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Sadie Salt #1
Brush With Death
Introducing Sadie Salt, Paranormal... Dentist?
All Sadie Salt ever wanted was to make smiles whiter... and to track down the creature that murdered her parents. She spends her days as a dental assistant to the humans in her small town of Grimloch and her nights doctoring to its, well, not-so-human residents.
Unfortunately, the nightlife doesn't know how to stay in the shadows where it belongs. Sadie's working tirelessly to pay off a nasty debt to a fairy she doesn't want to cross, coping with a magic she can't use, and dreaming of a relationship with the local Sheriff-- not that that's going to happen.
But when a corpse turns up in her apartment, Sadie's dragged deeper into a world where wielding a scraper and a water pick does more harm than good. Her past is coming back it haunt her in a bad way, and she's suddenly closer to her parent's killer than expected. With a vampire keeping tabs on her and a best friend whose predictions rarely hit the mark, Sadie's discovering revenge is more muddled than she expected.
Will she be able to clean up the mess before someone tries to scrub her out permanently?
All Sadie Salt ever wanted was to make smiles whiter... and to track down the creature that murdered her parents. She spends her days as a dental assistant to the humans in her small town of Grimloch and her nights doctoring to its, well, not-so-human residents.
Unfortunately, the nightlife doesn't know how to stay in the shadows where it belongs. Sadie's working tirelessly to pay off a nasty debt to a fairy she doesn't want to cross, coping with a magic she can't use, and dreaming of a relationship with the local Sheriff-- not that that's going to happen.
But when a corpse turns up in her apartment, Sadie's dragged deeper into a world where wielding a scraper and a water pick does more harm than good. Her past is coming back it haunt her in a bad way, and she's suddenly closer to her parent's killer than expected. With a vampire keeping tabs on her and a best friend whose predictions rarely hit the mark, Sadie's discovering revenge is more muddled than she expected.
Will she be able to clean up the mess before someone tries to scrub her out permanently?
191 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2017
43 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Ware Wilkins
5 books21 followersWare Wilkins lives in Raleigh, NC. She's the author of the Sadie Salt Series and lover of kittens, coffee, and Klingons.
https://www.facebook.com/warewilkins/
warewilkins@gmail.com
in theory a website will happen.
Here is my mailing list: http://eepurl.com/cHKsG5
Be sure to sign up for new releases, occasional giveaways, and not much else because I hate sending too many emails as much as you hate receiving them.
https://www.facebook.com/warewilkins/
warewilkins@gmail.com
in theory a website will happen.
Here is my mailing list: http://eepurl.com/cHKsG5
Be sure to sign up for new releases, occasional giveaways, and not much else because I hate sending too many emails as much as you hate receiving them.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 27, 2017
I loved this book. The characters are fun and well-developed, the world's the same. Ok so it's a bit thin on plot, the bone witch concept is interesting and the relationships are really well done. I look forward to book 2.
April 19, 2017
5 Stars
I am completely and utterly smitten with this book. The concept was original and strange, and shouldn't have worked as well as it did, but the author nailed it. The main character was so well written, and I'm so excited to read more about her. I'm eagerly waiting for book two.
I am completely and utterly smitten with this book. The concept was original and strange, and shouldn't have worked as well as it did, but the author nailed it. The main character was so well written, and I'm so excited to read more about her. I'm eagerly waiting for book two.
March 27, 2017
Original and funny!!!
A great paranormal read with an original and funny story-line that is full of action and great characters. Powered by a nice mystery, Sadie finds danger from werewolves and witches as she races to find a murderer while failing in her attempts to attract her high school crush. I can't wait for more from world of Sadie Salt.
A great paranormal read with an original and funny story-line that is full of action and great characters. Powered by a nice mystery, Sadie finds danger from werewolves and witches as she races to find a murderer while failing in her attempts to attract her high school crush. I can't wait for more from world of Sadie Salt.
November 1, 2017
I don't know.
It's an ok book and I enjoyed reading it, but somehow it's missing that "kick" to get it into the great book category.
It's an ok book and I enjoyed reading it, but somehow it's missing that "kick" to get it into the great book category.
April 5, 2017
I love this!
It hooked me from the start and never let go. I glared at my kindle when I came to the last page.
It hooked me from the start and never let go. I glared at my kindle when I came to the last page.
April 8, 2017
I REALLY liked this book. I wish I could have given it 4 1/2 stars because there was only 1 thing that I could find fault with. Sadie was funny and everything you want in a lead character and a DENTIST? Original concept. However, she was just a little too hard headed. She has been told over & over not to use bone magic and she has had bad experiences that reinforce this advice but she STILL uses it all the time. I can understand the use once or twice but it was a bit much. The way things ended with Abe and Benji took me totally by surprise but I love the direction the story is taking. Now can I please read the next one? :-)
August 27, 2017
Original plot with consistently written characters. This was a good start to the series. The main story was wrapped up nicely while still leaving me with questions about what's going to happen next.
November 30, 2017
Ware Wilkins is a new-to-me writer of paranormal mystery; having just finished her "Brush With Death: A Sadie Salt Urban Fantasy (Sadie Salt Series)" I must now give some thoughts and observations. Not because I am required to or any such thing, but simply because reading this story calls for it. First, this reader happens to be one of those people with an ingrained, catatonic-inducing fear of all things dental related. Yeah, I'm afraid of dentists. Yet, how could I not be drawn into protagonist Sadie's world when the very first gem of a sentence is: "There's a werewolf in my chair who's about to cry and Christ, the last thing I need is a wailing wolf." Wilkins had me, hook line and sinker from that point on... I mean, what can make a strong werewolf cry? Okay, losing a mate or some other trauma of that type might... but if this werewolf was say, sitting in a psychologists office retelling a horror from his or her past, well, surely a writer wouldn't open with such a comedic line... would they? (Although this writer might *grins*) No, Wilkins' Sadie is a dental assistant for humans by day, and dentist for monsters by night. Hmm, cue shudder from me here. The fact that this particular reader even finished a book featuring dental work, is actually a high testament to Wilkins writing voice and interesting plot.
The characters were visually appealing and easy to see in my minds eye as I read. They were likable and easy to empathize with. The hunky-human-sheriff-turned-werewolf; the tantalizing bisexual vampire; the menacingly mischievous tooth fairy; the curmudgeon boss; the distant yet loyal uncle... and that's just an example from the cast of characters that make an appearance. There is a touch of romance, with Sadie crushing on the sheriff and the vampire signaling his interest in her. Dialogue flowed and was believable; it was authentic to each character and helped move the story forward. The bad puns scattered throughout the tale had me grinning as much as the tooth pulling had me squirming. Did I mention already the mind-numbing horror a dentist invokes in me? Setting details for the town of Grimloch gave a true small town feel. There were some spelling, grammar and punctuation issues -mainly in the second half of the book - using "hinds" when "hands" was clearly intended, comes to mind.
All in all, this was a fun and interesting read - albeit a tad on the horror side with the dental work, for this reader. The pace of the tale is fairly quick and there is action galore. The main mystery is resolved but opens other questions in both protagonist Sadie's and the reader's minds; yes, a stand alone book that leaves a reader wanting more. I highly recommend this book and should really give it a five star rating. But... *shudders* the dental work!
The characters were visually appealing and easy to see in my minds eye as I read. They were likable and easy to empathize with. The hunky-human-sheriff-turned-werewolf; the tantalizing bisexual vampire; the menacingly mischievous tooth fairy; the curmudgeon boss; the distant yet loyal uncle... and that's just an example from the cast of characters that make an appearance. There is a touch of romance, with Sadie crushing on the sheriff and the vampire signaling his interest in her. Dialogue flowed and was believable; it was authentic to each character and helped move the story forward. The bad puns scattered throughout the tale had me grinning as much as the tooth pulling had me squirming. Did I mention already the mind-numbing horror a dentist invokes in me? Setting details for the town of Grimloch gave a true small town feel. There were some spelling, grammar and punctuation issues -mainly in the second half of the book - using "hinds" when "hands" was clearly intended, comes to mind.
All in all, this was a fun and interesting read - albeit a tad on the horror side with the dental work, for this reader. The pace of the tale is fairly quick and there is action galore. The main mystery is resolved but opens other questions in both protagonist Sadie's and the reader's minds; yes, a stand alone book that leaves a reader wanting more. I highly recommend this book and should really give it a five star rating. But... *shudders* the dental work!
August 29, 2023
Sorry in advance because this will be long.
Good Things:
I enjoyed the slow build for the first several chapters, as it let me as the reader adjust to the setting and environment Sadie was in and learn about the world building through her eyes.
The sex-positive narrative was refreshing and it brought me joy to see that the only concern about the sex work that was mentioned was the allegations of soliciting minors (Abe's confusion over why Nash was moaning at Sadie's place late at night)
Overall, the pace and reveals of the plot felt natural and were enjoyable but not overwhelming for me as a reader.
The Queen of the Vampire Coven being a drag queen was very enjoyable, and it made me happy to see a queer person put intentionally into a position of power.
Not So Good Things: (in my opinion)
The misrepresenting of Vodou as inherently evil and regurgitating the white media's narrative of 'voodoo bad and used by bad people to control people' was troubling for me. If you are Haitian, this might make you uncomfortable. From my notes, the topic of 'voodoo' only comes up twice, but both times, it is in a strictly negative and whitewashed way.
The plot twist of Benji also being interested in women would have been fine. The issue I have with it is that because Benji's motivation to reveal this to Sadie (and therefore also us as the reader) comes from a place of romantic interest in her, it makes us as the reader question every single time he has helped Sadie up until this reveal at the very end of the book. Now, instead of Benji appearing to be a loyal and dedicated friend, he now seems like a guy who was romantically interested in a woman and pursued a friendship with her with the end goal of becoming romantically involved with her. As a woman, that is a huge betrayal of trust and, at the same time, entirely typical of real life. This was honestly pretty devastating for me.
The depiction of Benji (who for the majority of the book is depicted as a gay man) to have a hyper-sexual and somewhat flamboyant personality is mildly stereotypical. On top of that, the immediate jealous and catty attitude of the only drag queen is also pretty stereotypical. I think if a couple queer people had been beta readers, then the queer aspects of this book could've been done better.
That's my very nit-picky opinion, but overall, I enjoyed this book and will be moving on to reading the next one.
Good Things:
I enjoyed the slow build for the first several chapters, as it let me as the reader adjust to the setting and environment Sadie was in and learn about the world building through her eyes.
The sex-positive narrative was refreshing and it brought me joy to see that the only concern about the sex work that was mentioned was the allegations of soliciting minors (Abe's confusion over why Nash was moaning at Sadie's place late at night)
Overall, the pace and reveals of the plot felt natural and were enjoyable but not overwhelming for me as a reader.
The Queen of the Vampire Coven being a drag queen was very enjoyable, and it made me happy to see a queer person put intentionally into a position of power.
Not So Good Things: (in my opinion)
The misrepresenting of Vodou as inherently evil and regurgitating the white media's narrative of 'voodoo bad and used by bad people to control people' was troubling for me. If you are Haitian, this might make you uncomfortable. From my notes, the topic of 'voodoo' only comes up twice, but both times, it is in a strictly negative and whitewashed way.
The plot twist of Benji also being interested in women would have been fine. The issue I have with it is that because Benji's motivation to reveal this to Sadie (and therefore also us as the reader) comes from a place of romantic interest in her, it makes us as the reader question every single time he has helped Sadie up until this reveal at the very end of the book. Now, instead of Benji appearing to be a loyal and dedicated friend, he now seems like a guy who was romantically interested in a woman and pursued a friendship with her with the end goal of becoming romantically involved with her. As a woman, that is a huge betrayal of trust and, at the same time, entirely typical of real life. This was honestly pretty devastating for me.
The depiction of Benji (who for the majority of the book is depicted as a gay man) to have a hyper-sexual and somewhat flamboyant personality is mildly stereotypical. On top of that, the immediate jealous and catty attitude of the only drag queen is also pretty stereotypical. I think if a couple queer people had been beta readers, then the queer aspects of this book could've been done better.
