Ariel Kaplan did it again and delivers another excellent and intriguing novel. Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Having adored The Pomegranate Gate, I was so excited for The Republic of Salt. All the main characters were we compelling as in the first book, although perhaps some relationships felt a little more strained under the increasingly tense circumstances - Barsilay and Naftaly had their moments of closeness but I didn't feel quite so sure of their chemistry in this one.

I really enjoyed the character arc that Toba Bet went through, and how she dealt with being the left behind buchuk of the original Toba. I also loved her relationship beginning to evolve with Tsifra - and the way Tsifra's own character was explored more and her relationship to Tarses, Toba, the Peregrine and her actions as courser were delved into.

The old woman is as intriguing a character as ever, so protective of Naftaly yet still so unknown.

I also enjoyed Elena's arc in this one and how her intelligence and perceptiveness shine through in her actions. And how much her love for Toba, and her drive to protect her granddaughter was still present.

Asmel also went through a compelling arc from his prior loss of magic - I thought his deteriorating memory and the evolution of his and Toba's relationship was well done.

The plot was also just incredibly gripping and I kept needing to read more to see what happened next, to understand why certain things had or hadn't happened. And the ending was *something* - cannot wait for the next book to see how things turn out next.

‘The Pomegranate Gate’ was one of my top reads last year, so I was so looking forward to returning to that world in ‘The Republic of Salt’.

In book 2 things get serious. The laugh out loud banter is still there, but there’s a heaviness to the book that wasn’t there in the first one. I really enjoyed the more political side of this book and how action-packed it was.

The characters make this series. They’re just brilliant. I said it before, and I stand by it, I’d happily read these characters do pretty much anything. Again, this book did a great job of developing the relationships that were introduced in the first one. I particularly love Naftaly and Basilay’s journey.

This is just such a great, original fantasy. The use of Jewish culture is so interesting. The world we explore is so rich and I truly love discovering more about it.

This book kind of defies comparison… but I’d say if you’re looking for queer ACOTAR vibes (without any Tamlin) then this is definitely worth giving a go. I personally adore this series. The ending of this one literally had me shouting at my kindle - I cannot wait to get book 3 in my hands.

Beautifly written prose with suspense and interesting characters and development.
Very well done sequel.
I can't wait to read more from the author.

I really loved the pomegranate gate and was highly anticipating this second installment, and while I had a few niggles it overall did not disappoint!

I love the uniqueness of this story and the pulls from Jewish Mythology- and the multiple POVs make this for an exciting read.

The plot was a little meandering at times which did mean the pacing was off at some points but overall I really enjoyed this one.

Unlike a lot of second books in the trilogy, I found The Republic of Salt to be just as engaging as the Pomegranate Gate, and an overall very enjoyable read.

Despite not remembering a lot of the Pomegranate Gate from when I read it over a year ago, I was immediately sucked back in to the world, and my fear and fascination with the Maziks returned.

Trapped on opposite sides of the gate, Toba and Naftaly learn that what they do can impact each other, and they are forced to rely on each other, and a whole host of supporting characters. Personally, I adore Barsilay, with his resentment for what is being expected of him, and his attempts to reject his fate. After all, who hasn't wanted to rebel against what was expected of them?

The world building in this is spectacular, and the weaving of Jewish history and lore into this epic fantasy is so well done - I cannot wait for the third in the trilogy to come out!

DNF around 20%

I had some mixed feelings about The Pomegranate Tree but was interested in reading on with this series. Unfortunately the start of this second book was not at all compelling to me. I got 20% in and there was barely any progression. Adding on to that is that we follow a lot of different point of views. We literally switch every scene, from one group to another. It would have helped this book had it focused more on a few central characters like Toba and Navalny and only occasionally used other characters if absolutely nessecary.

I couldn’t remember a lot of the detail of The Pomegranate Gate, but as it turns out, it doesn’t matter. Kaplan’s prose is so engaging, despite the fact it’s frequently set at a slight distance, that I was drawn right into it again. Our protagonists are separated and in danger: some in the realm of the Maziks, others in the mortal realm; but because of the workings of the mirror, one affects the other.

