By Blood, by Salt

Land of Exile, Book 1

De: J. L. Odom

Narrado por: Micah Popp

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.

©2024 Jayme Ficken (P)2025 Jayme Ficken

I love these characters and can’t wait to find out what happens next. Highly recommended.

Hang on to your hat, this book will take you for a ride. Well written, strong characters and lots of intrigue and plot twists. As the story unfolds it suddenly becomes a page turner, OK, I bought the audio version, but I the point is that I ran out of time but I tried to get it finished in one listen.

I bought the book some weeks ago and have already listened to it several times. It was well performed and produced and the story has enough detail that I pick up something new every time I go through it.

I can’t wait for book two to come out in audio.

Did I mention that especially enjoyed the performance? I hope they keep the same reader for all these books.

Excellent audiobook of an excellent book!!

I’ve had this one on my radar for a while even before it won SPFBOX. By Blood By Salt is a sword and sandal military fantasy.

It tells the story of a man named Azetla who lives in a country that had been conquered by a larger empire. He is part of a military unit and by sheer skill and usefulness (and a little bit of luck) he has risen high in the ranks. However his unit is caught up in internal court politics when the emperor decides to send his treacherous brother on a suicide mission to capture a desert devil. What they find in the desert will shock them and maybe even change the course of the empire.

This book deals with themes about living under an empire and a system that hates you because of your nationality. It gives a very honest and clear look of what it’s like to live as a conquered people under an empire that despises you. Without coming across heavy handed or preachy it shows how much living under such a system would hurt you, but also programs you to hate and hurt others.

As far as fantasy novels go, you won’t find better writing. Odom shows a lot of skill with the pen and there isn’t a clunky line or description in this book. The dialogue is especially good between characters, feeling both realistic and very engaging.

People have remarked that it takes a while to get going and I didn’t find that to be the case at all. I was gripped from page one, and I feel like anyone who’s read epic or military fantasy will feel the same. Actually there’s a change in the story halfway through and I felt like the story slowed down after that. It took me a while to adjust to the change, but it took the story in a new and unique direction.

Odom’s characters are excellent as well, especially Azetla. Each character feels like a product of their time and culture and not like 21st century Americans in a fantasy environment.

Overall I enjoyed this book a lot. It’s definitely one of the best self pub novels I’ve read and well deserving of the win. Definitely check this one out, it deserves the love and the audiobook is also excellent!!

Intriguing story

This is a slow-paced fantasy story that takes a while to get going, but is worth it to stick it out and see all the pieces fall into place. I thought the narration was fine—not my favorite.

For a first novel the Author hits all the spots.

Strong sense of the world interesting characters who you can believe are real. No magic here and the descriptions of place make you feel it.
Listen to it on Audible and very professional delivery. I will be looking for the next two books.