Salt Magic Skin Magic

By: Lee Welch

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

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 fairy tale, 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?

©2018 Lee Welch (P)2019 Tantor

Didn't see the twist coming!

The story was fun and entertaining! The characters felt real as did their strife and you could see their growth. I could feel the desperation in the MCs dialogue as he recounted his dilemma in not being able to leave the estate grounds. The summary doesn't do this book justice. The fun take on magic is lovely and feels original and I appreciated that. The narrator isn't great, but he's not terrible. He does a great job with their voices, so there's that. All in all, glad I listened to this book and I'd recommend it.

Really good new author

I really enjoyed this book. Yes Joel Leslie helped it tremendously however as the other reviews stated that this book is a relatively new author and just wonderful story. Definitely worth the credit. There was a few spots that seemed to drag but for the most part it was pretty awesome.

Great Listen

The Narrator did a great job giving life to the story. The world was detailed and the characters were fleshed out for the most part. I sympathized with Blake. I wish though that the ending would have had more meat to it. I wanted to know what happened to the other characters that lived at that house and what happens to Blake and Soren years after.

Hot Romance, Clever Story

Oooh, that was hot!

Very creative selkie/magic/mysticism story, I loved the way Lee Welch wove the whole thing together. Nicely done!

Fantasy at it's finest.

What an amazing story. The world was so rich and colourful. I felt as if I walked the paths that John and Lord Thornby walked. I could hear the voices in the walls and feel the pelts they handled. The characters were dynamic and came alive for me. The writing was masterful and well paced. The story-line was creative and intriguing, both beautiful and horrible. Definitely going in my reread pile.

Narrator Joel Leslie lifted it to off the chart levels. The sarcasm rolled off of Lord Thornby's tongue (as did other things) and I could practically feel the spittle flying from his father's mouth as he ranted at his son.

Surprisingly sweet

Very good and very spicy, narrator was top notch, loved every minute of it, i need more from this author and narrator

Magical fantasy. I loved it!

Lord Thornby has been literally trapped on his father's estate for a year. Whenever he tries to leave he physically can't as if magically tethered to the land. He is about to go insane when a guest arrives stating his father invited him. John Bake is a strange man. One day he is following Lord Tornby to be surprised that he sees him, thinking he is under an invisibility spell. the two men go from despising each other to desire. But why is Jogh really there and why can Lord Thornby not leave?
This story is a very well developed, mystical, magical story. I love to read something that is out of my box on occasion and this was right up my alley.
Joel Leslie is the master at bringing stories to life with a unique voice and inflection. I think I enjoyed his narration much more than I would have reading this on my own.
If you love magic, deceit, potions, spells, unique creatures, fantasy, and suspense you will love this.

Good but imperfect

I liked a lot about this book. The story was unique and I enjoyed the magical aspects. I thought the characters were well developed and their connection felt genuine. Toward the end, though, the intimate moments and sex scenes seemed to grow more and more ridiculous. And they weren’t very well written in the first place. I almost gave the book 3 stars because it was so off-putting. In the end, I think the book is probably about 3.5 stars (with 2 star sex scenes) and the narration was 4.5 stars.

enjoyed it

📖 Story comment: Good pace, likeable characters, vivid world building.
This story has all the elements of a good fantasy novel, strong characters, magic, mystery, vivid environments and a good villain. I would have liked more background or deeper detail regarding the way John Blake uses his magical talents, but overall it kept me interested and entertained and that's all I need to be happy.

🎧 Narrator comment: Joel Leslie doing what he does best, he suits these types of characters and their personalities (sarcasm is becoming his forte) and he bought the story to life. Overall an enjoyable performance that I will be happy to revisit again.

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📌 Where does it fall on my personal scale? 7
• 1 not my thing • 2 didn't like the narration • 3 didn't keep my attention • 4 was good, but once was enough [3⭐] • 5 enjoyed it [4⭐] • 6 will listen again if i'm in the mood for the narrator [4⭐] • 7 goes on the "re-listen" list [4⭐] • 8 kept me up past bed-time [4.5⭐] • 9 recommended to family/friends [4.75⭐] • 10 own it in all formats [5⭐] • 11 keep a copy with me at all times [5⭐]

Sophisticated high fantasy

High fantasy based on centuries old folklore (which is new to me) placed within the context of the social mores and sensibilities of the 18th century while addressing an audience of the 21st...To the author and performer......Well done..Gwen