Waters of Salt and Sin
By Alisha Klapheke
Amazon, 2017
Back Cover:
Set in a lush, high-fantasy world inspired by ancient Mediterranean cultures, Waters of Salt and Sin is perfect for Game of Thrones and Sabaa Tahir fans.
When seventeen-year-old salt witch Kinneret learns of a lost island of silver, she sets out to find it, raise her status, and finally have a chance to wed Calev, the high-caste friend she secretly loves.
But when a madman enslaves her sister, Kinneret must make a deal with the local ruler: Find the island to secure the ruler’s place in history. In return, the woman’s fighting sailors will rescue Kinneret’s sister.
Using Salt Magic to navigate cursed waters, Kinneret and Calev struggle to hide their taboo, caste-breaking feelings, knowing if the ruler witnesses the attraction, she will cancel the agreement. But when Calev makes a terrible mistake, Kinneret must choose between the life of her only remaining family member and saving the boy she loves from a traitor’s death.
My Review:
17-year-old Kinneret has been raised knowing the power of controlling the seas. Just like the high caste members of Old Farm who pray to the fire, she whispers to the waters, who come to her aid.
Kinneret is a strong willed force to be reckoned with. She has her sights on raising her and her younger sister from low caste to high caste, and proving her worth to marry her best friend, Calev. She’s an admirable character, with her biggest flaw being not thinking things through. Because of this, she gets into trouble a LOT in the book, which I feel could’ve been avoided. However, her strong head obeys her heart. Some of the characters feel a little rushed, but overall the writing is pretty solid.
I definitely enjoyed the description in this book the most. Alisha Klapheke has a great eye for intrinsic detail. The book is a relatively easy fantasy to get into, and a quick read with lots of dialog and interesting plot points. I would recommend this series to a Young Adult audience or adults young at heart.
*Soapbox* Some of my readers might hold issue with the term “salt witch,” but in a fantasy novel, I think it’s totally acceptable and overall, the values in this book are ones that I would be comfortable passing to my children. Just keep an open line of communication with your kids; don’t stop them from reading what interests them.
Bold Reads 