My first book by this author, but definitely not the last!
This was a truly gothic read, but incredibly easy to read and equally difficult to put down. I loved following Hazel's journey, as heartbreaking as it was in parts. This book was darker than I anticipated but I just couldn't seem to stop reading. I was slightly disappointed in the romantic element of the story, but I was so invested in the overall plot that it didn't detract at all.
Thank you so much to the publisher for the eARC.

The Thirteenth Child is a retelling of the Grimm Brother’s dark fairytale “Godfather Death”. It follows Hazel, Death’s goddaughter, gifted to be a great healer but for those that have been destined to die, Hazel is tasked to end their life herself.

Although the book was quite slow to start, by the mid-way point it was fast-paced full of twist and turns and had me so hooked that I stayed up way too late to finish it.

The book was atmospheric, creepy whilst also still being quite light and humorous at the same time. The author did a great job of portraying the internal struggle that Hazel has of her role and what that does to her conscious vs. trying to please her godfather (whose relationship with her I found so cute and endearing and wish we got to see more of).

I also found the romance in this to be a nice subtle addition - it didn’t take centre stage and wasn’t completely unbelievable and too quick.

However, I do think that the ending was too quickly wrapped up and wish we got see more of the consequences following what happens at the end. I also wish we got to learn more about gods and their roles.

One thing that also really frustrated me was just the lack of communication between Merrick and Hazel and I do think many of the issues in the book could either be solved or at least somewhat remediated if they just spoke honestly and openly.

Overall, I did really enjoy this one and the epilogue was so beautifully written it made me cry. It really made the whole story come full circle.

This book brings a really interesting, dark concept to life (ironically) with the goddaughter of Death. I really wanted to love it because it sounded so intriguing and twisty but I did find the book to be slow paced and it failed to grip me at any point. I didn’t find Hazel to be very interesting as a narrator which left the story quite dry, and we didn’t get to know any side characters enough to feel at all invested in them or their role in the story (if they really had one). The pacing was off, and too much time spent on more uneventful parts of the plot. Now, all this being said, it’s certainly not a bad book and I know there are going to be loads of people that enjoy it. In fact, I didn’t necessarily dislike it, it just failed to really draw me in in the way I hoped it would with such an intriguing premise. I would have liked to see more of Merrick and of Hazel’s magic, and less of her family at the beginning. Hazel’s relationships with other characters would have benefited from more development and Hazel herself needed more of a spark. So overall, the story was ok and there were elements of it I liked well enough but I don’t think it’s memorable.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

This book had me hooked from the start. The writing style is amazing and the story hits in all the right places. Could not recommend enough and will definitely be buying physical copy once released, the book looks stunnnning.

Thank you for the chance to read!

Holy moly, this book totally blew me away! I'm seriously struggling to put into words just how amazing it was. It's like it reached into my soul and left its mark there, you know?

So, let me tell you about Hazel, our FMC. She's not your average Joe - she's the freaking god-child of Death himself! I know, right? But here's the kicker: Death (aka Merrick) isn't this cold, creepy dude you'd expect. Nope, he's got a soft side that'll make your heart melt. It's wild how the author flips everything we thought we knew about gods on its head and you’re left just speechless.

Okay, so here's the deal with Hazel. She's been promised to Death since forever, and her life's been pretty rough. She's just waiting for Merrick to show up and whisk her away to a better life. But when he finally does, it's not all rainbows and unicorns like she thought it'd be.

Merrick drops this bomb on her - she's destined to be the world's greatest healer. Sounds awesome, right? Well, hold your horses, because there's a catch. A big, nasty catch that Merrick conveniently forgets to mention.

Next thing you know, Hazel's thrown into this crazy royal court scene. There's drama, there's politics, and oh yeah, there's a prince who's got the hots for her. As if her life wasn't complicated enough already! Now she's stuck making these impossible choices about whose life matters more. It's heavy stuff, I'm telling you.

