What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dead God's Heart #2
The Salt-Black Tree
What happens when you find a way to save your loved one… but the price might not be worth it—the stunning conclusion to New York Times bestseller Lilith Saintcrow’s The Dead God’s Heart
Nat Drozdova has crossed half the continent in search of the stolen Dead God’s Heart, the only thing powerful enough to trade for her beautiful, voracious, dying mother’s life. Yet now she knows the secret of her own birth—and that she’s been lied to all her young life.
The road to the Heart ends at the Salt-Black Tree, but to find it Nat must pay a deadly price. Pursued by mouthless shadows hungry for the blood of new divinity as well as the razor-wielding god of thieves, Nat is on her own. Her journey leads through a wilderness of gods old and new, across a country as restless as its mortal inhabitants, and it’s too late to back out now.
Blood may not always prevail. Magic might not always work. And the young Drozdova is faced with an impossible Save her mother’s very existence…
…or accept the consequences of her own.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Nat Drozdova has crossed half the continent in search of the stolen Dead God’s Heart, the only thing powerful enough to trade for her beautiful, voracious, dying mother’s life. Yet now she knows the secret of her own birth—and that she’s been lied to all her young life.
The road to the Heart ends at the Salt-Black Tree, but to find it Nat must pay a deadly price. Pursued by mouthless shadows hungry for the blood of new divinity as well as the razor-wielding god of thieves, Nat is on her own. Her journey leads through a wilderness of gods old and new, across a country as restless as its mortal inhabitants, and it’s too late to back out now.
Blood may not always prevail. Magic might not always work. And the young Drozdova is faced with an impossible Save her mother’s very existence…
…or accept the consequences of her own.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
271 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2023
27 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Lilith Saintcrow
132 books4,513 followersLilith Saintcrow was born in New Mexico, bounced around the world as a child, and fell in love with writing stories when she was ten years old. She and her library co-habitate in Vancouver, Washington.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
May 14, 2023
Welcome back to the adventures of Nat, and her mother and probably her grandmother. There's still a lot to be done - so let's get to it. Dawaj, dawaj!
In case you're missing some kind of intro here - no. Read the review to the first book, and read the first novel itself, because this story starts right where the last one ended. It's like someone took a long story, used a cleaver to cut it in two halves and said in a thick Russian accent: Is going to be two books now. Two books better than one. Da.
See? Is smaller book now.
(I want to apologize to all my Russian friends; I know that was very cliche. But also kinda fitting, you know?)
True to the first part, Natchenka is still way over her head into the whole mystery of it. But she started to wise up at the end of the first novel, and she keeps walking that path here. Although on a crucially painfully slow pace - I've mentioned it before, that pace is a point of critique. I think the story would have benefitted from Nat being a faster learner, because it's not helping me liking her. I like her in general, but I really want to slap her around most of the time, while wanting her to wise up and ask the right questions.
Nat being slow is probably part of the dramatics (plot-wise), but it's not keeping inner consistency with the character. And since we're talking about plot: with both books combined, it really starts to look like the hero's journey was a role model for Nat's journey.
In the case of Nat, it's more a stumble than s journey.
One could argue that Baba is the mentor, but I think Konets fits that role better. Enemies and allies are there, too, like friendly and ranger, and book two starts at the approach to the inmost cave, with Nat having secured the second of the three arcana's of her mother (or her own, there's room to debate here).
I've said it before, and I'll happily repeat it: This feels like it should have been one book, not two. I've had some problems with the worldbuilding while reading part one, but those question marks left in my head became clearer during reading part two. Coincidentally, I would bump up the rating for the first book by half a star in light of the second part. I'm not sure if this was the author's decision or the publisher's, but whoever decided to split the story in two, did it a disservice. The value of the overall story is bigger than the sum of its parts. I swear - trim some dead wood from the first book and fuse the remaining scenes with book two, and it would instantly be better.
The hero's journey as a concept holds true to the end, but it is being compressed and stretched here and there - really long stretched at the start, pretty compressed at the end.
*****
To come to a conclusion: I'm happy I picked up the second title in this duology, even after my struggles with the first part. The second part made everything better. If you like dark urban fantasy and are not afraid of getting through the first part (it's a bit drawn out at some points), then go for it. But take both books and pretend they're one! 4 stars, in retrospect.
Disclaimer: I’ve received a free Advanced Reader’s Copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.
******************************
Read this review on the blog - the layout is better 😃.
******************************
In case you're missing some kind of intro here - no. Read the review to the first book, and read the first novel itself, because this story starts right where the last one ended. It's like someone took a long story, used a cleaver to cut it in two halves and said in a thick Russian accent: Is going to be two books now. Two books better than one. Da.
See? Is smaller book now.
(I want to apologize to all my Russian friends; I know that was very cliche. But also kinda fitting, you know?)
