Status
Available
Call number
Series
Original publication date
2019
Publication
Ember (2020), 416 pages
Description
Fantasy. Horror. Folklore. Young Adult Fiction. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� Get swept away by this �??haunting�?� (Bustle) YA novel about twelve beautiful sisters living on an isolated island estate who begin to mysteriously die one by one. This dark and atmospheric fairy tale inspired story is perfect for fans of Yellowjackets. "Step inside a fairy tale." �??Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed. Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there 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 her sister's deaths were no accidents. The girls 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. House of Salt and Sorrows is a spellbinding novel filled with magic and the rustle of gossamer skirts down long, dark hallways. Be careful who you dance with... And don't miss Erin Craig's Small Favors, a mesmerizing and chilling novel about dark wishes a… (more)
Awards
Arkansas Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
The Flume: NH Teen Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2021)
Ladies of Horror Fiction Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2019)
Tome Society It List (2021)
Montana Battle of the Books (2024)
Original language
English
Language
ISBN
198483195X / 9781984831958
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member CatherineHsu
I was so excited to read this one; I mean, look at that—the cover is gorgeous! House of Salt and Sorrows is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I was never a huge fan of this fairytale but I’m a fan of retellings altogether so I was interested to see the authors take on this!
This book
I definitely have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the plot was extremely intriguing and I loved the setting. I’m always a huge fan of stories that mess with the character’s psychology and mind, and this book used that as a twist very well with Annaleigh’s visions. Still, there were some moments that were a little predictable for me.
The writing style was beautiful at times but also a little slow at others. It feels a little bit like books in the magical realism category, but it was definitely also much more straightforward and not as lyrical as I would have expected. Therefore, the book wasn’t quite as “haunting” as it seemed like it was for others.
The romance was a little meh to me, though the love interest definitely grew on me over time. I think overall, the characters were something that fell a little flat for me. Annaleigh, aside from her visions, was a very passive character and I’ve realized that I enjoy main characters that are a little more passionate and headstrong.
Nevertheless, this was a really beautiful twisted version on a traditional fairytale and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who likes reading retellings or fantasy books!
This book
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follows Annaleigh, who lives in a manor by her sea with her sisters, father, and stepmother. But her family is known for something else. There is a curse, a curse that has cut short four of Annaleigh’s sisters’ lives in the most brutal ways—the plague, drowning, falling…and now, Annaleigh’s sisters have been sneaking out to attend balls and dance with strangers. Needless to say, all is not as it seems, and when Annaleigh suddenly begins having visions, she starts to wonder if her sisters’ deaths were truly accidents.I definitely have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the plot was extremely intriguing and I loved the setting. I’m always a huge fan of stories that mess with the character’s psychology and mind, and this book used that as a twist very well with Annaleigh’s visions. Still, there were some moments that were a little predictable for me.
The writing style was beautiful at times but also a little slow at others. It feels a little bit like books in the magical realism category, but it was definitely also much more straightforward and not as lyrical as I would have expected. Therefore, the book wasn’t quite as “haunting” as it seemed like it was for others.
The romance was a little meh to me, though the love interest definitely grew on me over time. I think overall, the characters were something that fell a little flat for me. Annaleigh, aside from her visions, was a very passive character and I’ve realized that I enjoy main characters that are a little more passionate and headstrong.
Nevertheless, this was a really beautiful twisted version on a traditional fairytale and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who likes reading retellings or fantasy books!
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LibraryThing member SusanGeiss
A well thought out retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, this book drew me in from the beginning. The author did a great job filling this story with spooky visions, twists and turns. Just when I thought I had it figured out, she would throw me a curve. This book will fo well in any library
Thanks to the publisher and edelweiss for this DRC.
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that serves teens.Thanks to the publisher and edelweiss for this DRC.
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LibraryThing member SimplyKelina
I have heard several people talk about this one. I actually do not know if I know the fairytale that is it a retelling for, but I was still excited to give it a try.
