5/5 stars

This was such a captivating, beautiful story. It has a darker, gothic vibe, which is perfect for the fall time.

Hazel is the thirteenth child that has been neglected by her family. I felt that the story really began to take off with the arrival of her godfather, Death, to come and take her away from her family. I loved the dynamics of Hazel and Death as they develop a father-daughter relationship.

As Hazel develops her gifts, she learns that there are sometimes harder choices to make when being a healer. Hazel also learns that there are consequences to her choices that can have a lasting impact on people’s lives and those around them. The author did a great job with allowing characters to be flawed, but also allowing them to learn and grow at times.

The ending was so well written and brought tears to my eyes. This had a perfect ending. This story is beautifully crafted and resonates on multiple levels. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

The cover for this book is so good I just want to take a bite out of the hardcover. This was so atmospheric, and is a retelling of a fairytale I don't hear often discussed--"Godfather Death". This was so tonally fantastic, the vibes were immaculate. If you love fairytales, gothic dark vibes, mystery and fantasy then you're definitely going to love this. Erin A. Craig is quickly becoming an author I keep my eyes peeled for.

Fans of dark fairytales and romance will enjoy Erin A Craig's newest offering. An atmospheric take on an old Grimm's fairytale "Godfather Death", this has all the autumnal, spooky, atmospheric vibes. The author definitely has a talent for such tales, and her fans will not be disappointed.

I really enjoyed reading this Brothers Grimm inspired story and read it in 2 sittings. The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig is a dark take on a fairy tale that follows the life of Hazel, a girl born a thirteenth child. She is chosen by the Dreaded End -the god of Death, to be his adopted daughter and gifts her the ability to cure sickness. After spending years alone learning her craft, she becomes the village healer and is called upon to cure the King of a mysterious ailment. As she lives in the castle and learns more about the royal family, she begins to question her abilities and how she can use them and balance her worth by healing a dangerous person or the person she loves. This novel is a wonderful blend of folklore, magic, and mystery in a gothic and atmospheric tale and perfect for lovers of fairy tales. #TheThirteenthChild#NetGalley

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒉 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑬𝒓𝒊𝒏 𝑨. 𝑪𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈

𝘔𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘱𝘵, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘬𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘯. “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵.”

What a beautiful tale. The Thirteenth Child is this enchanting mix of dark fairytale and romance, a true heroine’s journey of self-discovery. If you’re needing something that’s full of autumnal atmosphere and gorgeous writing, then you need this book.

Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ dark tale called “Godfather Death” - this is the story of Hazel, a thirteenth child.

Once lonely and forgotten, Erin weaves a heartfelt story of how a young Hazel finds herself at the center of court life as a renowned healer to the king as well as the goddaughter of none other than Death himself.

This story evokes that lush, fairytale vibe full of touches of the macabre alongside thoughtful, quiet moments. The characters are so well written and the story just transported me there, to the Between, and back again.

“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯.” “𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯,” 𝘐 𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘥, 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯?” 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦. “𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.”

Erin will grab you by the heart and gentle lead on an incredible journey alongside Hazel. It’s a story I won’t soon forget and I am so lucky to have read it. Highly recommended.

Thank you Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for the review copy.

Erin Craig doesn't miss, and The Thirteenth Child is up there with all of the rest of her books. The descriptions are so gorgeous, and she just has a way of pulling you into this creepy world that I love!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Since childhood Godfather Death has been my favorite of Grimm's tales, and this retelling was absolutely incredible. Erin paints beautiful pictures of the world through which Hazel moves, all while narrating the grown of each character... even Death himself! I'm delighted to have been lucky enough to snag a signed copy!

Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Ms. Craig for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

First of all, let me just say, the cover of this book is gorgeous. Well done, graphic artist! I believe the person was thanked at the end but I forgot who it was 🤦🏻‍♀️

I've long been a fan of Erin Craig's atmospheric fantasy. Sometimes it crosses the line into spooky but usually it hovers around gothic. I think this one was slightly less gothic than usual - more of a straight-up fantasy in a France-inspired setting. Of course, Hazel's godfather is the God of Death; I was expecting more death and haunting but it really was very straightforward. I did really love Hazel's relationship with Merrick and I wished that had played a bigger role in the second half of the book.

Most of the drama lies in Hazel's ultimate existential crisis of deciding if her healing talent must comply with the gods' directions, or if she has agency to decide for herself what to do. For all that this was a long book (500 some pages?) I felt like they flew by. It wasn't my favorite of hers - House of Salt and Sorrows and its followup, House of Roots and Ruin, are tied for first - but it was very enjoyable and I would recommend it happily.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Such a beautiful novel—I felt so fortunate to have read this one early; it was truly a treat.

Hazel was everything I could want in a main character: strong, insightful, kind, and capable, yet also delicate and uncertain at times.

Then there was her Godfather, Merrick, known as the Dreaded End. He was a complex and fascinating character who, ironically, emerged as the most human in the story.

