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A Lesser Dark #1
Salt in the Water
There are a thousand ways to die in the desert-- desperate outlaws, deadly predators, murderous elements, and betrayal. . .
Kaitar Besh, a veteran scout as legendary for his cynicism as his skills, is ordered to brave the deadly Shy'war-Anquai desert one last time. Escorting Leigh Enderi-- a greenhorn Enforcer with a reputation as shady as his own-- he soon realizes the ghosts of his past have come to haunt more than his nightmares.
When the mission breaks down in the wake of bitter hatred and mistrust, even Kaitar's fabled skills may not be enough to bring them home again. Stranded in the red wasteland without contact, food, or water, they uncover a betrayal that could bring all they hold dear crumbling to the dust. . . and tear down the wall of lies surrounding them.
Science fiction
Fantasy
Western
Adventure
Thriller
Kaitar Besh, a veteran scout as legendary for his cynicism as his skills, is ordered to brave the deadly Shy'war-Anquai desert one last time. Escorting Leigh Enderi-- a greenhorn Enforcer with a reputation as shady as his own-- he soon realizes the ghosts of his past have come to haunt more than his nightmares.
When the mission breaks down in the wake of bitter hatred and mistrust, even Kaitar's fabled skills may not be enough to bring them home again. Stranded in the red wasteland without contact, food, or water, they uncover a betrayal that could bring all they hold dear crumbling to the dust. . . and tear down the wall of lies surrounding them.
Science fiction
Fantasy
Western
Adventure
Thriller
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2016
60 people are currently reading
274 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 15, 2016
So many good things to say about this book that I’m not sure where to begin. I’ll make it simple—the beginning? An excellent hook. We’re introduced to a completely new world with the abduction of a girl though we’re not given details as to who she is or why she’s been abducted. Of course, I was immediately drawn to keep reading right here. Shortly after, we’re introduced to Kaitar, the main character. He’s grouchy and has a no bullshit attitude which is just awesome.
I think all the characters have their quirks which makes me like them all in a different way. I liked Leigh because of her bossy manager like attitude during the mission with Kaitar. Another favorite of mine was Senqua. I’m not sure why on that one. I think because I sympathized a lot with her!
Anyway, Salt in the Water introduces you to a desert world full of danger, action, and suspense! There were all kinds of creatures native to this world that made each and every page fascinating. I think my favorites were the threk even though I shouldn’t like them. They reminded me of velociraptors and once my mind made that connection, there was no hating them.
If you’re a fan of science fiction, suspense, and westerns, this book is perfect for you! I would highly recommend it!
I think all the characters have their quirks which makes me like them all in a different way. I liked Leigh because of her bossy manager like attitude during the mission with Kaitar. Another favorite of mine was Senqua. I’m not sure why on that one. I think because I sympathized a lot with her!
Anyway, Salt in the Water introduces you to a desert world full of danger, action, and suspense! There were all kinds of creatures native to this world that made each and every page fascinating. I think my favorites were the threk even though I shouldn’t like them. They reminded me of velociraptors and once my mind made that connection, there was no hating them.
If you’re a fan of science fiction, suspense, and westerns, this book is perfect for you! I would highly recommend it!
February 9, 2017
I didn't expect to like this book, and then I accidentally loved it.
Basically, the plot follows a small group sent to investigate the disappearance of a fellow Enforcer, and while they are tracking him in the desert, conflict happens. Meanwhile, all around them is a multilayered battle over territory, and power and authority is shifting hands. Of course, when you're isolated out in the desert and cut off from communications, it's kind of hard to keep your finger on the pulse of politics, so nasty surprises abound.
It reminded me quite a bit of Mad Max. Water is important. Whoever has it is king. There are guns and sand rovers. And somewhere in the desert there are sand pirates who will kill you and take all of your stuff, and maybe eat you. Not to mention the desert is dangerous anyway.
There are multiple races, and they generally hate each other. There are the usual humans and races of sentient humanoids collectively referred to as Enetics (although to be fair, one of the Enetic races is basically a species of velociraptors called Threk, which I am totally fine with). There's a universal mistrust of Enetics that's strikingly relevant to the modern age, although there are some that are able to look past that. The border town of Dogton keeps quite a few Enetics employed, for which the city's leader is given a lot of shit.
I quite enjoyed the interactions between the races. There's a deep hatred between Leigh's people and Kaitar's people, the Sulari and Shyiine, respectively, which causes a lot of strife as they travel together, despite the fact that neither of them are particularly fond of their own people. Both of them have some deep issues and neither of them ever want to talk about it until they want to fight about it.
I love the Shyiine. The two that appear in the story, Kaitar and Senqua, are both entertainingly pissy. Kaitar is like a harassed school chaperone. He's out there like, "Don't touch anything, don't lick anything, don't wander off" but no one wants to listen to him. He's used to being on his own, so having to keep two other people from getting themselves killed is exasperating and amuses me. Senqua is a greenhorn scout paired up with a total drunk. She's a constantly boiling over fury because she wants to learn and basically has to figure it all out on her own. I get the feeling that at some point her mentor was better to her, but now she's disgusted. It has created this interesting dynamic where she won't let him drink himself to death and is oddly protective, even though she is constantly bitching, like she can't help herself.
I love irritable characters. And SALT IN THE WATER has tons of them. I was also quite fond of Zres, but I'll leave him for you to discover.
It's often difficult when writing such a large cast of characters to keep them all separate, different, and interesting, but this book absolutely nails that. There are plenty of unique character-character interactions. A book is supposed to make you feel like there was a story before this and there will be a story after it, and maybe there is more story running in the background. It's supposed to be real, like you've landed smack dab in the middle of everyone's personal dramas. This did not fail to deliver on that.
I have nothing negative to say, really, except that I wanted more of the backstory. I suspect we'll learn more in the next book. :)
Basically, the plot follows a small group sent to investigate the disappearance of a fellow Enforcer, and while they are tracking him in the desert, conflict happens. Meanwhile, all around them is a multilayered battle over territory, and power and authority is shifting hands. Of course, when you're isolated out in the desert and cut off from communications, it's kind of hard to keep your finger on the pulse of politics, so nasty surprises abound.
It reminded me quite a bit of Mad Max. Water is important. Whoever has it is king. There are guns and sand rovers. And somewhere in the desert there are sand pirates who will kill you and take all of your stuff, and maybe eat you. Not to mention the desert is dangerous anyway.
There are multiple races, and they generally hate each other. There are the usual humans and races of sentient humanoids collectively referred to as Enetics (although to be fair, one of the Enetic races is basically a species of velociraptors called Threk, which I am totally fine with). There's a universal mistrust of Enetics that's strikingly relevant to the modern age, although there are some that are able to look past that. The border town of Dogton keeps quite a few Enetics employed, for which the city's leader is given a lot of shit.
I quite enjoyed the interactions between the races. There's a deep hatred between Leigh's people and Kaitar's people, the Sulari and Shyiine, respectively, which causes a lot of strife as they travel together, despite the fact that neither of them are particularly fond of their own people. Both of them have some deep issues and neither of them ever want to talk about it until they want to fight about it.
I love the Shyiine. The two that appear in the story, Kaitar and Senqua, are both entertainingly pissy. Kaitar is like a harassed school chaperone. He's out there like, "Don't touch anything, don't lick anything, don't wander off" but no one wants to listen to him. He's used to being on his own, so having to keep two other people from getting themselves killed is exasperating and amuses me. Senqua is a greenhorn scout paired up with a total drunk. She's a constantly boiling over fury because she wants to learn and basically has to figure it all out on her own. I get the feeling that at some point her mentor was better to her, but now she's disgusted. It has created this interesting dynamic where she won't let him drink himself to death and is oddly protective, even though she is constantly bitching, like she can't help herself.
I love irritable characters. And SALT IN THE WATER has tons of them. I was also quite fond of Zres, but I'll leave him for you to discover.
It's often difficult when writing such a large cast of characters to keep them all separate, different, and interesting, but this book absolutely nails that. There are plenty of unique character-character interactions. A book is supposed to make you feel like there was a story before this and there will be a story after it, and maybe there is more story running in the background. It's supposed to be real, like you've landed smack dab in the middle of everyone's personal dramas. This did not fail to deliver on that.
