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Blood and Salt #1
Blood and Salt
Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn in this one-of-a-kind romantic horror.
“When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in—blood and salt.”
These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time.
Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town’s history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own.
As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself—and discover the truth about Quivira before it’s too late. Before she’s all in—blood and salt.
“When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in—blood and salt.”
These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time.
Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town’s history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own.
As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself—and discover the truth about Quivira before it’s too late. Before she’s all in—blood and salt.
341 pages, Hardcover
First published September 22, 2015
About the author
Kim Liggett
9 books2,186 followersKim Liggett, originally from the rural midwest, moved to New York City to pursue a career in the arts. She's the author of Blood and Salt, Heart of Ash, The Last Harvest (Bram Stoker Award Winner), The Unfortunates, and The Grace Year. Kim spends her free time studying tarot and scouring Manhattan for rare vials of perfume and the perfect egg white cocktail.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 545 reviews
October 8, 2015
“What’s a wreathing ceremony?” I asked as my brother lagged behind with the bags.If by "Children of the Corn meets Romeo and Juliet" you mean lots and lots of actual corn and a love triangle without being the least bit frightful, then sure, this book is just like Children of the Corn meets Romeo and Juliet!!!
“It’s very special.” Beth led us along the lakeshore. “It only happens once every seventeen years. A week before the ritual, the chosen daughter from the Larkin bloodline picks a boy from the Mendoza bloodline to walk the corn with on the summer solstice. Your bloodlines have been specifically bred for each other. For this occasion. It’s so romantic.
Ashlyn and her twin brother Rhys are just normal teenagers livin' in the big city, except for the fact that Ash sometimes sees a dead girl, and their mom...well.
“Did Mom seem weird to you?”...Yeah. All's well and good until Mommie Dearest starts spouting weird shit and then lo and behold, disappears. Ash has a vision of a weird ass woman who appears out of nowhere and tells them that their mom has disappeared to Kansas and into all the corn, so all they have to do is go to Kansas and find her.
Rhys shook his head and laughed. “I don’t even know how to answer that.”
I scanned the crowd. “Weirder than usual.”
“Other than the fact she believes she’s part of an invisible cult where our five-hundred-year-old ancestor is performing corn rituals and Coronado from my eighth-grade history class is terrorizing the world in an attempt to keep his immortality . . . not really.”
So these two teenaged siblings go off to Kansas to find their mom based on Ash's vision. Sure, why not. Why the fuck not?
In Kansas, they encounter corn. Lots of lots of corn.
I pulled over into a makeshift lot full of old rusted-out cars.And I really hope you like corn, because there's oh-so-much of it. This book is less...
Beyond that stretched nothing but corn. Miles and miles of corn.
And more...
So the siblings get to a crazy ass cult commune, and as it turned out, Ash is different. Special. The CHOSEN ONE. SUCH A THING HAS NEVER OCCURRED BEFORE IN THE HISTORY OF YOUNG ADULT FICTION!!!!!!!
“I’ve seen conduits do incredible things when they’re in their ancestors’ memories—terrible things, too. And you’re the first conduit born into the Larkin bloodline. Who knows what you’re capable of."
And like every good cult, nobody gets to choose their own life partner, so Ash gets paired off with this handsome gorgeous Thor-looking goldren bronzed piece of man-muscle. Except that his golden beauty doesn't do anything for her, for you see, Ash is attracted to the one boy she can't have instead *sigh* That love triangle is meant to be the Romeo and Juliet thing, I presume. So naturally, because her mother is still missing, Ash has to do everything she can to focus on her mom's disappearance.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Dane. Sweat and dirt never looked so good.Really, her beloved mom is gone. Her mom, who has sacrificed so much for Ash and Rhys. She who escaped the commune before both were born. Looking for her mom is of the utmost importance.
His smile was so warm, so perfect, that for a tiny moment, I forgot all my problems. I wondered if anyone else obsessed over that tiny dimple on his right cheek.Really. This is SRS BSNS!!!!!!!!
Something bubbled up inside of me—stronger than courage; the feeling was almost predatory. I wanted him. I couldn’t stop staring at his mouth. I would’ve said anything, done anything, been whatever he wanted me to be at that moment just to feel his lips against mine.Yessir.
For a book that started with the vision of a dead girl, this book wasn't the least bit scary. There was corn, corn, more corn, cult people who aren't scary so much as they are ass-backward old-fashioned farm hicks. There was a shit ton of romance, and I guess there it did the job, because for some people, there's nothing scarier in a book than a love triangle.
September 1, 2015
2.5 stars Cynically, I usually don't pay any attention to blurbs, but with so much praise from horror/suspense writers I like (five out of the six quoted on the ARC jacket), I thought this was a sure thing. But alas, this romantic horror novel didn't wow me as either a love story or as a creepy read.
There are a lot of characters and many details to the mythology here, and yet almost none of it is truly intriguing. The MC has close to no interior dialogue to speak of, and we're constantly told someone is gorgeous or someone is scared without being shown that for ourselves. It's impossible to feel dread and fear and tension with this style of writing, and while some of what happens is kind of fun (the first line in the book, for example, is The dead girl hung upside down over our kitchen table), the way these things is described doesn't push your senses enough to incite a visceral reaction. And that's saying something for a book in which it's heavily implied that .
The last fifty pages were much more engaging, however, when I finally felt a connection between Ashlyn and Dane, and when the plot picks up the pace with some good surprises. I do think other readers will enjoy this more than I did, particularly the teens for which this was written. Both horror and romance are categories in which your tastes and background affect your reactions to a book in a very personal way.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
But but but! I have to add that because I wasn't all that engrossed in the mystery, the repeated references to the non-scary corn (walking in it, touching it, etc) made me giggle after awhile. Corn, man. It's just corn.
There are a lot of characters and many details to the mythology here, and yet almost none of it is truly intriguing. The MC has close to no interior dialogue to speak of, and we're constantly told someone is gorgeous or someone is scared without being shown that for ourselves. It's impossible to feel dread and fear and tension with this style of writing, and while some of what happens is kind of fun (the first line in the book, for example, is The dead girl hung upside down over our kitchen table), the way these things is described doesn't push your senses enough to incite a visceral reaction. And that's saying something for a book in which it's heavily implied that .
The last fifty pages were much more engaging, however, when I finally felt a connection between Ashlyn and Dane, and when the plot picks up the pace with some good surprises. I do think other readers will enjoy this more than I did, particularly the teens for which this was written. Both horror and romance are categories in which your tastes and background affect your reactions to a book in a very personal way.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
But but but! I have to add that because I wasn't all that engrossed in the mystery, the repeated references to the non-scary corn (walking in it, touching it, etc) made me giggle after awhile. Corn, man. It's just corn.
September 8, 2016
*Warning: Prepare yourselves for swearing.
There are books that I want to cherish, but end up wanting to throw against a brick wall--Blood and Salt is one of those books. Despite this, I'm actually not sure if I want to recommend it to everyone, or tell you to let it burn in the pits of your TBRs.
This book started off brilliantly. Check out the first line, and I dare you to tell me you aren't intrigued:
Chills-inducing, right? Sadly, after the first couple of chapters, everything just goes downhill... and stays down. Let me elaborate.
The intensity of the horror aspect died downa notch ten notches after the initial chapters. The gorgeous setting had so much potential to be used for the promised creeptastic plot, but ended up turning into a large display... of corn. A shit ton of corn.
I mean, sure, the actual plot was pretty well-thought of and is actually kind of epic, but execution was flat. This book ended up turning into your typical YA paranormal romance, with the heroine entering an unknown world, with scenes where she gets to dress up and be pretty--surrounded by corn!--and eventually finds out that she's the Chosen One.
