazels story really starts out sad. Her parents don't want her so they decide to offer her up to the gods. The Dreaded End (Aka the god of Death or Merrick as Hazel calls him) is the god who says he'll take her. When he finally comes back for her after YEARS of her having to live with her family, most of of whom want nothing to do with her, he gives her an entire cottage full of books so she can learn to become the lands best healer. Merrick also gave her the gift of being able to know how to heal any ailment. That however comes at a cost that Hazel has to live with. The story only gets better from there. The relationship that Merrick and Hazel have is certainly a complicated one but I loved it so, so much!

I did enjoy this story. I took a half point off because I pretty much figured out what might be going on and who was the cause. However, it didn’t prevent me from continuing to read it. Hazel made a great female character, because she was so poignant. Her emotions and turmoil were descriptive that I found myself crying on her behalf.

I found myself torn between anger with Merrick on Hazel’s behalf and pitying him because it was clear he didn’t fully know what he was doing. Merrick would make a wonderful prequel story. Or even a quick short story bonus chapter. Though I think I would love to learn more about the other gods as well.

Overall, I rate this novel 4.5 out of 5 stars.