Thanks to @netgalley for the chance to review Daughter of the Salt King by A.S. Thornton. The Salt King's most prized possession is his daughter, Emel, so that he can use her to grow his kingdom. She finds that her husband is the jinni Saalim, who she thinks might be able to set them both free. Check the trigger warnings, but overall, it was a sexy, enthralling read.

I enjoyed this tale. Had a very epic feel to it. I"m not sure I'll go onto read the next but I like the main character, the setting and idea behind it all. Though it did drag at times and felt a little slow

I really tried to enjoy this book and as gorgeous as the writing was I just couldn’t get into the book and ended up having to DNF it

This is such an interesting idea for a book and while I enjoyed the writing style it seemed to be a bit slow-paced for me. I didn't feel like I ever really got into the story. I hope to see more from this author as the potential is definitely there.

I wish I could say I liked this. I really wanted to like it! it was just so slow and confusing that by the end I wasn't quite sure what I had just read.

Content warnings: physical and mental abuse, mentions of rape/threat of rape

I had a really hard time trying to read/listen to this. Not because this was bad, but because of the subject matters that are in this book. The writing was absolutely beautiful and there were sentences that just hit you in the gut. I was just really uncomfortable with all the sexual stuff that I just couldn't enjoy this book.

Maybe it's because "Daughter of the Pirate King" has been on so many "to-read" lists... but I did get the two confused when I started listening to "Daughter of the Salt King." Oops-- this is definitely a waaay different read.

"Daughter of the Salt King" follows Emel... the daughter of the salt king. The Salt King is a gluttonous tyrant of the desert that expands his power by marrying off his daughters to local princes and high-ranking officials-- after the officials spend a few nights with the daughter to determine if the girl is the right fit for him. Emel dreams of a life outside of her father's court, but she is never chosen as a wife. 

Not the most exciting start to a summary of a story-- but the story gets good with the introduction of Saalim, the king's jinni.

This is a slow-burn love story, but it's more than just a 'forbidden romance.' There's a lot of world-building- Emel spends just as much time developing her relationship with her sisters as she does with Saalim. She learns about politics and history. I've read reviews that say this book is very 'adult'-- but the spice level is pretty low and there is quite a bit of fade-to-black. The seduction of the various princes is an adult topic, but the writing of it is pretty mild.

My only complaint is that while the book finishes the main story arc, it ends in a cliffhanger. Fortunately, "Son of the Salt Chaser"- the sequel/end of the duology looks like it will be released in November of this year.

Thank you Netgalley and Camcat books for providing me with an audiobook of this story. I highly recommend this fantasy romance for readers that enjoyed "The City of Brass" series, as well as for readers that want less spice and more romance/plot in their adult fantasy novels.

The author does have great prose. It was a bit to padded for the story being told. Great read for those wanting a nice escape as the writing and cinerary transports you.

I made it 35% into the audiobook and I'm just DNF this.

I have issues like a lot of others I've seen have with the sexual coercion of the king's daughters and find that horrifying and gross. Not to mention the moments of the king seeming to be interested in his own daughters sexually. I'm sure the shock value is part of the reason, but I don't enjoy the concept.

Mostly though, I just find this slow. So slow. I've listened to 4.5 hours and it feels like nothing has happened. I just am not interested in the characters, I'm no longer interested in the relationship between her and her sisters, and I am really not interested in this strange relationship she's developing with the jinni. I am no longer even sure why I was interested in this in the first place.

I'm sure there are good qualities somewhere, I'm just not willing to keep listening to find them.

This is sooo good! The story will keep you invested and will does disappoint. I have leaned more towards audiobooks since I have two babies and finding time to physically read a book is far and few between. Thank you for letting me review this!

Thank you to NetGalley and CamCat books for this audio book in exchange for my review!

In this story we follow Emel, one of the Salt King’s many daughters. The Salt King uses his daughters to increase his power by gaining allies through marriage. The visiting men get to sample the kings daughters before they choose one to be their wife. Emel dreams for freedom and her only chance of escaping the Salt King is to be married to a neighboring nobleman. As the story develops Emel meets her fathers jinni and they begin to fall in love.

Thornton’s writing style is really beautiful, I enjoyed the world building and the setting of the story. The details were really lush and it really pulls you into the desert setting. The romance was interesting but I think there were a few inconsistencies with the characters that bothered me as the relationship developed.

Overall, this story was not for me. The non consensual sexual content and familial petting was very uncomfortable and wasn’t something I could move past as I continued the story. It is definitely something to be aware of if you pick up this book.

I chose to listen to this and it was narrated by Vaneh Assadourian. She was an excellent choice for the story. Some made a reference to this being like an Aladdin tale but I thought it was much more. I was thrown into the life of a daughter of a powerful, ruthless king. She was one of many and faced many trials and heartache. Her life was not her own. I found it all very realistic. She really stumbles upon her chance to change her life for but it will come at a higher cost.
I enjoyed the romance when it finally happened and thought they were perfect for each other. Im still hoping for my HEA in book 2. It’s not a cliffhanger if you’re wondering. I’m giving this a high 4 because it was well done.
Thanks CamCat Books via Netgalley.

