3.5 stars

This has beautiful prose and weaves Filipino history and culture in a really unique way. For me, I found the pace quite hard for the first 70 percent or so. I was interested, but the telling sort of nature for me as a reader works less effectively. The last portion I was in love with, and it ends on a cliff hanger that I can see would make a lot of readers want to pick up the next book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.

For years, Queen Hara Duja Gatdula has held the throne to the island of Maynara. As the only family left with magical power, the Gatdula family's reign is sure to continue with Hara Duja's heir, Laya. But this surety is threatened by Duja's lack of confidence in her daughter's power and the Kulaw family waiting in the wings to snatch power and rule back from the Gatdula family.

Bansil's first book in the Letters from Maynara series excels in its character development. Each of the three Gatdula sisters is fiercely independent and strong, and not just in magic. It took me a bit to like Laya's character, the sister the reader spends the most time with, because she seemed arrogant and I really couldn't support how she treated some of the people around her. While Bulan can be blinded by her ego, I thought she was badass and hope we'll see more of her character in future books. And Eti's character, while young, is clever and powerful in her own right. The "villainous" characters were loathsome for their actions, but not without reasonable and logical motive. There were very few characters I genuinely didn't enjoy reading.

While the characters were engaging enough for me to keep reading (and to want to see how they develop in book two), there were some aspects of the book that didn't work for me, mainly in terms of world building and plot. The potion (?) that enhances magical power in the user was named Precioso, which ripped me right out of Maynara and transplanted me to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Some of the characters' actions didn't make sense to me in terms of motivation for betraying or for trusting people who have let them down time and again. And overall the plot ambled too much, taking too long to engage me in the events of the story. I was intrigued when I learned of the competition to identify the strongest warrior in Maynara, but was disappointed with how short it was and how little it mattered for the overall story. If it didn't end the way it had, the whole thing could have been edited out.

The last 20% of this book were where the most engaging material was, so I'm excited to see what happens in book 2. I think now that the three sisters have been given more conflict and will likely be the main focus for the future of this series, book two is going to pop off.

A beautifully written political fantasy with fascinating world-building. The beginning is pretty slow-moving but picks up.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

A riveting fantasy novel full of vivacious characters, high stakes, and big magic! I thought I had this story figured out and the ending threw me for such a loop. Samantha Bansil is a writer to watch. I'm dying for the sequel!

As a first generation Filipino-American, I was so excited to read a fantasy set in pre-colonial Philippines. I loved that there were multiple POV and storylines. The plot was thick with lies, lust, and love. I found myself getting angry at characters, but also understanding their pain and grief. The last half of the book had me on a rollercoaster ride and I couldn’t tell you where the story was going.

The relationship between Hara Duja and Laya was extremely strained due to Duja’s fear. It reminds me of any parents’ fear for their kids and how they will turn out as adults. But it’s the kind of fear that gets in the way of living life because you’re constantly trying to prepare for the worst. Laya is a young woman who thinks she knows everything, and weren’t we all like that? She gets caught between choosing her family or choosing her love, and in the end makes sacrifices only a queen can be forced to make.

All the relationships intertwined in this story were so interesting. But I thought the push and pull between Duja and Imeria really showed what duty meant. The tenderness and coldness between the two through the years really pulled at my own heart strings. Their love for each other and also their own children really drove their emotions to different paths.

Overall I thought the political intrigue was done well. The characters had layers that made you hate, love, and understand them. I would love to see more of the elemental magic at work. I was so surprised by everyone’s actions in the end and I honestly can’t wait for what’s to come!

Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
I just couldn’t get into the book, which is unfortunate because I really wanted to like it! I usually love politically-heavy fantasy books, but at 48% I still didn’t care about any of the characters or their motives.

Lovers to enemies but make it intergenerational.

I enjoyed this so much, and I’ll definitely be reading more. Everyone has the greatest mommy issues imaginable and you know I’m always a huge fan of that.

The beginning of the book starts slow but don’t let this fool you. It’s truly going somewhere, and the second half is all hits no skips. So happy this one got put on my radar!!!

Black Salt Queen surprised me - I got off to a slow start, but ended up flying through the second half. I really enjoyed the world-building, the relationships between characters, and the (seemingly) pre-colonial Southeast Asia-inspired setting. I especially liked that the complexity of the romantic relationships of the mother character.

My biggest issue was the plot hole around how Eti and Ariel managed to just appear in the prison to free the royal family... it was much too convenient. I also didn't realize this book would begin a series, so I expected a more conclusive ending, but I am intrigued enough to pick up #2 when it comes out!

Recommend for fans of Children of Blood and Bone, or the TV series "Wheel of Time"

Thank you to Bindery Books and Netgalley for the review copy.

3.5 stars

I love a good political fantasy / fantasy with lots of courtly intrigue and this definitely had that - two powerful women vying for power, all while trying to ignore the history between them I love the fact that there were POV chapters from both women and the fact you got to see both sides.

That said, I struggled a bit with the third POV, but I did really appreciate their gradual development and I'm intrigued to see how much their character changes again in book 2.

Black Salt Queen is the first in a series, so while I enjoyed the initial world building, lore and character development, I can't wait to see how this built on and taken further in book 2

✧₊‧˚⁀➷ 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.