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Saltblood
A remote island. A group of prisoners. And an evil as old as time.
Robin didn’t mean to break the law. Didn’t know at first what law she’d broken. And now she’s on her way to Salt Rock — a new-model prison for a new kind of criminal, way out in the remote Northern Isles of Scotland.
On Salt Rock, she'll meet other prisoners like her — men and women from all over the world, spirited away from the lives they knew for crimes they didn’t know they were committing.
She'll uncover the complex web of conspiracy that connects them all, confronting some of the darkness of her own past in the process.
And she'll come face to face, finally, with an evil as old as the land itself.
It’s hell in those waters.
Robin didn’t mean to break the law. Didn’t know at first what law she’d broken. And now she’s on her way to Salt Rock — a new-model prison for a new kind of criminal, way out in the remote Northern Isles of Scotland.
On Salt Rock, she'll meet other prisoners like her — men and women from all over the world, spirited away from the lives they knew for crimes they didn’t know they were committing.
She'll uncover the complex web of conspiracy that connects them all, confronting some of the darkness of her own past in the process.
And she'll come face to face, finally, with an evil as old as the land itself.
It’s hell in those waters.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2020
21 people are currently reading
1916 people want to read
About the author
T.C. Parker
16 books142 followersI'm a writer and researcher based in the fox-ravaged wilds of Leicestershire.
I've been a copywriter, a lecturer and, very briefly, an academic; now I run a semiotics and cultural insight agency by day and dream up horror and crime fiction at night, when the kids are asleep.
I write mostly horror and crime, skeet enthusiastically as @tcparker.bsky.social, and post the occasional poorly-composed photo on Instagram (as @writestc).
For stories, serialised novels and other thoughts about the universe, visit/subscribe to my Substack - tcparker.substack.com
I've been a copywriter, a lecturer and, very briefly, an academic; now I run a semiotics and cultural insight agency by day and dream up horror and crime fiction at night, when the kids are asleep.
I write mostly horror and crime, skeet enthusiastically as @tcparker.bsky.social, and post the occasional poorly-composed photo on Instagram (as @writestc).
For stories, serialised novels and other thoughts about the universe, visit/subscribe to my Substack - tcparker.substack.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
April 28, 2021
oOOOOOh this book! I loved it so very much! It was so unique to me and it kept me enthralled from beginning to end. I don’t want to ruin it by telling you all about it so I’ll do my best not to do that. To be completely honest here, I was a little worried after I glanced at the blurb because I’m not really a huge fan of what it was saying. It was talking about prisons and conspiracies and, well, I didn’t think I would fall in love with the story but the best thing happened and I immediately did just that. I’m so thankful for my friends who put it on my radar with their positive reviews because it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year and I’d like everyone to give it a read.
We meet strangers Robin and Jack as they’re traveling to an island and we quickly learn they’re not on any kind of lavish vacation! Salt Island is enclosed beneath a wire mesh cage penning them in on all sides. Sounds very much like a prison island, eh? Yeah, that’s because it is even if they’re told it’s a “place to reflect”.
It’s all very mysterious and the reveals are doled out slowly. What is this island? Why are they here? What terrible things have these people done?!! And why aren’t they allowed to speak to the 100 or so locals still living on the island? What the heck is going on?
My overly dramatic notes are filled with “What is happening here?! I will perish from the suspense!!” But it is sort of true. Once this book gets its hooks in you, it will be hard to stop reading until you learn everything and you’ll have more questions with every page you turn. It read a wee bit like the best kind of Black Mirror episode. Greed and a mix of modern technology fucking things up blended with an ancient . . . well, I’m not going to tell you that part. I absolutely AM NOT.
It’s a horror novel so expect things to get bloody. There’s a pretty big warning sign right off the bat. They’re not allowed any outside communication with the world. That means no cell phones, no CB radios, no rabbit ears, no nothing! The island also smells very bad. Soon a dead body is found. They may or may not be seeing very strange beings wandering around in the shadows after darkness. Now imagine having no option to leave and being completely left in the dark about EVERYTHING. That’s the situation these people find themselves in and it gets terrifying rather quickly.
I enjoyed nearly everything here except the bit in my CW below and I can’t find anything to complain about - not that I was looking but you know I can be a picky witch sometimes (yikes, wish I weren’t like this but I am what I am). The author takes her time developing her characters, revealing their backstories, building the relationships and trust between them. The circumstances are wild but also completely believable. When the ahhhh!! oh-my-gods! things begin to happen you’re invested in these people and it’s too late to turn back!
There’s action, there’s adventure, there’s a terrifying ancient *nope still not saying* and an excellent cast of strong women who must bond together to outsmart the evil situation they’re stuck in. I recommend it with my whole heart or at least what’s left of it.
CW:
We meet strangers Robin and Jack as they’re traveling to an island and we quickly learn they’re not on any kind of lavish vacation! Salt Island is enclosed beneath a wire mesh cage penning them in on all sides. Sounds very much like a prison island, eh? Yeah, that’s because it is even if they’re told it’s a “place to reflect”.
It’s all very mysterious and the reveals are doled out slowly. What is this island? Why are they here? What terrible things have these people done?!! And why aren’t they allowed to speak to the 100 or so locals still living on the island? What the heck is going on?
My overly dramatic notes are filled with “What is happening here?! I will perish from the suspense!!” But it is sort of true. Once this book gets its hooks in you, it will be hard to stop reading until you learn everything and you’ll have more questions with every page you turn. It read a wee bit like the best kind of Black Mirror episode. Greed and a mix of modern technology fucking things up blended with an ancient . . . well, I’m not going to tell you that part. I absolutely AM NOT.
It’s a horror novel so expect things to get bloody. There’s a pretty big warning sign right off the bat. They’re not allowed any outside communication with the world. That means no cell phones, no CB radios, no rabbit ears, no nothing! The island also smells very bad. Soon a dead body is found. They may or may not be seeing very strange beings wandering around in the shadows after darkness. Now imagine having no option to leave and being completely left in the dark about EVERYTHING. That’s the situation these people find themselves in and it gets terrifying rather quickly.
I enjoyed nearly everything here except the bit in my CW below and I can’t find anything to complain about - not that I was looking but you know I can be a picky witch sometimes (yikes, wish I weren’t like this but I am what I am). The author takes her time developing her characters, revealing their backstories, building the relationships and trust between them. The circumstances are wild but also completely believable. When the ahhhh!! oh-my-gods! things begin to happen you’re invested in these people and it’s too late to turn back!
There’s action, there’s adventure, there’s a terrifying ancient *nope still not saying* and an excellent cast of strong women who must bond together to outsmart the evil situation they’re stuck in. I recommend it with my whole heart or at least what’s left of it.
CW:
June 14, 2021
First of all, I love the premise of Saltblood. It could totally be a Black Mirror episode. In fact, do you remember the episode where society has developed a rating system for every person? You would go to a party and have an interaction with an old friend and as the two of you part ways, you score the interaction. People with high scores are afforded certain luxuries and low-scoring individuals are treated poorly; like second-class citizens.
Saltblood is similar in that there is a rating system but it is only used in a punitive sense. If you say or do something socially unacceptable--especially to the point of making headlines, you're shipped off to an isolated island somewhere off the coast of Scottland.
The main character/narrator, Robin is being sent to Salt Rock so, through her eyes, we get to experience what life is like once the general population has judged you to be unfit for society. It's a very clever plot and Parker does an amazing job setting it up. The pages really do fly as Robin becomes adjusted to her new life.
Of course, as soon as she starts to get settled, Robin encounters some strange activities going on and this opens her up to secrets and mysteries that the islanders are either trying to keep buried or also trying to work on uncovering the truth.
There was one element to the story that didn't quite work for me--I liked all the 'human monster' story developments better and thought that the more mythological aspects made me unable to suspend disbelief--pulling me out of the story a little.
This author has writing chops and I will be reading more of her work for sure. (I already dove into SALVATION SPRING and enjoyed that)
Saltblood is similar in that there is a rating system but it is only used in a punitive sense. If you say or do something socially unacceptable--especially to the point of making headlines, you're shipped off to an isolated island somewhere off the coast of Scottland.
The main character/narrator, Robin is being sent to Salt Rock so, through her eyes, we get to experience what life is like once the general population has judged you to be unfit for society. It's a very clever plot and Parker does an amazing job setting it up. The pages really do fly as Robin becomes adjusted to her new life.
Of course, as soon as she starts to get settled, Robin encounters some strange activities going on and this opens her up to secrets and mysteries that the islanders are either trying to keep buried or also trying to work on uncovering the truth.
There was one element to the story that didn't quite work for me--I liked all the 'human monster' story developments better and thought that the more mythological aspects made me unable to suspend disbelief--pulling me out of the story a little.
This author has writing chops and I will be reading more of her work for sure. (I already dove into SALVATION SPRING and enjoyed that)
December 27, 2022
I love the concept behind this one - part Black Mirror episode and part dark, horrific Scottish folklore. With a dash of sapphic romance and TC Parker's excellent, descriptive writing style, that's a winning combination for me.
December 28, 2022
3.25 stars. This was a very entertaining albeit somewhat chaotic book. There is a lot going on with an intrigue, a paranormal storyline and some romance, so some of it could have been more fleshed out, but I enjoyed reading it.
October 27, 2022
WOW! Kindle Unlimited
This was a really enthralling paranormal read, but with all too real elements regarding 'outrage' culture and the utilization of the internet and it's social media technologies to "punish" offenders. This would make an amazing episode of Black Mirror.
It's chilling, but relatable to see the information unfold the way it does. Feeling the realistic portrayals from the characters who all have their own past, and struggling with their varying responses to their circumstances. It's such a fascinating, emotional ride, that I feel like even trying to articulate it, is going to mar the expectation.
All I can really say is if you love paranormal creepiness mixed with social commentary, this is the story for you! It's not too heavy handed, or preachy. Hitting all the right notes.
It's a story that's definitely going to stick with me for quite some time, and may be one of the best I've read this year. I'd highly recommend people giving it a go.
It's very mild on the romance, but there is women-loving-women there who connect.
This was a really enthralling paranormal read, but with all too real elements regarding 'outrage' culture and the utilization of the internet and it's social media technologies to "punish" offenders. This would make an amazing episode of Black Mirror.
It's chilling, but relatable to see the information unfold the way it does. Feeling the realistic portrayals from the characters who all have their own past, and struggling with their varying responses to their circumstances. It's such a fascinating, emotional ride, that I feel like even trying to articulate it, is going to mar the expectation.
All I can really say is if you love paranormal creepiness mixed with social commentary, this is the story for you! It's not too heavy handed, or preachy. Hitting all the right notes.
It's a story that's definitely going to stick with me for quite some time, and may be one of the best I've read this year. I'd highly recommend people giving it a go.
It's very mild on the romance, but there is women-loving-women there who connect.
February 4, 2021
Saltblood has such a fascinating concept, and it was an entertaining read! This is a solid horror novel, and it offered more than I expected. It started to drag a bit once it got toward the end, but that's my only complaint. I recommend checking this one out!
CW - mention of animal cruelty
CW - mention of animal cruelty
November 17, 2020
Updated as now on STORGY.com
T.C. Parker delivers the creeping unease of past masters with a story that is as beguiling as it is terrifying – Salt Blood is a story that keeps on giving from the very first page!
Salt Blood is an interesting concept for a book and one that seems far removed from the brooding cover (although I can see the connections there just about), it’s also a book that shouldn’t be judged on the cover alone (another awesome offering from indie horror go to cover designer Kealan Patrick Burke) – because this book has so much more to offer.
Salt Blood is partly dystopian fiction, partly mystery, partly folklore and hugely horror – this is a siren song of a book and one that the reader can’t help but drown themselves within the brutality that awaits beyond that striking cover.
Salt Rock is the ‘fictional‘ island that our main protagonist Robin finds herself interned on, a place where people are sent after ‘incidents of outrage‘ an almost censorship of free speech in a (what I could assume to be) not too distant future. This dystopian censorship vibe brings to mind thoughts and comparisons of ‘The Handmaids Tale‘ by Margaret Atwood and ‘The Hunger Games‘ by Suzanne Collins. Salt Blood is about the normal, the now, things we see around us but slightly askew, an almost separate / diverging timeline that you could quite possibly see coming to fruition. I for one would love to get Trump sent here.
You see our protagonists Robin and the other Salt Rock residents (prisoners) are stuck underneath a huge Faraday Cage – one that reaches from shore to shore around the whole island. The Faraday Cage for those who don’t know is a cage that stops or blocks electromagnetic fields, works in cutting off any outside or inside electrical communications. So those on the island are alone, isolated and scared.
A small amount of the sea is also imprisoned within this cage too, but trust me, you don’t want to venture too far into those waters!
What I really enjoyed about T.C. Parker’s writing is the work that she does with the characters trapped within this cage and on this sorry island. We are slowly introduced to these characters and chapters are used to further explain to the reader why they are interned on this island and subtle hints are dropped to the possible connections and underhandedness that is taking place around them, building superbly the mystery vibe to the book. I really enjoyed how T.C. Parker uses this tool to help add depth to her characters, which saves massive info dumps, as we get to see first hand how and why and what has brought these characters here… to Salt Rock.
T.C. Parker casts a spell on the reader from page one, we are brought into this deftly crafted world at ease, we believe what is happening, we can see that this is possible – but it’s the elegance of her prose and storytelling craft that make us fully immerse ourselves in this strange dystopian and devilishly good horror yarn. And while I’m talking about horror, yes there is plenty of it, at times the book was drenched in the bloody stuff and the folklore elements of this folk-horror vibe that is woven into the prose is pretty terrifying stuff, helped by T.C. Parkers attention to detail and graphic / masterful descriptions – it was fully formed nightmare in my minds eye as the horrors slowly unfurl on the page.
As Robin begins to make connections with the other prisoners, and explores the island for herself, things are not quite what they seem and when someone turns up dead, they soon realise that being held prisoner on this island is the least of their worries. The thing that lurks under the Faraday Cage, that stalks over the land, that resides from the sea, is the thing that needs to be feared above all else. Prepare to be scared!
T.C. Parker does suspense very well indeed, with her prose building to a stunning and cinematic conclusion, where we feel, see, smell and witness everything with a blinding clarity and discover the mysteries that she has hidden so well. But as I mentioned it’s the suspense and unease and impending dread that is intrinsically woven into her prose that gets the heart-rate pumping and the anxiety flowing, in these moments of brilliance Parker’s writing had me reminiscing about ‘And Then There Were None‘ by Agatha Christie, many of Daphne du Maurier’s works and ‘Shutter Island‘ by Dennis Lehane – all the while having me on the edge of my seat!
Salt Blood is a mysterious, horrific beast of a book, one that is steeped in mythology and folklore but also drenched in the horrors of isolation, despair and creeping unease. T.C. Parker has produced a siren song of a book and you should listen to her macabre call into the deep – check out this chiller of a book now, before someone makes a movie of it!
T.C. Parker delivers the creeping unease of past masters with a story that is as beguiling as it is terrifying – Salt Blood is a story that keeps on giving from the very first page!
Salt Blood is an interesting concept for a book and one that seems far removed from the brooding cover (although I can see the connections there just about), it’s also a book that shouldn’t be judged on the cover alone (another awesome offering from indie horror go to cover designer Kealan Patrick Burke) – because this book has so much more to offer.
Salt Blood is partly dystopian fiction, partly mystery, partly folklore and hugely horror – this is a siren song of a book and one that the reader can’t help but drown themselves within the brutality that awaits beyond that striking cover.
Salt Rock is the ‘fictional‘ island that our main protagonist Robin finds herself interned on, a place where people are sent after ‘incidents of outrage‘ an almost censorship of free speech in a (what I could assume to be) not too distant future. This dystopian censorship vibe brings to mind thoughts and comparisons of ‘The Handmaids Tale‘ by Margaret Atwood and ‘The Hunger Games‘ by Suzanne Collins. Salt Blood is about the normal, the now, things we see around us but slightly askew, an almost separate / diverging timeline that you could quite possibly see coming to fruition. I for one would love to get Trump sent here.
You see our protagonists Robin and the other Salt Rock residents (prisoners) are stuck underneath a huge Faraday Cage – one that reaches from shore to shore around the whole island. The Faraday Cage for those who don’t know is a cage that stops or blocks electromagnetic fields, works in cutting off any outside or inside electrical communications. So those on the island are alone, isolated and scared.
A small amount of the sea is also imprisoned within this cage too, but trust me, you don’t want to venture too far into those waters!
What I really enjoyed about T.C. Parker’s writing is the work that she does with the characters trapped within this cage and on this sorry island. We are slowly introduced to these characters and chapters are used to further explain to the reader why they are interned on this island and subtle hints are dropped to the possible connections and underhandedness that is taking place around them, building superbly the mystery vibe to the book. I really enjoyed how T.C. Parker uses this tool to help add depth to her characters, which saves massive info dumps, as we get to see first hand how and why and what has brought these characters here… to Salt Rock.
T.C. Parker casts a spell on the reader from page one, we are brought into this deftly crafted world at ease, we believe what is happening, we can see that this is possible – but it’s the elegance of her prose and storytelling craft that make us fully immerse ourselves in this strange dystopian and devilishly good horror yarn. And while I’m talking about horror, yes there is plenty of it, at times the book was drenched in the bloody stuff and the folklore elements of this folk-horror vibe that is woven into the prose is pretty terrifying stuff, helped by T.C. Parkers attention to detail and graphic / masterful descriptions – it was fully formed nightmare in my minds eye as the horrors slowly unfurl on the page.
As Robin begins to make connections with the other prisoners, and explores the island for herself, things are not quite what they seem and when someone turns up dead, they soon realise that being held prisoner on this island is the least of their worries. The thing that lurks under the Faraday Cage, that stalks over the land, that resides from the sea, is the thing that needs to be feared above all else. Prepare to be scared!
T.C. Parker does suspense very well indeed, with her prose building to a stunning and cinematic conclusion, where we feel, see, smell and witness everything with a blinding clarity and discover the mysteries that she has hidden so well. But as I mentioned it’s the suspense and unease and impending dread that is intrinsically woven into her prose that gets the heart-rate pumping and the anxiety flowing, in these moments of brilliance Parker’s writing had me reminiscing about ‘And Then There Were None‘ by Agatha Christie, many of Daphne du Maurier’s works and ‘Shutter Island‘ by Dennis Lehane – all the while having me on the edge of my seat!
Salt Blood is a mysterious, horrific beast of a book, one that is steeped in mythology and folklore but also drenched in the horrors of isolation, despair and creeping unease. T.C. Parker has produced a siren song of a book and you should listen to her macabre call into the deep – check out this chiller of a book now, before someone makes a movie of it!
December 21, 2022
This is a bit of a thriller/mystery/horror read. It’s a good change of pace. I just didn’t get the full creepiness/ thrill of it. For me that has to do with the sidesteps as to why people are “guests” on Salt Rock and how they keep jumping back to that time as a sort of flashback or a telling of their tale. It took away a lot of the suspense and confused me from time to time.
Parker is a good writer, this story shows it, I just don’t understand some of the storytelling choices. And something that was worse than all the telling/ flashback, all the parentheses . What’s up with that?
Parker is a good writer, this story shows it, I just don’t understand some of the storytelling choices. And something that was worse than all the telling/ flashback, all the parentheses . What’s up with that?
December 19, 2022
3.5
Fun, different and nice change of pace
🐴👹👩🏻🔬🌊🏊♀️
Fun, different and nice change of pace
🐴👹👩🏻🔬🌊🏊♀️
April 20, 2021
3.5 rounded up to 4. Review to come on Sci Fi and Scary
October 19, 2022
Another fantastic horror story. What do you get when you put together a remote Scottish Island, prisoners that caused social media outrage, and a skinless half-man, half-horse water demon? Nothing good, that's for sure! Excellent read for spooky season, and I look forward to another by this author!
February 12, 2021
Review to follow, but on another note, Goddamn!
November 18, 2021
Don't judge this book by its cover,. It's way more original than the artwork suggests. I picked it up despite its cover because I was intrigued by the idea of young people being sent to an island for crimes that they didn’t know that they’d committed and because it was nominated for Best Novel in the 2020 Ladies Of Horror Fiction Awards. It was in great company, not least of which were
‘Mexican Gothic’
and
‘The Sun Down Motel’
.
Based on the reviews I read, I expected it to be a good solid set-on-a-creepy-island-we-can’t-escape-from horror story. It was that, in a way, but it was so much more disturbing than I'd expected it to be and much to original and genre-spanning to be easily labelled.
The thing that gripped me at the start of the book was how horribly plausible it all was. I won't share here the nature of the new crime that Robin committed because part of the early suspense of the book was finding that out. When I did found out, my first reaction was, 'Oh God, we're so close to having this happening'. My second reaction was, 'If it did happen, I'd end up on the island, wouldn't I?' There's a strong dystopian feel to the story that is all the more disturbing for being low-key.
Much of the storytelling is done through very realistic dialogue which somehow reinforces the sense of being in a waking nightmare. Here's an example of the kind of writing I liked.
“I think perhaps there’s something in the air in this place that engenders strange intimacies. Accelerated intimacies. Like real prison. Or reality television.”
Then, just before the halfway mark, the sense of menace in the book started to change from being on the wrong side of an authoritarian regime mired in corporate corruption, to something older, darker and much more dangerous threatening the people on the island.
I thought the melding of ancient threat and modern dystopia was very well done. We got to know the main characters well enough for them to be more than plot devices. Most of what they did, the did because of who they are and how they felt about each other. The supernatural part is a bit of a leap but less so than werewolves or vampires or cape-wearing heroes who can fly and the action scenes were very well done.
Is this a horror book? Well, it has monsters in it (human and otherwise), it looks at how true evil demands things of us that we can't refuse but will regret and it's filled with a sense of doom, So, yes, it is a horror book.
It's also a good speculative fiction story with ideas in it that are deeply disturbing but which don't draw on horror tropes to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.
I was impressed and I'll be back for more. I'm trying 'A Press Of Feathers' next.
August 19, 2020
Chilling thriller
On a bleak and desolate island, people are imprisoned according to how much outrage they've triggered on social media - scarily possible in our current times when people are hounded on these platforms for perceived wrongs (often without regard to facts, context or truth). Against this backdrop exists a legendary monster. When Robin arrives in the island, it soon becomes a battle of survival, with both the 'prison' governor and the monster after her and her friends. Well-paced, chilling and atmospheric - I can still hear the waves crashing in my ears.
On a bleak and desolate island, people are imprisoned according to how much outrage they've triggered on social media - scarily possible in our current times when people are hounded on these platforms for perceived wrongs (often without regard to facts, context or truth). Against this backdrop exists a legendary monster. When Robin arrives in the island, it soon becomes a battle of survival, with both the 'prison' governor and the monster after her and her friends. Well-paced, chilling and atmospheric - I can still hear the waves crashing in my ears.
April 29, 2021
This horror/folklore/social-commentary mash-up was a fast-paced, page-turning thrill ride. Parker's crisp, no-nonsense prose and driving plot grabbed me from the get-go and never let up. I'll definitely be in line to buy whatever she churns out next.
April 4, 2024
Well holy hell!! What a blast of a horror novel. (Truly, like… the actual human shit was WAY more horrifying than the literal monster). Loved the sapphic bent as always with this author, I’m def gonna make her a must read for me. Between the heist novels and these horror ones, I fucking love everything so far.
June 9, 2021
Public outrage and outcry. This is something that is in constant rotation on social media and in the news these days. It’s hard to escape it. Some of it is justifiable and some of it isn’t, but I guess that all depends on your opinion, and you know what is to be said about those. Now, imagine living in a world and a society where you could find yourself exiled away on a remote prison island for being found guilty not of a crime based on your actions, but for those actions inciting reactions of public anger, outrage, disgust, and hatred. Sounds like a pretty scary place to live to me, like one more step towards control, one more freedom seemingly stripped away. This is the semi-dystopian setting readers find themselves confronted with in SALTBLOOD by T.C. Parker.
Now that might sound like the beginnings of a Science Fiction novel, but trust me, this is 100% a horror story pulling from folklore and mythology. I will say though that the movie Minority Report did come to mind while reading this. SALTBLOOD is honestly nothing at all like Minority Report, I think the comparison that my mind was attempting to make between the two was that they both deal with themes of control in some way.
Parker does something with SALTBLOOD that I think is hard to pull off, deftly crafting a story, an atmosphere, and an environment that feels both isolated yet expansive simultaneously. This book drips with isolation. Not only are the prisoners confined within the boundaries of Salt Rock, a dreary remote island in the Northern Isles of Scotland, but said island is also shielded away from the rest of the world by an imposing faraday cage cutting off all electronic communications to the outside world. On the flipside the mystery, conspiracy, and folklore expands the story outward into something much grander in scope that penetrates through that engulfing cage and out past those rocky shorelines. SALTBLOOD feels bigger than it should on the surface with Parker weaving together a complex narrative tapestry that maybe shouldn’t work but is gracefully executed into a riveting tale.
I said earlier that this is 100% a horror novel but I haven’t really touched upon what those horrors are yet, well, horrors other than having your life turned upside down and being imprisoned on a desolate rock cutoff from the rest of the outside world. So, the prisoners aren’t the only inhabitants living (if you can call it that) on Salt Rock. There are natives here too, and as our protagonist Robin soon discovers they aren’t too friendly towards outsiders. Something about these brutish, eerily quiet, horse riding islanders just feels a bit off, maybe even a bit cultish? On top of that there is something else roaming through the darkness along the beaches and outside of the cabins, something with heavy thunderous footsteps. Is it man or something more ancient, something evil that holds Salt Rock in its grip?
I loved the folklore and mythology that Parker drew from and pulled into SALTBLOOD. I am a big DnD nerd so I am familiar with a lot of creatures and monsters from myth and folklore but what Parker introduces here was something completely fresh and new to me. Without giving too much away it is nightmarishly grisly and would be utterly terrifying to encounter in the hellish waters surging around Salt Rock. It brought a uniqueness and nuance that wasn’t your typical folk horror experience.
A rich and surprisingly sprawling narrative laced with isolation, grotesque evil, and myth. SALTBLOOD by T.C. Parker seamlessly mixes social commentary with folklore all told through the blooded lens of a horror novel. This was my first read by T.C. Parker and since I have read her horror western novella Salvation Spring and you can consider me a fan. I will be reading anything that Parker writes.
I received a copy of this book from the author for review consideration.
Video review: https://youtu.be/Bqc-S4LepV8
Now that might sound like the beginnings of a Science Fiction novel, but trust me, this is 100% a horror story pulling from folklore and mythology. I will say though that the movie Minority Report did come to mind while reading this. SALTBLOOD is honestly nothing at all like Minority Report, I think the comparison that my mind was attempting to make between the two was that they both deal with themes of control in some way.
Parker does something with SALTBLOOD that I think is hard to pull off, deftly crafting a story, an atmosphere, and an environment that feels both isolated yet expansive simultaneously. This book drips with isolation. Not only are the prisoners confined within the boundaries of Salt Rock, a dreary remote island in the Northern Isles of Scotland, but said island is also shielded away from the rest of the world by an imposing faraday cage cutting off all electronic communications to the outside world. On the flipside the mystery, conspiracy, and folklore expands the story outward into something much grander in scope that penetrates through that engulfing cage and out past those rocky shorelines. SALTBLOOD feels bigger than it should on the surface with Parker weaving together a complex narrative tapestry that maybe shouldn’t work but is gracefully executed into a riveting tale.
I said earlier that this is 100% a horror novel but I haven’t really touched upon what those horrors are yet, well, horrors other than having your life turned upside down and being imprisoned on a desolate rock cutoff from the rest of the outside world. So, the prisoners aren’t the only inhabitants living (if you can call it that) on Salt Rock. There are natives here too, and as our protagonist Robin soon discovers they aren’t too friendly towards outsiders. Something about these brutish, eerily quiet, horse riding islanders just feels a bit off, maybe even a bit cultish? On top of that there is something else roaming through the darkness along the beaches and outside of the cabins, something with heavy thunderous footsteps. Is it man or something more ancient, something evil that holds Salt Rock in its grip?
I loved the folklore and mythology that Parker drew from and pulled into SALTBLOOD. I am a big DnD nerd so I am familiar with a lot of creatures and monsters from myth and folklore but what Parker introduces here was something completely fresh and new to me. Without giving too much away it is nightmarishly grisly and would be utterly terrifying to encounter in the hellish waters surging around Salt Rock. It brought a uniqueness and nuance that wasn’t your typical folk horror experience.
A rich and surprisingly sprawling narrative laced with isolation, grotesque evil, and myth. SALTBLOOD by T.C. Parker seamlessly mixes social commentary with folklore all told through the blooded lens of a horror novel. This was my first read by T.C. Parker and since I have read her horror western novella Salvation Spring and you can consider me a fan. I will be reading anything that Parker writes.
I received a copy of this book from the author for review consideration.
Video review: https://youtu.be/Bqc-S4LepV8
January 20, 2023
See my full blog review:
https://letsgetgalactic.com/2021/01/1...
When I picked up this book, I thought I was getting a spooky island-based horror mystery – and I did, just so we’re clear! But what I didn’t expect to get was corporate conspiracy, social/political commentary relevant to the real world right now, and a cast of morally gray women that I’d absolutely fall in love with. Saltblood pays off in the best ways: it gave me so much more than I bargained for!
I picked up this thick book one night on a whim, deciding to read the first chapter to get a feel for the author’s writing. For those who don’t know, T.C. Parker is the pen name of Natalie Edwards, who also writes crime fiction under her real name. This was my first time reading anything by her, under either name, and I wanted to know what I was getting myself into! I had no real expectations, other than – if I’m being honest here – a little bit intimidated by how chunky the book is. Seriously, it’s a hefty pal!! I love reading, but often find that I don’t have a lot of time to devote to it, so I’ve focused more on shorter fiction. Can I just say how grateful I am that I didn’t give into the intimidation?? Because that “quick chapter” I wanted to read turned into half a book, and at around 2 AM my boyfriend finally told me we needed to go to sleep and that I had to put the book down ’cause our alarm was set for 5:30! 😂
Saltblood is a bit difficult to pin down genre-wise because it blends so many together so perfectly. We have a lot of mystery, and a lot of different things terrifying enough to solidly qualify as horror – both human, and not. The island that the main characters find themselves on is very old, and I loved the history and folkloric aspect to the story – learning about the island’s normal inhabitants as well as their traditions and collective fears / beliefs was great. All the characters feel so fleshed out here, which is saying something since there are quite a few of them. I never had trouble keeping people straight, and found all the motivations and actions to be believable and consistent. There were a few memory flashes to the past that I particularly enjoyed, since it gave the characters more depth off the island, and we weren’t only left reading about things happening in real-time.
The idea of prisoners sent to an island for things that they may not have even known they were doing is horrifying, and the social commentary aspect that I mentioned earlier was really unique and well done. I was completely invested in finding out how the people got there, what they did to cause it, and just the entire corporate intrigue part in general – I don’t personally read a lot of crime fiction (hoping to change that this year!), so I don’t know if this is something that pops up a lot, but it’s such a unique thing to have in a horror story with creatures and bloodshed – I loved it!
Overall, this was so good, and I can’t recommend it enough. I finished it in 2 sittings (curse the need to sleep, or I’d have finished it in one!), and am going to eagerly gobble up the other 3 books I have waiting for my by T.C. / Natalie – she’s definitely someone I’m very excited to read more from!!
https://letsgetgalactic.com/2021/01/1...
When I picked up this book, I thought I was getting a spooky island-based horror mystery – and I did, just so we’re clear! But what I didn’t expect to get was corporate conspiracy, social/political commentary relevant to the real world right now, and a cast of morally gray women that I’d absolutely fall in love with. Saltblood pays off in the best ways: it gave me so much more than I bargained for!
I picked up this thick book one night on a whim, deciding to read the first chapter to get a feel for the author’s writing. For those who don’t know, T.C. Parker is the pen name of Natalie Edwards, who also writes crime fiction under her real name. This was my first time reading anything by her, under either name, and I wanted to know what I was getting myself into! I had no real expectations, other than – if I’m being honest here – a little bit intimidated by how chunky the book is. Seriously, it’s a hefty pal!! I love reading, but often find that I don’t have a lot of time to devote to it, so I’ve focused more on shorter fiction. Can I just say how grateful I am that I didn’t give into the intimidation?? Because that “quick chapter” I wanted to read turned into half a book, and at around 2 AM my boyfriend finally told me we needed to go to sleep and that I had to put the book down ’cause our alarm was set for 5:30! 😂
Saltblood is a bit difficult to pin down genre-wise because it blends so many together so perfectly. We have a lot of mystery, and a lot of different things terrifying enough to solidly qualify as horror – both human, and not. The island that the main characters find themselves on is very old, and I loved the history and folkloric aspect to the story – learning about the island’s normal inhabitants as well as their traditions and collective fears / beliefs was great. All the characters feel so fleshed out here, which is saying something since there are quite a few of them. I never had trouble keeping people straight, and found all the motivations and actions to be believable and consistent. There were a few memory flashes to the past that I particularly enjoyed, since it gave the characters more depth off the island, and we weren’t only left reading about things happening in real-time.
The idea of prisoners sent to an island for things that they may not have even known they were doing is horrifying, and the social commentary aspect that I mentioned earlier was really unique and well done. I was completely invested in finding out how the people got there, what they did to cause it, and just the entire corporate intrigue part in general – I don’t personally read a lot of crime fiction (hoping to change that this year!), so I don’t know if this is something that pops up a lot, but it’s such a unique thing to have in a horror story with creatures and bloodshed – I loved it!
Overall, this was so good, and I can’t recommend it enough. I finished it in 2 sittings (curse the need to sleep, or I’d have finished it in one!), and am going to eagerly gobble up the other 3 books I have waiting for my by T.C. / Natalie – she’s definitely someone I’m very excited to read more from!!
May 2, 2024
4 Stars
I really enjoyed this murder/mystery thriller. It has an old school vibe but set presently where AI is taking over the internet. Again, it has this classic feel to it when I used to read secondhand tattered horror/thriller books with yellowing pages and fraying book covers. I can’t explain it.
The story itself is a comfort read. It may have mostly to do with nostalgia and to be fair the story carried itself on its own. The biggest, most rewarding part of it? The main character is a lesbian. Like, everything classic about the makeup of the story, just, having the main character love women? Icing on the cake.
I really enjoyed this murder/mystery thriller. It has an old school vibe but set presently where AI is taking over the internet. Again, it has this classic feel to it when I used to read secondhand tattered horror/thriller books with yellowing pages and fraying book covers. I can’t explain it.
The story itself is a comfort read. It may have mostly to do with nostalgia and to be fair the story carried itself on its own. The biggest, most rewarding part of it? The main character is a lesbian. Like, everything classic about the makeup of the story, just, having the main character love women? Icing on the cake.
December 16, 2020
Books with certain qualities, elements or style can be more appealing, of course to readers when they match up with the reader’s expectations and personal interests. Saltblood by T.C. Parker is one of those books, for me that not only matched up with expectations and interests, it’s intimate, genuine and original: it’s one of those stories that sticks on my side like blood sucking leech, stuck for life in a completely well way.
Great! I can eat chicken wings while reading again. 🤠
Now, let’s talk about those elements so that you may level with me. A dark penal system conspiracy, cut off from the rest of the world and a lurking, ancient monstrosity. But, as a need with any story, Saltblood is also is a great execution in style and form. Yes, there could be some slight improvements ( see my comments, just before recommendation section ), of course, but not much could really make this story any better. I’m not going to tell you what exactly to expect here, as not to spoil it – except that I consider this one of the best books I have ever read ( top 10, for sure ), however your mileage may vary.
Saltblood is appealing in it’s structure and nature. The story and writing are well put together. Elements of what might seem like superior alternatives to the modern penal system, but, then people are involved . . . and dark, unspeakable monsters. However, Saltblood is more than that for me and also a gentle reminder that superstitious lore is something worth paying attention to.
