I enjoyed this one. Interesting premise which pays off in the latter half of the novel. That’s really where the building exposition of the first half pays the most dividend. A solid novel that has me waiting for the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you to Bindery for the advanced copy!

Filipino fantasy has been on a tear recently and I'm absolutely loving it. With BLACK SALT QUEEN, we get multiple POVs surrounding the rulers of Maynara. Duja, the queen, realizes that her power is fading, and in her desperation, looks to a foreigner to help her hold on just a bit longer. Laya, Duja's daughter and heir, can't wait to be queen and feels her mother's hesitance to put Laya on the throne. She also happens to be in love with her family's rivals' heir.

In a story of post-colonialism and isolationism, BLACK SALT QUEEN is a debut that explores how much we're willing to risk and the past that comes to haunt us. While I enjoyed the world, I found the story and characters to be lacking... something. The pacing felt off, and I found myself not engaged or invested in the beginning. I also thought the addition of certain POVs, especially Luntok's, was unnecessary and actually detracted from the story. A lot of the writing was clunky and had too much telling rather than trusting the reader to understand subtext. Overall, I am willing to return to this world because I do think that these fantasies are worth sharing; I'm hopeful that Bansil's writing will get better as the series unfolds.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! This book hit me where I live. Magic? Royalty? An unlikeable main character? Powerful women with deep and complicated feelings for each other that they can’t handle? This checked so many boxes for me it was scary! The story is engaging from the start and moves at a nice pace, the characters are interesting, and everything about the book feels cohesive. I am really eager to read more from Samantha Bansil

The Gatdula family are very privileged. Their gods-given powers have placed them at the top of the heap in the kingdom of Maynara, where they’ve ruled with near impunity for generations. In Black Salt Queen, by Samantha Bansil, their imperiousness comes to bite them all in the ass in the form of an old enemy, disgruntled aristocrats, and the threat of foreign powers that are conquering every other nation in the area.

The first Gatdula scion we meet in Black Salt Queen doesn’t make a very good impression. Although Laya is more than willing to use her ability to control the weather to help her people (the more spectacular the feat, the better), she’s unintentionally cruel to the people around her. Her lover, Luntok, catches the worst of it because he has a family history of treason. They can never marry, but that doesn’t stop Laya from literally and metaphorically dismissing him. Laya’s mother doesn’t make a very good first impression, either. Duja is so afraid of violating tradition that she runs roughshod over the feelings of her courtiers and her family. It’s an emotional powder keg.

The arrival of Imeria Kulaw (Luntok’s mother) in the capital puts the match to the fuse. Imeria is very, very angry about how the Gatdulas have treated her family and she is ready to do something about it. This book got a lot more interesting once the political machinations and plots kicked off. The upheaval causes Laya to grow, gives her youngest sister a chance to step out of her sibling’s shadow, and forces Duja to confront the mistakes of her past. The first few chapters are a little rough, I’ll admit, but I was absolutely hooked after the magnificently furious Imeria appeared.

Bansil gives her characters a beautiful and fascinating stage to play on. Maynara is based on the Philipines. I could definitely see hints of it with the reports of imperialism and oppression in other neighboring countries. The only reason Maynara is independent is because of the Gatdulas. (They never let anyone forget it.) Bansil weaves gods and lore and traditions into the very human drama tangling up her characters. It’s all so well described that I could almost see the opulence of the Gatdulas’ palace and feel the tropical heat of the island.

Black Salt Queen is the start of a series. Readers should know that the book ends on a whopper of a cliffhanger and might want to wait to read this one so that they can dive straight into the sequel.

Reading Black Salt Queen reminded me a bit of the political machinations of a Jacqueline Carey novel mixed with Samanatha Shannon's characters, world building, and queerness.

The story itself is strong, the characters complex, and they move alongside one another at a parallel, but not horrid pace. The second half did have a bit of drama that was, as another reviewer, pointed out excessive, but it also worked with the narrative so it did not overly bother me.

All that said, I would definitely recommend Black Salt Queen. It's a wonderful read, and I cannot wait for it to hit shelves.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this as an eARC!

Political intrigue, betrayal, powerful queens, and elemental magic? Count me in! Black Salt Queen is a multiple POV epic fantasy that pulls you in with a unique pre-colonial island setting and doesn’t let you go once the plot kicks up a notch.

To start off, it took me a long time to really get into this book. The characters weren’t as fleshed out as I’d normally like in an epic fantasy, and the political maneuvering seemed to drag on for forever in the first half. I really didn’t care about the romances depicted in the book as well, but that’s pretty typical for me and nothing against the author. To be honest, the first 65% of the book dragged for me and felt like all Bansil was doing was setting the story up for the rest of the series.

