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Blood and Salt #2

Court of Vice and Death

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The stories about the fae court were true and I’m not sure if any of us will survive.

Everything in the fae court wants me dead. The monsters who live here, the royal family, even the other tributes. I’m surrounded by enemies but I won’t forget the cause of all this suffering: The Fae King. If I’m going down, I’m going to take him with me.

But nothing is easy in Konos.

And the only way through is to face the most dangerous monster who ever lived.

With surprising allies and newfound skills, I might have a chance. But you can’t trust anything in Konos.

Not even your own heart.

This is book two in the Blood and Salt series and is not a standalone. It’s dark, violent, and spicy. Mind the cliff.

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 24, 2023

2,018 people are currently reading
8,351 people want to read

About the author

Alexis Calder

28books958followers
Alexis Calder writes sassy heroines and sexy heroes with a sprinkle of sarcasm. She lives in the Rockies and drinks far too much coffee and just the right amount of wine.

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5 stars
3,342 (39%)
4 stars
3,173 (37%)
3 stars
1,532 (18%)
2 stars
259 (3%)
1 star
58 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews
Profile Image for Tori Bailey.
64 reviews
August 27, 2023
This cliffhanger made me want to throw my kindle. Because what the hell. Overall solid book, but felt a little rushed, and the first and second could definitely have just been one book if this was how rushed it was going to be.
67 reviews3 followers
September 25, 2023
Sligtly worse than the first one overall

Worldbuilding has been extended significantly and continues to be the overall strongest point, it's not heavy handed, it almost never has to rely on story stopping info dumps, comes out generally natural and is sufficently complex for a functioning story but it's never to the point of overwhelming the reader, the gods continue to be little shits as they should, i like that they gave no time for Ara to run after freeing Nyx, the main point of problem is the dragons just making feints sortiees and getting killed for it, I hope it's a lie because i have no idea why they would keep on going to the wall just to mess with the humans if a substantial number of them dies.

Plot is once again barely present: MC is put on a castle and then moved to another castle, the climax happens in a very short time and it's quite underwhelming, it just goes exactly as planned for as far as they planned it, she goes in as planned, kills the minotaur as planned, with zero difficulties, jumps in, litterally takes Nyx by hand and pulls her out. Problem is, they never really planned what to do AFTER that, I cannot fathom why Ryvin and Leana don't know Nyx cant hurt the Fae King and they had litterally nothing planned for what happens after Nyx is freed, like, they just hope she will come out and kill the king and be good and merry for the rest of her existence...the godness of DEATH AND NIGHT.

