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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
And I oop š«£ there is something to be said about writing a whole book where 96% of the content didnāt make sense and the story setting was just a mishmash of about five other romantasy books.
I am not new to this author, Iāve read five books by her by now but I will say that this is the first time I havenāt been able to grasp the concepts sheās written out- I just feel like she had so many ideas and couldnāt execute them.
I liked the end, only because the romance went the way I wanted it too but this book has been removed from my āI wanna buy itā list
I am not new to this author, Iāve read five books by her by now but I will say that this is the first time I havenāt been able to grasp the concepts sheās written out- I just feel like she had so many ideas and couldnāt execute them.
I liked the end, only because the romance went the way I wanted it too but this book has been removed from my āI wanna buy itā list
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
āIām training you to survive.ā
āWhy?ā
āBecause you deserve to live.ā
-
This book was fan freaking fantastic. I fell in love with the mystical beauty of Fernglove, as well as the mystery that the property provided. It was like I was transported to another world.
Edira was such a beautiful and evolving character. Sheās attempting to solve the mysterious blight that has taken over her town, as she is the only threadmender that can heal othersā¦. while also trying to figure out the peculiar members of the Fernglove family and unravel their lore.
There was a major plot twist where I had to reread the pages a few times because I was like NO FREAKING WAY. I was glued to my kindle and biting my nails. Thatās how good the moments leading up to the plot twist, and the plot twist itself were.
If you like fantasy romance with a touch of mystery and thriller aspects, youāre going to love this book.
Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you NerdFam for this eARC!ā„ļø
Ok, this book completely fed my love for a gothic atmosphereā Iām a sucker for it, what can I say?? It had shadowy estates, eerie mysteries, and an underlying magic that felt just a wee bit dangerous. I was immediately drawn into the mystery of the Ferngloves and the Evers, honestly as soon as we met the first Ever my interest was peak and basically stayed there for 75% of the book. The coyness of the Ferngloves and the Evers always kept me guessing, I could never quite put my finger on who to believe or what exactly was going on at the estate.
Now, full disclosure: I hate bugs. The idea of them playing a major role in the story had me very concerned going in, but somehow, Martineau made me kind of fall in love with them? Well, some. I now desperately want a little Ywena of my own. Who am I? What has this book done to me?
The romance, while intriguing, left me wanting just a bit more. The dynamic between the love interests had potential, but it felt like we skipped a few stepsāgoing from complete strangers to holding hands and making future plans at record speed. Give me more yearning, more tension, more slow-burn agony!
That being said, this was such an immersive, twisty read that kept me hooked from start to finish. Between the eerie setting, the fascinating magic, and a plot full of secrets, House of Blight absolutely delivered.
Ok, this book completely fed my love for a gothic atmosphereā Iām a sucker for it, what can I say?? It had shadowy estates, eerie mysteries, and an underlying magic that felt just a wee bit dangerous. I was immediately drawn into the mystery of the Ferngloves and the Evers, honestly as soon as we met the first Ever my interest was peak and basically stayed there for 75% of the book. The coyness of the Ferngloves and the Evers always kept me guessing, I could never quite put my finger on who to believe or what exactly was going on at the estate.
Now, full disclosure: I hate bugs. The idea of them playing a major role in the story had me very concerned going in, but somehow, Martineau made me kind of fall in love with them? Well, some. I now desperately want a little Ywena of my own. Who am I? What has this book done to me?
The romance, while intriguing, left me wanting just a bit more. The dynamic between the love interests had potential, but it felt like we skipped a few stepsāgoing from complete strangers to holding hands and making future plans at record speed. Give me more yearning, more tension, more slow-burn agony!
That being said, this was such an immersive, twisty read that kept me hooked from start to finish. Between the eerie setting, the fascinating magic, and a plot full of secrets, House of Blight absolutely delivered.
House of Blight was a lush, darker romantasy with an interesting magical concept.
Edira is a threadmender - a person who can view the life threads of others and stitch them back together to heal, at the cost of her own threads. Her aunt, also a threadmender, was taken by the Evers years ago and never came back. She told Edira to heal no one and she kept that promise until the day her brothers brought home their dying friend. She couldnāt heal him, as he had blight. She tried and failed and within days her brothers were dying, too. When an Ever catches her trying to heal them she makes a desperate bargain - heāll stabilize her brothers so they do not succumb to blight if she uses her magic to try and find a cure for the blight. But with no know cure, Edira has her work cut out for her. Especially since many a threadmender had gone missing from the Evers domain before her.
Edira is as at times quite smart but also quite dense. I enjoyed that she acted like any person would when basically forced into a work contract with people she despised. She didnāt sugar coat her feelings and I found that rather believable at first. Over time her anger felt like a bit much at times, but considering how that family treated her, Iāll give her a pass. Orin felt like the stereotypical family head love interest. His family hated him, he appeared charming to Edira but had no problem ordering everyone around. He seems like a pretty on the nose love interest, similar in vibes to like Tamlin for me.
There was a love triangle, but honestly, the whole romantical plot felt a bit mechanical. The progression in both relationships felt quite stiff and I didnāt really believe in either of them. I did like Rorik more than Orin, but I always tend to root for the underdog in love triangles.
The writing was lovely and atmospheric. I enjoyed how the world was described and how things were laid out. The plot wasnāt anything too out there and I had a hunch how things were going to go after about 50% but I still enjoyed the ride. It does a good job at closing off book one and leaving it open for the next book. Iāll probably read it!
Overall I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to someone looking for a good ol gothic romantasy!
Thanks very much to HarperVoyager and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
No
Iām not even sure how to start this review except to say holy wow, oh my goodness. I loved this! I was first sucked in by the cover for this story. Itās a piece of literal art and strikes that eerie, gothic, darkly beautiful vibe to perfection. Once I read the synopsis, I knew I needed to get this in my hands sooner rather than later and let me tell you, it delivered on all my expectations!
As for the story itself, itās lush with all the elements of Romantasy that we love, and has a depth of plot that pulls you in and holds tight! I liked Edira from the start, as sheās honestly just a good human. She loves her family and does what she can to help her neighbors, even when they sorta kinda donāt really deserve it. As for our love interest(s), the way these characters were written had me highlighting all over the place in my kindle because I was really not sure who the āgood guyā was. I also really loved how the various family members are woven in and that again, we donāt really know who Edira can trust.
It is dark and twisty almost from the start with incredible descriptions that really let you āseeā the world. The reveals towards the end of the story are beautifully done and were so eloquently written that I found myself having to reread what I had already read to be sure I actually read it right. An author that can catch me off guard or unveil āgotchasā that have actually been staring me in the face since the beginning, but were so perfectly done that I never thought twice about them is automatically added to the āauto readā portion of my TBR.
I cannot thank the team at HarperCollins and the Nerd Fam enough for granting me the opportunity to read this as an ARC. Iāll be anxiously watching for news about the sequel!!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes
šHouse of Blight by Maxym M. Martineauš
Overall Rating:āļøāļøāļøāļøāļø
Spice Rating:š¶ļø
āØTropesāØ
š¦Forced Proximity
š¦Moth Companion
š¦Fae x Humans
š¦Healing Magic
š¦Gothic Setting
š¦Mystery
š¦āDonāt Trust Anyoneā
āØInitial ThoughtsāØ
Non- Spoiler:
When I first read the premise of this book, I knew I would like it. It had a ton of elements in the description that appealed to me. Little did I know how much I would enjoy and grow to love this book.
The writing is excellent, it pulls you in immediately and, at least for me, it kept me hooked. I found myself making predictions on what was going to happen next. Some predictions came true, partially. Others didnāt. And there were many twists and turns I didnāt see coming. I really enjoyed the ending of this book as well. It didnāt end on a cliffhanger necessarily, but it still makes me excited for the next book.
I loved how the author weaves in different fabric references (see what I did there?) due to the FMC, Edira, being a ātread menderā which refers to peopleās life threads. She is, essentially, a powerful healer. Iām in healthcare and I love fantasy depictions of healing. This was no exception. I loved the detail in which the author describes Eirdaās powers.
Spoilers Ahead!:
There will be spoilers from here on out, so if you donāt want anything spoiled, and I recommend you donāt, click away.
Okay, normally I try very hard to keep spoilers out of my review, but I need to process a few things.
The first being, my like-dislike relationship with the FMC, Edira. I went through an emotional rollercoaster with this girl. From the beginning of the book, I really liked her personality. Throughout the story, I had to keep reminding myself that she was young and she was thrown into a place where she truly did not know who to trust. It seemed like the entire Ever community was out to get her, but some intentions were far more nefarious than others. Despite the warnings she received from Vora and even Seville, to not trust anyone, Edira still found herself in bad situations. Normally I would write this FMC off as annoying, or idiotic. I have a pretty low tolerance for those things. But the author does such an amazing job at subtly reminding the reader that nothing is ever as it seems in this world. Edira has a headstrong personality, but she also has an endearing, caring side to her which I couldnāt help but admire and enjoy. That means I was screaming at her to get her head out of her bum and realize that something wasnāt quite right with Orin. It was obvious that he was up to something, but actions around the 50% mark confirmed it for me. I needed to remind myself that Edira is young and sheās desperate to trust Orin, especially since he had her brothers. Even when I reminded myself of those facts, I still found myself groaning about how blind she was to certain actions. I think she redeemed herself in the end, at least in my eyes, and she learned some tough lessons. To be that invested in a character is always a sign of great writing in my mind. So while I didnāt always like Ediraās choices and actions, I understood them and liked the person she was underneath.