Now, don't let the size of this book scare you off. It's a chunky one, sure, but it flies by. There's no boring world-building or useless fluff. It's just pure, awesome story from start to finish. The writing? *Chef's kiss* Perfection.

If you're into gothic romantasy (and honestly, who isn't?), you've got to get your hands on this book. It's got everything you could want and then some. The romance is slow-burn, which is just *chef's kiss* again. And the gothic vibes? So deliciously moody and mysterious.

Overall, this book is everything and more. If I could, I'd give it a bazillion stars. It's just that good. It's got romance, fantasy, moral dilemmas, slow burn - the whole shebang. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this reading experience.

I loved Erin's previous texts but I felt that this was an even more beautifully crafted novel than House of Salt and Sorrow. I found the story telling engaging and emotive. She truly grasps the power of a fairy tale, equally gothic and magical, I sped through it curious to reach the end and solve the mysteries.
If I had one small critique I felt the love between Leo and Hazel was a touch superficial. There was just so much glorious storyline outside of the romance plot that I didnt feel like it was given enough time to be truly convincing. That said, I definitely cried at the end! 100% reccomend to people like me who love a dark fantasy.

Thank you to Oneworld Publications (Rock the Boat), Blackcrowpr, and Erin A. Craig for sending me a proof copy of The Thirteenth Child in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was pretty excited to dive into The Thirteenth Child, which made bold promises in its tagline 'The Breathtaking Fairytale Retelling Readers Have Been Waiting For'; I couldn't wait to see how the story would be reweaved from the original Brothers Grimm fairytale.

The Thirteenth Child is a dark, gothic fantasy told in the traditional style of fairytales, following the protagonist from the cradle to the grave. Erin A. Craig's writing is immersive, richly atmospheric, and deliciously ensnares the senses with her descriptive imagery. A story spanning a lifetime in 512 pages has some quirky ups and downs of pace. Ramping up to fly us through to the meaty parts of the story, slowing down at those juicy pages full of drama, turmoil, and hair-raising plot twists. I was enraptured by the intricacies of the world-building featuring distinctive power and magical-based lore, metaphors of life and death, and the mythology of the rare powers of being a Thirteenth child.

The character cast is small and intimate, building compelling dynamics between the characters, their journeys, and exploring their complicated personal relationships. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around all the tricky, dysfunctional relationships embroiled around Hazel (protagonist). My heart ached for her so many times throughout the story; all she wanted was to be loved, but so many times, she's cruelly denied it. Her trials and tribulations aid her in developing a solid sense of self in her isolation and loneliness; she embraces her independence and takes charge of her life, even if it goes against the will of death. Who doesn't love a bit of a girl power rebellion?!

Is it the retelling I have been waiting for? I'm unsure, but I enjoyed reading Hazel's life story and loved her undaunted spirit, kind heart, and tenacity. Her love story felt a bit rushed towards the end. I wanted more page time for her and Leopold's romance as their enemies-to-lovers dynamic came over to insta-love for me.

A haunting gothic fairytale, full of terrible choices, deadly consequences, and deep themes about family bonds and love, brought to life with rich descriptions. If you're a fan of dark, deep storytelling, fairytale retellings, and stories with characters who are the personification of death, I think you'll enjoy gobbling up The Thirteenth Child.

No one in this genre can top Erin Craig the Thirteenth child is a dark fantasy that has a bit of everything.

Loved it!!!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and publishers for the arc.

If a book makes me cry it's automatically a 5⭐️ because it means I was emotionally attached enough to the characters to cry, and let me tell you oh boy did I CRY!!!

But let's start at the beginning. This story follows Hazel, the Thirteenth Child of the family, being adopted by the god of death. She is tasked with becoming a healer and we follow her journey as a healer.

The most important aspect of the story to me was the discussion around morality, what is right? is there just one right decision? should one person be the one to make the choices? 

I love the author's writing style and storytelling abilities, she is one of my favourite authors and this is just another example of her amazing work.

And if you are one of those psychos that doesn't read Epilogues PLEASE read this one!!