There’s peril, warfare, siege, magic; there’s dreamwalking and demons and romance and humour. I’ve no idea how so much is packed in but the story was riveting. There’s a lot of plot, so less time to focus on the multiple characters, but I loved them just as much from the last time. We got to see a lot more of the romances playing out as well. Middle books are often tricky to handle, but there is enough compelling drama to pull you along. There are few fantasies like it.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

After absolutely adoring The Pomegranate Gate, I was eager to get return to the rich world and loveable characters with The Republic of Salt, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed! Ariel Kaplan has created such a layered and imaginative world based on Jewish folklore and history, which only expanded in the second book. I loved how side characters took a more staring (and existential!) role and adored revisiting the main characters from the first instalment. I enjoyed the look into the world on both sides of the gate and the tense chase happening to both groups. And what cliffhanger!!

Overall, I can’t explain how much I love this series and how eager I am for the next instalment!

Masterful sequel ramps up stakes

In a masterful follow-up to the open The Pomegranate Gate, new readers could come in cold to a world where the heroes are split up and in despair, escaping from their enemies on foot and with very few assets besides their wits. As Naftaly and Toba explore the limits of their powers and their influence on those they love, will they be able to save their worlds, or will their enemies succeed in pursuit of power at all costs?

Continuing in the vein of the first book in its simultaneous low and high stakes, the search for food and for thrones in equal measure, The Republic of Salt takes its time to get to a single geographical point but when it does, the seeming impregnability of their sanctuary is tempered by strange and mysterious arrivals who could be enemies or allies, even while other plots swirl and eddy in both worlds. Every character is deepened in this sequel, and the final actions show that as much as Toba and Naftaly and their friends want to rely on other allies, the final book will be about the effort and desire that they need to apply to get to the best possible ending, and, unfortunately, death may not be avoided.

Four stars, and an eager wait for the final volume.

Ariel Kaplan serves up another delicious helping of fantasy adventure in this sequel to 'The Pomegranate Gate', in a book every bit as good. The only disappointment was realising I'd finished it! The action picks up directly where the first book left off - they should certainly be read in order, it's a continuation of the story and not a book you could read in isolation. The ill assorted by likeable ensemble of characters introduced in the first book are split into two groups, with Asmel and Toba in the human world, and the others in the Mazik world. All are travelling north to the city of Zayit, and all are pursued by a range of frightening foes. Along with the six main heroes, there are also some interesting ambiguous 'baddies' with agendas of their own that don't necessarily align with that of super-villain Tarses.

The story is told from multiple viewpoints, but this is managed well and never becomes confusing. There's a helpful cast of characters at the start of the novel which helps jog your memory about the first book, and there's also a glossary at the end for anyone unsure about word meanings, although normally I was able to understand from the context. It's a gripping read that is compelling from the beginning and hard to put down. The shifting allegiances of the various antagonists adds an element of unpredictability, with Tsifra and Atalef being particularly interesting characters. But each of Kaplan's creations is well drawn and interesting, with a realistic depth. My favourite is still the Old Woman, who got less page time than I'd like, but I hold out high hopes that we will find out more about her in future books. I like the mixture of old - properly old, not just 'immortal old' - characters as well as young ones, which sets it apart from a lot of this type of adventure. The tough grannies Elena and the Old Woman are a very welcome addition.

If you enjoy fantasy adventure, this is a great series to add to your reading list. It has all the ingredients you need for a satisfying escapist experience, is easy and enjoyable to read, and has great characters. I'm looking forwards to the next one.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘁 • 𝗔𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗞𝗮𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻
★★★

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁
- Epic fantasy
- Jewish mythology
- Multiple interconnected storylines
- LGBT representation

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
This is the anticipated sequel to The Pomegranate Gate which I read and loved last year.

I loved the writing, I loved the dry humour shown through the characters, I loved the originality of this fantasy and how it encapsulates Jewish culture and folklore in a way this is spell-binding and enchanting. But there were a few reasons why this wasn’t a triumph for me.

In TPG I disliked Toba and Asmel’s budding romance but I loved Naftaly and Barsilay’s romance. In this one, I still disliked Toba and Asmel as a pairing, but I also found myself disliking Naftaly and Barsilay’s romance too as their dynamics change to my utter dismay. This author seems to really enjoy unbalanced power dynamics in couplings because Barsilay becomes condescending to Naftaly, and Naftaly loses his independence and individuality. Which also happened with Toba and Asmel in book 1.

