REVIEW: By Blood, By Salt by J.L. Odom
By Blood, By Salt is the debut novel by J.L. Odom and the recently crowned champion of Mark Lawrence’s tenth Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO), narrowly edging out second-place finisher Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson. In his own review of the book, Mark Lawrence declared By Blood, By Salt to be “one of my favourite of the 10 champions to date (selected from 3,000 entries).” This is high praise indeed from the founder of the SPFBO contest, and it’s easy to see why.
The desert world of By Blood, By Salt recalls that of Master Assassins by Robert V.S. Redick, fully realized with a long and detailed history. From the opening pages of the novel, the worldbuilding feels natural and immersive, never a chore for the reader. I especially enjoyed learning about the various religions and conflicting superstitions that are presented from multiple perspective.
The lead protagonist of By Blood, By Salt is Azleta, an outsider known as the jackal who is thrust into the middle of a burgeoning political conflict. Azleta is an outstanding protagonist, easy to identiy with and full of nuance.
All characters are well developed, including the main antagonist of the novel, a devilish being known as the Sahr. It is unclear whether Sahr is human or something supernatural. One of the delights of reading By Blood, By Salt is peeling back the layers of mystery surrounding this seemingly inscrutable creature.
By Blood, By Salt is full of subtlety. The narrative is a slow burn but well worth the time invested. J.L. Odom writes with the elegance and maturity of Robin Hobb, poetic without being flowery, accessible yet having a certain gravitas that demands the reader’s full attention. The story is full of meticulously crafted details that seem repetitive at times but end up contributing to the depth of the novel.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with By Blood, By Salt and recommend this book to anyone looking for a mature, complex, and elegantly written fantasy. Grimdark fans will especially appreciate the subtle but complex gray morality presented throughout the novel.
I originally reviewed By Blood, By Salt as part of the Before We Go Blog team.
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