If you love the idea of Beauty and the Beast meets pirates, then you have to read A Curse of Salt. While I think pieces of it were a little limited by the retelling aspect, I still enjoyed this one! Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
In a kingdom that fears the sea, Ria Lucroy longs to be brave.
Bodies are washing ashore and everyone knows who’s to blame. Legends of the Heartless King shroud the continent in fear; they call him a pirate, a monster, a god. When his mercenaries raid her father’s merchant ship, Ria’s family is faced with a horrifying demand. They will spare his life, in exchange for one of his daughters.
Determined to save her sisters, Ria launches herself into the world of pirates. Face-to-face with the Heartless King, she finds he is far more than the stories told. He is a man, with a human name and blood-stained hands, bound to the seas by a centuries-old curse. As their chemistry blooms into something more, Ria finds herself caught in an ancient web of secrets.
Battling creatures of the deep alongside those that reign its surface, Ria discovers that some curses aren’t so easy to break.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
First of all, I am historically not the biggest fan of Beauty and the Beast. That being said, A Curse of Salt ended up straddling the line for me. The elements I didn’t like – mainly the erosion of consent – were largely absent and the elements I’ve always loved – the library – were wonderful touch stones. I was pleasantly surprised with A Curse of Salt in the retelling aspect. I especially enjoyed the found family or crew dynamic as well as it’s one of my favorites of the original too.
That being said, I felt like some of the elements were a bit hasty or a little shallow. However that might be due to the fact that this book was originally thought of as a series and then was turned into a stand alone. Plus Street will be expanding or writing in this world in the future so that gives me lots of hope and promise! There are some intriguing elements here I enjoyed. The pirate scenes and the battles were fantastic! So if you’re searching for Beauty and the Beast meets pirates this is an easy choice!
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In A Curse of Salt I also enjoyed the dynamic between Ria and the Heartless King. Give me a love interest who is hiding secrets and is ‘only recently since he met you more vulnerable’ any day. Find A Curse of Salt on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, & Blackwells.