4.2 (rounded down to 4) out of 5 stars.  

‘House of Roots and Ruin’ was a beautifully spun thrill of a story. When I heard we were getting another installment following a Thaumas sister, I didn’t think it would be like this! It is definitely for fans of indie horror rpg ‘Mad Father’- it’s full of the same thrilling, family secret heavy, blood behind the beauty story of a girl trapped in a whirlwind of the past resurfacing for closure.  

Verity Thaumas is still cursed by her past. Seeing ghosts and things beyond their realm, she’s haunted by secrets in the rebuilt Highmoor and when things come to light, she flees to Chauntilalie where only darker secrets and pasts await. 

Erin Craig delivers her usual spooky read again with HORAR, and it was so binge-able, I was reading page after page whenever I could on vacation- so queue lines were definitely bearable!

As some others have said, the story is a little slow in the beginning. It’s a lot of introduction and getting a feel for Verity, filling readers in on little tidbits of what has happened since HOSAS.

I’ll also agree a bit that the romance arc of this moved on a little fast. It was a little hard to follow along with the swiftness of the two getting together, but it was all sweet nonetheless.

And of course, it wouldn’t be an Erin Craig book without plot twists! Just when you think you’ve figured out what is going on, she throws you in for another loop that’s got you wanting to read more. It gets a little messy, so be sure you keep up with names and remember- don’t stop to smell the flowers if you ever find yourself visiting Bloem 🌺