This book reeks of a person not of this culture writing a story. There are many instances where people not of a culture write representation well, EK Johnston, is a good example and this just didn't cut it. The author fell into portraying background characters as caricatures. Now the book itself is good, well paces and a solid bit of storytelling with the descriptions but it just felt off throughout for this reason. I caught myself stopping and thinking if some things were done were okay like to concept of working to be a chosen bride and all.. In short I think with more research or maybe focusing on a culture the author is familiar with they can have a banger of a novel cause this was in general a solid read

The eARC I was gifted expired before I could read it, but I was able to download pick up a copy. I will post a full review soon!

This book took me a while to get into. But once I finally got into it it picked up and was more fun to read

First off, this is not a YA book. Second, this book is extremely atmospheric. As a character-driven romance, Thornton does an excellent job at creating characters who fight for their own fate in a world where that doesn't seem possible. The romance was also well done, and wasn't rushed. I really felt this world leap of the page and surround me with the adventure.

I was SO curious about this book and I couldn't wait to start it but, surprisingly the first chapters didn't interested me at all. I understand the main character has a "mission" towards her kingdom and has grown with a certain kind of idea of "duty" women has, but I couldn't empathize with her and I didn't find a motivation to go on. Plus, I'm afraid the writing is not my cup of tea. So for me, right know, it's a no.
Maybe I'll give it another chance in the future.

This hook was soooo exciting and adventurous! I loved this book. It was unique. The characters were wonderful. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Full review to be posted soonish.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a lovely novel. It took me quite a bit of time to get into it, but the layers of historic influence and the romance were balanced incredibly well.
I am looking forward to reading more from A.S. Thornton.

So many twists and turns, this is one of those books that becomes a favourite, and you want to read even more from the author.

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review
This was a truly tragic tale. To be forced into a marriage is terrible enough. To be "tried" first is disgusting. I would rather die then go through that! It was such a surreal read and I enjoyed it very much

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review.

Daughter of the Salt King follows Emel, one of the Salt King's 26 daughters. As an ahira, her and her sisters are used by the king to secure alliances by sleeping with, and hopefully marrying, one of the many suitors that arrive. Throughout the novel Emel deals with trying to find a suitor before her 23rd birthday, a growing rebellion, and a heart that is drawn to her father's jinni, instead of one of her supposed suitors.

I loved this story! Emel is very relatable and realistic in my opinion. She is brave and adventurous, cares deeply for those she love, and her desire for freedom is palpable. I also love the development of the relationship between Emel and Saalim (the jinni). I generally don't enjoy desert settings, but the atmosphere was so vibrant in this book that I just fell into the world instantly!

I will say, this is a very character-driven novel, so the pacing can seem a bit slow, but I enjoyed every second of it. I can't wait for the second book!

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.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

This was a fun, riveting debut from an author who I’m sure will make her way through the fantasy genre. The worldbuilding was subtly done, and the characters richly drawn out in a world underneath the desert sun. My only complaint is that at times, the plot dragged on, and I wish it could’ve been fast-tracked a little

Trigger warning for nonconsensual sex.

I have a lot of problems with this book. It was a rare Did Not Finish for me - it’s been over a year since my last DNF. But it was an ARC, so I promised a fair review.

The protagonist is the daughter of a desert king, who maintains power thanks to his control of the salt trade (hence the title). She is one of many daughters (the king has a harem), and her only purpose in life is to get married off to her father’s advantage and be (one of) the wives of someone who will support dear ol’ dad. She dreams of the world outside of the palace tents, but all she really hopes for is to get a husband before she gets put out to fend for herself at the decrepit age of 23. Plot happens, and she finds out that the secret behind her father’s power is a wish-granting jinni.

My first issue with this book relates to the jinni. Wishes are risky; if your wish isn’t phrased wisely, it will get twisted. Carelessly phrased wishes can have catastrophic results. Now, that’s a perfectly solid premise for a joke involving a man with a 12-inch pianist. For a book? It’s weak. Even Homer Simpson is able to handle that kind of an issue. Although, conveniently, it’s not what the wish twisting isn’t something the jinni can actually control (because reasons) so he can still be a decent guy.

Which leads to my second big issue. Of course the princess and the jinni start to fall for each other. (I didn’t bother to spoiler tag that because it only spoils the blurb of the book). And suddenly the protagonist is prepared to push back against the unjust life she’s always endured. Not for any particular reason, but rather just because … there’s a guy she wants to be with? I’m doing a very bad job of explaining this, but let’s just say there’s a distinct lack of character motivation here as far as I’m concerned.

So far everything I’ve described has been issues with plot. Might not make for an interesting book, but it doesn’t make for an offensive one, and this book was offensive.

So the lesser of my two serious complaints is all the racist stereotyping, and hoo boy there’s a lot of it. I expected some degree of Bedouin or Taureg stereotypes to be at play, but Thornton really leans into it. And she does so uncritically, which is worse. It’s not good at all. But it’s also not the worst.

So observant readers may have noticed that I used the phrase “nonconsensual sex” with the trigger warning up top and not “rape.” I wasn’t trying to soft pedal, in the manner of news outlets talking about powerful men having “illegal relationships with underage women” instead of “raping children.” It was a very deliberate word choice.

