I have to tell you that you may love this book or you may not like this book. There is no in-between. Sorry to inform you. I know some readers have mixed feelings regarding this book. Thankfully, I was able to enjoy reading this book. I have a fun time reading it, and let me tell you why you might love reading this book.

Reasons why you may love reading this book:

-It's a dark gothic romantic read. It's literally the best genre to read if you are in the mood for romantic genres.

-The enemies to lovers trope is top tier. It gives the perfect tension between characters.

-The possible love triangle is so good yet so messy. It creates the perfect drama between all of the characters.

-The endless secrets unraveling is so freaking good. You may suspect one, but you won't suspect the others. Trust me, there are a few secrets that left me shocked and on the edge.

-The betrayal was a bit expected. I just knew right away because we have been warned.

-The determination in saving her family was everything. You just know as a reader that the main character will do anything to solve their family. It's just perfect to read.

-The shocking ending was everything and more. I literally need more!

I really enjoyed this one! I was a little annoyed by the FMC at points, but overall this was a good read. I honestly cannot wait for the next book!!

3.75⭐️

The House of Blight is a great gothic fantasy that hooked me from the very first page. This is the first book in a planned duology and introduces us to Edira, a selfless and resilient FMC living in a disease-ridden world. The atmospheric setting is marked by the presence of the blight, a grotesque and incurable illness that has devastated her family and now threatens her younger brothers.

Edira’s rare ability as a threadmender allows her to heal others by sacrificing parts of her own lifespan, a gift she’s been forbidden to use. But desperation drives her to make a life-altering decision when her brothers get sick with the blight. Enter Orin Fernglove, a powerful and immortal “Ever” who offers her a bargain: he will put her brothers in magical stasis while she works to find a cure at the Fernglove estate.

The story’s gothic undertones are perfectly balanced with its eerie yet mesmerizing setting. The Fernglove family—beautiful, immortal, and utterly enigmatic—pulls Edira into their orbit of hidden motives, dark secrets, and simmering tension. The dynamic between Edira and the Ferngloves, particularly Orin, is fraught with mistrust and reluctant alliances, making every interaction layered and thrilling. EVERYTHING IS NOT AS IT SEEMS! 😉

For fans of slow-burn romance, magical bargains, and haunted estates, this book delivers in spades. The plot is fast-paced yet rich in detail, and the ending is satisfying, avoiding the dreaded cliffhanger while still leaving room for the sequel. I highly recommend!

Thank you Harper Voyager for allowing me the chance to read this ARC through NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

This book was effortlessly captivating and I’m already eager for the next one.

Edira Brillwyn has healing powers that she’s only just scratched the surface of, powers that she tries to keep hidden for her safety. She finds herself working for powerful people, which means she begins to uncover what she is capable of along with secrets that change everything.

If you’re looking for a gothic, romantic fantasy that has you questioning everything yet completely enthralled…this is for you. I was so pleasantly surprised by this book and will definitely be checking out some of Maxym M Martineau’s other works.

I was hooked from the first page of *House of Blight*, the first book in an exciting new series!

The story follows a young woman in a village ravaged by a deadly disease, blight, which has already taken her family. When her brothers fall ill, she decides to use her forbidden healing powers, despite the cost—each time she heals, she loses a bit of her life.

Before she can act, a fae lord intervenes, offering a deal: help him find a cure for the blight, and he’ll save her brothers. But as she delves into the secrets of the fae world, she discovers much more is at stake—and she may not survive it.

A thrilling read with forbidden powers, fae intrigue, and high stakes. Can’t wait for the next book! If you love dark fantasy with twists and danger, this one’s for you.

I love a good Romantasy novel but I feel like this one didn’t carry through for me. I was intrigued by the plot but unfortunately was disappointed

Such a unique magic system and gothic feels! There was just a little something missing here (can’t put my finger on it), but overall I really enjoyed the book! I think there is a lot of potential for the second book, but luckily doesn’t leave us on too big of a cliffhanger. The relationships felt very obvious and tropy, but the setting did a good job of making it just unique enough. Would recommend to my romantasy lovers!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC!!

