Listen free for 30 days

  • The Salt Grows Heavy

  • Written by: Cassandra Khaw
  • Narrated by: Susan Dalian
  • Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins
  • 2.5 out of 5 stars (2 ratings)

1 credit a month, good for any title to download and keep.
The Plus Catalogue—listen all you want to thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts, and audiobooks.
$14.95 a month plus applicable taxes after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Salt Grows Heavy cover art

The Salt Grows Heavy

Written by: Cassandra Khaw
Narrated by: Susan Dalian
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $13.02

Buy Now for $13.02

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

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

What the critics say

“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

What listeners say about The Salt Grows Heavy

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 2.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 2 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 2.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

In the style of a parable

Maybe this book just wasn't for me. I get it's supposed to be a parable, and I think the characters really brought that aspect of the dark fairy tale to life, but I can't enjoy characters that only exist to nudge the plot along without motivation or direction. Their interactions with each other weren't all that interesting. I can't believe the mermaid would fall so hard so suddenly for the plague doctor.
What exactly the purpose of the story was is also lost on me. There are nods towards this idea of taking/giving, but because I didn't understand the characters motivations, what Khaw might have wanted to say on those themes doesn't resonate. I didn't appreciate the plague doctor explicitly stating this theme at Luke's resurrection, either. In terms of plot, things just seem to happen. The mermaid's tongue grows back. She just decides she loves the plague doctor. She decides to challenge the surgeons. I don't believe the plague doctor's beezor survived the inforno for a second.
A lot of where The Sale Grows Heavy wins points with me is in its language use. It's not perfect, but it beautifully paints this dark fairy tale world. It's clear and complex without being obscure, while also being surprisingly poetic. While I didn't fall in love with the characters, their voices were distinct, and that's always nice. There are a couple of instances where the prose rely on adjectives and adverbs to detrimental effect. The tone was also weirdly neutral and objective, which is strange for a first person narrator. While the writing is mostly excellent, there's a lot of places where you can find excellent writing these days. I thought the setting was neat, but the story, the main thing I'm reading for, didn't satisfy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Amazon Customer
  • Amazon Customer
  • 2023-11-06

Visceral, captivating, touching.

The perfect wrap-up to my Halloween listens. This sucked me in, filled my head with both horrific and heartbreaking imagery and left me red-eyed and satisfied.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 2023-10-20

Feels a bit unfinished

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for redmond
  • redmond
  • 2023-10-06

Good solid dark fairytale

Very original story with solid development. Interesting characters. Dark and melancholy. A lovely listen for a rainy fall day.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Birdie KayDee
  • Birdie KayDee
  • 2023-09-21

a dark, erudite fairytalr

I savored this short book, enjoying the language and story more than I had hoped. I will definately return to listen again and again

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Heather
  • Heather
  • 2023-08-20

Twas Good

It was a nice fun fast read. Will definitely re-listen to the audio book multiple times.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anna Cano
  • Anna Cano
  • 2023-07-16

An Eloquent Dark Fairy Tale

It’s an eloquently written dark fairy tale about a mermaid and her companion plague doctor. Susan Dalian’s voice has a sense regalness that just elevates the story even more. However, because it’s a novella, there is some information that gets kind of skimmed over and I wish Khaw would’ve expanded on it more to get a better understanding. Overall: enjoyed it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Dane Higbee
  • Dane Higbee
  • 2023-06-27

Not what TikTok told me but still good

I have seen this book included in horror reviews and lists. It does have horror elements and I would list it in that sub category, I would more list it as a fantasy. It is a good story and I liked it, but the horror elements weren't what I was expecting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Glitterfist
  • Glitterfist
  • 2023-06-07

Mermaids, but way more interesting.

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Gabriella Oliveira
  • Gabriella Oliveira
  • 2023-05-30

Fabulous short story about s dystopian mermaid and her love

I though this book was super well written in a dreamy yet spooky but sophisticated way. I was intrigued and I started to feel for the characters by the end.
I highly recommend if you want a short read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Bill
  • Bill
  • 2023-05-15

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!