The theme of the review is: "I really liked this book, but I wanted more from the world that the author, A. S. Thornton, created."

There were a lot of things I liked about this book:

-I liked the world in which the story was set. The setting in the desert! The magic and the jinni! The slight hints at mythology of the world!
-I liked the relationship between Emel and Saalim.
-I liked Emel's character. She was spirited and learned to be independent; she loved her sisters, even if she didn't get along with all of them; and she tried to be herself, despite all of the times she was beaten down by her father, the Salt King, and society as a whole.
-Not a spoiler, but I liked the ending. It was open-ended but also concluded enough. I see that this book is now part of a series called Salt Chasers, so I'm hoping the author writes a sequel so we can learn more about these characters! I definitely look forward to reading more about this world.

However, I wanted more:

-The plot, world-building, and characters were all interesting, but ultimately felt a little flat. The characters, too, I wanted more from. I wanted more tension between Emel and Saalim. I wanted more about the relationship between Emel and her sisters, Emel and her mother; I wanted more about the world and why it was how it was; I wanted more about the textures of the clothing they wore, more about the servants, more about a lot of things. Everything felt too *linear*, with hardly any side stories or intricacy. The plot itself held a little bit of tension, and I honestly did not know what was going to happen from one page to the next, which is good, but I also felt that there weren't enough snippets dropped throughout to hint at any grand reveal, which made it feel not too much like any sort of climax.

If I had to say the one thing I didn't like this book, it was that it felt that, despite Emel being the main protagonist, the men in her life drove the action. Though it's a weak criticism, because in the world A.S. Thornton created, the men are the ones in power. It was still hard to see Emel look at her worth through the eyes of her father, through Omar, and the other men in her life, rather than through the eyes of Firoz, Aashiq, and Saalim. It almost felt like "only through men did I realize my value as a woman" -- both the bad and good.

Thank you to NetGalley and CamCam Books for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t too sure what to expect going into this book, but I was captivated from the very first page.
The world-building managed to feel unique (which is rare for me, since I read such a huge amount of fantasy), and I absolutely loved the idea of salt as a currency. The writing was rich with imagery, and I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the busy market especially.
I loved Emel as a character. I instantly felt like she was someone I could root for throughout the story, and I loved her determination and drive to escape her father’s oppressive rule. I could totally relate to her drive to explore the world.

I enjoyed the plot, and there were initially so many twists and turns that I was totally unsure about where the story would go next! I would say the story dragged slightly in the middle, and the ending will definitely be divisive. The book’s biggest positive for me was the author’s incredible writing style. It was so vivid, with the action so exciting, and I can’t wait to read more of AS Thornton’s work. I think this book set the second one up nicely, and I’ll be reading it once it comes out! This might not be the book for everyone, but I really enjoyed it.

This book was hard to put down, read it in two days cause, humans need sleep. At the beginning I was not sure how I felt about the story line but then the twists and turns began. Rarely was I able to predict what was going to happen next. Which a lot of romance books follow a similar plot. I was pleasantly suprised by the story and really hope to see a sequel, I really need to know how everything ended.... cliffhangers.... but it was a decently written one that I'm not throwing my hands up yelling come on. It was pleasant and enable where it was but I'm greedy and must know how life goes for Emel and if Salim remembers and how their life goes on.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and ComCat Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve seen a bit of confusion in some other reviews, so I would like to reiterate that this is an adult fantasy novel, as stated by the author. It’s fine if you “don’t agree” with the categorization, but for reader transparency that is how it is labelled, and due to the overall premise of the story I find it fitting. Also, I was wrongfully under the impression that this was a standalone novel, it very much is not and thank goodness - this is a duology (my personal favorite!)

Alright, onto the story - I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was scrolling on Netgalley, saw the premise and thought it looked interesting and ta-da here we are. Now, I can see how this book will not work for everyone. It is a very stationary novel, meaning that the majority of it takes place in the Salt King’s kingdom (is it actually a kingdom, idk his place of residence) and the surrounding city. Additionally, there is not an abundance of action, this is more of a story of self-discovering, sacrifice and recognizing one’s own inner strength. I found this story to be captivating from the very beginning, which is also a major plus for me as most novels take me 50-100 pages to find my reading rhythm.

