A Curse of Salt

by Sarah Street

In a kingdom that fears the sea, Ria Lucroy longs to be brave.

Bodies are washing ashore and everyone knows who's to blame. Legends of the Heartless King shroud the continent in fear; they call him a pirate, a monster, a god. When his mercenaries raid her father's merchant ship, Ria's family is faced with a horrifying demand. They will spare his life, in exchange for one of his daughters.

Determined to save her sisters, Ria launches herself into the world of pirates. Face-to-face with the Heartless King, she finds he is far more than the stories told. He is a man, with a human name and blood-stained hands, bound to the seas by a centuries-old curse. As their chemistry blooms into something more, Ria finds herself caught in an ancient web of secrets.

Battling creatures of the deep alongside those that reign its surface, Ria discovers that some curses aren't so easy to break.

Prepare for stormy seas and swoony romance in this addictive retelling of Beauty and the Beast ... Perfect for fans of Brigid Kemmerer's Cursebreakers series and Sarah J Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Pirates, Young Adult, Retellings, Romantasy, Young Adult Fantasy

342 pages, Paperback

Published May 25, 2023

About the author

Sarah Street is a YA fantasy author, born and raised on Gadigal land in Sydney, Australia. She has a BA in English and Criminology and spends her days amid a hoard of books, playing Hozier songs to her houseplants and deciding what great body of water to write about next.

Reviews

[•Qezia• · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book so much because are you kidding beauty and the beast in a pirates of the Caribbean world? Say LESS. Except actually say more because I was disappointed.
I did not care for the characters and even less for whatever was going on. I didn’t understand the plot at all I think we could’ve done with a couple dozen less dinner scenes and more scenes that actually contributed to some semblance of a plot? The plot was Ria asking questions and not getting answers (so we didn’t get answers either) for most of the book and I was not a happy chappy.
The writing style was fun, lyrical without being stuffy and it would’ve been GREAT if the actual story was sharp and neat to go along with it. Like I cannot stress how much this book had no plot but also no vibes?? Like please at least give me one I can live with that.
Ria was annoying and like everyone else, lacked depth only it’s less excusable bc we’re in her head all the time.
The romance was dry af I was not invested I did not care at all.
Sebastian was a funny funny man but I don’t think he was supposed to be bc everytime he said something I laughed from how bizzare it was only to realise it was supposed to be super serious and dramatic. “I was eleven years old when I killed my father”? Nah I’m giggling. “To break the curse I need to do something I’m not capable of *dramatic pause* I need to love 🥺” IM OUTRIGHT HOLLERING WTF?? These lines came out of nowhere I was viscerally attacked by them.

Speed round thoughts:
- I could’ve survived with 80% less ‘ayes’ and “lass” like just say yes??? It would’ve been fine if the rest of the language around it fit but it absolutely did not and I cringed or out right laughed every time.
- Logistically how do they fit a whole supposedly large library and dining room and ballroom (?) and very nice personal chambers on this ship? How big is this thing??
- Ok so Sebastian’s supposed to be the beast in this tortured retelling and he’s beastly because?? He’s a pirate??? And wears a hooded cape?? DEAD DIED NO WAY THATS ALL WERE WORKING WITH?? “he’s heartless ahh!!”💀 He’s perpetually in his 14 year old emo phase and calm down.
- Rias whole ‘eww I hate pirates they’re bloodthirsty and bad’ got so tired so quickly like she knew the crew were a slay and then literally half way through a conversation she’d be like “no ew ur a pirate” and then leave like girl stfu that’s so rude??? She was so determined to hate them and it would’ve been fine if there was a strong reason but again, no plot, no vibes NO REASON.
- The Bane plotline made no sense and I did not care wdym this was the main conflict??
- Gold and Mersey single handedly were more interesting than anyone else and they had like 3 lines of page time. Give me more of the sapphic immortal pirates!! 😤
- Additionally Rias whole I can’t kill things I’m a saint cos I just sacrificed myself to these gross blood thirsty pirates was grating. Like girl a giant sea monster is attacking you and everyone else is injured and dying how is that your main concern rn???
- You’ve got to be fkn kidding me with that ending. You’re telling me we spent the whole book listening to Ria being a Mary sue all “ohh my family I live them I’d do anything for them I literally sacrificed myself for them waa” and Sebastian’s whole random back story of carving out his heart to save his kingdom only to 1. Have Ria be like ‘Nahh see ya later fam peace out lol have fun starving or whatevs’ and 2. NOT SEE THE KINGDOM WE SPENT THE WHOLE BOOK SPECULATING ABOUT???

In conclusion this book was like being so fkn excited for the perfect chocolate chip cookie only to realise some sadist put raisins in it instead.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25⭐️ I had higher hopes for this one, but it fell a bit short. The story was just a bit meh. I would describe it as beauty and the beast x pirates of the Caribbean.

There was just something about the FMC that was annoying- maybe it was that she seemed really desperate for friends? And the fact that she kinda just abandons her family & sick sister and basically just doesn’t think about them again. Like ok. I know it’s described as her ‘sacrificing’ herself. But let’s face it, she just wanted out of her crappy village. You’re no hero here.

The romance.. again was just meh. Typical brooding and cold hero x whiny fmc with lots and LOTS of questions- which she never gets an answer too- but oh well at least there’s a libary!.. Doormat protagonists are not my cup of tea tbh.

.25 because I enjoyed the MC’s sister, Aberdeen (odd name) but she seemed more my style of character. And I enjoyed some of the side characters interactions with each other.

Pretty sure this is a standalone, but no real interest in continuing if there’s another book💫

[Jordan Corso · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
Wow this book was just amazing.
I realise now that I love books with pirates and ships and holy moly I think I have unlocked something inside myself.
I was in a deep reading slump and literally thought I wouldn’t pick up a book for a month but this book WAS EVERYTHING
Was it basic? Maybe? Was it classic enemies to lovers? Hell yeah. And I enjoyed and ate every page this author gave.
I mean we have the grumpy sunshine trope and it was just great. And for once for me at least the tropes didn’t feel forced but apart of the story.
Let me also mention I am a sucker for any beauty and the beast retelling and will probably always give it more than 3 stars MINIMUM. I just love the story so much.
Was she a perfect main character? No I don’t think so and sometimes she made questionable decisions but I hate this story up and didn’t want to stop. Every second I wasn’t reading I wanted to pick it up. And that is what reading is about for me. Yes I love to critique books but this one felt like my saviour and I will forever be grateful for it getting me out of a slump.
I could see this easily being a TikTok sensation. It has got the whole package. I would definitely add to the TBR if I were you :)

[Brontey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Omg I love this so much 😭😭
It speaks volumes of how good this is that it’s the first fantasy book I’ve read and enjoyed in months!

A truly magical beauty and the beast retelling but even better - set at sea with pirates! The world building and lore in this is so simple, yet so well done. You feel utterly encompassed in what Aurelia is experiencing and understand everything.

The romance in this is really well done too. Believable but totally has that fated mates feel that makes you so invested. I absolutely love Sebastian and some of his wording was stunning.

I’m assuming this is going to be a series with the ending, so I cannot wait to read the next instalment!

This is YA fantasy romance at its best.

[Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Thank you Hachette for this book in exchange for an honest review

Whoever says YA is dying is clearly kidding themselves.
A Curse of Salt is Beauty and the Beast meets Pirates of the Caribbean. This debut novel delivers all the goods you need: morally grey hero, pirates, magic, sea monsters and a 300-year-old curse!
The absolute kicker for me was the legends about the Heartless King, his backstory and his Blood Rose crew that wreak havoc on everyone that crosses their path. Ria and Sebastian were the classic case of enemies to lovers, and it was beautiful as you watched their characters mature, and by the end of the book, you’ll find yourself equally obsessed with these guys.
Street has written an epic and poetic debut novel with intense world building; dynamic relationships and she nailed the pirate element! This YA fantasy book is a must have!!

[Sarah Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say, I've never re-read a book so many times... it must be good.

