Title: House of Salt and Sorrows
Author: Erin A. Craig
Publication Date: August 2019
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.
“𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌. 𝑶𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏."
I am somehow disappointed that what started out good and thrilling end up slow and overly narrated. Honestly, the book was okay. It is definitely over-hyped in my opinion. Which usually happens. There are horrid, disturbing, and scary scenes that still made my heart leaps. But then the narration was awfully long, unnecessary and at times not so clear. The eerie and atmospheric description was actually good. It kept me hooked at most times I was reading it. But also, I was drifting of from time to time, as the pace of the thrill was not consistent on this book.
I also must say that author might need to check how she characterize the leads. For example, first, is their Father, he was kind, affectionate but then suddenly turn abusive and scary. Second, turns out the Gods they worship are real. Which by the way is totally what ruined the story in my opinion. Third, the VERY CONFUSING sisters. Like, what the heck? I am really so confused with all of them that I just lost track who is part of which twins. It is in despicably annoying and confusing I already lost interest in correcting myself if this twins belongs to this set of twins. Its really frustrating!
There are loose ends in the story. There are some parts that was left unanswered and undeniably forgotten. Like: what happened withe their father and to Morella. Is it really the wish that made Cassius come back to life, or is it because he was a half God?
Overall, it was still a good book. I will probably still try her books someday. The World building was totally great! It was unsettling, horrid and kinda’ scary for me. I would still recommend this as I still enjoyed some chapters. :)
Thank you @times.reads for providing me a copy of this book.