There is a great message throughout the book about the glamour Evers use to hide any little flaw. Whether that be a scar or blight. It can be seen as a metaphor for how beauty is only skin deep. But itās an excellent social commentary as well. So many people in our own modern society want to cover up flaws and try to stop the aging process or effects of aging. In the end, it will always catch up with you. It was very well done.
More thoughts:
Orin is a PoS.
Rorik, though he made poor choices in the beginning, was still great enough that Iāve fully forgiven him and I canāt wait to see more of him. I loved the insect whisperer aspect to him, I thought it made him unique.
The family dynamics of the Ferngloves was mysterious and drama filled. I loved it.
Ywena was one of my favorite ācharactersā of all. I wasnāt sure about there being a moth companion. I loved her and grew so attached to her.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this book and Iām predicting itās going to be the next big āBookTokā book. Itās gothic, twisty, with a really nice balance of magic and intrigue.
Thank you to the Nerd Fam, the publisher, and the author for the gifted copy and the opportunity to review this book.
Overall Rating:āļøāļøāļøāļøāļø
Spice Rating:š¶ļø
āØTropesāØ
š¦Forced Proximity
š¦Moth Companion
š¦Fae x Humans
š¦Healing Magic
š¦Gothic Setting
š¦Mystery
š¦āDonāt Trust Anyoneā
āØInitial ThoughtsāØ
Non- Spoiler:
When I first read the premise of this book, I knew I would like it. It had a ton of elements in the description that appealed to me. Little did I know how much I would enjoy and grow to love this book.
The writing is excellent, it pulls you in immediately and, at least for me, it kept me hooked. I found myself making predictions on what was going to happen next. Some predictions came true, partially. Others didnāt. And there were many twists and turns I didnāt see coming. I really enjoyed the ending of this book as well. It didnāt end on a cliffhanger necessarily, but it still makes me excited for the next book.
I loved how the author weaves in different fabric references (see what I did there?) due to the FMC, Edira, being a ātread menderā which refers to peopleās life threads. She is, essentially, a powerful healer. Iām in healthcare and I love fantasy depictions of healing. This was no exception. I loved the detail in which the author describes Eirdaās powers.
Spoilers Ahead!:
There will be spoilers from here on out, so if you donāt want anything spoiled, and I recommend you donāt, click away.
Okay, normally I try very hard to keep spoilers out of my review, but I need to process a few things.
The first being, my like-dislike relationship with the FMC, Edira. I went through an emotional rollercoaster with this girl. From the beginning of the book, I really liked her personality. Throughout the story, I had to keep reminding myself that she was young and she was thrown into a place where she truly did not know who to trust. It seemed like the entire Ever community was out to get her, but some intentions were far more nefarious than others. Despite the warnings she received from Vora and even Seville, to not trust anyone, Edira still found herself in bad situations. Normally I would write this FMC off as annoying, or idiotic. I have a pretty low tolerance for those things. But the author does such an amazing job at subtly reminding the reader that nothing is ever as it seems in this world. Edira has a headstrong personality, but she also has an endearing, caring side to her which I couldnāt help but admire and enjoy. That means I was screaming at her to get her head out of her bum and realize that something wasnāt quite right with Orin. It was obvious that he was up to something, but actions around the 50% mark confirmed it for me. I needed to remind myself that Edira is young and sheās desperate to trust Orin, especially since he had her brothers. Even when I reminded myself of those facts, I still found myself groaning about how blind she was to certain actions. I think she redeemed herself in the end, at least in my eyes, and she learned some tough lessons. To be that invested in a character is always a sign of great writing in my mind. So while I didnāt always like Ediraās choices and actions, I understood them and liked the person she was underneath.
There is a great message throughout the book about the glamour Evers use to hide any little flaw. Whether that be a scar or blight. It can be seen as a metaphor for how beauty is only skin deep. But itās an excellent social commentary as well. So many people in our own modern society want to cover up flaws and try to stop the aging process or effects of aging. In the end, it will always catch up with you. It was very well done.
More thoughts:
Orin is a PoS.
Rorik, though he made poor choices in the beginning, was still great enough that Iāve fully forgiven him and I canāt wait to see more of him. I loved the insect whisperer aspect to him, I thought it made him unique.
