Fisher helps the girls find a magic door, hidden on the island by the ocean god Pontus, which helps them travel to a far-off province and dance at other balls, where no one knows they are supposedly cursed. In Pelage, at the first secret ball they attend, Annaleigh dances with a stranger in a suit with a three-headed dragon on it. He makes her uncomfortable though she cannot understand why. When Fisher professes his love to her, Annaleigh becomes sad, because she cannot stop thinking about Cassius, who is also at the ball, and must reject Fisher’s advances. Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister's deaths were no accidents. The girls 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? So I’m lowering only one star and giving my four silver, wolffish, terrifying, horrific, epic stars! Ahoy there me mateys! When I heard there was going to be another book in this series, I was very excited. Sadly this was a flop. There were three problems: Verity, the romance, and the plot. this book was the perfect read for spooky season. erin craig is a master when it comes to creating a world shrouded in the dark and the mysteries. this book is dark, gothic, and haunting. this isn't a story that will give you nightmares, but will definitely make you wary of what hides in the shadows.

and even though the books are technically connected, it makes much more sense to me to call this a companion novel set in the same world rather than a true sequel, as they are quite separate stories. but the one thing that definitely ties the two together is the atmosphere. There were some things I liked about this book as well. The description in this book is pretty amazing, I never had trouble picturing characters or settings. There are strong horror elements throughout, enough that the story is very creepy and at points the description is a bit naseauting. I liked how this horror was woven into a classic fairy tale. I also liked that this blended elements of madness and almost Lovecraft/Cthulhu-like themes into the fairy tale as well. Additionally, Verity is smitten with Alexander. He's handsome and charming. Their days together fill her with a sense of happiness she has never felt before. Annaleigh Thaumas has spent the last few years mourning her mother and several sisters, who died in succession under increasingly eerie circumstances. Her remaining sisters chafe under the lifestyle restrictions of formal mourning on their small, isolated island home, especially their inability to wear pretty clothes and flirt with boys. When their young stepmother persuades their duke father to let them wear bright colors and start dancing again, Annaleigh and her sisters are relieved, especially when a mystical door in the family crypt conveniently transports them to glamorous ballrooms that provide venues to show off their new wardrobes. Annaleigh and her sisters read like interchangeable paper dolls, their painstakingly described gowns, jewels, and shoes the most distinguishing features about them; they spend their time screaming, swooning, and alternately competing for and cowering behind the men in their lives. The island setting is extremely one-note, as if an ocean-themed children’s party became an entire culture, and there is no consistent interior logic to the rules of magic and gods that seem to shift, like the tides and the weather, according to narrative convenience. The writing is self-consciously stiff, and the story reads like a mood board, full of repetitively atmospheric images and scenes but never creating a substantive whole. All characters are white. This small town dynamic did come with a very big cast of characters. There was a list of townspeople and families at the beginning of the book which was helpful but some things did get confusing when there were big town gatherings and trying to remember how everyone is connected. Having this larger group did bring a lot of drama with it though, and I enjoyed following the various storylines between characters.

I looooooooved the first book, House of Salt and Sorrows, so much and I couldn't wait to return to this beautifully-eerie world. It was one of my most anticipated YA-releases of 2023 and it did not disappoint. I lost interest after 35% but as I wanted to know what was coming, I decided to continue, but several times along the way I was tempted to quit. It’s picturesque, if you’re looking to get murdered. The setting of gothic romances are usually set in a seemingly haunted house or castle. Highmoor gave me major Crimson Peak vibes… in other words: if this house was real I wouldn’t go near it to save my life! Craig did a great job of steadily building intensity. There is also an overriding mystery that kept me on my toes.

The story revolves around a small village near a creepy forest full of unnatural creatures and when you think things can't get any worse, winter comes and leaves the townspeople with no supply. Cherry on top, people start to turn against each other and there is no one left to trust. In middle of all, Ellerie needs to keep her family safe from every danger in the corner to pass the winter. A tight-knit community, a code of rules, and a pastoral setting surrounded by a deeply forested and ancient woods. Creepy but as the story opens we learn about beekeeping and get to know the hive and the family raising and relying on those hives. Gothic romance is full of cliches and stereotypes, and we love it. We love being scared, of the unknown where there is a haunted house and a murder, where you’re not sure what’s real and what’s not. Not everything we read and watch needs to be subversive all of the time. It’s easy to get swept up into the mysteriousness and eerie tragedy that befalls the heroines of gothic romance. It’s a perfect step into escapism and away from real life. When a supply party goes missing, and evidence of a massacre is found in the woods, the townsfolk believe the monsters may have awoken and are getting closer. In a time of typewriters and steam engines, Iris Winnow awaits word from her older brother, who has enlisted on the side of Enva the Skyward goddess. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Hiding the stress of her home issues behind a brave face, Iris competes for valuable assignments that may one day earn her the coveted columnist position. Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. At home, she writes cathartic letters to her brother, never posting them but instead placing them in her wardrobe, where they vanish overnight. One day Iris receives a reply, which, along with other events, pushes her to make dramatic life decisions. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. This is more of a wartime tale of broken families, inspired youths, and higher powers using people as pawns. It flirts with clichéd tropes but also takes some startling turns. Main characters are assumed White; same-sex marriages and gender equality at the warfront appear to be the norm in this world.Another disappointment from me was the climax scene. It really hits off with BANGER after BANGER, but then got cut short and you didn't get to see the aftermath. I would have preferred to see the entire scene play out and then get a little "What happened?" summary instead of the scene being cut and then being told what went down. That fell quite flat for me and my rating shows that. I always keen on claustrophobic small town mysteries: people get trapped in the place, harsh winter comes out as the monsters start lurking around the woods. They cannot get out to provide more food and medical supplies, craving from hunger, cold, exhaustion and madness slowly takes out the direction of the place: neighbors become enemies, delusions take over control! Even your own sibling can turn into a real threat! su_table responsive=”yes”] This is a book with so many adult scenes that is not suitable for children. Once again, Erin A. Craig hit it out of the park. If you enjoyed the film The Village, or the books Strange Grace and The Grace Year, this one should be right up your alley. It’s a little bit fantasy, a little bit mystery, and a little bit horror, and I devoured every moment of it. All gothic romance has a damsel in distress, and Annaleigh fits the stereotype perfectly. So many terrible things have happened to her and her family that she starts second-guessing what she believes to be true, and her descent is terrifying on its own, and captivating to read.