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A review by irene_addler
The Route of Ice and Salt by José Luis Zárate
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I'm not entirely sure what to say about this book other than: I loved it.
You don't need to have read Dracula by Bram Stoker to enjoy this. I read this first then Dracula and I would recommend that to be frank.
It's described as a queer Gothic retelling of Dracula's voyage to England. I don't think that description does it justice, but it's the one they gave it. While Dracula is absolutely a part of this story, and it is about the ship headed to England, the story is about much more.
It takes the subtle comparisons of homosexuality and vampires from the 1800's and makes it obvious, doubling down on the angle of persecution. I don't think the word "vampire" is used a single time, in fact, but the word "monster" is, which rings true to harmful things all of us have heard about the LGBTQ+ community, and many have experienced.
It's quite adult and can be very explicit, but after finishing it, I believe that was because it's a monster story. Monster stories are filled with gore and graphic content that we view as despicable, but in this case, it was a man being with other men and his experiences that were graphic. It's about how people view relationships like that as monstrous. There are certainly gross moments which felt almost like Lovecraftian monsters interspersed with sexual content, so don't expect something sexy.
I cried at the end and I'm honestly choked up writing this. It was graphic and blunt and quick to read. The language may not be for everyone, it's fairly fanciful, but it's right up my alley. I definitely recommend it.
You don't need to have read Dracula by Bram Stoker to enjoy this. I read this first then Dracula and I would recommend that to be frank.
It's described as a queer Gothic retelling of Dracula's voyage to England. I don't think that description does it justice, but it's the one they gave it. While Dracula is absolutely a part of this story, and it is about the ship headed to England, the story is about much more.
It takes the subtle comparisons of homosexuality and vampires from the 1800's and makes it obvious, doubling down on the angle of persecution. I don't think the word "vampire" is used a single time, in fact, but the word "monster" is, which rings true to harmful things all of us have heard about the LGBTQ+ community, and many have experienced.
It's quite adult and can be very explicit, but after finishing it, I believe that was because it's a monster story. Monster stories are filled with gore and graphic content that we view as despicable, but in this case, it was a man being with other men and his experiences that were graphic. It's about how people view relationships like that as monstrous. There are certainly gross moments which felt almost like Lovecraftian monsters interspersed with sexual content, so don't expect something sexy.
I cried at the end and I'm honestly choked up writing this. It was graphic and blunt and quick to read. The language may not be for everyone, it's fairly fanciful, but it's right up my alley. I definitely recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death and Blood
Minor: Rape