Sometimes you just read a book and you know that the romantasy crowd is going to eat it up. House of Blight is one of those books. Two immortal brothers and a human girl with some special powers? Sold. The female main character isn't still a teenager, and is, in fact, firmly in her 20's?! Bonus points.

It's easy to say I enjoyed reading this one. I thought the premise was fairly unique while incorporating well loved tropes. I thought the author, Maxym M. Martineau, did a good job painting a picture of who the three main characters are, while still leaving room for us to learn more about some of the characters in the next book. I also loved the love shown to insects. Bugs aren't appreciated enough. There was also some nicely subtle foreshadowing which is always a good addition.

I will say, as someone with a VERY detailed imagination when it comes to visualizing what I'm reading, I had a hard time during some scenes. Got a bit of the ick. The visuals I conjured up took me out of the moment a bit. Especially when there are references made to Edira (the FMC) having some of her own visuals, though conveniently for her, not in the places I was thinking about it. I don't think this would be a problem for many readers though.

In general, I would absolutely recommend this book to any fans of romantasy. I really enjoyed reading it and I'm only sad that I'll have to wait even longer to read the next one than folks who will read it upon release.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the chance to read this book as an ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

The House of Blight was my first Maxim M. Martineau book, but it will not be my last! I found the premise of this story to be a bit different than anything I have read before. My initial intrigue, coupled with an opening paragraph (pure poetry) and its strong prequel, had me instantly hooked. I could not put this down!

Edira is a threadmender, a rare magical healer able to cure any ailment, except the blight that is plaguing their world. Each time Edira mends, she sacrifices some of her own threads, taking time off her life. Edira is careful to conceal her ability from others, particularly the Evers, the immortals who own the mine that supports her village and have a keen interest in anyone with this unique ability. When her brothers become infected with the blight, Edira makes a deal with one of the Evers: come to work with him on finding a cure for the blight and he will put her brothers in stasis, preventing the blight from spreading and buying her the time to discover the cure. Despite not knowing how much time she has left, she enters into an agreement bound by magic with the Ever. But when she heads to Fernglove estate with the Ever, she finds by not being specific in her word choice she may have agreed to more than she planned, the blight may be tied to dark secrets, and the estate she moved into may be as furtive as its residents… and if she’s not careful, she may not survive.

The world building is descriptive and well done and the array of characters are varied, from compelling and dynamic to love-to-hate and rigid. Several of the plot twists were a bit predictable, but I enjoyed how the author developed the story to get the reader there. The ending does leave several threads left loose, but was more mild than most cliffhangers. Overall, this book exceeded my expectations and I am excited to see where Martineau takes these characters in the sequel! 📚
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✨Gothic romantacy
🦋Duology
🧵Haunted House
✨Magical vows
🦋Glamours
🧵Magical healing powers
✨Single POV*
🦋Magical pet
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Thank you Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review! 📚
Publishers release date 4/8/2025
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“When the stars were young and the sun was new, a woman of great power and strong mind met Death at a four-way crossing.”
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“Welcome to Fernglove, Edira. May you live to see something else.”
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*The entire book is from Edira’s POV with the exception of 1 chapter toward the end.
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Update: this was a 4⭐️ review, but I am upping it to 5⭐️ because I cannot stop thinking about this book!

Loved this book and can’t wait for the next in the series. The world building isn’t too over the top and confusing, I was engaged and excited about what was next, and I liked the main character ok. The writing was great and like the story and concept. If you like Sarah j. Maas and enjoyed the ACOTAR series you will enjoy this! Great fantasy read for 2025!

This book…. Wow!!! It honesrly had me hooked from the start. Edira Brillwyn is a threadmender, able to heal others by giving up pieces of her own life—a power she’s hidden for years. But when her brothers catch the blight, a deadly disease with no cure, she’s forced to use her magic. Just as she’s about to risk everything, Orin Fernglove, the head of a powerful and mysterious family, steps in with an offer: he’ll keep her brothers alive if she works for him to find a cure.

The Fernglove estate is dark and dripping with secrets. Orin is impossible to figure out—charming one minute, suspicious the next—and his family is equally shady and fascinating. The magic system felt so fresh and visual, and the gothic vibes were everything: eerie, atmospheric, and impossible to look away from.