I really loved the beginning, but then it went a little too slow for me. I liked the mystery behind the sisters and the curse. As the
There was so much filler that did not bring anything to the story. I know it all comes together in the end, but I just kept feeling like I wanted it to be over. Yes, there was exciting parts but even then I could not get into this one.
I should and could have pushed through to finish this as I got so far. I seriously read around 80% and then skipped to the end to get it over with. This one was just not for me.
I really loved the beginning, but then it went a little too slow for me. I liked the mystery behind the sisters and the curse. As the
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story goes on though it veered off too much. I did not care at all about the ball and the dancing. It just made the story drag on. I wanted to get back to the mystery and if the sisters were killed. There was so much filler that did not bring anything to the story. I know it all comes together in the end, but I just kept feeling like I wanted it to be over. Yes, there was exciting parts but even then I could not get into this one.
I should and could have pushed through to finish this as I got so far. I seriously read around 80% and then skipped to the end to get it over with. This one was just not for me.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This was a retelling of the "Twelve Dancing Princesses", which was my favorite fairy tale growing up. I was very excited to read this and it ended up being...okay. I normally love fairy tale retellings but this one was very slow, you could have had this book be quite a bit shorter and the story
Annaleigh lives a sheltered life as the daughter of a Duke on a small island. However, her peaceful life has been shattered by the intermittent accidental deaths of her sisters. When she starts having ghostly visions and a mysterious door to another realm is found, Annaleigh begins to wonder if her sisters’ deaths were really accidents at all.
So, first...other things I didn't like (aside from the poor pacing). I had trouble engaging with the main protagonist, Annaleigh, she was just so serious and so good. In fact that's another issue I had with this book; it felt like it took itself way too seriously and was just way too dramatic. No humor or fun dialogue here.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narration might have been part of my issue with this. The narrator does an excellent job with most character voices but Annaleigh's voice sounds breathy and dreamy, almost overdone.
There were some things I liked about this book as well. The description in this book is pretty amazing, I never had trouble picturing characters or settings. There are strong horror elements throughout, enough that the story is very creepy and at points the description is a bit naseauting. I liked how this horror was woven into a classic fairy tale. I also liked that this blended elements of madness and almost Lovecraft/Cthulhu-like themes into the fairy tale as well.
Regarding the horror elements...I would only recommend this book to older young adults. This book includes a lot of very descriptive and gory horror elements. There are also a lot of other mental health things going on here like suicide, madness, and self-harm. Just a heads up to anyone sensitive to those topics.
Overall, although the ending was interesting and I liked how the fairy tale was blended with themes of horror and madness, this is a book I would have been fine with skipping. Personally I wouldn’t recommend, there are better fairy tale retellings out there. However, if a horror and fantasy themed retelling of the twelve dancing princesses intrigues (and you don’t mind a deliberately paced story) you might really enjoy this one.
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would have been just as good. Most of the action and excitement takes place in the last few chapters of the book. Annaleigh lives a sheltered life as the daughter of a Duke on a small island. However, her peaceful life has been shattered by the intermittent accidental deaths of her sisters. When she starts having ghostly visions and a mysterious door to another realm is found, Annaleigh begins to wonder if her sisters’ deaths were really accidents at all.
So, first...other things I didn't like (aside from the poor pacing). I had trouble engaging with the main protagonist, Annaleigh, she was just so serious and so good. In fact that's another issue I had with this book; it felt like it took itself way too seriously and was just way too dramatic. No humor or fun dialogue here.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narration might have been part of my issue with this. The narrator does an excellent job with most character voices but Annaleigh's voice sounds breathy and dreamy, almost overdone.
There were some things I liked about this book as well. The description in this book is pretty amazing, I never had trouble picturing characters or settings. There are strong horror elements throughout, enough that the story is very creepy and at points the description is a bit naseauting. I liked how this horror was woven into a classic fairy tale. I also liked that this blended elements of madness and almost Lovecraft/Cthulhu-like themes into the fairy tale as well.