So basically, the horror aspect of this book was a fail--there's still the romance to look forward to, right? You, my friend, are unfortunately wrong.
The romances in this book were weird and unrealistic as heck. To be honest, I was kind of expecting the insta-love, but it still hit me hard in the head. Bonus points because there are two romances in this book. Hooray. But we'll only talk about the main one because it was the most annoying one.
See, Ash is normally repulsed by men--and I mean that literally. But when she meet's the *gorgeous* Dane, she instantly wants to be closer to him, and all that cheesy shit. And even when he's such a douchebag to her, she's still insanely *attracted* to him.
The characters themselves were inconsistent as fuck, especially the men, particularly Dane and Rhys, Ash's brother. Like come on, guys, GET A GRIP ON YOURSELVES. One minute, they're cracking jokes and trying to be sweet, and then in the next, they're being total jackasses to the women.
I'll admit, the book was easy to read. The writing style was fairly simple and easy to get into, although it did get really repetitive at some points.If I read the word "Oh," one more time I would've exploded.
The ending was the book's saving grace, though. It wasn't mind-blowingly epic or anything, but it was much more composed and emotional than the first 90% of the book. Yes, I did cry a bit towards the end. Yes, it's because of the romance.
Overall, like I said earlier, I'm not sure if I want y'all to read this book or to ditch it, so I'm just going to leave y'all with a warning: If you want to read this book, go into it with lowered expectations.
Deadly Darlings | The Social Potato | The Book Geek | Twitter | Instagram
There are books that I want to cherish, but end up wanting to throw against a brick wall--Blood and Salt is one of those books. Despite this, I'm actually not sure if I want to recommend it to everyone, or tell you to let it burn in the pits of your TBRs.
This book started off brilliantly. Check out the first line, and I dare you to tell me you aren't intrigued:
The dead girl hung upside down over our kitchen table.
Chills-inducing, right? Sadly, after the first couple of chapters, everything just goes downhill... and stays down. Let me elaborate.
The intensity of the horror aspect died down
I mean, sure, the actual plot was pretty well-thought of and is actually kind of epic, but execution was flat. This book ended up turning into your typical YA paranormal romance, with the heroine entering an unknown world, with scenes where she gets to dress up and be pretty--surrounded by corn!--and eventually finds out that she's the Chosen One.
So basically, the horror aspect of this book was a fail--there's still the romance to look forward to, right? You, my friend, are unfortunately wrong.
The romances in this book were weird and unrealistic as heck. To be honest, I was kind of expecting the insta-love, but it still hit me hard in the head. Bonus points because there are two romances in this book. Hooray. But we'll only talk about the main one because it was the most annoying one.
See, Ash is normally repulsed by men--and I mean that literally. But when she meet's the *gorgeous* Dane, she instantly wants to be closer to him, and all that cheesy shit. And even when he's such a douchebag to her, she's still insanely *attracted* to him.
The characters themselves were inconsistent as fuck, especially the men, particularly Dane and Rhys, Ash's brother. Like come on, guys, GET A GRIP ON YOURSELVES. One minute, they're cracking jokes and trying to be sweet, and then in the next, they're being total jackasses to the women.
I'll admit, the book was easy to read. The writing style was fairly simple and easy to get into, although it did get really repetitive at some points.
The ending was the book's saving grace, though. It wasn't mind-blowingly epic or anything, but it was much more composed and emotional than the first 90% of the book. Yes, I did cry a bit towards the end. Yes, it's because of the romance.
Overall, like I said earlier, I'm not sure if I want y'all to read this book or to ditch it, so I'm just going to leave y'all with a warning: If you want to read this book, go into it with lowered expectations.
Deadly Darlings | The Social Potato | The Book Geek | Twitter | Instagram
May 6, 2015
They're calling BLOOD AND SALT romantic horror, but I prefer Hormance. Can we please make that a thing? ; )
Read
November 15, 2014
" . . . achingly beautiful boy she can't have . . . "
Hello, red flag.
Hello, red flag.
May 28, 2016
Kitabı okumaya başladığım andan sayfa 150 civarlarına gelene kadar kendimi Ash gibi sersem sebelek hissettim. Olaylar birden başlıyor ve kendinizi ana karakterimizin bile anlamadığı bir esrarengizliğin içinde buluyorsunuz. Okuyorsunuz. Okudukça kafanızda sorular çoğalıyor. NE OLUYO YEA! Diye feryat ederken buluyorsunuz kendinizi. Ve sonunda her şey yerine oturmaya başladıkça bayılıyorsunuz. Yani en azından bende bu şekilde işledi :')
Başlarda gerçekten kendimi olayların pat diye içinde bulmuş gibi hissettim. Devamlı ne oldu ne olacak derken esrar perdesi büyüdü. Ve gerçekten çok ilginç şeyler oldu. Kızılderili kabilesini okumak bana inanılmaz keyif verdi. Bu tarz şeyleri okumayı çok seviyorum. Ve kurguyu gerçekten çok sevdim. Benim için tek sıkıntı olayların pat diye içine dalmış olmaktı. Birde Ash :') Kızı bazen boğazlamak istedim. Yersiz çocukluk yaptığı anlar oldu. Ve bir karakter bu kadar salak olabilir miydi acaba. Her şey gözünün önündeyken hiç bir şeyi görmedi! Cinnetlik!
Ayrıca kitap inanılmaz akıcıydı. @dagli_asli her zamanki gibi yapmış yapacağını diyorum. Baskı ise muazzam. Yabancı'nın baskıdaki orijinalliğine bayılıyorum.
Başlarda gerçekten kendimi olayların pat diye içinde bulmuş gibi hissettim. Devamlı ne oldu ne olacak derken esrar perdesi büyüdü. Ve gerçekten çok ilginç şeyler oldu. Kızılderili kabilesini okumak bana inanılmaz keyif verdi. Bu tarz şeyleri okumayı çok seviyorum. Ve kurguyu gerçekten çok sevdim. Benim için tek sıkıntı olayların pat diye içine dalmış olmaktı. Birde Ash :') Kızı bazen boğazlamak istedim. Yersiz çocukluk yaptığı anlar oldu. Ve bir karakter bu kadar salak olabilir miydi acaba. Her şey gözünün önündeyken hiç bir şeyi görmedi! Cinnetlik!
Ayrıca kitap inanılmaz akıcıydı. @dagli_asli her zamanki gibi yapmış yapacağını diyorum. Baskı ise muazzam. Yabancı'nın baskıdaki orijinalliğine bayılıyorum.
October 8, 2015
This review has also been posted at Carole's Random Life.
I had really high hopes for this book. Romantic horror just sounds completely fantastic. I like a good romance novel every once in a while but mix that up with some horror and I just knew that I would fall in love with this book. The description even mentions Children of the Corn...so it has to be scary right?!?! I haven't actually seen Children of the Corn but I know it has to be scary because my parents wouldn't let me watch it back when I was a kid (I am still a little upset about this). I was prepared to be frightened.
I was rather disappointed by the time I finished this book. This book wasn't the least bit scary for me. I also found it to be just another entry into the overcrowded genre of Young Adult Paranormal Romance. I was really looking forward to something completely unique but found that this wasn't really all that different at all. There paranormal elements weren't your average sparkly vampire or teenage werewolf but the visions that the main characters has didn't seem very original either.
The opening scene really grabbed me. How could it not? Dead girls and dripping blood always seems to grab my attention...and I was hoping for a lot of blood in this one. I was ready for things to get really scary after that first scene but that was about as scary as it got. The book really kind of lost me when it became more of a romance than anything else. It wasn't even a very good romance. There was a serious case of insta-love without a lot of chemistry between the characters in this one. I was really hoping for more blood to be perfectly honest.