True to the first part, Natchenka is still way over her head into the whole mystery of it. But she started to wise up at the end of the first novel, and she keeps walking that path here. Although on a crucially painfully slow pace - I've mentioned it before, that pace is a point of critique. I think the story would have benefitted from Nat being a faster learner, because it's not helping me liking her. I like her in general, but I really want to slap her around most of the time, while wanting her to wise up and ask the right questions.
Nat being slow is probably part of the dramatics (plot-wise), but it's not keeping inner consistency with the character. And since we're talking about plot: with both books combined, it really starts to look like the hero's journey was a role model for Nat's journey.
In the case of Nat, it's more a stumble than s journey.
One could argue that Baba is the mentor, but I think Konets fits that role better. Enemies and allies are there, too, like friendly and ranger, and book two starts at the approach to the inmost cave, with Nat having secured the second of the three arcana's of her mother (or her own, there's room to debate here).
I've said it before, and I'll happily repeat it: This feels like it should have been one book, not two. I've had some problems with the worldbuilding while reading part one, but those question marks left in my head became clearer during reading part two. Coincidentally, I would bump up the rating for the first book by half a star in light of the second part. I'm not sure if this was the author's decision or the publisher's, but whoever decided to split the story in two, did it a disservice. The value of the overall story is bigger than the sum of its parts. I swear - trim some dead wood from the first book and fuse the remaining scenes with book two, and it would instantly be better.
The hero's journey as a concept holds true to the end, but it is being compressed and stretched here and there - really long stretched at the start, pretty compressed at the end.
*****
To come to a conclusion: I'm happy I picked up the second title in this duology, even after my struggles with the first part. The second part made everything better. If you like dark urban fantasy and are not afraid of getting through the first part (it's a bit drawn out at some points), then go for it. But take both books and pretend they're one! 4 stars, in retrospect.
Disclaimer: I’ve received a free Advanced Reader’s Copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.
******************************
Read this review on the blog - the layout is better 😃.
******************************
June 21, 2023
Lilith Saintcrow does it again!
Another fantastic book by Lilith Saintcrow and a wonderful, thrilling and captivating end to this magnificent duology.
You can't really say much against this duology except that the mythology behind these powerful deities is a little vague and I personally would have liked some more backstory behind them but it is what it is and I understand that it can be difficult to give too much backstory in single volume or duology and you already have to fit a lot into a small space unless you intend to write a doorstop novel.
Apart from that the characters are interesting and well created and the story in itself has a great ebb and flow to it that holds you interest throughout and is very engaging to read so bravo Lilith....bravo!!
Another fantastic book by Lilith Saintcrow and a wonderful, thrilling and captivating end to this magnificent duology.
You can't really say much against this duology except that the mythology behind these powerful deities is a little vague and I personally would have liked some more backstory behind them but it is what it is and I understand that it can be difficult to give too much backstory in single volume or duology and you already have to fit a lot into a small space unless you intend to write a doorstop novel.
Apart from that the characters are interesting and well created and the story in itself has a great ebb and flow to it that holds you interest throughout and is very engaging to read so bravo Lilith....bravo!!
November 16, 2023
I would summarize this duology as “an original and creative American Gods fanfic.” Lilith Saintcrow (who has an awesome name by the way) tells a good and engrossing story, with a setting and a conceit that (as I said in my review of book 1, Spring's Arcana) could have been lifted straight out of Gaiman’s book.
This review will be about the duology as a whole, because book 1 (again, as I said in my earlier review) doesn’t really end, it just stops. It’s a single story split in two volumes.
The protagonist here is Nat, the rather downtrodden daughter of her Russian-immigrant mother, growing up not-quite-poor in Brooklyn. Nat’s mother is sick and dying, and has set Nat on a path to find a way to get her better. Along the way, Nat learns that her mother is in fact the embodiment of Spring. Characters she meets along the way include Baba Yaga (her grandmother); gods of thieves, cops, and cowboys; and Jay Gatsby.
We also learn that Nat’s mother (never a particularly loving figure) has plans for her daughter, mostly of the sacrificial variety.
The advantage of fanfic (and, for the record, I like fanfic) is that the best ones can tell a great story without having to put in the effort to create worlds and characters. I called this book “American Gods fanfic” because that’s what it feels like. I can’t really put my finger on how the world of this book is different from Gaiman’s, but I also don’t particularly care.
Where this book shines is as a recovery-from-abuse story. Nat struggles to realize just how abused she’s been; she struggles to accept just what her mother has in mind for her; she struggles with guilt over having the audacity to want to live.
So what does all this add up to? On the one hand, this was derivative and fairly uncreative; on the other hand, the story packs a punch.
My blog
This review will be about the duology as a whole, because book 1 (again, as I said in my earlier review) doesn’t really end, it just stops. It’s a single story split in two volumes.
The protagonist here is Nat, the rather downtrodden daughter of her Russian-immigrant mother, growing up not-quite-poor in Brooklyn. Nat’s mother is sick and dying, and has set Nat on a path to find a way to get her better. Along the way, Nat learns that her mother is in fact the embodiment of Spring. Characters she meets along the way include Baba Yaga (her grandmother); gods of thieves, cops, and cowboys; and Jay Gatsby.
We also learn that Nat’s mother (never a particularly loving figure) has plans for her daughter, mostly of the sacrificial variety.
The advantage of fanfic (and, for the record, I like fanfic) is that the best ones can tell a great story without having to put in the effort to create worlds and characters. I called this book “American Gods fanfic” because that’s what it feels like. I can’t really put my finger on how the world of this book is different from Gaiman’s, but I also don’t particularly care.
Where this book shines is as a recovery-from-abuse story. Nat struggles to realize just how abused she’s been; she struggles to accept just what her mother has in mind for her; she struggles with guilt over having the audacity to want to live.
So what does all this add up to? On the one hand, this was derivative and fairly uncreative; on the other hand, the story packs a punch.
My blog
September 20, 2025
I listened to this entirely as an audiobook, and I think that really heightened my experience. The story has a dream-like quality that was well suited to being an audiobook, and the narrator did a really great job. I liked this book better than the first book, and I even really liked the ending despite the fact that it didn’t really feel like an ending. It felt more like a beginning, and that was very appropriate.
I have seen several reviews that say that this book could have been combined with the first book instead of being a duology, and I have to agree. The story was short and continuous from the first one and referenced many things that happened in the first one that did not get re-explained in the second one, including the riddle.
There were a lot of characters and a lot of different divinities, but I was most disappointed by the fact that we never saw the divinity for fall.
Nat’s story and her slow journey coming to grips with the emotional abuse that she went through was better honed in this book. Emotional abuse can be really hard to recognize and recover from and I think Saintcrow really portrayed that well here.
Favorite character: Dima
I was actually really happy that there ended up not being much of a romance, but just more of a hint of a story further down the line. The necklace is such a cool touch.
I also really liked Baby and all of the talking cats.
Favorite quote:
Priest: Do you have any baggage, Mademoiselle?
Nat: No more than the next girl, I suppose.
If you liked this book, I would recommend When Among Crows by Veronica Roth.
I have seen several reviews that say that this book could have been combined with the first book instead of being a duology, and I have to agree. The story was short and continuous from the first one and referenced many things that happened in the first one that did not get re-explained in the second one, including the riddle.
There were a lot of characters and a lot of different divinities, but I was most disappointed by the fact that we never saw the divinity for fall.
Nat’s story and her slow journey coming to grips with the emotional abuse that she went through was better honed in this book. Emotional abuse can be really hard to recognize and recover from and I think Saintcrow really portrayed that well here.
Favorite character: Dima
I was actually really happy that there ended up not being much of a romance, but just more of a hint of a story further down the line. The necklace is such a cool touch.
I also really liked Baby and all of the talking cats.
Favorite quote:
Priest: Do you have any baggage, Mademoiselle?
Nat: No more than the next girl, I suppose.
If you liked this book, I would recommend When Among Crows by Veronica Roth.
August 16, 2023
This was a quick and engaging read that has an easygoing storytelling style. A new form of American folklore is being created in a melting pot fashion and the diversity of the deities makes this a fun read that falls outside of the usual scope of Modern retellings of “X” country’s folklore. This is book two in the Dead God’s Heart duology and the book literally takes off where the first one ended, so I hope you have read Spring’s Arcana first. This is a continuation of the traditional quest trope, and we find our hero, Nat Drozdova, still on a quest to save her mother’s life. She travels the backroads of the United States for the last remaining pieces of the puzzle and makes a few friends along the way. While on her journey she discovers the hidden strength that lies within her and learns that she doesn’t have to go it alone. The talking cats were THE highlight for me, and I wish there were more of them.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio/ Tor Books for allowing me the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given freely. This book was just released on August 8th so you can head to your local independent bookstore and pick up a copy today
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio/ Tor Books for allowing me the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given freely. This book was just released on August 8th so you can head to your local independent bookstore and pick up a copy today
December 26, 2023
I thought plot and prose this was definitely weaker than the first book, but the character arc for Nat was just too sweet to give this book 3 stars.
I’ll admit though, was slightly disappointed with how the romance (?) wrapped up but, once I think about it, that was the most fitting ending for those two characters.
Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a unique urban fantasy, definitely a nice intro the genre, at least it was that way for me.
I’ll admit though, was slightly disappointed with how the romance (?) wrapped up but, once I think about it, that was the most fitting ending for those two characters.
Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a unique urban fantasy, definitely a nice intro the genre, at least it was that way for me.
