Tuesday, August 20, 2019

#BookReview: House of Salt and Sorrows by @penchant4words @DelacortePress @RHCBEducators


Synopsis: In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.


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About the Author: Erin A. Craig has always loved telling stories. After getting her BFA in Theatre Design and Production from the University of Michigan, she stage managed tragic operas filled with hunchbacks, sΓ©ances, and murderous clowns, then decided she wanted to write books that were just as spooky. An avid reader, decent quilter, rabid basketball fan, and collector of typewriters, Erin makes her home in Memphis with her husband and daughter. 

erinacraig.com
@Penchant4Words on Twitter and Instagram

Rating: 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
My Review:  
I was so worried when I started this title.  I had just DNFed a few books and I was scared that this one was going to suck.  But Luckily it was amazing!  This one is a retelling of the story of the 12 Princesses going into this one I didn't know that.

The amazingness of this title starts out with this beautiful cover!  I am a total cover lover when it comes to books. If the cover is crap the odds that I will read it are slim.  This cover was a wonderful blend that matched the book so well.  With the beach and the sea meeting with an octopus.  the People of the Salt are pictured wonderfully on the cover of this title.

The story opening has us crying right off the bat.  We learn that this family of 12 sisters is burying yet another sister in their time of morning.  The start of this one was very emotional and I it drew me in from the very start.  We learn about this family and what they are going through as well as being introduced to the characters both large and small. It really allowed the reader to start to fall in love with the sisters. So each death rips out your heart.  The author did a marvelous job making us love these characters.

The writing style in this one worked well.  It was well paced and easy to follow.  At times I did fell that the writing felt more middle grade vs young adult but it didn't really take away from the story.   The characters in this one were fabulous.  I fell in love with each sister and I think it would be interesting to get a few companion novels each from the POV of a different sister.  It would make one killer series overall.  My favorite character has to Verity! She was so adorable.

The storyline/plot were great.  I loved the mystery on what really was going on and who was responsible.  Along with a budding romance, dances, and the murders of the sisters this was one great title.  Then adding in the element of magic was just spectacular.  It was a wonderful blend of fantasy, contemporary, and romance that I don't think I will find again.  The one thing that I did have an issue with was keeping track of the sisters that were left. It was kind on the confusing side of keeping where each sister was born and where they were in the line of siblings.

The ending brought us full circle with all the loose strings tied up and although it wasn't really a HEA story it was fulfilling.  We had deaths and loves and wishes and I wouldn't have changed anything for the world.


Go Into This One Knowing: Magic, Sisters, Mystery! 





Go Into This One Knowing: 






"Step inside a fairy tale."—Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval
"An eerie, lovely Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling full of ghosts and gods and a fascinating waterfront world and I'm reading it from behind my fingers."—Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
"Chilling and atmospheric."--Laura E. Weymouth, author of The Light Between Worlds
Evocative details and lyrical, moody prose  . . . a richly conceived story that blends mythic and Gothic storytelling."--PW
"The novel’s vivid, evocative atmosphere will please fans of the gothic . . . chills aplenty."--The Bulletin
"Equal parts gothic fairy tale and romance . . . compulsively readable."—SLJ
"This moody maritime retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses blends elements of suspense and horror for a gothic twist on a familiar tale. A memorably built world populated with a hauntingly doomed family."--Booklist










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 Disclaimer: "All opinions are 100% honest and my own."  Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information. Buying via these links allows my site to get a % of the sale at no cost to you. 

FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored. 




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