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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Absolutely spellbinding! If you loved One Dark Window and The Thirteenth Child, this gothic fantasy romance will absolutely sweep you into its dark embrace. The magic system is unique, the world building is rich and immersive, and the themes - sacrifice, secrets, power, and the fragile nature of trust - are woven through the narrative with precision. This is a familiar and slow paced story (with some predictable beats) and while it lags a bit in the middle, the story ignites in the second half, racing toward a finale that made it impossible to put down!! The tension, twists, and simmering romance were executed well. And let’s not forget the delightful addition of a mysterious companion moth, because every great gothic tale needs an eerie animal sidekick! Consider me utterly obsessed and counting down the days until the sequel!
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced ready copy . It took me almost two weeks to get 64% in and it’s just not the vibe I look for in a fantasy book. The concept of the story is great but takes to long to get to the point
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this book. The overall plot felt very familiar but the magic system was so different and unique that I didn't mind. I did find this book to be very predictable, but if that is something that you don't mind then I feel like you will love this one. The steam and the tension were amazingly done. This is somewhat of a love triangle and I will say that I loved her with one of the guys and cringed in ever interaction with one of the others. I'm not gonna tell you which is which, but one definitely gave me the ick.
I am excited to see how the next book plays out because this book did feel like a complete story with just a few loose ends, which is something I personally enjoy when it comes to series. This series has a ton of potential and I can't wait to see what book 2 brings. This book was more of an introduction into the series. There was a lot of action and it was fast paced, but I felt like this book was setting up for something else.
Thank you to the publisher and the nerd fam for sending me over an advanced copy of this book.
I am excited to see how the next book plays out because this book did feel like a complete story with just a few loose ends, which is something I personally enjoy when it comes to series. This series has a ton of potential and I can't wait to see what book 2 brings. This book was more of an introduction into the series. There was a lot of action and it was fast paced, but I felt like this book was setting up for something else.
Thank you to the publisher and the nerd fam for sending me over an advanced copy of this book.
This book drew me in with its unique concept and gothic atmosphere, and it absolutely delivered! The plot is rich and layered, blending dark fantasy, romance, and mystery in such an engaging way. Edira is a compelling protagonist—strong, selfless, and relatable—and her magical ability as a threadmender adds a fresh twist to the fantasy genre. The Fernglove family is fascinating, especially Orin, who quickly became one of my favorite characters. Their dynamic is complex and full of tension, both romantic and suspenseful.
While the pacing is a bit slow at times, the buildup pays off with plenty of twists and a growing sense of unease that kept me turning pages. The world-building is vivid and immersive, and I loved the eerie, gothic vibes throughout. Just be warned—it ends on a cliffhanger, and now I’m desperate for the next book!
Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rachel Gillig who enjoy a mix of slow-burn romance, dark secrets, and high stakes.
In House Of Blight we follow our FMC Edira, a threadmender, this worlds version of a magical healer, who has to sacrifice her own life threads in order to “mend” others. She has managed to keep her powers hidden for her whole life by dying the distinctive white hair that threadmenders have, so that others are not tempted to abuse her powers. But, when her brothers succumb to the deadly blight that is ravaging the world, Edira is left with no choice but to step into the dangerous and mysterious world of the Evers, a number of enigmatic Fae families, in an attempt to work with them to find a cure for the blight. Taken off to Fernglove Manor, home to the most prominent of the Ever families the Ferngloves, she is manipulated and coerced by the entire family in her race to not only cure their matriarch and her brothers, but to do so without sacrificing her own life. She soon discovers that all that glitters is not gold however, when cracks start to form in the meticulously crafted and maintained glamour the Ferngloves have cast over their lands.
Despite Edira being quite admirable for her loyalty to her brothers and her determination to find the cure no matter what, I did find her incredibly annoying at points as she makes some pretty poor decisions even though she is constantly warned not to trust anyone or anything within the manor. She appears to be so taken with the magic and shiny surface that appears to her within the manor that she’s blinkered to what is actually going on under the surface. The romance is so contrived and its clear that she’s being manipulated into it, but she seems to be so blinded by the pretty exterior that it almost comes across as her being purposely obtuse.
