Characters: 4.00⭐️
Setting: 4.25⭐️
Plot: 4.00⭐️
Themes: 4.00⭐️
Personal enjoyment: 4.25⭐️
Emotional Impact: 3.75⭐️
Overall rating: 4.00⭐️

Edira is a threadmender which is a rare, and special power that has lifesaving capabilities to cure diseases and heal injuries. Though she must keep it hidden. Any use of her power, she must sacrifice a part of her life. When her brothers contract the blight, a deadly virus that spreads rapidly on contact and is not curable, the powerful Fernglove family discovers her gift of threadmending and coerce her to live at their estate to research a cure and Orin, the Fernglove leader, uses his magic to slow the spread of her brothers blight.

Without giving too much away in this review, I will say that there are many layers to this story. This is a romantasy with very little spice, which honestly, I was here for it. I don't think it needed it. The story was original, and I liked Edira as a FMC. What I also liked about the "magic beings" of this world were that they weren't your standard romantasy "fae" or "elf". It was never really explained what the Ferngloves actually were and I enjoyed that. It gave them this sense of mystery which added to the story.

The world itself was unique. The idea of a blight that was incurable for ALL magic and non-magic beings also was a breath of fresh air since most magical beings in other stories always seem to be immune to it. In my opinion, this was a higher stakes romantasy since there was a lot more at risk for the magical being side of the story.

I would have liked to get into Edira's family history a little more and a little more world building, but I can see the story unfolding more as the books continue. Though there were some standard romantasy tropes, they felt fresh and not too tropey. The pacing was great and I enjoyed reading this book.

Would I recommend this? Yes.

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 House of Blight
✒️ Maxym M. Martineau
🗓 8th April 2025
💫💫💫

What's your favourite form of magic in books?

I always like elemental or shadow magic ✨️

Thank you to @thenerdfam and @harpercollinsaustralia for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would say this book was a blend of gothic and romantasy. We meet Edira, a woman with threadminder who heals people of her village in exchange for sacrificing a portion of her own. She helps everyone but must hide who she is, even dyes her hair to hide the stark moonlight shade.

Her two brothers contract the Blight, a mysterious illness that she is unable to heal them of. She makes a deal with the Ferngloves and finds herself drawn to Orin.

But her world is crumbling around her, and she must choose who she values more; herself, her brothers, or her heart.

I liked this book, but I found it too predictable. Nothing jumped out at me and made me go, "Oh my goodness!". The world building was also a little off, I got confused, and a few times, I didn't know where scenes were occurring in the world.

House of Blight focuses on our FMC Edira who is living in a small village where disease is rampart. When the blight, which has no cure, takes her brothers Edina is faced with a life changing opportunity to try and save them.
Edira is a threadmender which costs her time off her life every time she uses it. I thought it was such an interesting take on magic and really makes you think what is worth shortening your own life for.
Orin Fernglove of the immortal Evers makes a deal with her to try and help the blight and find a cure.
I enjoyed the gothic setting, the relationship between Orin and Edira even if some of the plot was a bit predictable.
It forces Edira to decide who to rescue and what price of that will cost her. This story pulls at the heart and makes you reflect on all the ways and the lengths one would go to protect and save loved ones.


-Dark fantasy romance
-enemies to lovers
-Forced proximity
-Secrets and intrigue
-Healer
-Gothic castle

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

You can tell that Maxym put a lot of effort into their writing with all the details that they put into their work! Looking forward to reading more from them.

4.5⭐️
I loved this one so much! There were some pretty predictable moments but I still enjoyed it. This follows Edira who is able to heal sickness, however it comes at a cost.
She is then tasked with trying to help those she loves when a deadly disease takes over her land.
I loved this one and can’t wait for the next one. I do think there are some areas that dragged a little, but I thought this was an exciting read over all!
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this! Read it soon after One Dark Window and the vibes are very similar (in a very positive way!)

Enough the same and enough different within the gothic romantasy sub-genre to make it comforting but also interesting. Characters and atmosphere were very strong. Pacing had hits and misses, but that's often the case in 1st books in a series and I'd certainly continue reading!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Just after reading the prologue I know I’d be in for a world of learning and wisedom. Can one really cheat death permanently? Then, after reading more, I realized I was in for a world of heartbreak. The world building in this book is fantastic and it definitely had me feeling like I was emersed in this world. Some of the characters I loathed, well because they were shitheads lol. Some of them had me changing my mind by the end. I didn’t know I’d be on an emotional rollercoaster that would like me mad and crying lo. The pure amount of betrayal. I feel like I saw it coming but was just waiting for boom to drop and it dropped hard. The two characters I loved through the entire book was Edira and Vora. Ediras journey is wild and left on a cliffhanger. I was like wait no this can’t be the end like shits gonna hit the fan again!
Dark…fantasy…mystery…some spice..love this book.

3.5! ⭐️ The House of Blight weaves a gothic fantasy tale of sacrifice, secrets, and survival. Edira, a Threadminder who can heal at great personal cost, must navigate a dangerous bargain to save her brothers. The atmospheric world and intriguing magic system stand out, though some felt the romance lacked depth and the story didn’t fully realize its potential. A promising start to a series with room to grow.

This was insane. The emotional damage just from the first 30 pages had me eating this book up! Edira is a Threadmender, someone who can see the life threads of others and fix them. The downside though? It uses up her own life threads🫠 The Evers are fae that take in any Threadmender that they come across, never to be seen again, just like Edira’s aunt.

“𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝑭𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝑬𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒂. 𝑴𝒂𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆.”

There was already hate for the Evers, but Edira’s forced to make a bargain with the head of the Ferngloves in exchange for her powers. As characters get introduced, I knew some shady shit was going on, but the who was down to the very last pages! It’s been a minute since I got full body goosebumps from reading a scene and when I tell you!!🙂‍↕️

“𝑰’𝒎 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆.”
“𝑾𝒉𝒚?”
“𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆.”

There’s this mini love triangle going on, but I was more focused on Edira, her growing powers, and who tf was creeping around watching her like some kind of ghost always out of reach. I didn’t expect the betrayal, the savior, or really literally anything that happened in the last few chapters! I cannot wait for the next book because that cliffhanger got me SO bad😭

Thank you so much to the author, Harper Voyager US and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

I devoured this in a day! What a unique cool magic system and world.

I loved the FMC she is a human with healer magic and she is forced to join forces with the very immortals she loathes… “the evers”

“It’s delightful to know that I make you squirm.”

“a flicker of awareness sparked in my chest, and my world froze. It was small, like the first star winking to life in the presence of dusk, but brilliant just the same. And with it came a soothing warmth that beat through my limbs in time with my heart. My breath caught in my lungs.”

With twists and action, I could not put it down.

I need book 2 immediately!


Thankyou for the arc netgalley & HQ!

Edira was a great character. I thought the magic she had was unique and enjoyed that part of the book. The world building and the setting for the book was great. There were some spicy scenes in the book. I can't wait for the next book.

3.5 Stars
2 Pepper Spice

Synopsis:
In the world of magic, saving people always comes at a cost. For Edira, it is her own life source where she can cure diseases and heal injuries but it will take from her own health. Having her aunt’s abilities taken advantage of, she has kept her abilities hidden.
The Fernglove family has discovered her secret, and they want it. A powerful family with immortal life and magical resources want to have her find the cure to the blight. With both of her brothers sick with the blight, she has no choice to help to find a cure. Can she save her brothers while staying alive?

Review:
There are many mentions of fans of ACOTAR enjoying this book with rot and gothic vibes, and they are absolutely correct. You will look to start enjoying bugs (possibly) and the book has lots of twists and turns. I did overall enjoy the book but felt there were a few plot holes and difficulties that the FMC would not have been able to obtain without a critical piece of information received later on in the book. Regardless, I will still be reading the second book as I enjoyed the book.

Bottom Line: If you like Gothic Fantasies, you will enjoy this book. However, there will be some plot issues. If that bothers you, this might not be the right book for you.

Thank you NetGalley for this absolutely incredible arc!

I was invested in this book from the start. The magic involved is incredibly creative and nothing I have experienced before and I truly cannot wait for the sequel to this duology. This gothic fantasy should be on everyones TBR and i will talk to anyone about this.

This book has everything you need in a romantasy. There is a FMC who is a caring badass who would do anything for her family, two brothers that both seem to care for her with questionable intentions, and a creepy manor which is the perfect setting for this thriller girlie that is in her fantasy era.

The story follows a threadmender who can heal any ailment but everytime she does, it takes time off her own life. Her family has died to keep her secret and it is suddenly exposed when her brothers contract Blight, this book’s equivalent of the Black Plague. It affect humans and immortals alike with everyone desperate for a cure.

This book does not end on a cliffhanger but the atmosphere and characters make me desperate to know more

If you enjoy gothic romantasy with a slight love triangle full of tension and secrets, I would highly recommend this book.