I have nothing negative to say, really, except that I wanted more of the backstory. I suspect we'll learn more in the next book. :)
February 10, 2020
I have never read a book quite like this. The creative characters and world building were amazing, and Kaitar Besh (that's him on the cover) was by far my favorite character, though Senqua stole my heart as well. She and Besh are the same species, and I love their grit and spit.
I love the world. Each of the species in it make sense to a desert environment, and the authors seem to pull heavily from desert culture mythos without completely stealing their creations from any specific culture (that I could tell). The really fun bit about this book is that it could be science fiction, it could be fantasy. There's no clear explanation for where/ when it takes place. Although there are humans and a group of races referred to as enetics. It would seem that they were once human, and somehow devices called "Toros" created a "Bloom" which changed them. There is also a city environ that is operated by a group called the Syndacit, and the humans from that world all have "shelfs" in their brains which can be removed to wipe their memories/ personality. But there are also beings that seem to be robots, though never specifically called that. (See, there's this whole sci-vibe?) There is no reference to earth, or our world as we know it, and the bloom is never really described as being science, rather treated as something more mystical so a very fantasy feel as well.
I would put a word of caution, there is a lot of "flopping breasts" in the beginning, which I don't know why as there wasn't such a focus placed on dangling penises. There was no sexual intent behind it, just a weird focus on it.
The book, much like the world it creates, is one of harsh realities, violence, and has a Wild West feel of lawlessness and thugary.
I love the world. Each of the species in it make sense to a desert environment, and the authors seem to pull heavily from desert culture mythos without completely stealing their creations from any specific culture (that I could tell). The really fun bit about this book is that it could be science fiction, it could be fantasy. There's no clear explanation for where/ when it takes place. Although there are humans and a group of races referred to as enetics. It would seem that they were once human, and somehow devices called "Toros" created a "Bloom" which changed them. There is also a city environ that is operated by a group called the Syndacit, and the humans from that world all have "shelfs" in their brains which can be removed to wipe their memories/ personality. But there are also beings that seem to be robots, though never specifically called that. (See, there's this whole sci-vibe?) There is no reference to earth, or our world as we know it, and the bloom is never really described as being science, rather treated as something more mystical so a very fantasy feel as well.
I would put a word of caution, there is a lot of "flopping breasts" in the beginning, which I don't know why as there wasn't such a focus placed on dangling penises. There was no sexual intent behind it, just a weird focus on it.
The book, much like the world it creates, is one of harsh realities, violence, and has a Wild West feel of lawlessness and thugary.
September 29, 2016
Salt in the Water is one of the best dark Science Fiction books I've read in some years. Kaitar Besh is an Enforcer, one of the few who roam the desert trying to keep the peace in a world full of violence and cruelty. When he and Leigh Endari, a rookie Enforcer, are sent on a mission to find a missing fellow Enforcer, everything goes wrong that could go wrong. It doesn't help that the two mistrust each other from longstanding ethnic hatreds or there are multiple dangers in the desert threatening them at any moment.
The story progresses through the happenstances of various characters, both back at the town and those who the Enforcers encounter on the mission. There are some truly evil people, others who are just trying to get by, some who've been trodden upon, and pretty much the span of human existence. Yet the authors have finely drawn each personality. Even those you end up hating are indelibly etched upon your mind and I found myself reliving the story over and over.
Kaitar is a mystery that you want to solve. Hints of his prior existence are woven in throughout the book, each piece adding to the puzzle of the man and leaving you, the reader, wanting more.
The worldbuilding is just excellent. As you read, you can feel the grit in your mouth from blowing sand, or the fear engendered by the threks tracking across the desert. (Not telling what a threk is as I don't want to spoil it).
I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy of Salt in the Water in exchange for an honest review. I begged and got an ARC copy of Ghost in the Glass, the next book, because this series is sooooo good.
The story progresses through the happenstances of various characters, both back at the town and those who the Enforcers encounter on the mission. There are some truly evil people, others who are just trying to get by, some who've been trodden upon, and pretty much the span of human existence. Yet the authors have finely drawn each personality. Even those you end up hating are indelibly etched upon your mind and I found myself reliving the story over and over.
Kaitar is a mystery that you want to solve. Hints of his prior existence are woven in throughout the book, each piece adding to the puzzle of the man and leaving you, the reader, wanting more.
The worldbuilding is just excellent. As you read, you can feel the grit in your mouth from blowing sand, or the fear engendered by the threks tracking across the desert. (Not telling what a threk is as I don't want to spoil it).
I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy of Salt in the Water in exchange for an honest review. I begged and got an ARC copy of Ghost in the Glass, the next book, because this series is sooooo good.
November 2, 2016
A new release by joint authors J. Ray and S. Cushaway, Salt in the Water is a dark and gritty post-apocalyptic western/fantasy novel packed full of grim and bloody tragedies befalling a group of surviving scouts, the remaining surviving peoples only protectors.
Society is nearly nonexistent, threk roam the desert killing at will, and the tension still thrives between the Shyiine and the Sulari making Leigh and Kaitar's mission an impossible task to overcome. They're at each other's throats every step of the way demanding answers for past actions of a people they are no longer a part of and the relationship seems doomed to fail from the start.
One thing Ray and Cushaway excel at is moving the story forward through dialogue. The characters say what they mean and mean what they say, and they have quite a bit they care to get off their chests. Out in the desert you have to be strong and they all fight to keep their place to earn their water rations and communication is key to getting the job done right.
The story is packed with rich characters, if not completely diverse in personality. They're all headstrong, stubborn, and they want things to go their way causing blood to boil quickly and old grudges to flare up in an instant. And there are a lot of grudges to go around...
Salt in the Water is a great example of world building in the dark fantasy genre with fantastic new races and political ties and issues, and seriously, there are raptor-threk creatures tearing shit apart and I am all for that craziness.
Society is nearly nonexistent, threk roam the desert killing at will, and the tension still thrives between the Shyiine and the Sulari making Leigh and Kaitar's mission an impossible task to overcome. They're at each other's throats every step of the way demanding answers for past actions of a people they are no longer a part of and the relationship seems doomed to fail from the start.
One thing Ray and Cushaway excel at is moving the story forward through dialogue. The characters say what they mean and mean what they say, and they have quite a bit they care to get off their chests. Out in the desert you have to be strong and they all fight to keep their place to earn their water rations and communication is key to getting the job done right.
The story is packed with rich characters, if not completely diverse in personality. They're all headstrong, stubborn, and they want things to go their way causing blood to boil quickly and old grudges to flare up in an instant. And there are a lot of grudges to go around...
Salt in the Water is a great example of world building in the dark fantasy genre with fantastic new races and political ties and issues, and seriously, there are raptor-threk creatures tearing shit apart and I am all for that craziness.
May 14, 2017
In a setting with strong overtones of Mad Max, Salt in the Water is the kind of gritty, kick-ass sci-fi dystopia that punches you in the teeth to get your attention.
The political balance of the small enclaves was complex, nasty, and well-thought-out, and the results weren’t ever saved at the last moment by a deus ex machina moment. In addition, the contrast between the high-tech weapons so very rarely available against the predominance of knives, fists, and rocks was a nice accent to the setting.
While opting for a wide range of character viewpoints can be a recipe for disaster in terms of reader confusion and choppiness in the read, I found that authors J. Ray and S. Cushaway did a pretty good job of managing their plot through the various viewpoints. While to some extent the sympathy I built with each character was limited by the amount of time I spent with them, the individual characters carrying the viewpoint were, without exception, well-developed and strongly individual across the range of species – twisty, traumatised, and dark.
I did find that the background to the Toros shards could have used a bit more explanation. What comes through the story: These artifacts stud the landscape; they caused a disaster; they still do bad things - but that was really about the extent of the information. As the book is, pretty clearly, the preparation for a sequel, that may have been deliberate, but as a reader, it left me with a feeling that I’d arrived halfway through an important story.
Overall, this book definitely earnt its five stars, and I’m very stingy with those. I’m a sucker for intelligent anti-heroes and independent loners, not to mention solid writing skills and a realistic plot, and this book provided me with plenty of all the above. I’d strongly recommend this read.