(3.5) This was a pretty basic romantasy story. While there was nothing really wrong with it, the plot was incredibly predictable and lacked any complexity that would cause it to stick with me. Not life changing, just alright.

This is a fantastic dark fantasy with gothic vibes. It is so unlike most of the books I have read recently. The apocalyptic type world is creepy but so interesting. The dedication and prologue pulled me in and I could not put this book down. As someone who’s often easily distracted while reading I can say I wasn’t distracted by much, even reading late into the night until my eyes couldn’t stay open.

Edira is a threadmender in a world filled with a horrible disease called blight. She must hide her ability to heal the sick by mending their broken threads of life for fear of being taken by the Evers. The Evers, immortal beings with immense magic, lord over the country of Glaes. The Ferngloves are the specific family that control’s Edira’s city. The Ferngloves took her aunt when they discovered she was a threadmender. Edira must help make ends meet with her two brothers all while hiding her identity because blight killed the rest of her family… until her brothers fall ill with blight. Orin Fernglove promises to stave off the progression of the disease in exchange for Edira’s help in researching a cure for blight. Edira is thrust into the Fernglove estate with a family that is kniving, secretive, and extremely powerful. She is warned to trust no one, but her heart tells her otherwise.

The story is muah, chef’s kiss! Edira is constantly questioning the Fernglove’s motives. The characters are dynamic, especially Edira. She is full of sass, plus she gets a cute animal companion. The sarcastic interactions between the Fernglove family are so entertaining. The imagery is immersive and beautiful but absolutely disgusting. I really enjoyed how Edira’s magic works.

Edira is constantly giving of herself to help others, but slowly learning to let herself live. I admire her character’s steadfast determination to protect her brothers all while learning the secrets of the Ferngloves.

This was the first ending I’ve read in a while that was actually satisfying. It’s my understanding that this is a duology, but I’m not left with the sour taste of most cliffhangers in the end.

I will be suggesting to book to anyone and everyone. Thank you Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC.

I found this book to be very entertaining with a new and interesting concept. The prologue drew me in immediately and the writing was done very well. I am interested to know if this will turn into a series or not. I was not completely satisfied with the ending but I am hoping there will be a book two that will resolve it. Overall, I definitely recommend this book.

Eh. DNF at 35%. I don’t think this book is for me. I don’t think I’m understanding the world and don’t love the writing style. I just feel so confused

This book started off really strong. I was intrigued by the magic system—it captured exactly the vibe I was looking for at that moment. But after the 30% mark, it went downhill. The FMC was insufferable and incredibly annoying. She kept making the most ridiculous mistakes and went along with things without ever questioning them. The other characters were okay but didn’t stand out; they felt average at best. The premise itself was fantastic, but the characters just didn’t live up to it. The ending was predictable, too—I saw it coming. I really wanted to love this book but I'm so sad I didn't.


Thank you to the publisher for this Arc . This Arc was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This one just wasn’t my cup of tea. I am not much into this trope so it fell flat for me and I caught myself losing interest often. If that is something that interests you you’re going to love it! It is just not something I seek out💕

Thank You Netgalley for this ARC.

How I wish I could say that I loved this book.

I am sad that I did not.

It was okay, but I will say for me the story really picked up after I was 250 pages in.

I did like the plot but some parts were not for me.

Now, I will say this if you love a good magic system and a enemies to lover vibe this is for you.

Also found family notes and a little spice. Very tasteful!!!

Pick it and give it a try-

The world building was very interesting! I did feel like the plot dragged too much, and the cluelessness of the FMC did bother me a few times.

House of Blight is a spectacular Gothic Romantasy with fantastic world building and a unique magic system. It is the story of Edira, a young healer. She works in her small village, selling medications and tonics to help support herself and her two brothers. Edira has a secret though that could lead to her destruction if ever discovered by the wrong people; the Ever. The Ever are immortal beings with magic that pose a threat to people like Edira.