The manor and its grounds play a pretty key role within the plot, almost coming across as a character of its own. It has this creepy, gothic feel to it which adds to the tension in the plot, and with the addition of the horrific sounding Ancestor Tree (no spoilers!), what Edira believes to be a spirit roaming the halls and the brutal blight which we discover is not only affecting its inhabitants, but the manor itself, the book actually borders on fantasy horror.
The story is a pretty familiar format – the down on their luck, struggling to survive FMC is seduced by the mysterious and handsome immortal who convinces her that she is the only one who can save the day, and falls in love with him in the meantime, but it is so incredibly well written with enough variation in the stereotypes to make it feel completely new and addictive. The pacing was a bit slow in parts, but the pay off is worth it as the intense sense of unease increases and some pretty bombshell revelations and twists are thrown at you in the second half of the book.
While the plot is pretty neatly wrapped up at the end, there is JUST enough left untethered to set up beautifully for the second book which I absolutely cannot wait for.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I dreaded the idea of picking this back so it was clearly time to dnf ☹️ RTC
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A gory story with a peculiar magic system.
The magic system in this book was different and interesting. Edira is a fierce FMC determined to protect her family. The other characters? Well let’s just say they are very deceiving. Unless we talk about Ywena, that little moth companion is perfect. The story is medium paced, but towards the middle of the book the pace starts to slow down and then picks up again towards the end. It did have a good ending that sets up for the next book. The author gives us vivid descriptions of their gothic cottagecore world and character traits, making it easy to immerse in their world. Those vivid gory descriptions were really well written. The romance in this story wasn't my favorite, but it is understandable in the end.
If there was something I loved in this story, it was the prologue. You may not understand it until you finish the book.
Thank you The Nerd Fam and Maxym M. Martineau for this ARC!
The magic system in this book was different and interesting. Edira is a fierce FMC determined to protect her family. The other characters? Well let’s just say they are very deceiving. Unless we talk about Ywena, that little moth companion is perfect. The story is medium paced, but towards the middle of the book the pace starts to slow down and then picks up again towards the end. It did have a good ending that sets up for the next book. The author gives us vivid descriptions of their gothic cottagecore world and character traits, making it easy to immerse in their world. Those vivid gory descriptions were really well written. The romance in this story wasn't my favorite, but it is understandable in the end.
If there was something I loved in this story, it was the prologue. You may not understand it until you finish the book.
Thank you The Nerd Fam and Maxym M. Martineau for this ARC!
Wow, just wow. This fairytale esque story is rich in prose, character development and heart wrenching plot lines. I’m not lying when I said this had me by the throat and could not stop reading it.
We follow our FMC as she navigates the complex and often dangerous world of the “Evers.” Coerced into figuring out how to cure the incurable Blight, she rushes against time to save not only her Ever employees but also her brothers. The only family she has left.
In the world of the Evers, all that glitters is absolutely not gold and we watch in real time as Edria figures that out. There are so many reveals (some comfortingly predictable, some so surprising it made me gasp!)
This is absolutely a recommendation. And while I wouldn’t say that it ends on a cliffhanger, it’s definitely unfinished so I am looking forward to the next in the series.
10/10 do your self the absolute favor of reading this
We follow our FMC as she navigates the complex and often dangerous world of the “Evers.” Coerced into figuring out how to cure the incurable Blight, she rushes against time to save not only her Ever employees but also her brothers. The only family she has left.
In the world of the Evers, all that glitters is absolutely not gold and we watch in real time as Edria figures that out. There are so many reveals (some comfortingly predictable, some so surprising it made me gasp!)
This is absolutely a recommendation. And while I wouldn’t say that it ends on a cliffhanger, it’s definitely unfinished so I am looking forward to the next in the series.
10/10 do your self the absolute favor of reading this