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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
The best way to describe this book is like 3/4 ACOTAR, 1/4 The Thirteenth Child. I’m not 100% sure if this is my final rating. I’m still processing that ending which honestly might have bumped it up a whole star.
fast-paced
House of Blight is about a “threadmender” - someone who can heal (mending life threads) but at the cost of some of their lifespan. Edira is a threadmender who makes a bargain with an Immortal when her brothers contract blight.
This was an interesting concept but the book didn’t feel fleshed out. The characters felt flat and stereotypical and the plot was predictable.
It was a quick easy read. Meh.
This was an interesting concept but the book didn’t feel fleshed out. The characters felt flat and stereotypical and the plot was predictable.
It was a quick easy read. Meh.
The downside of reading ARC's is that now I have to wait a REALLY long time for the next one. *cries*
I really, really enjoyed House of Blight and would give it 4.5 stars. It drew me in from the prologue on and kept me engaged throughout the whole story. I found the end "twist" to be a little predictable but I was rooting for that from the start so was not disappointed. This is one of those books that I just want to talk about with my book friends and I can't wait for the actual release so I can share it with my friends!
The threadmending element is unique and the whole Blight upon the land was fascinating and definitely made for an intriguing magic world. The main character was strong, although I found myself irritated at how easily she was persuaded to lose her unease of the Evers. She did illustrate adequate growth by the end to make up for it though.
The romance wasn't crazy, there was good sexual tension throughout but nothing really spicy until more than 3/4 through the book. Overall it felt tastefully done and the story didn't rely on that to keep things interesting.
I would recommend if you're a fan of Sarah J. Maas, "The Fourth Wing", or "The Serpent and The Wings of Night".
I really, really enjoyed House of Blight and would give it 4.5 stars. It drew me in from the prologue on and kept me engaged throughout the whole story. I found the end "twist" to be a little predictable but I was rooting for that from the start so was not disappointed. This is one of those books that I just want to talk about with my book friends and I can't wait for the actual release so I can share it with my friends!
The threadmending element is unique and the whole Blight upon the land was fascinating and definitely made for an intriguing magic world. The main character was strong, although I found myself irritated at how easily she was persuaded to lose her unease of the Evers. She did illustrate adequate growth by the end to make up for it though.
The romance wasn't crazy, there was good sexual tension throughout but nothing really spicy until more than 3/4 through the book. Overall it felt tastefully done and the story didn't rely on that to keep things interesting.
I would recommend if you're a fan of Sarah J. Maas, "The Fourth Wing", or "The Serpent and The Wings of Night".
In House of Blight, Edira, a gifted threadmender, is desperate to save her brothers from a deadly magical illness. So desperate that she agrees to work for the reclusive Ferngloves, a powerful family with dark secrets where her healing gift may become more of a curse for her rather than a chance to save her brothers and many others affected by the blight
I really enjoyed the concept of this one and I think it lived up to the promises it made. It was gothic, dark and genuinely creepy at times with vivid often unsettling descriptions that might make you feel a bit sqeamish. Even though the plot was a bit predictable the way it played out kept me hooked and once I got invested I didn’t want to put it down. The romance and overall storyline gave me definite ACOTAR vibes but in the setting of something like The Shepard King. Overall it was an enjoyable read with the right balance of magic and mystery. There is definitely setup for a sequel and I think I would continue with the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this e-ARC that I chose to read and review
I really enjoyed the concept of this one and I think it lived up to the promises it made. It was gothic, dark and genuinely creepy at times with vivid often unsettling descriptions that might make you feel a bit sqeamish. Even though the plot was a bit predictable the way it played out kept me hooked and once I got invested I didn’t want to put it down. The romance and overall storyline gave me definite ACOTAR vibes but in the setting of something like The Shepard King. Overall it was an enjoyable read with the right balance of magic and mystery. There is definitely setup for a sequel and I think I would continue with the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this e-ARC that I chose to read and review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I definitely get the complaints about the FMC being oblivious to glaringly obvious plot points. It seems like the author struggles with how to give the audience clues separately from the FMC. That said, if f you can get past that I think it ended up being a consistently compelling read with enough mystery to keep it interesting the whole way through. I loved that they did sort of wrap up the story of the book while furthering the overarching story of the duology making the book feel like a complete story. I'll definitely be reading part 2!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to love House of Blight as I thought the magic premise was facinating but despite the threads of a good story being there, it mostly unravelled into a scattered mess.