Because there’s one twist to the stereotyping that I haven’t seen before. As I mentioned earlier, the protagonist and her sisters are kept cloistered until they’re married off. But before marriage has to come courtship, or at least a proposal. So how does a prospective suitor choose his bride? He goes to the salt king, and if the salt king thinks he’d make a decent son-in-law, he is granted the opportunity to review all the eligible daughters. And he gets to take one that catches his eye and try her out for a few nights. A “try before you buy” kind of deal. Oh, you didn’t like your first choice? She didn’t do it for you for whatever reason? No problem, just pick another and take her for a spin!

It’s hard to express just how offensive this is.

I can handle offensive. The Handmaid’s Tale has an offensive premise, but there the offensiveness is the POINT. Margaret Atwood handles it respectfully and thoughtfully, 100% aware of what she is doing and why she is doing it. Here? It’s just thrown in for a little extra spice. I’ve said before how much I hate lazy authors throwing in a gratuitous rape scene to prove their grimdark bonafides, but at least that has a point, even if a cheap one. I honestly don’t know what the author was thinking with this.

Special thanks to my fellow mods who listened to me rant about this book on Discord and then convinced me to just put the thing down and DNF it. I owe you a solid.

I absolutely loved this book! Went through it very fast. Characters were written beautifuly!! Definitely recommend this book to anyone!

DNF @ 60%

This story follows Emel, a girl who only wants to be able to choose her own fate, and to do that she needs to escape her father's court. But that seems impossible, until a secret rebellion attacks, and Emel stumbles upon a wish-granting jinni that could change everything.

From the very first chapter I felt quite uncomfortable with the things that happened, and I almost dropped this book because of that, but instead decided to push through it. Now, the reason why I didn't finish this book is because I couldn't connect to the story and the characters. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't make myself care about Emel or Saalim. So I decided that it was best for me not to continue reading on.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed my time reading this book. It was well written and plot driven. I enjoyed the "legends" and the magical system that the author had in place. I can see this being a popular book for discussions and group reads.

TW: Sexual Assualt, emotional/fictional abuse

Daughter of the Salt King is an adult fantasy not for the faint of heart. Emel is one of the daughters of the Salt King, enslaved by her father and forced to sleep with suitors to attain an advantageous marriage match. She has no freedom, no choice in what she does or how she lives. It is the only life she's ever known, until an attack on the Salt King results in a fated meeting with the jinni Saalim. Given an infinite amount of wishes, Emel finally begins to imagine a future shaped by her own choosing, but she quickly learns that fate is a fickle thing, and that wishes often can be granted in ways that have far-reaching implications both for Emel and Saalim, but for her entire world. Emel desperately searches for a path towards freedom, but she soon questions whether true freedom from the gilded cage she is contained in looks like she originally imagined it to be.
Filled with flawed yet compelling characters, romance, and intrigue, Daughter of the Salt King is a stunningly written book. The author is superbly talented in the way she writes, immediately grabbing the reader's attention and not letting it go. It has the perfect balance of raw humanity and breathtaking plot twists and turns. I thought this world was richly imagined and well thought out. I liked Emel a lot as a main character. It isn't hard to root for her as she navigates a life she's shackled to in order to find any semblance of autonomy as a woman in a patriarchal world that views female bodies as property. I appreciated Emel's complex relationship with her father, one that is broken by the choices and control he robbed her of, one where there is no path forward for reconciliation with that toxic loved one but the mixed feelings of love and hurt are all wrapped up in it. I cheered throughout this novel as I watched Emel stand up and realize her own power as a young woman and take back control over her own life from those who took it from her and her selfless love of those around her. This is a very character-driven story which is great. But it is a brutal one. I have some concern over the manipulative tendencies in how Emel is treated by Saalim (who becomes the main li) in parts of the novel, but I acknowledge that the author makes him do better and develops him as a character. Also, there is a lot of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in this novel of not just Emel, but of many of the women in this novel by nature of the world system that the author has employed. While not as graphic as some books I've read, it's still there, so readers should know and prepare for that before diving in.
Daughter of the Salt King is an entrancing book about female autonomy, freedom of choice and of the freedom that comes when we both own our own power and make sacrifices for the people we love.

This turned out to be one of my most all time favorite books! I did not believe I was going to like it when I first started reading it. It felt vulgar and offensive. As I read on and the story began to unfold, and the character development began to take shape, everything came together. There were no slow parts that I found myself trying to skim thru. There was not repetition anticipating the reader would forget what they already read many times. I was not able to foresee any of the events that took place! This was my most favorite aspect! Every time I thought I could guess what would happen next, Ms Thornton would throw in a mighty twist!

The character development was impressive in numbers and uniqueness! The culture was so very different than I ever could have imagined. I found myself imagining my own viewpoints and behaviors if I were born into such a different world from the one I know. I started really realizing how the circumstances we are born into can truly shape our viewpoints and responses to various events and challenges. One can be born into a circumstance that looks perfect and full from the outside, but can be stifling and full of insecurity from the inside. For example, Emil was born a princess. However, she and her sisters were used by her father as sex slaves to form alliances for the kings benefit. If they didn't convince someone of power to add them to their harem of wives by the age of 23, then the king would cast them out onto the streets with nothing, and they would die in a short period of time. They were cut off from their family completely.

Now, this is a fantasy style story that included a Jinni. Ms. Thornton is an amazing storyteller who has the most wonderful imagination! She wove together a story that I simply never wanted to end! I literally sought out more writings by her, and discovered this is her first and only book. I am hoping that she continues writing, as I truly can't wait for her next story to come out. Ms. Thornton truly has a gift!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from CamCat Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.