Do you ever read a book and sit there feeling as though the author wrote this beautiful piece for you, and you alone? Within the beautiful lines on every page of Erin A. Craig's debut YA novel House of Salt and Sorrows, I drifted further out into the deep blue sea of Salten and lost myself in this tale of heartache and loss, revenge and its deadly consequences, and the ultimate endurance to protect the ones you love.
Annaleigh has spent most of her life mourning the loss of her mother and her four older sisters. Her sister Eulalie took a deadly plunge off the cliffs of Salten and after returning another sister to the Salt, Annaleigh cannot help but wonder if the Thaumas family is really cursed like the town believes them to be. Now, there are only eight Thaumas daughters left and they no longer want to spend their lives in mourning so they decide to shed the black attire in exchange for colorful ballgowns and glittery fairy shoes for dancing! The girls stumble across a portal that legend claims the gods use to travel quickly around the world. With a thought, the portal leads the girls to all the other provinces in Arcannia to elegant palaces where they can dance the night away at balls with handsome men. Annaleigh knows something is terribly wrong with these nights of dancing. Just like she knows that Eulalie wouldn't end her life. Something sinister is at play and it seems like Annaleigh and her youngest sister, Verity, are the only two who see the terror lurking around every corner in Highmoor Manor that is until Annaleigh meets Cassius, the mysterious son of a Captain that she is hopelessly drawn to who believes her when she tells him she is seeing the ghosts of her dead sisters. Erin A. Craig is a master storyteller with an uncanny ability to write a horrifying ghost story that is beautifully haunting. I appreciated the time Erin took to slowly describe in full glorious detail Highmoor Manor (can I please live in a gorgeously ocean-themed estate by the sea?); the way she developed each sister's unique personality; the way her immense knowledge of Greek mythology was on full display as she created a half god named Kosamaras inspired by a medical term called kosmaras which actually means nightmares; and the way she selfishly kept details of Cassius to herself for a good majority of the book (but it was so satisfying when his character grew more evolved and...dreamy). At one point as I neared the end of House of Salt and Sorrows, my boyfriend, Jacob, put his hand on my back and I nearly jumped out of my skin and laughed at myself as he asked, "Taylor, are you ok? Breathe. You were all stiff and tense. I didn't even see your back moving to show you breathing." And it was then that I realized I had been holding my breath! Book loves, remember to breathe upon reading House of Salt and Sorrows or at the very least have your own Cassius next to you while reading to remind you to breathe! This was an insanely gorgeous and spooky tale that stole the breath from my lungs. LITERALLY. I give five shining stars of pure Salt and wishing lanterns from the People of Stars to Erin A. Craig and her brilliant debut YA fantasy novel, House of Salt and Sorrows!! Be sure to find and connect with Erin on social media for updates on HoSaS! She is on Instagram and Twitter as @penchant4words.
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