The family dynamics of the Ferngloves was mysterious and drama filled. I loved it.
Ywena was one of my favorite ācharactersā of all. I wasnāt sure about there being a moth companion. I loved her and grew so attached to her.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this book and Iām predicting itās going to be the next big āBookTokā book. Itās gothic, twisty, with a really nice balance of magic and intrigue.
Thank you to the Nerd Fam, the publisher, and the author for the gifted copy and the opportunity to review this book.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
House of Blight
by Maxym M. Martineau
The Threadmender Chronicles #1
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Apr 8, 2025
Avon/Harper Voyager
Fantasy
Ages: 16+
As a threadmender, each time Edira uses her gift to heal someone, her own life dwindles so she hides, because those of her village had already sold her aunt to the Ferngloves, a magically powerful family who own the mines where the men of the village work.
But when her brothers catch blight, an incurable virus, Orin Fernglove, the head of the Fernglove family discovers her secret and makes her an offer... He will use his magic to keep her brothers' illness suspended so she can find a way to cure the blight.
Whisked away to his Manor, she finds that she can not trust anyone in his family, for they all use their magic to play games, and the other families play more than games. But as time passes, Edira finds that Orin is hiding a secret.
While this started off feeling like a 'cozy romantasy' it shifted to include more of a darker tone. There was some violence, but it wasn't too gory, and the romance was predictable and had enough content to make this unsuitable for readers under sixteen.
Also predictable were the plot and the intentions of the characters. I had those and the ending guessed by the halfway mark.
Even though the characters are the typical 'oh so beautiful' BS of the genre, along with the enemies to friends to lovers trope, it's not a bad story, it moved along at a decent pace.
As to reading the next book in the series: Nah...
3 Stars
by Maxym M. Martineau
The Threadmender Chronicles #1
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Apr 8, 2025
Avon/Harper Voyager
Fantasy
Ages: 16+
As a threadmender, each time Edira uses her gift to heal someone, her own life dwindles so she hides, because those of her village had already sold her aunt to the Ferngloves, a magically powerful family who own the mines where the men of the village work.
But when her brothers catch blight, an incurable virus, Orin Fernglove, the head of the Fernglove family discovers her secret and makes her an offer... He will use his magic to keep her brothers' illness suspended so she can find a way to cure the blight.
Whisked away to his Manor, she finds that she can not trust anyone in his family, for they all use their magic to play games, and the other families play more than games. But as time passes, Edira finds that Orin is hiding a secret.
While this started off feeling like a 'cozy romantasy' it shifted to include more of a darker tone. There was some violence, but it wasn't too gory, and the romance was predictable and had enough content to make this unsuitable for readers under sixteen.
Also predictable were the plot and the intentions of the characters. I had those and the ending guessed by the halfway mark.
Even though the characters are the typical 'oh so beautiful' BS of the genre, along with the enemies to friends to lovers trope, it's not a bad story, it moved along at a decent pace.
As to reading the next book in the series: Nah...
3 Stars
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Many thanks to The Nerd Fam, Harper Collins and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!
Holy wow, this book was good! Thereās not many books that have me so eager to read it that I finish it in just under two days, but this was one of them. Thereās so many things to talk about, but first off I really love Edira as a character! She is feisty and stands her ground and while I love seeing women wield a sword, something about her being in a healer role as a Threadmender is refreshing and itās even more refreshing that she doesnāt lose that fire. The world building in this gothic romantasy is immaculate and learning about the Evers and the Ferngloves in particular made this so fun to learn of the different family members. Orin and Rorik were also refreshing characters and I enjoyed learning about them as I read on. The whole plot kept me on my seat as I got to learn about the Blight, its connection to this world and how no one is immune to it. Needless to say it had me at the edge of my seat from the first page down to the very last. Iām very much looking forward to seeing how the series continues to unfold!
Holy wow, this book was good! Thereās not many books that have me so eager to read it that I finish it in just under two days, but this was one of them. Thereās so many things to talk about, but first off I really love Edira as a character! She is feisty and stands her ground and while I love seeing women wield a sword, something about her being in a healer role as a Threadmender is refreshing and itās even more refreshing that she doesnāt lose that fire. The world building in this gothic romantasy is immaculate and learning about the Evers and the Ferngloves in particular made this so fun to learn of the different family members. Orin and Rorik were also refreshing characters and I enjoyed learning about them as I read on. The whole plot kept me on my seat as I got to learn about the Blight, its connection to this world and how no one is immune to it. Needless to say it had me at the edge of my seat from the first page down to the very last. Iām very much looking forward to seeing how the series continues to unfold!