“Among the ranting drunks and the racists, she thought – the sex tape-makers and the activists, the wrong-place-wrong-timers and the kids too stupid or naive to keep their half-formed opinions to themselves, even when they knew other people were listening. They hide us here with them, in plain site. Protesters. Whistleblowers. Scapegoats who wouldn’t go down without a fight.” —T.C. Parker, Saltblood
One thing I learned in this book: horses can, in fact swim and better than you might think! Ha, ha. The only unfavorable thing I can say ( is there never not at least one thing? ) Is there should have been at least one run on paragraph, as locomotive trains of complete thought can be a stunning change of pace. I love hearing an extended train of thought in the form of a long-ass-paragraph. Other than that, I’m wondering why this book isn’t sitting on a news rack all over the country. Seriously.
Recommendation:
Saltblood by T.C. Parker is a marvel in it’s own right. It doesn’t follow common trends, tropes or ideas ( that’s a beautiful thing ) and instead, builds on the merit of quality origination and welds a marvelous set of ideas into something that is truly horrifying, but also amazing. It’s not gorey or very profane: instead, it holds classiness. ★★★★★ Five stars out of five for this amazing, crafty work. T.C. Parker belongs on bookshelves everywhere.
Great! I can eat chicken wings while reading again. 🤠
Now, let’s talk about those elements so that you may level with me. A dark penal system conspiracy, cut off from the rest of the world and a lurking, ancient monstrosity. But, as a need with any story, Saltblood is also is a great execution in style and form. Yes, there could be some slight improvements ( see my comments, just before recommendation section ), of course, but not much could really make this story any better. I’m not going to tell you what exactly to expect here, as not to spoil it – except that I consider this one of the best books I have ever read ( top 10, for sure ), however your mileage may vary.
Saltblood is appealing in it’s structure and nature. The story and writing are well put together. Elements of what might seem like superior alternatives to the modern penal system, but, then people are involved . . . and dark, unspeakable monsters. However, Saltblood is more than that for me and also a gentle reminder that superstitious lore is something worth paying attention to.
“Among the ranting drunks and the racists, she thought – the sex tape-makers and the activists, the wrong-place-wrong-timers and the kids too stupid or naive to keep their half-formed opinions to themselves, even when they knew other people were listening. They hide us here with them, in plain site. Protesters. Whistleblowers. Scapegoats who wouldn’t go down without a fight.” —T.C. Parker, Saltblood
One thing I learned in this book: horses can, in fact swim and better than you might think! Ha, ha. The only unfavorable thing I can say ( is there never not at least one thing? ) Is there should have been at least one run on paragraph, as locomotive trains of complete thought can be a stunning change of pace. I love hearing an extended train of thought in the form of a long-ass-paragraph. Other than that, I’m wondering why this book isn’t sitting on a news rack all over the country. Seriously.
Recommendation:
Saltblood by T.C. Parker is a marvel in it’s own right. It doesn’t follow common trends, tropes or ideas ( that’s a beautiful thing ) and instead, builds on the merit of quality origination and welds a marvelous set of ideas into something that is truly horrifying, but also amazing. It’s not gorey or very profane: instead, it holds classiness. ★★★★★ Five stars out of five for this amazing, crafty work. T.C. Parker belongs on bookshelves everywhere.
September 15, 2020
A real page turner, which leaves you breathlessly gasping for more at the end of pretty much every chapter, Salt Blood is also depressingly prescient. A monster story wrapped up in a dystopian nightmare that feels only a handful of steps from the reality we currently occupy, the cast of characters are well painted, 3-dimensional beings we relate to and care about (or loathe, in some cases). The use of unusual folklore and the isolated setting only adds to the experience. A great read that I rushed through in a few short days.
June 15, 2021
4 1/2
In a world where you can be sent to prison because the population has a negative reaction to something you may say, Salt Blood will take you on an out of control high speed chase of a ride.
OK, maybe it’s not your typical prison with hard time. More like a secluded Island. Your jail cell is more like a college dorm room. Far from luxury but you’re not sleeping on rugged concrete floors and you don’t have to worry about evil spirits hiding in the dark corners like in Ross Jeffery novel. No, instead the evil lurking in Salt Blood is courtesy of the mythical creatures mingled in with the islanders. Oh, did I mention this easy time make-shift prison has people already living there.
We get a cast of characters all being held prisoner on this Island for crimes they didn’t even know they committed. Each with their own backstory of their life and how they ended up here. This Island is caged in and the prisoners are much like caged animals at a zoo, put on display to be gawked at.
As some of the backstories for a couple of the new residents start to come unraveled, we start hearing about corporation conspiracies, companies owning other companies, and how they are all connected to not only this Island, but connected to some of the people who are now prisoners on this Island.
But that’s not enough. Why stop there? We live that life everyday. We are always hearing about secret organizations committing fraud and other criminal acts with other companies causing conspiracy theories involving blackmail and whistleblowers. The list goes on.
No, instead we get a bit of a folklore story mixed in involving these mythical creatures that some of the prisoners start to see. It all seems like total dystopia with monsters. One huge nightmare for our special guests spending their time on this caged Island.
For those checking things off as you go along, this hits a lot of boxes. The setting is imaginative and you get a proper feel for it. The characters are likable for the most part. You like the ones you’re supposed to. You cheer for certain ones to survive. The plotline goes deep. It makes sense. It has a pretty decent flow to it for the most part. There is a good amount of action. It’s a complete mixture of thriller adventure folkloric mythical fun.
I did have a couple of issues I got hung up on. Nothing too devastating to the story. The main one being so many different names for the many companies involved. I realize it’s part of the story, making those connections who owns who and who is connected to who, but trying to follow the spiderweb of connections can be a bit overwhelming. The other thing is the length. And I may get some backlash for this one. It is a full-length novel, a little over 300 pages, but it packs a lot in those pages. A lot of information. It doesn’t seem like that many pages because the pacing is fast and fierce, but I feel like there were a couple of different info-dumps sprinkled through. And look, I get it, we need the info-dumps to prevent readers having questions, but I just think this storyline, this adventure didn’t need them. I found myself a couple of times wanting to get past a few parts to get back into the meat and bones of the main story. That could also be my short attention span also. With it broken up in parts, the first part takes up the majority. In fact I forgot I was just reading part 1 until part 2 started.
Moving along, it is gripping and enticing. It feels unique and obvious at the same time. Prisoners thrown into isolation by putting them on an Island to think about what they’ve done. Much like the current judicial system, just not as harsh. I’m looking at it as a mesh of the prison system that’s been around for ages, but updated with modern technology. Because the real punishment here, aside from the Monsters and conspiracies and cover ups and murders and lies, is really the fact that this cage around the Island prevents any sort of communication from the outside world, including phone signals and internet. Things people now a days rely so heavily on. That means no Twitter or Tik Tok. What on Earth will they ever do? Read a book?
The story has a super-fast pace and it all leads up to the finale. And we get a good pay-off with the finale. A tad predictable, but Parkers flawless narrative makes up for it, and contributes to your heartrate speeding up. There are a couple of places where emails are used as transitional pieces. I would have liked to of seen more of these throughout. I kinda get a kick out of those.
In a world where you can be sent to prison because the population has a negative reaction to something you may say, Salt Blood will take you on an out of control high speed chase of a ride.
OK, maybe it’s not your typical prison with hard time. More like a secluded Island. Your jail cell is more like a college dorm room. Far from luxury but you’re not sleeping on rugged concrete floors and you don’t have to worry about evil spirits hiding in the dark corners like in Ross Jeffery novel. No, instead the evil lurking in Salt Blood is courtesy of the mythical creatures mingled in with the islanders. Oh, did I mention this easy time make-shift prison has people already living there.
We get a cast of characters all being held prisoner on this Island for crimes they didn’t even know they committed. Each with their own backstory of their life and how they ended up here. This Island is caged in and the prisoners are much like caged animals at a zoo, put on display to be gawked at.
As some of the backstories for a couple of the new residents start to come unraveled, we start hearing about corporation conspiracies, companies owning other companies, and how they are all connected to not only this Island, but connected to some of the people who are now prisoners on this Island.
But that’s not enough. Why stop there? We live that life everyday. We are always hearing about secret organizations committing fraud and other criminal acts with other companies causing conspiracy theories involving blackmail and whistleblowers. The list goes on.
No, instead we get a bit of a folklore story mixed in involving these mythical creatures that some of the prisoners start to see. It all seems like total dystopia with monsters. One huge nightmare for our special guests spending their time on this caged Island.
For those checking things off as you go along, this hits a lot of boxes. The setting is imaginative and you get a proper feel for it. The characters are likable for the most part. You like the ones you’re supposed to. You cheer for certain ones to survive. The plotline goes deep. It makes sense. It has a pretty decent flow to it for the most part. There is a good amount of action. It’s a complete mixture of thriller adventure folkloric mythical fun.
I did have a couple of issues I got hung up on. Nothing too devastating to the story. The main one being so many different names for the many companies involved. I realize it’s part of the story, making those connections who owns who and who is connected to who, but trying to follow the spiderweb of connections can be a bit overwhelming. The other thing is the length. And I may get some backlash for this one. It is a full-length novel, a little over 300 pages, but it packs a lot in those pages. A lot of information. It doesn’t seem like that many pages because the pacing is fast and fierce, but I feel like there were a couple of different info-dumps sprinkled through. And look, I get it, we need the info-dumps to prevent readers having questions, but I just think this storyline, this adventure didn’t need them. I found myself a couple of times wanting to get past a few parts to get back into the meat and bones of the main story. That could also be my short attention span also. With it broken up in parts, the first part takes up the majority. In fact I forgot I was just reading part 1 until part 2 started.
Moving along, it is gripping and enticing. It feels unique and obvious at the same time. Prisoners thrown into isolation by putting them on an Island to think about what they’ve done. Much like the current judicial system, just not as harsh. I’m looking at it as a mesh of the prison system that’s been around for ages, but updated with modern technology. Because the real punishment here, aside from the Monsters and conspiracies and cover ups and murders and lies, is really the fact that this cage around the Island prevents any sort of communication from the outside world, including phone signals and internet. Things people now a days rely so heavily on. That means no Twitter or Tik Tok. What on Earth will they ever do? Read a book?
The story has a super-fast pace and it all leads up to the finale. And we get a good pay-off with the finale. A tad predictable, but Parkers flawless narrative makes up for it, and contributes to your heartrate speeding up. There are a couple of places where emails are used as transitional pieces. I would have liked to of seen more of these throughout. I kinda get a kick out of those.
January 12, 2023
Saltblood is Parker’s intricate love story between folklore and horror motifs. Disquieting and wholly engrossing.
Saltblood by T.C. Parker is another astounding blow to the imagination. Everything comes to life in a wonderous but brutal production of a dystopian and mythological dreamscape. After reading Maiden last year I knew I had to dive into Parker’s affinity for sea horror – she captures the malevolence and the fear of the unknown with a practiced flourish. I’m excited to see what she comes up with next in the genre. She has herself a long-time fan!
The synopsis immediately reeled me in. A dystopian future where outrage is monitored and given a numerical value and that can land you in a prison in the far remoteness of the Scottish Islands. Having lived in the highlands myself for many years I envisioned a little island of the likes of Dunnet Head, the water seems to go on forever, the weather casting an ominous shadow at what could potentially be lying in wait. It led me to ponder how things could be misconstrued with the potential to land you in hot water (or freezing cold water, I’ll let you decide.)
On a boat crossing the sea to a Scottish island – that’s where it all begins for two strangers, Robin and Jack. The descriptions of the weather, the current dragging them along, and the thought of them held in captivity unknown to them before is palpable. No matter what came next, I just knew that Parker’s vivid narrative style would ensure I’d be hooked for the duration of the story. The facility located on Salt Island is located under a mesh enclosure, only one gate allows exit and entry and that’s only once a day. Mobile phone signals are blocked, so if something happens, they’re all doomed. The arrival feels like an echo of things to come.
We meet characters all with interesting backstories, Robin is very keen to keep hers to herself for as long as possible. But others are happy to divulge. So many of their stories are recognisable in the things you read on Twitter and news sites, does that mean they should be locked away…to reflect? Parker doles out the information on a drip feed, it’s slow and teasing and leaves you trying to read between the lines. What’s so special about this island? And what’s with the born and bred islanders and why are they warned about mingling with them?
Saltblood really feels like falling down a cavernous hole. Its darkness threatens to swallow you whole, and descending into hell with no escape plan feels wholly too accurate. Do you have any allies to help you escape the void? My curiosity about the islanders very quickly turned into fear for Robin and her fellow inmates. The problem is that there is something far deadlier out in the water than the islanders and I felt sick for them all.
Saltblood by T.C. Parker is another astounding blow to the imagination. Everything comes to life in a wonderous but brutal production of a dystopian and mythological dreamscape. After reading Maiden last year I knew I had to dive into Parker’s affinity for sea horror – she captures the malevolence and the fear of the unknown with a practiced flourish. I’m excited to see what she comes up with next in the genre. She has herself a long-time fan!
The synopsis immediately reeled me in. A dystopian future where outrage is monitored and given a numerical value and that can land you in a prison in the far remoteness of the Scottish Islands. Having lived in the highlands myself for many years I envisioned a little island of the likes of Dunnet Head, the water seems to go on forever, the weather casting an ominous shadow at what could potentially be lying in wait. It led me to ponder how things could be misconstrued with the potential to land you in hot water (or freezing cold water, I’ll let you decide.)
On a boat crossing the sea to a Scottish island – that’s where it all begins for two strangers, Robin and Jack. The descriptions of the weather, the current dragging them along, and the thought of them held in captivity unknown to them before is palpable. No matter what came next, I just knew that Parker’s vivid narrative style would ensure I’d be hooked for the duration of the story. The facility located on Salt Island is located under a mesh enclosure, only one gate allows exit and entry and that’s only once a day. Mobile phone signals are blocked, so if something happens, they’re all doomed. The arrival feels like an echo of things to come.
We meet characters all with interesting backstories, Robin is very keen to keep hers to herself for as long as possible. But others are happy to divulge. So many of their stories are recognisable in the things you read on Twitter and news sites, does that mean they should be locked away…to reflect? Parker doles out the information on a drip feed, it’s slow and teasing and leaves you trying to read between the lines. What’s so special about this island? And what’s with the born and bred islanders and why are they warned about mingling with them?
Saltblood really feels like falling down a cavernous hole. Its darkness threatens to swallow you whole, and descending into hell with no escape plan feels wholly too accurate. Do you have any allies to help you escape the void? My curiosity about the islanders very quickly turned into fear for Robin and her fellow inmates. The problem is that there is something far deadlier out in the water than the islanders and I felt sick for them all.
February 6, 2021
I'm not sure how to start with this review, other than I loved reading this book. There is a lot of different genres packed in along with suspense and intrigue, which took my breath away. This is horror but nothing like I have ever read before.
There's some real 1984 Orwellian vibes in here but with a 21century take. The concept behind Saltblood is terrifying to me. That anyone can be judge and condemned by the media without a trial. Techno witch hunts for the 21st century.
Modern media is something that also really scares me, how much it controls us. Its in a constant state of evolving too rapidly for us to really understand how it all works. Who really controls it, our fellow social media users or some shadowy figure behind the screen? Most people don't realise that we are the product being sold but who is buying our information, and for what purpose?
The setting of Salt Island was really cool, I immediately felt the tension of being marooned on an inhospitable tiny island surrounded by rough seas. Covering the island is a huge cage which keeps out the outside world further by blocking all electromagnetic fields, no phone calls or internet. Eek!
I really felt for the characters in this book, the injustices they have faced. This book examines what happens to people who cause outrage online after the world has moved on to the next source. There is also the terror of isolation too, social media scares me but also equally terrifying is not having access to the outside world via internet and phones. This book does a really good job of highlighting that conundrum.
It also argues who are we to judge people, especially online where we don't have access to all the facts just maybe a screen shot or an unfortunate photo?
The tale follows Robin, a young woman sent to the island for three months. It's a time for self reflection but she never really gets the chance when trouble starts. On the surface the other islanders seem ok, but nothing is really what it seems. Robin soon learns there is no one she can trust, yet is desperate for a real human connection.
Danger comes from every corner and shadow, even though Robin only has to spend a few months on Salt Island, her chances of survival diminish with each day. There is another danger surrounding the island, even the modern age with all its technologies and intelligence can never control.
There's some real 1984 Orwellian vibes in here but with a 21century take. The concept behind Saltblood is terrifying to me. That anyone can be judge and condemned by the media without a trial. Techno witch hunts for the 21st century.
Modern media is something that also really scares me, how much it controls us. Its in a constant state of evolving too rapidly for us to really understand how it all works. Who really controls it, our fellow social media users or some shadowy figure behind the screen? Most people don't realise that we are the product being sold but who is buying our information, and for what purpose?
The setting of Salt Island was really cool, I immediately felt the tension of being marooned on an inhospitable tiny island surrounded by rough seas. Covering the island is a huge cage which keeps out the outside world further by blocking all electromagnetic fields, no phone calls or internet. Eek!
I really felt for the characters in this book, the injustices they have faced. This book examines what happens to people who cause outrage online after the world has moved on to the next source. There is also the terror of isolation too, social media scares me but also equally terrifying is not having access to the outside world via internet and phones. This book does a really good job of highlighting that conundrum.
It also argues who are we to judge people, especially online where we don't have access to all the facts just maybe a screen shot or an unfortunate photo?
The tale follows Robin, a young woman sent to the island for three months. It's a time for self reflection but she never really gets the chance when trouble starts. On the surface the other islanders seem ok, but nothing is really what it seems. Robin soon learns there is no one she can trust, yet is desperate for a real human connection.
Danger comes from every corner and shadow, even though Robin only has to spend a few months on Salt Island, her chances of survival diminish with each day. There is another danger surrounding the island, even the modern age with all its technologies and intelligence can never control.
March 18, 2021
A dazzling ride of folklore, tech and shady corporations, this story goes in all directions. When suddenly the pieces of the puzzle fits together, there's only two options: run or swim. Either way, Salt Rock brings death, be so clippity-clop sure.
December 11, 2021
Nicely done. Well written, excellent premise and a smooth flowing storyline. I dug it. And that cover kicks ass.
Keep it fed. Keep it happy.
Keep it fed. Keep it happy.
February 15, 2022
Holy ballbags, batman, it was great. A generous helping of folk horror, a dash of sci-fi, a big helping of creature feature, and some pretty well-written corporate conspiracy vibes make this one of my fave books for a while. (I love pretty much everything I finish, but I really loved this!)
Of course, it didn't hurt that I recognised the creature from my days as a mad keen Monster in My Pocket collector. Won't spoil it by telling you which one, but if T.C. Parker wrote a book for every creature in the collection, I'd be down for it.
Of course, it didn't hurt that I recognised the creature from my days as a mad keen Monster in My Pocket collector. Won't spoil it by telling you which one, but if T.C. Parker wrote a book for every creature in the collection, I'd be down for it.
July 29, 2021
This book is so good, it gave me the chills reading it! In the world where one wrong sentence on your social media can "intice" rage of enough people, you can get thrown into a very private and very isolated island prison, where you have absolutely no contact with outside world. Cut out like that from the society, put into a giant cage, this "criminals" are left on their own.
The premise is very interesting, thought-provoking, and smart--showing us the worst way current trends in social media, surveillance society, data mining and sharing, invasions of privacy, private prison industrial complex, and outrage culture could end. The scariest parts of our current reality, from acepting all sorts of terms and conditions on phones just to acces things like gallery, to public shaming of people we perceived did something morally questionable, in this book gets completely new and terrifying dimensions. T. C. Parker gives us a bleak and horrifying look into the dystopian world of digital Panopticon, and I haven't even touched on the folklore monster yet.
It's so easy for me to love this book. It's a horror book that plays with some of my favorite elements: folklore (I would definitely call this folk horror, I don't know if it's marketed like that but it has everything: the isolation and loneliness, the closed society with weird rituals and sacrifices to the monsters of folk tales, the power of stories and belief), very relevant topics, evolution of Panopticon theory, criticism of late capitalist society and multinational corporations that feel very old fashion sci-fi (which I had a whole lecture on) but that doesn't make it less true. And it's sapphic!
There's the sense of complete helplessness through whole book and it has nothing to do with supernatural monsters. But it's also a lot of fun to read. And I did read a part of it on a beach, which was a great decision.
The premise is very interesting, thought-provoking, and smart--showing us the worst way current trends in social media, surveillance society, data mining and sharing, invasions of privacy, private prison industrial complex, and outrage culture could end. The scariest parts of our current reality, from acepting all sorts of terms and conditions on phones just to acces things like gallery, to public shaming of people we perceived did something morally questionable, in this book gets completely new and terrifying dimensions. T. C. Parker gives us a bleak and horrifying look into the dystopian world of digital Panopticon, and I haven't even touched on the folklore monster yet.
It's so easy for me to love this book. It's a horror book that plays with some of my favorite elements: folklore (I would definitely call this folk horror, I don't know if it's marketed like that but it has everything: the isolation and loneliness, the closed society with weird rituals and sacrifices to the monsters of folk tales, the power of stories and belief), very relevant topics, evolution of Panopticon theory, criticism of late capitalist society and multinational corporations that feel very old fashion sci-fi (which I had a whole lecture on) but that doesn't make it less true. And it's sapphic!
There's the sense of complete helplessness through whole book and it has nothing to do with supernatural monsters. But it's also a lot of fun to read. And I did read a part of it on a beach, which was a great decision.
October 27, 2020
Review to follow
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