When tragedy strikes in Edira’s home, she has to make a choice to risk everything to save the only family she has left. Will working with the very people she’s spent her entire life hiding from be worth the sacrifice of herself for her brothers? Or will she lose everything?

This book has fantastic world building. It immediately draws you into story and keeps you on the edge of your seat right up until the end. It’s a slow burn, enemies to lovers story with some tasteful splashes of spice. There are definite plot twists throughout the book that will either have you gasping or yelling at your book. The supporting characters are all engaging as well and the banter between two of the main characters is delicious. The book is part of a duology and while it doesn’t end on an extreme cliffhanger or a happily ever after. It gives you a somewhat happily for now.

House of Blight is a mysterious, gothic romantic fantasy that follows 25 year old Edira as she attempts to find a way to utilize her healing magic to save her brothers from disease. I give this book 3.5 stars.

This book captured my attention immediately, and I was hooked after reading the first sentence. The imagery is dark and beautiful. I appreciated that Edira was in her mid-twenties, unlike a lot of Romantasy books that have younger characters. I also was intrigued by the magic in House of Blight. The healing aspect of threadmending was very interesting, unique, and beautifully depicted. There is a love triangle and one spicy scene, but I wouldn’t say this was a spicy book. There was a conclusion to the book but it left some aspects open-ended to set up for a sequel.

Although I was hooked from the beginning, I began to lose interest quickly. The book felt like it dragged on until about 75% of the way through, at which point I couldn’t put it down. I was confused about what exactly the “Evers” were but their history is revealed as the story goes on. I also didn’t care about most of the characters. I found Edira naive.

I give this book 3.5 stars because even though I was hooked at the beginning and couldn’t put it down at the end, I was bored throughout the rest of the book and I didn’t care about most of the characters. Parts of the book were predictable but there were several times when I was surprised. I would read the sequel and believe that the series has potential to get better.

House of Blight was definitely a book I was really looking forward to starting. This was the gothic romantasy of my dreams! I loved the haunted house with spooky magical vibes in this. While the romance is definitely a slower burn, I really liked where this was going and I think this is set up perfectly for book 2. I think a lot of people will love this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau is the dark gothic fantasy I've been craving! From the very first page, I was captivated by the eerie atmosphere and rich world-building. This book took me on a thrilling ride that kept me on my toes the entire time, blending intense magic, a deadly disease, and a web of secrets that twisted and turned in the most unexpected ways.

Edira Brillwyn, the protagonist, is a beautifully complex character with a power that both fascinates and terrifies. Her ability to heal comes at a steep price—every time she uses her magic, she loses a bit of herself. Watching her navigate the moral and emotional complexities of her power was absolutely riveting. When she crosses paths with the Fernglove family, especially Orin, the charismatic and enigmatic head of the family, the tension between them crackles with chemistry. Orin's allure is undeniable, but as the mystery deepens, so does the danger, and the line between ally and enemy becomes incredibly blurred.

The gothic romantic fantasy genre is quickly becoming my new favorite, and House of Blight is a perfect example of why. Martineau weaves a beautiful yet haunting love story amid a backdrop of dark family secrets, magical intrigue, and high stakes. The gothic atmosphere is ever-present, from the sprawling manor to the sinister undercurrents within the Fernglove family, and it makes for an incredibly immersive experience.

I couldn’t put this book down. The pacing is excellent, and the twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end. As much as I was swept up in the romance, I was equally invested in the mysteries surrounding the blight and Edira’s journey. This is a story that grips you, tugs at your heartstrings, and leaves you eager for more.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book! It was a pleasure to read and an absolute standout in the gothic fantasy genre. I cannot wait to see what happens next in this hauntingly beautiful duology!

If you’re a fan of Sarah J. Maas or Rachel Gillig, or just love darkly atmospheric fantasies with a dash of romance, I highly recommend House of Blight. It’s a book that will leave you breathless and eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

Thank you to Maxym and HarperCollins for approving this earc request. This book was fantastic and I am still thinking about it and how well it was written and how you fall in love with the characters so quickly. I was reading this along with 3 other great books and I kept going back to this one each time. Looking forward to the sequel and more from this author!