Content Warnings (also available on my website):
Alcohol consumption, blood & gore depiction, death, drowning, knife & sword violence, mentions of hunger/starvation, sexual scenes (mild), violence

[Chloe Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beauty and the Beast retellings are one of my faves and this did not disappoint! Pirates meets Beauty and the Beast?? Yes please. This was such a solid debut book and had me hooked from start to finish! I really can’t wait to see what Sarah Street comes out with next!

[Pippa · Rating 2 out of 5]

YAYAYAYY IM FREE!!
Look it was okay, kinda boring and done poorly but it's not the worst book ever.
Wouldn't read again sadly.

[Nikki 🤠✨📖 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
I’m sad bc I was so excited for this book, and I feel that it started off really strong. The world was giving Pirates of the Caribbean and I LOVED that, but it went downhill pretty quickly and just never came back up lmao

I feel like the story was missing huge chunks, I did not give a fuck about a single character, and I’ve pretty much already forgotten the plot… sorry

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was kindly approved for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

When someone said 'Pirates of the Caribbean meets Beauty & The Beast', I dropped everything to request this book & I don't regret it for a second - this book was great.

From the very first page I was hooked, the writing was so easy to get into & the plotline easy to understand. Beauty & the Beast retellings aren't hard to come by in the romantasy genre nowadays, they've been done A LOT, but this one was so good! You'd expect the plot to be quite predictable (the fmc is taken by the beastly mmc against her will & they end up falling in love, you know the drill) but this book took the baseline story & twisted it in a way that left me guessing. I was thoroughly invested throughout the entire 350 pages & loved every second.

I absolutely loved the found family aspect to the crew - there's nothing better than a likeable group of characters that all have their own quirks, who care for each other greatly (it's a fan favourite trope for a reason). Both the fmc & mmc as individuals & as a pairing, I loved. The backstory of the Heartless King added so much to the storyline & was so interesting to learn alongside Ria. In fact, how the character development unfolds for both Sebastian & Ria was beautiful, you can tell a good amount of time went into really mapping out these characters. By the end of the book I loved both the main & side characters so much.

But what really made the book for me were the last 100 pages, that ending was written so well! The pacing was just perfect which made the climax of the book hit 10x harder. By the time everything comes crashing down, you love the characters & you feel the pain the same way they do.

I enjoyed every single page & will be getting my hands on a physical copy as soon as the book releases - highly, highly recommend if you're looking for a great YA pirate romantasy!

[Leighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Hachette, Hodder, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is perfect for fans of the new Little Mermaid movie! A Curse of Salt by Sarah Street is a YA fantasy romance set in the roaring seas. The story revolves around Ria, whose father's merchant ship has been raided. In exchange for his life, Ria agrees to give herself up to the Heartless King, a pirate and beast of many tales. Anyone would be scared for their life. But as Ria begins to get to know the Heartless King, she realizes that her perceptions of him were wrong. Maybe he isn't as heartless as people think that he is.

Here is an atmospheric excerpt from Chapter 1:

"The tide rolled in.
I stepped closer to the edge, drawn by the lick of salt on the breeze. In one breath, the wind tugged back my briny curls and swept blue into the black lung of the cliffs. Sea spray flecked my cheeks, and the knot in my chest tightened.
Down below, waves tossed a broken body against jagged rocks, leaching old blood into tidepools. Another day, another dead."

Overall, A Curse of Salt is a YA romantasy that will appeal to fans of the sea adventures of Adrienne Young's Fable or the tension in Raven Kennedy's Gild. One highlight of this book is the beautiful prose and descriptions. When I was reading this book, I kept pausing to admire how beautiful the writing is. Another highlight of this book is the lovely setting. The wind-swept seas is a wonderful setting to be transported to, and I definitely did not want to leave. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA romantasy in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book, which is available now!

[Vanessa Le · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply put, this book is beautiful--the cover, the prose, the characters, the setting, and the take on the classic fairy tale. The premise itself, Beauty and the Beast but pirates, is unbeatable, but on top of that you get Sarah's beautiful storytelling and gorgeous writing (and I mean, truly gorgeous)???? Run don't walk.

