House of Salt & Sorrows

By Erin A Craig

4 Stars. Best Enjoyed on the coast in the fall.

The family of Highmoor estate is cursed…or at least, that’s the case according to the whispers amongst the townsfolk. After the dramatic and untimely deaths of four of her eleven sisters, Annaleigh is almost ready to accept it. However, the most recent death of her sister Eulalie, who fell from the cliffs of their estate, has her questioning the veracity of this tall tale. Eulalie had so much to live for, why would she have put herself in that kind of danger?

Her investigations lead to mounting evidence that something far more sinister is taking place amongst the Highmoor clan. With the her youngest sister Verity seeing ghosts and the girls discovering a secret door that has the power to transport them to nightly revels throughout the kingdom, she is beginning to expect that the happenings at Highmoor may be tied to the very sea god that created them from the brine.

As the story progresses, things keep getting more and more strange. As Annaleigh falls deeper and deeper into the dark mystery surrounding her family, the twists and turns of this eerie Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling will keep you guessing until the end.

There is one character in particular that really latching on, and that’s the island. The very salt of the sea plays an important part in this story, as does the rich tapestry that Craig paints–a brooding and eerie atmosphere, almost as oppressive as the stays of a tightly laced corset.

The story itself is part psychological horror, part fairytale retelling, and all fantasy. Although at times the main character seems to be a little too immature and naive for the part she plays, you nonetheless sympathize with her losses and empathize with her skepticism. There are definitely parts of the story that cause your heart to break along with hers.

I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. I also was not expecting this to be as much of a psychological thriller as it turned out to be. Some reviewers have called the story predictable, but I honestly don’t know how they would have come to the ultimate conclusion provided–this story twisted more than a pretzel machine! If she can keep writing such unpredictable tales, then I am very much looking forward to seeing the next thing that Craig puts out.