The Salt Grows Heavy

By: Cassandra Khaw

Narrated by: Susan Dalian

Long-listed, Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 2023

Long-listed, Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, 2023

From USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw comes The Salt Grows Heavy, a razor-sharp and bewitching fairytale of discovering the darkness in the world, and the darkness within oneself.

“Narrator Susan Dalian viscerally conveys the gruesome body horror while deftly capturing the lush imagery.”—Library Journal

“This brilliant novella is not to be missed.”—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

You may think you know how the fairytale 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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Nightfire.

©2023 Cassandra Khaw (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Devastatingly effective…a folklore-infused world that feels wholly unique. Expertly blending a gothic atmosphere with elements of splatterpunk, this brilliant novella is not to be missed.”—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

“A feverishly gory, grotesquely beautiful and baroque fairy-tale-meets-love-sonnet. Cassandra Khaw’s imagination is limitless.”—Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts

“Cassandra Khaw’s writing is never more lyrical than when they’re describing the knife in your heart. The bones of a fairy tale sunk deep in a charnel house of descriptive prose, an elegant confection with a blood-soaked core. I devoured it in one sitting.”—T. Kingfisher, multi-award winning author of What Moves the Dead and Nettle & Bone

great story!

love the mermaid and her plauge doctor. A little mermaid retelling with a gorey slant and cannibalistic children

Feels a bit unfinished

Wish there was more to this interesting premise. Ending feels rushed but I truly loved these characters. I am torn.

A very good lyrical fairytale with heart

Fairytale type stories aren’t really my thing usually, but Cassandra Khaw is good. Real good. So, I gave it a go and am glad I did because I really enjoy her work. She has a poetic prose about her. Elegant with the lurking possibility of the grotesque.

The Salt Grows Heavy is a very good lyrical fairytale with a lot of heart. And the appropriate amount of viscera and violence. Very nicely done.

Mermaids, but way more interesting.

I loved this book, I loved the main characters and the way they were written.

Glorious gory retelling of a classic

The interweaving of fairy tale, folklore, and horror was intricate and fascinating. I would compare this very favorably to Mira Grant’s Rolling in the Deep series, both are well written with excellent plot and setting and of course best of all murder mermaids.
If you are a fan of horror and enjoy folklore and fairy tales you can’t go wrong with this brilliant interpretation of The Little Mermaid.