Home › Fiction › The Salt Grows Heavy

The Salt Grows Heavy

by Cassandra Khaw

A dark fairy tale of teeth, blood, and survival

Critically Recognized
Regular price $19.98 USD
Regular price $33.31 USD Sale price $19.98 USD
Save 40%

Hardcover New

Format

Print BookCurrently viewing Hardcover $19.98 USD$33.31 USD
Print BookAvailable Paperback $16.89 USD$28.15 USD
Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    Bram Stoker Award finalist

    Award finalist.

  • Editorial selection

    Library Journal Best Horror Book of 2023

    Named a Best Horror Book of 2023.

  • Author recognition

    USA Today bestselling author

    Identified as a USA Today bestselling author; the description associates this wording with Nothing But Blackened...

AlbakiReads Editorial

A dark fairy tale of teeth, blood, and survival

The familiar mermaid-and-prince fable gives way here to a world shaped by its aftermath: the mermaid’s daughters have destroyed the kingdom, and she flees with a plague doctor whose own nature is shadowed. Their journey leads into a snowbound forest and a village of ageless children under the control of three self-styled saints. The setup brings fairy-tale figures together with monstrous transformations and horror elements, while survival depends on facing what each character is capable of. The hardcover edition also includes “And In Our Daughters, We Find a Voice,” a bonus story set in the same universe.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • For adults interested in horror featuring monsters and creatures.
  • For readers drawn to dark reworkings of mermaid and fairy-tale lore.
  • For those who enjoy linked stories, including a bonus tale in the same universe.

Themes

Fairy-tale transformationMonstrosity and human natureSurvivalPower and control

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"Khaw's poetic prose and stylish approach to gore make it a blood-soaked, unforgettable gem." --The New York Times

From 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 Pick

You 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:
Find Me Where It Ends
The Library at Hellebore
Nothing But Blackened Teeth
A Song for Quiet
Hammers on Bone
The Dead Take the A Train (co-written with Richard Kadrey)

Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews

M
AlbakiReads
Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

T
AlbakiReads
Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

O
AlbakiReads
Olivia

Smooth.