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.

This book was so good, I ate it up. The world is so vividly described in such a manner that I had no problem visualizing what everything looked like. The characters were all there with a purpose, no one really felt like they were there just to take up page space. The relationship between Edira, Orin and Rorik gave me such Tamlin, Lucien and Feyre vibes I was in love. The banter was fantastic and the plot was so engrossing. It was excellently paced and every chapter left me wanting more and more. I truly can not say enough about how much I enjoyed this book. From the beginning to the end I was never bored and was always looking forward to what was going to happen next. The characters all had their own motives in the story and helped it continue, it was just overall a fantastic book and I can not say enough how this should be on everyone's TBR when this comes out this spring. It really is a perfect blend of Gothic and Fantasy with a perfect amount of romance in it.

very much appreciate that while the book sets up a series, the ending is satisfying enough that when i return for the next installment (believe me i will) i won't be completely lost. a delicate balance to strike

I really enjoyed this book! It kept my interest the entire time. I needed to know how the story would play out and if blight was curable. And then for them to be bonded, but realizing they were rid of it yet! Can’t wait for the next book.

What can I say? I devoured this. The House of Blight is a fun new twist on a genre that has become pretty saturated in the market. I was not at all disappointed in the ending, which is always a plus. I finished it in a day, I couldn't put it down.

House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau is an enchanting blend of gothic fantasy and romance that immerses readers in a world of magic, mystery, and dark secrets. The story follows Edira Brillwyn, a threadmender with the rare ability to heal injuries and cure diseases at the cost of her own life force. When her brothers fall victim to a deadly blight, Edira is compelled to ally with the enigmatic Fernglove family, particularly their leader, Orin, in a desperate quest for a cure.

Martineau's elegant prose crafts a richly detailed world where magic is both a gift and a curse. The narrative is imbued with a haunting atmosphere, and the unique magic system adds depth to the plot. While some readers have noted that certain plot developments are somewhat predictable, the overall storytelling remains engaging and immersive. The character dynamics, especially between Edira and the Ferngloves, are intricate and evolve throughout the story, keeping readers invested in their fates.

For fans of authors like Sarah J. Maas and Rachel Gillig, House of Blight offers a captivating tale that seamlessly weaves elements of romance, fantasy, and gothic intrigue. It's a story that lingers, inviting readers to ponder the delicate balance between sacrifice and salvation.

This novel has a Unique magic system, one where a threadmenders life span is tied to how much they are willing to sacrifice. The dark side of the ruling class is hidden from most. This was a great read with a gothic vibe. I highly recommend for those who enjoy fantasy, magic and deception.

I felt the concept for this book was really interesting but unfortunately I couldn’t get into it. It might just be that I’m not currently in the mood for this sort of book but I ended up Dnfing around 30 perfect. It did seem like it would be good for people who love romantasy and fantasy so I’d still recommend checking it out if you are in the mood for it!

Thank you Nerd Fam for the ARC of this book.

I LOVED this book. It has some similar feelings of other books I’ve loved in the past (think ACOTAR vibes mixed with One Dark Window and Cruel Prince).

I loved the easy world building that gradually took place.

I was not super surprised about the twist but I didn’t care, the ride was still good.

I will be reading book 2.

reviewed on Goodreads and Storygraph and I’ve told all my friends my love for this book!

I couldn’t connect with this one. The writing was entirely too flowery and focused on describing mundane things and I truly just did not connect with any of the characters.

Thank you for an opportunity to read this early and the eARC.

I need to read more gothic romantasy IMMEDIATELY!! This was so good! I went into this one really not knowing what to expect and now I am at the edge of my seat wanting book 2 to find out what happens next for Edina!!!

3.5 Stars
If you are looking for a book that twists, turns, and is full of lies, loves, and secrets, you're in the right place. Edira is a pretty badass character who gives up her life to save her brothers by living with a Fae family and all the secrets she has to figure out. With her world being stricken with a blight, something that is quickly killing many, she is trying to figure out how to use the powers she has hidden most of her life to try and save her brothers and the Fae matriarch, but the price is her life. The book had an amazing description of setting, and it was a really good gothic romance. I thought it was a little too long, and it isn't a book you can pick up and put down in a few seconds because you will be trapped within its pages in seconds. I enjoyed this book heavily. If you are looking for a dark, gothic romance, that will keep you on your toes, this is it! Readers of Sarah J. Maas would definitely like this book!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins/Avon Books for giving me the chance to read this book!

House of Blight is the first book in a gothic fantasy duology. Maxym did a wonderful job with the world-building and cozy, yet mysterious and gothic aspect of the book. There's an aspect of mystery that follows you through the entirety of the book that pulled me in. It reminded me of when I was reading One Dark Window.

