I fell in love with the first book in this series, "The Pomegranate Gate", just about a month ago. The writing was gorgeous, the story intriguing and the characters were just absolutely amazing. So of course I was excited to read the sequel, which still holds up most of the qualities of its predecessor. I wasn't quite as in love with it, but it's still one of the best current fantasy series I'm reading.

Kaplan's writing is just as beautiful as it was before, no surprise there. The humour that I really liked in book 1 is still present, yet much more rare, which isn't surprising either because the stakes are much higher now. The book picks up right where we left off, with our main protagonists, Naftaly and Toba, both on their seperate quests towards the same goal. While Naftaly has his now finally freed lover at his side as well es Elena and the old woman (who are still scene stealers, especially the latter), Toba travels with Asmel who is rather rapidly losing his memory. My one wish for book 2 was that I'd love to see Naftaly and Toba interact more, and well - yeah, no. Once again their stories are connected yet seperate. Toba's character development is amazing and I loved following her every step of the way. I do feel like Naftaly suffered immensely from having barely any agency, as most of the plot is just happening to him, he remains largely passive until the last few beats of the story and I didn't really enjoy the way the characters around him, Barsilay especially, kept infantilizing him. Though admittedly that is an active choice and is talked about in the story, it's just not the kind of story I personally would have liked for him because the development is a little too low-energy. I do think the next book will improve on this, at least the ending very much promises that.
Asmel is side-lined for a big part of the book but well, he's losing his memory, there's only so much a guy who can't remember his own name can do. Barsilay on the other hand grows more important and involved by the minute, and I really enjoyed his struggle with being the heir of Luz, being constantly pushed to declare himself king, while also really really not wanting to be either heir or king or anyone with similar great responsibilities.
There's more focus put on the romances this time around, and they were both fine. Toba and Asmel had some amazing scenes together, and Naftaly and Barsilay were mostly really cute. I didn't enjoy some aspects of them (Naftaly's sudden jealousy for example, that was then easily thrown out the window with one conversation), but I still loved both romances a lot. Special Points for the book actually acknowledging, via my fave old woman, the difficult aspects of Naftaly and Barsilay's relationship - Naftaly is a young mortal guy, after all, and Barsilay a really old, really immortal, really powerful Mazik. Absolutely wishing for the old woman to take Barsilay aside next book and really make him fear for his life. The relationship I was most interested in was not a romantic one, though, but the one between Toba and Tsira. Avoiding any kind of spoilers for what was one of the greatest and most gutwrenching scenes of the first book, I could not wait to see what would happen between these two in the aftermath. I loved their chapters together, I loved how they left of and I cannot wait to see how this storyline develops in the next book.
Also shoutout to the Peregrine. You're my girl, girl, and I support your rights and your wrongs equally.

I felt like the pacing struggled a little, especially during the middle parts of the book. There are a lot of filler-like chapters that don't really add anything to either the plot nor the world-building or the characters. The plot almost felt meandering at times and the intrigue of the actually amazing story suffered for it. While I do understand why the whimsical aspects of the first book, including aforementioned humour, were toned down now that the end of the world they know is looming over the characters, I did miss the fun I had with the first book. I also felt like most of the book was basically there to set up the next one, so it definitely suffers from second book syndrome - Naftaly's side of the story more so than Toba's.

This is, all in all, probably a classic 3-star-sequel. The writing is wonderful, the characters mostly remain great or at least have the potential to become great again, I still love the concept of the mirror worlds. The book suffers from many things a lot of middle books suffer from and it doesn't reach the highs of its predecessor, but it's still a good continuation of the first book's story and sets up an amazing finale, I'm sure of it. And mind you, I still really liked "The Republic of Salt" and loved what it added to the world building, and the attack on Zayit and all that surrounds it is superbly done. Which is why I gave it 4 stars in the end - because it's a great series in a unique world and it gave me so much joy reading it, flaws be damned.

Picking up directly where The Pomegranate Gate left off, The Republic of Salt plunges us back into the world of political intrigue, magic and maziks. This sequel was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it more than delivered. After falling in love with the first book, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. This second installment builds on everything I adored in the first and takes it to another level.