Characters are mostly the same as the first book, MC continues to stagnate in her non-interesting-ness, her character withers away when distanced from her loved ones and she becomes a bland(er) prop for exposition and narration. I SWEAR TO GOD if she's angry at Ryvin for the rest of the third book (only to run into his arms at the end) because of the stealing power thing he did I will hold an IQ test for her and it will probably come out negative, it was CLEARLY the only way to save her and she should be thankful to be alive, not angry at him, if this doesn't get resolved in ONE discussion she's the worst character in the serie.
Ryvin is just the same as the last book, very bland, very "by the book", he loses all the edge of the first iteration and stagnates, he's either away or occupied the whole book, only coming in for the occasianoal sex, yes, they DO basically say ILY to each other and accept their feelings, but it's super rushed, even going as far as to disregard the previous book's ending about her telling him there's no way they will be together by chapter four or something, yeah i guess he can "see through her", but i wish we got something more organic and earned than "he just knows".
Lagina continues to be the best character in the serie and i think she'll bring it home in the final one, now that we got her POV she's simplistic and quite bland herself, BUT her setting comes in for the rescue and forces her to grow, making difficult choices (sparing the priest and using him as her spymaster) as well as forcing her to take front stage in her country's policies and asserting her authority (killing the healer, throwing everyone out when the dragon king wants to talk to her, issuing an information lock down on her sister) while keeping her anchored to her loved ones, once again making very efficient use of her limited screen time, the ONLY bad side i see to her is probably not telling Cora about her bethrotal, but i understand she was worried she was going to run, at the same time she has ways of ensuring Cora doesn't and approaching the matter in a more mature way would be appreciated, as well as showing she's learning from her father's mistakes and doesn't keep all informations to himself shutting everyone else out.
I still maintain Cora and Sophie would be better as a single character, no one being the soon-to-be wife of the dragon king and one being a vampire are not enough to make them stand as singular characters, they're only set ups for the next book (which will have to cover A LOT of ground so I guess it will probably fail to give everyone sufficient space) imagine how interesting it would be for Cora/Sophie if her sister came to her and told her soon to be husband was the dragon king JUST WHEN she started to get hunger pangs, having to juggle her time around her husband with maybe going out to feed on pigs and sheeps, looks like protagonist material to me (and you can even smooth out the critiques of convenient timing by saying both a Vampire starting to crave blood and a marriage proposal come around 18, or 20, basically when your body stops growing, so both these events are locked in place at the same time).
Laera is a letdown, she seemed to be the real antagonist of the book for the first third, then ONE training session and she's friends with Ara, oh and BY THE WAY the reason everyone on team good guys hates her is actually a misunderstanding and of course it wasn't her fault and of course both Ryvin and Vanth ask her forgiveness for having doubted her and all her personality just flips on a coin, by the way it's her fault for not telling them about her supposed betrayal, they have no reason to further engage with her after she had a hand in the slaughter of children, SHE shouldave gone to Vanth or Ryvin and told them she was sorry but there was nothing she could do, SHE has to explain herself, the fact that she just said "ok I will slip into the role of the bad guy because you guys didn't ask me why i did what i did" is concerning at the very least. Anyway she's a convenient prop for the story to move forward after the one sparring session and her character goes in the gutter.
Vanth is a prop, they say he's not friends with Ryvin but i see nothing of that on display so I call bullshit.
The king of the Fae is a complete idiot if he thought anyone was working for him and he failed to have agency past "take the princess and bring her to the palace", which turned out to be a detriment for him so...how did he not realize hir daughter sparring EVERY DAY with his prisoner princess whom his son has clearly feeling for MIGHT be an indication that something is going on?
Noria is dull, she covers the "useful maid" role and does very little else.

The action is nonexistent, the writing style is approachable as usual, the pacing is more or less the same as the last book, maybe a bit slower still.

Themes have some sprouts maybe trying to grow into tiny ideas, still just barely visibile above ground
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Amber J (Thereadingwitch).
1,122 reviews80 followers
March 21, 2024
Oh my goodness! I really love this series. You can really tell it's influenced by Greek mythology, though I wouldn't say it's a mythology retelling or anything, but maybe I'm just not familiar with the story that it's based on. I don't know.

That was a hell of a cliffhanger though. I'm annoyed but excited for book 3. I started this series thinking it was a complete trilogy, but I was wrong. I see now that book 4 is due to come out in May. Ugh. I know there is going to be a cliffhanger after book 3 and I'm going to have to wait till May to see what happens next.
Profile Image for Annette.
3,568 reviews167 followers
August 27, 2023
I've been following Alexis Calder ever since the beginning of her career as an author and the first book in this series was easily one of my favorite books ever by her! The mix of Greek mythology and Fae lore worked so perfectly well! So, when BookSprout notified me that this second book was available I didn't know how fast to grab my copy even though I actually had no time for it! It was a case of MAKING TIME for it!

This second book is different from the first book and yet it was just as intriguing and interesting. It's clearly a middle book and yet I was never getting bored. Mostly because we did get a new part of the world to explore. We did get new characters to get to know. We did get a lot of reveals changing the entire game constantly. And the finale of the book was quite brutal and I can't wait to find out what's waiting for us in the next book.

What I absolutely loved about this book is that the Fae are truly Fae. They trick. They keep information from each other. They are bloodthirsty and they are mostly looking out for themselves. It made spending time at the Fae court interesting but it also raised the stakes. Quite soon I realized that it wasn't that unrealistic that our heroine might have to fight for her life and might have to come up with some really clever plans to come out of those challenges alive.

