The Republic of Salt [Paperback]

In this riveting sequel to The Pomegranate Gate, Toba, Naftaly, and their allies must defend a city under siege—while the desperate deals they’ve made begin to unravel around them.

After a near-disastrous confrontation with La Caceria, Toba and Asmel are trapped on the human side of the gate, pursued by the Courser and a possessed Inquisitor. In the Mazik world, Naftaly’s visions are getting worse, predicting the prosperous gate city of Zayit in flames and overrun by La Caceria. Zayit is notorious for its trade in salt, a substance toxic to the near-immortal Maziks; if the Cacador can control the salt, he will be nearly unstoppable. But the stolen killstone, the key to the Cacador’s destruction, could eliminate the threat—if only Barsilay could find and use it.

Deadly allies and even more dangerous bargains might be the only path to resist La Caceria’s ruthless conquest of both the mortal world and the Maziks’, but the cost is steep and the threat is near. A twisty, clever entry in The Mirror Realm Cycle, The Republic of Salt asks what personal morals weigh in the face of widespread danger and how best to care for one another.Praise for The Republic of Salt:

The plotting of this Jewish-inflected trilogy’s middle volume is complex and almost defies summary. . . . the chase is thrilling, the worldbuilding is unique, and characters are an intriguingly gray-shaded bunch who must constantly weigh principle against expedience. The midpoint of a journey worth pursuing to the end. —Kirkus Reviews

Written with an eye for the mythic, a set of characters who have the virtues of their flaws, and a deft hand with a turn of phrase, The Republic of Salt is a worthy successor to The PlC7