[Myah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is basically beauty and the beast if it was set on a boat. I ended up liking it more towards the end but the main character spends most of the book saying “i don’t understand” which was kinda frustrating since i also did not understand. I liked some of the characters but others were a little one dimensional.

[Birdie Schae · Rating 5 out of 5]

sarah street owns the alphabet actually

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't decide whether I wanted to give it 3 or 4 stars, decided to go for 4 as this book was hood enough to get me into pirates.
It is a clear retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but with pirates and sea creatures involved. The coloquial way in which the pirates' dialogue is written initially annoyed me a bit, but the more I read, the more I got used to it and ended up enjoying loads.
The romance was a sort of slow burn, but it worked really well because of all the tension between the main characters. It's not a spicy book, but it has a few passion-heavy kissing scenes.
The side characters were awesome too and provided some comic relief when needed, love how they are all so well developed and complex, they all have their own lives and problems.
The plot twist of the sister towards the end was surprising but it made me initially not like Aberdeen. I do think that it was a rather weak plot twist as there's not much connection with the sister to begin with. I understand that the point is to show how their relationship evolve and how much Aberdeen loves Ria, but I don't think it worked that well because of the way she just left Ria go on to the final battle and then was never mentioned again, it feels like she was more of a plot point rather than a character. She is also not very well developed in my opinion. It's difficult to understand why her mother gave her away in her past and overall she seems to simply be there as a filling character. I don't think she was needed at all, it would've been much more interesting if the middle sister, Felicia had decided to go help her despite her illness, or something like that.
The thing I didn't like as much in this book was the ending, it felt dragged and then it ended too quickly, maybe even rushed. The sea goddess that appears while she seems to make sense to the plot, doesn't understand how curses work. If the intention is to have her as a villain, that was definetely clear, but she never got defeated, instead got betrayed by other sea creatures.
Also, the villains are difficult to make out if they all have tragic stories to give the reader empathy towards them. Bane seemed a good villain till his backstory was given, from that moment on, I felt more pity than hatred and didn't understand why everyone wanted his destruction.
Overall it was a good book, beautifully written (although repetitive in some parts), with a wonderful love story. It seems to lack some work, but still a very enjoyable read.

[Illy_riut16 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mf book.WOW. Didn't expect to like it sooo much. I loved everything, from the world building to the action to the characters to the romance. EVERYTHING. Again just WOW. I am truly speechless.

But still the romance was soo so so sooo hearthbreaking, so powerfull, so pasionate. Ria and Sebastien are the couple of my dreams. Still their chemistry was so good that I didn't make Sebastien my newest book boyfriend 'cause he is meant to be with Ria. They're perfect in every way.

I would re-read this book a hundred times and more. So good. No words.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 6/5

[Rhona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my lord I can’t stop crying because of the ending

I love ria and sebestian so much it hurts my soul (I am currently crying and screaming my heart out as I’m writing this) I’ve always loved pirates but as a beauty and the beast retelling? My lord it touched my inner child😭

Beautiful book 5 stars for sure🫶🏻

[Daniela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have not read many romances with pirates involved, but I do love books with adventure and high stakes, so I when I saw this book for 0.99 cents in the kobo story I thought that i might as well try it.

The writing was actually not bad - it was fluid, simple to understand and honestly beautiful at a lot of times.

However I did not feel attached to the characters and there was no chemistry between the main couple. I particularly did not like the female lead, I found her quite bland.

[Hannah Vaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
It was a fun read but it really only gets intresting in the later half of the book.
You can also tell some of the things happeneing are only to further the plot along and its not subtle, and it doesn't make sense in the context of the book and its characters.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5 but I rounded up because this book was a perfect read for my cruise. Very easy to read with an interesting take. It was like pirate Beauty and the Beast which I dug. The story had some moments in it that seemed to jump for me but overall it worked for a pseudo beach read.

[Camilla Astrup · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was too YA - and just really lazy...

[Kayleigh | Welsh Book Fairy · Rating 3 out of 5]

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: A Curse of Salt
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Sarah Street
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: YA Fantasy Romance/Fairytale Retelling
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 25th May 2023
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 25th April 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5

”Plumes of blood leached like ink into the water, a story written into the sea. I wondered where I would end up; if the salt would ever remember me.”

