The Thirteenth Child - Kestrels Nest: BookWyrm Edition

English language

Published Sept. 24, 2024 by Delacorte Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-593-48258-2

No rating (1 review)

Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive.

When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.

But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel …

Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive.

When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.

But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?

From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love? The Thirteenth Child is a must-read for fans of dark fairy tales, romantasy, and epic fantasy alike.

1 edition

lastblossom reviewed The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig

A fairy tale retelling with a truly magical world building and atmosphere. Some of the character relationships in the second half could use a little more time to develop.

No rating

Erin A. Craig is absolutely incredible at creating atmosphere. Creeping dread, shadowy mysteries, and what lurks in the dark? It's all here in delicious, immersive detail. There's also an indulgent amount of plant life, things that grow, and a touch of cottagecore that my heart loves. Magic and gods feel very real in this space, and the world building feels exactly like a fairy tale come to life. The relationship between Hazel and Death was also surprisingly tender, and I enjoyed all the moments between them. And yet through all of this, the pacing really threw me off. Other reviewers have mentioned that this feels like two books, and I would agree. The first half moves at an even pace, carefully building the world and all the people in it. The second half takes off at a pace that is great for the plot, but not necessarily great for the …

Erin A. Craig is absolutely incredible at creating atmosphere. Creeping dread, shadowy mysteries, and what lurks in the dark? It's all here in delicious, immersive detail. There's also an indulgent amount of plant life, things that grow, and a touch of cottagecore that my heart loves. Magic and gods feel very real in this space, and the world building feels exactly like a fairy tale come to life. The relationship between Hazel and Death was also surprisingly tender, and I enjoyed all the moments between them. And yet through all of this, the pacing really threw me off. Other reviewers have mentioned that this feels like two books, and I would agree. The first half moves at an even pace, carefully building the world and all the people in it. The second half takes off at a pace that is great for the plot, but not necessarily great for the character relationships. A year passes between chapters, and now two characters are as close as sisters, but we have to take the narration's word for it, because we never get to see it happen. Romance in particular takes a hit with this, as a lot of the character development takes place off screen. It's a trade off to cover a huge amount of plot, and I see why it happened, but I wish we could've spent more time with the characters and their personal lives. And I guess if the worst thing I can say about a book is that I wish we got more, that's probably not a bad thing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!