Title: By Blood by Salt – Land of Exile #1
Author: J.L. Odom
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Fantasy / Epic
Format: Paperback / Hardcover / Ebook /Audio
Release Date: May 14, 2024
Star Rating: 8/10
Azetla has served the Maurowan Army for thirteen years. There are seven left to pay. A pariah and a debt soldier, he is a commander with no rank, a soldier without citizenship, and wears a sword that it is unlawful for him to either own or use. He has learned to hold his tongue or risk losing everything.
When Azetla’s battalion is sent into the desert to catch a Sahr devil—one of the famously brutal inhabitants of the region—his tenuous position is threatened. He discovers that there is far more to this mission than catching a fiend. For the Emperor of Maurow, it is a way to prove that he fears nothing, not even devils. For the Emperor’s brother, it is a stepping-stone to rebellion. For Azetla it could be deadly either way, as he is cornered into choosing a side in the coming coup.
But the devil that Azetla finds in the desert is not what anyone expects or wants. As the conspiracy against the Emperor becomes entangled with the simmering ambitions of the desert tribes, Azetla must decide if he’s willing to strike a bargain with a devil in order to survive.
Naturally, she is not to be trusted. But then again, neither is he.
Disclaimer:
Everyone is different and likes and dislikes different things. Reading is no exception. One person’s all-time favorite might seem too bland or too high stakes for another. That being said, the opinions of our judges in this contest are just that, opinions. Just because we let a book go, doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It could be your next favorite, who knows?
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can learn more about the contest here.
Today we are reviewing By Blood by Salt, which was CapturedInWords pick for this year’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off.
You can see the finalist spreadsheet here.
Last one everyone, and one of our two favourites as well! So here we go, with out second highest rated book, with a 7,88 average, which was rounded up to 8. Only Mushroom Blues with its 8,05 was slightly higher on our scoreboard! What did we like? Here you go:
Patrick: This was my favourite of the SPFBO books by quite some distance. It’s a powerful story about outsiders, how they try to fit in, and how they are treated. It’s also an incredibly well constructed fantasy set in a lush, carefully-constructed Middle East analogue. The word “worldbuilding” gets used for a whole bunch of different things, from Tolkien’s languages to Sanderson’s magic systems and movie-style big ideas. In By Blood, By Salt, the worldbuilding is primarily focused on cultures, and we get very distinct, rich cultures that our characters move through. This isn’t a high-action fantasy. It’s a fantasy about people and the situations politics and bigotry put them in. I found it a highly compelling read. The only reason it wasn’t a 10/10 for me was that the end didn’t quite stick a strong landing. It’s the first in a series, so this is understandable, but I would have liked a stronger ending nonetheless. I strongly recommend this if you’re into character- and culture-driven stories in a vivid setting.
Max: By Blood by Salz is very serious and heavy handed. It’s admittedly a difficult book for me to judge, because on one hand it’s well written and handles it’s serious setting very well, but on the other hand it’s not very palletable to me. It’s a reflection of the real world’s bloody history that is not what I look for when reading fantasy stories. It comes down to your particular taste.
Kerry: I really enjoyed this tight, well written military ‘low’ magic fantasy (at just over 300 pages, it did what a number of chonkier novels often don’t achieve for me) that deals with real world issues such as colonisation, racism, the subjugation and subversion of cultural practices as well as the difficulty of keeping one’s cultural identity whilst working for your oppressor. It was refreshing having a story set outside “Western civilisation” as it were; instead we are treated to deserts, tribal affiliations and lifestyles akin to the Middle East. The characters were well fleshed out and it is they that drive this story. Some people may find the beginning of the story a bit slow going but for me it set up the world and the main characters perfectly. I was absolutely engrossed with this novel, so much so I ended up reading it in a day. I think the author has done an astounding job with this, their debut novel, and I’ve got A Haunt for Jackals (book 2 in the Land of Exiles series) on my TBR mountain already.
Julia: By Blood, by Salt was a bit of a mixed experience for me. I really enjoyed the outsider perspective, particularly Azetla’s journey to leadership in an army, despite not even being allowed to wear a sword. The tone and voice were engaging, and I always appreciate the conflict tha arises from clashing cultures. A later addition to the cast also piqued my interest and became a major draw for me.
However, aside from them and Azetla, I didn’t feel a strong connection to the other characters, and the slow pacing started to diminish my interest over time.
The world-building and cultures were well-developed, adding nice depth to the story.
I was initially hooked, but as I got deeper into the book, I found myself drifting, having to reread sections. By the end, I struggled to recall much of the plot, with only the strong beginning sticking in my mind.
Of course, this may not be a flaw of the book itself, sometimes a particular story just doesn’t click with a reader.
