The House of Sorrowing Stars
Ratings1
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings1
Average rating3.5
A spellbinding and haunting literary fable of loss, perfect for fans of The Binding and The Night Circus. 'This beautiful and beguiling book tells a poignant and haunting story rich in slow-burning intrigue and tender emotion' Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne. 'A transporting, delicious fairytale about loss, beauty, and love.' Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Mercies. ________________________ How do you heal a broken house? First you unlock its secrets. Alone on an island, surrounded by flowers that shine as dusk begins to fall, sits an old, faded house. Rooms cannot be rented here and visits are only for those haunted by the memory of loss. When Liddy receives an invitation, she thinks there must be some mistake - she's never experienced loss. But with her curiosity stirred, and no other way to escape a life in which she feels trapped, she decides to accept. Once there, she meets Vivienne, a beautiful, austere woman whose glare leaves Liddy unsettled; Ben, the reserved gardener; and Raphael, the enigmatic Keymaker. If Liddy is to discover her true purpose in the house, she must find the root of their sorrow - but the house won't give up its secrets so easily . . . ________________________ 'A haunting journey of self-discovery, bursting with metaphor, and with the feel of a classic fairytale. Prepare to get lost in this spellbinding world.' Ava Reid, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wolf and the Woodsman. 'Haunting, surreal, and intricate, Cartwright has deftly crafted a story about what we find when we believe we are lost.' Heather Walter, author of the Malice duology. 'Enchanting, poetic prose that enriches a beautiful fairytale world.' A. E. Warren, author of the Tomorrow's Ancestors series.
Reviews with the most likes.
Contains spoilers
Overall I quite liked the book, the story and the characters were very interesting and I liked the concept of the house. I especially love the idea of the library and Eloura seems so sweet and interesting am I the only one who thought she was the cat? Is it just a normal cat? I mean that'd be fine I love cats, I just really got the impression something special was going on with it. And that garden, I would love to spend time there and Ben seems like a lovely person to spend time with as well.
However I am left feeling just a bit unsatisfied, I feel like some things could have been fleshed out more, or we could have spend more time with some situations/characters/relationshis. Some more of those stories from the library would have been interesting, for some reason I was expecting more like that, more stories and more guests. I also would have liked more time to get to know the Keymaker/Raphaelle and see his relationship with Liddy grow, because it seemed a bit sudden? They touched, she had a vision of them together in a bath (did he see that too?) and now they're in love? Also how old is he exactly, my feelings about this relationship are kind of dependent on that. Immediately followed by how long was Liddy at the house, it felt like days, but that's seems to short for everything that happens and all the relationship development.
I also wonder if Liddy misses her family and if she's planning on seeing them again. She seemed to at least have a decent relationship with her father and she was close to her cousin, but this never really gets mentioned... I might have liked to see her write them a letter at least or mention something about visiting them or inviting them.
