A mermaid with no voice meets a Plague Doctor whose face is hidden from her when the kingdom of her human husband has literally been devoured by her gA mermaid with no voice meets a Plague Doctor whose face is hidden from her when the kingdom of her human husband has literally been devoured by her gluttonous children. They journey to a land where feral children are under the sway of a sinister force of self-proclaimed saints with a voracious appetite for their bodies and lifeforces.
The Salt Grows Heavy is a lyrical fable with beautiful and disturbing imagery. Khaw is a wordsmith whose master artistry crafts tableaus that are both luscious and deeply unsettling. Body horror is intrinsic to the narrative and is not for the faint of heart. The narrative will evoke a myriad of emotions in the reader, yet it will not be easily understood or defined. The Salt Grows Heavy is for adventurous readers with a taste for dark fairy tale retellings.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine.
ARC provided for review by Tor Nightfire through Netgalley....more
Another book I was really excited about reading. I mean....killer mermaids! I have been fascinated, in love with, obsessed with mermaids since I was sAnother book I was really excited about reading. I mean....killer mermaids! I have been fascinated, in love with, obsessed with mermaids since I was single digit aged. I read The Little Mermaid countless times. I've drawn many, many, many mermaids. I do think of mermaids as beautiful, but there is also an alienness to them. And it's not such a big stretch to think of them as predators for me. Clearly, this book was waiting for me to read it.
Yeah, so it was a very good book. Mira Grant takes her time telling the story and introducing characters. It makes it more excruciating when they start dying. The narrative is written almost like science journal entries and reports, and that makes the horror even more visceral, in my opinion. Grant created a variation of the mermaid that feels unique There were times where I was genuinely scared when I listened to the audiobook. It reminds me of that claustrophobic feeling I get when I think about being trapped in a spaceship with a xenomorph. The deep sea is not unlike space, especially when one is extremely deep in the ocean. Humans are highly dependent on technology to keep us alive. Conversely, the predators have adapted to those extreme environment and we become disadvantaged and vulnerable when we enter their territory.
This story is about human hubris, fear, pride, longing, loneliness, despair, ambition, anguish of failure, and the fallout of broken relationships and lost loved ones. Grant never lets the reader forget the personal stakes here, and the story always goes back to the emotional component. In that way, the deaths don't feel gratuitous because every one leaves a vacuum behind.
Of course, such a story has to have an Ellen Ripley, and Tori is very capable in that role. What I like the most is she's not a gun-toting badass, necessarily. But a woman who rises to the occasion when she's called to it. It was nice to see a queer romance spotlighted between lead characters, and there is no question of the chemistry together.
I guess I should talk about what I was disappointed about. Arguably, some of the characters were just kind of written off without much ceremony, despite the build-up, which was rather bizarre to me. But mainly, it was really just the ending. It felt too abrupt and rather anti-climactic. I mean, there was amazing tension that Grant very carefully built, and the end was sort of a letdown. I believe that she is planning for a very large story and this is the beginning, although I can't fathom how that will play out. I don't know what's going to happen in the next book, what challenges the survivors will face, but I'm interested in finding out....more
I found this book very enjoyable. The mix of various legends and folklore elements, with a savvy, good-hearted protagonist madeReview in thirty words:
I found this book very enjoyable. The mix of various legends and folklore elements, with a savvy, good-hearted protagonist made for a highly entertaining book. More please!
*Freaking love triangles! Me no likey! *Very cool under-the-sea action and descriptions! *Tempest is a bad*A Mini-Review in Thirty Words (starting now):
*Freaking love triangles! Me no likey! *Very cool under-the-sea action and descriptions! *Tempest is a bad*ss, so she gets brownie points! *Freaking book snuck up on me!
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur in the June issue. ....more
This book had two things going for it before I even read it: medical drama, and paranormals. Put those together and it's magic. And it lived up to theThis book had two things going for it before I even read it: medical drama, and paranormals. Put those together and it's magic. And it lived up to the potential. I am hooked on this series. I hope the next book comes out soon!
An omnibus of three different books, it took me forever to read this, but it was very good. Lots of fantastical elements and a great show of the authoAn omnibus of three different books, it took me forever to read this, but it was very good. Lots of fantastical elements and a great show of the author's imagination. It's a poignant story that will stay with me for a while, like an ache inside that I can't message away. I recommend it to fantasy readers.
Danielle The Book Huntress
>
Books:
mermaids-and-mermen
(12)
Loading...
