The Gatdula family are very privileged. Their gods-given powers have placed them at the top of the heap in the kingdom of Maynara, where they’ve ruled with near impunity for generations. In Black Salt Queen, by Samantha Bansil, their imperiousness comes to bite them all in the ass in the form of an old enemy, disgruntled aristocrats, and the threat of foreign powers that are conquering every other nation in the area.
The first Gatdula scion we meet in Black Salt Queen doesn’t make a very good impression. Although Laya is more than willing to use her ability to control the weather to help her people (the more spectacular the feat, the better), she’s unintentionally cruel to the people around her. Her lover, Luntok, catches the worst of it because he has a family history of treason. They can never marry, but that doesn’t stop Laya from literally and metaphorically dismissing him. Laya’s mother doesn’t make a very good first impression, either. Duja is so afraid of violating tradition that she runs roughshod over the feelings of her courtiers and her family. It’s an emotional powder keg.
The arrival of Imeria Kulaw (Luntok’s mother) in the capital puts the match to the fuse. Imeria is very, very angry about how the Gatdulas have treated her family and she is ready to do something about it. This book got a lot more interesting once the political machinations and plots kicked off. The upheaval causes Laya to grow, gives her youngest sister a chance to step out of her sibling’s shadow, and forces Duja to confront the mistakes of her past. The first few chapters are a little rough, I’ll admit, but I was absolutely hooked after the magnificently furious Imeria appeared.
Bansil gives her characters a beautiful and fascinating stage to play on. Maynara is based on the Philipines. I could definitely see hints of it with the reports of imperialism and oppression in other neighboring countries. The only reason Maynara is independent is because of the Gatdulas. (They never let anyone forget it.) Bansil weaves gods and lore and traditions into the very human drama tangling up her characters. It’s all so well described that I could almost see the opulence of the Gatdulas’ palace and feel the tropical heat of the island.
Black Salt Queen is the start of a series. Readers should know that the book ends on a whopper of a cliffhanger and might want to wait to read this one so that they can dive straight into the sequel.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.