#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A modern masterpiece, this is a classic Gothic thriller-fantasy from bestselling author Erin A. Craig, about doomed love, menacing ambition, and the ghosts that haunt us forever.
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. . . .
I finally got my hands on this baby. And it is a beautiful baby at that haha. I wound up with the B&N copy with the gorgeous purple sprayed edges. And between that and the beautiful inside cover and flower printed chapter headers. I loved flipping through the pages.
I went back and did a re-read of House of Salt and Sorrow before starting this one. It had been an age since I had gotten my hands on the ARC of it (Back in 2019) and I really wanted to refresh myself before I tried to jump back into this world. And I'm delighted I did. There were so many small details I forgot. (I think, in theory, you could read each of these as a stand-alone. But I think they are better when read together)
And going back to remember things that may or may not play a part in this new story was something I was glad I did. Plus I just really enjoyed just seeing all the things I missed my first read-through.
The world that both books are set in, is such a creepy and dark one at times. And as Craig did in HOSAS, this book left me guessing until the very last page. It had so many twists and turns, and even when I thought I had one figured out... She would hit me with a whole different twist. Or spin things from that point in a way I didn't expect it to continue going.
Verity was an interesting character. One that I found myself immediately loving. (Shocker I know, me, actually liking a FMC haha)
But I really did like her. She was complex and fierce when she wanted to be. And seeing her discover herself and find that inner strength after so much tragedy in her life. It made for a very intricate and interesting arc as her story progressed.
And then let's talk about Alex. I adored this boy from the start. He was the sweetest and kindest person. And treated Verity in a way that helped her grow and find herself, but also was sweet and romantic. And gave me all the good fuzzy feelings. And oh man. The rest of his story is so interesting and absolutely crazy. But I won't go into details so I don't ruin that part of the story for anyone.
But let's talk about the craziness that happens in this book in general. There are some absolutely insane moments and some characters that may actually be crazy. And Craig did a spectacular job of riding the line between creepy and just plain dark.
I cannot suggest this more to anyone who likes a little sinister and eerie.
I give HOUSE OF ROOTS AND RUIN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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