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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disappointed that there's spelling mistakes, like when Mrs. Marlow suddenly became Mrs. Marl32ow
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
I didn’t get why Edira liked either of the love interests. She barely speaks to them and is somehow in love with them? Also felt like she was pretty oblivious to how obviously evil Odin was. I felt like I spotted that from page 5.
Ending was kind of lame and I couldn’t get over the fact that she had sex with a rotting guy? Like what does his dick look like under that glamour? Is the tip even still there?
Ending was kind of lame and I couldn’t get over the fact that she had sex with a rotting guy? Like what does his dick look like under that glamour? Is the tip even still there?
House of Blight is a slow burn, gothic romantasy that follows Edira, a threadmender. She is able to heal others' sicknesses and injuries at the cost of time off her life. After her brothers contract blight, the deadly sickness that is taking over Willowfell, she is employed by the Ferngloves—a powerful, immortal family. They want to use Edira's power to cure blight.
This was great—such a unique story about a sickness that spreads fast. House of Blight is like medieval Europe overtaken by the black plague but with magic in the mix. Edira is an admirable main character. She will do anything it takes to heal her brothers, even if it means taking years off her life. A small love triangle forms between Edira, Rorik, and Orin. Orin is the powerful head of household. This fantasy is pretty low stakes. There aren't any crazy action scenes, but the ethereal setting and descriptions really sell the book.
I do wish there was more information about the characters. While Edira had great character growth, I felt like her personality was kind of flat, along with the other Ferngloves. I wanted to get attached to these characters.
Thank you Harper Collins and Epic Reads for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
The title and cover immediately caught my eye—gothic manor vibes and dark magic, yes please. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going in, but I ended up really liking the worldbuilding and the magic system. The twist on the fae is dark and mysterious, and I’m definitely curious to see more of that in the next book.
Edira, the main character, started off strong—grieving, angry, and determined. But as the story went on, I got frustrated with how passive she felt. Important clues and secrets get handed to her, and she often seems oblivious or distracted. With her brothers literally dying, it was hard to believe she spent so much time caught up in romance and distractions instead of taking action.
The romance is there, with a kind of love triangle twist, but it’s not the focus, which I appreciated. It didn’t take over the story, even if I wasn’t fully invested in it.
What kept me reading was the atmosphere and the writing—it’s moody, captivating, and perfectly sets the tone. The ending was satisfying but left enough unanswered to make me want to keep reading the series. I just hope Edira grows into her role a bit more in the next book because this world deserves a protagonist who’s fully present.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wow what to say about this book. The plot had such potential but fell so flat. The writing was mediocre which could've been saved by a good plot and characters. Instead the fmc Edira was so oblivious of so many red flags. She saw red flags and was like "huh weird" and ignored them. Who wants to read about a pathetic oblivious character who can't put together any puzzle piece regardless of how huge and obvious they are. Even after another character laid it all out for her she still doubted it all....for literally no reason! Horrible book. Don't recommend. Find a better book with a character that isn't an oblivious potato head.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was very surprised by "House of Blight" as a choice for my Sci-Fi & Fantasy book club since this was not one of the best books I have read in the romantasy genre and probably not one to inspire members to read more of the same. IMHO, I found it slightly reminiscent of "An Enchantment of Ravens" and "The Cruel Prince" (things like the ruling fae - in this case "Evers" -as a ruling class with the use of glamour and the inability to tell lies / their words carrying magical weight). However, it did still have a few things going for it.
The writing wasn't bad (though there were a few phrases that kept repeating) and I found the story to be engaging, if a bit slow to start. There was a sense of mystery that stretched throughout the book that kept a steady sense of anticipation going - it kept me reading and wanting to unravel the mysteries behind the Evers and the blight. I also really liked the characters, good and bad, which made for some interesting dynamics that heightened the overall mystery of the Fernglove family.
However, I dropped my rating slightly partly due to the incompleteness of the world building. I kind of liked the magic system, even though it was somewhat familiar (again, see "An Enchantment of Ravens" and "The Cruel Prince"), but the use of such familiar everyday items in a different world (coffee? Really?) was somewhat jarring.
As to the plot, the story development and plot twist will be familiar to anyone who has read "Direbound" (which I really loved). To be fair, maybe I have read one too many romantasy books lately but I saw the twist coming as soon as the love/attraction triangle was introduced. As to the romance and the spice, I found the content to be tame compared to others and rate it with 🌶️. There is also some violence and bloodshed 🩸 as well as some bullying and toxic behaviours but nothing overtly triggering (unless you are a sensitive reader).
There were other parts, like the ending, which did take me partially by surprise and the fact that there was a cliffhanger for a second book left me feeling kind of frustrated (I've lost count of how many incomplete series stories I am tracking in my head right now). This can be partially chalked up to the demand for this genre; it has grown so much and now a variety of authors have come out of the woodwork to take advantage of demand with stories spanning multiple books to feed the public's craving (not necessarily a terrible thing if people enjoy the results but it has affected quality).
On the plus side, this book was quite short (less than 400 pages) which made it an easy read. I did wonder, given another 150 pages or so, if the whole story could have been told in one book? Unfortunately since I cannot peer into the author's (or publisher's) brain, it is a question I cannot answer. I am curious as to what the author has planned for the next book though I think this story doesn't have enough steam to go beyond a duology: Time and the literary gods will tell.
However many volumes the series ends up being, due in part to my inability to leave a story unfinished, this first instalment has left me anticipating the next book which I will read when it is released.
4 stars 🤓📚
#HouseofBlight @MacyMMckay
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#fiction #romance #romantasy
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence