Tales of Salt and Blood is the first book in the Tales duology and the first book published by Inken Bergeman. This debut caught my eye before it was ever out, partly because of the stunning cover but mostly because of the premise of a siren shark fmc kept in an aquarium tank for years.

The first half of this book I absolutely loved; the way the mystery of both the mmc his identity and the fmc her origin, and what exactly happened in the prologue was concealed and facts were drip-fed to us was so well done. Even though it was dual pov, finding out what the mmc wanted from her was its own mystery even.

After the 56% mark I, however, started to notice some significant inconsistencies in the characters. They promised certain things, and the mmc was written as this very intense, protective, kinda asshole, powerful male; the way things unraveled and the plot that unfurled broke this down again. There was no follow through on promises, too little on page emotional connection between the two mc after the 68% point (and with how the plot unraveled we needed that). The ending left me a little baffled because again actions didn't add up.

Then why still the 5-star enjoyment you ask? Well, I absolutely loved the dynamic between the two MC. Adored the incredibly strong but vulnerable duality in the fmc and how well that was written to these things not being mutually exclusive. The way the mmc saw her and acknowledged both these things. Just as that she was both muscled and delicate, both scarred and beautiful. The author did an incredible job exploring these themes. It gave her character a lot of complexity, and to add on top of that there was the exploration of when can someone truly consent and a bdsm like dynamic that I enjoyed as well.

The way the story starts in an aquarium tank, and the emotional journey of our fmc and the rage and vengeance we explored wete very satisfying. The mystery of the prologue and the questions that drove this book kept me glued to the pages (and I still have more questions!)

So in the end, I still think this is a strong debut, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.