A Kiss of Salt and Fire

Information

Status

Hiatus

Year

2025

Author

Bonnie Hart

• Chapter 4: In Ale Veritas
  Mar 10, 2025
• Chapter 3: A Hunger Without A Name
  Apr 24, 2025
• Chapter 2: Seek and Ye Shall Find
  Apr 24, 2025
• Chapter 1: Torsten's Fetch
  Mar 9, 2025

Reviews

Community Reviews(5)

• CervineComedyRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I love everything about this! The setting, the characters, the interactions between the characters! It's all so good! And steamy in all the best ways! This isn't normally the kind of story I like to read, but I just sat down and binge-read the entire thing; it was that good!
• Gabrielle CharlotteRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I absolutely adore this. I found it through the forums, actually, and while I don't usually like to leave reviews (I'm no good at gushing, honestly), I had to leave one here. This reads so much like some of my favorite fantasy novels. Author is easily as talented as any mainstream published writer. The prose is fantastic, balanced, and subtle, and the world is fascinating.
  Man, though, the characters. I know there are only a few chapters up right now, but the characters are so well-done. The characterization is strong, their motivations are believable, and they all seem like actual people with real pasts and experiences. The tension between them is palpable, and though there's not a lot of high-octane stuff going on in this story yet, I'm glued to the page. This is the mark of a really talented writer, in my opinion. Action and fast-paced books are much easier to bribe readers with than slower, introspective scenes. But the author draws you in all the same.
  The bit of spice here is tastefully done, and while I'm not usually big into that kind of thing, it's written with the perfect balance of action, emotion, and sensation. Honestly I think it's better written than any of the mainstream spicy stuff, which usually gets a little too weird, too fast.
  My only complaint is that the posting schedule isn't regular, but the content is really well-done, so I guess I'll give it a pass. :)
  Anyway, you're an incredible writer! Keep it up!
• Mik WilkensRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I've put off writing this review for a long time for no other reason than I'm really not sure how to describe this amazing and completely unexpected tale, and I'm fairly certain I haven't figured it out yet. So I'm just going to break it into the standard Advanced Review sections and hope the words come...
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  STYLE : 5 Stars
  The style is delightful and a pleasure to read. Descriptions, characterizations, and world-building are inserted effortlessly into the prose. The sentence and paragraph lengths shift subtly between scenes to help represent what's going on with the characters at the moment without being a jarring change. Some parts are slow; others are fast; most are perfect for what is being conveyed at the time.
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  STORY : 5 Stars
  What starts out as a seemingly standard fantasy story slowly and subtly turns into something else entirely, while still remaining true to the fantasy genre. It is the story of the relationship between three people who, despite their different social standings, care deeply for one another yet must contend with what those  differences not only mean, but what power they give one over the other, as well as what they can do to help the kingdom they are all forced to call home.
  -----
  GRAMMAR : 5 Stars
  The grammar is great, with only the occasional typo or missed word, never anything that would trip up a reader or break the flow.
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  CHARACTER : 5 Stars
  While everything about this story is wonderful, it's the three main characters that really stand out. They are so well drawn and realistic, and watching their relationships unfold is an absolute pleasure. I adore all three of them so much that I don't want this story to end, because I'm going to miss them terribly... Actually, I'm going to go back and reread the entire thing, because I know that there is far more hidden in this story than I can glean from only a single reading.
  Highly, highly recommended.
• AinoumRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  There is something about this story. It doesn't scream for attention, but instead trusts its pacing, its world, and its characters to pull you in naturally. And for me, it worked.
  Let’s break it down a bit!
  Worldbuilding:
  The setting is very reminiscent of 2000 historical sailing movies in my opinion. I never expected to like this genre in books as well, but now that I'm here, I see I was missing out. This story portrays a vivid and very The simplicity and contrasts, the commentary was especially engaging.
  The world of this story has an earthy, weathered feel, painted in shades of brown that carry the dual weight of noble grandeur and the unrefined grit of a sailor’s life. At least that's how I saw it.
  Writing Style:
  I love the author's prose. They have, as I saw someone else say it 'a turn of phrase' that's so good! It's descriptive, yet it never seems to drag. It paints a vivid picture of the settings, and shows who the characters are without the dialogue being a necessity, you can tell just from the tics and the motions and the reactions. For instance, any passage of Eion will tell you from his body language alone how so done he is with life. It just makes for an immersive, slow-burn sensory experience.
  Characters:
  This is where the story really shines for me. If you're looking for complex characters, who seem to hold so much information within their gestures alone, this is your story. They each have traits that make them stand out, a magician, a prince, a servant. Each with contradicting traits that make them all the more humane.
  To not spoil much, I'll just take Tresten as an example. He is, despite his fewer appearances, was imo the most well portrayed. He didn't feel like a flashy Prince who stood out because of his title. He was so compelling because of everything ingrained in his mannerisms. The way he carries that air in his words alone.
  What surprised me:
  This is a romance fantasy! Given the cover and first few paragraphs read, and how the tags flew over
• SheaveRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  This was not what I was expecting but in a good way.  The opening in the tavern is very classic fantasy but the world has more rich details than you are expecting and does a good job of setting up characterisation. Eoin is an overworked, mild drunkard, stuck in relative subservience, and has a very clear axe to grind over it. I love his pretty curls.  A nice contrast to an otherwise fairly gruff exterior.   The streets come alive with pale stone, scattered stars, and honeyed scents in the air. Though some of the smells are mere poetic imaginings in the character's head.  Who has a distinct romantic side for a knife-wielder.
  The pace is mixed with some parts that relay information to the reader quickly and some that serve more as a slow burn.  Within two chapters, we already have mass tension between the soft Prince he reluctantly serves and the gritty, lumpen Eoin. Particularly with Eoin's likely increasing desire for the strange, magical lady who gives Seekings and is the Prince's Lover.  Information on her besides the fact she is highly magical, siren-like, and seems to inspire a tragic lust in men seems to be only drip-fed.
  I did like the characterization we got of a poorer, plainer girl in a raggedy woolen dress contrasting with all the pink ribbons and silks of the wealthy young ladies she once attended university alongside.  Hopefully, that will be expanded upon. I like that the wealthier dwellers like the wool-makers, sing their lamenting. funeral songs in terrible voices.  Perhaps the sincerity adds some hidden beauty to the music.
  The journey for the map should be intriguing.  Since in a strange, magical world you never truly know what could be lurking on the high seas. Or raining down from the heavens.