THE THIRTEENTH CHILD, by Erin A. Craig, Delacorte Press, Sept. 24, 2024, Hardcover, $20.99 (young adult)
Erin A Craig’s The Thirteenth Child is an engrossing retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ dark fairytale, Godfather Death.
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? —Synopsis provided by Delacorte Press
Erin A. Craig (The House of Salt and Sorrows, Small Favors) is an excellent storyteller. Through her masterful hands, fairy tales take on new life and new possibilities open up.
The Thirteenth Child reads like a Gothic fantasy. From the beginning, Craig sets the tone. You are suddenly in Hazel’s world where her parents hate/ignore her, and a mysterious godfather comes and goes as he pleases.
Hazel is a pragmatic girl who grows into a skilled healer. At the center of the story is Hazel’s literal relationship with death. She is forced to live by Merrick’s rules and learns the hard way when she works around them.
Merrick was the surprise character. In him, Craig crafts a nuanced character that is both known and an enigma. He’s really the piece that makes this book special.
The Thirteenth Child is a book you don’t want to put down. Craig’s writing has a familiar, welcoming quality to it that moves the story forward, even in the slower spots. It’s got elements of magic, adventure, mystery and romance, making it well worth your time.
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