Title: The Thirteenth ChildAuthor: Erin A. Craig
Pages: 514
Publication Date: Sept. 24, 2024
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:
This is the story of Hazel, a young healer navigating a ruthless court to save the life of the king, grappling with a pantheon of gods with questionable agendas as she fights for agency and true love in her own life as the goddaughter of none other than Death himself.
All gifts come with a price.
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?
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I’ve heard so many good things about Erin Craig’s books that I leapt at the chance to read The Thirteenth Child. I’m so glad I did! Rich and deeply atmospheric with beautiful storytelling, this is the second book this week that has left me a little broken but in the best possible way.
An engrossing and haunting tale of life, loneliness, love, and death with strong Gothic vibes, the story follows Hazel’s life as the thirteenth child of an impoverished and neglectful family who is promised to The Dreaded End, the God of Death. I love the Gothic elements and the overall dark and eerie mood. It’s so immersive, and the entire story has an enigmatic fairy tale-esque feel to it.
The story travels from Hazel’s childhood with her family as she waits for her godfather to take her away to her teen years where she learns her healing craft, to her adulthood. Hers is an enchanting, dark, and lonely story that gripped me from the start, and I loved her growth over the course of the story. Through all the trials and tribulations and massive amounts of time spent alone and/or lonely, Hazel learns so much more than the power of healing.
I’ve read a few books now that have forced me to admit that I like Death. I never thought I’d say that, but this dark and Gothic fantasy gives Death (aka Merrick) so much depth. Merrick is a fascinating character, complex and mysterious, tender and brutal, and more human than he realizes. His relationship with Hazel is as compelling as his growth as a character, and I loved their complicated connection. As her godfather, he is more of a loving parent than her real parents ever were, and even when instructing her on the harsh realities of her gift, he still offers her kindness. Merrick is one of the few who show Hazel any form of love and acceptance.
Hazel is a gifted healer, and she also has the ability to tell if a person is meant to live or die. She struggles not to interfere in their fates and learns some hard lessons about life and death. I felt so bad for her! I can’t imagine having this gift and feeling powerless to stop certain things from happening. When Hazel is tasked with healing the King from a mysterious illness, Hazel faces even more challenges, especially when her feelings for the prince begin to grow. Though her healing gift is amazing, I definitely wouldn’t want what comes with it, though it definitely makes for some interesting, thought-provoking conversations and reflections in the story.
This story took me completely by surprise. I was in a bit of a reading slump when I started it, and I didn’t expect to become so immersed in the story. The worldbuilding, the magic, the characters, the court intrigue and political turmoil, the romance – it’s all woven together so well. And that ending! Ooof, I read it twice and cried both times. It’s poetic and beautiful and heartbreaking, and I would kindly ask the author to rip my heart out again because it concluded perfectly. lol
Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
A wish was nothing but a hopeful regret.
There was nothing the dying wanted more than more.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Erin A. Craig has always loved telling stories.
After getting her B.F.A. from the University of Michigan, in Theatre Design and Production, she stage managed tragic operas with hunchbacks, séances, and murderous clowns, then decided she wanted to write books that were just as spooky.
An avid reader, decent quilter, rabid basketball fan, and collector of typewriters, brass figurines, and sparkly shoes, Erin makes her home in West Michigan with her husband and daughter.
To find out more about Erin and the worlds she creates, follow @penchant4words on Instagram and Threads.
This one made me cry too! Great review – I’ll have to do a re-read also because I loved it that much.
Ooof, it hits you right in the feels, for sure!
I’ve been eagerly awaiting a copy from the library, so it’s good to see that you enjoyed it so much! I’ve been in a bit of reading slump myself!
Oh no! I hope you find a great book to pull you out of it. Maybe it’ll be The Thirteenth Child!!