Scan barcode
A review by lisyda
By Blood, By Salt by J.L. Odom
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am going to try my best to do this book justice with words that aren't nearly as well thought out as the author's within the confines of this book.
This book was lush, vivid, detailed and immersive. And one of my favourite parts about it is the fact that it's an homage to language. J. L. Odom's bio highlights her experience as an Arabic linguist in the U.S. Marine Corps and the influence of that background and her authority over the subject matter shines clearly throughout the whole book, in the world-building, in the religions and cultures represented within the Empire of Maurow, in the foods and music, in the landscapes.
It's a fantasy book in the sense that it takes place in an imagined world inspired heavily by the real-world Middle East, but there are no clear magical elements, except for the characters' own beliefs about, for example, their gods and the southern devils.
The story is told through multiple POVs, which I've really been enjoying recently and did so here as well. All the different main characters – Azetla, the Sahr, James, Verris – are built up as complex characters and we get to see their convictions and what drives them, at least to a certain extent. And yet, up until the very last moment, there are new and additional details revealed to the reader about the characters, while others are hinted at and, likely, some are still kept completely secret. So, yes, those last couple of chapters made me want to pick up the next book immediately!
Like I mentioned above, this story is an homage to language, which absolutely tickled my brain! The way Odom describes languages and their sounds, and the effect of language on people—stemming from both the language itself as well as from who it is being spoken by—is gorgeous. In addition to the descriptions of language, I found the prose itself to be very enjoyable with an easy flow and beautiful passages that I highlighted throughout.
If you're a fan of military fantasy, love books that are neither fast-paced nor slow-paced but sit comfortably in-between the two, and like the idea of a fantasy world inspired by the Middle East, then this book should definitely be on your radar!
I received an ARC of this book from the author via BookSirens and am leaving this honest review here voluntarily.
This book was lush, vivid, detailed and immersive. And one of my favourite parts about it is the fact that it's an homage to language. J. L. Odom's bio highlights her experience as an Arabic linguist in the U.S. Marine Corps and the influence of that background and her authority over the subject matter shines clearly throughout the whole book, in the world-building, in the religions and cultures represented within the Empire of Maurow, in the foods and music, in the landscapes.
It's a fantasy book in the sense that it takes place in an imagined world inspired heavily by the real-world Middle East, but there are no clear magical elements, except for the characters' own beliefs about, for example, their gods and the southern devils.
The story is told through multiple POVs, which I've really been enjoying recently and did so here as well. All the different main characters – Azetla, the Sahr, James, Verris – are built up as complex characters and we get to see their convictions and what drives them, at least to a certain extent. And yet, up until the very last moment, there are new and additional details revealed to the reader about the characters, while others are hinted at and, likely, some are still kept completely secret. So, yes, those last couple of chapters made me want to pick up the next book immediately!
Like I mentioned above, this story is an homage to language, which absolutely tickled my brain! The way Odom describes languages and their sounds, and the effect of language on people—stemming from both the language itself as well as from who it is being spoken by—is gorgeous. In addition to the descriptions of language, I found the prose itself to be very enjoyable with an easy flow and beautiful passages that I highlighted throughout.
If you're a fan of military fantasy, love books that are neither fast-paced nor slow-paced but sit comfortably in-between the two, and like the idea of a fantasy world inspired by the Middle East, then this book should definitely be on your radar!
I received an ARC of this book from the author via BookSirens and am leaving this honest review here voluntarily.