Reviewed for Knockin' Books Blog.
The political balance of the small enclaves was complex, nasty, and well-thought-out, and the results weren’t ever saved at the last moment by a deus ex machina moment. In addition, the contrast between the high-tech weapons so very rarely available against the predominance of knives, fists, and rocks was a nice accent to the setting.
While opting for a wide range of character viewpoints can be a recipe for disaster in terms of reader confusion and choppiness in the read, I found that authors J. Ray and S. Cushaway did a pretty good job of managing their plot through the various viewpoints. While to some extent the sympathy I built with each character was limited by the amount of time I spent with them, the individual characters carrying the viewpoint were, without exception, well-developed and strongly individual across the range of species – twisty, traumatised, and dark.
I did find that the background to the Toros shards could have used a bit more explanation. What comes through the story: These artifacts stud the landscape; they caused a disaster; they still do bad things - but that was really about the extent of the information. As the book is, pretty clearly, the preparation for a sequel, that may have been deliberate, but as a reader, it left me with a feeling that I’d arrived halfway through an important story.
Overall, this book definitely earnt its five stars, and I’m very stingy with those. I’m a sucker for intelligent anti-heroes and independent loners, not to mention solid writing skills and a realistic plot, and this book provided me with plenty of all the above. I’d strongly recommend this read.
Reviewed for Knockin' Books Blog.
March 23, 2018
"It's not you, it's me." So often, when I can't get into a book, I always think it's me. Then, when I fall in love with the next book I read, I see it really had been that previous book.
I couldn't get into this book. Set on a fantasy world, some lawmen were looking for a lost member of their group. I could probably give the book more of a chance and learned more about the plot than that, but the writing wasn't very good (overuse of commas), and I was editing it more than reading it, so DNF.
I couldn't get into this book. Set on a fantasy world, some lawmen were looking for a lost member of their group. I could probably give the book more of a chance and learned more about the plot than that, but the writing wasn't very good (overuse of commas), and I was editing it more than reading it, so DNF.
February 7, 2017
Let me start by saying I was reading outside my normal genre. Normally I like historical, or even Blues fiction based stories. The author has a great style. I loved the analogies and metaphors they use. I want to go visit this world, even though there is not a chance I would survive. Maybe if Leigh was my scout, but great story. I highly recommend this book, and I am going to get the next book.
October 21, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Salt in the Water (A Lesser Dark #1) in exchange for an honest review.
Sweet. Now that the disclaimer part is over, on to business. Salt in the Water by S. Cushaway and J. Ray is a science fiction novel set on a foreign planet. People there come from multiple different races. Add in the fact that this is a desert world, there is an all controlling syndicate, and alien technology is still an all-powerful looming presence, you get a recipe for a complex and engaging read.
My Likes:
First off, I have to start with the world building. Cushaway and Ray did an amazing job of building their universe. The technology, the different races, the politics. All of it is planned out and give the story a feel that it is happening just around the corner from Earth. I felt like this was a real universe as I read the novel. I cannot even begin to imagine how they kept everything straight for the level of detail they put into creating the world in which this novel happens. This alone to me is reason enough to read the book.
Second, the characters were engaging and believable. Leigh’s struggles, Kaitar’s soul deep fatigue, Neiro’s honorable greed. Cushaway and Ray developed each character into a unique being that felt real. They all had their strengths and their faults – and the two aspects fit together well within each character. Plus, the character development and interactions were well written. Several times I found myself wanting to shake the daylights out of a character or I cheered characters on.
My final like for this book has to be the plot. Just as detailed and thorough as the world building, the plot told an excellent story, moved along at a good clip, and wove together several storylines well. As this is the first book in a series, the plot cuts off leaving me to wonder what will happen next because the story has already gone through a number of twists and turns. I also enjoyed how Cushaway and Ray sprinkled bits of backstory in throughout the book. It never felt overwhelming or like an info dump, but just enough to help keep the current storyline in perspective and keep it moving.
