ABOUT THE AUTHOR: J. L. Odom hails from Oklahoma. After a five year stint in the Marine Corps as an Arabic linguist, she graduated from George Washington University with a degree in International Affairs with an emphasis on Conflict and Security. She lives with her husband and five children wherever it is that the U.S. Army happens to send them. Her hobbies include running, jiu jitsu, and cooking to feed a crowd.
She can be found on Instagram @jlodom.author.
Find J.L. online: website
Published: May 14, 2024 by Azimuth Length: 374 pages (Kindle) Formats: audiobook, ebook, paperback Literary awards: SPFBO Award for Best Fantasy Book (2024) Series Land of Exile #1
LUKASZ
By Blood, By Salt swaps out epic spell-slinging for sharp character drama and cultural nuance. J.L. Odom takes readers to the desert sands of Maurow, where survival often comes down to how well you navigate politics, prejudices, and your commanding officer’s death glares.
By Blood, By Salt’s protagonist, Azetla, is the ultimate underdog - a debt soldier clinging to his place in a battalion that barely tolerates him. His knack for staying alive and keeping his battalion in one piece is impressive. He’s no chosen hero—just a man who has survived 13 years of bigotry, bad odds, and life-or-death missions. His arc is gritty, and personal; It’s easy to root for him even when he’s making deals with beings he really shouldn’t trust.
Then there’s James Sivolne, the emperor’s bookish, tea-loving brother dragged into rebellion by his friend Wesley, and a mysterious figure you’ll have to discover for yourself. Their dynamic brings a touch of levity and humanity. There are more players here, but don’t expect to fall in love with every character—beyond Azetla, some personalities fade into the background, and you’ll need time to orient yourself in the sea of names.
The book starts slowly. Odom takes her time building the world—the desert setting, inspired by Middle Eastern cultures, is immersive and beautifully rendered. Language, religion, and social hierarchies are detailed, and it requires time, but also gives the story nuance. While the first quarter may feel like a slog, it’s worth(ish) sticking around. Once the battalion hits the desert, the story shifts into higher gear with tense missions, brutal hardships, and strong political intrigue. With that said, even once the action picks up, some sections still feel bogged down, and the slower moments risk losing your attention.
Ultimately, By Blood, By Salt is a good read if you’re willing to wade through its denser parts. It’s not perfect, but its blend of grit, cultural nuance, and character-driven drama is clearly well-thought-out. Just be patient.
MIHIR
By Blood, By Salt is J. L. Odom’s debut book and the most recent winner of the SPFBO competition. It’s a book that has its fans and people who didn’t jive with it as much.
Azetla is a soldier of the Maurowan Army for the past thirteen years; however he’s not really considered a part of them. He along with his battalion is ordered into the desert to capture being called as a Sahr devil. Azetla however soon finds out that life out in the desert sands is way more complex than what he has gleaned so far.
The author paints a middle eastern world which is exciting, strange and an enticing one right off the bat. Similar to Azetla we as the reader don’t know quite what the world scenario is and then the author slowly unveils the world. This is a world that is rich in culture, dense in its socio-political-religious angles and makes you want to know all about it. JL Odom has wonderfully crafted these settings using her life experiences and it shows in its sincere approach.
Characterization is another plus point and herein the author comes up with some intriguing characters and while Azetla is our primary POV character, we do get POVs from others too. This is where the author really showcases some messy situations wherein she explores racism, xenophobia, socio-geographical issues, & religious angles. This was a very intense story and it shows how hard the author has worked on its creation.
However JL Odom’s debut was something of an anomaly for me. It was a very well-written story with which showcased how talented the author is but the story just didn’t click at all. I feel really bad about this as on paper a military fantasy with a Middle-eastern Asian settings is right within my wheelbarrow. The main drawback for me was the lack of plot pace and the way the overall story didn’t really evolve. I know this sounds harsh and I would like to paraphrase that this is just my opinion. I can honestly say how good a writer she is, but this story just didn’t click in my brain.
I hope the author explores different milieus and other stories because I honestly want to read more of her works. I think of her as in the same vein as RJ Barker, similar to him, she’s incredibly talented and writes terrific stories. However I don’t always connect with all of RJ’s works (most famously his Tide Child trilogy) and again I’m the outlier with that one too. I’m hoping that maybe with a sequel series or a new one, JL Odom might be able to work her magic & I’ll get to enjoy the story entirely.
By Blood, By Salt is an intriguing debut that offers rich worldbuilding, distinct characters and a story that will either hook you entirely or you might have to work hard to be enthralled by it. This isn’t a criticism but a facet of this talented author’s debut that people will either be enthralled entirely or you might admire it for its uniqueness. Either which way, JL Odom is a spectacular talent that showcases how brilliant indie fantasy can be and why SPFBO is such a boon for indie fantasy readers.
ROB
I was invited to participate in the SPFBO (Self Published Fantasy Blog Off) Champions League review by Mihir over at Fantasy Book Critic. As part of this invitation, I was given the opportunity to select one of the 10 SPFBO winners from first 10 years of the contest and bring a new set of eyes to review one of these books. I’d read a couple of the books in this group of 10 books previously. JL Odom’s By Blood, By Salt stood out to me after I did a quick scan of reviews of the book and I saw people draw comparisons to Robin Hobb, one of my favorite writers.
J.L. Odom’s debut novel By Blood, By Salt is Military Fantasy novel, the first of the Land of Exile series. The story focuses on a military unit on a mission, led by Azetla who is an outsider, a “jackal.” While Azetla has been in the military for over a dozen years as a debt soldier, he is an outcast because of his outsider nature. This mission: catch a Sahr devil, a brutal desert inhabitant. Seems a straight-forward enough assignment, but of course it is not because this Sahr Devil is a skilled warrior and far more than anybody expected them to be. Fairly light on the “Fantasy” in terms of magic and supernatural, but stronger on the military as it focuses on a military unit in a secondary world with some
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