Thank you Netgalley and Bindery for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The ending of this book saved it. While I LOVED the precolonial setting of a country very similar to the Philippines culture and the general settings, that wasn't enough for me to completely enter the mood of the book. The main reasons being the pacing and the main characters in general.

While the writing is genuinely amazing, the author is this case when for book where tell overshadows the show part, that was one of the main reasons that didn't make the book click to me. The second being mainly angry at how 3/4 of the characters in this book behaved throughout the book. I do realize that she (Laya) had to have a character growth as it would have been impossible for the book to end in such a way (ending that by the way slapped) but still it's just unreal to think of her like someone that took so much to actually clear her head. Taking out that once again the toxicity in this book was way higher that I realized (the mean lesbian mommies should have just talk the whole thing out instead of waiting 22 years and a coup later).
Last thing being the pacing of the book, the for the first 2/3 or still the 65% of the book felt off, even if all the events contained in these pages happened in less than 2 days.

Still, do I want Laya to end up with Ariel? Hell yes.
Am I scared of book 2 now thanks to that ending? Again hell yes.

Do I think this was a good debut? Yes, I still think this is a decent debut, especially since we know the author can write such works.

3.25/3.5 ⭐️ 2.5🌶️ (there are quite few scenes but none go too much into focus)

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this eARC for the purpose of review.

The idea of this book was so intriguing that I couldn't wait to get started . I loathe long reviews so I will be brief. The pacing for the first two third of this book was rough for me. It felt like everything and nothing was happening all at the same time. The last third was phenomenal and made me so happy that I finished it! The characters are so toxic in the most compelling way and the world building was great. My biggest complaint is that the book is set in a pre colonial Filipino inspired island but all the dialogue and a lot of the descriptions feel...well colonized. While it wasn't perfectly suited to me, I'm sure that it will receive many 5 star reviews and I would be happy to explore the world again

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery (Violetear!!!) for this eARC!! This book was actually the reason I became a subscriber of Kevin’s.

I will preface this review by saying I am a Filipino-American woman who absolutely adores fantasy featuring female coming of rage stories. And it felt so GOOD and validating seeing one inspired by pre-colonial Philippines, written by a fellow Filipino-American! It also released on my birthday so the stars truly aligned for me for this book. Anyway, on to the review.

We mainly follow 3 women in this story, with a few minor POV changes throughout. Laya, the heir to the throne; Duda, the current queen; Imeria, the scorned ex-lover of the queen who wants the throne. All three of these women are very power-oriented, and want the throne/want to cling to the throne for a variety of reasons, but when you break it down to the basics, it’s all about control. The three of them have incredible powers, which is the reason the current family even has the throne, but some powers are more secret than others. This three-way battle for the throne leads to all sorts of alliances, betrayals, and extremely toxic relationships.

These characters are so toxic, and I mean that in the best way. It gives us the drama, it gives these characters depth and nuance. You honestly don’t know who to root for a lot of the time! With the exception of my beloved king Aki and little Eti, these characters are just one bad, selfish decision after another. They try to mask it like it’s the best option for everyone, but we know it isn’t. We know they just want to be in charge. And I love that for them.

Luntok was an interesting character. Have I ever seen a more delusional man? He is in love with Laya. Laya is in love with him. He’s the descendent of a traitor to the throne, so they can’t be together. But he’ll do anything to be with Laya - even if that “anything” is something that Laya expressly does not support. His character is so compelling because he acts like he’s driven by love, but really at this point, he’s driven by obsession.

The cultural representation was subtle but there! In the names, in the clothing descriptions, in the food. I’m not an expert in Filipino culture since my mom was so assimilated into the US at such a young age, but I always love to see it in books and other media.

And gosh what an ending!!! Samantha, you sure know how to hook a reader and leave them hanging off a CLIFF waiting for the sequel!!!!

This book is a stunning story featuring complex characters, all with differing and sometimes conflicting motivations. The island setting was beautifully descriptive and key element in the story. The inclusion of magic and Filipino mythology added such beautifully complex layers to the story as a whole. I found myself often seeing motivations from each characters perspective, and really enjoyed that each character was very multidimensional. Overall this was a very enjoyable read with a number of twists and turns!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Black Salt Queen by Samantha Bansil is a mesmerizing dark fantasy brimming with intrigue, power, and sacrifice. Set in a richly imagined world where the sea holds deadly secrets, the story follows a fierce heroine as she navigates betrayal, ancient magic, and her own destiny. Bansil’s lush prose and gripping plot twists keep readers enthralled, while the morally complex characters add depth to this haunting tale. A captivating read for fans of atmospheric and emotionally charged fantasy.

In a world of fantasy books, Black Salt Queen stands out. I love the setting and culture Basil created with this novel. It is rich and interesting and realistic in ways that sometimes feel painful. The characters are nuanced and complex. Precolonial Philippine culture is not something I was familiar with, but I feel like this novel genuinely taught me something, as well as telling an incredibly satisfying story. Upon finishing it, I had an in-depth conversation with my husband about some of the larger issues and topics addressed. Even now, I am still thinking about it. I believe this book will be a stand out- amongst the best of 2025.

I loved this book!

1. Great Worldbuilding
2. Great Character Development
3. I loved how it is different to what I have read before, this is a great read!

I think it is great to see more south Asian fantasy and this doesn't disappoint. Everything was beautifully written, the characters, the plots...everything! I loved the three perspectives, it really added to the story and the character development. The characters were really, really well written. I thought that despite there being heaps of characters, they were still well written - which can be hard! I also enjoyed the pacing of this novel, I felt like the plot was well developped throughout the story. I loved the political parts of the story, I found that interesting as well.

While the start of the book was on the slower side (world building often is, lots of exposition to squeeze in at the beginning) once it picked up, I couldn’t put it down! What a story of desire, power, sacrifice, and consequence — absolutely beautiful and haunting. I’ve been thinking about it for days since I finished it!

Firstly, thank you NetGalley & Bindery Books for providing me an ARC of this story!

This book was full of lush imagery, vivid detailing and powerful emotional conflict. From beginning (slowly wading into the world of political prestige and slighted lovers) to the shocking climax of the middle (which leads you to wonder what possible fate is left for these characters) to the sweeping conclusion (full of mystical battles and overcoming the odds) - this was an incredible journey to go on.

My one concern for the plot was the fact that the last third of the book felt very rushed, or better yet conveniently and quickly ended, in order to progress the story along faster. I felt as though MORE time could have been spent drawing out the final act to help make the high-stake consequences and actions have greater impact with the reader and to the story as a whole.

Overall (and with that tease at the end!?) I'm very much looking forward to a sequel and anything else this author creates in the future!

This book was one of my most anticipated for 2025, the synopsis and premise definitely had me hooked during the first few chapters, but by the end I feel like I was left wanting more.

The three female main characters were interesting, I enjoyed the suspense with which each of their secrets were revealed, and I feel like the author had a fairly firm grasp on the characterization for each of their personalities. However, the character development and relationship portions fell entirely flat for me. The character's emotions, motivations, and mental states would change from sentence to sentence, all within the same paragraph, to the point where you'll have Laya cycling through anger, agitation, resignation, and acceptance all within the same paragraph. It never felt like the characters were allowed to sit in their emotions nor let these emotions ferment, which ultimately resulted in all of the characters feeling like static caricatures with little to no strong development. Laya and Luntok's relationship felt far too much of an exact carbon copy of Duja and Imeria's relationship, to where the similarities felt like a heavy-handed telling of how history repeats itself. Both these relationships lacked depth, and the ending of the sapphic relationship in particular felt so predictable and grating.

On a world-building scale, the food and fashion of Mariit are granted lush and evocative descriptions that immediately immerse the reader into the world, but I feel like the brunt of the writing was so heavily weighted into these elements, that the other portions of the world felt empty in comparison. I liked how precisio was introduced, and I definitely feel like the inclusion of a high powered drug served to expand the world beyond Mariit, but the city itself felt so underdeveloped, with only a few throw-away lines to describe the canal structures and it's people, to the point where I feel like the narrative was sorely lacking in a non-monarchal perspective that would add more dimension to the story.

The writing itself was compelling and highly immersive, but there were times where it felt juvenile and unfinished. Frankly, the inclusion of the more graphic sex scenes felt like the only reason this book has been slotted into adult fantasy. The uneven fast (-ish) pacing, coupled with the anticlimactic final scene at the Black Salt cliffs, as well as the surface-level depth of political intrigue, did not feel mature enough to be an adult fantasy. The final battle had so many plot holes in regards to character movement and placement, that again, siphon back into a lack of physical world descriptors, that it was easy to get lost and confused in the mayhem.

I can see the merits in the story and the characters of this world, but overall this book felt like such an intermediary story, funneling into a set-up for the sequel. I am curious enough about the characters and their direction to pick up the next book, but I'm not holding out hope for anything particularly mind-blowing.

This sounded so interesting and with the author having a Filipino background I really thought I would enjoy this. But unfortunately this didn’t work for me.

The writing was my biggest issue. The book does a lot of telling instead of showing, especially when it comes to its characters. It was very boring to read, which is a shame because it could have been a great story but it felt so bland…

The pacing was a bit odd to me… but I could have gotten past it if the writing had been better.

I can see what the author was going for but it just didn’t work for me as a reader…

i think this could have had just a little more excitement for me but other than that, it was pretty good for a debut novel. i think it deserves a fair chance. plus i enjoyed reading about characters that were not white. definitely need more novels like this. if you're looking for indie and bipoc authors/stories, consider reading this one. plus the cover is absolutely stunning.

Told through several points of view, Black Salt Queen details a precolonial island nation in which the ruling family are the only ones left who posses any magical power.
Hara Duja Gatdula, the current queen, was never meant to rule. She fears her Heir, Laya, is not ready to rule.
Her former friend, Imeria, has resurfaced after two decades and come back into their lives.
And Imeria's son, Luntok, is now Laya's lover.
In a complex narrative, we explore the thoughts of these four interwoven characters in the fight for power and stability within the kingdom.

This story line is gorgeous. The actual plot points are interesting and I constantly wanted to know what happened next.
However, the writing itself leaves a bit to be desired.
The pacing of the story is painstakingly slow. In order to convey to us just how much we should dislike the Gatdula's, we're shown an entire festival detailing their power over their citizens. I understand it's necessary and we are not supposed to like the ruling family, but it's truly not very "eat the rich" of us to focus on this oppressive family. I'm hoping this is all in preparation for the sequel which will hopefully take the sparks of revolution which were doused in this book and instead use them in a constructive way now that our ruler has grown.
Another complaint about the writing style, I strongly dislike how we are shown the same scene from multiple points of view. We will end a scene from one character, then switch to another and start the scene all over again. Once or twice as a literary technique this can be beneficial to see things from another character's perspective, but when done too often it just continues to draw out the story line and mess up the pacing even further.
Overall, had this not been an ARC I felt obligated to finish I was met with multiple points throughout the book which made me want to put it down. I think the story had a lot of potential but overall was not executed to its full potential.

LOVE that we’re seeing more filipino fantasy in publishing rn, deserved !! out of the many i’ve seen coming out, i strongly think this one might be my favorite. this is also probably one of my favorites from the bindery books i’ve read— the imprints are acquiring fresh, interesting work in their respective genre spaces and this is no exception. the writing in particular is a strongsuit here— it’s gorgeous and intricate & exactly what fantasy prose should be. also, LESBIANS!!!!! the only weakness here is that the characters are not as strong as they should be for such a politically heavy story, but there’s so much potential here from bansil as an author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the eARC of Black Salt Queen. I requested this ARC based on the cover and description, and it blew me away. The imagery and world this author has created are completely engrossing. I loved the diverse representation, the tragic romance, and the magical elements.

I was a solid four stars until that last fourth of the book - superb culmination, wrapping up a lot of storylines (and preparing us for hopefully a book 2!). The characters are so well described by their actions, that conversations are almost secondary, but even the language that the speak to each other is beautiful.

I always prefer characters that are imperfect, and make bad decisions, even when coming from a good place. So many of the characters here are that, which makes for an even richer story.

You're a freaking liar author this is no debut. This is a masterpiece. Art. Poetry. A blessing to read. Thank you NetGalley and Violetear for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, my happiness lays in your hands.

A queen and her 3 daughters reign over a pre-colonial Philippines-inspired kingdom with powers blessed by the gods. They come at a cost, Duja the queen growing weaker and weaker with time. She seeks a cure to sustain her powers and keep her lovestruck petty daughter Laya from having to take the throne. Meanwhile, noblewoman and Duja's angsty ex-lover Imeria wants to usurp the throne, angered by their tragic falling out 22 years ago when Imeria revealed a secret that risked Hara's entire crown and legacy. Imeria's son Luntok is Laya's lover but they can't be together for the same reason Imeria and Duja couldn't be together: a bloody past and historic cultural divide too significant to ignore. Everything changes when they both separately get their hands on a drug that would let them achieve their goals. If you like:

complicated mother-daughter relationships
complicated sister relationships
complicated parenthood
complicated family really
"I want you but I can't have you" angsty romances
jibes at the colonial western world (my personal favorite)

then this is so for you. The story itself is told through multiple POVs mainly of Duja, Laya, and Imeria and multiple letters to and from different characters culminating towards an impending doom only you as the reader playing god blessed to see and understand all POVs can foresee. I was so hooked, I felt so many emotions while reading this. For example, second-hand embarrassment at Laya and Luntok's obsessive young love, dread at what I knew was coming, and pure glee at some beautifully crafted sentences. There was a colorful cast of characters but it was so easy to keep track of them all. We get the easy-to-hate but also very passionate spoiled princess Laya, the stressed but devoted mothers Duja and Imeria, the nerdy sweet scholars that balance their counterparts, and that bastard Luntok. Kidding! I (maybe) understand Luntok was also in a difficult position, torn between the princess he loves and the mother and people who rely on him. Still, I don't have to like him.

The book did come with some choppy parts, which is expected. The action scenes were written awkwardly and the pacing was off especially towards the end. About half the book is spent slowly building the plot and drama but the resolution and ending only had a few chapters that made for a rushed pace. I wish we got to see more about Bulan my poor neglected baby, especially since both her other sisters got chapters of their own and it felt odd that she didn't. Her history had POTENTIAL. And what about Pangil? I'm holding out though, I know there's a sequel.

Overall, absolutely beautiful colorful vibrant crazy debut. You better watch out author, I'm so binging everything you're ever coming out with from now on. 3.5/5

This isn’t my normal cup of tea, but I had a blast. I have been trying to make it more of a goal to read outside my comfort zone and read things I’m not sure I would love, but have elements I might like and this was one of those that smashed my expectations. I had a good time!

This was a beautifully done start to the Letters from Maynara series, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed in this type of book. The characters had that element that I was looking for and was hooked from the first page. It uses the fantasy element well and left me wanting to read more in this world. Samantha Bansil wrote this perfectly and am excited for more.

It's 2025 and Goodreads still doesn't allow for 1/2 star ratings, but just know that, in my heart, this is a 2.5.

On the one hand, I really like that the author integrated Filipino culture and history into this world. It's there where I think the writing particularly excelled, in bringing the culture of this world and the surroundings to life.

On the other hand, I was honestly let down by the writing in other aspects: namely, the characters. This book relies heavily on TELLING you the connections between the characters without actually letting the reader experience it for themselves. The reader gets told that the current Hara and her daughter have a contentious relationship, but you don't see quite enough of it to make it seem like her fears over succession are grounded in reality. I both wanted and needed a lot more to make the connections between the characters feel real and give weight to their conflicts and triumphs. As it is, though, I didn't and that made later plot points in the book not quite ring as true as the author wanted.

While the character work was the biggest point for me, I will also say that I felt like the pacing didn't quite work either. Things really speed up towards the end in a way where I was slightly confused as to what happened. Especially in the case of the epilogue, where it felt like there were certain character moments/revelations I would've liked to actually see on-page, but were only referenced in passing.

Overall, I can definitely see the vision, but it, unfortunately, fell flat for me. I think the author shows a lot of promise; I just need less telling and more showing, particularly when it comes to building up the characters.