I quickly figured out that the comparisons to Children of the Corn were actually referencing the corn...not the horror. There is a lot of corn in this book. Magical corn. Most of the book happens in the middle of acres and acres of corn. I expected scary...and I got corn. Oh well.
I didn't actually hate this book. I liked it well enough for what it was but it did not live up to my expectations. I did find myself wondering how things would work out and felt compelled to finish the story. There were some interesting elements in the book but this was a book that never was hard for me to put down. There big twist was a bit of a surprise and the last section of the book was rather exciting. Unfortunately, things didn't wrap up quite as nicely as I had hoped they would and I really think that readers will need to read the second book to get the full story.
I am not going to recommend this book to others. I do think that other readers may enjoy this one a lot more than I did. I am not sure at this point if I will pick up the second book in the duology or not. I kind of want to know how everything works out but this book was so forgettable I probably won't care by the time it is released.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Penguin First to Read for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I don't even know what I think about this book right now. I need to take some time before I even try to put my thoughts together for a review.
I had really high hopes for this book. Romantic horror just sounds completely fantastic. I like a good romance novel every once in a while but mix that up with some horror and I just knew that I would fall in love with this book. The description even mentions Children of the Corn...so it has to be scary right?!?! I haven't actually seen Children of the Corn but I know it has to be scary because my parents wouldn't let me watch it back when I was a kid (I am still a little upset about this). I was prepared to be frightened.
I was rather disappointed by the time I finished this book. This book wasn't the least bit scary for me. I also found it to be just another entry into the overcrowded genre of Young Adult Paranormal Romance. I was really looking forward to something completely unique but found that this wasn't really all that different at all. There paranormal elements weren't your average sparkly vampire or teenage werewolf but the visions that the main characters has didn't seem very original either.
The opening scene really grabbed me. How could it not? Dead girls and dripping blood always seems to grab my attention...and I was hoping for a lot of blood in this one. I was ready for things to get really scary after that first scene but that was about as scary as it got. The book really kind of lost me when it became more of a romance than anything else. It wasn't even a very good romance. There was a serious case of insta-love without a lot of chemistry between the characters in this one. I was really hoping for more blood to be perfectly honest.
I quickly figured out that the comparisons to Children of the Corn were actually referencing the corn...not the horror. There is a lot of corn in this book. Magical corn. Most of the book happens in the middle of acres and acres of corn. I expected scary...and I got corn. Oh well.
I didn't actually hate this book. I liked it well enough for what it was but it did not live up to my expectations. I did find myself wondering how things would work out and felt compelled to finish the story. There were some interesting elements in the book but this was a book that never was hard for me to put down. There big twist was a bit of a surprise and the last section of the book was rather exciting. Unfortunately, things didn't wrap up quite as nicely as I had hoped they would and I really think that readers will need to read the second book to get the full story.
I am not going to recommend this book to others. I do think that other readers may enjoy this one a lot more than I did. I am not sure at this point if I will pick up the second book in the duology or not. I kind of want to know how everything works out but this book was so forgettable I probably won't care by the time it is released.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Penguin First to Read for the purpose of providing an honest review.
Initial Thoughts
I don't even know what I think about this book right now. I need to take some time before I even try to put my thoughts together for a review.
November 8, 2018
What. the. Fuck. I repeat: WHAT. THE. FUCK. BLOOD AND SALT’S a special kinda crazy. And not the good kind.
“I’d never been to a cult bonfire before….”
But before I delve into the utter lunacy, here are the basics: A teenaged Ash Larkin is haunted by a girl who looks identical to her. Ash’s mother claims that Ash is psychically linked to a powerful, immortal ancestor. When Ash’s mother goes missing, Ash and her twin brother Rhys, flee to the Kansas cult their mother escaped from decades earlier. At the commune, Ash’s visions intensify. Ash must decipher the meaning behind her visions if she has any hope at finding her mother…...or saving her own life.
So cults and psychic visions are pretty standard horror fare, where BLOOD AND SALT goes off the chain is structuring a story around the dead, yet immortal Francisco Vasquez de Coronado. Yes, that Coronado. The 16th century spanish conquistador. Can I just say who formulates a horror novel around long-dead explorers?? What kinda crack are you smoking, Kim Liggett? And then there’s the crazypants love triangle between Coronado-Katia (Ash’s ancestor)-Coronado’s soldier. Again, WHO THINKS OF THIS??? I’m a fan of strange and unusual. I myself am strange and unusual. This isn’t strange. It’s not quirky or weird. It’s just like a really bad acid trip. Like you’re Alice and the Red Queen is trying to off your head.
“Even here, surrounded by unknown danger at every turn, I couldn’t stop thinking about his skin against mine.”
And not only is the BLOOD AND SALT fucked, it’s just so damn trope-y. Ash is in instalove with a guy she’s legit met for 5 minutes. That’s so fucking insulting to women I just can’t. It takes more than being broodingly attractive to spark affection. To infer that women falls for the first guy that crosses their paths is degrading. And the romance strikes a weird balance with the scary. It’s almost as if Kim Liggett couldn’t decide if she were writing Children of the Corn or The Notebook.
As for the remainder of the plot: Ash is entirely too naive. Drinking the Kool-Aid? Nope. Ash is ready to shotgun that shit. Ash is so credulous, I fully believe she’d send a Nigerian prince $5000 via email.
Summary: Skip it.
“I’d never been to a cult bonfire before….”
But before I delve into the utter lunacy, here are the basics: A teenaged Ash Larkin is haunted by a girl who looks identical to her. Ash’s mother claims that Ash is psychically linked to a powerful, immortal ancestor. When Ash’s mother goes missing, Ash and her twin brother Rhys, flee to the Kansas cult their mother escaped from decades earlier. At the commune, Ash’s visions intensify. Ash must decipher the meaning behind her visions if she has any hope at finding her mother…...or saving her own life.
So cults and psychic visions are pretty standard horror fare, where BLOOD AND SALT goes off the chain is structuring a story around the dead, yet immortal Francisco Vasquez de Coronado. Yes, that Coronado. The 16th century spanish conquistador. Can I just say who formulates a horror novel around long-dead explorers?? What kinda crack are you smoking, Kim Liggett? And then there’s the crazypants love triangle between Coronado-Katia (Ash’s ancestor)-Coronado’s soldier. Again, WHO THINKS OF THIS??? I’m a fan of strange and unusual. I myself am strange and unusual. This isn’t strange. It’s not quirky or weird. It’s just like a really bad acid trip. Like you’re Alice and the Red Queen is trying to off your head.
“Even here, surrounded by unknown danger at every turn, I couldn’t stop thinking about his skin against mine.”
And not only is the BLOOD AND SALT fucked, it’s just so damn trope-y. Ash is in instalove with a guy she’s legit met for 5 minutes. That’s so fucking insulting to women I just can’t. It takes more than being broodingly attractive to spark affection. To infer that women falls for the first guy that crosses their paths is degrading. And the romance strikes a weird balance with the scary. It’s almost as if Kim Liggett couldn’t decide if she were writing Children of the Corn or The Notebook.
As for the remainder of the plot: Ash is entirely too naive. Drinking the Kool-Aid? Nope. Ash is ready to shotgun that shit. Ash is so credulous, I fully believe she’d send a Nigerian prince $5000 via email.
Summary: Skip it.
July 29, 2014
Wildly addictive and compelling, BLOOD AND SALT envelops you in a world like no other -- I have truly never read another book like it. There's romance, mystery and horror all wrapped up into a seductive tale of unrequited love and immortality. I could not stop reading or thinking about this story, and can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.
