The Thirteenth Child

By Erin A. Craig

Book Overview

An instant #1 New York Times and USA Today bestseller - Drawing on the Grimm Brothers' dark fairytale, "Godfather Death," this new novel from the bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows is a sweeping, 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.

All gifts come with a price.

Hazel Tr pas 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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593482581
• ISBN13: 9780593482582
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 5.8" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Fantastic retelling!

Funnily enough, this was the second story I have read this year based off the old fairy tale of the child who had Death as their godfather. I absolutely loved this one! Hazel is a fabulous character and though she had a really awful childhood, she turns out to be caring and wanting to help people and belong somewhere. The Dreaded End (aka Merrick) tends to watch from afar but gives her the talent and books and a place to live as she learns to be a great healer and she discovers the person she wants to be. Like her other books (which are also awesome and fun to read), it does get pretty dark in parts, especially with the disease that the king contracts that Hazel is prophesied to heal. That Brilliance is quite nasty. It is there, as the original tale goes, that Hazel must find her own path (to save the most people) possibly going against the gods and their plans for the country. It is a wonderful story, very real with emotions and I will admit that as it got closer to the end I began to fear what the end would be as everything seemed to be going wrong. But it was a fantastic and tearful end (yes, I did cry for that last chapter) and so I will highly recommend this book to everyone! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this chance to read a well done fantastic novel. Erin Craig has done it again!