Salt Chasers

A 2021 Foreword INDIES Award Winner in Romance and Finalist in Fantasy A 2022 Benjamin Franklin Award Runner-Up in Best New Voice: Fiction "The heat and romance of the desert, the push and the pull of Emel's desperation, and the magic and humanity of a caustic jinni make Daughter of the Salt King an irresistible ride." -Amy Harmon, New York Times bestselling author "This riveting debut novel will leave readers eagerly awaiting Thornton's future works." -Booklist A girl of the desert and a jinni born long ago by the sea, both enslaved to the Salt King-but with this capricious magic, only one can be set free. As a daughter of the Salt King, Emel ought to be among the most powerful women in the desert. Instead, she and her sisters have less freedom than even her father's slaves . . . for the Salt King uses his own daughters to seduce visiting noblemen into becoming powerful allies by marriage. Escape from her father's court seems impossible, and Emel dreams of a life where she can choose her fate. When members of a secret rebellion attack, Emel stumbles upon an alluring escape route: her father's best-kept secret-a wish-granting jinni, Saalim. But in the land of the Salt King, wishes are never what they seem. Saalim's magic is volatile. Emel could lose everything with a wish for her freedom as the rebellion intensifies around her. She soon finds herself playing a dangerous game that pits dreams against responsibility and love against the promise of freedom. As she finds herself drawn to the jinni for more than his magic, captivated by both him and the world he shows her outside her desert village, she has to decide if freedom is worth the loss of her family, her home and Saalim, the only man she's ever loved. For readers who enjoy epic desert fantasies and forbidden romance like The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury, The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh, and Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri. Short Summary: Emel is the Salt King's daughter, yet she has less freedom than even her father's slaves. She must navigate not only court intrigue and a mounting rebellion but her own heart after she discovers the secret to the Salt King's tyranny over the desert-a wish-granting jinni who is as much a slave as Emel herself, and whose wishes from his own long past are coming back to haunt the desert with unintended consequences. ". . . an unforgettable fantasy novel about love, freedom, and the discovery of self-worth." -Foreword Reviews, Starred Review "The heat and romance of the desert, the push and the pull of Emel's desperation,and the magic and humanity of a caustic jinni make Daughter of the Salt King an irresistible ride. It hits every note." -Amy Harmon, New York Times bestselling author "[Emel is] a headstrong heroine whose struggle to come into her own will resonate with readers." -Publishers Weekly "This riveting debut novel will leave readers eagerly awaiting Thornton's future works." -Booklist An epic, romantic fantasy where the desert meets the sea, about the magic of wishes-and their unintended consequences.

The gift of magic may be a curse. After her desert-transforming wish, Emel follows Saalim to Madinat Almulihi to reclaim all she has lost. But the seaside city is not what she expected. When she is tasked with assisting the palace healer, she is faced daily with the reminder that Saalim-focused only on seeking the revenge of those who killed his family-does not remember her at all. Cursing the magic that destroyed her love and brought her to an unwelcoming city, Emel regrets her decision to leave her settlement. That is, until she meets Kas. Though inscrutable, he is the first person to help her forget her past, and the pull of finding happiness with him tempts her from the life she wished for with Saalim. But darkness waits in the desert, and not all people in Madinat Almulihi are what they seem. When Emel understands she is entangled in the fate of the city-and of Saalim-she is faced with the realization that magic may be the most powerful card in her hand. It might be the only way to save all that she loves, but if she plays her hand wrong, it could destroy everything. A. S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. She lives in Northern California, where she works as a veterinarian. Learn more about her on IG @as_thornton and visit her website asthornton.com. Short Summary: After freeing Saalim, Emel realizes he is even more out of her reach. Saalim is king of Madinat Almulihi and has no recollection of Emel. Using her newfound freedom from the Salt King, Emel follows Saalim to Madinat Almulihi to get back what she lost-him. But their pasts lurk close behind and carry with them dark secrets. Saalim, now a king, pursues revenge against the invaders who murdered his family while the forgotten Emel, her beloved's memory of her stolen by her own desert-transforming wish, travels to his kingdom by the sea to reclaim what was lost.