Regarding the horror elements...I would only recommend this book to older young adults. This book includes a lot of very descriptive and gory horror elements. There are also a lot of other mental health things going on here like suicide, madness, and self-harm. Just a heads up to anyone sensitive to those topics.
Overall, although the ending was interesting and I liked how the fairy tale was blended with themes of horror and madness, this is a book I would have been fine with skipping. Personally I wouldn’t recommend, there are better fairy tale retellings out there. However, if a horror and fantasy themed retelling of the twelve dancing princesses intrigues (and you don’t mind a deliberately paced story) you might really enjoy this one.
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LibraryThing member xhollishx
I. Love. This. Book. It is such amazing story. There's mystery, love and, of course dancing. It sweeps you up in it's amazing world. Perfect.
LibraryThing member deslivres5
I was excited to read this book, from the gorgeous cover alone! Fairy tale retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses with a serious Gothic bent ticked two more boxes for me. The storytelling, suspense and intrigue kept me dialed in. But then... the final hundred pages got all dei ex machina and
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ghastly. I heard rumors of a twist, but needless to say, I didn't enjoy the resolution of the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm12
This dark and twisty re-telling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale was a lot of fun to read. The narrator, Annaleigh, lives with her sisters on a remote island. Their manor, Highmoor, is in the midst of the sea and their religion is rooted in the world of salt and waves where they live.
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The descriptions were vivid and what starts with visions of beautiful balls and elaborate gowns quickly descends into a ghost story of sorts with gods and goddesses and a creeping madness. The plotting gets a little tangled towards the end, but I still loved the shadowy world. Show Less
LibraryThing member lflareads
House of Salt and Sorrows is based on the Grimm Fairytale, 12 Dancing Princesses. I have never read this fairytale, but this book reminded me of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, but much darker.
A family is cursed or so they think. Mom dies, and then one after another sisters are found
Do not get me wrong, the dances sound beautiful until ghosts, visions, and eerie happenings enter. Annaleigh is suspicious of the happenings and trying to find answers, but her turn to die may be closer than she thinks. Will she find answers to the cursed life they are leading in time to save herself and her sisters?
I could not put this book down! I found myself curious and trying to figure out answers. The author’s descriptive language was so precise in both grotesque, eerie moments, as it was when describing the fairy shoes and gowns.
YA novel
A family is cursed or so they think. Mom dies, and then one after another sisters are found
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dead. They do away with mourning, as their entire lives seem to be mourning the death of the next sister. The girls have beautiful gowns and shoes made as they attend magical balls where they dance holes into their shoes. Did I say magical balls? I should add the balls take place in a magical land. Do not get me wrong, the dances sound beautiful until ghosts, visions, and eerie happenings enter. Annaleigh is suspicious of the happenings and trying to find answers, but her turn to die may be closer than she thinks. Will she find answers to the cursed life they are leading in time to save herself and her sisters?
I could not put this book down! I found myself curious and trying to figure out answers. The author’s descriptive language was so precise in both grotesque, eerie moments, as it was when describing the fairy shoes and gowns.
YA novel
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LibraryThing member amaranthe
As Eulalie, the fourth of her sisters, is laid to rest in the family mausoleum, Annaleigh Thaumas wonders whether their line is indeed cursed, as people say. Urged by her remaining sisters to leave her grief in the past, Annaleigh instead resolves to find the truth behind Eulalie’s death. In the
An imaginative retelling of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” this tale focuses on Annaleigh and her sisters instead of on a male suitor. Craig depicts an old-fashioned, maritime, European-flavored culture in which all major characters are uniformly heterosexual and are either nobles or exceptional beings; commoners and servants remain almost entirely in the background. The decadent, aquatic-themed cover art presages the first half of this well-balanced and unpredictable narrative, in which details of plot and background emerge gradually amidst luxuriantly detailed scene-setting and slow-building horror. Heightened suspense and macabre violence characterize the second half, in which the pace accelerates towards a reasonably satisfying climax. Fans of atmospheric suspense and updated fairy tales will likely be pleased with this book.