This is a read that took me by surprise. This story reminds me of an Aladdin retelling but of the point of view of Jasmine. I love how imaginative it is in the story telling. You really can get engulfed in the story, romance and world of Emil, our main character.

Even though the story is unique and can be captivating, the pacing of the story was off so I struggled to engage with the plot. There were times the dialogue lagged and kinda wanted to skip along for something that was more interesting. But were afraid to because something could happen that could be interesting.

For me, it was hard to read and get into the story because of the brainwashing our character endured. Emel was basically in a cult that her father had created. She strongly believed in her freedom only by marrying a man. That these suitors would bed one of the king's daughters to see if they would want to marry any of them. Basically getting a sample before making a purchase.

Personally this was a hard read even though it was beautifully written.

This is a pretty creative concept. Salt being something that many of us take for granted is a top commodity in this fictional world. It’s interesting to see the whole story unfold from the beginning with the incredibly patriarchal society world building, discovering the depths of the villain and then adding in the supernatural elements I found myself invested in the story.

This was longer than it needed to be though. After so long it felt like it was just dragging on and I was constantly checking how much was left.

Thanks to NetGalley, I got my hands on the audio version and the narrator was AMAZING! The voices for the characters were on point and made the story that much more interesting.

Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up

DNF at 40%. There has been no plot development and it’s almost halfway done. I listened to the audiobook, thought the narration was good. Some of the character accents used were surprising and tricky to follow following the un-accented narration.

Emel, the MC, is the daughter of the salt king, the cruel ruler of the dessert. Her only hope for freedom is marriage. After a band of rebels attack and ruin her hopes for a future, she discovers the secret to the salt king’s empire—a Jinni. She and the Jinni develop a relationship in the midst of unrest and rebellion.

Emel is just….dumb. She can be told things so many times and still be shocked when it happens. And she’s so passive about everything. I just can’t stand her.

My guesses at where the plot would go, eventually: Emel’s mom is a rebel, working with the people who attacked. The rebels want the Jinni. They end up not being “bad guys” per se cause we will eventually also be opposed to the salt king, as they are. Emel and the Jinni clearly fall deeply in love. They go to the edge of the desert. Emel uses a wish and the consequences are vast, mostly happy ending, no more salt king. Book 2 is premised on the Jinni not remembering things (from the synopsis) so my guess is she wishes for him to be free/human. Just my guesses.


I am so frustrated at the pacing. And the pages of internal monologue. And Emel being dumb.

I received the audiobook from NetGalley and CamCat Publishing. Thank you for the opportunity to read/listen!

The daughter of the salt king was absolutely beautiful and unique. I love the story and the unique characters within it. Great detail and thought was put into this. It is a great read for those that love a new take on an old tale.

Daughter of the Salt King is an immersive story into a kingdom in the desert. It is not a story for younger readers if you think this is a fairytale retelling. It does cover some adult topics.

It is definitely an escapist read and the descriptions transport you to this village in the desert where salt is a the currency of the day and as well as the Salt King’s daughters. He uses his daughters to gain power among the other kingdoms and this the story of one of his daughters.
Highly recommend if you like stories with djinn and how wishes can go awry.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I could tell from the name of this book it would be long, which is why i have put off starting it for so long... overall it was a pretty good, just long lol. Knew where the love story was going from the start too lol not sure if i would keep reading this series

Unique. Romantic. Exciting. 3/5

Daughter of the Salt King is the story of Emel, one of the many daughters of a cruel and powerful king. In order to gain their freedom, Emel and her sisters are forced to charm and seduce other rich and powerful men in hopes that they will want to marry them. Emel sees marriage as her only escape from her father's grasp but struggles to gain the attentions of the suitors. Once Emel secures a suitor, a series of unfortunate events ensure that threaten her future and her chance of freedom. Emel eventually meets the source of her father's success in the form of a wish-granting genie. They form a strong bond and fall in love. Together they must find a way to free themselves from their enslavement.

I enjoyed Daughter of the Salt kind because it was a pretty straight forwards love story. The female lead is strong, adventurous but fearful of the unknown; the male lead is kind, loving but chained to his duties. I do wish there were more world building and character development because the story often felt rushed and choppy. I wanted to know more about the outside city and it's people and while we do get more information, it is limited. Overall this was a fun romantic fantasy and I look forwards to the next in the series.

Audio: The narrator of this audiobook was good. She assigned accents to each character making it easy to distinguish who was who. While I do think she could have added more emotion to some of the more dramatic scenes, I apricated her performance. I would listen to audiobooks narrated by this individual again.

I received this book from #Netgalley as an audio book. This was an absolute amazing story. Drew me in from the beginning and held me until the last word. While it describes the hardships of an unforgiving life of having little worth other than how it benefits the salt king, it was also a love story and adventure of magic and Of course the Djinn.
The characters are very well developed and the world building was amazing. I felt like ai could be there the way I envisioned it. I am now ready for the second. I can’t wait.
Loved this story and look forward to more by this author.
Thank you!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4771433588