4.75⭐️ Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was immediately drawn to this fantasy romance set in pre-colonial Philippines with its vibrant cover and promises of rich Philippine mythology based lore. But the real beauty of this book lies within its complex female relationships and strong portrayals of female leaders. There are strikingly accurate depictions of the bonds between sisters, the struggles between a mother and her strong-willed daughters, and some surprisingly emotional toxic lesbian mothers moments (lol). I was chatting with Kevin, whose imprint is publishing this book through Bindery, on Instagram about those who have left more negative reviews on these female characters, and I suggested that they want more cookie cutter characters (i.e. grumpy vs. sunshine) and tropes. If that's the case, then this book is not for you! These relationships, chefs kiss. The political intrigue, chefs kiss. The world building, chefs kiss. The romance, CHEFS KISS. If you want a unique romantasy and one that may challenge your own ideas of what constitutes strong female characters (they're complicated! they're morally grey!), then this is absolutely for you. And what a perfect way to end my AAPI focused reading month, and enter into Pride month! We need to celebrate and uplift more diverse authors and works just like 'Black Salt Queen' which deserves all the love and recognition.

It took me a while to get into but once I was in it, I loved it! It's definitely one that is for everyone who loves a mix of the classic enemies to lovers, lovers to enemies slow burner!

What a debut! I would recommend Black Salt Queen if you enjoy slow burn character development, court intrigue, complicated feelings and relationships - along with enemies to lovers AND lovers to enemies! To sum up this fantasy, borrow the pacing and number of characters and POV changes from Jade City, but locate it in a pre colonial inspired royal Philippine landscape, and throw in the magic of Avatar the Last Airbender.

All that being said, I would not recommend if you’re looking for a fast paced read. The story is relatively slow moving, but manages to not be overly meandering as you learn the depth of the characters. The final quarter of the book is very intriguing and I quickly finished once it hit a groove! I will be preordering the sequel when it’s announced! Thank you to Samantha Bansil, NetGalley and Bindery Books / Violetear for a copy of this eARC!

It was an interesting story. I was intrigued by it but it took me some time to get into it. I appreciate receiving an advanced copy.

Black Salt Queen has drama, politics, and succession, all wrapped in one very powerful family. 💫💫💫💫💫

Princess Laya has her work cut out for her. She is the strongest of the sisters. She is the next heir to the throne, and she has found love in the wrong place.
Luntok loves Laya, but he belongs to the Kulaw, a family that is beneath Laya. Her mother, Hara Duja, has other plans for her. The future queen will need a powerful husband from a great family. Laya and Luntok love each other, but family, duty, and the future will dictate what happens with them.

A powerful read full of love, magic, old wounds that never healed, and a matriarch with a secret that doomed them from the beginning.

Thank you, Netgalley and Bindery Books/ Violetear, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

This had all the ingredients of something I’d love: a lush fantasy world, political drama, and a cultural backdrop that isn’t often explored in mainstream fantasy. And there are parts of the book that shine: particularly the setting, which is inspired by Filipino traditions in a way that feels refreshing. Some of the imagery and magic had real spark, and there were scenes that made me stop and appreciate the potential here.

But for me, the story struggled to deliver on that promise. The pacing felt uneven—very slow to start, then suddenly picking up too quickly near the end. It left little room to develop key moments, which meant the emotional arcs never really landed the way they should have. Plot threads were introduced, dropped, then picked up again without much momentum, making the story feel more disjointed than deliberate.

The characters, unfortunately, didn’t pull me in either. There’s an emotional distance in how they’re written, like being told what their relationships are supposed to mean rather than feeling those dynamics unfold naturally. I wanted to care, but there just wasn’t enough substance behind their connections to make me invested. Even the more dramatic turns felt muted because I didn’t have a strong sense of who these people really were beyond their roles. The romantic subplot, in particular, didn’t work for me. It felt abrupt and shallow, and I struggled to connect with the pairing emotionally. There was more potential in the political intrigue and court tension, but those threads often took a backseat to less compelling interpersonal drama.

By the final chapters, the story did start to find a bit more energy, and the closing moments hinted at a broader, more ambitious narrative. But by then, I felt like too much had been rushed or glossed over to leave a lasting impact.

