The Thirteenth Child
#1 NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • Drawing on the Grimm Brothers’ dark fairytale “Godfather Death,” this sweeping novel from the author of House of Salt and Sorrows is a fantastical saga of actions and consequences.
The stunning “Hazel” special edition first printing features exclusive printed endpapers and a beautiful gold-and-red foil-stamped case.
“A dark, delicious treat from start to finish.”—Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns
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? The Thirteenth Child is a must-read for fans of dark fairy tales, romantasy, and epic fantasy alike.
The stunning “Hazel” special edition first printing features exclusive printed endpapers and a beautiful gold-and-red foil-stamped case.
“A dark, delicious treat from start to finish.”—Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Three Dark Crowns
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? The Thirteenth Child is a must-read for fans of dark fairy tales, romantasy, and epic fantasy alike.
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Community Reviews
This might be one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. I’m crying over that ending. I thought someone accidentally spoiled it for me when I first started reading it. That it wasn’t going to be a happy ending. Yet, it was a very happy ending. The writing was gorgeous and, dare I say, perfect. I am someone who wants to be an author one day. All I can do is hope to have something as beautiful and moving as this. The characters were fun and don’t even get me started on how much I LOVED Merrick. Finally there’s a take on Death with him being a big sweetheart and not some brute or whatever. All he ever wanted was the best for Hazel. I like to think that her children see him from time to time and are considered his grandchildren. Maybe he watches out for them even if it’s from afar. I highly recommend this book to everyone. This was beautiful. 🖤
I’ve no idea why this book rating is sitting at a high 7 - this was suuuuuch a good book i was almost in tears at the end! The beginning was a bit slow but i’m so happy i stuck with it. I will agree with another review here that the ending could have been prolonged and included more of Merrick but honestly the writing and storytelling was beautiful and for once, i’m not upset with how a book ended! Thank you Erin, I’m definitely going to be searching for more of your books!
This story was interesting and unique. I felt the ending was rushed and we definitely could have used more of Merrick in the last parts of the book.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
This book is gloomy, but not in a fun way, and it's a bummer, but not in a meaningful way. It feels like sad things happen just because. Hazel never seems to learn from her painful mistakes or from any of the tragedies she witnesses. At this point in the book (63%) she's being especially frustrating.
I liked Hazel well enough for the first like 30% of the book, but she's lost my favor now and I don't find any other characters likable or interesting. Even the god of death is a bit boring and disappointing. The gruesome imagery also feels pointless, the world building feels too vague and nebulous for it to contribute to the atmosphere. At first I thought this world might be similar to Little Thieves with the way the gods are involved and presented, but the fantasy setting is too incongruous with itself, there are many anachronisms and modern vocabulary that pull it back and forth across potential time periods.
The audiobook narrator is alright, and I was going to try to push through with a higher speed (I was already at 1.55) but I saw that I still had 6 hours left and I don't really want to spend 6 more hours on a book I'm not enjoying at all.
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Medical content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, and War
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