House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

SYNOPSIS FROM AUTHORS WEBSITE⇣
In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.
Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve Thaumas girls, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of their lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.
Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters 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?
When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a spellbinding novel filled with magic and the rustle of gossamer skirts down long, dark hallways. Get ready to be swept away.

THE KEY POINTS OF THE STORY⇣

⬥RETELLING OF TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES

⬥DARK & CREEPY STORYLINE
⬥GHOST-LIKE APPARITIONS

⬥FANTASY

⬥YA-ISH
⬥ROMANCE

STATS⇣

AUDIO PERFORMED BY⇢ Emily Lawrence --she was pretty good, some of her male voices were kind of ruff sounding.
BOOK COVER⇢ The different colors all look like just one color...which makes it kind of blah.

SETTING⇢ Highmoor Estate, on an Island.

SOURCE⇢ Libby Audiobook (Library)

AUDIOBOOK LENGTH⇢ 12 hours, 50 minutes

MY THOUGHTS⇣

This started really slow...like I had to force myself to listen to it outside of when I was driving. It didn't really pick up until the last quarter of the book...and then all the boring parts of the story I sat and listened through started coming together and forming a rather darkly delicious retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses.

There's a murder(s) mystery to be solved, ghost-like apparitions, a secret door (kind of like Narnia) to tons of balls, where plenty of dancing is done and shoes are worn thin.  Plus darkly haunting deaths and even some sort of mythology to round out the tale.  Overall, if you can get through the slow parts the last quarter is a favorable payoff.

MY RATING⇢ 4 STARS | GRADE B+

BREAKDOWN⇣

Narration⇢ 4/5
Plot⇢ 4/5

Characters⇢ 4/5

The Feels⇢ 3.5/5

Pacing⇢ 3.7/5

Addictiveness⇢ 3.5/5

Theme or Tone⇢ 4.3/5

Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 4/5

Backdrop (World Building)⇢ 4/5

Originality⇢ 4.3/5

Ending⇢ 4.3/5