Review: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

"Once there were twelve of us: the Thaumus Dozen. Now we stood in a small line, my seven sisters and I, and I couldn't help but wonder if there was a ring of truth to the grim speculations." (Loc. 87)

Annaleigh Thaumus is the second oldest surviving daughter of the 19th Duke of the Salaan Islands. Four of her sisters have died. The most recent death, that of Eulalie, triggers Annaleigh to investigate. The more she looks into things, the eerier it gets.  Meanwhile, she and her sisters have been mysteriously wearing out their slippers. 

This is a gothic retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. It has more death and ghostly happenings than the original. And a little romance as well.

Good things about this story include good characterization of Annaleigh. There is a strong gothic flavor. The mystery is interesting and a little different from the original. It has a lovely twist to it.

There were more positives than negatives. My main complaint was that it's slow early on and I had a little trouble getting into it. But, I found it worth it in the end.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It's well written and mostly well done. It's worth a read especially if you enjoy gothic literature or retellings. 

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig was published August 6th, 2019 by Delacorte.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not influence my opinion.