I will say that Emel’s situation may be difficult for some to read, so I would definitely check the trigger warnings. Essentially, the King’s daughters are “pimped” out to elite men across the desert, in order for the Salt King to use their marriages to ensure that these men will be his allies and not rise up against him. Okay, now I know that doesn’t sound to far-fetched from a lot of history, but the thing is these men can bed his daughters for up to three days before deciding if they’ll marry the ahira (positional name for the king’s daughters), marry a different ahira, or leave altogether without accepting a bride. That made me so sick, to think a father could do that to their own children. The Salt King, is a sad, pathetic twisted man, and even if life situations have hardened him I have no sympathy for parents who take for granted their position in their children’s life - tsk tsk. I mean sure, it sucks that life could have dealt you a bad hand, but life does that to everyone and you don’t get to cope by making your children’s lives miserable. To make matters worse, if the women aren’t selected by their twenty-third birthday, they are cast out, with nothing to their name, as if their worth has suddenly diminished. I truly felt for Emel and all of her sisters and their plight leads to certain “conflict” within the book, because obviously people are going to handle their cruddy hand at life in varying manners. To clarify, trauma sucks and can manifest itself in different ways and that’s valid and we are all human. However, we also have a responsibility to take ownership of our actions and try and heal for ourselves and for those we love. Obviously, this is not easy or something that is achieved overnight, but as a reader, I can recognize a traumatic experience and also call out the problematic behaviour a character is exhibiting and inflicting onto others because of their trauma.

There were also several complaints of this being very insta-lovey, and yes I guess it was instant in an instant, but it also wasn’t. I thought the romance was well done, beautiful, and full of pain and burdens that one would expect for a relationship between two people, slaves to the king, and seemingly unable to have any say in their future. I was very pro-Saalim, and liked the explanation of the magic and how wishes worked in this world. However, during one scene I wanted to shake some sense into him and exchange a few choice words. Personally, I have not read a lot of desert romances so I cannot say if this is uber tropey, or how it stacks up, but the book was fun for me, albeit quite a bit linear. The pace does begin to increase in the last 30% of the novel, as seems to be typical in most books, and for a beat there it felt a bit confusing, however I think the author did a good job of clearing things up.

This is not an Own Voices novel, and I cannot speak to the lore of this story. Nothing seemed overly insensitive or offensive where I was able to recognize it, but considering I am not an Own Voices reviewer for this novel, please take this with a grain of salt (hahaha I kind of made a pun). I did peruse other reviews and saw no commentary on cultural insensitivity, but like I said please listen to and respect OV reviewers if something does arise.

All in all, I had fun with this story and enjoyed meeting the various characters. I am excited to see how things conclude in the sequel, as I was left with my curiosity piqued. No, I wouldn’t say that this book ends on a cliffhanger, all major plot points from the first story are concluded, however the story clearly is not finished, so if you liked it you’ll probably want to continue on. Best of luck to A.S. Thornton on her debut, and I will keep my eye out for this author going forward.

The husband read it for the first time since all the edits were done, and here's his verdict: It will be an exciting new addition to adult fantasy. I'm not very much into love stories, and luckily despite the central romance this is no "romance novel." There is plenty of action, magic, and intrigue, as well as villains you can't wait to see get what's coming to them and plenty of darkness and depth. There are beautiful passages evoking the harsh desert settings, poignant moments, and the love scenes are all tastefully handled and move the plot forward. Recommended for anyone who wants some darkness and emotional depth with their fantasy.

I also think this book is wonderful. But then again, I wrote it. :)

The description doesn’t say this is an Aladdin retelling but it’s hard not to see the similarities. Emel is the daughter of a desert king and her main role in life is to get married to strengthen her fathers kingdom. She has until her 23rd birthday to get married or she will be cast out. By the end of the book she’s 22 so that day isn’t far off. Despite her beauty she has not been chosen by a suitor. Meanwhile her favorite past time is sneaking out of the palace to experience the joys of the village. Except in this story the man in the village prefers other men and she falls in love with the genie. Saalim is trapped in his curse and at the mercy of her father (his master) and the goddess Masira (Saalim is merely a stand in - she’s really granting the wishes). The goddess is interesting here because she is certainly painted in an unflattering light but it’s unclear yet if she’s truly a villain.

