TITLE: ⟫ A Salt Bitter Sea
AUTHOR: ⟫ Amy Lane
RATING: ⟫ 4.5/5
BLURB: ⟫ Miller Aldrun has spent his life being Cassandra, the prophet nobody believes. Born knowing when a dangerous, armed presence is nearby, Miller has always been dismissed—and had to see the people he cares about hurt. Grieving the death of a closeted lover, he finds solace cruising the waterways of Spinner’s Drift, making sure the people in the outlying islands feel safe.
When Miller discovers the weekly gathering at The Magic of Books, its members become the family he didn’t know he could have. That includes Piers Constantine, who’s hiding on the islands with his cousin to elude her stalker.
Golden, kind, and humble, Piers finds Miller fascinating. But Piers is destined to leave the island, and even if he’s the only person who ever had faith in Miller, Miller can’t bear the thought of losing someone else he loves.
Then Miller wakes up with that familiar warning in his gut. The long-ago evil that has been stalking Piers and his cousin is catching up. Miller’s gift might be the only way to protect them… but he’ll have to let Piers in. Together, they plunge into one of the island’s oldest mysteries. For once, being Cassandra is on Miller’s side. Piers and Miller conceive a desperate plan to set them free from fear—but if Miller fails, he knows nothing will be left of him but the salt-bitter sea.
REVIEW: ⟫ A Salt Bitter Sea is more of an ensemble piece than a romance novel – the lives of all of the Luck Mechanics are so intertwined, it couldn’t really be any other way.
I’ll admit that Miller wasn’t really on my radar when reading the first book and I may well reread it to see what Piers sees in him. This book is another rapid descent into magical insanity, with Miller being able to tell them that something ‘bad’ is coming. The sheer disbelief when not only do they believe him but make plans based on what he says is so obvious – you can feel Miller waiting for the other shoe to drop as these people accept something about him that even his parents didn’t.
The romance between Piers and Miller felt like it was in the background for quite a chunk of time, which is a shame as they have a fascinating dynamic. We find out more about the ghosts around Tom’s bench and what can be done for them, as well as adding at least two new people to the core group.
This was an enjoyable romp, full of suspense, terror-inducing ideas, love and found-family, and a very good additional to the series. There is still more coming the way of the Luck Mechanics and I look forward to seeing just how all of their gifts together can make things better for everyone.
I received an ARC from the author.
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