Simone and Her Books

I’m a huge fan of Erin A. Craig. Ever since reading The House of Salt and Sorrow, I’m always hankering for whatever she’s about to write next. And with this dark retelling of the fairy tale “Godfather Death,” Erin A Craig outdoes herself with a dark fantasy filled with magic, morals, and friendships.

Here’s more about The Thirteenth Child

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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My thoughts

There’s definitely an advantage to reading retelling where you’re not close to the source material. I had no idea this was a retelling of a Grimm’s fairy tale until I read another review. So without that frame of reference, I’m able to really come at this book without bias. The pacing of the book starts slowly as you get to know Hazel and the life she’s lived up to that point. She’s the thirteenth child of a family that should have stopped after one, so you get the sense that she’s the castout, the runt, the one that her parents really have no time or energy to raise. Hazel starts off on her own and with the blessing of her godfather, the god of death, she’s always been alone.

Then you get to the years Hazel spends learning her craft. After Merrick, her godfather, finally picks her up and whisks her away to some in-between world, you watch as Hazel grows learning about the different medical procedures and remedies that will be useful in the career Merrick has chosen for her; a healer. She also has the ability to see what someone is suffering from and find a treatment for their ailments with a single touch. However, if the person is marked for death, then she’ll see the “deathshead” in her vision. From there, she needs to do the most difficult thing anyone can do –she needs to kill them.

The great part of this story is the complex themes of morality. A healer like Hazel wants to save everyone she comes across, but the deathshead keeps her from executing the kind of treatment that might save the person, even if the person is the one that she dearly loves. From her own parents to her first love, Hazel’s decisions to save or kill those with the deathshead has led to some hefty consequences that makes her doubt her abilities, her godfather, and the life that’s been chosen for her.

When she’s asked to save the king and confronts the deathshead again, she takes into consideration the current state of political affairs, the war that’s about to be on their doorsteps, and what it will do to the king’s family. And you’re never truly sure if the decision she makes will be the right one or cause the people around that person to suffer even more greatly. It makes for such a complex story and as things continue to unfold for Hazel, Leopold, and the kingdom they live in, you see how the effects of one decision could change everything. It’s truly my favorite part of this story.

I will admit that this book isn’t perfect. I wanted a bit more about the gods, a bit more world building, a bit more complexity to the final scenes since everything felt rushed and revealed all at once. But I’m willing to look past all those things because of the chokehold this book had on me in its final pages. And the best part is that there is a happy ever after for Hazel. You don’t see it coming, but you’ll be surprised how much you hope for the best for her.

Overall, this is such another feather in Erin A. Craig’s cap. It’s now my new favorite and probably the best she’s written so far. I cannot wait to read more from her!