Next on the list of my SPFBO reads is this Military Fantasy. Not always my favorite genre, Esme usually grabs these ones, but in I go!
Azetla has served the Maurowan Army for thirteen years. There are seven left to pay. A pariah and a debt soldier, he is a commander with no rank, a soldier without citizenship, and wears a sword that it is unlawful for him to either own or use. He has learned to hold his tongue or risk losing everything.
When Azetla’s battalion is sent into the desert to catch a Sahr devil—one of the famously brutal inhabitants of the region—his tenuous position is threatened. He discovers that there is far more to this mission than catching a fiend. For the Emperor of Maurow, it is a way to prove that he fears nothing, not even devils. For the Emperor’s brother, it is a stepping-stone to rebellion. For Azetla it could be deadly either way, as he is cornered into choosing a side in the coming coup.
But the devil that Azetla finds in the desert is not what anyone expects or wants. As the conspiracy against the Emperor becomes entangled with the simmering ambitions of the desert tribes, Azetla must decide if he’s willing to strike a bargain with a devil in order to survive.
Naturally, she is not to be trusted. But then again, neither is he.
By Blood, By Salt is the story’s Azetla, who is a debt soldier in the king’s army. Because he is a foreigner, he has basically been conscripted and must be a soldier for a certain amount of years.
Unlike other ‘jackals’ as they are not-so-affectionately called, Azetla has risen to second in command of his squad. The commander took a chance on him and took him under his wing.
Azetla’s troop is tasked by the king to travel to the southern lands and capture one of the natives, who are widely suspected to be jinn, or devils. They succeed in their mission, and the shenanigans don’t end there.
I expected to have trouble with this one as I tend to not really enjoy military fantasy very much, but the writing just captured me and I found myself reading into the wee hours. I thought that Azetla was a really well fleshed out character, and I latched on to him and cared what happened to him.
I really liked the character of the jinn, which I won’t spoil for y’all. That was a real turning point in the story for me, because the story was beginning to slow down. It was interesting to see how that character evolved as the story continued.
I thought the world here, with its Middle Eastern sort of feel, was really well put together. The different cultures were hard to differentiate at first, but I found myself an expert by the middle or so. I think it helped a lot that I read this one slowly and a chapter or two at a time. It helped all of the often similar-sounding tribes and settlements sink in.
All told, this one surprised me, in a good way. This is a good example of taking a chance on a book that may not completely align with your favorite genres. I had 7.5/10 stars of fun with this one. I hope one day to read more in this series.
superstardrifter 