That's my very nit-picky opinion, but overall, I enjoyed this book and will be moving on to reading the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2017
What a great start to a series! Sadie is a kind of girl next door character--except that she is a dentist to all the wild supernaturals in her smallish, unassuming town. This is a town of normals (like the dreamy sheriff that she's been crushing on forever) and paranormals like her vampire friend Benji. Our story begins with a bang, a tooth extraction from the sharp-toothed jaws of a panicking werewolf. A good way to lose a hand, right? Sadie's day job as a dental assistant and her night job as a dentist to werewolves, fairies, vampires and the like doesn't prepare her to be implicated in a murder. And while all those extracted teeth keep her barely making her monthly payment, it doesn't square her completely with the psycho Tooth Fairy that she owes a huge debt too either. With both of these things threatening her, and never having shown any signs of magic, how can she protect herself. It's a good thing she has some great friends, a supportive boss, a shadowy magical uncle, and a bat to swing. This book had a nice pace and a great mystery. More and more revelations were popping up, giving us tempting glimpses of future possibilities. While the murder is wrapped up and everything concluded satisfactorily, there are still plenty of things begging to be explored in the sequel. When I read it the next book wasn't out yet so I was dying with curiosity. It's just come out and I can't wait to find out what's up with Sadie and this unusual cast of supporting characters!
July 18, 2023
After a coworker and I laughed about there being a book about anything we started googling the most random topics for books we could find. That was how I stumbled across this book.
We laughed about it for a few hours, paranormal dentist!? what will they think of next!??!?
Then I read the book. And it was actually really f*cking good! I couldn't put it down. Ware Wilkins' writing style has even helped me out of my "I hate reading first person" shell! Even though I read it in between some other books I was also reading every time I went back to it I got hooked again!
The characters are interesting, the story keeps you coming back, and I can't wait to read the other two novels in the series!
We laughed about it for a few hours, paranormal dentist!? what will they think of next!??!?
Then I read the book. And it was actually really f*cking good! I couldn't put it down. Ware Wilkins' writing style has even helped me out of my "I hate reading first person" shell! Even though I read it in between some other books I was also reading every time I went back to it I got hooked again!
The characters are interesting, the story keeps you coming back, and I can't wait to read the other two novels in the series!
May 20, 2018
A great introduction to the characters and the world. Lovely world building without extraneous info dumps. The magic system is great and you really feel for Sadie, despite her mistakes. If you enjoy stuff that is loosely related to Baba Yaga, this is a good one.
October 1, 2017
Great start to a thrilling series
What a funny and original concept for an Urban Fantasy series! I loved it! Great characters and a solid storyline makes for an exciting read.
What a funny and original concept for an Urban Fantasy series! I loved it! Great characters and a solid storyline makes for an exciting read.
January 20, 2019
DNF wasn't looking for something so boring and full of stilted dialogues and carbon personalities.
May 29, 2019
Read the next one too see if the series will stick
October 27, 2020
The story no doubt was best but not my cup of tea.
May 1, 2021
Sadie Salt is a mere dental assistant who moonlights as a qualified dentist to the supernatural community after closing hours. She pulls brownie teeth all night to pay rent and work off her debt to the tooth fairy. She is exhausted and currently at her limit when things hit the fan.
One night she pulls the molars of a werewolf, leaves for a moment, and returns to his corpse. The body is staged eerily like the bodies of her murdered parents: popped open ribcage and missing teeth. Was this a message for Sadie or merely coincidence? Is she next? Why? Most importantly, where is she going to get the teeth to pay Tee with?
I ended up having way more issues with Brush With Death than I ever expected to. This was a reread of what I remembered to be a pleasant experience. The following is a bit convoluted, but bear with me (spoilers ahead) (as well as a rant):
In the Sadie Salt world, bone witchery is punishable by death by the supernatural community. Genocide is not frowned upon, but encouraged. Using the life magic contained in body parts (and specifically in bones) is considered terrifying and ethically icky. On top of that, bone witches are explicitly addicted to their magic. The rush of power is orgasmic. Once practicing, a bone witch will bulldoze anything and everything until they are killed. They will burn down the world for power.
Fun fact: Sadie is a bone witch.
Read the rest here: http://sweetlydarkbooks.home.blog/202...
One night she pulls the molars of a werewolf, leaves for a moment, and returns to his corpse. The body is staged eerily like the bodies of her murdered parents: popped open ribcage and missing teeth. Was this a message for Sadie or merely coincidence? Is she next? Why? Most importantly, where is she going to get the teeth to pay Tee with?