May 30, 2016
3,5
Amerikan yerlilerinin hayatı oldum olası hep ilgimi çekmiştir. Özellikle mistik ve gizemli yönleri. Kan ve Tuz'a bu nedenle de büyük bir hevesle başladım. Ayinlerin, ürkütücü toplulukların, gizemli ormanların içinde kaybolacağım düşüncesiyle. Bunların büyük bir kısmını gerçekleştirdi kitap.
Ana karakter, Ash gibi ne olduğundan, nelerle karşılaşacağınızdan habersiz çıkıyorsunuz yola. Heyecan, gerilim, gizem ve aşk da size eşlik ediyor. Ayrıca kitap çok akıcı, yazarın dili kesinlikle boğmuyor. Bir sonraki sayfayı hevesle çevirmenize neden olan bir olay örgüsüne de sahip.
Kan ve Tuz'da hoşuma gitmeyen şey, olayların içine pat diye düşmem oldu. Sanki öncesinde bir elli sayfa daha varmış ve bunu okumamışım gibi hissettim. Karakterin biraz daha geçmişine inilmesi gerekiyordu. Gerçi ilerledikçe size neler olduğu ile ilgili bazı bilgi kırıntıları veriyor yazar. Ve de kitabın mistik ve gerilim dolu bölümlerinin, romantizmden biraz daha ağır basmasını isterdim ki son bölümde bu olunca mükemmel bir sonuçla karşılaştım.
Devam kitabını merakla bekliyorum. Son bölümdeki heyecanı umarım ikinci kitapta da görebiliriz.
Amerikan yerlilerinin hayatı oldum olası hep ilgimi çekmiştir. Özellikle mistik ve gizemli yönleri. Kan ve Tuz'a bu nedenle de büyük bir hevesle başladım. Ayinlerin, ürkütücü toplulukların, gizemli ormanların içinde kaybolacağım düşüncesiyle. Bunların büyük bir kısmını gerçekleştirdi kitap.
Ana karakter, Ash gibi ne olduğundan, nelerle karşılaşacağınızdan habersiz çıkıyorsunuz yola. Heyecan, gerilim, gizem ve aşk da size eşlik ediyor. Ayrıca kitap çok akıcı, yazarın dili kesinlikle boğmuyor. Bir sonraki sayfayı hevesle çevirmenize neden olan bir olay örgüsüne de sahip.
Kan ve Tuz'da hoşuma gitmeyen şey, olayların içine pat diye düşmem oldu. Sanki öncesinde bir elli sayfa daha varmış ve bunu okumamışım gibi hissettim. Karakterin biraz daha geçmişine inilmesi gerekiyordu. Gerçi ilerledikçe size neler olduğu ile ilgili bazı bilgi kırıntıları veriyor yazar. Ve de kitabın mistik ve gerilim dolu bölümlerinin, romantizmden biraz daha ağır basmasını isterdim ki son bölümde bu olunca mükemmel bir sonuçla karşılaştım.
Devam kitabını merakla bekliyorum. Son bölümdeki heyecanı umarım ikinci kitapta da görebiliriz.
December 22, 2015
Bir çeviri daha bitti! Ve bayıldım! Yazar hemen ikinci kitabı üstüme atsın istiyorum; heyecan, korku, gerilim, gizem, aşk... ne ararsam vardı Blood and Salt'ta! Çok severek çevirdim; umarım çok severek okursunuz:)
August 16, 2017
Blood and Salt was easily my most anticipated YA horror of the year. Alas, I’m slowly losing faith that I’ll ever find something that is worthwhile. This isn’t to say that there isn’t enjoyment to be found, I’m just clearly not the targeted reader. Considering horror is one of my favorite genres you would think there wouldn’t be a difference but the way the YA versions always seem to be written just doesn’t do it for me. I was leery about this one from the get go, because honestly? Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn?
There’s something I find thoroughly compelling about cults. How did they begin? How were people allured into this following? I read another cult-ish YA novel earlier this year that did a superb job at illustrating it all and at the same time leaving you completely unsettled; reading about cults should leave you feeling like that. Alas, the cult in Blood and Salt lacked the unsettling feeling, but rather had so many plot holes in the logistics of it all that I was more or less just confused.
Ashlyn and her twin brother Rhys have been raised by their mother who grew up in a cult in the middle of the corn fields in Kansas. The cult centers around the belief that their ancestor, Katia, has been waiting for centuries to be reunited with her lover who was murdered. The only thing she is waiting for are appropriate “vessels” for her and her lovers’ souls to be able to use to finally be together. The rest of the followers believe that once this happens, Katia will share her immortality with them. When Ashlyn and Rhys find their mother has disappeared one day, they think that she was meant to be Katia’s vessel, and they set off to the corn fields of Kansas to save her. Immortality, a hint of alchemy, and cannibalistic corn (or cornnibalism as Dani so eloquently put it) could have been a most excellent story but I felt that too many aspects of this story were left tragically unexplained.
From the very start, this book requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. Ash and Rhys have both grown up in the modern day, but Ash is always seeing this random dead girl that hangs from a rope by her ankles and who coincidentally seems to look exactly like her. There’s little to no explanation for this, but her mother knows and occasionally gives her a new tattoo that is meant to protect her. When Ashlyn receives the voicemail from her mother saying that she’s gone to “walk the corn” one final time, the twins set out to Kansas immediately, driving the twenty hours straight to get there. Ash’s immediate acceptance of this cult and their belief systems was a bit far fetched and upon their arrival begins having visions of Katia that only succeed in confusing the story even more. There’s also her immediate attraction (by his scent, no less) to an individual that she’s immediately told she can’t be with, that he’s of mixed bloodlines and that sort of thing just isn’t allowed. So naturally she’s obsessed with him. Because apparently he smells that good.
Of course he’s gorgeous too.
‘…he was the kind of beautiful that made me think I might still be hallucinating.’
Followed shortly by:
‘I’d never felt such a strong physical attraction to anyone.
Even if it was just for a fleeting moment, he seemed to make all my problems disappear. I wanted to bottle that feeling and carry it around in my pocket. The thought of kidnapping him crossed my mind.’
I really should have called it a day.
http://media.giphy.com/media/10ABvIA9...
It only continued.
‘He coaxed the bottle away from me and took a deep swig. […]
I snatched it back and took another drink, not because I wanted more, but because his lips had just touched the bottle.’
‘Firelight was kind to just about everyone, but what it did to Dane’s face was… criminal.’
‘For a moment, I wondered if I’d imagined our kiss last night, but he glanced down at my lips like he owned them.’
While all this is going on, she’s practically forgotten all about her prior concerns for her mother, the memory flashes continue to complicate everything, and she continues to fall deeply in love within the span of about 3 days. The out of nowhere plot development for her brothers side of the story didn’t help anything either. Given the fact that this is the first in a series, I would have hoped for a bit more character development and definitely more relationship development, but the lack of both left this one a most befuddling read for me. The ending lacked real resolution, just ending with the intent to bring readers back for the next installment but unfortunately the first installment didn’t hook me enough to be invested in seeking out the sequel.
I received this book free from First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
There’s something I find thoroughly compelling about cults. How did they begin? How were people allured into this following? I read another cult-ish YA novel earlier this year that did a superb job at illustrating it all and at the same time leaving you completely unsettled; reading about cults should leave you feeling like that. Alas, the cult in Blood and Salt lacked the unsettling feeling, but rather had so many plot holes in the logistics of it all that I was more or less just confused.
