House of Salt and Sorrows

Synopsis

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives here 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 unsure whether to try to stop them or 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.

Loved

• The Twelve Dancing Princesses story! This is a ghost-story version of the old fairytale the Twelve Dancing Princesses. I've never been very familiar with this story, so I loved reading about it because it felt new and not over-done. I loved how the murder mystery/ghostly vibes were threaded throughout the story.

• Speaking of ghostly/creepy vibes, this was the perfect amount of horror for me. As a disclaimer, I can't watch horror movies without having to sleep with the light on for a week- my imagination just doesn't need any more material to come up with spooky scenarios ;) But this was the perfect amount of creepiness- sisters dying in mysterious ways, intriguing and secretive trysts at forbidden balls, and all set in an eerie mansion next to the sea. This was perfectly creepy- enough spook to make me pull my blanket a little tighter around myself, but not so much that it kept me up at night :)

• The sisters. I come from a family of seven girls and one boy, so I'm all about those sisterhood bonds. I love Annaleigh's devotion to her sisters and how she takes it on herself to protect them and solve the mysteries of their deaths. I love the interactions with all the princesses and watching them have adventures, solve arguments, and even make sacrifices for each other.

• The mystery. The mystery of this story was fascinating because of the familiar fairytale and the eeriness involved with that story, but mix it with a good whodunnit murder mystery, and I was completely hooked. I was also hoodwinked and had no idea who the real villain was, which is the sign of a good mystery when all your predictions are wrong.

Didn't Love

• I devoured every page of this and wouldn't change a thing, except the end was pretty creepy and a little gory.

Content

• Language: 
• No language.

• Sexual content: 
• A few kisses, nothing described.

• Violence:
• This is a ghost story/murder mystery, so there is a LOT of talk of death and murders. However, for a horror story, it isn't super gory.
• Many of Annaleigh's sisters die in gruesome ways- drowning, falling off a cliff, and the plague. Some are dead before the story begins, and some of them happen during the story. She also finds her twin sisters in the snow frozen, having literally danced themselves to death.
• MANY mentions of murders and figuring out whodunnit.
• Without spoiling, there is some gore at the end of the story as we find out who the real villain is- and it's bloody and messy.
• Lots of creepy events surrounding the secretive parties at night- food turning rotten in your mouth, realizing everyone around you is dead, etc.

Overall Thoughts

I was in a spooky mood last fall after finishing Capturing the Devil, and this story just hit the spot for me. It was deliciously creepy- the kind of creepy that makes you shiver, but doesn't leave you feeling sick afterward. The mystery was fascinating and very well done, and the writing was engaging and fluid. The characters are relatable, especially the sisters who stick together through everything, and Annaleigh, who is smart, loyal and brave. Even if you don't know anything about the Twelve Dancing Princesses, I highly recommend this story if you're looking for a delightfully spooky whodunnit sprinkled with some dark fairytale dust and a dash of romance.