I ended up having way more issues with Brush With Death than I ever expected to. This was a reread of what I remembered to be a pleasant experience. The following is a bit convoluted, but bear with me (spoilers ahead) (as well as a rant):
In the Sadie Salt world, bone witchery is punishable by death by the supernatural community. Genocide is not frowned upon, but encouraged. Using the life magic contained in body parts (and specifically in bones) is considered terrifying and ethically icky. On top of that, bone witches are explicitly addicted to their magic. The rush of power is orgasmic. Once practicing, a bone witch will bulldoze anything and everything until they are killed. They will burn down the world for power.
Fun fact: Sadie is a bone witch.
Read the rest here: http://sweetlydarkbooks.home.blog/202...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2017
Loved this book. Fast paced and quirky. Can't wait for the next one.
March 29, 2017
A new urban fantasy with a female dentist as the protagonist? I'm in! This book got stronger as it went and some of the characters really stuck with me. Lots of interesting stuff happening and I'm looking forward to the next book :).
March 30, 2017
Hard to put down
Sadie Salt lives in a small town working two jobs her day job as a dental assistant by night she is a dentist to the supernatural. Sadie is trapped in debt to the tooth fairy paying in teeth. She is a bone witch resistant to magic, but the bone magic is addictive and there will be a price for using it. I had a hard time putting this book down I am excites to read more from this offer. I don't give five stars often but this book deserves every star.
Sadie Salt lives in a small town working two jobs her day job as a dental assistant by night she is a dentist to the supernatural. Sadie is trapped in debt to the tooth fairy paying in teeth. She is a bone witch resistant to magic, but the bone magic is addictive and there will be a price for using it. I had a hard time putting this book down I am excites to read more from this offer. I don't give five stars often but this book deserves every star.
April 23, 2017
I loved this book. The whole set up from the very beginning was so delightfully off-center from the standard urban fantasy plot line. Sadie's view of life, and her attempts to regulate her life between the two worlds, normal and paranormal, felt fresh and genuine.
Also, a paranormal dentist is such a great job.
I'm really looking forward to the second book coming out and learning more of what Sadie et al will be doing.
Also, a paranormal dentist is such a great job.
I'm really looking forward to the second book coming out and learning more of what Sadie et al will be doing.
April 3, 2017
So I'll talk about the stuff that I liked first then put the thing that really annoyed me behind a spoiler tag.
How could I possibly resist a book about a woman who is a dental assistant by day and a dentist to the supernatural community by night? That's quite a hook, and it definitely caught me. Even better, the dentistry turns out to be an important part of the plot and characterization, so wasn't some cutesy set up for something else.
Sadie herself is a fun character: temperamental, humorous, a bit of a mess, but trying hard to make things work.
The style is brisk, almost breezy, but grounded when it needs to be. I liked Sadie's POV very much.
Now for the part that nearly turned this into a two star review.
SPOILER:
How could I possibly resist a book about a woman who is a dental assistant by day and a dentist to the supernatural community by night? That's quite a hook, and it definitely caught me. Even better, the dentistry turns out to be an important part of the plot and characterization, so wasn't some cutesy set up for something else.
Sadie herself is a fun character: temperamental, humorous, a bit of a mess, but trying hard to make things work.
The style is brisk, almost breezy, but grounded when it needs to be. I liked Sadie's POV very much.
Now for the part that nearly turned this into a two star review.
SPOILER:
April 4, 2017
Lovin' It
An interesting concept. The book is creative, intriguing, unique, and has intelligent characters. I enjoyed the new ideas within the genre and am looking forward for more.
An interesting concept. The book is creative, intriguing, unique, and has intelligent characters. I enjoyed the new ideas within the genre and am looking forward for more.
April 22, 2017
Great read.
I gave this book 4 stars. At first, the cover caught my attention. As I started to read, I became interested in the characters. Pulling for Sadie and her friends. Am ready to read the next book.
I gave this book 4 stars. At first, the cover caught my attention. As I started to read, I became interested in the characters. Pulling for Sadie and her friends. Am ready to read the next book.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews