(Book
Review): House of Salt and Sorrows by
Erin A. Craig
This is a retelling of ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses’,
just in Gothic-horror style. Tbh, I bought
this merely because of the cover (and the fact that it’s a fairytale retelling,
which I am a sucker of :D), however, upon reading the first page of the book, I
just knew this would exceed my expectation.
Set in an archipelago ruled by a Dukedom, the story is
riddled with deaths and ghosts. The Duke has 12 daughters, and 4 of them have
already died at the beginning of the story, which leads people to think that
the family has been cursed. The thing
is, each and every sister is unique and likeable (even the dead ones), and you
just can’t help but feel bad for them, esp for those whose lives have been cut
short.
There are so many hair-raising moments, the story as a
whole is very atmospheric and eerie. Annaleigh
is a very likeable character, as are her 11 sisters. Love the concept of the gods and goddesses,
wish we could see more of them, esp Pontus.
I did not feel any particular attachment to the ship
(Annaleigh and Cassius; Annassius?) and the number of times someone is about to
make an important revelation only to be cut off or ignored, pissed the crap out
of me, but overall, I loveeee this book and cannot wait to see more of the
universe!
Verdict: 4.4/5