Edira is such a strong, relatable character. She’s just trying to save the people she loves, even when the odds are stacked against her. If you love fantasy with high stakes, morally gray characters, and a touch of slow-burn romance, this book is for you. I’m counting down the days for the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager.

Thanks to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me an e-ARC!

**2 stars** Unfortunately, this novel wasn’t an enjoyable read for me. I typically enjoy reading gothic fantasies with unique magic systems but the lack of world-building and character development made this a mediocre KU-type work.

We follow our main female protagonist, Edira Brillwyn, a threadmender on her journey of navigating her rare, dark magic. Following the mysterious plague her brothers caught, she is approached by Orin–the head of the Fernglove family. Together, they find a cure to this mysterious virus while mastering Edira’s magic. And of course, the two start to develop an undeniable attraction to each other.

This is literally a copy-paste of any other romantasy book found on KindleUnlimited with the typical, popular troupes that our fellow BookTok, BookTube, and Bookstagram love. Enemies-to-lovers, a potential love triangle, instalove, smut–all beloved by these communities. Where I had problems is the fleshing out of the setting. We readers have no idea when or where this is set.​​ This is necessary if the author intends to separate themselves from the popular romantasy books out there. The magic system, though interesting, is not very detailed. And even though this is marketed as adult fiction, the writing felt very YA. There was lots of repetition which at times started to get very annoying.

What I can appreciate about this book is that it will only be a duology. Had this been dragged out, this could be an opportunity to better flesh out the world but I’m not sure it’d be worth it. This book requires no brain power so it is a good palette cleanser book, if you will. I really did want to enjoy this but there are too many similarities to all the other gothic fantasy works out there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The magic system was unique and interesting, and the characters were flawed and not godlike perfect immortal creatures. The FMC is naive a lot of the time, but if I was in her shoes, I'd probably have been the same way if I was trapped in a bad situation like that with a huge power imbalance.

The pacing was a little uneven and slow in the beginning, but does pick up quickly in the second half of the book. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you busy thinking too.

Overall it was a solid book, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Where to begin. First thank you to NetGalley for this eARC. This book follows Edira a human with powers to heel and Evers who want to catch and use her power. My only negative on this book was that she was so annoying naive at times, however that did not effect me giving it 5 stars. This book was a magnificent read that drew me in from start to finish. An amazing new take on a magical world and while it doesn’t come out until April I am already impatiently waiting for the next installment. I LOVED it. It was funny, inspiring, deep, emotional in all the right places and so well written. I would recommend to anyone and cannot wait until Book 2 comes out!!!

A deal made with Death for everlasting life and a sickness ravaging the land and humans...there is interesting lore, magic, and character arcs that kept me entranced. My first read by Maxym, but not my last!

House of Blight is a solid read with a creepy, gothic vibe that’s perfect for fans of haunted houses and dark romantasy. The threadmending magic is beautifully described, and the eerie atmosphere pulls you in right away, especially with the graphic details of the Blight itself. That said, the characters fell a bit flat for me, and the romance leaned too heavily on instalove with a barely there love triangle. While I enjoyed the tension and mystery surrounding the Fernglove family, I wish the plot and relationships had been explored more deeply. If you love gothic tropes like slow burn romance and forced proximity, this one is worth checking out, but it didn’t fully captivate me.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Edira holds a unique power, she is a threadmender with the ability to cure illness and disease. Her magic comes at a cost, her own lifetime. When her brothers become infected with blight, the disease that ultimately ends in death, Edira will do anything to save them. Enter Orin Fernglove. The two strike a deal, Orin will preserve and slow blight from killing her brothers if she can cure the matriarch of the Fernglove family. Edira must race against time to find a way to save them. Once on the Fernglove property, Edira will begin to see that everything is not quite as it seems. Someone is holding back the truth. In a race against time, Edira must discover a way to save those she holds so dear.

This is definitely a slow burn, then it hits a point and it becomes a downhill slide. The magic within the story and blight are intriguing. It's not something readers see often. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Voyager US, and Maxym M. Martineau for giving me an eARC of this in return for my honest review,

I highly recommend this book if you like these tropes:
Gothic Romantasy
Haunted House
Slow Burn Romance
Forced Proximity

How this book is not being talked about more I'm not sure, because I found it to be captivating from start to finish!

Edira Brillwyn is a threadmender. She holds a rare, lifesaving power that can cure disease and heal injuries in the blink of an eye. But magic always comes with a cost, and saving anyone sacrifices a sliver of her own life. She’s always kept her abilities hidden…until the powerful Fernglove family discovers her secret.

