Salvia

In J.B. Salix’s Salvia, two men with extraordinary powers vie for the heart of a young woman with secrets of her own.

After a largely nomadic life spent protecting their identities, Salvia and her mother settle in a quiet neighbourhood in Brockville, Ontario. Their new home offers a measure of stability, but Salvia’s friendship with Dante, the boy across the road, challenges her mother’s fiercely protective rules. Despite those warnings, their bond deepens into romance over the years, and as they plan for university and a future together, his emerging powers become increasingly difficult to control. Their hopes are further complicated by the wealthy de Montebello family, whose son, Lowick, possesses extraordinary abilities of his own—and an unsettling interest in Salvia.

Salvia blends supernatural intrigue with an intimate exploration of love, family, and power. One of its strongest qualities is the time Salix spends developing the relationship between its young leads. Childhood games give way to shared confidences, scientific

curiosity, and the uncertainties of growing up. Salvia’s efforts to understand Dante’s abilities lend their connection a spirit of discovery, while their experiences of family and loss deepen their need for companionship. Salix makes the extraordinary feel personal, grounding supernatural power in first love and the fierce determination to protect it.

That closeness also introduces tensions around protection and control. Dante’s devotion is complicated by anger, possessiveness, and fear of what he might become, while Lowick’s pursuit places Salvia’s wishes under pressure. Lowick’s moments of attentiveness complicate his ruthlessness, making him an intriguing antagonist. The shifting viewpoints reveal motives and vulnerabilities that Salvia cannot always see, sharpening the question of whom she can trust. Desire, danger, and the fight for self-determination give Salvia its romantic bite.

Salix extends this tension beyond the romantic rivalry through a threatening prologue, offering a glimpse of the danger surrounding Salvia before rewinding to her childhood. This knowledge lends unease to otherwise tender scenes and gives her mother’s warnings added significance: readers sense a threat that Salvia cannot yet understand. Gradual revelations sustain curiosity, although repeated descriptions of physical attraction, jealousy, and possessiveness occasionally slow the momentum. Some exchanges reiterate established feelings without deepening the relationship, making its emotional progression feel less pronounced. Although the novel explains aspects of the characters’ extraordinary abilities, the history connecting these powers to the central families could benefit from fuller development, giving readers a firmer understanding of the wider conflict. Nevertheless, the accessible prose and vivid portrayal of affection, bereavement, and separation keep the emotional stakes clear.

With a strong opening and a cliffhanger that invites readers onward, Salvia lays an enticing foundation for its sequel. Its developing love triangle will appeal to readers drawn to supernatural romance, while the family secrets sustain a sense of threat. Salix brings magic to the modern world and a dangerous edge to the promise of first love.

—CANREADS BOOK REVIEW