I found the plot painfully predictable, the FMC to be annoyingly naive and the characters and world to be flat and uninteresting.
The blight could have been an interesting concept but it wasn't delved into anywhere near enough. It's origins weren't explained. How the Ever's, beings suspected on being incapable of getting infected, getting infected wasn't explained. How insects could handle it but normal animals couldn't? Never explained. Nothing was ever explained.
Yet everything that didn't need to be explained in the book was telegraphed so plainly and predictably you knew exactly what was going to happen, and why, well before it did.
A thoroughly disappointing read.
I found the plot painfully predictable, the FMC to be annoyingly naive and the characters and world to be flat and uninteresting.
The blight could have been an interesting concept but it wasn't delved into anywhere near enough. It's origins weren't explained. How the Ever's, beings suspected on being incapable of getting infected, getting infected wasn't explained. How insects could handle it but normal animals couldn't? Never explained. Nothing was ever explained.
Yet everything that didn't need to be explained in the book was telegraphed so plainly and predictably you knew exactly what was going to happen, and why, well before it did.
A thoroughly disappointing read.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was a really intriguing read. We need more fantasy duologies. I was really intrigued by the magic system in this book. I thought the author did a good job incorporating different elements to the world without bogging down the story. I found the MMC to be very intriguing and mysterious.
If I had to compare this book to something I would say it had a good mix of Beauty and the Beast, Rumplesstiltskin, and Snow White.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the next book finishes up the story.
If I had to compare this book to something I would say it had a good mix of Beauty and the Beast, Rumplesstiltskin, and Snow White.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the next book finishes up the story.
Thank you to Harper Voyager for the ARC and Harper Audio for the ALC.
The House of Blight is a gothic fantasy focusing on Edira, a healer—except when she heals someone, she loses minutes, days, months of her own life. And she’s living in secret, until the fae leader (Orin Fernglove) finds her and makes her a bargain she can’t refuse and she’s moved to their castle/home.
I imagined their home on the moors; foggy, decrepit, filled with the Ferngloves but no staff. Creepy. Meanwhile, Orin and his family are basically at each others’ throats at all times, particularly his brother Rorick. Nothing like a bit of fae family feuding to make a human feel at home?
I’m suspicious at baseline so I kept side eying some of Edira’s choices; but I get it girl, you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. I loved how she kicked ass at the end, she finally took charge and was the strong HBIC I knew her to be.
While this is the first in a series, it still felt like a complete story, with just enough of a cliffhanger to keep me hooked and on board for more. And I hope to read the next as audio! Alexandra Hunter (and the tiny parts of Stephen Dexter) fit the characters so perfectly, it made the reading experience that much more enjoyable.
The House of Blight is a gothic fantasy focusing on Edira, a healer—except when she heals someone, she loses minutes, days, months of her own life. And she’s living in secret, until the fae leader (Orin Fernglove) finds her and makes her a bargain she can’t refuse and she’s moved to their castle/home.
I imagined their home on the moors; foggy, decrepit, filled with the Ferngloves but no staff. Creepy. Meanwhile, Orin and his family are basically at each others’ throats at all times, particularly his brother Rorick. Nothing like a bit of fae family feuding to make a human feel at home?
I’m suspicious at baseline so I kept side eying some of Edira’s choices; but I get it girl, you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. I loved how she kicked ass at the end, she finally took charge and was the strong HBIC I knew her to be.
While this is the first in a series, it still felt like a complete story, with just enough of a cliffhanger to keep me hooked and on board for more. And I hope to read the next as audio! Alexandra Hunter (and the tiny parts of Stephen Dexter) fit the characters so perfectly, it made the reading experience that much more enjoyable.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced