chichalexisse's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
YAYYY! My first horror wohooOoOoo. My favorite part is all the kilig scenes and the last few chapters because it's so fast-paced, and Morella got threatened, suffered and died. I questioned everything, and at one point I said to france that I don't know anything at all.
I think it will be read mostly for the plot because I didn't get attached to the characters as much as I would like to. But I still liked Annaleigh and ofc Cassius, my half-god love.
My sweet Verity, I just wanna hug you. You didn't deserve every single one of those bad experiences.
Hi, fisher rip.
My favorite name out of all of them is Ligeia. (Fisher makes sense but…. huh? Hannah? why?)
Thanks so much for the rec france my sweet little book recommendator
I think it will be read mostly for the plot because I didn't get attached to the characters as much as I would like to. But I still liked Annaleigh and ofc Cassius, my half-god love.
My sweet Verity, I just wanna hug you. You didn't deserve every single one of those bad experiences.
Hi, fisher rip.
My favorite name out of all of them is Ligeia. (Fisher makes sense but…. huh? Hannah? why?)
Thanks so much for the rec france my sweet little book recommendator
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Pregnancy, and Body horror
tspice24's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Pregnancy
shannasbookshelf's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"The rain came down harder, shrouding Highmoor in muddled grays. Great boulders at the bottom of the cliffs were tossed about by the raging sea like marbles in a little boy's pocket, their crashes blasting up the steep rocks and rivaling the thunder."
This was a fun book, and I'm glad I decided to give it another shot.I don't think I was really paying attention when I read this the first time around. I would definitely recommend this as a read. It's an amazing, unique retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses story. Additionally, many tellings of the 12 Dancing Princesses fit best within the spring and summer months. However, House of Salt and Sorrows fits amazingly into almost every season and month. There were a few moments where I was questioning Annaleigh's actions, especially with how they compared to her words (even more so near the end). However, it didn't bother me too much since it worked within the story and how the characters interacted with each other overall.
This was a fun book, and I'm glad I decided to give it another shot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Body horror and Pregnancy
Despite this, I will say that it was a bit curious how Annaleigh kept relying on the men in her life - mainly Ortun (her dad), Fisher, and Cassius. However, it did make sense because she's probably, at most, in her late teens and not entirely sure how to handle the situation she was in. Additionally, her reliance on Fisher and Cassius seemed driven by the fact that her family - Ortun, Morella (stepmother), and her sisters - were not listening to her or her concerns. Fisher and Cassius appeared to be the only ones taking her concerns seriously.mysterymom46's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Blood, Gore, and Body horror
Moderate: Sexual content, Murder, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Death, Sexual harassment, Grief, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Medical content, and Gaslighting
Minor: Misogyny
Spoiler
character talks about using sex to get a wish fulfilled; very gory birth scene; scary dreams; scenes with characters in distorted body formsnjesenicka26's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Violence, Pregnancy, Murder, Grief, and Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
slvt4b00ks's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was such a treat. I have never really read anything tho close to horror. Definitely do not read at night if you’re prone to nightmares or scare easily. I love how many allusions there are to Edgar Alan Poe. There’s even a character named Edgar. This author has certainly mastered the macabre, I think mr. Poe himself would have loved this story. The ending had so many twists and turns, I was concerned that like our main character, I could not separate nightmare from reality. Please please please read this. I have no regrets other than that I wish I read this sooner. The book had been sitting on my shelf for a full YEAR, untouched. I almost feel as though the cover does not do it Justice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Stalking, Injury/injury detail, Infidelity, Grief, Death, Body horror, Suicide, Pregnancy, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Miscarriage , Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Classism, Blood, Animal death, Alcohol, Murder, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Gore, Chronic illness, and Child death
snowmuzu's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
HOSAS was okay. It had a promising start, and I was really into the atmosphere of the story. I liked the setting of the story as well as the world being inhabited by real, physical gods -- I just wished more time had been spent on fleshing out the world. Annaleigh's siblings, aside from Camilla and Verity, did not have their own personalities. Instead, the younger three were lumped together like the triplets, and I had trouble remembering who was who because most of the sisters were just names to me. The triplets being exactly the same personally peeved me. It is such a cliche that siblings born together must be 100% alike. As a twin myself, I can personally say that while we are very much alike, we have our own interests and hobbies.
The romance in this book was not my favorite. Annaleigh seemed to instantly love Cassius for no other reason than his attractive face (not that I can fault her for that). There was little growth in their relationship, and the kiss scenes did not move me.
Additionally, the ending of the book was too obvious. I guessed most of the ending about a quarter of the way in.
Despite my criticisms, Craig's writing was easy to digest, and the mystery of Eulalie's death was compelling enough to keep me mildly interested for most of the book.
The romance in this book was not my favorite. Annaleigh seemed to instantly love Cassius for no other reason than his attractive face (not that I can fault her for that). There was little growth in their relationship, and the kiss scenes did not move me.
Additionally, the ending of the book was too obvious. I guessed most of the ending about a quarter of the way in.
Despite my criticisms, Craig's writing was easy to digest, and the mystery of Eulalie's death was compelling enough to keep me mildly interested for most of the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Gore
Minor: Blood, Body horror, and Pregnancy
purplehulk713's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Macabre and enchanting, like a ballgown woven from spiderwebs. The world-building of Arcannia, especially of the gods and their canon was fascinating and clever. “We are the People of the Salt.” The motif of dancing was exquisite, both as a breathless art and a dangerous temptation, magical, even. The story’s mystery is incredible, always keeping you guessing, even if you do grasp some pieces of the puzzle you don’t have them all. Death surrounds Highmoor, but Annaleigh seeks to protect life, her cleverness and loyalty to her family (especially her sisters) makes her a lovable, formidable, and powerful protagonist. Believe me, you’ll have trouble figuring out who the antagonist is. The salty seaside atmosphere is the perfect setting for a horror retelling of a classic fairytale. There are also plenty of edge-of-your-seat reveals. The one thing about the climax that slightly disappointed me was that it didn’t let Annaleigh shine as much as I thought she would, taking on some bold protective battle against the evil invading her home. But I guess it still showcased her development in avoiding temptation. It also showed her strength even in the face of loss, perhaps her greatest challenge in the novel. A unique pantheon of gods with potent and wonderfully crafted abilities creates a mesmerizing lore. Erin A. Craig does an impeccable job at balancing and blending the opulent and the sinister. Do you wish to escape your grief? Rest from the bitter and wearisome struggles of the everyday? Do you long for the joy that makes your heart light and your soul sing? Can you hear the melody? Well then, dance with me?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Medical content, Injury/injury detail, Grief, Gore, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy
offbrandclubsoda's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage , and Pregnancy
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gore, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, and Suicide
anielabooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
This book was such a rollercoaster for me. I came in with little knowledge of horror books and only the Barbie’s version of a 12 dancing princesses under my belt. Thankfully, the horror wasn’t very intense. I was so invested in the story the entire time and was very satisfied with the ending. I also loved the romance aspect of the book as I found myself falling in love at the same time as Annaleigh. I honestly did not predict the ending, which I liked. I particularly loved the motif of the sea turtles throughout the book; it really made the last few chapters that much more heart-wrenching. I’m so glad one of my followers recommended this book to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Pregnancy, Death, Miscarriage , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Grief
Moderate: Body horror, Death of parent, Child death, Gore, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Cursing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol