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openmypages's review
5.0
Emel is one of many daughters living in her father, the king's, palace tent in the desert. She longs for a life where she can be free to go out in the world, to interact with the townspeople and maybe find love. Instead she is forced to serve the many suitors who come through town on their caravans, hoping that after he has slept with her he chooses her and allies with her father. When she discovers the key to her father's power is a jinni, she is intrigued with how she might wield that power herself. Quickly, she learns that wishes may not be granted in the way you imagine. Over time she learns that there are complex politics at work in the kingdom, a world beyond the desert she never imagined and that the gorgeous jinni has a kind heart and a slave's cuff about his wrist.
If you love the Daevabad Trilogy or any Middle Eastern folklore, you should definitely check this one out. I wouldn't label it as fantasy so much as magical realism. Other than the jinni and his wish granting powers, there isn't any complex magic or magical creatures to wrap your mind around. Simply the life a woman bound by her culture and dreaming of experiencing all the world has to offer her, to feel love and save the futures of the people around her. I loved that we get real depth to the backstory of the jinni as well. The writing is beautiful, the images of the desert, the depth of emotion and the power of fate make this an intense read. I really loved being immersed in the culture of the desert. If romance is your thing, there are quite a few scenes in this one to steam you up, these two are definitely star crossed lovers. ️ ️ ️
I listened to this one on audio and the narrator was fabulous.
Thanks to Netgalley for access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.
If you love the Daevabad Trilogy or any Middle Eastern folklore, you should definitely check this one out. I wouldn't label it as fantasy so much as magical realism. Other than the jinni and his wish granting powers, there isn't any complex magic or magical creatures to wrap your mind around. Simply the life a woman bound by her culture and dreaming of experiencing all the world has to offer her, to feel love and save the futures of the people around her. I loved that we get real depth to the backstory of the jinni as well. The writing is beautiful, the images of the desert, the depth of emotion and the power of fate make this an intense read. I really loved being immersed in the culture of the desert. If romance is your thing, there are quite a few scenes in this one to steam you up, these two are definitely star crossed lovers. ️ ️ ️
I listened to this one on audio and the narrator was fabulous.
Thanks to Netgalley for access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.
carola84's review against another edition
1.0
Thank you CamCat Books and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.
Multiple times I picked up this e-arc to read and every time I got very annoyed and irritated. The characters, the world building, and the writing style felt flat. The story made me feel uncomfortable and it made me angry because a soother gets the opportunity to ''try'' each sister to see which of them he likes in his bed. If the sister is not what he is looking for in bed, then he can decide to ''try'' another sister until he finds the sister he wants to marry. The sisters can't deny and are pushed to mary as soon as possible.
I can't understand why a writer would choose this kind of story to write, what the purpose of this could be and to be honest, I don't think I want to know it because choosing to write a story like this made me angry.
This is why I decided after many times trying to DNF this book.
Multiple times I picked up this e-arc to read and every time I got very annoyed and irritated. The characters, the world building, and the writing style felt flat. The story made me feel uncomfortable and it made me angry because a soother gets the opportunity to ''try'' each sister to see which of them he likes in his bed. If the sister is not what he is looking for in bed, then he can decide to ''try'' another sister until he finds the sister he wants to marry. The sisters can't deny and are pushed to mary as soon as possible.
I can't understand why a writer would choose this kind of story to write, what the purpose of this could be and to be honest, I don't think I want to know it because choosing to write a story like this made me angry.
This is why I decided after many times trying to DNF this book.
bookarina's review against another edition
2.0
Welcome to this book review, disclaimer : I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, but my thoughts are my own and it in no way affected my review of the book.
TW: rape (-ish but like really anything not 100% consensual should've had a trigger warning and is rape) also incest (SWEET HOME ALABAMA)
I requested this book because of the title, I will be completely honest I went into it knowing nothing, not even the blurb and it was a mistake. This is the sort of book that I HAD to go back and read the blurb before going further into it because I was confused. Not to say that you learn nothing from it as you read it, but it got confusing in the beginning and it greatly helped to have a vague idea of where I believed the storyline was going. So beware, this is not a book you can go into blindly or it will get confusing and you will be feeling lost.
Now unto the actual review, or more like what I thought of this book. I was disappointed. There are no other way to put this, I was intrigued at first and once I finally got into it it was okay but nothing that I want to pick up again and again, nothing I will be referencing or thinking about later, it did not leave a lasting mark on me. It is a jinni romance which is a nice change of pace, in terms of what fantasy/paranormal romances are usually about, I enjoyed the character driven part of it and Emel as a character. What got to me is the flowery things the author decided to put in her writing, I enjoyed it until these weird metaphors started appearing, her writing did not need that she was doing a great job before.
This is definitely an adult book, on the stand point that this is a romance in a fantasy world rather than the opposite it was a respectable book, the rape-ish scene is what got to me. BECAUSE THERE IS NO WARNING BEFORE PICKING IT UP. And while it wasn't an issue for me as nothing is descriptive enough to be, and I enjoy dark books (sad stories are sometimes my jam what can I say I like to cry) I could somewhat get past it. BUT THE INCEST, like okay just some touching, BUT STILL not okay and again my heart went to those with trauma towards it because once again a lack of TW.
Now, story wise not a bad book, but all those things I can't look over the fact that it felt like the author did not appropriately address the issues, rape and incest, that she brought up in a good way. It felt like "oh and here is this", rather than "I am addressing important issues in this book" which is never a good way to feel about a book you are reading. The plot should be fluid, and the metaphors made me lose the focus of the story, even though it was more about the characters than the world.
I would've liked a bit more plot to balance the story, it did not feel like the characters grew much within the story from where they had began and there was not a cumulation of events that propelled the plot further or action began it was sort of monotone in a weird way. The romance was un-organic, it felt forced, there was no chemistry between our main characters.
In the end this story was meh. okay, not memorable nothing REALLY happened in the book. And I just did not feel like the characters were tangible or that their love was believable.
Unfortunately a miss for me.
2/5 stars
Bookarina
TW: rape (-ish but like really anything not 100% consensual should've had a trigger warning and is rape) also incest (SWEET HOME ALABAMA)
I requested this book because of the title, I will be completely honest I went into it knowing nothing, not even the blurb and it was a mistake. This is the sort of book that I HAD to go back and read the blurb before going further into it because I was confused. Not to say that you learn nothing from it as you read it, but it got confusing in the beginning and it greatly helped to have a vague idea of where I believed the storyline was going. So beware, this is not a book you can go into blindly or it will get confusing and you will be feeling lost.
Now unto the actual review, or more like what I thought of this book. I was disappointed. There are no other way to put this, I was intrigued at first and once I finally got into it it was okay but nothing that I want to pick up again and again, nothing I will be referencing or thinking about later, it did not leave a lasting mark on me. It is a jinni romance which is a nice change of pace, in terms of what fantasy/paranormal romances are usually about, I enjoyed the character driven part of it and Emel as a character. What got to me is the flowery things the author decided to put in her writing, I enjoyed it until these weird metaphors started appearing, her writing did not need that she was doing a great job before.
This is definitely an adult book, on the stand point that this is a romance in a fantasy world rather than the opposite it was a respectable book, the rape-ish scene is what got to me. BECAUSE THERE IS NO WARNING BEFORE PICKING IT UP. And while it wasn't an issue for me as nothing is descriptive enough to be, and I enjoy dark books (sad stories are sometimes my jam what can I say I like to cry) I could somewhat get past it. BUT THE INCEST, like okay just some touching, BUT STILL not okay and again my heart went to those with trauma towards it because once again a lack of TW.
Now, story wise not a bad book, but all those things I can't look over the fact that it felt like the author did not appropriately address the issues, rape and incest, that she brought up in a good way. It felt like "oh and here is this", rather than "I am addressing important issues in this book" which is never a good way to feel about a book you are reading. The plot should be fluid, and the metaphors made me lose the focus of the story, even though it was more about the characters than the world.
I would've liked a bit more plot to balance the story, it did not feel like the characters grew much within the story from where they had began and there was not a cumulation of events that propelled the plot further or action began it was sort of monotone in a weird way. The romance was un-organic, it felt forced, there was no chemistry between our main characters.
In the end this story was meh. okay, not memorable nothing REALLY happened in the book. And I just did not feel like the characters were tangible or that their love was believable.
Unfortunately a miss for me.