House of Blight follows Edira, a smart, dedicated, and hard-working woman who has been left to care for her brothers after her parents passed from a sickness that infects everyone and everything it touches. Edira has a special kind of magic - "Threadmening" that heals with a catch. The more she heals, the less she lives.

Edira has to strike a deal with her enemy in order to keep her brothers safe. She is tasked with finding a cure for the blight, in exchange for protection, however, once she sets foot in the mansion, strange things begin to happen, and she is warned "Trust no one. Heal no one."

What you'll experience:
🪲Dark/Gothic Romantasy setting
🪲Hate to Love
🪲Slow Burn Romance
🪲Love Triangle
🪲Betrayal and Heartbreak
🪲Unique Magic System
🪲Forced Proximity
🪲Plot Twists

I’m expecting full on grovel for book two. 🙂‍↔️

Thank you so much Harper Collins, The NerdFam & Netgalley for the ARC! I need the second book to come out soon, respectfully. 😂

To me, a captivating book begins with an intriguing prologue. If that captivating introduction piques my interest, I can confidently anticipate an extraordinary reading experience. The prologue was exceptionally well-crafted. The magical system feels unique and original, setting it apart from other stories I’ve read. Edira inherits a remarkable magical ability that enables her to perceive people’s life threads. With this power, she can choose to heal individuals at the cost of temporarily manifesting a subdued version of their ailments. When her brothers fall ill, Edira makes a deal with an enigmatic entity known as an Ever. While the author doesn’t explicitly describe these creatures, I speculate they might be fae beings.

The book was beautifully written, maintaining a fast-paced and engaging narrative. It’s an easy read, making it the perfect starting point for the series. While I had hoped for a more prominent romantic element, this story takes an intriguing turn into an “enemy-to-lovers” trope.

THANK YOU @netgalley for sending me an E-ARC of this book.

An absolutely solid 5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and Nerd Fam for sending me this ARC to review.

WOW where do I start? This was extremely refreshing and very different to any fantasy I have read. It felt completely authentic and original and I absolutely devoured it! The magic system is SO unique in this book and it gripped me straight from the beginning, I genuinely could not put this down.

One of my fave things? Yearning. LOVE IT, LIVE FOR IT, HERE FOR IT. To see this written so perfectly tugged at my heart strings 🥹 I am so excited for this book to launch so everyone finally has the opportunity to read this incredible book.

KEY POINTS:
- Unique magic system
- Beautiful world building
- Enemies to lovers (ish)
- Forced proximity
- The most INSANE plot twists
- A pinch of spice
- Slow burn/yearning

If you're looking for a new fantasy to pick up, PLEASE choose this one. I'm so stupidly excited for the next book in the series!

Thank you so much to NerdFam, NetGalley, and Harper Voyager for an Advanced Reader Copy of House of Blight in return for an honest review.

Mysterious
Treacherous
Enchanted
Love Triangles
Betrayal

This book has a lot to love, and it also has room for improvement.

Edira, our FMC, is a rare Threadmender. She is able to mend sickness and ailments through magic at great cost to herself. Every time a Threadmender uses their magic it takes away a portion of their life as a balance exchange. I loved this new magic system, I thought it was unique and the rules of the system made sense.

Edira's brothers come down with blight, which is a fatal disease that affects both the evers (think fae) and humans. Humans die very quickly from this affliction and evers experience a long, drawn out and painful death. In order to save her brothers she brokers a deal with the evers and all is not what it seems in this exchange.

I enjoyed Martineau's writing style for the most part. I was never pulled out of the story because of continuance problems or feeling like the writing was juvenile. I did however feel like there were MANY parts of this book that were unnecessarily long winded. I found from 40-70% I was seriously contemplating a DNF because it just felt like the story was stuck. I think that this story would benefit greatly from speeding up the pace in this section of the book.

Overall, I thought the story was OK. There were moments where I was fully enthralled and there were moments where I didn't care much about what was happening, which mirrors what I was saying above. I don't think that the FMC's character was strong enough either. I don't really have a sense of who she is other than "she needs to save her brothers." She has a wild self sacrificing kink and overall isn't that intelligent. She fell into a romance trap that in my opinion was pretty clearly not a good idea. I just felt that both the romance story lines in this love triangle were a bit insta lovey. I don't understand where the attraction came from. Hating a person you're training with does not equal love. Being lied to continuously AND finding out about said lies and not seeming to care much does not equal love. I think if the FMC was a bit more wise and the interactions within the love triangle were a bit more in depth this story would be GREAT.

I think that this book will be well received. There are a lot of people who are looking for a book that has the tropes that this one has.

For me it was a generous 3 star.