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company of a visiting childhood friend, Annaleigh’s sisters soon venture through a mysterious door into a world of lavish, magical parties, sneaking out to dance every night away. While his young, pregnant wife consumes her father’s attention, Annaleigh copes with growing household responsibilities, a budding romance with a young man who seems to know more than he should, and her sisters’ obsessions, all while horrifying visions of the dead haunt her with increasing frequency. After several more deaths, the disturbing truth begins to emerge: due to an ill-advised supernatural bargain, a nightmarish foe is manipulating the family ever deeper into madness. Annaleigh and her gentleman friend must sort reality from illusion and break the deadly deal before the survivors can claim their happy ending. An imaginative retelling of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” this tale focuses on Annaleigh and her sisters instead of on a male suitor. Craig depicts an old-fashioned, maritime, European-flavored culture in which all major characters are uniformly heterosexual and are either nobles or exceptional beings; commoners and servants remain almost entirely in the background. The decadent, aquatic-themed cover art presages the first half of this well-balanced and unpredictable narrative, in which details of plot and background emerge gradually amidst luxuriantly detailed scene-setting and slow-building horror. Heightened suspense and macabre violence characterize the second half, in which the pace accelerates towards a reasonably satisfying climax. Fans of atmospheric suspense and updated fairy tales will likely be pleased with this book.
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LibraryThing member Pascale1812
One part fairy tale, one part murder mystery. Not the best book to read by yourself after dark.
Recommend for the sisterly affection and the creeping suspicion that nothing is as it seems.
Recommend for the sisterly affection and the creeping suspicion that nothing is as it seems.
LibraryThing member ladypembroke
3.5 Stars
Brief thoughts: Slow start. Interesting concepts. So-so mystery. Some vague characters (especially the younger sisters... to the point where I could not separate the triplets or the Graces). A little more fantastical than I was expecting. I liked Annaleigh, though. Once the action gets
Brief thoughts: Slow start. Interesting concepts. So-so mystery. Some vague characters (especially the younger sisters... to the point where I could not separate the triplets or the Graces). A little more fantastical than I was expecting. I liked Annaleigh, though. Once the action gets
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moving in the last act, it does do with almost dizzying speed. The last third of the book was almost a race, which made for some of the slowness in the other two thirds. Show Less
LibraryThing member thinktink93
"When certain kinds of people get desperate enough, they're willing to do anything."
I always say when little kids start seeing ghost that's my cue to nope the heck outta there and never look back.
Fortunately, characters in movies and books don't feel the same way.
I definitely stayed up way too
I always say when little kids start seeing ghost that's my cue to nope the heck outta there and never look back.
Fortunately, characters in movies and books don't feel the same way.
I definitely stayed up way too
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late to finish this book, but I regret nothing. Show Less
LibraryThing member copperyon
Beautiful and atmospheric (yes, it says so on the back, but it's true), this story takes a little while to get started.. because it's a ghost story and a murder mystery rolled up together, even though it's wrapped in a fantasy setting, and the pacing is appropriate. I enjoyed it a lot. It's been a
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long time since I single-mindedly consumed a book in a day, but this one kept my attention. Show Less
LibraryThing member GallifreyArchive
Beautiful and atmospheric (yes, it says so on the back, but it's true), this story takes a little while to get started.. because it's a ghost story and a murder mystery rolled up together, even though it's wrapped in a fantasy setting, and the pacing is appropriate. I enjoyed it a lot. It's been a
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long time since I single-mindedly consumed a book in a day, but this one kept my attention. Show Less
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
I love original fairy tales. They are so dark and disturbing. I love that people long ago accepted them as perfectly normal, as if eyes plucked out or bloody feet were the least upsetting part of life back then. I also appreciate the trend of fairy tale retellings. In many ways, I imagine changing
House of Salt and Sorrows is deliciously macabre and twisty. From the start, you know that Ms. Craig has no issues with darkness. The story opens with the family burying yet another family member, having lost one per year for the last five years. Of the twelve daughters, only eight are still alive. Everyone in their sphere believes the family is cursed, and the girls find themselves with no friends and few prospects.