While Hazel’s life was the central focus, the way other characters—like Kieron and Leo—intertwined with her extraordinary story enriched the reading experience. Their interactions and development provided additional perspectives that beautifully complemented Hazel’s journey.

I’m thrilled to have finished my ARC on the day the novel officially released.
I can’t wait for all of you to dive into this remarkable story!

The Thirteenth Child is an enchanting retelling. Hazel has known her whole life that she has been promised to a god. A god who would come for her and change her life. But when no god appears, Hazel and her family are forced to make difficult choices to survive. As she grows up, Hazel is finally claimed by the formidable god known as The Dreaded End. Hazel’s new godfather has a gift for her- she will become a healer. As she learns how to give and take life, Hazel must decide when to use her power and when she is meddling with fate.

The Thirteenth Child was mesmerizing! I couldn’t put it down. This is a dark fairy tale retelling and there are no simple happy endings here. Hazel had such a unique healing power gifted to her and I appreciated her strong desire to help as many people as possible. Every piece of power that Hazel is given or seeks demands a price in return. The romance felt a little rushed at the end, but I enjoyed how the focus of this story was always on Hazel and her choices. The Thirteenth Child is an atmospheric and enchanting retelling that I would recommend to anyone.

Thank you to Erin A. Craig, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

For some reason I thought that this was Craig's adult debut, but it's not, it's YA. I did figure that out before going into it though, so that's good. Hilariously enough the book I had read right before this included a brief rundown of the Grandfather Death tale, so I had a rough idea of what was coming here. Now that being said it differed some, and honestly felt very unique and original. Craig's writing is great, as usual, and her characters are fantastic. I really felt for Hazel because, like me, she doesn't like to rock the boat, and overall I think this is really a story about her coming into who she really is and doing things for herself as opposed to everyone else. The world-building was also really interesting. The inclusion of the Gods was fascinating, and the brief touch of magic that seemed to flow throughout the story was great. I think my biggest complaint here was the length. I understand the reason the book was so long, at least for the most part, but it really meant that it meandered a bit. There were rather long stretches that seemed...not unnecessary, but perhaps longer than they really needed to be. It also felt a little aimless. Sure, interesting things happened, and there was tension and everything, but for the most part it didn't seem to have a plot. It really felt more like a character study to me. None of that is bad per say, it's just a different kind of story, albeit one that certainly won't appeal to everyone. It also felt less horror-y to me than her previous titles. There were some spookier elements, and it certainly had a gothic feel to it, but I'm not sure I would call it straight up horror. Still, it was a unique, enjoyable read, and for some people no doubt it's going to blow them away. I certainly won't have any issues recommending it to readers both young and old, and will be more than happy to hand sell it to anyone who I think will enjoy it. Craig certainly never disappoints, and not only am I curious to read her next YA novel, but I'm eagerly awaiting her adult debut as well.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The Thirteenth Child is a reimagining of the Grimm Brothers' story, "Godfather Death." Like the original, our main character is the thirteenth child of a poor, overworked family. Like the original the father denied other Gods the opportunity to become the child's Godfather, and like the original, our child is destined to become a great healer. I'm actually pretty impressed how closely the book stays to the original and still manages to become something entirely its own.

Let me say, I loved this book. It’s atmospheric, there’s backstory and intrigue, there are questions left unanswered. The storylines that deal with family relationships, good & bad, and the different types of love will tug at your heart. Our main character Hazel Trepas is incredibly hopeful and naive considering her background but you forgive her because she just wants a family to belong to. She’s neglected by her birth family until she's picked up by her Godfather who leaves her alone for ridiculously long periods of time. She finds love, makes poor decisions, and is not the only character to show growth. I’d easily recommend this to our fantasy readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading House of Salt and Sorrows last year, I was excited to dive into another Erin Craig book - and The Thirteenth Child surpassed ALL my expectations! I absolutely loved Craig’s twist on the dark Godfather Death fairy tale and all the additional magic she brought to the story. I also really enjoy her writing style and how cohesive this book was from start to finish.

The Thirteenth Child was pretty reminiscent of one of my favorite books of all time, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which could be another reason I loved it so much. There’s something about following the life of a character with a gift/curse and seeing how it affects their journey that speaks to me. On that note, this was one of the few books to make me cry so far this year (that ending 😭)! I immediately went and pre-ordered a copy for myself and would recommend this to anyone who wants a fantastic new fantasy romance read for Fall.

The Thirteenth Child is a story about Death agreeing to be the godfather of a thirteenth child who was unwanted by her parents. I found the novel to be captivating, touching and thought-provoking.

I was riveted by this tale from the first chapter. I really enjoyed this one and liked how it ended.