When I read the blurb of A Curse of Salt, I thought to myself, wow, this sounds much more like a blessing than a curse.

A Curse of Salt is an enemies-to-lovers Beauty & The Beast retelling featuring princesses and pirates on the stormy seas.

I thought that the storytelling was good and there was decent character development. I thought the story got better after the halfway mark. However, overall, this story didn’t quite make waves for me.

I guess at this stage, whenever I hear a new beauty and the beast story is coming out, I expect it to bring something new to this kind of storytelling that hasn’t been done before. Beauty & The Beast but make it pirates HAS been done before (see Beauty’s Beast by Paulina Woods) but that is absolutely fine, multiple people can have the same idea and still execute different triumphs. But there’s also gotta be some other originality to the story and I was adrift trying to find it. I mean, who wouldn’t fall in love with the gorgeous man who protects you, feeds you, clothes you, has a cute nickname for you, and most important of all, has a vast library?

So, yes, this was a fairly typical YA fantasy romance that didn’t blow me out of the water (pun intended). How fun would it have been if Sebastian had sea monsters at his beck and call? Or could control the tides? I felt like I was constantly being reminded of the power and shadows he exudes but what, really, was his power?

Unfortunately, this wasn’t a diamond in an ocean of books for me, but what do I know? I can’t swim and I suffer from seasickness anyway. What this book provides is a fun and light YA fantasy that follows the wonderful formula of a happily ever after.

—Kayleigh🤍
@ Welsh Book Fairy🧚‍♀️✨

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[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairytale on the high seas, A Curse of Salt by Australian author Sarah Street is touted as a cross between Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean.

It’s not a bad description. When her father is taken hostage by a mercenary, Ria Lucroy volunteers to take his place and sacrifices herself to the scourge of the High Seas, the Heartless King. Trapped aboard the Blood Rose, among monsters spoken only about in whispers as she seeks answers to the family secrets that have marked her as pawn between the Heartless King and his enemy, Bane, the pirate swears that no harm shall come to Ria, but a promise, unlike a curse, can easily be broken.

Street relies fairly heavily on fairytale character stereotypes. Ria, is the naive but plucky young heroine, determined to solve the world’s problems, and a secret princess to boot. The Heartless King, aka Sebastien, is the typical gruff, brooding hero who, not unlike the titular Beast, is cursed, and therefore redeemable (with a library to boot). Which makes Bane, Gaston-like, with the expected arrogance and not too dissimilar goals. I liked them all well enough in their roles, along with the Blood Rose crew.

I enjoyed the romance, which exploits the enemies to lovers trope. Ria is horrified to realise she is falling for the man she supposes to be a monster while Sebastien attempts to keep his front of indifference and intimidation. Inevitably there is a lot of tension between the pair, which I thought Street developed well.

Though the story had its moments, unfortunately, I found the plot as a whole to be fairly one note and circular, suitable for its intended YA audience perhaps, but just not enough for me. That said, the writing is good, descriptive and emotive, and includes touches of humour. The action and drama of the finale in particular was tense and satisfying, with the expected fairytale ending.

A Curse of Salt may not have been the spellbinding fantasy I was hoping for, but I did find it to be a decent read, and I would be interested in reading the debut author’s next book.

[Laura Trenham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t have cared less for the characters (who were one dimensional), nor the plot or world building. The story made little sense to me and I wasn’t invested. I just need to avoid BATB retellings and pirates I think.

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite disappointed with this book bc I felt like the execution was done quite poorly, I'll talk about the things I liked first though:

- The writing style was extremely good and included a great range of metaphors and similes
- The parallels between this book and ' Beauty and the Beast' are extremely well- done and quite smart ( e.g. the ' dinning scenes' and the ' beast getting hurt and Belle helping him') with 'Belle' being Ria and the 'Beast' being the Heartless King.