THE THIRTEENTH CHILD is a fairy tale-esque story of a life lived in small moments that are just as important as the big ones.

Erin A. Craig's adult debut has so many hallmarks of her YA books - the at times dark atmosphere, the feel of a fairytale all around you, seemingly small lives impacting people far beyond their "normal" circle. Being an adult book, it can approach these themes with a different tone and approach to the emotional handling. (And yes it is an adult book despite the protagonist being 18-19 for most of it - it's not a coming of age story.)

This is a book about consequences. Every decision has consequences no matter which approach you take - and nothing shows this better than the king's life. There are consequences if he dies and consequences of he lives and Hazel has to weigh these up and somehow pick which lives to save.

I really liked how this book approached family. Hazel and the royal family are at the heart of this book, both of which have very complicated dynamics. I liked that we saw several sides to her family after the initial negative impact. It was never simple but seeing her reconnect with family and find new ones added another layer to those relationships.

The Thirteenth Child is a dark fantasy that is perfect for the upcoming spooky season. Erin’s writing is exquisite and captivating and felt like a classic fairy tale. The story was perfectly paced, it was eerily atmospheric, and the world-building was immersive and engaging.

At no point throughout this book did I wish the tale to hurry up or end. I was more than happy being plunged into this dark fairy tale with rich details. Every page turned; I almost held my breath in anticipation as I started to get a nervous as I stepped closer to the ending, but I was more than happy with how the book ended.

I loved Hazel she was great protagonist. She is a strong, independent woman who aspires to be in charge of her life. I also loved how much she cared about taking care of others and doing the right thing. It was effortless following her through this journey. I really enjoyed the relationship between Hazel and her Godfather called Merick who happens to be this worlds God of Death.

Merrick was a great and well throughout character but also terrifying at times. But at no point did I ever question his parental love for Hazel. Another thing I loves that despite being a god, Merrick seemed extremely human at times.

I am weakling for DEATH as a character since reading the Discworld series, but I really enjoyed the portrayal of the God of Death. I love seeing how a god and a human would interact with each other and this book didn’t disappoint. Yes, they may see things differently but still have a family love for one another.

Hazel is the thirteenth child of a poor family. She's been promised to Merrick, the Dreaded End (aka the god of death), but he never came to take care of her until she was older. Once the god comes to pick her up he teaches her everything he can on medicine and how death can be merciful. However, when Hazel's skills as a doctor are requested by the king's he needs to travel to the castle and help save the king life. But is his life worth the future that will come? Hazel needs to figure it out and decide whose life is worth saving more.

The Thirteenth Child is a fantasy story with a gothic vibe. There is a little bit of romance, but it's not the main plot of the story, which is Hazel's growth and journey. I wasn't a fan of the writing, so I fount it quite hard to get immersed in the story. Although I enjoyed reading about the moral dilemmas that Hazel had to overcome.

Thank you to Rock the Boat and NetGalley for providing me an eARC to review!

Sadly this just didn't have the same spark I've felt with Craig's other books, all of which I've really enjoyed. It felt like a mix between The Book Thief (in terms of death personified and looking out for a young girl) and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (following a girl throughout her life who has a deal with the devil hanging over her). I do think YA-reading fans of Addie may enjoy this, but as someone who isn't really in that camp sadly I just don't think this was for me.

I just wasn't very drawn in by the characters or the premise, which makes sense as this does feel like a departure from Craig's other works. I think I was just expecting the atmosphere and spooky vibes and when those expectations weren't met I ended up a bit disappointed. I do hope this finds its audience though and I will continue to keep tabs on future releases by this author.

This was such a fun read and this cover instantly sold me, it’s absolutely perfect for autumn and I flew threw it, the characters and the plot are absolutely addicting

Thank you NetGalley and Oneworld Publications for this eCopy to review

The Theirteenth Child is Hazel and because her family are unable to look after her she was promised to one of the gods at birth – Merrick, the god of death. Only he never comes so Hazel is neglected and never feels loved or at home with her family. Finally on her 12th birthday Merrick takes her away and starts her training as a healer. Each year more and more of her role is revealed and it is not what she expected.

