Robins Review of In the House of Root and Rot (The Altered Planes Book 2)

Robins Review of In the House of Root and Rot (The Altered Planes Book 2)

The dead don’t stay silent.

Old Gramps always said the Deadmarsh family was cursed. Will never believed him—until now.

In a last-ditch effort to pay his grandfather’s mounting medical bills, Will signs up for a shady sleep study, ignoring the warning signs. But everything changes the night his grandfather vanishes. In his place, Will’s dead sister returns.

Convinced the sleep study is to blame, Will tracks down Spectre, the enigmatic research firm behind it, only to discover they’ve disappeared. His search leads him to a girl whose father vanished after her own harrowing encounter with Spectre. She also seems to know more about his family’s past than she’s letting on.

Desperate to stop seeing his dead sister and unsure of who to trust, Will forms an uneasy alliance with the girl to find out what Spectre wants with them. Together, they plummet down a rabbit-hole of secrets, discovering Spectre’s true purpose and what it planted in Will’s bloodline centuries ago. Something ancient, something not of this world, has been feeding off his family for generations, growing stronger, hungrier, and desperate to be set free.

The family curse is real. And it’s been waiting for Will to unleash it.

Robin’s Review

Triggers: Violence, gore, death, suicidal ideation, PTSD, family trauma, pregnancy, psychological abuse

What Did I Just Walk Into?

A family curse, a shady sleep study, and a dead sister who just waltzes back in like nothing happened. This is cosmic horror in a trench coat pretending to be family drama—and somehow, it works.

Here’s What Slapped:

Will’s messy, angry, grief-soaked spiral feels painfully real. Half the time I wanted to hug him, the other half I wanted to throw the book across the room because sir, get it together.

Atra continues to shine—broken but still fighting. Her “I just want to be normal” energy hits hard, and when she finally snaps back into her purpose, it’s fist-pump worthy.

The horror mix is top-shelf: creepy atmospherics, gore when you least expect it, and monsters that feel pulled straight out of a fever dream.

Mr. Weiss writes with restraint until—bam!—someone’s face caves in or the Other Side leaks through. It’s deliciously unsettling.

The Deadmarsh curse and Spectre’s experiments tie the threads together in a way that’s both terrifying and addictive.

What Could’ve Been Better:

Will tests patience. A lot. He’s complex, but at times he drags Atra down with his baggage. She deserved more spotlight.

Some sections (farm life, early sleep study bits) felt like filler before the chaos kicked back in. Not bad—just a little lull before the nightmare storm.

I could have used about 50 more pages in the bunker scenes with Tom. Don’t tease me with creepy world-building and then whisk me out.

Perfect for Readers Who Love:

Stranger Things vibes but bloodier and stranger

Nick Cutter–style “quiet horror” that suddenly gets very loud and very gross

Found family and fractured family, both at war with ancient curses

Cosmic horror wrapped in grief, trauma, and weird science

Book Series Order:

The Afterlife Experiment (The Altered Planes Book 1)

Book 1 of 2: The Altered Planes

In the House of Root and Rot (The Altered Planes Book 2)

Book 2 of 2: The Altered Planes

Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review

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