✧₊‧˚⁀➷ 3.93/5 .ᐟ

➺ i had so much to say about this ten days ago, but now all my feelings have mellowed, and i don't remember much. i do love the story, however.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ premise .ᐟ takes place on maynara, an island country based on the philippines. maynara is ruled by a family blessed by the gods, and most of the direct descendants have some sort of power. explores the political divide between the north, where the capital is, and the south, an overlooked rural region that formerly rebelled and thus lost whatever political sway they had before. follows duja, the current queen, laya, duja's brash heir, and imeria, southern delegate to the throne.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ writing .ᐟ i can't begin to describe the talent bansil possesses. every word in this book is emotionally charged; regardless of whether i loved or hated something, whatever i felt, i felt to the max.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ characters .ᐟ one thing i love is that all characters have strong backstories; you can see every step that made them who they are from their childhood to now.

➺ duja, i don't feel anything for personally. however, she's an excellently crafted character, and even if you might be against her decisions, it's so easy to sympathize with how she's had to rule and raise her children.

➺ laya, i loved after she dropped [redacted]. she's unlikable in the beginning due to her obsession with him, and her impulsiveness makes you think she'd be a terrible queen, but her development is insane. she's still not the most sensible person in the room, but she's definitely learning how to be a representative of her people, and she'll certainly be a better queen than her mother.

➺ imeria, the most awful boymom personality of all time. i don't understand how she's meant to be a sympathetic character—at one point, she was ready to traffick laya, and it was terrifying. politically, i lean toward her cause, but she's so blatantly male-oriented about it rather than doing it for her people, so it just ruins everything.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ plot .ᐟ i feel like the narrative was predictable in that it's like any other fantasy/historical ya novel about war. the filipino inspirations make the setting unique, but the plot itself was just okay. it's also very slowly paced; the first half of the book just gets into character dynamics and political background. the action all happens in the last few chapters, and while the cliffhanger makes me excited for the next installment, i also don't think i can stomach him in a larger role than what he had in this book.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ romance .ᐟ the tension between duja and imeria was off the charts; i just don't like imeria, so it didn't do anything for me personally. first time a lesbian relationship didn't hit, which is sad because that's the main reason i wanted to read this. as for laya and him, i'm simply not getting into that. however, i do hope laya starts something with the alchemist in the next book because he's adorable.

➺ some parts didn't live up to the potential, but still a fairly enjoyable read. thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy.

3.75⭐️

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I got such nostalgic vibes from this one!!!! Think Avatar: The Last Airbender’s magic system with political intrigue and family drama!! We experience the plot through the eyes of three different women with enormous power and equally devastating secrets! I loved how each of the FMCs had flaws which had significant implications for them—it felt real and added a layer of complexity that kept me invested even when things felt slow, plot wise.

With the story taking place against the backdrop of Pre-Colonial Filipino culture, I found the world building rich and beautiful in many ways. My curiosity was PIQUED. This was unlike anything I have read or seen before.

My only critique here was that, at times, I was being spoonfed plot-points and world building rather than reading to figure things out. It made the story feel a little clunky at times in places where I would have liked to see my girlies in action!! For me, that took away from the plot a bit but is also a personal preference of mine.

Overall, I am excited to see what Bansil will craft next (HELLO CLIFFHANGER?!!!). Definitely an author to watch in the fantasy space.

3.5 stars

Black Salt Queen is an ambitious and richly layered fantasy that weaves together multiple points of view and intergenerational storylines. The plot is original and compelling, with a deep sense of history and legacy that gives the world real weight. I especially appreciated how the overlapping narratives revealed different facets of the story, keeping me invested in both past and present threads.

That said, the pacing was slow at the beginning, which made it a bit of a challenge to get into. Additionally, the book felt overly packed—there was so much going on that some elements didn’t get the space they deserved. I often found myself wanting the story to breathe more, to let key moments unfold more naturally rather than being rushed or buried in exposition.

Thank you NetGalley and Violetear Books for the ARC

DNF @ 20%

Something about the writing style just didn't engage me. The descriptions of the characters and their emotions feel very surface level and "telling", so I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. While I am sure there is space for them to grow, they just feel very wooden and one-dimensional. The magic system seems somewhat interesting, if not terribly unique. I can sort of see the beginning of the political intrigue, but I had a hard time understanding the motives.

This was a fantastic debut novel and I'm dying for book 2 - I adored the setting, it was vivid and something I don't see represented in the mainstream fantasy world. The character work was great; I loved seeing so many POVs with strong, well-developed and powerful women. I loved the court politics and the magic system. I ate this up.
I felt like there were some pacing issues, with some areas speeding by and other dragging. This book got stronger with every page you turned.
There were some romantic sub-plots (not a romantasy) with some on page sex, 1/5 heat intensity. Not overly graphic and more focused on how it plays into the characters emotional relationships.


-complicated women/family dynamics
-pre-colonial Filipino fantasy
-forbidden love
-lovers to enemies
-queer/sapphic romance
-political intrigue
-multiple POVs

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book? A whole vibe.