What Ms. Craig does well in House of Salt and Sorrows is create a story wherein you begin to doubt everything you read. Something is causing the run of bad luck in Highmoor Manor, but you don't get answers until the end. Even those answers leave you questioning certain scenes because they play so well into Annaleigh's growing paranoia. The "did she or didn't she" element of the story is creepy, insidious, and masterful.
Of course, House of Salt and Sorrows wouldn't be a fairy tale without a romance subplot. I didn't mind this subplot because it remains firmly secondary to the main plot. There is a bit of instant-love, one of my least favorite tropes, but I look at the romance as a much-needed break from all the horror that occurs. Annaleigh needs a respite and something to give her hope and a reason to keep asking the necessary questions. When considering that viewpoint, the instant-love subplot is not so annoying but rather a necessary evil that does no harm.
House of Salt and Sorrows is not a Disney fairy tale. There is plenty of death, both in the past and viewed directly by the characters, to make squeamish readers uncomfortable. Ms. Craig also includes gods, demons, and one of the most disturbing birthing scenes I've read. All of the horror elements are spectacular.
The sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows releases next month, and I will be reading it with the hope that it is every bit as creepy and dark as the original story. It has big shoes to fill because House of Salt and Sorrows checks all the boxes for gothic horror. Let's hope this sister story does as well!
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a well-known story to make it your own requires a very different set of writing skills than writing an original novel. Erin A. Craig's adaptation of the twelve dancing princesses tale is an excellent example of the skill necessary to take a simple story and flesh it out to become grander than it was. House of Salt and Sorrows is deliciously macabre and twisty. From the start, you know that Ms. Craig has no issues with darkness. The story opens with the family burying yet another family member, having lost one per year for the last five years. Of the twelve daughters, only eight are still alive. Everyone in their sphere believes the family is cursed, and the girls find themselves with no friends and few prospects.
What Ms. Craig does well in House of Salt and Sorrows is create a story wherein you begin to doubt everything you read. Something is causing the run of bad luck in Highmoor Manor, but you don't get answers until the end. Even those answers leave you questioning certain scenes because they play so well into Annaleigh's growing paranoia. The "did she or didn't she" element of the story is creepy, insidious, and masterful.
Of course, House of Salt and Sorrows wouldn't be a fairy tale without a romance subplot. I didn't mind this subplot because it remains firmly secondary to the main plot. There is a bit of instant-love, one of my least favorite tropes, but I look at the romance as a much-needed break from all the horror that occurs. Annaleigh needs a respite and something to give her hope and a reason to keep asking the necessary questions. When considering that viewpoint, the instant-love subplot is not so annoying but rather a necessary evil that does no harm.
House of Salt and Sorrows is not a Disney fairy tale. There is plenty of death, both in the past and viewed directly by the characters, to make squeamish readers uncomfortable. Ms. Craig also includes gods, demons, and one of the most disturbing birthing scenes I've read. All of the horror elements are spectacular.
The sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows releases next month, and I will be reading it with the hope that it is every bit as creepy and dark as the original story. It has big shoes to fill because House of Salt and Sorrows checks all the boxes for gothic horror. Let's hope this sister story does as well!
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LibraryThing member Danielle.Desrochers
Ugh I loved this book so much!!!
LibraryThing member anniesdreaming
I loved this book so much, I cannot wait for her next book later this year!