I love the concept of mirror realms, and I think the parallel between mortal realm and the Mazik realm is more clear in this installment, but I found myself so confused on the details. This could be a product of having read the first one a year ago, but the more I thought I’d be getting the hang of the vast amount of characters and different realms, the longer I waited.

Character arcs are where this book shone for me. Tsfira and Barsilay are truly beginning to find out what they are made of and more crucially, whether they like themselves for it or not. I’m so interested in where this story goes so I would read the final installment but maybe after reading a simplistic summary of book 1 and 2 first. 😂

𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀
“𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴. “𝘎𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬.”
“𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵,” 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥. “𝘚𝘰 𝘐’𝘮 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯.”

“𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.”
“𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, “𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤, 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦.”

The Republic of Salt is the second instalment in The Mirror Realm Cycle. I was so thankful the book picks straight up from the first one. We follow the beloved characters on an epic adventure. The characters are so different from usual reads, following older characters feels fresh and interesting as they have so much wisdom and life experiences to work with. Although, I found this book was less about the characters and more focused on the clever plot. I absolutely love the Jewish mythology and unique world. I think I definitely have a soft spot for portal fantasy.
I would say definitely reread book one so you get the most out of this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

I have read The Pomegranate Gate and enjoyed it but not as much as some other readers did.
Though, I had the feeling that the concept had immense potential and with a more detailed and layered story I would be more immersed in it and I requested this book. Out of curiosity for the next chapter as well.
I liked this book more than the first one.
The plot is compelling, the characters are more established and the conflict is hotter.

A brilliant thrill ride of a sequel to a powerhouse of an outstanding Book One. I loved every moment of this and can't wait to see what happens next.

I like this universe !! I wanted to read this sequel so badly and I'm so happy to received the e-ARC.
The story is really original, vivid, and I love the characters.
The inspirations are exotics and so rich !! Can't wait for book 3

I read this on the heels of book 1, and, as it so often happens, the second book had similar issues to the first installment, only worse.

While book 1 had the excuse of world-building and establishing characters for being slower than I would personally prefer, book 2 doesn’t have that luxury. We are introduced to different locations and some characters get more spotlight, sure, but the pacing here suffers a lot. The overabundance of POVs doesn’t help with that, and in fact takes any mystery out of the plot that, again, is mostly predictable - barring, perhaps, the Courser’s entanglement with the ‘real’ world’s religion at the end, which honestly has great potential for gloriously fucked-up development, though I don’t think it will be realized to its full potential.

Questionable character motivations remain questionable, and the moral dilemmas, while great in theory, fail to truly engage. The romance continues to do nothing for me, and I'm not even sure if I'm annoyed by Naftaly's or Toba's more - probably Naftaly's, but it's a close call. Secondary characters come and go without much impact [SPOILER what was the point of introducing the Atalef/Marah fusion entity if it got shelved so fast - right after helping Asmel, like it was the only purpose it had in this plot? or Rafeq, for that matter?].

As for the major mysteries at the heart of the series, we’ve made very little progress, especially for that page count. Let’s hope book 3 is better in that department, as I will probably pick up to read it anyway, to finally understand the deeper intricacies of the world-building.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3. All opinions are my own.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝐊𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧
Peace in one world always comes at a cost to another. Lives where changed forever when they discovered a mirrored world beyond the Pomegranate Gates. During their search for answers, they must find their own ways to the wondrous and powerful neighbouring republic. A magnificent city overflowing with olives, spices and salt but not the safe haven they need.

The republic has turned its back on fleeing refugees and is closing its ears to warnings of war. Meanwhile the tyrannical king is building an army to cross the sea. With time running out, they will need to rally the armies of the world. Unlikely alliances must be forged, impossible myths must be made read and the city must be brought back from the depths of the sea.

A riveting sequel that pays homage to the first, rich with mythology and culture and filled with a diverse cast of characters. This book is a wondrous melding of historical fiction, mythology and magical fantasy that will leave readers wanting more.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝐊𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧

As the second book of the mirror realm cycle, this was one of my most highly anticipated books of this year. It starts with where book one left off and immediately gets into more action. I love the continual growth and development that the characters go through. I love how the author tells the story in a whimsical and surreal way. Definitely cannot wait for what happens in the next instalment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.