Black Salt Queen was a slow burn, but once it got going—whew. I was locked in. Think royal drama, divine magic, sapphic tension, and political scheming, all set in a world inspired by pre-colonial Philippines. Yes, please.

The story follows three powerful women: a queen, a princess, and a rival. And let me tell you—they’re not here to play nice. They’re messy, ruthless, and beautifully complex. The queer rep was so natural and layered, and the tension? Thick enough to cut with a dagger.

Now don’t get me wrong—the first part is definitely a slow crawl. It took me a minute to settle into the world and all its moving parts, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Once the betrayals started rolling and the magic started snapping, I was all in. I just wish we got a little more oomph with the magic earlier on.

This one’s for the girlies who love their fantasy queer, political, and a little bit dangerous. Definitely keeping an eye out for what Samantha Bansil does next.

This was very well-written! I really liked the setting and descriptions, however I felt like the magic was kind of unexplained.
I will admit, I was a little bored during the first half. It was a lot of lead-up and only had a lot of action at the end, which would have been fine except I wasn't super gripped with the politics.
I did really like the characters, especially the sisters. The multiple-pov was very interesting to me, but I wish we explored the relationship between the Duja and Imeria because that was my favourite aspect. I didn't super-love the relationship between Laya and her little boytoy (I forgot his name), honestly he was a bit icky.
Doomed yuri ftw 🗣️

I happened to see Black Salt Queen mentioned on sapphic posts for Pride month and pre-colonial fantasy sounded like right up my alley. I’m really glad I have this a shot because I loved the political fantasy elements and the world building. I could definitely see the ways Filipino culture and history was woven into the world building. I definitely want to read the sequel after the way things ended, and I’ll be curious to see what other kinds of stories Bansil will tell.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the author, and the Violetear imprint of Bindery Books for the digital ARC!

When I used to watch Filipino dramas growing up, the ones that usually brought universal viewership were romantic dramas or comedies in a contemporary setting. So imagine my utter delight in reading Black Salt Queen and seeing just how much the book bridged the style of Filipino storytelling and popular fantasy-romance tropes.

The story follows the trials, tribulations, and complex pasts of the nobility in a pre-colonial Philippines-inspired world. Told from the perspective of various characters, what unfolds is a portrayal of how the thirst for power drives three women to confront their own morals and taboo secrets, all culminating in a choice/action that strives to topple the current reign of the ruling family.

I love a narrative that makes a slow start matter. The first half of the novel takes the time to explore the world, lore, and intricate relationships of the main characters. Every event that may seem minuscule at first eventually holds more weight as the plot progresses. Magic is also not a norm in this world, but its impact on the people who wield magic is prevalent and makes the emotional impact of the story's climax hit much more.

And the romance! The emphasis on both plot and romance is exactly what I want to see more out of fantasy romance books (even though I categorize this book as more romance fantasy). Laya and Luntok are the younger forbidden lovers who are reminiscent of couples I've seen in Filipino dramas. But Duja and Imeria stole my heart with the level of angst and longing that I devoured for the queer aspect of the book. Their confrontation in a certain part of the story was filled with so much tension that I desperately wanted to see them eventually have the happy ending they deserved.

Highly recommend reading if you're looking for BIPOC fantasies with rich political intrigue, scheming mommies, and star-crossed lovers!

Black Salt Queen – Samantha Bansil
Black Salt Queen was a fun escape into an island world rich in culture and some magic. The story eventually sucked me in, but it did take some time to do so. This is a debut, so I have to give the author some slack. The ending left me wanting to know what happens next, so I’ll pick up the next book when it comes out.

The story follows multiple POVs, including the powerful magical heir, Laya, her star crossed lover, Luntok, her mother and Queen, Duja, her nemesis, Imeria and my favorite of all the characters, the youngest princess, Eti. There were a lot of POVs, and I think that was the main reason it took me a while to really dig into the story. I wish Bansil had fewer POVs, but really fleshed them out more. I didn’t really feel connected to any of the characters until part four.

I’m not sure how many books this series is planned for, but I will give the next book a try. There is a lot of potential here, just some minor fixes with the execution to make for the next one.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bindery, for an early copy in exchange for this honest review.

Hara Duja Gatdula, queen of the island nation of Maynara, holds the divine power to move the earth. But her strength is failing and the line of succession gives her little comfort. Her heir, Laya, is a danger—a petty and passionate princess who wields the enormous power of the skies with fickle indifference. Circling the throne is Imeria Kulaw—the matriarch of a traitorous rival family who wields recklessly enhanced powers of her own—with designs to secure a high-ranking position for her son and claim the crown for her family. Each woman has a secret weakness—a lover, a heartbreak, a lie. But each is willing to pay the steepest price to bring down her rivals once and for all.

I love fantasy based on non-European cultures, and with queer characters? Perfect. This was a beautifully written book. I loved it!

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

This was my first time reading a pre-colonial Philippines-inspired fantasy written by a Filipina-American. What a joy it is to be represented in the media!

A queen's powers are faltering, and there is a lack of confidence in the heir's ability to keep hers under control. This book had wonderful aspects of fantasy elements and romance. I did find the pacing to be awkward at times, and some disconnect with the characters overall. I was entertained with the twists and turns throughout, but was not fully invested until the latter half of the book. I am interested in picking up the next book in the series!

