The Salt Grows Heavy

by Cassandra Khaw
The Salt Grows Heavy cover
Good Books rating 3.67
Horror
Technical:
  • ID: 993
  • Added: 2025-09-24
  • Updated: 2025-09-24
  • ISBN: 9781803363431
  • Publisher: Titan Books
  • Published: 2023-05-12
  • Formats: 42
  • Reviews: 3
Buy online
Waterstones
Paperback • £8.99
Bookshop
Format • £8.54–£9.49

The Salt Grows Heavy is a sensuous and strange horror novella that reimagines mermaid myths into a tale of creeping dread and delicious gore. After the murder of her husband and the fall of his empire, a mermaid and her plague doctor companion flee into the wilderness, only to discover a village where children hunt each other for sport, sacrificing one to three surgeons known as 'the saints.' These saints use their magic to harvest the best parts of the children for themselves, piecing the sacrifices back together again. To save the children, the plague doctor must confront their past, and the mermaid must embrace the darkest parts of her true nature. This novella is a twisted and haunting exploration of power, sacrifice, and the monstrous within us all. It is a tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, blending elements of horror and dark fantasy into a compelling narrative that is both unsettling and captivating.

Reviews
Just One More Pa(i)ge · Paige · 2024-07-17
Disturbing 3.00

The writing is phenomenal, but the story is so horrible it's hard to relax. It's impossible to look away.

Paige appreciates the phenomenal writing in The Salt Grows Heavy but finds the story itself so horrible that it's hard to relax. Despite this, they can't look away, indicating the book's compelling nature. The reviewer acknowledges that the story might not be for everyone due to its intense and disturbing content. However, the writing quality keeps them engaged throughout.

Quick quotes

    Under that phenomenal writing, the story itself is so horrible you can't relax. But you also cannot look away.

    The story might not be for everyone due to its intense and disturbing content.

    The writing quality keeps them engaged throughout.

What is Quinn Reading · Quinn · 2023-12-19
Bleak 3.50

The novel is bizarre, beautiful, and bleak. It's a unique and unsettling experience.

Quinn describes The Salt Grows Heavy as a bizarre and beautiful novel that is very bleak. They note that the writing is exceptional, but the content is deeply unsettling. The reviewer appreciates the unique blend of horror and dark fantasy, which makes it a memorable read. However, the bleakness might not be for everyone, so it's a book that will either captivate or repel readers based on their preferences for dark themes.

Quick quotes

    The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw is a bizarre, beautiful, and very, very bleak novel(la) that ...

    The writing is exceptional, but the content is deeply unsettling.

    It's a unique and unsettling experience.

Grimdark Magazine · 2023-02-24
Mesmerizing 4.50

The story is mesmerizing and one of the finest works of horror and dark fantasy. It's gruesome and gripping.

The reviewer from Grimdark Magazine finds The Salt Grows Heavy to be a mesmerizing story and one of the finest works of horror and dark fantasy they have ever read. They highlight the gruesome and visceral elements that make the book so gripping. The language and imagery are particularly praised, making it a standout in the genre. The reviewer is thoroughly impressed by the author's ability to create such a compelling and dark narrative.

Quick quotes

    The Salt Grows Heavy is a truly mesmerizing story and one of the finest works of horror and dark fantasy I have ever read, dripping with a gruesome and ...

    The language and imagery are particularly praised, making it a standout in the genre.

    The author's ability to create such a compelling and dark narrative is impressive.

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