Ashlyn and her twin brother Rhys have been raised by their mother who grew up in a cult in the middle of the corn fields in Kansas. The cult centers around the belief that their ancestor, Katia, has been waiting for centuries to be reunited with her lover who was murdered. The only thing she is waiting for are appropriate “vessels” for her and her lovers’ souls to be able to use to finally be together. The rest of the followers believe that once this happens, Katia will share her immortality with them. When Ashlyn and Rhys find their mother has disappeared one day, they think that she was meant to be Katia’s vessel, and they set off to the corn fields of Kansas to save her. Immortality, a hint of alchemy, and cannibalistic corn (or cornnibalism as Dani so eloquently put it) could have been a most excellent story but I felt that too many aspects of this story were left tragically unexplained.
From the very start, this book requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. Ash and Rhys have both grown up in the modern day, but Ash is always seeing this random dead girl that hangs from a rope by her ankles and who coincidentally seems to look exactly like her. There’s little to no explanation for this, but her mother knows and occasionally gives her a new tattoo that is meant to protect her. When Ashlyn receives the voicemail from her mother saying that she’s gone to “walk the corn” one final time, the twins set out to Kansas immediately, driving the twenty hours straight to get there. Ash’s immediate acceptance of this cult and their belief systems was a bit far fetched and upon their arrival begins having visions of Katia that only succeed in confusing the story even more. There’s also her immediate attraction (by his scent, no less) to an individual that she’s immediately told she can’t be with, that he’s of mixed bloodlines and that sort of thing just isn’t allowed. So naturally she’s obsessed with him. Because apparently he smells that good.
Of course he’s gorgeous too.
‘…he was the kind of beautiful that made me think I might still be hallucinating.’
Followed shortly by:
‘I’d never felt such a strong physical attraction to anyone.
Even if it was just for a fleeting moment, he seemed to make all my problems disappear. I wanted to bottle that feeling and carry it around in my pocket. The thought of kidnapping him crossed my mind.’
I really should have called it a day.
http://media.giphy.com/media/10ABvIA9...
It only continued.
‘He coaxed the bottle away from me and took a deep swig. […]
I snatched it back and took another drink, not because I wanted more, but because his lips had just touched the bottle.’
‘Firelight was kind to just about everyone, but what it did to Dane’s face was… criminal.’
‘For a moment, I wondered if I’d imagined our kiss last night, but he glanced down at my lips like he owned them.’
While all this is going on, she’s practically forgotten all about her prior concerns for her mother, the memory flashes continue to complicate everything, and she continues to fall deeply in love within the span of about 3 days. The out of nowhere plot development for her brothers side of the story didn’t help anything either. Given the fact that this is the first in a series, I would have hoped for a bit more character development and definitely more relationship development, but the lack of both left this one a most befuddling read for me. The ending lacked real resolution, just ending with the intent to bring readers back for the next installment but unfortunately the first installment didn’t hook me enough to be invested in seeking out the sequel.
I received this book free from First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
March 16, 2015
Why is September so far away? This book needs to be on shelves. An INCREDIBLE premise, a fascinating story, and Kim Liggett's charming unexpectedness mixed with horror? I haven't anticipated curling up in deliciously shivery fear this much since ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD and A MADMAN'S DAUGHTER.
October 17, 2014
Gorgeous, gorgeous, terrifying, hilarious, GORGEOUS writing and a killer (literally) plot. I totally fell in love with these characters, which was unfortunate in some cases. Also: I will never see Kansas the same way again.
January 19, 2016
“Horror waits in the shadows, even when you are closing your eyes.”
----Melissa D. Ellis
Kim Liggett, an American author, has penned her debut YA horror romance, Blood and Salt which is the first book in the Blood and Salt series, that unwraps the story of a teenager pulled into a cult to find her mom in a strange town with carnivorous corn and a car junkyard along with her own demons of a hanging girl to fight with. This is quite a mystifying tale that is scary enough to give birth to strange nightmares to the readers.
Synopsis:
“When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in—blood and salt.”
These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time.
Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town’s history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own.
As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself—and discover the truth about Quivira before it’s too late. Before she’s all in—blood and salt.
Ash and Rhys, the teenage twin brother and sisters live with their mother in the New York City. Ash is regularly being haunted by the visions of a hanging girl and because of which her mother protected her with signs as invisible tattoos. The whole family is bound by a bloody curse, that is not easy to get rid of. One fine day, Ash's mother disappears from their home, which finally leads the brother-sister duo to travel back to their mother's hometown in Quivira in Kansas filled with corn farms. Soon Ash figures out that the town is dominated by a cult and she gets absorbed into their religion of gaining immortality for the whole town in order to restore the lost love of her ancestor named Katia. In the process, she meets a local yet magical guy named, Dane and soon sparks fly between them almost instantly and not to mention those carnivorous corns which can eat up people with non-magical powers if they ventured out into the farm. Will Ash be able to find her mother thereby restoring the town's immortality?
The story is not that creepy enough to give me goosebumps yet it projected quite an interesting take on acres of corn farms, how they can be twisted into something horrifying. The book opened with a deadly and capturing scene, but then as the story progressed to the core, my grip from the story loosened. Although the story builds up in a slower pace and with complexities that kept me pretty much hooked into the story line.
The writing quality is articulate yet it could have been much more polished since some of the scenes felt a bit predictable. The narrative between each and every character is free flowing and some of the horrifying scenes are portrayed with lots of tiny details that gave me a crystal clear view as if those scenes are unrolling right in front of my eyes. The characters are developed with strong attributes by highlighting both their weakness and flaws.
The love story between Ash and Dane is told be Romeo-Juliet style, although it is not that compassionate enough to make me feel for this young love. Their was a fight for love involved in the story line, which kept me rooting for these two characters till the very end. The love story is bit dramatic, and also a little less emotional.
The whole story is set up in the cares of corn fields of Kansas, everything and anything happens in there and those moments in the corn fields are extremely sinister enough to give nightmares. The climax is definitely the best part of the story line since it ends with a major cliffhanger. In a nutshell, the story is interesting and horror and romance both complemented each other in their own way thus making it an entertaining read for the young readers.
Verdict: If you like mild horror stories, the definitely read this one.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author's publicist for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
----Melissa D. Ellis
Kim Liggett, an American author, has penned her debut YA horror romance, Blood and Salt which is the first book in the Blood and Salt series, that unwraps the story of a teenager pulled into a cult to find her mom in a strange town with carnivorous corn and a car junkyard along with her own demons of a hanging girl to fight with. This is quite a mystifying tale that is scary enough to give birth to strange nightmares to the readers.
Synopsis:
“When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in—blood and salt.”
These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time.
Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town’s history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own.
As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself—and discover the truth about Quivira before it’s too late. Before she’s all in—blood and salt.
Ash and Rhys, the teenage twin brother and sisters live with their mother in the New York City. Ash is regularly being haunted by the visions of a hanging girl and because of which her mother protected her with signs as invisible tattoos. The whole family is bound by a bloody curse, that is not easy to get rid of. One fine day, Ash's mother disappears from their home, which finally leads the brother-sister duo to travel back to their mother's hometown in Quivira in Kansas filled with corn farms. Soon Ash figures out that the town is dominated by a cult and she gets absorbed into their religion of gaining immortality for the whole town in order to restore the lost love of her ancestor named Katia. In the process, she meets a local yet magical guy named, Dane and soon sparks fly between them almost instantly and not to mention those carnivorous corns which can eat up people with non-magical powers if they ventured out into the farm. Will Ash be able to find her mother thereby restoring the town's immortality?
The story is not that creepy enough to give me goosebumps yet it projected quite an interesting take on acres of corn farms, how they can be twisted into something horrifying. The book opened with a deadly and capturing scene, but then as the story progressed to the core, my grip from the story loosened. Although the story builds up in a slower pace and with complexities that kept me pretty much hooked into the story line.
The writing quality is articulate yet it could have been much more polished since some of the scenes felt a bit predictable. The narrative between each and every character is free flowing and some of the horrifying scenes are portrayed with lots of tiny details that gave me a crystal clear view as if those scenes are unrolling right in front of my eyes. The characters are developed with strong attributes by highlighting both their weakness and flaws.
The love story between Ash and Dane is told be Romeo-Juliet style, although it is not that compassionate enough to make me feel for this young love. Their was a fight for love involved in the story line, which kept me rooting for these two characters till the very end. The love story is bit dramatic, and also a little less emotional.
The whole story is set up in the cares of corn fields of Kansas, everything and anything happens in there and those moments in the corn fields are extremely sinister enough to give nightmares. The climax is definitely the best part of the story line since it ends with a major cliffhanger. In a nutshell, the story is interesting and horror and romance both complemented each other in their own way thus making it an entertaining read for the young readers.
Verdict: If you like mild horror stories, the definitely read this one.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author's publicist for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
November 23, 2015
3.5 Stars!
This was one read I wanted to read before Halloween was over because of all the wonderful reviews and all the hype surrounding it. I was ready for a good creepy read that would leave me turning the pages and not wanting to turn out the light at night.
And while I did get a good read, one with some creepy moments, this wasn't quite the scary read I was hoping for but instead a rather intriguing mystery and romance that left me swooning and even a bit sad by the end.
Definitely unique and original and fun, this did have me flipping through pages and wanting it to last longer. Even if it wasn't quite the read I was hoping for, I wasn't disappointed in it in the least.
Well written, well plotted, and a fun different kind of story, I really did enjoy this.
This was one read I wanted to read before Halloween was over because of all the wonderful reviews and all the hype surrounding it. I was ready for a good creepy read that would leave me turning the pages and not wanting to turn out the light at night.
And while I did get a good read, one with some creepy moments, this wasn't quite the scary read I was hoping for but instead a rather intriguing mystery and romance that left me swooning and even a bit sad by the end.
Definitely unique and original and fun, this did have me flipping through pages and wanting it to last longer. Even if it wasn't quite the read I was hoping for, I wasn't disappointed in it in the least.
Well written, well plotted, and a fun different kind of story, I really did enjoy this.
August 26, 2015
As soon as I read the tag line, I was sold. Thankfully this book delivered.
Loved Ashlyn and Rhys. They're great siblings and it was fun seeing their banter while they navigated such an odd environment. Dane and Beth were great secondary characters. And the collective group of townspeople not getting completely fleshed out was an extremely effective way to complete the feeling of isolation. You know, in case the corn wasn't doing it for you.
Insanely creepy and filled with delicious twists and swoons, this book had me captivated from the very first chapter. My only complaint was the ending. I would have liked something a little more concrete.
**Huge thanks to Putnam and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
Extra special thanks to the Penguin booth at SDCC for giving me a physical arc.
Loved Ashlyn and Rhys. They're great siblings and it was fun seeing their banter while they navigated such an odd environment. Dane and Beth were great secondary characters. And the collective group of townspeople not getting completely fleshed out was an extremely effective way to complete the feeling of isolation. You know, in case the corn wasn't doing it for you.
Insanely creepy and filled with delicious twists and swoons, this book had me captivated from the very first chapter. My only complaint was the ending. I would have liked something a little more concrete.
**Huge thanks to Putnam and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
Extra special thanks to the Penguin booth at SDCC for giving me a physical arc.
September 30, 2014
A dark, seductive, sensual book. Incredibly gripping, with so many twists and turns--I absolutely could not put it down, despite being scared out of my mind multiple times. Cinematic and gorgeous and so, so original. A writer to watch out for.
August 30, 2016
4,5 Ehe ehe. Okul çıkışında D&R' a bir uğrayayım dedim. Kitap almayacaktım sadece okula lazım olan birkaç şeyi alıp çıkarım diye düşünmüştüm. Ta ki 9.90 kampayasında Kan Ve Tuz'u görene dek. Dayanamayıp aldım ve okula gidip gelirken okurum diye düşündüm. Ama kitap o kadar akıcıydı ki kopamadım ondan. Aslı Dağlı'nın çevirisi su gibiydi resmen.Üstüne bir de gizem eklenince oldu olanlar. Resmen bitti kitap. Minibüste okuduğum yetmiyormuş gibi eve geldiğinde yığınla ödevim olmasına rağmen pervasızca okumaya devam ettim. Kitabı okurken benimde Ash' ten farkım yoktu. Her şey pat diye gelişti. Ah bir de Dane var. Tam da tahmin ettiğim gibi oldu hatta düşündüğüm olayın birebiri oldu. Ayrıca Yabancı yine harika bir iş çıkarmış. Kitabın cildi ,iç kapağı ,ayracı.. Hepsine bittim. İkinci kitabı sabırsızlıkla bekliyorum.
October 27, 2015
Blood and salt - is an intriguing romantic horror that will hardly leave you indifferent. But what emotions will you experience going through it: positive or negative, I cannot foresee. The story is very peculiar, and, to my opinion, it has a lot of shortcomings. Nevertheless, it captivated me from the beginning to the end.
Twins Ash and Rhys live with their mother who once escaped from a cult, which is located in Kansas among the corn fields. Under these conditions, their life can hardly be called a normal one: especially when they hear about magic and alchemy all the time, and many other crazy things that you won`t believe until you see it with your own eyes.
But Ash also constantly sees things that others would call abnormal: for instance, a dead girl hanging on a rope. Imagine how you eat your breakfast at the table, and there is a dead body on a chandelier hanging over your, and blood dripping into your food.
«THE DEAD GIRL hung upside down over our kitchen table.
Ropes dug into her ankles as she swayed from the chandelier. Blood traced a line from the familiar cut across the palm of her hand to one of her delicate fingertips. The drop quivered before joining the little puddle headed for my twin’s cereal bowl»
Crazy, isn`t it? Ash` mom desperately tries to protect her daughter from the visions, but at some point they become more frequent.
One day their mother runs back to Quivira to perform her duty: to become a human vessel for the head of the cult - the immortal witch Katia. Long time ago she was blood bounded with a very bad man - Coronado - and he killed the love of her life. Now, after many years, she wants to return her beloved one from death, and live with him forever. In order to do it, she needs two vessels – who happened to be twin`s parents.
Not believing in all this nonsense, children decide to go after their mother, bring her back home and save her from the cult. But after coming to Quivira they quickly realize that everything is not as easy as it seemed. Ashlyn is a conduit, and she constantly sees memories of her dead ancestors – Katia`s and her murdered daughter Maria`s. Day after day she finds out more about the history of her family... and the information she discovered stirs her blood.
«Coronado shoves his fingers inside the tear of my bodice, feeling my newly healed flesh. He knows what I am.
“What do you want from me?” I recoil from his touch.
He smiles, beautiful and cruel. “Immortality.»
With time, twins find new friends and allies - charming prophetess Beth and mysterious Dane, with whom Ashlyn immediately falls in love. Together they learn the truth about the murders surrounding Ashlyn`s ancestry, about Katia and Coronado and about their mission, all the while trying to deal with the evil, lurking in the corn field that protects the cult.
I`d like to talk a bit more about the romance in this novel – which is the reason I took two stars out of rating. I didn`t like Dane from right away, as soon as he appeared. Let me explain why.
Ashlyn and her brother finally come to the corn field. Not a living soul around, only corn stalks. Suddenly, some boy appears out of nowhere, and Ash instantly falls in love with him. He did not say a word yet, but he already managed to awaken her sexual desire, though she had never felt anything like that to any other guy. Well, let's say he`s a man-candy, he has a nice look and he reeks of sexuality. Ashlyn swoons and all, which is stupid but quite possible in real life, and it would have been okay, if only she had stopped at that. But no, she decided to start a conversation with a stranger in the middle of a corn field. His first sentence:
«Do I know you?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe from a fashion magazine or something?»
Smoooooth. Apparently, all real pickup masters are born in corn fields. After three minutes of conversation, the guy had his fingers laid over her hipbone. Excuse me, have you ever heard of personal space? But Ash didn`t mind - she was immersed in thoughts about how his touch caused fireworks in her head. I'll add a whole excerpt from their conversation to justify my indignation.
«It’s too bad you can’t stick around. I could show you the sights,” he said, stepping closer.
“There are sights?” I teased as I turned down a narrow pathway lined with orphaned fenders.
“Sure.” He smiled broadly as he followed close behind. “The sunflower field at sunset, maybe we could split a bottle of dandelion wine.”
I looked down at the ground, attempting to hide my idiotic grin.
“Then I would take you to Windy Point to watch for shooting stars.”
“Would we make a wish?” I glanced at him over my shoulder.
«You can if you like, but I don’t need to.” He offered that smile again with the tiny dimple.
“Sounds like you’ve thought this through.”
“It’s not over yet.” He grabbed my waist, stopping me in my tracks. My pulse pounded beneath his touch. He dragged his thumb across the top of my hip bone, and my stomach lurched as if the ground were caving in, sending me into a free fall. “At dawn, we could take a swim at Crystal Pond.”
“And then what?” I managed to ask.
He pulled me close, whispering in my ear. “You’d never want to leave.”
I felt giddy.
I remind you, these two know each other for 3 minutes. They did not even introduce themselves! Really, who cares about the name of a stranger when he offers to swim at dawn, and then to "make you stay with him forever?" Pfff, I always find friends that way! I wonder what he had in mind? Must be some seeeerious intentions.
GIRL, watch the fucking Lovely Bones movie! Strangers in a field who offer you to spend the night will never do you any good! Fun fact, immediately after this, the guy asks for Ashlyn`s name and then runs off into the field like he saw a ghost. Uh-uh, so romantic! All in all, what was meant as a love story I perceived as a horror. Ashlyn was completely blind to all Dane`s oddities, because her heart was full of luuuuv. It`s like Twilight all over again! Dane also behaves like a jerk at first, but then rapidly changes and becomes a faithful squire to his queen. Though we are given some explanations about such a strange behavior in the end, my impression was still spoiled.
«I snatched it back and took another drink, not because I wanted more, but because his lips had just touched the bottle. I wanted to capture his warmth, his kiss. And then I wanted to slap myself for being such a tool.»
You see? Needless to say that she completely forgot about her mom and her looming death, and focused all her attention on our misterious boy.
As for the rest, I enjoyed the story. I really liked the author`s style, and the ease with which I read the book. I liked the atmospheric descriptions. I loved secondary characters (team Rhys + Beth all the way!). Yes, Ashlyn openly infuriated me with her obsession over Dane, but when it was not about him - it was good. I really liked sarcastic dialogues between the twins, and how the relationships between siblings were shown. I can`t complain on the creepy moments – personally, I was terrified at some points.
But, tell you what: the first half of the book was almost flawless - the heroine was focused on rescuing her mother, and the plot was twisted around the mystery of the cult. The second half payed way more attention to the romance, and the plot became a little bit predictable and confusing. I`m still not sure what I feel about the ending, but it definitely left a couple of questions.
I think the fans of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Tucholke will like this book. Happy reading!
*I`m adding my moodboard to this review
September 21, 2015
Blood and Salt isn't your typical horror book. It's creepy sure, but not because it's gory and bloody. Now, don't get me wrong, there was lots and lots of gore and bloodiness, but the true scary experience of reading this book arises from not knowing what is going to happen next. The novel opened up with the main character watching a dead body hang from her kitchen ceiling and it's all very normal to her. This weird and disturbing set the tone of the whole book. Let me tell you, Kim Liggett does weird really well. The beginning of the book was a bit slow with the protagonist, Ash, discovering all these family secrets, but the writing was so lovely, it was hard to put down. Kim Liggett has a vivid writing style. She transports you to her scenes through her words and it's quite the experience.
Blood and Salt was an atmospheric book, and my favorite scenes involved the cornfields, which were themselves almost like a living breathing character. It terrified me and at the same time, fascinated me. The community that Ash and her twin belonged to in Quivara was also very compelling. They were a cult-like community, with some ancient traditions and beliefs. It was so interesting reading about them and the author did a great job at making the community and the people in it to life. Together with all the gasp-out-loud moments that the book had, Blood and Salt was a mesmerizing read that held my attention throughout. It's not very often that an author is able to shock me with her twists, but Kim Liggett had my heart racing with all the shocking turns of events.
The setting and the plot weren't the only aspects of this novel that were excellent - the characters were just as fascinating. The protagonist, Ash, was a tough nut to crack in the beginning, because you aren't sure what exactly what's going on with her. She ended up being quite the captivating heroine. All of her actions were driven by her love and loyalty to her family and I loved that about her. Her bond with her twin brother was one of the highlights of the book for me. It portrayed the ups and downs of sibling relationships authentically. There were moments in the book when I wasn't sure of Ash's intentions and that added so much depth to her character, in my opinion. She went through this phase where she almost drowned in the cults traditions and it was interesting to watch.
Blood and Salt is described as being a horror-romance and the description is apt. I enjoyed the romance in Blood and Salt quite a bit. It felt instant because of the strong attraction that Ash and Dane felt for each other at the beginning, but here's the thing, I believed in it. The fact that their relationship was forbidden added an intensity to it. Ash and Dane had a lot of chemistry between them and Kim Liggett sure knew how to heat up the pages with the sexy kisses between the two of them. I found myself rooting for this couple.
Blood and Salt ended up being quite the thrilling read for me. The book does ended with a slight cliffhanger (that HURT), but I've been assured that a sequel will be releasing next year that I'm impatiently waiting for. Kim Liggett is a debut author to watch out for because this author is clearly talented and Blood and Salt is a book that should not be missed out on!
Read
August 25, 2015Oh wow. Creepy dude. So creepy!! Flew through this one, and the twist ending (YES!) was so well done!! I'm hoping there's a book 2, because, like, PLEASE.
June 4, 2017
Çok merak uyandırıcı ve akıcı bir anlatımı vardı. Bu yüzden kolay okunabilir bir kitap ve konusu da çok değişik.
Umarım 2. kitabını fazla bekletmezler.
Umarım 2. kitabını fazla bekletmezler.
December 14, 2015
I gave myself a couple of hours, but I have come to an inevitable conclusion, I have a like and dislike relationship with this book.
What was there to like?
The world building. I actually enjoyed the world building in Blood and Salt, It was a bit interesting. I mean come on, a secret civilization of people that you can only get to by walking through the corn? Yes please. From what I understood, the people where suppose to be sort of stuck in time. There was a bit of an overlap as far as modern civilization went and old costumes of Quivira. In it's entirety it did have a cult feel to it. A bunch of people living in a town that was meant only for the chosen bloodlines, following a woman who promises them immortality if she should find a vessel for herself and the love that she lost. They did not care what it would cost the person to give up, as long as their leader Katie would return to them in a different body. Yup, definitely had a cult feel to it.
This book felt a bit like an illusion. Thought it seems like there was suppose to be a fine line between good and evil, darkness and light, the ending takes everything that you thought you knew and threw it out the window. Kim Liggett did an interesting job blurring the lines between good and evil when it came to the characters in Blood and Salt, thought a bit predictable, the whole concept was kind of interesting. I did not feel that there was a straight good and straight bad in this book, in a way the characters flaws and the deep rooted beliefs is what drove them to their action. Love played a powerful culprit in this novel as far as the length a person can go no matter how good their intention may seem, can ultimately be their downfall.
The writing. I liked Liggett's writing for the most part. I think she created an interesting world and an interesting concept. But at times it felt a little hectic, and I will get to that later. It was a bit dark and a bit gritty and if you are looking for a happy ending to the first book, go look elsewhere.
I also did enjoy the emphasis on the brother and sister relationship and watching how much Rhys was protective of Ash.
So what didn't I like?
The romance, the insta-love, oh my god made me want to tear my hair out. I get it, you know. Soul-mates and all of that, but the transition was so quick and rapid, it left my head spinning. For one, the main character Ash has never been in love and never had crushes, so when she meets Dane, she acts like a love sick puppy. They get so handsy and googly eyed, its a miracle their clothes stayed on for as long as it did. But Dane is not what it seems, so eventually the ending made me question how everything leading up to it was possible, but whatever.
Ash and Rhys, the twins in the book. Ash is the main character. Thought her intentions were good, she came to save her mother, at times she made me want to kick her. Rhys was well, odd for a 17 year old. Blood made him uneasy, he wanted to puke every time he saw it. Girl's made him awkward as hell and in the end, he just felt a bit immature, but so did Ash so hum.
There were ironic moments, corny moments, and moments that really just made me kind of go....really?
The ending. The final battle? What happens in the end, there were two moments, and if you read the book you know what I am talking about, that made me take away one star rating. One, seriously, how do you discuss boys and love with your mother when in reality you should probably do something about that evil person who is just literally left a bit vulnerable to your attack? Two, the ultimate sacrifice that Ash had to make made me kind of....angry...annoyed... disturbed? It just did not work for me. If I wasn't already so damn invested already, I almost put the book down and walked away. Yes, it was a bit dark, yes it totally made me feel uncomfortable, possibly even shed a tear, and yet it must not have been easy for the author to write either.
The ending made my head spin, there was just so much going on it literally felt a bit chaotic like it lost some kind of order. Kind of like black Friday when the stores open their doors for shopping to a mass of people, you know?
To top it off, after everything was said and done, everything was falling too easily for Ash into place in the final scenes of the book, almost kind of ironic.
Despite all the stuff I did not like. This book did have me hooked, the world and the plot were a bit addictive, but I am not sure if everything was for a good reason. It sure turned out to be quite a bumpy roller-coaster. I am glad this is a series, because this book did not have a happy ending and now I need closure. So I will be reading the next book in hopes that it will provide that.
This review was originally posted on Night Owl Book Café
June 25, 2015
I maybe *unstable* after the completely dizzying amazing read that this book was but trust me when I say you NEED this one in your life. Really, BLOOD AND SALT IS THE ONE ROMANTIC HORROR BOOK YOU CANNOT MISS. I ALSO DUB IT 'PURE MINDBLOWING BREATHLESS KAPOW.'
Full review tk @ staybookish.net
Full review tk @ staybookish.net
Want to read
July 29, 2016I think this book is perfect for Halloween :)
May 16, 2016
Su gibi akıp geçti. Zamanım olsaydı çok daha erken biterdi. Gizem yüklü bir kitap bekliyor okumak isteyenleri. Korkuya dair pek bir şey yok içinde. Sürekli daha önce ne olduğuna ve daha sonra ne olacağına odaklı okudum. Çünkü yazar okuru olayların içine pat diye düşürmüş. Aynı baş karakterimiz Ash gibi sersem sepet bir yola çıkıyorsunuz. Yalnız beni sürekli rahatsız eden şey, seri halinde yazılmış bir hikayeyi ortasından okumaya başlamışım gibi hissetmemdi. Sanki öncesinde okumam gereken başka şeyler varmış gibiydi. Yazarın bazı yerlerde daha fazla detay vermesi gerekiyordu diye düşünüyorum. Ama baskı muhteşem ve sevgili Aslı Dağlı yine mis gibi çevirisini yapmış!
March 31, 2016
Ben çok şanslıyım çünkü benim okuduğumun adı Blood and Salt, değil Kan ve Tuz. Yani henüz basılmayan çevirisi. Redaksiyon için bendeydi. Aslı Dağlı çevirisi olunca çok kolay bir redaksiyorn oldu. Ham çeviri bu kadar hatasız olunca iş kolay. :D Her ne kadar Aslı senin tarzın değil diye beni uyarmış olsa da çok sevdim.
July 19, 2021
Prepare yourself for one of the creepiest books of the year! Blood and Salt combines genres like horror and romance, making it horrifyingly beautiful. The plot is so suspenseful, especially since it is set in a cornfield. This is certainly one of my favourite books of 2015!
Full Review on The Candid Cover
Blood and Salt is the kind of book that I’m sure everyone will enjoy, horror fan or not. Even if you tend to shy away from horror, like myself, this interesting combination of genres (fantasy, paranormal, romance, and mystery) definitely has something for everyone. It is very interesting how Kim Liggett has combined what are probably the two most contrasting genres out there, romance and horror. All I can say is Blood and Salt is one of the best books I’ve read this year!
The plot of Blood and Salt is so original! When I first read the synopsis, I noticed that is is a cross between Romeo and Juliet and Children of the Corn. I have actually never heard of Children of the Corn, so I had to look it up. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the story, I will link to the best summary I can find here. This combination is so unique, and I’m definitely glad Kim Liggett thought up this idea. Blood and Salt may seem terrifying, especially considering how fearsome Children of the Corn is, but it is really filled with mystery and suspense, making it more eerie than spine-chilling.
One of the things that makes Blood and Salt as eerie as it is is the creepy setting, a corn field. Now, you may be thinking, what’s so scary about a corn field? To that, I say, watch the trailer. Evil lurks in the cornfield and threatens the safety of the characters. It is so bizarre, readers will be on the edge of their seats the whole time wondering what will happen next. The way this specific cornfield is described is frightening enough to make you never want to eat corn again.
Blood and Salt is a wild ride with its multiple contrasting genres, original plot, and creepy setting. I definitely recommend this book to everyone, horror lover or not. Blood and Salt is an such an unforgettable adventure!
Full Review on The Candid Cover
Blood and Salt is the kind of book that I’m sure everyone will enjoy, horror fan or not. Even if you tend to shy away from horror, like myself, this interesting combination of genres (fantasy, paranormal, romance, and mystery) definitely has something for everyone. It is very interesting how Kim Liggett has combined what are probably the two most contrasting genres out there, romance and horror. All I can say is Blood and Salt is one of the best books I’ve read this year!
The plot of Blood and Salt is so original! When I first read the synopsis, I noticed that is is a cross between Romeo and Juliet and Children of the Corn. I have actually never heard of Children of the Corn, so I had to look it up. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the story, I will link to the best summary I can find here. This combination is so unique, and I’m definitely glad Kim Liggett thought up this idea. Blood and Salt may seem terrifying, especially considering how fearsome Children of the Corn is, but it is really filled with mystery and suspense, making it more eerie than spine-chilling.
One of the things that makes Blood and Salt as eerie as it is is the creepy setting, a corn field. Now, you may be thinking, what’s so scary about a corn field? To that, I say, watch the trailer. Evil lurks in the cornfield and threatens the safety of the characters. It is so bizarre, readers will be on the edge of their seats the whole time wondering what will happen next. The way this specific cornfield is described is frightening enough to make you never want to eat corn again.
Blood and Salt is a wild ride with its multiple contrasting genres, original plot, and creepy setting. I definitely recommend this book to everyone, horror lover or not. Blood and Salt is an such an unforgettable adventure!
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