The Salt Grows Heavy
Books | Fiction / Horror
3.9
Cassandra Khaw
“Khaw’s poetic prose and stylish approach to gore make it a blood-soaked, unforgettable gem.” —The New York TimesFrom Cassandra Khaw, USA Today bestselling author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth, comes The Salt Grows Heavy, a razor-sharp and bewitching fairy tale of discovering the darkness in the world, and the darkness within oneself.A Best Horror Book of 2023 (The New York Times, Library Journal) • A Best Book of 2023 (NPR) • A Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Award Finalist! • An Indie Next PickYou may think you know how the fairy tale goes: a mermaid comes to shore and weds the prince. But what the fables forget is that mermaids have teeth. And now, her daughters have devoured the kingdom and burned it to ashes.On the run, the mermaid is joined by a mysterious plague doctor with a darkness of their own. Deep in the eerie, snow-crusted forest, the pair stumble upon a village of ageless children who thirst for blood, and the three “saints” who control them.The mermaid and her doctor must embrace the cruelest parts of their true nature if they hope to survive.Includes the bonus short story, "And In Our Daughters, We Find a Voice", set in the same universe.Also by Cassandra Khaw:The Library at HelleboreNothing But Blackened TeethA Song for QuietHammers on BoneThe Dead Take the A Train (co-written with Richard Kadrey)At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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More Details:
Author
Cassandra Khaw
Pages
112
Publisher
Tor Publishing Group
Published Date
2023-05-02
ISBN
1250830923 9781250830920
Community ReviewsSee all
"This book is the work of a visionary. I would have to categorize this as fantasy horror, a genre that probably exists but I am not aware of yet. I don’t remember the last time I have ever looked up so many words while reading, and they don’t seem overused or placed to show off, as when I look them up they are completely perfect. Absolutely blown away."
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CaitVD
"This novella could be considered 4.5 stars, it was a banger. Most people who have read "Nothing But Blackened Teeth" said it was not as good as this one, and I can see that. I still enjoyed "Nothing But Blackened Teeth," more so than the average reviewer, but I can concede that I might have been slightly disappointed if I read this first and then "Nothing But Blackened Teeth."
So what made this novella so good? I think there are a couple of reasons that Khaw stands out as an author and really has a voice of her own. I think that she has an incredible vocabulary, I found myself googling words every couple of paragraphs at times, and I liked that aspect. I like learning new words and there was an abundance of them in this story. Next, almost coupled with the last point, is the imagery that Khaw is able to give you because of how diverse her word choice is. Imagery is a huge part of the reading experience for me, as I assume it is with most readers, and Khaw gives you some very vibrant, disturbing, and above all unique imaging. Lastly, I really like the plot, I love the unconventional romance aspect of this book. The ending is sweet in a novella that you don't expect to be in the least bit.
I like what Khaw is doing to the horror genre."
Cole Johnson
"beautifully composed - a lovely, gruesome short story"
aub
"Gruesome, gory, and magical. Quick and spooky tale. "
Elise Meyers
"short, grotesque, beautiful. magical and relatable while exploring character’s pain (and love) using body horror as the vessel. 10/10"
k c
kristin corley
"If the carcass of beef by soutaine was a queer fantasy novella with a mermaid who deserved a better world than that which her children consumed & a haunted plague doctor who's past sheers through life itself for a moment of their peace."
m s
"Actual rating: 3.5 ⭐.
The Salt Grows Heavy has been on my to-be-read list for quite a while now. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.
My experience with this book was that it felt like I was having a lucid dream; like walking around in a fog- seeing and sensing what was going on and yet not fully understanding and not being able to interact or explore or change the outcome of anything. All the edges were a bit hazy.
When I was done reading, it felt like waking up and only vaguely remember and still not knowing what it meant, but still being curious enough to ruminate on it. It was almost hypnotizing and it was beautiful in a dark and unhappy comfort sort of way.
I wouldn't say that it's a favorite or that I loved it, but at the same time I very much liked it. And it left a mark. I think I would read this one again."
R
Rachel
"Perfectly macabre. How far would you go for love?"
Jenny
"I’ll need to re read but my first thoughts are that the story could have been so good but it feels the author focused more on grammar and using larger words than focusing on the story line. I got really lost and found some parts confusing (that’s why I’ll re read) but it also took me almost a week to read 99 pages (didn’t read the acknowledgments ) and that’s insanely slow for me"
D
De
"Loved everything, wish it would have explained a little more though"
E W
Emma Weibel
