Hello friends and fellow book-devourers! I know, I know, it has been a LONG time since I posted, but I swear I have a good reason... I had a baby! Being pregnant was rough, and of course having a newborn is crazy time consuming, but I think things are finally settling down enough that I can return to my beloved blog while still having plenty of time to spend with my sweet little one.
Now that my absence has been explained, I can get down to the topic that brought me out of my semi-retirement... The House of Salt and Sorrows sequel that I have been impatiently waiting for! As soon as Craig announced this book I pre-ordered it on my kindle, but as the release got closer and she started posting pictures of the GORGEOUS first releases, I knew that I just had to have a hardback copy instead. So, while my husband's family was in town visiting I roped my sweet sister-in-law into an outing to our local bookstore. I managed to find a hardcover copy and devoured the entire story before 24 hours had even passed. And now, I get to share my thoughts with all of you!
House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig
If you have read this blog before or with any regularity, you may remember me posting about Erin A. Craig's dark take on the twelve dancing princesses: House of Salt and Sorrows. I've posted about it more than once and it frequently comes up when I list some of my favorite books. The book I am highlighting today is its sequel, taking place several years later and following a now grown Verity, the youngest of the Thaumas sisters. The story is INCREDIBLE. I am a devoted lover of everything Craig writes, but this novel blew my mind.
The story is told from the point of view of Verity, now grown and looking to make her way into the world on her own. The estate she grew up on is now run by her eldest living sister, Camille, who seems reluctant to allow Verity to stray far from the island she grew up on. When Verity receives a letter from the duchess of Bloem asking her to come stay with them and paint a royal portrait of her son; Verity sees her chance to prove herself and takes off in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, not everything is as it seems at the beautiful estate of Chauntilalie where the duke and duchess of Bloem reside. The walls are filled with secret tunnels, the grounds harbor a million secrets, and even the flowers can kill you. Verity must piece together the secrets of Chauntilalie before she becomes victim to it.
I am not joking when I say that this book is TWISTY. Every time I would think I had it figured out another clue would be revealed and I would be lost again. And it never slows down. The last line of the book (literally, the last sentence) is yet ANOTHER plot twist. This book will drag you in and hold you hostage until you reach the very end. It takes place in the most gorgeous setting I think I've ever read: a sprawling estate absolutely covered in gorgeous and rare flowers and plants, while still maintaining an aura of absolute terror and unease. I think about this book every day, and I will continue to do so until Craig writes another one for me to obsess over. If you enjoy fantasy you'll love the setting and characters of this book. If you enjoy spooky stories that make you think you may be haunted, you'll love everything else. I cannot recommend this book enough.
I hope that you enjoyed this review of A House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig and that you'll check out the book! If you do, let me know! I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks for reading, and I hope to be posting again soon!
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