Feature Friday ARC Review: The Salt Road by N. Caceres

  *Feature Friday ARC Review is a meme hosted by The Tattered Page to review books not yet released.  

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher: Indie
Release Date: September 12, 2023

Pages: 227

Genre: Adult Horror

Source: ARC 

THE STORY:

Can you stomach finding out what makes a villain...a villain?

Few walk the Salt Road unscathed. Here, every wound you inflicted on earth will gouge its place in your skin — shredding your precious, pathetic human shell into ribbons.

Oh yes, you can run from your demons all you want. But in Mictlan they will stalk you, until you fall a writhing prey to their decadent promises.

And Annette Yarbrow? She has juiciest, depraved secrets that the Road longs to scrape from her insides.

And I’m thirsty. We all are. The land of the dead is parched and thrashing with anticipation to slice and claw her sadistic past into its greedy mouth.

By the time we get to the gates of the City of the Dead, I’ll have my answers. I’ll know what drives a creature to become so vile.

But there is still a price to be paid. And Annette’s debtors crave only the most brutal retribution...

The Salt Road is a single POV erotic horror that features deeply disturbing content, an affair that will redefine ‘taboo’, divine retribution, and decadent depravity in the land of the dead.

A full list of trigger warnings is available on the author’s website and in the ‘look inside’ feature. Please read responsibly.

LINK: Goodreads 

RATING: 

ONE-WORD REVIEW: DEPRAVED

TAG LINE: Can you stomach finding out what makes a villain...a villain?

OPENING LINE: The corpse before me had been lying there, twitching from its death rattles for days.

REVIEW:

𝒲𝒶𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔: sᴏᴍᴇ sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀs ᴀʜᴇᴀᴅ!

ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ɴ. ᴄᴀᴄᴇʀᴇs ғᴏʀ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴ ᴀᴅᴠᴀɴᴄᴇᴅ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴄᴏᴘʏ!

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒶𝓁𝓉 𝑅𝑜𝒶𝒹 ɪs ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʀɪᴢᴏɴ sᴇʀɪᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴏʙsɪᴅɪᴀɴ ғᴇᴀᴛʜᴇʀs ᴍᴜsᴛ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ғɪʀsᴛ. ғɪʀsᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ғᴏʀᴇᴍᴏsᴛ, ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴏɴᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴡ/ᴄᴡ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴊᴜᴍᴘɪɴɢ ɪɴ—ᴇᴠᴇɴ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴡʜᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀs sʜᴏᴘᴘɪɴɢ ʟɪsᴛs. ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇsᴛ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪʟʟ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ.

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒶𝓁𝓉 𝑅𝑜𝒶𝒹 ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡs ᴀɴɴᴇᴛᴛᴇ “ᴀɴɪᴛᴀ” ʏᴀʀʙʀᴏᴡ (ᴀɴɢɪᴇ's ᴛᴇʀʀɪʙʟᴇ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ) ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀғᴛᴇʀʟɪғᴇ ᴀs sʜᴇ ᴡᴀʟᴋs ᴛʜᴇ sᴀʟᴛ ʀᴏᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀ ғᴏʀ ʜᴇʀ ᴄʀɪᴍᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴛʀᴏᴄɪᴛɪᴇs ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀs ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ. ᴡʜɪʟᴇ sʜᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟs ᴛʜᴇ sᴀʟᴛ ʀᴏᴀᴅ sʜᴇ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀɢᴏᴇs ʙʀᴜᴛᴀʟ, ᴡᴇʟʟ-ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ᴛᴏʀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀs sᴏ ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ 𝒪𝒷𝓈𝒾𝒹𝒾𝒶𝓃 𝐹𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝓈.

“𝒱𝑒𝓃𝑔𝑒𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉, 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝓈𝓌𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝑜 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓂𝓈 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑒𝓍𝒾𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒶𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓅𝒶𝒾𝓃.”

ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ғʟᴀsʜʙᴀᴄᴋs ᴏғ ᴀɴɪᴛᴀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ, ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴀɴɢɪᴇ's ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅʏɴᴀᴍɪᴄ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ.

ᴀɴɪᴛᴀ's ɢᴜɪᴅᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀʟᴛ ʀᴏᴀᴅ: ʜᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇsᴛ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ's ᴄᴀᴅᴇᴊᴏ, ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏʀʀᴏᴡᴇʀ. ᴀ ᴄᴀᴅᴇᴊᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀs ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴏʙsᴇssᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ ғᴏʀ ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴄʀᴏss ᴀɴʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ʟɪɴᴇ ғᴏʀ ʜᴇʀ. 

“𝒟𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓃𝒾𝓉𝓎 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝓈𝓊𝒾𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝓆𝓊𝒶𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝒾𝓉.”

ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴛʏᴘɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪs ɢᴇɴʀᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴇᴇᴅ ᴏʙsɪᴅɪᴀɴ ғᴇᴀᴛʜᴇʀs, ɪ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪ ɢɪᴠᴇ 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒶𝓁𝓉 𝑅𝑜𝒶𝒹 ᴀ ᴛʀʏ. ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ɪ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏsᴛ, ɪ ᴅᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ɪssᴜᴇ. ᴄᴀᴄᴇʀᴇs ɪs ᴀ ʟʏʀɪᴄᴀʟ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪs ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴀ ᴘʟᴜs. ʜᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ʜᴇʀ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ. ɪ.ᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏʀ sᴏ ᴏғ 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒶𝓁𝓉 𝑅𝑜𝒶𝒹 ᴡᴀs ᴅɪғғɪᴄᴜʟᴛ ᴛᴏ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɴᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ sᴇɴsᴇ ᴏғ ᴡʜᴏ ᴀɴᴅ/ᴏʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏʀʀᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴡᴀs ʀᴇғᴇʀʀɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ. ɪ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴇʟᴀʙᴏʀᴀᴛᴇ ғᴜʀᴛʜᴇʀ sᴏ ᴀs ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ sᴘᴏɪʟ.

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒶𝓁𝓉 𝑅𝑜𝒶𝒹 ɪs ᴀ ᴡᴇʟʟ-ᴘᴀᴄᴇᴅ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴀᴅᴜʟᴛ ᴇʀᴏᴛɪᴄ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ ʟᴀᴅᴇɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢᴏʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏʙsᴇssɪᴏɴ. ᴀʟʟ ɪɴ ᴀʟʟ, 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒶𝓁𝓉 𝑅𝑜𝒶𝒹 ᴡᴀs ᴀ ᴡɪʟᴅ, ʜᴏʀʀɪғɪᴄ ʀɪᴅᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ʙɪᴛ ᴏғ ɪᴛ!

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

✨Cheating 

✨Drugging

✨Explicit content

✨Discussion of drug addiction and recovery

✨Tetratophilia

✨Graphic instances of bodily possession by an outside force in a sexual context

✨Graphic language

✨Intense depictions of child abuse by parent

✨Intense narcissism

✨Murder

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J. ELLE is the New York Ti. This Author is a swamp goblin who has been irresponsibly released into the wilds of California to run amok, unsupervised. To perceive her is to be cursed with the eldritch knowledge.

Do not perceive the swamp goblin.

Or do…yanno…whatever you want to do with your life. Who am I to tell you what to do? No one. That’s who. Click the shiny buttons at your own peril.

Happy Reading!