2/5 stars
Bookarina
captivate406's review against another edition
5.0
The daughter of the salt king was absolutely beautiful and unique. I love the story and the unique characters within it. Great detail and thought was put into this. It is a great read for those that love a new take on an old tale.
winterwyrd's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
bringerofbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Great for lovers of: New Adult Fantasy, strong female lead, dark magic and forbidden love interests
Just to be straight up clear - this is not YA. There are sexual themes all throughout the book and tie into the main female lead, so if mentions of sex makes you clutch your pearls, not the book for you! To be completely honest, this gave me the love romance that "City of Brass" failed to deliver for me, if I'm comparing similar book themes.
Anyways - Daughter of the Salt King starts out with our intro into our strong lead character, Emel. She is an Ahira, and her sole responsibility as a daughter of the Salt King is to seduce and pleasure any man that her father says to, in hopes of securing a marriage. Once the daughters of the Salt King turn 23 and aren't married, they are thrown out to the streets. Emel crosses path with a jinni, Saalim, whose master is the Salt King. She and Saalim start a slow-burning forbidden romance, and in the end Emel has to make a very difficult choice of a wish fulfilled by a very devious goddess, Mahira, in order to change her and Saalim's fate ultimately.
So obviously - not the easiest life for our main gal. I really liked she had grit and actual FAULTS. She was a bit compulsive and lacked the ability to empathize with some of her sisters, but she really acknowledged her faults in the end and made me really love her. She made choices that were ultimately believable for her age.
Overall the story was just so beautifully woven together, I highly recommend this book and it's easily a new favorite of mine. A great debut from A.S Thornton. :)
Thank you Netgalley, the author, and publisher for providing me an ARC.
Just to be straight up clear - this is not YA. There are sexual themes all throughout the book and tie into the main female lead, so if mentions of sex makes you clutch your pearls, not the book for you! To be completely honest, this gave me the love romance that "City of Brass" failed to deliver for me, if I'm comparing similar book themes.
Anyways - Daughter of the Salt King starts out with our intro into our strong lead character, Emel. She is an Ahira, and her sole responsibility as a daughter of the Salt King is to seduce and pleasure any man that her father says to, in hopes of securing a marriage. Once the daughters of the Salt King turn 23 and aren't married, they are thrown out to the streets. Emel crosses path with a jinni, Saalim, whose master is the Salt King. She and Saalim start a slow-burning forbidden romance, and in the end Emel has to make a very difficult choice of a wish fulfilled by a very devious goddess, Mahira, in order to change her and Saalim's fate ultimately.
So obviously - not the easiest life for our main gal. I really liked she had grit and actual FAULTS. She was a bit compulsive and lacked the ability to empathize with some of her sisters, but she really acknowledged her faults in the end and made me really love her. She made choices that were ultimately believable for her age.
Overall the story was just so beautifully woven together, I highly recommend this book and it's easily a new favorite of mine. A great debut from A.S Thornton. :)
Thank you Netgalley, the author, and publisher for providing me an ARC.
amac_reads's review against another edition
2.0
Emel is a daughter to the Salt King, the mightiest ruler in the land thanks to his monopoly on the precious commodity. She and her sisters don’t have a life of luxury though. They are expected by the king to entertain his guests and wed the nobility that visit. Emel has yet to be married and fears that her time is running out to escape her father’s court. As rebels begin to rise against the Salt King, Emel stumbles across a wish-granting jinni – is it possible that her luck is about to change?
I felt that the setting of this work never came to life. The worldbuilding was barely adequate; it wasn’t full of rich cultural history or lore, which left me wanting more. Stereotypical tropes were used to define this Arabic-inspired world but weren’t explored in a meaningful or critical way (several of these tropes might also be considered racist). However, the author did do a good job at painting the court as a place of confinement and suffocation, which helped the reader to empathize with Emel’s struggles.
The characters were fine but not outstanding. Emel was disappointing as a protagonist overall. She defines herself throughout the work by her worth to men, which is reasonable at the beginning based on her situation. But by the middle and end, she’s still defining herself by Saalim to the point where escaping isn’t a priority anymore, just being with him is. This would have been an excellent chance for character growth. Instead, the characters are stagnant.
There were a few things that I didn’t care for. There were graphic sexual scenes throughout the work, some of it non-consensual, that didn’t forward the plot or character development at all. This work probably could have been about 100 pages less with some decent editing – there were scenes that were honestly quite repetitive and didn’t add anything meaningful to the work. Also, this work didn’t have much of a plot, which led to it slowing down drastically in several places. I disliked how after something major happened, the author wrote, “If only I’d know nothing would go as planned” – this not only spoiled the current scene but made me less interested in reading more since I know events were going to backfire.
The premise of this work was interesting but wasn’t executed well. The setting, plot, and characters were all lacking in depth and meaning. This was an okay read, but I didn’t enjoy it overall.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I felt that the setting of this work never came to life. The worldbuilding was barely adequate; it wasn’t full of rich cultural history or lore, which left me wanting more. Stereotypical tropes were used to define this Arabic-inspired world but weren’t explored in a meaningful or critical way (several of these tropes might also be considered racist). However, the author did do a good job at painting the court as a place of confinement and suffocation, which helped the reader to empathize with Emel’s struggles.
The characters were fine but not outstanding. Emel was disappointing as a protagonist overall. She defines herself throughout the work by her worth to men, which is reasonable at the beginning based on her situation. But by the middle and end, she’s still defining herself by Saalim to the point where escaping isn’t a priority anymore, just being with him is. This would have been an excellent chance for character growth. Instead, the characters are stagnant.
There were a few things that I didn’t care for. There were graphic sexual scenes throughout the work, some of it non-consensual, that didn’t forward the plot or character development at all. This work probably could have been about 100 pages less with some decent editing – there were scenes that were honestly quite repetitive and didn’t add anything meaningful to the work. Also, this work didn’t have much of a plot, which led to it slowing down drastically in several places. I disliked how after something major happened, the author wrote, “If only I’d know nothing would go as planned” – this not only spoiled the current scene but made me less interested in reading more since I know events were going to backfire.
The premise of this work was interesting but wasn’t executed well. The setting, plot, and characters were all lacking in depth and meaning. This was an okay read, but I didn’t enjoy it overall.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
ohthesheenanigans's review against another edition
3.0
I didn’t hate ‘Daughter of the Salt King’ but the love was not completely there.
The author could have easily cut this down to 300+ pages. There were many scenes that were redundant and it only allowed the story to drag on. Page by page, I keep wondering, "Okay, soooo was something supposed to happen by now? Where is the excitement? Where is the built up for an epic conclusion?" Sadly, nothing really significant happened besides the fairly decent world building.
It was a fine read and a promising start for this debut author don’t get me wrong but was I the only one that felt like this was missing something? That certain flare to make this a knockout? I can't put it into words, but that spark wasn't there. I had enjoyed this for the most part though 2/4 through the excitement I once had started to fizzle—I wasn't completely wow'd. I wish the author included an unexpected twist or turn to help fully engross me. The plot was thin to say the least and there was no character development (I am looking at you Emel!). I don’t know... I just felt stuck and in my opinion, a whole lot of nothing was happening.
Now with the romantic aspect of this fantasy novel—I didn’t buy into it. The (instant) romance and chemistry between Emel and Saalim was meh. I just didn’t see the connection between them at all and honestly, I probably would have liked them better if their relationship was more platonic. They were boring. My goodness they were boring. Firoz (and his boo Rashid) and Sabra were far more interesting, and they were the side characters.
When all's said and done, was I impressed with this read? No. I thought there would be more action, more adventure, more growth with the characters (especially with the main) but it didn't entirely work for me. The premise was there and unfortunately, it was not fully executed by the author.
zoha_k's review against another edition
4.0
This was a super fun read! The mythology in the book was gripping and unique. The book follows your typical hardheaded-heroine-who-fights-for-her-freedom. The main heroine’s father basically pimps out his daughters to potential suitors, to strengthen his political relations. The way she fights through her condition, which at times has no clear exits, was really moving to me. The setting of this book is also different than most I’ve read - the fact that the dessert plays an important role in the mythology of the book. I do wish the love interest (Saalim) was more interesting …. (Lol he’s literally a jinn but idk just the way his backstory was presented was a little dry). But I’m looking forward to his character development in the next book!
Also - idk if some of the character tropes in this book would be offensive. The author built a new reality based on Middle eastern/pre-Islamic folk tales and kingdoms. Some of the characters could be considered offensive but also I viewed it as necessary for the plot. I’m not sure how I feel about it lol.
Also - idk if some of the character tropes in this book would be offensive. The author built a new reality based on Middle eastern/pre-Islamic folk tales and kingdoms. Some of the characters could be considered offensive but also I viewed it as necessary for the plot. I’m not sure how I feel about it lol.