I think Murderous Mermaids is more interesting than the remake of the Little Mermaid coming out lol This was an ok read but I finished it up about a week ago and kind of forgot the entire thing.. nothing really brought it home for me.

A mermaid falls in love with a plague doctor and while traveling through the forest they stumble upon a boy being hunted by other children...

I will admit that I had no idea what I was getting into when I requested this ARC. I have not read Khaw's other work, so I can't compare this to anything, but this was like reading a dark, grotesque fairytale. If you are looking for a strange fever dream of a story, this novella will work for you.

This was not an "easy" read for me. The beginning of the story was disjointed and left me confused, but once I got a grasp on the story, it was somewhat enjoyable. The overall plot was good, but parts of the story get muddled in the writing style. While there were many beautiful descriptions, a lot of it becomes jumbled in some of the flowery word choice. I did enjoy the second half of the story much more than the first.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor / Nightfire Publishing for an advanced readers copy.

Gruesome and gory, The Salt Grows Heavy is all vibes and sinew. A mermaid, torn from her sisters and the sea by a prince who cut out her tongue, unleashes her hunger on the world. While her daughters eat the kingdom to bone, the mermaid begins to wander with a plague doctor through the deadly wilds, encountering horrors greater than even her appetite. In case you ever forget that mermaids have sharp teeth, Cassandra Khaw is here to remind you that they aren't all songs and red hair.

THE SALT GROWS HEAVY is an elegant, fractured fairy-tale of Monsters and the monstrousness they encounter. Their world is populated with horrors, cruelty, and viciousness, but the dark, beautiful, bloody heart of this novella pulses with companionship, respect, and love.

This is a fairytale retelling of “The Little Mermaid” that leans fully into its gruesome origins, with a feminist subversion that is reminiscent of Angela Carter’s collection “The Bloody Chamber.” There is no doubt that the protagonist and her companion (who is a nonbinary plague doctor using they/them pronouns) are monsters, each in their own right. The pages are filled with brutal gore, mostly enacted by our protagonists.

This story resonated with me in part because of its atmosphere and central themes which I could relate to a video essay I had recently watched about the monstrous feminine in Bloodborne. It is a very dark novel, not just because of the violence depicted (explicitly or implicitly) but because it tackles issues of trauma, bodily autonomy and the patriarchy. It is a wonderfully queer monster love story for anyone who’s ever been made to feel like an outsider.

The language Khaw uses reminds me of an Old English epic (like Seamus Heaney’s translation of “Beowulf” or even “Sir Gawain the Green Knight”). That is to say, it’s not for everyone but for those seeking a story written with intensely verbose language and a particularly descriptive voice – here is a gothic fairytale for fans of vicious mermaids, cultic sacrifice and the cathartic release of vengeance. Great for lovers of epic female revenge stories like “Lady Snowblood.” Can you tell I loved it a lot?

The only issue I had concerns my reading experience. Oftentimes I would come across words I was completely unfamiliar with where context wasn’t helpful for suggesting a meaning but rather implying that the word I didn’t understand was essential to the image that was being constructed. Therefore I would have to stop my reading and go look up words so that I could adequately visualise what was happening or being described before continuing. Either way it interrupted my flow and made it harder to understand at times. I had to start over about halfway through the text because I was having a hard time visualising what had happened so far. The second time through I had a much smoother experience, heavily utilising the “define” tool in my phone to quickly search up definitions. It didn’t impact my connection with the story but it was slightly frustrating. Still, I am excited to one day reread this on audio because I believe it will be a better experience for me.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Khaw's previous novella, but I decided to give this one a try. Overall, I liked this much more than the previous book. I think Khaw's elaborate prose suited the gruesome folklore vibes of this story in a way I didn't think it suited the more modern setting of the other book. I didn't quite understand the setting and the rule of magic as it is of this story, but I had a good enough time!

The Salt Grows Heavy is an intriguing horror story. The main characters, a mermaid and a plague doctor, are an interesting concept. The story is fast-paced and gory. Any horror fan will enjoy reading this one.