There’s definitely a strong imagination behind this book, and I think the author has something interesting to say. I just wish it had been more fully realised, with more attention to character depth and a tighter grip on the pacing.

Check the TWs before reading.

From the first page, I was hooked on the political intrigue and the family DRAMA. It felt so messy, in the best ways, and I loved every second of it.

The intergenerational perspectives added depth to the story without slowing the plot. And the magic was unique and full of actual risk which added an extra layer of stakes that made this stand out.

It took me on an emotional rollercoaster and I was fully along for the ride. But y’all. That last third of the book SLAPPED.

If you’re into romantasy with heart, culture, high stakes, and a bit of pain, go grab Black Salt Queen.
Thank you NETGALLEY and publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you like political intrigue books, you might enjoy this one 🥰

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I think I had the hardest time with one of the main characters, the Princess Laya, who is intentionally unlikable. She has a superiority complex and makes brash decisions. It wasn't until I hit the 46% mark that I feel like the plot picked up. A lot of time was focused on the main characters finding out what the others were doing, which felt a little repetitive to me as the reader who knew what was going on.

I enjoyed the magic system and the other princesses very much! There is some good queer representation and some enjoyable banter. This may have not hit a home run for me, but I think it's worth you checking out to see if you might enjoy it more 😊

Bindery truly doesn't miss!

I often find Romeo and Juliet-style relationship set ups to be overwrought and overdone, but Black Salt Queen was *swimming* in delicious interpersonal tension that carried all the relationships - Laya and Luntok's included. I ended up loving all the characters in their complex glory. Very few of them could simply be reduced to likeable or unlikeable. Bansil did an amazing job crafting characters that felt real, steeped in their own motivations and understandings of their world.

I've been in a reading slump and this just got me out of it. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down! I finished it in about 2 days and I can't believe I'm going to have to wait for the sequel after that cliff hanger at the end. If you enjoy diverse fantasy, strong and complex female characters, multi-POV, political intrigue, queer fantasy, and family drama, you have to pick this one up!

Thank you to Bindery and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a gorgeous, gorgeous book!

As much as this is a fantasy book, the characters and their relationships are front and centre. All of the characters were so rich and layered, especially the older female characters, which is a refreshing change for fantasy. There were so many interesting dynamics between them all, which I understood straight away as soon as they interacted on the page.

That being said, the fantasy aspect was still really strong. Again, from the very start I was completely immersed and understood the world immediately. The fantasy was woven into every aspect of the story, including the characters and their dynamics, but it never felt overly complex. I felt like the story welcomed me with open arms, and I was all too happy to go on that adventure.

This book deserves all the flowers, and I really hope we get a sequel. There was the perfect balance between having a self-contained story and setting up for the next one, and I’m definitely eager for more!

I received a free copy for an honest review.

Black Salt Queen is a molten blend of divine power, treacherous ambition, and searing emotion. Set in the lush, precolonial island nation of Maynara, this novel weaves together the stories of three formidable women, each burning with magic, haunted by secrets, and willing to destroy everything in their path for a taste of power.

Queen Hara Duja Gatdula is aging, her earth-moving power faltering, and her legacy uncertain. Her daughter, Laya, the tempestuous heir who commands the skies, is more storm than salvation. And then there’s Imeria Kulaw, sharp, strategic, and seething with ambition, who watches and waits for her chance to strike. It’s a brutal, tangled dance of loyalty and betrayal, where love is both a weapon and a weakness.

This story thrives on tension. Every alliance is a gamble. Every character has teeth. What truly stood out was the way femininity is portrayed, not as soft or secondary, but as lethal, commanding, divine. The matriarchal power structures and elemental magic felt both grounded in cultural richness and wild with possibility.

Emotionally, it cuts deep. There were moments of heartbreak, quiet, devastating truths that shook these women to their core. But what I loved most was that each one still rose, scarred and burning, determined to shape the world to her will.

This is not a story of good versus evil. It’s about survival, legacy, and the brutal costs of power. If you love political intrigue laced with romance and gods who don’t save but curse, Black Salt Queen will leave you breathless.

Their mothers are bitter enemies, they are passionate lovers.

This Philippines-inspired fantasy novel has a ruling clan with the power of the elements, surrounded by fractious nobles who believe that to marry into that clan will restore their own long-lost magic. The queen - or Hara - is losing control over her powers and seeking a way to prolong her reign because Princess - or Dayang - Laya, is too young, too powerful, and too impulsive. Add fractious nobles to a colonial power encroaching from the west, and the situation is ripe for disaster.

