Review - Salted Wounds by Alexander Verlangen
Salted Wounds
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Tags: Ancient Greece Myth
Posted in Book Reviews on 29 July, 2026
Flavian is an immortal, favored by Poseidon. He is seen as frivolous and unserious, more interested in sexual conquests than the politics of the courts of the gods. A trip to Japan starts to change things. Flavian meets Takashi, an immortal in the court of one of the Japanese gods. The relationship grows serious, but Takeshi claims he can’t be in a relationship with Flavian, although he doesn’t explain why. However, Flavian has a bigger problem. A mortal going by the name Nicklaus seeks to challenge the existing gods. He wants to bring them down and replace them with his followers, all the discarded mortal children of the gods.
“Salted Wounds” is a fantasy based in the world of ancient Greece and its mythology, told in a decidedly modern way. The gods most of us know, such as Zeus, Hera and Poseidon, are all present. They, and those they’ve gifted with immortality, such as Flavian, are the main players in this story. These characters interact with each other in a very contemporary way that feels very anachronistic in places. The modern language certainly makes the story very readable, but it doesn’t quite feel right.
The story is told entirely from Flavian’s point of view. Although it’s implied that he has already lived for a few centuries, Flavian comes across at first as rather immature. A significant aspect of this story is Flavian’s coming of age as he realizes his own self worth. In a twist that has become something of a cliché, Flavian manages to turn the perception of him into an advantage.
We only get to know Takeshi through Flavian’s eyes. Most people probably aren’t familiar with Japanese folklore and mythology, and this story doesn’t provide much detail. Takeshi seems to be the counterpoint to Flavian. The Greek’s flamboyance is balanced out by Takeshi’s more stoic personality.
“Salted Wounds” is available from Smashwords or see Bookshop.org to purchase from an independent bookseller.