House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig was my most anticipated release of 2023. I never expected a sequel for House of Salt and Sorrows (one of my all time favorites) so I was beyond excited when Craig announced she would be releasing one. Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to my expectations. This review will be spoiler free.
Synopsis:
In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed.
Despite dreams of adventures far beyond the Salann shores, seventeen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family’s estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while their sisters have scattered across Arcannia.
When their sister Mercy sends word that the Duchess of Bloem—wife of a celebrated botanist—is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won’t allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she’s kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn’t know it.
Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and—with nowhere else to turn—makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, luxurious landscape and is quickly drawn to charming, witty, and impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. And soon, to her surprise, a romance… blossoms.
But it’s not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet façade…
My Thoughts:
- Rating:
House of Roots and Ruin picks up a little over a decade after House of Salt and Sorrows with the youngest Thaumas sister, Verity. If you read my review for Small Favors, also by Craig, you’ll see I have many of the same issues with both books. Let’s talk about the characters.
I loved all of the characters in House of Salt and Sorrows but they just didn’t feel the same in this book. Verity is not super intelligent and it takes her forever to figure anything out. Having to view everything from her point of view was frustrating because she’s simply not a great main character. As for her sisters, other than Camille, they’re only communicated with through letters. I was really hoping that they would appear on the page and it was disappointing that they didn’t.
Alexander, the “love interest,” was impossibly boring. I didn’t feel any connection between Verity and him. I was honestly rooting for her to end up with one of the villains. After three of Craig’s books, I’ve learned that her romances aren’t my thing. They’re not awful but they do tend to be heavy on the instalove and lack depth.
I did really adore the Gothic mansion setting. Craig always beautifully describes the setting and has a way of adding in just a touch of creepiness. I have to say, though, this book fell short on the creepy vibes. I figured out what was going on very early in the story and it wasn’t as spooky as House of Salt and Sorrows.
As for the ending, I really didn’t like it. I tend to dislike open endings and cliff hangers. It would seem like there is going to be another book in the series and if so, the cliff hanger, while not my favorite, is fine. However, if there isn’t going to be another book, the ending is very frustrating.
Final Thoughts:
I didn’t hate this book but I KNOW that Craig could do better. Her story ideas are amazing and she’s a good writer but the endings are always so rushed. This release was just rough in general and that’s why I’ve rated it the lowest of her current three books. I’d love to know if you plan to read it. Thanks for reading and have a great day!
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