I’d recommend this one to others. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Born to parents who have no use for a thirteenth child, Hazel is offered up to the gods to do with as they see fit. Although several deities offer to claim her, her foolish parents turn down their offers in favor of Death's. Thus, The Dreaded End, known as the kindly Merrick to Hazel, becomes her godfather. On Hazel's twelfth birthday, Death returns and whisks her away to the In Between where she is tasked with learning the art of healing. But Merrick has bestowed a gift upon Hazel--with a touch, she will be able to determine what ails a person and how to heal them. Her gift comes with a catch: Hazel will also know when she has to take the life she is supposed to save in order to preserve the lives of others. When a mysterious and deadly plague sweeps over a neighboring kingdom and threatens the life of the king, Hazel must put her newfound knowledge and powers to the test. However, she will soon learn that following the path laid out by her godfather will not always align with the path of her heart.

Craig has written the perfect dark fantasy. Clever world-building and an intricate plot full of twists and turns will entrance readers and have them devouring Craig's lyrical prose. Like a haunting melody, The Thirteenth Child is sure to stay with readers long after the last page has been turned.

This was a spooky upper YA reimagining of the Brothers Grimm tale, Godfather Death. The book follows 18-year-old Hazel, the godchild of Merrick, the Dreaded End, who’s been blessed as a healer to know the cure to anything. And while I did enjoy it, I think this book could’ve done phenomenally well as an even darker New Adult or Adult fantasy, since it’s rather hard for me to grasp a literal child not being questioned for their healing abilities; but that’s a personal thought. 🌿

I thought Hazel was a well done protagonist, even if her thought processes were a bit rushed to me. She’s grown up with no love and it’s left with a rather pragmatic world view, but she’s still optimistic when it comes to helping others. I wish her relationship with her brother, Bertie, in their late teens would’ve been explored more at the end instead of randomly cut off, and I did find myself wishing for more Merrick time as I really enjoyed their dynamic with each other. 💀

Her budding relationship with the Leopold felt a bit rushed as well to me. It randomly went from “I can’t stand to be around your self-entitlement” to “can we please passionately kiss?” in what felt like a few chapters. I don’t mind sudden attractions in some cases, but I feel like I missed this shift while reading. 😕

The last thing that really got me and annoyed me the whole time reading was the fact that the world is set in a France-like country. Now why would this make me irrationally mad? I was expecting something Germanic since the tale that inspired this book is German in origin and getting a French-afied world for this GERMAN folktale felt both odd and slightly wrong. I don’t want to imagine these characters sitting down and eating crepes when they could be eating, oh I dunno, APFELKUCHEN?? 😠

Other than that tiny rant, I still enjoyed the tale itself once I got over my annoyance. Would definitely recommend this for a fall/spooky season read. Thank you goes to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review, and to the author for writing a rather interesting take on this dark folktale. 👑

Publication date: September 24!

Overall: 3.75/5 ⭐️

This was such a magical and atmospheric book. It’s the perfect book for the upcoming cozy season, and I absolutely loved it. I was hooked from the start

I had a bit of a slow start getting into this book, but then I fell in love with the richness and depth of this story. I wanted the Dreaded End to be Hazel's savior once he showed up, but he ends up being too hands off with strict expectations, like many parental figures, I suppose. The Brightness is a fascinating concept for a disease, as well as the societal belief that it relates to a purging of your sins. But what pulled me in even more was the true anxiety I felt, along with Hazel, at seeing the Death's Head when trying to cure the victim. The book got more and more intense with deeper and deeper layers the further I read: Her brother and his crazy God and the expectations of the God's devotees! The ramifications of defying the Death's Head! The Court intrigue! It's a lot, but all handled with a deft hand by Craig.

The Thirteenth Child begins before Hazel is born, when she is claimed by The Dreaded End, the god of death who eventually becomes her mentor. All her life, her parents resent her for being chosen, but not collected, by this god. She is their thirteenth child, and they have better things to do than to feed, clothe, shelter, or care for her. Hazel grows up lonely with the exception of her brother Bertie, who is ultimately taken away from her by another god. When her godfather finally comes for her, Hazel’s new life is not immediately what she hoped it would be, but the opportunities opened to her create a new path. She grows up as many teenagers do, with moments of defiance, procrastinating on her studies, and imagining what kind of life she will one day have.

A core theme throughout The Thirteenth Child is the distinction between godhood and humanity. The narrative explores how the character’s perception of time, morality, and fate differ based on each character’s nature. Ultimately, it is a story about the value of humanity and the difficult choices that we make despite having such limited information compared to a god. Erin Craig also excels at establishing immersive settings and atmosphere. The setting does change more in this book than in others I’ve read from her, but I still found these aspects to be some of the strongest overall. The downsides for me were an underdeveloped romance and inconsistent pacing. There are a few major time skips of several years each where we are told that major plot points are resolved, but it would have been much more impactful to see these moments on the page. The plot could have been streamlined a bit to prevent the page count going too high while also giving these vital moments and conversations the time and detail they deserved.

Advanced copy provided by Netgalley; all opinions are my own.