Daughter of the Salt King: Growth, Romance, & Magic

Daughter of the Salt King by A.S. Thornton
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 448
Goodreads

As a daughter of the Salt King, Emel ought to be among the most powerful women in the desert. Instead, she and her sisters have less freedom than even her father's slaves … for the Salt King uses his own daughters to seduce visiting noblemen into becoming powerful allies by marriage.

Escape from her father's court seems impossible, and Emel dreams of a life where she can choose her fate. When members of a secret rebellion attack, Emel stumbles upon an alluring escape route: her father's best-kept secret—a wish-granting jinni, Saalim.

But in the land of the Salt King, wishes are never what they seem. Saalim's magic is volatile. Emel could lose everything with a wish for her freedom as the rebellion intensifies around her. She soon finds herself playing a dangerous game that pits dreams against responsibility and love against the promise of freedom. As she finds herself drawn to the jinni for more than his magic, captivated by both him and the world he shows her outside her desert village, she has to decide if freedom is worth the loss of her family, her home and Saalim, the only man she's ever loved.

Daughter of the Salt King is a book propelled by the character growth. Emel, our protagonist, is resilient and tough, considering all she goes through. Although she’s brave at times and defiant at others, she still believes herself to be very small. Her self worth rests on how other men see her. This internal struggle is something most of us can relate to, even though it would be under much different circumstances. The idea of one’s value resting on others is something, I feel, a lot of us women learn from a very young age (think magazines, celebrities, beauty standards, etc). So, to read Emel’s growth from thinking she’s small and undeserving, to a woman who can put herself first, is something I enjoyed very much.

While the focus is on Emel’s character growth, this book is also a romance. I loved Saalim’s character and how his backstory was such a mystery. I always knew there was something he was hiding, but I couldn’t figure out just what it was. I think the romance between Saalim and Emel was very well developed. It takes its time but definitely warms you up to them together (so like somewhere in between a slow burn and insta-love). Where the main focus of the book is character growth, the second focus would be their romance – but I loved how Thornton blended the two together (that ending, guys).

As for the plot, since this is a character driven story, don’t expect tons of action. There is an underlying conspiracy afoot that intrigued me. It wasn’t quite what I expected. Once all the clues that were sprinkled throughout came together, it surprised me. Also, that ending was such a twist and totally heartbreaking! With that said, this would be the third focus of the story, so it’s chillin’ in the back seat. Because of this, the middle of the story can slow down a bit since so much goes into Emel’s character and her relationship with Saalim. 

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic debut! The characters were wonderful, even the side characters. There was complexity to each of them (including the bad guy). Emel’s transformation by the end of the book was satisfying to read. There’s romance and political intrigue and magic all rolled up into one with an ending that will break your heart but make you want the second book, like yesterday.

Content Warning: This book is NOT YA. It is an adult fantasy that deals with abuse (sexual and physical), and has a slight bit of incestual behavior.