But then the story shifts. Everything picks up speed dramatically, the magic is actually put to use, and the romances actually make sense to the story. I’ll be honest and say I was bored for the first half of the book, but when it all came together I could not put it down. Literally, I read the last 35% of this book in one sitting. It was that good! All of the set-up paid off and I’m so excited for the next book. Readers who love plot-heavy books will absolutely eat this up. Character-driven readers may end up DNF’ing it unfortunately as most of the characters are pretty one dimensional. I’m personally somewhere in the middle where I love a good character-driven fantasy, but if you can give me a great plot and promise of an even better second book I’m all in.

I really enjoyed reading from the perspective of an island monarchy that was inspired by pre-colonial Philippines as the setting and traditions were so different than a typical western epic fantasy. There were many mentions of westerners colonizing nearby nations, and you can tell that will be a big plot point later in the series. I’m excited to see where Bansil takes this story as this first book centered around conflicts within the noble families connected to this one nation.

There’s so much I could say just about the last portion of the book, but for the sake of not getting into spoilers I’ll leave it here. In my opinion, the slog in the beginning was absolutely worth it to get to the absolute RIDE that was the second half of the book. If you’re looking for a fresh take on epic fantasy, give this book a try!

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a decent read. It’s a slower fantasy that leans more into politics and relationships than action. While that made it drag at times, the buildup did make the big moments feel more intense. The characters are complex and hard to pin down… I still don’t know whose side I’m really on. I do think I’ll check out the next book though!

I really enjoyed this! The setting is very vivid and immersive, and I was invested in the characters. I would have loved to have Bulan's perspective as a POV - I think it would have brought more balance to a very Laya-focused story. But this is only book 1, so hopefully we get some more Bulan in the future.

The political tensions feel very narrowly focused, so while they are compelling, they ultimately boil down to conflict between just two families - this doesn't have the depth and breadth of something like The Drowning Empire series by Andrea Stewart (although I'm invoking that as a comparison precisely because there were elements here that felt similar, and I really enjoyed that series too).

Things start to feel a little more rushed and less plausible towards the end, and I got the sense that the characters weren't taking the right lessons from this whole mess, which took me out of the story.

The epilogue was intriguing and I'm really looking forward to reading book 2. (Also, the cover is gorgeous.)

Black Salt Queen by Samantha Bansil is an incredible debut novel that skillfully combines court politics, complex relationships, and generational power struggles. Through multiple pov characters, the book explores loyalty, betrayal, and the high price of power.

I loved that this was so full of morally grey characters. Even with the characters that end up being the story's antagonists, Bansil has made them all so deeply human that the choices that they make are relatable and understandable, even if/when you don't agree with them.

The world-building is exceptional, drawing from precolonial Filipino culture to create a setting that feels both fantastic and real. I loved the magic system, and I'm looking forward to learning more about it in the next book.

I will say that the letters interspersed throughout can be a little heavy handed on the info-dumping, but it didn't bother me enough to affect my overall enjoyment of the story.

I'm legitimately mad at myself for waiting so long to read this arc. I think I got about 12% into reading this before I stopped to preorder a copy. Many thanks to Bindery for the opportunity to read and review this early. Y'all are costing me money this year (please don't stop).

I don’t think I gave proper attention to the first half of this book, and for that I apologize. The first half of this book was heavy on character introductions, world building, and subtle political scheming, and I struggled to really sink into the story. It was a slow start, but I came to understand necessary for establishing the characters and motivations. The characters were incredibly well done, with complexity and nuance that made them feel so real. Laya in particular fascinated me. I didn’t like her at the start of the book, but as the book progressed she developed so well and I came to adore her. I also liked her relationship with her family, especially Duja. I liked that we got so many perspectives, though I do wish we had gotten Bulan’s as well. As for the plot, as I said it started slow. I wish there had been more magic earlier on to bring some action, but I more than satisfied with the final climax. It was so action packed and intense, and I loved it. So while this book may have started slow, I am definitely looking forward to book 2, and I recommend!

“Laya knew that a Gatdula’s reign was about more than ruling a country. To become a queen of Maynara was to become a god.”

A rich, luscious story full of morally grey characters, political intrigue, and love in its complex iterations.

On the tropical island of Maynara, three women battle within and without for power, glory, and for revenge. The Queen Hara Duja’s strength is failing, her daughter and heir Laya is young and impulsive, and Imeria Kulaw wants to claim the crown for her family.

“Most Gatdulas blazed brighter than the sun, as likely to burn the island to cinders as they were to bathe it in their glory.”

“What good was love in the face of power?”

I do enjoy a story where every character is a little bit awful. These characters had me simultaneously rooting for them, pulling my hair out in frustration, and feeling sorry for their circumstances.
I liked how the complexity of relationships within a royal court was portrayed, and the conundrum of valuing duty and power over love. In a world where many political fantasies are developed in Euro-Centric worlds, this was a refreshing take on fantasy and court intrigue with a tropical, Filipino-inspired backdrop.

