Overview

In The Salt Grows Heavy, Cassandra Khaw takes the familiar mermaid story and strips it of softness. This is a violent fairy tale where a once-princess mermaid walks the land after devastating loss, accompanied by a plague doctor with secrets of their own. Together they move through a frozen forest and into a village of strange, ageless children, where myth, cruelty and revenge collide.

Writing & Voice

We found Khaw’s writing intense and richly detailed, with language that lingers on flesh, salt and suffering. The prose is heavy and deliberate, leaning into horror rather than easing the reader through it. The fairy tale tone remains, but it is sharpened and bloodied, turning something once gentle into something feral and unsettling.

Characters

The mermaid at the centre of the story is powerful, frightening and deeply wounded, shaped by betrayal and grief. The plague doctor serves as both companion and mirror, their presence unsettling but necessary. Around them, children and monsters blur into one another, forcing us to question who the real threat is and who has already been destroyed.

Themes

This novella explores betrayal, ownership and the violence hidden inside familiar stories. We see how myths are shaped by those in power and how rewriting them can be an act of survival. The sea, the body and memory all become sites of transformation, where pain is never erased but carried forward.

What Worked

• Bold reimagining: the mermaid myth is turned into something raw and uncompromising.
• Atmosphere: the setting feels cold, cruel and inescapable.
• Impact: despite its length, the story leaves a lasting impression.

Minor Quibbles

• The dense style may feel overwhelming for some readers.
• Its short length means certain ideas are suggested rather than fully explored.

Final Thoughts

We found The Salt Grows Heavy brutal, beautiful and deeply unsettling. It is not a comforting fairy tale, but a sharp and purposeful one that challenges how stories are told and who they are allowed to belong to.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.1 / 5)