The Salt Grows Heavy
Ratings66
Average rating3.6
15
Ratings66
Average rating3.6
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.
Reviews with the most likes.
Honestly I'm completely surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Hear me out. I didn't like Nothing But Blackened Teeth AT ALL! The writing was too flowery and heavy with purple prose. The characters were flat and nothing really happened, especially nothing horror related.
But The Salt Grows Heavy is nothing like Nothing but Blackened Teeth. The plot is unique. It screams gothic horror. I absolutely adored the theme of “the Hunt” incorporating characters like a Plague Doctor and a mermaid who eats humans. Characters were interesting and different.
She absolutely crushed it with the body horror. All I can say without spoilers is if you have a weak stomach, good luck.
Khaw's writing is beautiful in this novella. It was way less “purple” and it showcases how strong of a writer she really is. I'm happy I took another chance on her writing.
Khaw spun a love story amongst all the gore and body horror that really brought the story together showing that true love really can withstand anything.
A dreamy medical nightmare, at turns gruesome and romantic. Beautiful.
Alternatively visceral, poignantly sweet and visually striking it left me wanting more but I can see why some readers might struggle with this one. It was a little hard to follow at times, but the writing style was so beautiful that it was still a very pleasant reading experience. I LOVE a very stylized prose that forces you to slow down to really appreciate it and I think that's what Khaw delivers here.
I learned of this book before it was out and waited for it with excitement. I always love novels with fewer pages and this was no exception. From the very start, I was sucked into the story and loved the characters. The relationship between the plague doctor and the narrator was so soft and intimate especially contrasted with the story around them. Their enormous care for each other was my favourite part.
The writing was somewhat hard to understand in the beginning and I had the urge to look up a great many words but after a while it became easier and I wasn't bothered by it nonetheless. The prose was amazing and I could have saved about a million quotes from this book with how beautiful everything was described. I hope Khaw has more novels like this because I will consume them with fervor.