Okay now the things I didn't like:

- I feel like there was a lot of tell and not show. Sometimes things were just thrown at you and I didn't really appreciate that.
- FMC was quite annoying and I enjoyed more of the side romances ( Like Una and Aaron and Mersey and Golde ) than Sebastien and Ria which was the main one
- Also the whole Bane plot line made no sense to me but maybe that's just me in general 🤷‍♀️
- Theoretically, how MASSIVE is the Blood Rose?? Because how do you fit a whole dining room, library, big fucking Chambers for all the crew ( which are alot of people but somehow we only get introduced to like 5 people on the crew??) I saw another comment saying this and im glad im not the only one wondering how big this stupid ship is
- ALSO WE DON'T EVEN GET TO SEE THE SEBASTIEN'S KINGDOM AT THE END OF THE BOOK?!? HELLOO??

I feel like the book was alright and the retelling of it too but ' Beauty and the Beast 'was not one of my fav movies as a kid and I didn't really enjoy it much either ( except for the live action version with Emma Watson as ' Belle'), so maybe it's just something I wouldn't really enjoy to begin with 🤷‍♀️

[Emily Kurosawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

- YA
- Beauty and the Beast retelling
- Pirates
- Magic
- Sea monsters
- Secret princess
- Morally grey hero

Beauty and the Beast meets Pirates of the Caribbean. A fantastic debut novel! A compelling storyline featuring great elements: magic, pirates, sea monsters and a 300 year old curse.

Sarah Street's world building is amazing, and her writing technique is poetic and beautiful. I really enjoyed the relationship dynamics with all of the characters. I do hope there will be a sequel or a book set in the same universe. Personally, I found the ending ended slightly abruptly, leaving a couple of lingering questions. Overall if you are looking for your next fantasy or retelling read, I recommend this one.

The heroine, Ria Lucroy, is headstrong, determined and selfless. While everyone is afraid to set sail across the seas, wanderlust courses through Ria's veins. She craves to be adventurous. For her family, Ria will do anything to keep them safe. Fully aware that she might not survive, Ria begins a dangerous journey. The ocean is not safe there's a dark presence: the Heartless King.

The legends about the Heartless King are endless no one truly knows what he is capable of. With his Blood Rose crew, they wreak havoc on anyone who dares to cross them.

[Angel-Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

I was very fortunate to receive an Early access of this book and wow this book did not disappoint! I absolutely adore Beauty and the Beast in its classic fairytale form and love nearly every other retelling of the tale, but this for me really does switch up the fairytale while also being authentic to the source material.

A Curse of Salt is fast-paced with elements of a slow burn romance as Ria slowly navigates this world that she has found herself in, while also staying true to herself. The interactions are fun and sweet while also holding onto the ideal amount of tension that would be present in such a situation, with writing and story-telling also leaving enough mystery to keep the reader wanting more. The ending in itself was also flawless for me as it consistently kept the pace and did not falter with the culmination of the plot points where it all amalgamated together naturally and satisfactory.

All in all, if you're looking for a fun Beauty and the Beast retelling while adding its own alternative twist on that is reminiscent to 'Daughter of the Pirate King', with strong character growth weaved throughout, a Curse of Salt is perfect for you!

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did have trouble at first with a retelling of Beauty and the Beast being set aboard a Pirate Ship, but in the end it did not bother me. (Besides my daughter, the teacher librarian, told me I was being silly or words to that effect.) I did enjoy the story overall despite being exasperated that the Pirates would not answer the questions that Ria had and needed. The ending was lovely albeit somewhat improbable. For my teacher librarian daughter: I think it will be suitable for Years 7 and up students.

[Katie's Book Haven · Rating 2 out of 5]

This read was such a disappointment!

It started strong with a fast pace, and had an interesting twist of Beauty and The Beast. Then, when he main character (Ria) meets "The Beast" the whole story starts to drag, all the way to the excruciatingly long, tedious ending.

Sadly I felt like there were holes in the writing, with not enough descriptions. One minute Ria would be in a certain area of the ship then the next she somehow appeared somewhere else. Or something that really bothered me was how Ria would talk about the "crew" but only five of them were introduced to us, therefore the rest felt like ghosts to me.

Personally, this novel had a lot of potential to be a great book, but sadly the amount of small details that were missing brought this book down for me. 1.75 Stars.