The Nerd Daily is thrilled to be unveiling the official book trailer for House of Salt and Sorrows!
If I had to describe the feelings that I got from reading House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, it would have to be the way you feel when you start watching a Guillermo Del Toro film. That creeping, enchanted descent into madness so delirious that you forget what’s reality and what’s fiction. There’s an uneasy vibe about the whole story that reminded me of Crimson Peak, sprinkled with bits of Pan’s Labyrinth. I’ve said it on my Twitter, but this one should definitely be read under the cover of a rainstorm to get the full effect unless you frighten easily, then definitely under the cover of daylight. It’s one of the darker retellings of The Twelve Dancing Princesses I have ever read, and it will forever be a favourite of mine.
The story begins with Annaleigh, who lives at Highmoor with her father, stepmother, and sisters. Originally a household of twelve happy and sheltered sisters, they have unfortunately been reduced to eight sisters. Each death has been more tragic than the last, and has rumours circulating that the family might be cursed. When Annaleigh starts becoming disturbed by ghostly visions, she begins to suspect her sisters didn’t die of natural causes. When she finds out her sisters are sneaking out and attending glittering balls she’s not sure whether to join or warn them away, because who…or what are they really dancing with? Then a mysterious and enchanting stranger becomes involved and Annaleigh realises she must hurry to find out what’s really going on, before death comes for her or her sisters again.
We begin with an eerie and otherworldly vibe, one where you’re not quite sure what’s happening, but you know you have to keep going. It’s subtle, you almost don’t notice it, until it’s got its tentacles wrapped around your wrists and dragging you under the water. Annaleigh is a stunningly written character, despite the tragedies surrounding her, she’s doing her best to survive alongside her sisters. Then there’s the portal they find where they are able to attend glittering balls with mysterious yet glamorous guests. It seems predictable at first, with hints of a love triangle forming and jealousy, until it becomes something so much more sinister. I’ve never read a book where I’ve felt so unsure of an ending in my life. I can’t talk about too much of it because it will unravel the world Ms. Craig painstakingly created for her readers.
I will however, talk about the world building in this story. It’s gorgeous, and both Highmoor and Salten are rendered wonderfully. I felt like I was really able to get an idea of the world that Annaleigh and her sisters are living in. Moreover, the descriptions that Erin A. Craig used in this book are just phenomenal. Horrific at times, so if you’re squeamish this might not be the best book to pick up. That said, those elements just heightened the unsettling feel of the book, especially in regard to the antagonist.
I enjoyed the character interactions quite a bit, through I did feel as though sometimes there seemed to be a personality clash within certain characters. Camille was one of the characters I had the hardest time with, but nevertheless, I did enjoy her how she interacted both at the beginning and toward the end of the book. I did notice that the sisters did have very distinct personalities, something that was fun to see. The love interest was mysterious, but I would definitely have loved to see some more development there. And though I am saying that, I don’t think anything really comes close to the story overall.
There’s not much else I can say about this book. The pacing was good, and it seems to really pick up about a third to halfway into the book into this frenzied story, which really works in it’s favour because it will amp the readers up. It’s the type of book meant to be devoured over the course of a long and dark stormy night, when you’re not sure if the shadows on the wall are really just shadows. If I had to rate this book, I’d give it a nine out of ten, simply because I would have loved to see a little more character development in some of the main characters. This is going to be one you want to pick up and add to your shelves!
House of Salt and Sorrows is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of August 6th 2019.
Will you be reading House of Salt and Sorrows? Have you already? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.
Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.
Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?
When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.