Thank you Netgalley and Bindery Books for this ARC.

I love a story where our hero isn’t afraid to get messy. And that is definitely Black Salt Queen. Can’t wait for book two.

I really like how this story is woven together. It follows mainly the female royals and their antagonist. The relationship of the queen and her companion affects and sets the stage for the events that happen in the present moment. It took me a while to warm up to Laya, the princess who this story follows the most. She ultimately grows a lot because of what she goes through. Eti and Ariel were my favorite characters. I love how Ariel protects her and how she helps her family. The story has political intrigue, elemental magic, spice, and lgbtqia+ representation. It does end in a bit of a cliffhanger, but it's not a huge one.

Black Salt Queen by Samantha Basil
Series: Letters from Maynara, book one
Genre: Fantasy
Setting: Pre colonial Philippines
Length: 416 pages
Release Date: June 3, 2025

Thank you coloredpagesbt, bindery_books, and sam_bansil for the gifted copy of the arc.

“There can be no victory without betrayal.”

Black Salt Queen is a powerful and moving debut with themes of the fight for power and what one might do in pursuit of it. I was pleasantly surprised that this was the author’s first novel, the prose is so beautiful. The plot is one of political intrigue, magic, revenge, and all within the setting of the pre colonial Philippines. This novel is a multi POV that has two central romances: one is a sapphic relationship between rivals and the other is a heterosexual relationship that encapsulates young love. The pacing is slower as this is a character driven story and it is slower action wise. Bansil wrote a beautiful story that leaves room for nuance and I appreciated that she gave room for the reader to come to their own conclusions. Every plot device was done with intention and those twists! In and wait to see what’s next from Bansil.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC of Black Salt Queen.

This is a sharp, ambitious debut that delivers court intrigue, tragic love, and generational power struggles with style. Set in a lush, precolonial Philippines-inspired world ruled by women and shaped by gods, the book’s magic system is both beautiful and brutal—especially as it slowly drains the queen’s life. I appreciated how unapologetically messy the characters were: power-hungry, petty, grieving, loyal in all the wrong ways. Laya and Imeria’s toxic rivalry-romance might be my favorite dynamic in the whole thing. It’s political, it’s dramatic, and it’s not afraid to get a little ugly.

If you’re into flawed heroines, high-stakes betrayal, and morally gray sapphics playing for keeps, you’ll want this on your shelf.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC copy of this book.

In this book, you are following a few different characters which can get a little confusing, hearing from all the different POVs. The only problem I had was growing a connection with characters because of how often it was changed.

The story is magical and powerful. I felt it was a little rushed towards the end and the plot twist we receive on the epilogue is mind blowing and I can't wait to read the second book.

Laya and Luntok remind me of Romeo and Juliet, two lovers who can't be together due to family history. But it gets much more complicated than that. There is so many different plot twists and surprises throughout the book.

I would recommend to anyone looking for a drama filled story.

Interesting novel full of cultural richness and interplay of characters. Didn’t quite gel for me and I am confident it will have a strong market presence. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

this was great!! I absolutely loved the story and world building/backstory and the characters were very lovable. it felt very magical and I would definitely recommend to friends and my audience! the writing is beautiful and the plot kept me intrigued. I also absolutely loved the lgbtq rep in this!! it was so beautiful.

Thank you Bindery Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I love this book. I just cannot encapsulate my thoughts into how I feel. It's so beautifully written and I feel like trying to explain my enjoyment is like explaining a candy bar. It's better to savor the moment that explain the taste.

- political intrigue
- bi4bi sapphics
- matriarchy
- filipino folklore
- powerful complex women
- forbidden love
- 3rd person multi-POV

OKAY I NEED BOOK TWO RNNNNNN GIMMMMMMME. GIMME. GIMME. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?????

I love how Laya and her sisters have such distinctive personalities?? In fact -- that can be said of all the characters: they are so multifaceted and the development is IMMACULATE. So much drama like all hell breaks loose and things don't go the way I want them to and like akjsgnfksjgbkfgbkjf
Love love love those tidbits of Filipino folklore sprinkled throughout and can't wait for more of this magic in the future books of the series. The prose is enthralling and immerses you in the world, it is so beautifully penned that it stays with you for weeks. LOVE fuels everything, and Black Salt Queen is a commentary on the dual fragility and strength of love, of how it can on one hand morph into betrayal and vengeance; and on the other into belonging and power. It has you rooting for the latter and then have your heart pulled out of your chest when that doesn't happen.

Don't let the cover fool you this book is full of feminine rage and uncutesy vengeance -- but if you squint it looks like a rainbowwwwww so :3 also this is forbidden love squared cause you get 2 forbidden love pairings from rival kingdoms weewoo