The world building was pretty on point, and the characters were easy to fall in love with.

The magic in the world was truly interesting, and the story kept me guessing right to nearly the end. I already cant wait for the next book!!

From the beginning of this book it had me in a death grip. It had a lot of similarities to fantasies already published and popular but had a great subplot to it that I haven’t seen much at all. As blithe attacks the world Edira, a thread meander, lives in she always thought it would be impossible to cure. With Evers (nearly immortal beings made from an ancient deal) seeming unaffected by the blithe there’s never been a huge cry to cure this plague from the world. Edira learns a lot about trust as she falls in love with Orin, the lord of the Ferngloves, and is trained by Rorik, his brother. It ended on such a cliffhanger that I’m not sure if there will be a second book or if you’re left to interpret how it goes. Either way I will be lined up when it does come out.

I am really enjoying darker fantasy stories right now. House of Blight would fall on the lighter end of dark fantasy, but it still hit the spot! There is magic with a deadly cost, strong family bonds, a powerful immortal family with layers of secrets, and mix in some romantic tension. I really enjoyed this book!

We follow Edira, a human with the power to heal, but at the cost of an unknown time off her life. She's hidden her powers her whole life, but of course that doesn't last. She gets pulled into the world of the Ferngloves, making a deal to save her brothers' lives.

I did notice some clunkiness in the first part of this book, some repetition that stood out to me. But that being said, by the halfway point, the writing felt smoother, or I was just too invested in the story to notice anymore! I flew through the second half of this in one afternoon.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Voyager, for an early copy in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

House of Blight is the first book in a duology. It is the perfect dark gothic fantasy romance! I had a good time with this book from start to finish.

Edira is a threadmender who can use her power to heal others, but at a cost. Every time she uses her abilities, her own life shortens. When her brothers fall ill, she sees no other option than to accept help from the handsome Ever immortal, Orin. He wisks her off to his magical estate, where she soon learns that things are not as they appear.

This book was so wonderfully written. The imagery was spot on. The characters were well developed and easily relatable and likeable (or unlikeable, in some cases).

I would highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of:

-gothic fantasy
-eerie, dark settings
-powerful, magical immortals
-slowburn romance

I absolutely loved everything about this. I really if you enjoyed One Dark Window and Anathema, you’ll enjoy this. It’s not overly spicy which is refreshing, but you get the longing and yearning as well as a love triangle. SO GOOD!

Prediction: House of Blight is the next big thing.

Guys…

If you loved Acotar, if you loved Lightlark, if you love Fairytales… this.

If you love sentient magic, if you love cruel fae, if you love a “chosen one, save the world” trope… this.

If you love “touch her and die” vibes, if you love multiple morally grey baddies, if you love just a little spice, but make it a good one… 100% this.

If you love atmospheric folklore, if you love an unlimited budget glow-up moment, if you love plot twists that’ll leave you shook… 1000% this.

Honestly, this book had me hooked from the prologue. Martineau knew what we were craving and delivered.

The plot and pacing were incredible. The characters were developed and so fun to read and I enjoyed how it felt simultaneously familiar to some of my favorites, but also uniquely original.
I cannot wait for the next one, which will probably be a minute since this one’s not out until April 8th.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyage for the Advance Copy in exchange for my honest review. As always, it’s been a pleasure.

Eh. A pretty mid entry into the romantasy space for me. It's not awful but I don't think it has anything particularly new to offer, either. Edira, our heroine, is CERTAINLY a character we've seen many times before at this point; the self-sacrificing older sister who will do literally anything for her siblings because they have been tragically orphaned. Oh and she has secret healing powers. The Evers are basically fae by another name. But this book's real downfall is its pacing; it takes FOREVER to get going. Well over 50% of the book and I still felt like NOTHING was happening. A romantasy book can be light on plot, but then the romantic tension has to carry the day, and that did not happen here. In fact, it was a weird love triangle-ish setup involving two brothers which gave me the ick.

And you know what else gave me the ick? That Edira knew her love interest was LITERALLY ROTTING AWAY and was like "Yeaaah let's get it on." OMG VOMIT.

The writing isn't terrible. I liked the manifestation of threadmending for Edira's particular brand of healing magic. But the story in general was incredibly weak and the romance not prominent enough or with enough chemistry to buoy that weakness into enjoyability territory.

Also this is billed as Gothic--it's not. There are certainly some horror elements but it's not Gothic in the slightest.