While this book has more action and plot, the heart of the story remains the characters. Kaplan crafts characters that feel so authentic and distinct, it’s impossible not to get invested in their journeys. Every point of view is compelling; there isn’t a single perspective I dreaded going back to.

This book expands on the worldbuilding, particularly the expansion of the mazik realm. We finally get to explore a mazik city and delve deeper into the intricacies of their society.

I didn’t want this book to end—I could happily spend forever with these characters. I can’t wait for the next book to be announced.

THE REPUBLIC OF SALT lacks the fun energy of THE POMEGRANATE GATE - while I still enjoyed the world building, the plot was a lot slower paced and felt a bit meandering at times, following the characters, who are split into two separate groups, from place to place.

I also really disliked both romantic relationships, which both feature an age/power differential and also just felt very flat to me - why do any of these people like each other? (especially Naftaly, a character I found particularly grating and needy in this installment).

Note that this book doesn't really really have a self contained arc/plot of its own and reads a lot like the set up for the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing an eARC of The Republic of Salt by Ariel Kaplan in exchange for this honest review.

If you or someone you know is a lover of epic fantasies, please get these books as a gift for the holiday season!

Last year when I read The Pomegranate Gate, I was struck by this whole new world of mythology that I was previously blind to. It was beautiful and brutal, and I found myself wanting more from a series that I was not seeing nearly enough hype over. Here I am, book two, and still wondering why the heck there aren't more people talking about these books. I mean seriously guys, please just pick them up.

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What would you do if you found yourself in a mirror of your own world with otherwordly beings who live half their lives in a dreamworld? How about finding yourself split in two, and now these two selves can their own thoughts and feelings.

Or maybe you find yourself dreaming of visions that don't make any sense to you. You see futures full of fire and death, or cats eating fish by a canal, but not enough knowledge to save the day.

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The characters in this series are so well fleshed out, I really cannot recommend this enough. Toba Bet and Asmel are so comforting to me, and I love the little poutiness from Barsilay when Naftaly just refuses to listen to him.

I do sometimes find myself a bit lost in regards to what something is, but there is a very handy guide in the book to let you know what all the mythology terms are and that is extremely helpful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc<3
I gave The Pomegranate Gate 5 stars when I read it earlier this year- I thought it was so interesting and unlike any other fantasy I had read. I still stand by that which is why I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this one. I think unfortunately this book suffered a bit of “second book syndrome.” We spend a lot of time (like over 100 pages) in the beginning just traveling (which I’m typically cool with) but it just felt really boring and much less character heavy than I remember the first book being. I also had a pretty hard time trying to remember and understand what we were doing and why from the first book- I think I did this book a huge disservice by not re-reading The Pomegranate Gate. This is an arc which I know means that it is not a final copy, but I thought it was worth mentioning that there were a hefty amount of grammatical and spelling errors throughout. I enjoyed a couple of the character arcs we saw in this but I was also disappointed by how other characters seemed to completely fall flat. Overall I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t enjoy it either. I will definitely be re- reading both books before the third comes out next time.

Excellent book, loved it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

Last year I absolutely loved The Pomegranate Gate, the first in Ariel Kaplan's Mirror Realm Cycle trilogy. Set during the Spanish Inquisition but in a differently named world and a whole Mazik realm, it was a book that was a little bonkers and a ton of fun. Now, the second installment is here: The Republic of Salt. Now that the various groups of characters have come together, they’re immediately split apart again, this time in different groups and with new goals to achieve. They’re all on the run, but how can they find safety with so much danger around and so much at stake?

Tropes & Narrative Devices:
- Characters on the run
- Various magics and fantastical beings (like demons)
- Rising tensions, politics, and the threat of war
- Third-person narration, following all main characters

What I Liked:
- Shifting friends and foes. Who you thought were allies and who were enemies before may not be the same now! Unexpected alliances and constantly changing goals keep readers on their toes as the myriad characters are continuously thrown into new pairings and groups. But can they trust the people who were once on the opposite side?
- Relationship between Barsilay and Naftaly. In the previous book, I was surprised and delighted by the unexpected connection between Naftaly and Barsilay. Here, their relationship is explored much further, and despite their very different circumstances, I like the dynamic between them. Both are always a joy to see on the page.
- Deepening look at the Mazik realm. Whereas the first book was split between the real world and the Mazik one, this sequel is primarily set in the Mazik realm. Moreover, we get a deeper sense of the magic systems and what each of the characters is able to do. Now beyond the fantasy version of Spain, much of this book took place in Zayit, roughly where Venice is in real life. I’m already excited about where the characters will end up in the final installment (no spoilers here though)!

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- The Republic of Salt falls into the all-too-common trap of feeling like a bridge between the first and final books of the trilogy. It was a bit slow to begin, and overall is building up to what I expect will be a spectacular end.

Final Thoughts
The Republic of Salt isn’t quite as zany as the first book was… or perhaps I’ve just gotten used to this fantasy world. But it’s still full of humor and charm, and I love the various characters. My favorites are currently Barsilay and the old woman. And the calico cat!

While this book feels like a connector between the first and third installments, it still stands tall in its own right and is a quick-paced, engaging read. It leaves us on quite the cliffhanger; I cannot wait to read the final book in the Mirror Realm Cycle trilogy!

The Republic of Salt is the second novel in the Mirror Realm Cycle series. After enjoying the first novel, The Pomegranate Gate, last year, I was curious to learn about the contents of this sequel. Since it has been some time after reading the first novel, I was nervous that it would take a long time to re-immerse myself in the story; however, Kaplan managed to help put the reader right back in the story. Like the first novel, this story is full of Jewish mythology and culture. I enjoyed the integration of mythology into the fictional story and felt Kaplan did a great job.

In this story, Toba and Asmel are in the mortal realm while in the Mazik world there is Rimon, Elena, and Barsilay while Naftaly is dealing with visions. It is a very plot-driven story, so there are moments where I wished there was a little more focus on the characters. It is a difficult balance in most novels, but since it is possible, I did wish that this novel found a little more balance. The pacing in this story is a little slow at times, where I did wish it would speed up a little, but there were others that fit my ideal pacing. There is a lot of switching between the POVs as the reader needs to “keep up” with what each character is doing to help move the story forward. The writing, style, and pacing are all like the first novel where stakes are both high and low, so if you enjoyed the first novel, then you will enjoy this one. It was a good story, and I look forward to more from the author in the future.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Erewhon Books, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

I had zero expectations and guess who had such a fun time while reading this. Love the plot very much, the characters and to be honest everything

Its 2 Pomegranate 2 Gate!!! This book took everything exciting and interesting from the installment and tripled down, to great effect. The world becomes so much more developed in this one, with deeper explorations of the magic system, character growth, and lots of twists and turns. Even though it was clearly a set up for the finale, this book really advanced the plot and leveled up in all the right ways. And most importantly, the vibes remain absolutely excellent.

Some random mildly spoiler-y thoughts:
<start spoiler>
- Sorry to OG Toba, but Toba (bet) rules
- The new POV characters are so much villainous fun. I was really into the dynamics with the Courser and the Peregrine, obviously.
- Who is the old woman??
- Can there be just a modicum more spice in these books?
- Poor Zayit
<end spoiler>

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! If you enjoyed The Pomegranate Gate, you will not be disappointed by The Republic of Salt. I'm usually not impressed by sequels, especially the second book in a trilogy, but this one exceeded my expectations. We get to see our favorite characters return, plus some secondary characters introduced in book 1 grow in surprising ways. I think what makes this book shine is the dialogue. The arguing and banter is so much fun. I don't want to say too much about the book and spoil any surprises, but be prepared for more magic, more Maziks, more lentils, and a LOT of salt.

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for the digital advance copy. My opinions are my own.

The Republic of Salt returns to the story of Naftaly, Toba (Bet), and their mortal and Mazik companions as La Caceria grows in power, threatening war and destruction. The last book focused on the city of Rimon. This one brings readers to the city of Zayit, which is similarly vibrant, bursting with magic, mystery, intrigue, and danger.

Even as the stakes get higher in this book, it's still the characters that are the real highlight. Everyone, including the side characters, is precious and needs to be protected at all costs. Asmel is sidelined a little bit, which is disappointing, but he's busy losing his memory, so it's not his fault. Aside from him, every character is such a pleasure to read about. The developing dynamic between Toba and Tsifra is extremely compelling. Elena and the old woman are just as fun and sassy as they were in The Pomegranate Gate. Obviously Barsilay and Naftali are super cute. Barsilay's own personal conflict about kingship is interesting, and it's refreshing to see him refuse to buy into the idea (that shows up in a lot of fantasy) about how the right monarch can make monarchy good. At this point, it's not particularly subversive for a fantasy book to take a stance against monarchy, but this one does do a good job of showing how tempting crowning kings can be, even when it goes against everyone's values.

Another highlight of the book is the worldbuilding. The Jewish and Kabbalistic inspiration is obviously a treat, but the magic system itself is also interesting. It's quirky and trippy, and it never takes itself too seriously. Although it's not always a lighthearted book, the narration is still full of subtle humor. Overall this series is proving to be an absolute gem.

An excellent continuation of the Mirror Realm Cycle!

Left stranded on separate sides of the gate after a harrowing encounter with La Caceria, Toba, Naftaly, and their comrades must continue on their quest to restore the Luz Gate and stop Tarses once and for all. It's a race against time as Tarses continues his machinations and begins to move on the city of Zayit. New alliances will form, bonds will be tested, and each of our heroes will find themselves pushed to their breaking points. But the decisions ahead are not easy and just one wrong move could lead to disaster.

The Republic of Salt sees a deepening of the mirrored worlds of humans and maziks alike and a development to the characters that really pushes the narrative forward. Just as colorful and descriptive as the first installment of the Mirror Realm Cycle, The Republic of Salt does not disappoint. Admittedly, it's been a while since I read The Pomegranate Gate, so I had some trouble remembering what had happened previously but that did not stop my enjoyment of this novel.

Toba and Naftaly remain compelling as the main characters and the cast of supporting characters that surrounds them is as strong as ever. I truly enjoyed getting to know the Courser better in this installment and coming to know the Peregrine. Character motivations are made clearer for several of the parties involved and we really begin to see how high the stakes are. Their world is coming to an end, there is no question about it.

The pacing of this installment is considerably slower in the beginning but once it does pick up it is a race to the finish line. The entire last portion of the novel is a constant confrontation fraught with adrenaline that climaxes in a frustratingly perfect cliff hanger. I cannot wait to continue this series and see how everything resolves. There are still so many decisions to make, so many things that could go wrong. I'm on the edge of my seat and I will remain so until I finally read the conclusion of this epic tale.

The Republic of Salt is the enthralling sequel to The Pomegranate Gate. After an intense clash with La Caceria, Toba and Asmel are trapped on one side of the Gate, while Naftaly, Barsilay, Elena and the old woman are trapped on the other. They encounter enemies old and new, make new allies, see enemies become allies and back again, all while desperately fighting for survival and sanity.

I was as engrossed by this book as I was by the first one. While it took me a little while to get back into the setting, the characters and plot were deeply compelling. The whole thing had a constant sense of being borne along on a raft atop a gushing river, not quite in control but doing your best to steer towards safety.

I adore each of the characters and the romances. There were some genuinely nailbiting moments, as each of the characters was pushed to their limits. I'm already strapped in and waiting for the next installment.

This was a great continuation of the Mirror Realm series, but this review is going to be a bit hard because there were things that I LOVED, and a few elements that I didn’t. 😕

First the positives. I thought the expansion of the world was done very well with the addition of Zayit. As a fantasy version of Venice, I really liked that Kaplan drew historical elements from the real life city while still making it feel different and new. The character development for all the ones introduced in the first book was wonderful to see and I really enjoyed seeing a more reckless Toba (even though she irked me at times), a more insightful side of Naftaly, and the wonderful expanse of the old woman’s banter with the group. 😂

The things I didn’t particularly like were the romances between Toba and Asmel and Naftaly and Barsilay. It just felt groomish to me or for someone who really enjoys a weird 600-something-year-old magical being who loves hitting on a freshly turned 20-something year-old. Just made me feel a bit weird reading it half the time. 🤢

But really though, this should be on your radar regardless of the romance. The world building, the magic system, hell the food magic done here? Come prepared with snacks. I’m really excited to see where Kaplan will go with the third book, but also really hopes she restates the plots again because man I was slightly confused here and there. 😅

Big thank you goes out to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review. Also, @lookma.i.read and I are starting a petition (now that our buddy read is over) to have a spinoff or a novella of the old woman and her background. She’s too boss bitch to NOT have an origin story!! ❤️

Publication date : October 22!!

Overall: 3.75/5 ⭐️

3 Reasons to Read:

- Kaplan has an original feeling & fascinating hold in fantasy. She’s a “new-er voice” & I’d argue with my heavy fantasy lovers, this series needs to be in their TBR’s.

- This magic system was made for foodies. My goodness- I’m so hungry after reading this. Lentil soup, anyone?

- The world building kinda gives me Inception, the movie, x mythology-vibes My favorite were the mud animals & the carnivore horses…. But really, lots interesting gems at play here that Kaplan builds.

3 Things to Consider…

- Is it weird to love the characters growth and dialogue but still dislike their decisions for romance? I need to believe and root for the love. And there was plenty of romance… but I felt like this extent was almost not needed. But note, it’s closed door and not spicy.

- I don’t know when we’ll see updates for the next book, but I have no idea what comes next. And though I’ll ponder this for months, if incomplete series drive you nuts, take note.

- In Book 1, I had an audio/kindle mix and I missed having that option in book two. (Don’t get me wrong @netgalley & Kensington Publishing- I am forever grateful for the ARC on this- I didn’t realized I had become attached to the narrator’s style in the heavier parts of the book).


3.75/5 Rounded Up because I’m excited to watch Kaplan’s catalog grow.

DNF around 20%

I had some mixed feelings about The Pomegranate Tree but was interested in reading on with this series. Unfortunately the start of this second book was not at all compelling to me. I got 20% in and there was barely any progression. Adding on to that is that we follow a lot of different point of views. We literally switch every scene, from one group to another. It would have helped this book had it focused more on a few central characters like Toba and Navalny and only occasionally used other characters if absolutely nessecary.

I loved jumping back into this world and mythology, and especially back with these characters. They're multi-faceted, and their interactions and relationships with one another are fascinating to see how they develop, especially Toba Bet (her developing relationships include herself).

(That's not to say she's my favourite, Barsilay still exists so . . . )

The magic system and world continues to take very direct inspiration from Jewish folklore, which is lovely and unique. This book was more of a road novel in that our characters were traveling for much of the book, and while I'll get to the plot in a moment, the format did give more glimpses of the world itself, which I loved.

However, having so much of the story be the different groups traveling did make the story seem a bit meandering and very much fall into the middle book trope of moving pieces into place for the grand finale.

I don't doubt that the finale will indeed be grand. We have fascinating world building, intriguing magic and lore, and absolutely compelling characters with stakes. There's so much to this series, that to be quite honest, this book did get by a bit on the goodwill built up from the first instalment when it comes to things like plot and character development. But sometimes, that's still enough to have a good time.

Thank you to the publisher, Erewhon Books, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

Well loved the writing style, liked the humour and liked the fantasy elements. I haven’t read the first instalment so that might have impacted my experience. I didn’t quite bond with the characters and the travelling part was perhaps a little long. I will read the first instalment as it gets great reviews. Thank you to the author. Thank you to # NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I felt that the characters took a back seat in this book. There was so much happening in the book that the characters felt flat. I also felt that the first third of the book was really slow and boring while they were traveling.


Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.