In the first book in The Threadmender Chronicles (set to be a duology), Maxym M. Martineau weaves a somewhat familiar but nicely crafted fantasy / romantasy about magical plagues, healing, and its costs. Edira, our thread-mender protagonist, navigates a gothic fantasy world where her ability to heal others comes with a steep personal price—each use of her power shaves time from her own life. While the setups tread recognizable romantasy territory, Martineau’s atmospheric writing and careful attention to the psychological toll of Edira’s powers and sacrifices up the intrigue.
The romance between Edira and Orin Fernglove, the enigmatic head of the ruling Ever family, is steeped in tension and secrets. Orin’s glamoured perfection and guarded motives make him difficult to trust and his world is dangerous. Their relationship is one of forced proximity as Edira fights to save the only family she has left while fighting against sharing her aunt’s fate. Orin has similar concerns, and his brother Rorik complicates things as Edira’s trainer. Thus, there’s a vulnerability and desperation that the two share.
House of Blight leans into a sense of gothic decay. Think Great Expectations or the works of the Brontë Sisters (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights) but in an epic fantasy setting. The Ever (Fae) world has a distinct sense of rot and stagnation. Martineau illustrates how a chokehold on power eventually chokes its wielders and that stagnation breeds disease. It is messaging reminiscent of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia —although the books are quite different in storytelling and tone. The Ever’s immortality is less a blessing and more a festering wound, and the blight creeping through this world feels like a metaphor for the consequences of control by caste systems. It’s an atmospheric world that will appeal to readers who like their fantasy with a gothic infusion of existential dread and sexy “shadow daddy” fairies.
The immortal Fernglove family and the threatening blight that drives the plot follow the genre tropes and the execution is solid if not totally gobsmacking. The slow-building suspense allows for detailed world-building, and readers who go the distance are rewarded with surprising page turns. House of Blight sets a solid foundation for a promising new series.
Audiobook Review: Narrated by Alexandra Hunter and Stephen Dexter, is a good listen. Hunter’s performance captures Edira’s internal struggles with nuance, while Dexter’s portrayal of Orin balances his charm and underlying menace. The dual narration adds depth to the story, with each narrator bringing their respective cast of characters to life in ways that build on the atmospheric nature of the book. The production quality also makes it a good option for listeners who want to dive into Martineau’s eerie gothic-romance world while working, driving, or when in need of a bedtime tale.