I found the story very slow to start, it only really picks up once the palace soldiers arrive and the love interest starts also the magic system is a little complicated so it was difficult to follow at times

Wow, I adored this book from start to finish! The Thirteenth Child is dark, atmospheric, haunting and eerie. A perfect book for these darker months.
To start with, the writing style was really engaging and entrancing - I quickly got lost in this world and with these characters, and flew through the book in no time. There is a really interesting cast of characters - both the main characters and the side characters were developed really well and there was no one I didn’t enjoy reading about, be they good or bad - or a mix! I also loved how everyone had their own distinct voice which was starkly obvious in the writing style, which made them not only all distinctly different from each other, but added to the intrigue of the book as a whole.

I think The Thirteenth Child really reads like a fairytale for older readers. There’s the magic and escapism mixed with the dark and complex emotions and themes. This combination works really well, and the beautifully vivid writing brings everyone and everything to life, providing a fantastically immersive book.

The Thirteenth Child is a book that reminded me why I love reading, especially fantasy, and I am still very much thinking about it, and the characters, long after finishing! An absolutely brilliant read.

the TLDR: this book was so goddamn amazing, I highly recommend it to literally everyone.

I was so excited when this book arrived on my doorstep. I dropped everything just to pick it up and give it a read. (And I’m glad I did!!) I really loved how unique the concept was.

Hazel is the goddaughter of Death (Merrick), and this comes with various abilities and responsibilities. I really enjoyed the relationship between Hazel and her father, however I wished he’d had more “screen time” as I really wanted to learn more about him (and I just really liked his character).

The romance was really enjoyable in this book. It’s listed as a slow burn, but it doesn’t start until quite late into the book. we have plenty of time for worldbuilding before there are any mentions of romance. I really liked how the author did this, as sometimes it feels like the romance overshadows the plot, but I didn’t have that issue in this book.

although this book is fairly chunky, I never once was bored or wondering how much longer I had left to finish it. I was hooked from beginning to end.

That being said, the end of this book was downright incredible. I was on the edge of my seat for those last few chapters, wondering what was going to happen next. It was an emotional rollercoaster for sure.

The thirteenth child is a retelling of the brothers Grimm “Godfather Death”, which I really enjoyed the way Craig interpreted the tale. I hadn’t heard of this story prior to reading the book, so it was enlightening. Remnants of the original tale are evident throughout the book, with little changes by the author to suit the needs of the book.

This had a really good premise and I enjoyed it at first but I struggled to continue caring about the story and it’s characters.

I got 10 chapters in and was disinterested with the ‘woe me’ act.

Was slightly disappointed as I loved the authors other books.

I really enjoyed this book. Filled with magic and mayhem. After the turmoil that the main character suffers throughout the book, I’m pleased the ending was happy and thought it was a nice way to end the story.

We may need to come up with a new sub-genre for this book: cozy dark gothic fairytale fantasy?

That's the only way to describe how wonderfully unique the story was. It was dark, gothic, and the stakes were high- and yet still cozy and heartwarming.

The world that the author built was incredible. It was familiar enough that you could easily sink into it but unique and captivating with the magical elements. I was completely engrossed in the main character, Hazel, and her story as the thirteenth child. You're rooting for her before she's even born and don't stop as she goes through different phases of her life. It reads like a fairytale, one in which you're -oddly enough- sympathizing with the god of Death and his "child."

There's not a moment when I was not fully invested in the story. The author's writing is absolutely beautiful. Even the slower paced parts of the plot had purpose and keep you firmly transfixed in this world.

If I had just one comment, it would be that the ending was abrupt and unexpected. It worked, in a way, especially with the epilogue, but by that point I wanted a few more chapters with the details of the aftermath. Don't yank me out of this world so fast, I'm too invested!

This is the perfect autumn read. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.