Blood and Salt

Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn in this supernatural thriller about an ancient cult in the cornfields of Kansas. Ash Larkin follows her mother's trail to Quivira, a colony founded by Spanish conquistadors centuries ago, where romance and dark magic intertwine. The story centers on seventeen-year-old Ash's search for her mother while uncovering the colony's blood-soaked history and its connection to immortality. Ash must navigate her growing feelings for two brothers while confronting visions of a past life and the colony's disturbing traditions. Hidden beneath the cornfields lies a complex web of rituals, sacrifices, and generational secrets that threaten everything Ash holds dear. The novel combines elements of horror, romance, and historical mystery while exploring themes of destiny versus free will, and the price of eternal life.

Readers describe Blood and Salt as a horror romance with paranormal elements. The book holds a 3.5/5 rating on Goodreads (1,800+ ratings) and 4/5 on Amazon (50+ reviews). Readers praised: - The blend of horror and romance elements - Vivid descriptions of the Kansas corn field setting - The incorporation of Latin American folklore - Fast pacing in the second half Common criticisms: - Slow start and uneven pacing - Romance develops too quickly - Plot points feel rushed or underdeveloped - Several plot holes and unanswered questions - Characters make illogical decisions One Goodreads reviewer noted: "The romance felt forced and the horror elements weren't scary enough." Another wrote: "Great atmosphere but the ending left too many loose ends." Barnes & Noble readers rated it 3.8/5 (30+ reviews), with multiple comments about strong world-building but predictable plot twists.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig A gothic romance blends family curses and dark magic in an isolated seaside manor where sisters die under mysterious circumstances.

The Craft: The New Girls by B.B. Russell Four teenage witches navigate ancestral magic and dangerous rituals while uncovering dark family secrets.

The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton A girl from a cursed bloodline of witches must confront her family's haunted past on an isolated island.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black Ancient magic, faerie curses, and forbidden romance intersect in a town where mortals and supernatural beings coexist.

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw Three sisters who were executed for witchcraft return each summer to a coastal town to claim new victims through possession and drowning.

🌽 The novel's setting, Quivira, Kansas, is based on a real historical legend of a lost city of gold that Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado searched for in Kansas during the 1540s. 🔮 Author Kim Liggett was inspired to write Blood and Salt after experiencing vivid nightmares about corn fields and immortality while staying at her family's farm in Kansas. ⚔️ The book blends multiple genres, including horror, romance, and magical realism, drawing comparisons to both Romeo and Juliet and Children of the Corn. 🌱 The corn goddess mythology featured in the book incorporates elements from various Native American agricultural traditions and ancient fertility rites. 💫 Before becoming an author, Kim Liggett worked as a Broadway performer and was a member of the Original Broadway Cast of The Phantom of the Opera.