I also loved that more and more Greek mythology is slipping through and playing an active part in the story. In this book the Gods are coming out to play, we're meeting some demi-Gods and we of course get the rest of the Minotaur story. I really loved how the role of the thread was a little tweaked to fit in with this unique world a little better. And I liked the namedropping of heroes like Theseus and Jason. I can't wait to catch some more cameos in the next installment.
Profile Image for Kim Pow.
795 reviews6 followers
August 29, 2023
Disappointing

Book 1 was significantly better. I did not enjoy this aspect of the characters. I guess the lack of mystery and intrigue and everything pointless. Not at all interested in book 3.
Profile Image for Leonie .
457 reviews217 followers
October 30, 2023
3,5 stars

"Make your choice."

This is a three POV book, told by the POV´s of Ara, Ryvin and Lagina.

I liked Aran´s fighter mentality but some choices she made were so naive and a bit too trusting of her environment. Especially considering her past. In contrast to her, Ryvin was so untrusting that he didn´t even tell her everything, which they might could have benefit from....
I have to be honest and say I didn´t care much about Lagina´s story since it felt like just a little side plot and not really woven into the main plot of the book.

Regarding side characters I really love Vanth and I would love to know more about his background story, I really hope there will be more about him in book 3!

The pacing of the book is good, I like the plot line and the amount of action scenes. I have to say this one lacked in the romance department for me. There weren´t that many sweet or romantic moments (almost none at all) and if you are looking for something real spicy, you won´t really find it here. What I liked is the world building and the influences of greek mythology to it. There are many mysthical creatures in here, which I hope to see more of in the next book as well as other courts.

Overall it was a decent read, nothing spectacular but also nothing bad.

trigger warnings: kidnapping, death/murder, torture
Profile Image for thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books).
2,799 reviews111 followers
September 3, 2023
This is a great follow up to the first book in the series Kingdom of Blood and Salt and although I enjoyed it, I really liked the first more, but it’s still an interesting and addictive read, although warning for a cliffhanger ending that will kill you, now I need the next very badly.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jessica Campbell.
33 reviews3 followers
April 13, 2024
Alexis Calder you've done it again.
read the book in two days due to being unable to put it down for longer than 20 mins at a time.


- Relationships-
the detail Alexis has put into the characters interactions and relationships with one another. Seeing the depth of Ara's relationship with her sisters and people allows us to understand her motivation for wanting to go back despite her own people trying to kill her multiple times and having little to no respect for her. the love she has for her sisters knows no bounds, I can't wait for them to be reunited but also nervous cause somethings bound to happen to one of them I feel it in my bones.

I love seeing it when two strong female characters such as Ara and Laera meet and threaten each other just to become friends over a mutual hate. the way these two built a friendship while still encouraging each other to grow and be strong is just heart warming and has me rooting for them.

Ryvin and Ara have such an addicting turbulent relationship I just can't get enough of them and they're living in my mind rent free. the way they fight and make up over and over shows that what they feel is bigger and stronger than we know. but will she forgive him for this the ultimate betrayal.

- betrayal-
I was holding my breath reading the last 30 pages in the book the betrayal Ara faces from Ryvin was painful but so well written that you could argue it from both sides. most books I read favour one character so have a biased view on betrayals only fully telling one half of the story but this showed the thought process leading up to the betrayal from both sides and leaves the book at such a cliff hanger that had me questioning everything I knew about the book.

-powers-
Ara's powers!!!!
I did not see the plot twist coming being the daughter of a god oh my goodness me im giddy.
watching her come into her powers and over come her fear of water was such a pure moment for me.


This has definitely been one of the best series ive read in awhile if you want something that is a mix of ACOTAR, divergent, Powerless this is the book for you!

if you have any questions about the series at all or have anythoughts feel free to message them to me I always reply!!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jay Madeleine.
668 reviews
January 22, 2024
This book was better than the first. I feel like we got more of the world-building in terms of magic and Greek mythology. I like the multi pov and the fated mates with the dragon king, and a half-vampire sister, not to mention a demi-god, messy family bloodlines. I do love the idea of blood magic!