July 5, 2023
I am a huge fan of Lilith Saintcrow and I am a little sad that The Dead God's Heart is only a duology. The Salt-Black Tree is the second book in the duology, so really, don't read it as a standalone. The Salt-Black Tree begins exactly where Spring's Arcana left off and while there is a sprinkling of reminders about some of the situations and characters, you will not be able to fully enjoy Saintcrow's storytelling without the background from the first book.
I was fortunate enough to get to listen to the first book as an Advanced Listening Copy, which made me pretty excited to physically read the second book. Having consumed her writing both ways, I can confidently say that the character arcs and worldbuilding translate in any format. Ms. Saintcrow is such an amazing author and every world she crafts will simply pull you in and make you forget your surroundings for hours.
I absolutely loved this Baba Yaga-adjacent story. While Baba Yaga is of course in the book, she is not the main character, and it was a delight to read about characters that were so tied to her orbit. In this book we get to see the main character, Nat, work her way through (and finish!) quite the list of near-impossible tasks while meeting so many characters from Russian folklore. I had trouble putting this book down, and I bet you will too!
I was fortunate enough to get to listen to the first book as an Advanced Listening Copy, which made me pretty excited to physically read the second book. Having consumed her writing both ways, I can confidently say that the character arcs and worldbuilding translate in any format. Ms. Saintcrow is such an amazing author and every world she crafts will simply pull you in and make you forget your surroundings for hours.
I absolutely loved this Baba Yaga-adjacent story. While Baba Yaga is of course in the book, she is not the main character, and it was a delight to read about characters that were so tied to her orbit. In this book we get to see the main character, Nat, work her way through (and finish!) quite the list of near-impossible tasks while meeting so many characters from Russian folklore. I had trouble putting this book down, and I bet you will too!
February 20, 2024
A 3 from me because I was never in any doubt that things would get sorted out and furthermore the stakes weren’t exactly high seeing as there must be umpteen Springs littering the US if every ethnic group brings their own.
September 21, 2023
The Dead God’s Heart Duology review:
📕 Spring’s Arcana (book 1) - 2.5⭐️
📘 The Salt-Black Tree (book 2) - 3⭐️
I was really excited to try another Baba Yaga reimagining but had really mixed thoughts on this duology. The writing style wasn’t the best fit for me - there were far too many long drawn out descriptions for every single thing. The first few chapters are more description than plot, and it’s very repetitive in the clothing descriptions or multiple mentions of someone’s nails, eye color, etc. All rooms, outfits, hairstyles, houses, cars are described to death.
Other times it’s poetic writing and rambling descriptions of unimportant things -
“There was a strange humming in the other woman’s touch, the blurring buzz of a power transformer sleeping on a dusty summer afternoon, deadly voltage dream-humming under a metal carapace”
All that to describe a touch that is not important at all and never mentioned again. Often instead of the imagery the author was striving for it was a jumbled mess of word soup that left me confused about the point she was trying to make.
It’s a very slow start, and most of the first half of the book is Nat in disbelief and confused while everyone else says, “wow she really told you nothing?” or Nat thinking about what her mom says/does/thinks about every thing from clothes to gas stations to hotels. Furthermore, Nat learns about this whole new world and yet never asks one person to explain it to her. At all. There isn’t a lot of context provided either, so I spent most of the book as confused as Nat. Characters also go by several names and nicknames leaving me wishing there was a chart of who is who.
Book 1 has an abrupt ending with a to be continued note. When you start book 2, it just picks up like it was a continuation of the same book making me wonder if it started out as one book originally. I feel like the pacing in the second book was a bit better, but it also felt like Nat was a very passive role on her own life journey with the side characters continually doing all the work for her. And yet again, many things in the plot would have been unnecessary if Nat had just asked some basic questions.
For me, this would have made more sense as a standalone instead of a duology, especially bc if you cut out all the excessive descriptions it would have been a much shorter (and clearer) storyline that easily fit into a 500 page novel. It was a creative idea and had some interesting side characters (more interesting than the MC for sure) but the writing style didn’t work for me. If you like a slower paced story and prefer very descriptive writing this might work better for you.
📕 Spring’s Arcana (book 1) - 2.5⭐️
📘 The Salt-Black Tree (book 2) - 3⭐️
I was really excited to try another Baba Yaga reimagining but had really mixed thoughts on this duology. The writing style wasn’t the best fit for me - there were far too many long drawn out descriptions for every single thing. The first few chapters are more description than plot, and it’s very repetitive in the clothing descriptions or multiple mentions of someone’s nails, eye color, etc. All rooms, outfits, hairstyles, houses, cars are described to death.
Other times it’s poetic writing and rambling descriptions of unimportant things -
“There was a strange humming in the other woman’s touch, the blurring buzz of a power transformer sleeping on a dusty summer afternoon, deadly voltage dream-humming under a metal carapace”
All that to describe a touch that is not important at all and never mentioned again. Often instead of the imagery the author was striving for it was a jumbled mess of word soup that left me confused about the point she was trying to make.