This is the first book I've read by the author and look forward to reading more by her.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth was one of my most disappointing reads last year, but when I saw the cover and read the synopsis for The Salt Grows Heavy I knew I had to give Khaw another chance. A cannibalistic mermaid and plague doctor navigating a post-apocalyptic kingdom? Sign me up.

My main issue is the pretentious and forced language. I normally love learning new words but having to Google the definition of something on every single page became laborious, as it was often empty and unnecessary. Though I struggled to get through it, I still wish the story was longer so it could be fleshed out more.

I did appreciate the dark atmosphere and body horror. There were a handful of times the descriptions made me viscerally uncomfortable and for that I give it 2 stars.

Rolling poetic prose gives this short story (?) an etheral nightmare-esque quality that is both vivid and horrifying. I was drawn in my the langorious language. It's cadence and decadence. The main character was interesting in her absolute lack of humanity (she's a mermaid) and her perspective facinated me.

I liked it academically but not emotionally. However, if you are looking for something truly creepy and out there and you also love endulging in lingustical ballet then I think this book is worth reading.

Amazing book, thrilling, dark, emotional, absolutely gorgeous. There is a gore heavy component, but the book is written in such a way it is beautiful and heart rending. Definitely a book you will sink your teeth into and devour, much like the main character.

Lovely and haunting. Disturbing and intriguing. An insightful story about loving and being loved despite one’s shortcomings and misgivings. The prose is beautiful and, while the content may be terrifying, the feelings it evokes are uplifting.

I expect a spooky time when I pick up a Cassandra Khaw novella. Did not expect to be heavily attached to a carnivorous mermaid and a plague doctor. Finished this in one sitting and instantly wanted to start it again. I can't call it a dark romance but the love is there.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I love a dark fairytale, and this book fed that craving for me. It taps into the darker elements of the original Little Mermaid tale and heightening them, with a cannibalistic twist. It’s dark and gory, but so incredibly well-rendered.

I really did not know what to expect and I was blown away! The writing is incredible and the imagery is gross and raw and bloody. A gen for anyone who loves body horror and (very) dark fairy tales

This is a gorgeously lyrical and gruesome love story interwoven with mythology and I could not love it more! I recommend going in with as little foreknowledge as possible and just savoring the experience.

**Received an eARC via NetGalley**

After reading NOTHING BUT BLACKENED TEETH, I knew I had to read this one as soon as I saw it. Firstly, this book has very beautiful and descriptive language. It can be a bit tough to go through if you aren't used to poetic descriptions, but it's well worth it. I so thoroughly enjoyed the way they stitched together multiple dark fairytales to make one beautifully grim tale. I liked slowly figuring out which stories the characters were drawn from, how they differ from what I've read before, and how they would connect here. It was also interesting consuming the story through the POV of the MC, who is very observant but seemingly dispassionate about everything, though she is always just a moment away from consuming everything herself. There is definitely some body horror and child death, so I recommend reading cautiously if you may be sensitive to those things. Otherwise, I never wanted the story to end.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw!!!

I really enjoyed this novella. I think I would also like a longer story about her life in the ocean and with her husband. The love story part was very sweet.

I absolutely adore mermaids, and when I saw the premise of this novella, I was super excited. The story itself is made up of dark fantasy and lots of gore, and I truly enjoyed it. I wish there would have been more backstory on the mermaid herself and maybe a bit more actual mermaid action, but other than that, it was a fantastic read.

The novella is filled to the brim with lots of poetic prose, which can seem a bit overdone at times. I noticed this in other people's reviews as well, but maybe that's just Khaws way of writing. Either way, I enjoyed this short book and would love to see more of this mermaid and her plague doctor

This was dark, gory, atmospheric. It is very short and a fast read, something to pick up more for the nightmare vibes than for the story.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

Don’t be deceived by the the size of this book! It’s but a tiny thing that packs a major punch. Filled with dark gothic folklore this book will keep you curious and engaged throughout. The point of view is so refreshing!