I loved this book mostly because of Emel. She’s strong and resourceful. It’s hard at times because her life is terrible and I really wanted her to make a wish because cmon honey it really can’t get much worse. But I think this is the case of preferring the devil you know so Emel does her best with the cards she’s dealt. The story is truly a mix of things getting so bad she truly stops having more to lose and Emel gaining the confidence to stand up for herself and take the necessary risks. The ending is truly perfect and I will definitely be anxiously awaiting the sequel!

This review is in exchange for an ARC through NetGalley.

Readers who object to subservient roles for women may have trouble with this one. The atmosphere is mock-Arabic and salt is used as currency as well as coin. The king has a private oasis that no one is allowed to visit. The assumption is that a hidden salt mine there is the source of his wealth.

The king and other nobles have multiple wives and many children. Secondary sons of the king might be given positions as soldiers or something else useful, but daughters are used to seduce men into forming alliances. Emel and her sisters and half-sisters are expected to sleep with any visiting noble who requests them and try to please them enough that they will be taken as wife. I wondered how they managed not to get pregnant but this is eventually explained.

Emel dreams of leaving the court, but although she is pretty she is never requested a second time. Any daughter who reaches her 23rd birthday without being taken as wife is exiled and left to fend for herself, and Emel is getting dangerously close.

Despite the unpalatable fate of women in this story, it is well written and holds attention. Emel has her own small ways of rebelling, though she has no choice but to accept the conditions she was born into. Without giving spoilers, political situations and magic both find their way into the story and I found it very well done.

The last few chapters were a little more drawn out than I thought they should be, once a direction for how it would end was in progress. Still, I liked the late discovery of a different perspective on what was going on. I would definitely read this author again.

This is an engaging and exciting story that combines romance with action and journey of the self.

Emel, daughter of the Salt King, lives with all of her numerous sisters in a large tent in her father's palace. The daughters' only purpose is to seduce men who come to create alliances with the Salt King (the only source of salt among the seemingly never-ending desert) through marriage. The daughters lay with the men with the desire of being chosen for a wife. At the age of 23, if still unmarried, the king tosses his daughter out into the street. Emel has a year or so before she will be 23 and still unchosen, despite the beauty that was supposed to make her a highly valued commodity and easily marriageable.

When Emel is finally chosen, she is relieved at the prospect of leaving her father's palace. All she wants is to see more of the world, to have freedom enough to venture outside the walls in which she lives. Her father's palace is her prison. She is not allowed to leave and see the village or the desert on which they all live. The nearby oasis is protected under all costs. To have her freedom and To have a kind husband would be a dream. But an attack on the king and palace occurs after she is chosen causing a change encounter with her father's jinni. Afraid and unaware that her father has used a jinni to gain his power, Emel tried to forget the lure of granted wishes.

Yet, it is hard to keep her distance. Emel and Saalim are connected since she released him from his home. He can sense her desires and does what he can to help her even as her father remains his master. Quickly, Emel finds herself fascinated by the jinni who has unlocked feelings inside her that she has never felt for any of the men she was forced to parade herself in front of. But love between an enslaved daughter and a jinni (enslaved in another way) seems impossible. Emel will have to make a choice, one that may cost her the only man she has ever loved or her freedom.

This book has such an interesting premise. The world felt original to me and is something I have never encountered before. Emel is bold and finds ways to capture little moments of freedom from her father's rule. She is strong and so much bigger than the world she has been confined to. I'm not sure I felt there was a lot of character development outside of her falling in love (an entirely new experience to her) but her journey was compelling enough and she interesting enough that this did not bother me.

Saalim was fascinating. I liked learning the intricacies of the magical rules he lives under. From the moment he appears in the book it is clear he and Emel are somehow connected. They both struggle to be in love and devoted to each other while both serving the Salt King who is ruthless and uncaring. Various challenges come up against them until Emel has to make a final choice that could irrevocably change both of their lives no matter what she chooses.

I'm still not entirely sure how satisfied I am with the ending. I do like the results of Emel's final wish and it's pretty much what I figured would happen. However, I wasn't entirely sure what to make of Saalim's final chapter. The romantic in me worries that he will not find his way back to Emel. It also seemed to leave enough questions open for a sequel, though I don't know if that's in the works. If the sequel followed Saalim's journey for revenge while he falls in love with Emel all over again, I would definitely read that book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. It was original and exciting.

**Warning - spoiler & trigger warning
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It's clear that this author is an amazing storyteller, so I'll say that upfront. Her writing style was engaging, and I felt pulled into the scenes and could clearly see all the characters. Unfortunately, this was not the book for me due to the first sexual scene in the book. I found it very traumatic to read a graphic sex scene which, in my mind, amounted to rape. Was she willing? Debatable, since she was being forced to by her parents so that she might wed. She wasn't telling him no, but she basically had to get drunk just to get through it. Not to mention the guy was older with two wives and children already. I couldn't really get past that scene, and so after trying, I had to set the book aside. Perhaps the next book by this author will be better for me.

After a few days of flipping through this, I will say it was acceptable. The s0-called Middle-Eastern setting is limited to the desert and the salt. Just that. Nothing more. My discomfort with most of the storyline might have led me to rate this around 2,5/3.
The story was fine but I wasn't much a fan of it all over. The romance, I'll say become unwanted at some point. When I began, it seemed so full of potential and it was so promising but then it dwindled...
It didn't exactly fit with me but thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this eARC.

After a few days of rumination all I can really say with any confidence is that this was one of those odd reading experiences which I found perfectly acceptable and not much else. The writing was fine; the story was fine. I thought I would like the Middle East-inspired setting more than I did, but ultimately it wound up feeling pretty reductive and one-note to me. I am not an expert in Middle Eastern culture and I don't know whether the author is, and in the end I'm not sure how much it matters since fantasy settings are not meant to be a 1:1 representation of any current society, but my discomfort with the setting certainly affected my reading experience.

As I said, the writing and story were fine. I liked the romance, particularly the thematically strong point of it being between two trapped beings, though I remain unsure of how the conclusion resolved this, if it did at all; Emel purposefully not wishing for Saalim's freedom was, I don't know, a conclusion? I think the message there might have been that freedom cannot only be given to 1 or 2 people, but I do wish that had been built up a little more. There were a few parts of the romance which I wasn't a huge fan of, but that's a me thing rather than any fault of the author or book. I quite liked the ending, which was understated but certainly promised a resolution; it's the kind of ending perfect for post-canon fanfiction. I hope anyone so inclined to write one has a very good time doing so. Thank you to NetGalley and CamCat Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book and the unique take on middle eastern lore. I would definitely warn people who have triggers for sexual assault, rape, incest, etc. I look forward to the second installment.

I really did not remember what this book was going to be about when I started it. This happens way to often when I request ARCs, they sound good, I request, get approved, and when I finally pick it up I do not know remember what it was going to be! But I was very pleasantly surprised.

In this book we follow Emel who is one of the many daughters of the Salt king. The salt king wants to marry off as many of his daughters as possible to important people to improve his relations to these people.

So far it is not working for Emel, and she is still stuck in her fathers palace. Until when day she finds her father’s Jinni. And that is really were the story starts!

I really enjoyed Emel’s character! She was really trying to find her way out, but she also really cared about (some of ) her sisters, and some friends she made. So she had to fins a way out and take them with her. I also really enjoyed some of the minor characters, like Tabi (?) not sure anymore how to write her name, but she is one of the sisters.

The first half of this books took so many turns that I did not expect, which meant this book took a very different direction from what I thought after starting this! I do think the second half of this book was a bit slower than the first, since it did focus more on the romance. I think if it was a little less focussed on the romance and more on the action from the first half, I would have enjoyed it even more!

The plot was very interesting, I kept wanting to continue to see where the story was going!

I really enjoyed the writing, and I would definitely pick up something else written by AS Thornton!

This review is of an eARC provided via NetGalley. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

This book makes me rage. I can think of no other way to start this that would encapsulate my feelings. Rage. So much rage.

What really irritates me, though, is the fact that 90% of this book was absolutely fantastic.

This story focuses on Emel, the daughter of the powerful and corrupt Salt King. In their world of sand and brutal sun, salt is the only currency that matters and the Salt King lords over them all, dictating all trade and trade routes associated in the sale of salt. But the Salt King is not a kind man. He keeps his many daughters hidden away and sells them to other men with power throughout the desert for political alliance.

What people don’t know is that the King has a jinni under his command and he cannot be defeated. Many have tried and all have been killed with the slightest wish dropping from his lips.

Now, during the first 90% of this book I was enthralled by Emel and her acts of defiance against her father and her personal growth. She is an interesting, intelligent, kind hearted woman who wants to be out from under her father’s rule to make her own choices and be in control of her own life. Watching her grow and develop as a character was a great journey and I loved watching her learn what boundaries she could push.

During her journey she learns that her father has a jinni and the pair begin to have clandestine meetings and you quickly come to love Emel and Saalim. Saalim may have the power to grant wishes but the Goddess that looms over them all decides what path those wishes take. If you have malice in your heart when you make the wish the malice will come back on you unless you are very, very cautious in your wording. So, though Emel desires to wish for her freedom, she wants to be sure it cannot come back to haunt her nor does she wish to be separated from Saalim.

Watching their relationship grow as Emel also navigated the horrors of her father’s court was wonderful. I loved that part of the story and often found myself picking this book up to read more even if there were other things I should be doing.

Until we get to the end. I won’t give any spoilers but I will say that nothing ends the way the reader is lead to believe it will. The conclusion is painful and you are left feeling completely unfulfilled. None of the promises made come to fruition and we are left with many dangling plot points and a painful, empty feeling where the conclusion should have gone. It was enough to drop my rating from my projected 4.5 to a 3. Yes, it truly was that dissatisfying and I stand by my rating.

Is this worth a read? That is up to you. As I mentioned, most of this book was wonderful and I absolutely adored it but the end just…well, it hurt. As a reader who had come to love these characters it was painful to read and not satisfying in any way. I’ll leave this one in your hands and quietly hope that perhaps some major changes were made to the ending of this book after I received my ARC.

To start, thank you to Netgalley and CamCat publishing for an eARC of this novel, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book gave me some serious whiplash. The beginning was probably a four star read, I found it intriguing and full of potential. I liked the characters well enough, the premise was interesting, and I wanted to know more about the world (which I don't think I ever really got). And I've never read a romance novel with a jinn in it, so extra points there. But unfortunately, that didn't last.

The middle was a very long two stars, with a lot of scenes filled with hardly anything happening. It felt unnecessarily long, and I'm sure that someone could have found a way to cut some of this to get it under four hundred pages. For the life of me, I can't understand why this is over four hundred pages long, hardly anything happens for the two hundred pages in the middle bit. Then we get back around to the last maybe 15% or so, which sped by.

The very end was back up to four stars, with an ending that is going to be divisive, but I liked it well enough. Some people are not going to be happy and they're going to feel unfulfilled. Others, like me, will like an ending that doesn't have a bow on top. For me, the ending is filled with possibilities, which maybe isn't something that people look for in a romance novel, but I quite like.

Overall, I would recommend this for fans of slooooooooooow, and not especially steamy, romance novels. It's not a bad debut novel, it just need an extra something to give it much needed push and a bit of trimming. If I had to compare it to something it would be a lettuce and celery sandwich, with the amazing homemade bread on either end. Delicious on either end, but something wrong in the middle. However, I would be willing to check out another book by this author in the future.

CW: Rape, Physical Abuse, Sexual Slavery, and Incest (touching only, but still....)

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Daughter of the Salt King is an amazing magical fantasy story about Emel who is one of the many daughters of her father - the Salt King.
Emel and her sisters are ahira's - their role in the Palace is to capture the attention and eye of men who come to seek them as their wives to form alliances with the King and make him more powerful with more allies to form a bigger army. The ahiras have to spend up to three nights with their suitors and then the suitor will make a decision to marry them or not (they can,if they please, take a different ahira each evening or even choose to sleep aline). Emel longs to be chosen as a wife so she can escape from the Salt King and his wicked ways, but alas no suitors ever choose her as their wife.
Emel unexpectedly has an encounter with a powerful, magical jinni called Saalim and her life spins on its axis, changing it forever.

Emel is an amazing character who I developed deep respect for. She is strong, fearless and resilient in the life and environment she lives in, and never gives up on hope for a different, better and freer life.
Saalim is such an enchanting and charismatic character who longs for his own freedom away from the life as a slave to the Salt King and many other masters before him. Emel and Saalims paths cross and nothing will be the same again.

I lived the exotic desert setting in this book and found it richly described and brought to life. I couldn't read fast enough at the end of the book, to discover what would happen and have been left with hope that there may be a sequel from how the ending happened.

Before I begin my review for Daughter of the Salt King by A.S Thornton, I would personally like to thank the author, publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and I have reviewed it honestly.

Emel is a daughter of the cruel Salt King. Trained in the art of seduction, Emel and her sisters are bound by the brutality of their father to flirt, seduce and wed the many rich suitors whom seek an alliance. Emel craves freedom from the despicable life she's been delt, but suitors are always unsatisfied and wed another of her sisters. Daughter of the Salt King is an unforgettable, intimate and delicate tale of tyranny, slavery, power and forbidden love.

Daughter of the Salt King features, but is not limited to, the following themes:
○ Adult fantasy
○ Forbidden Romance
○ Magic
○ Jinni/genie
○ Cruel Kings
○ Slavery

My overall rating for Daughter of the Salt King is…

5 Stars!

This tale was a poetic, fierce and stunning fantasy masterpiece. The cruel desert setting created an enticing atmosphere and the Kings dogmatic laws proved to add spice to a bitterly sweet story. I honestly can't praise this book enough! The passion! The pain! The brutal treatment of the Kings daughters and an impossible love story! Thornton has woven an undeniably deep and intimate tale that will shred your heart bit by bit before teasing your soul with a taste hope. I can't wait to share my love of this book with other readers!

I liked it and disliked it. It is truly as described in the synopsis, Emel is a slave basically in her father's harem and is used purely for sex for political gain by those who would ally with her father the Salt King. I was intrigued by this world, the author so vividly painted, the scenes, the imagery and feeling to the story- it is very well done. You can tell the author did her research on ancient Middle Eastern desert tribes and what it may have been like in a harem. To that extent however, that is pretty much the entire story - life for Emel in the harem and being used. The story line for me, didn't really seem to go much of anywhere. There are some mini adventures but she eventually ends up right back where Chapter 1 all started. Now she did end up finding some love with a jinni but honestly when it started to go into all the magical stuff, I lost interest. There were a few good scenes here and there but I just couldn't get past the jinni and found myself skimming to the end. I would say it is a very well written book, lots of imagery, an ok story but you'll need some creativity when it comes to the jinni.

<i>*This book was given to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review*</i>
I'm obsessed with middle eastern fantasy, give it to me, I want it all. I enjoyed the idea of this harem of princesses, locked away dreaming of a better life. The main character, Emel, was strong-willed and likable. I definitely wasn't prepared for the sexual content, but I often read young adult and am used to PG-13 I would have liked there to be a more substantial foundation for the romance, it wasn't until the end that their connection was explained. I think the story ended even better than it started and am hopeful that we find out what happens.

Daughter of the Salt King was a great debut. Magic, romance, a harsh kingdom & land, and jinni. All of these things are right up my alley, and I’m so happy that I enjoyed this.

Emel was a wonderful heroine. She had a very unconventional life and I loved that she wasn’t a quitter. I loved the story between Emel and her family, and with Saalim. The two storylines were great on their own and I loved when they came together. Torn between duty, love, and freedom, I loved watching Emel navigate it all.

Even though this was a standalone, the ending was perfect and wrapped everything up nicely.