It’s a very slow start, and most of the first half of the book is Nat in disbelief and confused while everyone else says, “wow she really told you nothing?” or Nat thinking about what her mom says/does/thinks about every thing from clothes to gas stations to hotels. Furthermore, Nat learns about this whole new world and yet never asks one person to explain it to her. At all. There isn’t a lot of context provided either, so I spent most of the book as confused as Nat. Characters also go by several names and nicknames leaving me wishing there was a chart of who is who.
Book 1 has an abrupt ending with a to be continued note. When you start book 2, it just picks up like it was a continuation of the same book making me wonder if it started out as one book originally. I feel like the pacing in the second book was a bit better, but it also felt like Nat was a very passive role on her own life journey with the side characters continually doing all the work for her. And yet again, many things in the plot would have been unnecessary if Nat had just asked some basic questions.
For me, this would have made more sense as a standalone instead of a duology, especially bc if you cut out all the excessive descriptions it would have been a much shorter (and clearer) storyline that easily fit into a 500 page novel. It was a creative idea and had some interesting side characters (more interesting than the MC for sure) but the writing style didn’t work for me. If you like a slower paced story and prefer very descriptive writing this might work better for you.
August 14, 2025
I just want a car like Baby. Is that too much to ask?
I really enjoyed Nat's journey - watching her grow more and more confident in herself, coming to accept you can't compel a parent's live and it's OK to choose yourself. That's a whole heartbreaking journey on it's own!
Dima cracked me up. Which maybe isn't an appropriate response to the god of thieves, but here we are.
I would absolutely read more books set in this universe if there were any! The whole concept of non-Christian divinities as tangible "people" in the modern world is a storyline that always fascinates me. And I love having an author I can read that doesn't make me feel icky about it.
I really enjoyed Nat's journey - watching her grow more and more confident in herself, coming to accept you can't compel a parent's live and it's OK to choose yourself. That's a whole heartbreaking journey on it's own!
Dima cracked me up. Which maybe isn't an appropriate response to the god of thieves, but here we are.
I would absolutely read more books set in this universe if there were any! The whole concept of non-Christian divinities as tangible "people" in the modern world is a storyline that always fascinates me. And I love having an author I can read that doesn't make me feel icky about it.
June 13, 2023
I knew going into this series ender of the duology, that I still wasn’t sure how I felt about the first one, but I do really like this author. As I read this one, I realized that this is less like an urban fantasy and more like a journey of discovery, of finding your own strengths to overcome the adversities you’ve experienced in your life. Once I got past that, I really enjoyed this book. Poor Nat was so mistreated growing up by her mother who just wanted to get power. However, this is her journey started for her mother, and it ends with her discovery about herself. I would have enjoyed this more if there were more action, which is my favorite, but I did enjoy Nat’s discovery and how it ended. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
May 27, 2023
My Thoughts
Book 2 smoothly transitioned from end of book 1.
I say smoothly because now familiar and at ease with the characters and where their adventures are taking them.
To be very frank this second part of Nats journey has a different feel to it because some of her innocent naivety was taken away and now she has faced certain trials that have given her the answers to questions she has had her whole life.
Unfortunately, those answers raise more questions and require a deeper understanding of her new circumstances.
An understanding that she reaches for but is not sure it is what she really wants after all when finds it.
As more of Nat’s powers manifest, she has those who try to stop her along with those who help her as well.
A few times that help puts her in more danger than she expected but it doesn’t matter as Nat somehow finds a way to keep herself alive and continuing on with her quests.
The end result of these quests will bring this duology to its close and answer the question of which lives Nat or her mother, or neither one but you have to read to find out.
I thought the wait was worth it for me.
[EArc from Netgalley]
June 2, 2023
This is the 2nd book of Dead God's Duology, you need to read previous book to understand the story. The mythologhy really good in here, why Nat still do this journey when her mother is a mean?
Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.
#TheSaltBlackTree #LilithSaintcrow #TorPublishingGroup #NetGalley #ARC
Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.
#TheSaltBlackTree #LilithSaintcrow #TorPublishingGroup #NetGalley #ARC
November 8, 2023
I think this book could have easily been combined with the first in the duology and published as one book. There was absolutely no reason for it to be split into two books and it actually did the story a disservice by doing it this way. Occasionally the MC makes references to the riddle her mother gave her for the journey, but this was never restated in the second book, and I don't remember the lines from when I read them 6 months ago.
Besides needing to be consolidated into one book, I also believe there should have been more explanation of the characters met along the way. An afterword explaining some of the folklore, divinities, literary references, religious figures, etc. was sorely lacking. When I have to stop every other chapter to google some obscure reference and try to figure out who's being talked about, it really pulls me out of the story and decreases my enjoyment.
Besides needing to be consolidated into one book, I also believe there should have been more explanation of the characters met along the way. An afterword explaining some of the folklore, divinities, literary references, religious figures, etc. was sorely lacking. When I have to stop every other chapter to google some obscure reference and try to figure out who's being talked about, it really pulls me out of the story and decreases my enjoyment.