My Dislikes:
Honestly, I did not have much for dislikes. And what I do have are pretty minor in the overall view of the book. First, there were some instances where an interjected explanation of what something was broke into the flow of the narrative. Most of this was in the beginning of the book. I struggled a little with it because I would be getting into a scene and then there would be this pause to explain something. It would have been nice to see that worked into the narrative a little better. Overall, though, it was not enough to detract much from the book.
The other dislike I had was that there were times I found myself wanting a cheat sheet to keep the different races and racial groupings straight. These different groups were woven well into the story, but it almost felt like I was expected to already know who fit into which race and how the racial groupings fit together. I love that the universe built had such a variety of races, but some kind of appendix with the explanations would have been nice to refer to as I read the book. Maybe the will add one with a special edition version of the book or something like that.
Overall, I have to say this is a wonderful addition to the science fiction genre. It has dark elements, lots of technology, aliens, greed, nobility, and politics. Check it out! I give it 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.
Sweet. Now that the disclaimer part is over, on to business. Salt in the Water by S. Cushaway and J. Ray is a science fiction novel set on a foreign planet. People there come from multiple different races. Add in the fact that this is a desert world, there is an all controlling syndicate, and alien technology is still an all-powerful looming presence, you get a recipe for a complex and engaging read.
My Likes:
First off, I have to start with the world building. Cushaway and Ray did an amazing job of building their universe. The technology, the different races, the politics. All of it is planned out and give the story a feel that it is happening just around the corner from Earth. I felt like this was a real universe as I read the novel. I cannot even begin to imagine how they kept everything straight for the level of detail they put into creating the world in which this novel happens. This alone to me is reason enough to read the book.
Second, the characters were engaging and believable. Leigh’s struggles, Kaitar’s soul deep fatigue, Neiro’s honorable greed. Cushaway and Ray developed each character into a unique being that felt real. They all had their strengths and their faults – and the two aspects fit together well within each character. Plus, the character development and interactions were well written. Several times I found myself wanting to shake the daylights out of a character or I cheered characters on.
My final like for this book has to be the plot. Just as detailed and thorough as the world building, the plot told an excellent story, moved along at a good clip, and wove together several storylines well. As this is the first book in a series, the plot cuts off leaving me to wonder what will happen next because the story has already gone through a number of twists and turns. I also enjoyed how Cushaway and Ray sprinkled bits of backstory in throughout the book. It never felt overwhelming or like an info dump, but just enough to help keep the current storyline in perspective and keep it moving.
My Dislikes:
Honestly, I did not have much for dislikes. And what I do have are pretty minor in the overall view of the book. First, there were some instances where an interjected explanation of what something was broke into the flow of the narrative. Most of this was in the beginning of the book. I struggled a little with it because I would be getting into a scene and then there would be this pause to explain something. It would have been nice to see that worked into the narrative a little better. Overall, though, it was not enough to detract much from the book.
The other dislike I had was that there were times I found myself wanting a cheat sheet to keep the different races and racial groupings straight. These different groups were woven well into the story, but it almost felt like I was expected to already know who fit into which race and how the racial groupings fit together. I love that the universe built had such a variety of races, but some kind of appendix with the explanations would have been nice to refer to as I read the book. Maybe the will add one with a special edition version of the book or something like that.
Overall, I have to say this is a wonderful addition to the science fiction genre. It has dark elements, lots of technology, aliens, greed, nobility, and politics. Check it out! I give it 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.
November 4, 2016
I received a free advance copy of this book, in preparation for doing a beta read on the sequel, and all I can say is, wow. Tough, gritty, gory, bleak, yet with moments of small, desperate acts of heroism, courage, and the will to survive in a world that seems determined to crush any such impulses. Set in a western-style border town on the edge of the desert on a world that could be a post-apocalyptic Earth or another planet where Earth is no more than a distant, half-forgotten memory (there are hints but I don't recall anything definite being revealed), Salt in the Water is a gripping blend of science fiction and western. There's high technology and hints of a distant, shining city, while red dust covers everything in sight and water is so scarce and valuable it's used as currency. There's a complex history to this desert, a fallen empire that held other peoples as slaves, and tensions between normal humans and genetically-altered races; the richly-realized characters are still working out this history while trying to survive badlands, bandits, immense dust storms, terrifying creatures of the desert, and the sinister, convoluted plotting of the syndicate from the distant city. Not an easy read, but definitely unforgettable.
