Salt Magic, Skin Magic
Review copy provided by author for consideration.
Joel Leslie
Lord Thornby has been trapped on his father’s isolated Yorkshire estate for a year. There are no bars or chains; he simply can’t leave. His sanity is starting to fray. When industrial magician John Blake arrives to investigate a case of witchcraft, he finds the peculiar, arrogant Thornby as alarming as he is attractive. John soon finds himself caught up in a dark fairytale, where all the rules of magic—and love—are changed.
To set Thornby free, both men must face life-changing truths—and John must accept that the brave, witty man who’s winning his heart may also be about to break it. Can they escape a web of magic that’s as perilous as love?
When Lee Welch appeared in my inbox asking if I would be interested in reviewing SALT MAGIC, SKIN MAGIC, I had to think long and hard about it. For about 1.3 seconds. Then I was all, “HELL YEAH!”
Salt Magic, Skin Magic is an inventive bit of historical fiction laced with magic, mysticism, and powerful romance. The book grabbed hold of me from the very first scene, and much like Lord Thornby, I was held captive, needing to unravel this story and get to the bottom of the mystery.
I don’t read a lot of books with magical elements, and I loved the way magic almost seemed to be the norm in this world. As a neophyte to this genre, the plot was unpredictable to me, so that each page was a revelation and a new opportunity to learn (and get lost) about this magic system and its role in the overarching mystery in the book.
The romance between Thornby and John Blake was wonderfully built, these two opposites going from adversaries to lovers. You can feel the affection and care these two have for another, and their developing relationship felt natural and managed to be both sweet and impossibly sexy.
Brief moments of levity brightened up the story and remind the reader that even though we’re reading about bizarre events in a fantastical world, we’re still reading about two very real men.
“You stretched it? I suppose you asked it nicely?” “No, iron prefers orders. I told it, very firmly indeed.”
Joel Leslie was the perfect choice of narrator for this story. If I didn’t know better, I would think this book was written specifically for him to perform. His narration is at once eloquent and impassioned; he takes an already compelling story and turns it into something almost tangible with the way he affects the listener. Lee and Joel are a match made in audio heaven.
Lee Welch’s writing is beautiful; it’s moody and atmospheric in a way that makes the story surround the reader like a fog, helping them get lost in the words and become a part of that world. She employed a clever and inventive twist on events of the Victorian age to tell a story that feels like an alternate history. SALT MAGIC, SKIN MAGIC was fascinating and wholly entertaining, and I would welcome more books in this world.
Thank you for sharing