November 12, 2023
I am a huge fan of Lilith Saintcrow and I am a little sad that The Dead God's Heart is not going to be a longer series. The Salt-Black Tree is the second book in the duology, so really, don't read it as a standalone. It begins exactly where Spring's Arcana left off and while there is a sprinkling of reminders about some of the situations and characters, you will not be able to fully enjoy Saintcrow's storytelling without the background from the first book.
I was fortunate enough to get to listen to the first book as an Advanced Listening Copy, which made me pretty excited to listen to the second book. Having both read and listened to her storytelling both ways, I can confidently say that the character arcs and worldbuilding translate in any format. Ms. Saintcrow is such an amazing author and every world she crafts will simply pull you in and make you forget your surroundings for hours.
Barrie Kreinik is such a fantastic narrator and really makes The Salt-Black Tree shine. Her narration is so good that you can listen to her at any speed and really enjoy her voice acting. She will lead your imagination into this fictional world and cause you to loose track of time with her ability to bring the story to life.
I absolutely loved this Baba Yaga-adjacent story. While Baba Yaga is of course in the book, she is not the main character, and it was a delight to read about characters that were so tied to her orbit. In this book we get to see the main character, Nat, work her way through (and finish!) quite the list of near-impossible tasks while meeting so many characters from Russian folklore. I had trouble putting this book down, and I bet you will too!
I was fortunate enough to get to listen to the first book as an Advanced Listening Copy, which made me pretty excited to listen to the second book. Having both read and listened to her storytelling both ways, I can confidently say that the character arcs and worldbuilding translate in any format. Ms. Saintcrow is such an amazing author and every world she crafts will simply pull you in and make you forget your surroundings for hours.
Barrie Kreinik is such a fantastic narrator and really makes The Salt-Black Tree shine. Her narration is so good that you can listen to her at any speed and really enjoy her voice acting. She will lead your imagination into this fictional world and cause you to loose track of time with her ability to bring the story to life.
I absolutely loved this Baba Yaga-adjacent story. While Baba Yaga is of course in the book, she is not the main character, and it was a delight to read about characters that were so tied to her orbit. In this book we get to see the main character, Nat, work her way through (and finish!) quite the list of near-impossible tasks while meeting so many characters from Russian folklore. I had trouble putting this book down, and I bet you will too!
June 21, 2023
Four and a half
Nat Drozdova is the new personification of Spring although if her mother has anything to do with it that's about to change but then again isn't that what seasons are meant to do ? All Nat knows is she is desperately trying to find the missing arcana item's that will lead her to the heart her mother stole. Her journey so far has introduced her to a world of hurt and fear but also wonderment and possibly allies but who knows what lurks in the darkness where the sun doesn't shine ?
This started exactly as the first book ended so a very easy way to immerse the reader in this folklore guided world set in a very modern America. I loved the ideas in place here with embodiments of just about everything I could imagine from Law enforcement to Seasons, even Shadows and Thievery. We get a lot more of Baba Yaga but as Nat grows up and truly finds herself for me it was Dima who made me smile. A fitting ending to this duology but I really hope the author revisits this world because it was truly a fun ride and yes I'm looking at you Baby !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
Nat Drozdova is the new personification of Spring although if her mother has anything to do with it that's about to change but then again isn't that what seasons are meant to do ? All Nat knows is she is desperately trying to find the missing arcana item's that will lead her to the heart her mother stole. Her journey so far has introduced her to a world of hurt and fear but also wonderment and possibly allies but who knows what lurks in the darkness where the sun doesn't shine ?
This started exactly as the first book ended so a very easy way to immerse the reader in this folklore guided world set in a very modern America. I loved the ideas in place here with embodiments of just about everything I could imagine from Law enforcement to Seasons, even Shadows and Thievery. We get a lot more of Baba Yaga but as Nat grows up and truly finds herself for me it was Dima who made me smile. A fitting ending to this duology but I really hope the author revisits this world because it was truly a fun ride and yes I'm looking at you Baby !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
August 9, 2024
I'm going to go out on a limb here: this book (I mean the Duology because reading just the first volume does not finish the story) was a better read for me than American Gods. It's similar in premise even though the protagonists and arc of the story are very different.
I'm not saying it's a better book. It's certainly not as polished, and most of the characters are archetypes not as brilliantly painted and memorable as Gaiman's.
Neither will it be universally appealing, but maybe that's because of how much you can identify with the protagonist--I personally found no resonance with Gaiman's Shadow and felt nothing for him except as a vehicle for the story. But if you're an isolated girl child (or were one) with a nonconforming dominating narcissistic mother and no siblings or other sources of information about how the world works--Saintcrow's work is a pretty powerful metaphor for growing out of that trap.