September 29, 2016
I can't say enough good things about this book. I think the big publishers are going to be furious that they didn't get their hands on this one.
The characters are complex and relatable. They curse, they lie, they keep secrets, but they also struggle and feel real emotion. It's fantastic to read about characters who aren't your typical heroes. It's in a western setting, which I usually don't feel strongly about and tend to associate with Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, but Salt in the Water has that fantasy/scifi flair that hooks your attention and definitely gives me a new outlook on westerns. The Shy'war-Anquai desert is definitely not a place I'd ever want to find myself, but it's some amazing worldbuilding by the author. I know I'm not the only person who actually really loves seeing the threk. They remind me of the movie Pitch Black, which I really love, except deadlier.
Definitely recommend this book. I'm almost sad it's part of a series, because that means waiting for the next book, but I'm glad my time with these characters isn't over. Bring on book two!
The characters are complex and relatable. They curse, they lie, they keep secrets, but they also struggle and feel real emotion. It's fantastic to read about characters who aren't your typical heroes. It's in a western setting, which I usually don't feel strongly about and tend to associate with Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, but Salt in the Water has that fantasy/scifi flair that hooks your attention and definitely gives me a new outlook on westerns. The Shy'war-Anquai desert is definitely not a place I'd ever want to find myself, but it's some amazing worldbuilding by the author. I know I'm not the only person who actually really loves seeing the threk. They remind me of the movie Pitch Black, which I really love, except deadlier.
Definitely recommend this book. I'm almost sad it's part of a series, because that means waiting for the next book, but I'm glad my time with these characters isn't over. Bring on book two!
March 3, 2019
I've always been a fan of weird westerns, and this book takes it to an entirely new plane. The first installment in a wildly addictive series, grimdark meets SF meets a wild west unlike anything you can imagine. The cast of characters is expansive and well-varied, with each individual being a complex mess of their own history, torments, and cultures. I especially loved the world-building, rich and immersive. From page one, I was transported to this setting's gritty, barren landscape and became lost in its intricacies. Evocative prose with lines that jump out and grab the reader by the soul, I enjoyed every word and look forward to the next book in the series!
March 11, 2017
I probably should have read the back cover because I was lost for about the first two chapters. The world logic was alien and unexpected and it took awhile for me to get my bearings. But it was a great read and eventually the writer gave me enough background information to understand everything in the book except "Bloom" I'm still wondering what that actually is. I will definitely read any sequals as the world is very interesting. And in the light of the current political scene in America with the re-rise of racism, the parallels are frightening. Its a reminder how cruel and evil we can become when racism is left unchecked.
September 29, 2016
I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. The writing pulled me right in and for the rest of the week, all my dreams were set in the Shy'war-Anquai desert, the descriptions were so vivid and engaging. It has been a long time since I loved a character as much as I love Kaitar Besh, but all the characters come across so authentically that I found myself caring about the fates of everyone. I read most of this while I was sitting for a 5 hour tattoo session and it was so captivating that the time flew by and I barely noticed the needle work.
October 27, 2016
I enjoyed this book immensely. There were a few portions that didn't really add to the story, but they did help set the stage for future books. I don't normally read post-apocalyptic, but this had very little in common with present-day that it didn't register as apocalyptic.
Kaitar was my favorite and hopefully we'll see him in the next book. He is a man of mystery and I love mysterious men.
The characters are believable and the writing smooth. The story isn't bogged down with a lot of unnecessary details.
I obtained this as part of an ARC giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Kaitar was my favorite and hopefully we'll see him in the next book. He is a man of mystery and I love mysterious men.
The characters are believable and the writing smooth. The story isn't bogged down with a lot of unnecessary details.
I obtained this as part of an ARC giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
February 11, 2017
A strange mix of western and post-apocalyptic scifi that somehow works. Lots of plot twists and hints of a deeper world only glimpsed through the eyes of a handful of characters who are largely ignorant of everything going on. Also a survival-adventure story. It took a while to get used to all the terms, but the story rolled along at a good pace and the characters were very engaging.
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