saphira1535's review against another edition
5.0
What a rollercoaster
I honestly have felt every emotion there is while reading this book. It's not my usual go-to type of book... but wow. It was beautiful and dark at the same time. And the twist at the end! Wow!
I honestly have felt every emotion there is while reading this book. It's not my usual go-to type of book... but wow. It was beautiful and dark at the same time. And the twist at the end! Wow!
scorcheded's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
unhingedreader's review against another edition
3.0
2.5⭐️ Love the 40% buildup gothic aura here but after that I feel the romance is rather underdeveloped & just a tiny fraction here when it’s marketed as dark romance, more of the things that I really don’t care about. The never ending flashbacks is annoying
kavasghost's review against another edition
Dnf because the first 3 chapters gave me bad vibes
krishash05's review against another edition
5.0
I was pleasantly surprised by this book and am still surprised that this book is not so popular. Most of my reviews are based on the plot but this book also gets a nod for fantastic writing. Some of the sentences that are strung together were so hauntingly beautiful that I am sure at some point I will re-read to annotate. Re-reading a book is a huge deal for me so that says a lot.
This is an eerily dark book that kept me on the edge of my seat. This book made me feel a lot. We have suspense, romance, and MCs that are interesting and scarred for life. I am a sucker for characters like Lucian, trauma-ridden and internal battles. There are lists of morally gray characters who give off touch her and you die vibes, well Lucian tops the list. Better yet, he delivers it.
There are tons of trigger warnings though so please read them. I do have to note that I am not someone who reads books with a lot of TW. Some yes esp when it adds to character development. However, this was done so well. It was written enough to make you understand and fill in the gaps where needed but not so overtly that you'd wanna gag.
This is an eerily dark book that kept me on the edge of my seat. This book made me feel a lot. We have suspense, romance, and MCs that are interesting and scarred for life. I am a sucker for characters like Lucian, trauma-ridden and internal battles. There are lists of morally gray characters who give off touch her and you die vibes, well Lucian tops the list. Better yet, he delivers it.
There are tons of trigger warnings though so please read them. I do have to note that I am not someone who reads books with a lot of TW. Some yes esp when it adds to character development. However, this was done so well. It was written enough to make you understand and fill in the gaps where needed but not so overtly that you'd wanna gag.
sarag19's review against another edition
4.0
Master of Salt and Bones follow Isadora and Lucian, two people with darkness and pain in their history. Isa is hired on to serve of Lucian’s mothers companion, basically a babysitter to a confused old woman. Slowly they begin to be drawn to each other.
Isa and Lucian are both physically and mentally scared by the abuse inflicted on them over their life. Isa’s chapters are primarily present day and we are given hints as to the abuse that she suffered. Lucian’s chapters are both past and present, giving us hints into the title of mad son and how he came to have his damaged face. Its the perils of small town life for a girl that just doesn’t fit in due to her mother and the abuse the son of powerful parents will face to satisfy their own need. The role of the parent in guiding life choices is pretty powerful in this book, much of who Isa and Lucian are is shaped by the action of their parents.
When they do finally collide its pretty lust filled. I think what got me was I never felt like Isa was being controlled by Lucian. Despite the clear power dynamics there is no ultimatum laid out, he never used his position as employer to force her into something she is against. Isa has been seeking him out all by herself. There is no torture used to inflict pain upon Isa for Lucian’s pleasure, Lucian is attentive to the fact that Isa is damaged and never seems to push her past her boundaries. If anything, Lucian’s pleasure comes from Isa inflicting bits of pain on him as far as she is willing to go. Their romance is not light and happy, its things that transpire in the shadow, ruled more by the need to feel in control of themselves. Because that’s what this was for me, two people trying to fight for control of their demons while not shying away from the fact that they really aren’t the greatest of people, especially Lucian.
Lucian himself is not a very good person and he never tries to prove otherwise. He is who he is and uses the power that he has to protect people in his own twisted way. Truth most of the characters in this book are dark and broken in some way, whether from their desire for power or the desire of others forced upon them.
The ending did feel a little rushed to me and I wished that Isa and Lucian’s romance had been explored a little further. There is the dynamic of the age difference which seems to be brought up more often than I felt was necessary. I get it, there about 14 years apart in age and while I know it adds to the twists in the story, no need to beat us over the head with it. Yet this book is still about two damaged people finding each other and finding some level of comfort in the darkness that swirls around them, that does not come at the expense of hurting each other for their own personal pleasure.
Isa and Lucian are both physically and mentally scared by the abuse inflicted on them over their life. Isa’s chapters are primarily present day and we are given hints as to the abuse that she suffered. Lucian’s chapters are both past and present, giving us hints into the title of mad son and how he came to have his damaged face. Its the perils of small town life for a girl that just doesn’t fit in due to her mother and the abuse the son of powerful parents will face to satisfy their own need. The role of the parent in guiding life choices is pretty powerful in this book, much of who Isa and Lucian are is shaped by the action of their parents.
When they do finally collide its pretty lust filled. I think what got me was I never felt like Isa was being controlled by Lucian. Despite the clear power dynamics there is no ultimatum laid out, he never used his position as employer to force her into something she is against. Isa has been seeking him out all by herself. There is no torture used to inflict pain upon Isa for Lucian’s pleasure, Lucian is attentive to the fact that Isa is damaged and never seems to push her past her boundaries. If anything, Lucian’s pleasure comes from Isa inflicting bits of pain on him as far as she is willing to go. Their romance is not light and happy, its things that transpire in the shadow, ruled more by the need to feel in control of themselves. Because that’s what this was for me, two people trying to fight for control of their demons while not shying away from the fact that they really aren’t the greatest of people, especially Lucian.
Lucian himself is not a very good person and he never tries to prove otherwise. He is who he is and uses the power that he has to protect people in his own twisted way. Truth most of the characters in this book are dark and broken in some way, whether from their desire for power or the desire of others forced upon them.
The ending did feel a little rushed to me and I wished that Isa and Lucian’s romance had been explored a little further. There is the dynamic of the age difference which seems to be brought up more often than I felt was necessary. I get it, there about 14 years apart in age and while I know it adds to the twists in the story, no need to beat us over the head with it. Yet this book is still about two damaged people finding each other and finding some level of comfort in the darkness that swirls around them, that does not come at the expense of hurting each other for their own personal pleasure.
popcornn's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
readbylauren's review against another edition
3.0
3-3.5 stars. I have to be in the mood to read a dark romance but I was definitely impressed by this authors storyline. The secret society thing was nothing like I’ve ever read, so kudos for that! I liked both of the main characters and while I had some issues with how the heroine was written, it didn’t take away from the story. (No fault of the author just a pet peeve of mine). Wish there was more substance to their relationship since it felt more like a physical relationship than one built on emotion. Great read though for anyone who wants an dark romance with a damaged hero! Age gap was definitely a plus!