I also liked how rooted in landscape and place it is. And as another (less positive) reviewer mentioned, what's up with "boot-toes"? that phrase should have been re-thought.
I'm not saying it's a better book. It's certainly not as polished, and most of the characters are archetypes not as brilliantly painted and memorable as Gaiman's.
Neither will it be universally appealing, but maybe that's because of how much you can identify with the protagonist--I personally found no resonance with Gaiman's Shadow and felt nothing for him except as a vehicle for the story. But if you're an isolated girl child (or were one) with a nonconforming dominating narcissistic mother and no siblings or other sources of information about how the world works--Saintcrow's work is a pretty powerful metaphor for growing out of that trap.
I also liked how rooted in landscape and place it is. And as another (less positive) reviewer mentioned, what's up with "boot-toes"? that phrase should have been re-thought.
August 10, 2023
received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I found the origin of the divinity (think deities) within to be convoluted... the one that made the most sense to me was Baba-- I feel as though they were loosely based upon Baba Yaga. I can't imagine feeling a sense of duty so strong to people who've hurt you that you ignore their transgressions towards you. I found Nat and Marisol to be pleasant if not the most interesting characters... Baby was the most interesting. They're maybe should have been a little more fleshing out of Nat prior to introducing her family and "special" conundrum. If there were to be a sequel or prequel, I would be willing to read it and then re-read this so that I ensure that I'm clear on all characters and their trajectories.
#NetGalley #LilithSaintcrow #bookreview #freebook #suspense #mystical #familyties
#NetGalley #LilithSaintcrow #bookreview #freebook #suspense #mystical #familyties
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2023
This is the second book in this duology. It picks up where Spring’s Arcana left off. Nat is still on the road collecting the items her mother requires. But the danger is increasing. The Ones that Eat are hot on her trail. And Dmitri is “helping” as best he can. But Nat doesn’t trust him. She meets some interesting divinities and they all tell her more about her mother’s plan. But she gave her word and will be the good daughter. But she has allies in unexpected places. And the ones she fears the most might be her saving grace. This is a fast paced story full of action, danger and very interesting beings. Lilith Saintcrow weaves myth and fantasy into a modern tale.
The audiobook is narrated by Barrie Kreinik. Who does an excellent job with all the different languages, accents and genders. This really immersed me into the story.
The audiobook is narrated by Barrie Kreinik. Who does an excellent job with all the different languages, accents and genders. This really immersed me into the story.
August 19, 2023
This was conclusion to the Dead God’s Heart duology and it definitely wrapped the overall plot up nicely. Almost too nicely? I felt like the first book actually gave her challenges to overcome and a riddle to solve and this one just handed out answers to her and then the whole plot was resolved by others. It felt like she was just a passenger of her own story which given her character development of coming into her godliness and standing up for herself just seemed off.
The characters and settings were vivid and unique and so well curated from various cultures and myths. And the pacing was perfect throughout the entire story.
I was also a bit disappointed that there wasn’t something a bit more between Dima and Nat. Not a full blown romance or anything, but even some tense moments would have been amazing.
The characters and settings were vivid and unique and so well curated from various cultures and myths. And the pacing was perfect throughout the entire story.
I was also a bit disappointed that there wasn’t something a bit more between Dima and Nat. Not a full blown romance or anything, but even some tense moments would have been amazing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2023
The direct sequel to Spring’s Arcana tells you right in the beginning you need to have read the first book and there really isn’t much of a infodump if you haven’t done so. Nat is on her way to find the last pieces of the puzzle she needs to save her mother. But even as she meets other divinities, she comes to realize that her mother wants to live and take everything from Nat. Nat inner monologue has her coming around to the idea that her mother didn’t plan on ever loving her and instead really saw her as a tool to manifest her power in this new land. Now Nat must finish her quest to retrieve the heart to fulfill her side of her bargain with Baba Yaga and also not become consumed by other gods and powers that might grow from eating her own developing powers.
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
May 4, 2023
This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.
I was so happy when I was given the chance to read this book! This is the kind of fantasy story I love to read, especially when we are dealing with divinities of all sorts, and just how one could imagine them getting along with one another. This centers more around the Baba Yaga and seasonal aspects more than other 'gods' but still brings a somewhat humorous interaction amongst the characters. I have enjoyed Saintcrow's previous books, and though this one seems to wrap up the story of Nat (one could hope for future tales?) I would look forward to more from this author.