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook ARC!

This book had a lot of potential. I just couldn’t get into it and DNFd it. The female protagonist was annoying from the start and I just didn’t like her enough to keep going. She was childish and stuck-up. There was also a lot of tell and no show. There was not much world-building that would be expected with such a book. I think a lot of people will love this but as a high epic fantasy lover, this just didn’t land too well for me.

4.5 / 5 stars

Black Salt Queen is one of those fantasy books that hits you with a ton of new vocabulary right out of the gate and doesn’t feel the need to immediately insert a relative clause explaining the term for the unknowing reader. Now, even though I myself have the working memory capacity of a piece of bread, I really love this type of world-building, because it feels so organic. But it did mean that the beginning of the book was a bit of a struggle for me, since it not only introduced loads of vocab, but also loads of characters. But I’m soooo glad I fought through that first little bit cause the book ended up being really good. The first 60% were okay. The last 40% were phenomenal. I don’t know when I last felt such intense emotions over a book, I was so goddamn angry (but in a good way).

I really appreciate the level of nuance contained in the story. It’s not really a situation where you can conclusively say that either party are the ‘bad guys’, but you’re still left rooting a bit more for one side over the other. It’s just really well set up, both sides have good points and also both sides act sorta asshole-ish at points. A lot of the political issues brought up in the book were not resolved by the end, so I’m excited to see how those are handled in the sequel.

Also, one of the few instances where I’m fine with the gays getting buried, probably for the best.

Black Salt Queen is an epic pre-colonial Philippines-inspired fantasy full of romance, betrayal, rival family dynamics and so much more!!! I highly recommend this one to all fantasy readers, from lovers of Romantasy to fans of Game of Thrones! And did I mention this book has great bi rep and multiple POVs?!?

If you are looking for a romantic fantasy with political intrigue, bad ass women and lots of twists that had me literally gasping out loud, then you NEED it pick up Black Salt Queen! I can't wait to get my hands on book two!

First off, LOVE finding more Filipino fantasy books - specifically precolonial fantasies! Bansil crafts a rich world filled with uniquely Filipino details and it’s wonderful to explore. I love the matriarchy, the abundance of powerful women, and the fearlessness with which Bansil allows them to be imperfect.

I just really struggled to connect with these characters. Duja and Imeria were the most interesting of the main POVs we got, but I wish I could’ve heard more from Eti and Bulan! Laya’s emotional mood swings were so intense and impractical at times I felt tired after reading so many chapters from her perspective 😅 And ultimately? Despite the emotional climax of so much happening at the end, I felt as if I was held at a distance from these characters. Where normally I would’ve felt such scenes more intensely, it didn’t impact me like intended.

That cliffhanger though? You can bet I’ll be keeping an eye out for the sequel!

Although it starts slowly, once it gained momentum, it really got into it. A Philippines-inspired fantasy with an intriguing magical aspect, three-dimensional characters, romance and thrills! There is something for every one.

I am definitely pre-ordering the next one as soon as it is available.

In the majestic city of Mariit, overlooking the deep Untulu sea, stands Laya, the princess about to be queen. In a land filled with magic and rivalry, the struggle for power is all-consuming. Set in a Philippines-inspired world, Black Salt Queen explores many interesting themes such as the strength of women who don’t give up, how drugs can be perceived in different ways (tolls for power and/or for destruction), and how love makes us weak - but also brave. The writing is beautiful, I really enjoyed the world-building and the magic. After the first few chapters, I was hooked. The pace is medium-slow and it works perfectly here. I loved the flashbacks between Imeria and Duja. These stories of love and betrayal touched me and I slowly began to care for each character and their journey. I’m really looking forward to the sequel! If you like reading about complex women, betrayal and queer love, Black Salt Queen is the perfect book for you.

I was super excited to read this book. Queen reigning, matriarch of rival family, and a princess who loves the enemy's son. Promised to be filled with "passion, romance, betrayal, and divine magic". Sounds perfect, right?

But this book was so boring. Absolutely nothing interesting happened in the first 50%. We had pages upon pages of lush world building, history and politics, and a bit of forbidden young love, which such sounded so corny every time. The characters either felt too old (18 year old princess, and 13 year old princess who could have both have been 25), or the queen and the rival matriarch (who also both acted like 25 and not 45). I did enjoy the world building, and everything we learned, but I would have hoped something more fast paced to happen at the start of the book. And when things finally started to happen, we rushed trough so many things, I wished we could have slowed down.

However, one of the biggest things I did not enjoy in this book, was the male love interest of the princess, the other half of the forbidden love. He felt exactly like the guy in house of the dragon who wants Rhaeneyra to leave everything and run away. And who thinks himself as the perfect man, or god. Yuck. In a book full of feminist energy, and powerful women, I hated I had to read chapters from his pov.

This book could have been better for me, if I had been in the mood for something slower, as it is very beautifully written, and has a lot of important and amazing story lines. However, it was not for current me so: 2,5 stars rounded up.

Could not get into this.

Not my style of a book, but I really think this will find its intended readers.