BOOK REVIEW: House of Salt and Sorrows {Sisters of the Salt, # 1} by Erin A. Craig

"The High Mariner says Pontus created our islands and the people on them. He scooped salt from the ocean tides for strength. Into that was mixed the cunning of a bull shark and the beauty of the moon jellyfish. He added the seahorse’s fidelity and the curiosity of a porpoise. When his creation was molded just so—two arms, two legs, a head, and a heart—Pontus breathed some of his own life into it, making the first People of the Salt. So when we die, we can’t be buried in the ground. We slip back into the water and are home."
I rarely have good luck with gothic romantasy/fantasy/horror what have you, but something about Erin A. Craig's House of Salt and Sorrows immediately intrigued me, so I hit purchase, and believe me when I say that it was one of the greatest book buying decisions I have ever made! Though described as a dark retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, for me it felt far more akin to The Haunting of Hill House, what with the moments of sheer madness combined with the ghosts and isolated manor; and I, for one, loved it.

Eighteen-year-old Annaleigh Thaumus looks as though she leads a life of privilege from the outside looking in. After all, she resides in a luxurious manor known as Highmoor; is granted anything her heart desires by her wealthy father {though she doesn't ask for much}; and shares her days with a veritable harem of beautiful sisters. But look a little deeper...

Though once there were twelve sisters, tragedy claimed four far too soon; thus, now there are eight. With one young life being claimed after another, always under mysterious circumstances, the family has been placed in a state of continual mourning; and the townsfolk keep their distance from the daughters, regardless of how lovely they may be, due to their belief that the family has been cursed by the Gods. Then there's Annaleigh's stepmother, who is sick of mourning - desiring to wear color and gaze upon her beauty in mirrors; and so, mourning is forgotten, and Annaleigh descends into a spiral of madness. Or is it?

Without warning, sweet, sensitive Annaleigh begins experiencing vivid ghostly visions of her deceased sisters. Though each of their deaths was written off as mere accident, through these visions Annaleigh begins to suspect that the so-called accidents weren't accidents at all. And just as she begins digging a bit deeper into their deaths, her remaining sisters start embarking on evening adventures wherein they dance at lavish balls in sparkling gowns until the wee hours of the morning, returning each day with their slippers worn straight through. Where they are going, and who they are dancing with, Annaleigh can't be sure; but it's an added layer to the mystery already plaguing the Thaumus' - and if she can't solve it fast, more harm will inevitably come to her family.

I'm honestly so shocked that I haven't found a single comparison to The Haunting of Hill House because Annaleigh's character is so very vividly reminiscent of Victoria Pedretti's Eleanor Crain in the Netflix series; and the vibe of the book - from the isolated manor to the unsuspecting father to the overall moodiness...it all feels like an extension of the show. But I digress...

House of Salt and Sorrows was such a welcome surprise, and the most incredible book to read at the start of summer {though let me tell you, reading it in the midst of a snowstorm would be every bit as thrilling}. The cast of characters keeps you engaged from paragraph one. Annaleigh is a wonderful protagonist who seems reserved, but is very strong-willed and determined as the story progresses. Her love for her youngest sister, Verity {you will adore her!}, really illustrates how devoted she is to her family; while her relationship with the mysterious Cassius is sweet and endearing. Though the two have a slight romance, it never overshadows the haunting storyline; rather, it builds upon it, adding to the suspense courtesy of the puzzles surrounding his own family, and how they intertwine and overlap with Annaleigh's, and...well, I'll just leave it at that. I, personally, am downloading the sequel, House of Roots and Ruin, as we speak, as I'm not ready to say goodbye to the Thaumus family just yet.



Star Rating: ****1/2


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