Book Review: The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

 GOODREADS SUMMARY:

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.

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.

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

First off let me say this book is out there...WAY OUT THERE, and I should have expected that when I saw Cassandra Khaw had written it. I have previously read her book Nothing But Blackened Teeth and it was a freaky journey. I will go ahead and say The Salt Grows Heavy is as freaky or even freakier.

To begin with, let me say this about Khaw, her imagination is over the top. Her writing and word usage are not only top-notch beautiful, but it is also downright lyrical.

The Salt Grows Heavy is first and foremost a love story between a mermaid maid and a plague doctor, and the love story is beautifully written, it just happens to take place surrounded by cannibalism and other dark and gory things. Think Little Mermaid meets Lord of The Flies. I would describe it as a beautiful nightmare.

This book will not be for everyone, it is violent and it is gross and it is intense, but as I have said, it is also beautiful, and it has all been mixed together into a perfect entertaining novella.

If you enjoy horror, fantasy, or dark fairy tale retellings grab this book when it comes out May 2nd