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for abby.
12 reviews
January 24, 2024
4.5 star. Loved this series and can’t wait until the next one releases. Like I mentioned in previous reviews, this gave me what I love abt SJM but it’s a little less heavy. Multiple perspectives, fated mates, smut, shadow daddy fun.
Profile Image for Olivia Hemmings.
17 reviews
November 27, 2024
need I say more?????

it just annoys me because there are aspects I love so much and characters that could be so good but I just feel overall it’s rushed and there’s lots of development and world building that’s rushed😞 and if it was done well it would be so good actually

1 star for the fact I read it
2 stars for the aspects of Greek mythology intertwined

that’s all u get !
Profile Image for Nicole.
132 reviews
March 28, 2024
3.5
we all saw the ending coming.
it's been very easy to read this series so far, but im not super invested in anyone tbh HAHAHHA
i also just skip through the smut chapters (not too many in this series!)
uni wifi isn't letting me download the next book so i might actually have to work on my presentation ew
4 reviews
August 26, 2023
I really liked the first book, but this one fell short for me. It was even hard for me to finish this second one! I wish there was more to the Dragon Kings story, and felt this could have been an entire book on its own between Cora and him. Definitely disappointed with this one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for LyndS.
235 reviews
December 11, 2023
Definite 3.5-3.75.
There was filler where there didn’t need to be a rushing elsewhere but i really like the foundation of this story. There are maybe too many elements going on? Dragons, vampires, greek gods, minotaurs? We could pick a lane.
Profile Image for Bookhelli.
339 reviews5 followers
April 25, 2024
Its just sooo predictable... and for me it just feels like rereading from blood and ash tbh. I also still don't like the characters. I don't know what it is, but i find them all annoying and infuriating
Profile Image for Amy J RAREtte4Life.
846 reviews290 followers
August 29, 2023
Really enjoyed book two. Twist and turns and can’t wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Alyssa Hicks .
33 reviews
June 10, 2024
3 ⭐️ I read it in one day, I like the story but feels mildly rushed. A previous review said book one and two could of been one book and I agree. Lots of cool elements that I felt could have been expanded on…not to mention her finding out she had powers and then killing the unkillable beast two days later feels mildly like a stretch. But fun read overall, I enjoyed it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jessica.
202 reviews8 followers
June 22, 2024
This is definitely a series to binge read. But I had other commitments that didn’t allow that. So it was a little confusing to jump back into this book in the middle. But the last 50 pages I read in a mad gallop to see the ending. Only for a cliffhanger but what a cliffhanger! I found a few minor editing errors but nothing that detracted from the story. Might bother people who only want highly polished traditionally published books though. I’m excited to see where Ara and Ryvin go from here!
Profile Image for Camryn Douglas.
42 reviews
November 14, 2024
This series is very fast paced. It skips over a lot of world building and character development in my opinion. But I’m possibly bias because sometimes I read books that have too much world building and character development so this feels like barely any. Good story line just wish it was more drawn out almost.
Profile Image for Hannah Moehrke.
34 reviews
November 13, 2024
This plot seems so rushed (which is fine?) and the main character continues to be incredibly naive and whiny. The change of POV with some characters seemed unnecessary but maybe this leads to later sequels and multiple plot lines, I wish there were more chapters of Ryven’s perspective because he clearly has something more going on in the background.

My biggest issue is that there is just too much going on: fae, vampires, humans, dragons� but also Greek gods that can walk among the humans and fae? And magic? And mates? Like, just choose one supernatural trope, jesus.
Profile Image for Abby.
132 reviews1 follower
July 18, 2024
Interesting lore with fae + humans + vampires + shifters / wolves + Greek gods�..
Profile Image for Roberta Luukkonen.
6 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2024
Entertaining

Very entertaining. I enjoyed this along with the introduction of the gods. Hopefully they play a little more role in the following editions.
Profile Image for Ania.
8 reviews
December 9, 2024
3 stars only because I’m fumin at Ryvin
Profile Image for Lucy.
100 reviews
January 2, 2025
Much better than the first book! The love story is a bit rushed though
Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews

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