Salt & Stone

A Mermaid Fantasy (The Siren's Curse Book 1)

Young Adult - Fantasy - Urban
264 Pages
Reviewed on 03/17/2022
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

Salt and Stone: A Mermaid Fantasy by A.L. Knorr is the first book in the Siren's Curse series. The story opens with one of the best lines of the book; Targa thinks about how being on a plane was torture for a mermaid. The story revolves around her and her mother Mira's return to Poland where she picks things up with Antoni, the boyfriend who she has to lie to about what she really is. A magical stone disappears which puts Targa on the mission to track it down regardless of the cost, even it means crossing boundaries. The journey to uncover the stone's whereabouts uncovers a plot involving thieves looking to have power for themselves and introduces her to an unexpected connection - power that could prove costly for both the land and the ocean. Her secrets weigh on her, pushing her to live a double life and creating fear that telling the truth will drive Antoni away. This plays into her acceptance of her nature as a siren and what she's capable of.

The romance creates a sweet tone within the story and is a significant element of A.L. Knorr's style which can be seen in her other series. Knorr's characters are always exploring who they are within this world and with their power, so part of Targa's journey is exploring more about herself. The relationship with her mother is an important part of the story and adds a poignant, heart-breaking, and emotional side to her journey. Knorr uses these well-written moments to shine a light on the heart of a mother-daughter dynamic. Her mother taught her what love is, as well as her independent nature, which adds to the emotional bond they share and introduces a reflective tone to Targa's story. The world is interconnected with Knorr's other series with appearances and mentions of Targa's friends such as Georjie and Saxony. Salt and Stone adds to the world as a whole, delving deeper into the water element side and furthers Targa's journey with another rich adventure.