This isn't a book you can judge by the first few chapters, as they're mostly focused on the passionate affair between impulsive Laya and obsessed Luntok, the son and heir to her mother's greatest enemy. Eventually the plot expands to take in a wider political and social lens, and eventually the text rises to some touching, frightening, and triumphal scenes. One of the novel's strengths is the awakening of the rash young princess to the true weight of responsibility that comes with being queen. Another is the flight of a sheltered noble child through the terrifying city where supporters of the queen and her rival vie both subtly and violently for dominance. The fantastical elements rise to a wonderful, if protracted, climax and the epilogues set up the next in series convincingly.

Be warned: the writing is of variable quality. There’s a lot of somewhat slapdash inner monologue early on that is often pointlessly repetitive. The narration is careless about switching tenses, loops back to previously settled issues, and leaves the meaning of some thoughts, actions, & dialogue unclear, as if the author got carried away with her own inner story and forgot that readers need more context. A stronger editor could have focused and tightened the prose there and bought the book another star.

Thanks, NetGalley.

#LGBTQ #Philippines #YA #rebellion #society #nobility #princess #war #lovers #magic #cursed #Netgalley #shapeshifter #blacksaltqueen

Black Salt Queen had everything I want out of a fantasy right now. The world-building felt lush and immersive, and both culturally and historically informed, without being too complex or overwhelming. The political intrigue is compelling and maintains tension beautifully all the way through the story. But what really shines in this book is the cast of complicated, strong, and ambitious female characters. Each one of them is both working towards advancing their own interests while also balancing making decisions that they believe are best for their loved ones. They make flawed, but very human decisions. They get entangled in nuanced, and at times toxic, romances. They all felt beautifully well-rounded and were endlessly interesting to follow. Loved the queer representation that was included as well!

Overall, I think this is a stellar debut and a refreshing addition to the genre. Can’t wait for the sequel!

Thank you to Bindery Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc for review.

Thanks NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC!

The Gatdulas, blessed by the gods with divine powers when they successfully fend off foreign invaders, which allowed them to be the reigning sovereigns of the island nation of Maynara. However, as majestic as these powers may be, they always take a toll on their bodies. Hara Duja Gatdula, the current queen of Maynara, finds her reign in turmoil since her body is slowly being overcome by the tremors. She has 3 daughters, but her heir, Laya, with her impulsive nature, is not ready to take on the responsibility that comes with the crown. Meanwhile, Imeria, the Datu of the Kulaws, is looking for ways to place her son on the throne to claim the crown that their family had been coveting for years.

With a vivid setting inspired by the rich pre-colonial culture of the Philippines, Black Salt Queen is a story filled with love, desire, passion, and betrayal. It took a while for me to get into the story as I found Laya’s self-centeredness in the beginning, very irritating, but it also felt refreshing cause this is a character who grew up with a powerful ability and knowledge that the crown will be hers once her mother steps down from the throne. Luntok and Laya’s dynamics, though, are very toxic and something that I didn’t like, especially with what happened between him and Laya’s older sister, Bulan. Laya had a decent character development towards the end, though. I loved the dynamics between Eti and Ariel, and I wish we had seen more of them throughout the book.

All in all, a solid book, consider checking it out if you like fantasy and politics.

I feel a little like the meme of the kid with the stick “come on…do something.” 30% in and there’s no shortage of build up. We see the magic system, which has a hefty cost for the ruling family that wields it. We see the political intrigue and those bristling under the current queen. But nothing is really happening yet. There’s a potential solution of the toll magic takes on the queen, there’s machinations moving in the novel class, and there’s the unruly daughter set to inherit the kingdom that has an empathy problem. Now don’t get me wrong, this is written beautifully. It’s not a chore to read through. I’m just not quite connecting with the characters in a way that has me invested. Yet. I’m holding out hope this is one of those that the last half is where the action sits.

I couldn’t get there. I tried. The characters were so distant to me, almost like holding them at arm’s length. I never really got invested, and the connection wasn’t there.

In a fantasy setting inspired by the Philippines, three women grapple for power in an intergenerational conflict of revenge and betrayal. Duja is queen of the island nation of Maynara and wields magic that moves the earth. Her daughter and heir Laya is young, passionate, and reckless, so Duja frets she is not ready for the throne despite Laya’s impressive skills with wind. And circling them both is Imeria, matriarch of the Kulaw clan that once tried to overthrow Duja’s family and a powerful magic user in her own right…

This is a spectacular start to an epic fantasy series. It has just about everything– politics, romance, family drama, betrayal, character development, an interesting setting, and more. It’s hard to believe this is from a debut author. The writing is mature. The characters are beautifully sketched, and I really loved how complex they were– the situations the characters are in are rarely black and white. The book is very skillfully plotted too. Things that are mentioned matter and show up later, so no unintentional dangling threads here. I thought the pacing was great as well– it starts a little slower to set the scene and then momentum grows to a breakneck pace. I read the book in less than 24 hours because I couldn’t put it down.

The book sets the stage for a sequel, but we have a mostly complete story in this volume, which is welcome. I don’t mind a good cliffhanger, but lately it feels like books just stop midway through without a complete arc.

If you prefer Tell, don't Show stories, this might be the book for you. I prefer stories that Show rather than Tell, and I think that was my main issue with Black Salt Queen. I never felt like I knew the characters because they always felt so remote due to the choices in storytelling.

Laya is the heir to her mother's throne even though she is not the oldest child. Her powers are raw and not always fully under her control, and she's in love with Luntok, whose family is the sworn enemy of hers. And then very little happens for almost half of the book while the ending / epilogue is rushed through.

It took me several tries to get into this book - which is not something that happens often, but mostly it was just meh. I had to keep reading back a few pages to see if I'd missed something, and then I'd realize that no, nothing much had happened. The setting and the story itself are good, but the overwritten prose and the way I felt like I was being kept at an arm's distance from the characters made this book less than enjoyable for me.

DNF. Another Bindery book that had incredible promise, but just didn’t rock at the line level.

>He stole a glance at Laya, his beady eyes shimmering with curiosity<

Overwritten.

>Gauging by the flock of sails billowing on the horizon, dozens more were on their way.<

‘Gauging by’…?

>coral-tinged waves<

This sounds beautiful, but when I stopped and thought about it, I realised I had no idea what this meant. If it were dawn or sunset it might be about the colour of the water, but it’s not dawn or sunset, so?

<Its hull would rival the belly of a whale<

…you get that there are a LOT of kinds of whale, right??? Which whale are we talking about?

>She tautened her hold<

Reminds me of ‘her breath elongated’.

>Before Laya discovered she could summon the wrath of the skies at her fingertips.<

Get what you’re trying to say, but that’s not quite right.

>Laya Gatdula had brought no travel papers with her. She needed only show her face at the checkpoint–Maynara’s highest-ranked princess required no further explanation.<

I’m going to write off ‘needed’ as a genuine typo – but ‘required no further explanation’ doesn’t make sense. Again, I get what you’re trying to say…

>As always, Bulan spoke from the glaring chip on her shoulder.<

This is another line that sounds cool, and I understand the intent, but the image doesn’t work. She’s speaking…from the chip on her own shoulder? What kind of contortionist nonsense…?

It’s a shame, because this sounded SO FREAKING EPIC. (And if the quotes don’t bother you, then I do encourage you to check this out! But if your taste in prose is like mine…)

This book... ah!!! Such a slow start, but I am sooooo glad that I stuck with it! I was hooked by the halfway point and it did not let up! To say I want the sequel right now is an understatement!!! What a debut novel for Samantha Bansil!

I loved all of the characters. Even though ot was slow getting to know them, and the magic they possessed well worth the wait!

*Black Salt Queen* is a searing, majestic triumph of power, politics, and passion set in a richly imagined precolonial island nation where women rule and secrets fester. Samantha Bansil crafts a tense, character-driven drama that pits formidable queens, princesses, and matriarchs against each other in a high-stakes battle for the throne—each move laced with divine magic and personal betrayal. The elemental powers of earth and sky mirror the emotional intensity of these women’s desires and downfalls, while the lush, lyrical prose pulls readers into a world teeming with intrigue, heartbreak, and ambition. This is a bold, atmospheric fantasy that refuses to flinch from the cost of power—and the women who dare to wield it.