Review: By Blood, By Salt
J.L. Odom’s prose is striking; lyrical without ever becoming too flowery. There’s a quiet elegance to the writing that makes even slower-paced sections compelling. I found myself fully immersed, often reading for long stretches; it wasn’t the pace that kept me going, but the quiet power of the world and its characters.
The worldbuilding is both rich and believable. The story is set in a desert land still scarred by old conflicts and a simmering rebellion. I especially enjoyed learning about the different beliefs, superstitions, and cultures. It felt like a real world with its own languages and traditions, everything felt thought-out and naturally woven into the story.
What really stands out are the characters. They’re messy, complex, and feel deeply human. Their internal conflicts are as gripping as the external ones. I believed in them — in their flaws, their loyalties, their contradictions. Azetla, especially, is a compelling protagonist, haunted by the roles others impose on him and the question of who he might be if freed from them.
There are a couple of POVs, but it primarily centres on Azetla, an outsider caught in the swirl of political unrest. He faces deep-rooted prejudice, and one of the missions involves capturing someone from a region feared for its supposed Sahr devils. The mystery around this group is handled really well; it kept me curious the whole time.
While the plot moves at a slower, measured pace, it feels intentional; the careful laying of foundation stones for greater conflicts ahead. There’s a strong sense that this is just the beginning: an intelligent, character-driven introduction to a larger and more intricate story.
Recommended for readers who enjoy character-focused fantasy with thoughtful cultural worldbuilding during political unrest.
The following quotes/passages contain some minor spoilers.
He hated this place. It has shown him who he really was, and he had not liked the knowledge. No one does at first.
He felt a fool, but perhaps it mattered whose fool.
Would he ever be seen thus? Could he ever inspire this depth of loyalty? Could he lead thus? Could he ever be something other than Verris’ construction?
And then, as with a fever breaking, it wasn’t anger anymore – just that soft, useful bristle of frustration, with something heavy and hollow lying underneath.
There were times where Azetla would have given his very left hand to be seen as a blank ledger, to be filled in by his own actions, not by tales, hatreds, and histories all established long before he ever opened his mouth.
He hated that he had said that, and yet he still felt justified in it. And he hates that too.
But I’ve found that what you need are the raw facts, even if they’re a thousands leagues from what you want. Because once you know them, you’re trapped by them.
‘So. It never occurred to you to secure your safety by simply… stepping down?’ ‘No,’ Azetla said. ‘By that way, I die regardless, but at a different hour, with a different justification. And I would have behaved in a craven manner to get there…’
Every victory you have will be theirs and every failure will be yours alone, so drink up, easterner.
