Ghosts, Botany and Portrait Painting Combine in Immersive Gothic Fantasy

House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig

Verity can see ghosts. She just doesn’t realize it yet. When she receives a request to paint a portrait of the Duchess of Bloem’s son, the decades-old secret is revealed to her. She must make a choice to stay where she is safe and observed, or flee and chase her passions — and her heart.

The sequel to Erin A. Craig’s blockbuster House of Salt and Sorrows, follows the family’s youngest sister, Verity Thaumas, 12 years after the eerie occurrences at the Highmoor estate.

Craig is known for creating haunting tales. Her stories whisk the reader away and into worlds brimming with mystery, plot twists and characters who might not be who they seem.

House of Salt and Sorrows covered everything ghostly and gothic as it set the tone for the Sisters of the Salt series. Readers will be eager to dive into the fantasy world again with House of Roots and Ruin (Delacorte Press).

Seeking an Escape from the Past

Verity lives with her eldest sister, Camille, at the family’s manor in Arcannia. She is hungry for adventure, realizing she should also have sought a way out of Arcannia, just like her sisters, who followed other paths far away from Highmoor estate.

In the previous novel of the Sisters of the Salt series, Verity had a certain gift where she could sense and see spirits. In House of Roots and Ruin, readers are introduced to Verity’s reality; she is overprotected and trying to move forward from past happenings while attempting to learn more about what her future holds.

It is Verity’s desire to leave Arcannia that moves the story along. Her sister Mercy reaches out to her because the well-known Duchess of Bloem, a famous botanist’s wife, wishes for her to come by and paint a portrait of their son, Alexander. The offer delights her, but Verity is banned from leaving Highmoor by her sister, Camille. Verity still sees ghosts, and not everything that she sees might be real or safe. So Verity decides to escape, angry that Camille has kept this secret from her for so long, and the story takes a fast-paced spin.

Readers will be riveted by the results of Verity’s choice, as she heads straight to Bloem to fulfill her artistic request. There, she finds herself falling for the son, Alexander, a character that is charming, cunning and handsome. Yet, the past might still be there to haunt her, even if she tries to escape her fate.

Masterful Writing Combines Romance and Mystery

The best part of Craig’s novel is not only Verity’s determination and will to succeed, but it’s also the gorgeous imagery that jumps off every page and paints a story you can imagine and feel.

Craig has proven to be one of the masters of the YA literary scene when it comes to plot twists and settings that have a life of their own. Her settings are not only locations but also act as a kind of character in the story. The Bloem estate is that type of place, filled with beauty, hiding much more behind the pretty façade.

The relationship and struggles between Verity and Alexander are not only based on romance. Both characters, their worries and their fears, leave readers in anticipation, wondering how things might turn out, which keeps them guessing to the end. As Verity deals with nightmares, visions of her past, and the realization that Alexander might not be as harmless as he presents himself, readers will relate to her confusion. She must try to get to the bottom of what is happening behind the scenes.

House of Roots and Ruin is filled with lessons about trust, what it means to run away from the past, and how your experiences can come back to haunt you. It shows Verity’s power and determination to see her own place in the world. Erin A. Craig’s latest book is as immersive as it is surprising, with a twist ending that will leave readers in a thoughtful trance.