House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau is a hauntingly atmospheric tale that weaves a spell of dark magic and forbidden desire. In a world cloaked in shadows and secrecy, the protagonist is drawn into a web of treachery, where every alliance is fraught with peril and every passion is tinged with danger. Martineau’s lush prose enchants, immersing readers in a gothic world of heart-stopping tension and aching romance. With its rich, brooding atmosphere and complex characters, House of Blight is a spellbinding read for those who crave a love story as twisted and beguiling as the world it inhabits.

I highly recommend this book and can't wait for the next one!!

Both Gothic and compelling, I enjoyed the descriptions of the ferry realm as well as the relationship between the main character and her brother as well as the love interest!

I had a blast with House of Blight! It’s got that perfect creepy, haunted house vibe that’s just right for spooky season. The way the author describes everything really pulls you into the eerie atmosphere. Just a heads-up, though—the Blight itself is described in pretty graphic detail, so if you’re squeamish, you might want to be careful. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where the next installment of this intriguing and unsettling story leads.
House of Blight will be released April 8th, 2025

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 3, because I finished the entire thing.

I went into this blind, aside from knowing the bare minimum. Fantasy, Gothic and interesting magic, called threadmending.

Edira is a human young woman who can mend people with her magic, but at the cost of bits of her own life. This is why she rarely does it and usually turns to homemade ointments and concoctions. The one thing her magic can't cure is Blight.
In an attempt to save her brothers from Blight, an affliction that will turn humans to dust in mere minutes, Edira agrees to work together with Orin, an Ever, an immortal species with magic.
At Fernglove manor, she discovers several secrets regarding the family and all Evers.

The characters felt entirely too flat and one dimensional for me to care. Instalove is not a good look, and don't even get me started on the love triangle that's barely a love triangle. Edira could've been more interesting with her magic, but instead, she was entirely too intrigued with the way the brothers looked.
One thing I'll say is that her threadmending magic was described beautifully.

<i>Thanks to HarperVoyagerUS and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review. </i>

I loved this! The lore around The Evers and The Blight is so cool. I love the FMC and that her healing powers come at a cost that is explained well. I am honestly kind of dying inside because I want the next book SO BAD, but this first one isn't even released yet. I did find the romance switch to be a tad predictable, but I am not mad at it. I kind of liked the evil guy, too!

Such a great gothic romantasy, I really can't wait until I can read the next book!

I was actually quite surprised with this one! I love a romantic gothic fantasy! This book was really freaking good!

A Captivating Gothic Fantasy - 4 Magical Stars ✨

This book is a must-read for fans of slow-burn romance, magical bargains, and haunted estates.

The story follows Edira, a threadmender with the rare ability to heal others, as she navigates a world of disease-ridden gothic fantasy. With its eerie yet mesmerizing setting, the book perfectly balances beauty and tension.

The complex relationships between characters, particularly Orin and the Ferngloves, add depth to the narrative. While the ending may leave some questions unanswered, the journey is satisfying and engaging. Overall, "The House of Blight" is a great read that will leave you hooked from the very first page..

A new author to me! So happy to have found her..I will be reading more of her Boolean.😀

House of Blight is about magic, forbidden love, and a world shrouded in mystery in this gothic romantasy that will pull you into a realm where everyone holds a secret and every touch ignites a dangerous passion.

The FMC (Edira) has the type of magic that people are willing to kill for. She is able to keep her magic hidden until an unexpected tragedy hits her family and the wrong person sees her powers.

The MMC (Rorik) is the is the head of his household. He holds his own secrets and desires that will impact not only his life, but his family and the kingdom.

These two main characters meet under very strenuous circumstances. However, Rorik finds a solution that could benefit both Edira and her family, as well, as his family. Nonetheless, there are untold stories and hidden agendas that will tear apart alliances and families.

Do I recommend? Yes!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 5
Pace: 4
Plot development: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

I really enjoyed this book - I was immediately gripped by the plot and characters. It did give off slight ACOTAR vibes, though. Not a bad thing but it did take away from the sense of originality. I also think the dialogue and setting were a little bit mismatched at times. Very modern way of speaking in a gothic/historical context. (Gothic also isn't the descriptor I would use, necessarily). The unexpected spice was fun, though. And I love getting to root for Rorik in book 2