I was so happy when I was given the chance to read this book! This is the kind of fantasy story I love to read, especially when we are dealing with divinities of all sorts, and just how one could imagine them getting along with one another. This centers more around the Baba Yaga and seasonal aspects more than other 'gods' but still brings a somewhat humorous interaction amongst the characters. I have enjoyed Saintcrow's previous books, and though this one seems to wrap up the story of Nat (one could hope for future tales?) I would look forward to more from this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2023
Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of The Salt-Black Tree by Lilith Saintcrow in exchange for an honest review. I have been wanting to read books by Saintcrow for quite awhile and hadn't gotten around to it. When I got approved for the Netgalley book and audiobook, I was excited to finally get to read one of her books. This is book two in the series and there is a warning that if you haven't read the first one, you might get lost. I was a little lost in the beginning, but quickly became engrossed in the story and didn't mind. I now am inspired to go back and read the first and more books by Saintcrow. This was a fun and interesting book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
October 2, 2023
The Salt-Black Tree is the conclusion to The Dead God’s Heart, and like Spring’s Arcana it is full of metaphors and run-on sentences, but by now I am used to Lilith Saintcrow’s writing style and enjoyed it more this time around. The Salt-Black Tree felt a lot more action packed than Spring’s Arcana and Nat did a lot of growing, and literal evolving (into Spring), in this book. I think my favorite aspect was Spring’s reluctant but, in the end, powerful alliance with Dima, the god of thieves. The chemistry between the Eternal and the thief was so fraught and sweet, I knew Spring would try to do the right thing in the end. And the twist with Baba Yaga was a wonderful way to awaken Spring without her committing matricide.
I give this book 4 stars!
I give this book 4 stars!
July 29, 2023
This is the final book in a duology that starts right where the first one left off, so I would definitely recommend reading these in order.
I loved all the folklore in this book, Baba Yaga being a favorite. I thought Nat was just okay, we spend most of the two books with Nat coming to grips with not only her new reality but realizing what her mother actually has in store for her. I really liked Dimitri, he was a snarky jerk through most of it but he was unapologetically himself always, and I missed him when he wasn't on page.
I loved all the folklore in this book, Baba Yaga being a favorite. I thought Nat was just okay, we spend most of the two books with Nat coming to grips with not only her new reality but realizing what her mother actually has in store for her. I really liked Dimitri, he was a snarky jerk through most of it but he was unapologetically himself always, and I missed him when he wasn't on page.
August 12, 2023
You need to read Spring's Arcana prior to attempting to read this one. This duology does feel like it's one book that's been split in half. You pick up the story right where you left off at the end of the first book.
This book is both beautiful & creepy. I enjoyed Nat's journey. Questions from the first book get cleared up along the way. This duology is one of the best books I've read this year.
The narrator, Barrie Kreinik, was great. (As of writing this review- the audiobook hadn't been added to Goodreads. It exists. It's wonderful. )
This book is both beautiful & creepy. I enjoyed Nat's journey. Questions from the first book get cleared up along the way. This duology is one of the best books I've read this year.
The narrator, Barrie Kreinik, was great. (As of writing this review- the audiobook hadn't been added to Goodreads. It exists. It's wonderful. )
September 2, 2023
Lilith Saintcrow concludes her quest tale of Nat Drozdova, who thought she was human and found she was the daughter of the goddess of spring. First she has to find Spring's Arcana (paper), which her mother had hidden all over the country. Then, finally she must locate the Dead God’s Heart. The trail leads to The Salt-Black Tree (hard from Tor) near New Orleans that she has to ride a giant snake to get to. Like all good quest tales, there is a twist. The full tale is marvelously lush, showing a side of modern America filled with Gods and Goddesses that most of us would never recognize.
September 15, 2023
Like Nat, I still didn't completely understand what happened but it was an interesting journey. The author is really good as writing about the places that Nat goes but I had a hard time following exactly what was going on. I was hoping to get the full "Dumbledore explains everything" chapters at the end like in most of the Harry Potter books but was disappointed. I enjoyed this one better than the first book and the ending is nice and tidy but still not sure what exactly I read--a coming of age Russian divinity story, maybe?
October 16, 2023
This felt like one book split into two. also I got this one as an audiobook so have not actually laid eyes on the text which I find sometimes has an effect on how well I understood things. In this cause I appreciated having someone pronounce the Russian words so I can hear the sounds of them.
I liked it but felt like I was maybe missing a little bit of context for some of the divinities. The ending sort of snuck up on me though I did predict at least part of it.
Still it did give me something to listen to while trying to fall asleep over a number of nights.
I liked it but felt like I was maybe missing a little bit of context for some of the divinities. The ending sort of snuck up on me though I did predict at least part of it.
Still it did give me something to listen to while trying to fall asleep over a number of nights.
March 21, 2025
I got kinda bored with this one :( but I do really love Dima's character. I think it was interesting to center the series around Nat's understanding and acceptance of her relationship with her mother, but it also dragged on a little too long. Could definitely have been one book.
I think the thing that I didn't like the most about this series is that it is very much an "this happens and then this happens and then this happens" type of story -- there isn't really any cause/effect. It feels like a bunch of plot points strung together at random.
I think the thing that I didn't like the most about this series is that it is very much an "this happens and then this happens and then this happens" type of story -- there isn't really any cause/effect. It feels like a bunch of plot points strung together at random.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews