Listen to a sample
The Salt King
- Author
- Natasha Pulley
- Narrator
- Luke R. Francis
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 18 August 2026
- Run Time
- 16 hours 22 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Fantasy
What to expect
An apocalyptic novel about belief, religion, and the power of myth that blends the gripping, end-of-the-world storytelling of The Passage with the biting wit and epic queer romance that makes Natasha Pulley’s books “delightful” (The Washington Post).
Jesuit priest Avelyn Brocken was born into a mining family in Hreodwater, a small, totally isolated salt town in the Fens of England. At age 16, he fled, abandoning his faith in the god of the mine—the Salt King—and the mythology that killed his whole family.
When a fellow priest is miraculously healed only to then be turned to salt after a visit to Hreodwater, Avelyn is sent by the Vatican to investigate. But in Hreodwater, the town’s gentle doctor, Jericho, tells him that the priest is not the only one experiencing strange cures—and may not be the only one in danger from a substance in the mine that the locals call “salt light.”
Avelyn and Jericho team up to protect the world from the salt light—but they may already be too late: strange happenings are occurring at mines all around the world. At an archaeological dig on the Dead Sea, electrical devices froth salt; at another salt mine in Russia, a KGB officer finds the bodies of five tourists who seem to have turned to salt; and at the huge salt works at Wieliczska in Poland, all communication is lost, and rumors circulate of total annihilation.
As salt light spreads, devastating cities around the world, Avelyn must decide what and who to believe—and whether his faith is strong enough to withstand an apocalypse.
Critics Review
-
The Salt King is a multi-genre marvel, a concoction that's equal parts adventure tale, tender-hearted romance, and apocalyptic vision. With enviable dexterity Pulley mixes religion, science, and magic, never letting up the tension as her story sweeps us around the globe. But it's her characters who truly bring the book to life, their voices droll and earnest, melancholy and hilarious. I guarantee you'll be thinking about this book long after you turn the final page!
Helene Wecker, New York Times bestselling author of The Golem and the Jinni Trilogy
-
Pulley cleverly reckons with thorny questions of truth versus belief, faith versus institutions, and whether it’s better to navigate the unimaginable alone or with a companion whose very presence you doubt . . . Though the novel deals in prophecy and cataclysm, it champions free will down to its very last moments. Gripping and heartfelt, this prismatic novel is more than worth its salt.
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
-
Wrapping a phantasmagorical love story into a tale of global calamities, Natasha Pulley’s uncanny and arresting novel The Salt King follows the awakening of ancient beings . . . Faith has the potential to both save and trap people in The Salt King, a thrilling and surprising novel about the intrinsic magic of belief—not just in the divine, but in those we love.
Foreword Reviews, starred review
-
In its scale and its eagerness to grapple with foundational questions about God and belief, The Salt King might be her most intricate and epic work yet.
Publishers Weekly
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
Faith and reality are pushed to the breaking point when an ancient power stirs in the gripping, inventive apocalyptic fantasy novel The Salt King . . . Pulley takes belief’s ability to shape human perception of truth literally, creating a meditation on the nature and power of faith. Theology, folklore, and science spark off one another in this eerie descent into a perilous adventure where faith may save or doom the world.
Shelf Awareness
-
Pulley has created a sprawling, slow-burn, and fantastical apocalyptic tale.
Booklist
-
This garden path of a novel shifts back and forth seamlessly from fantasy-mystery to subtle romance to a reflection on how frameworks shape reality, without dropping tension . . . A compelling religious alternate-history mystery about isolation, spectrums of religious and romantic love, and beliefs defining and dividing community.
Library Journal
-
The Salt King is one of those books where the premise alone made me need to know what was going on . . . The story gets enormous, but the emotional center stays grounded in two complicated people trying to understand what they believe and whether they should face the impossible alone. This is such a strong pick if you like fantasy that mixes religion, science, mythology, technology, and end-of-the-world stakes.
BiblioLifestyle, "12 Best New Sci Fi and Fantasy Books for Fall 2026"
-
[Features] Natasha Pulley’s signature delicacy in portraying the slow growth of queer love.
CrimeReads. "20 Speculative Thrillers to Get You Through the Rest of 2026"
-
Pulley does so many things well, and The Salt King is no exception. Her writing style is light and witty, even when the subject is serious . . . There are significant and weighty discussions about belief, history, linguistics, and meaning, yet nothing feels too dense to contemplate. From the bird’s-eye view, the novel is an intricate thought experiment. As a reader, it’s a story as simple and tight as a salt crystal.
A Cineaste’s Bookshelf
-
[A] book that has equal parts entertainment and material for critical thinking, and it manages to combine all of its elements in a unique, unforgettable way.
BookBrowse
-
A sprawling, strange, fantastic and ambitious novel, blending conventions of literary and speculative fiction with fantasy . . . The themes of belief, the power of religious and cultural institutions and traditions, romantic love and obligations are all addressed with both honesty and intensity, making for an entertaining and thoughtful read.
Bookreporter
-
Francis easily draws listeners into this fantastical novel about faith and belief … Francis makes their scenes together both comforting and electric, and he brings to life the wonderfully strange Hreodwater and the mythological figure at its center, the Salt King … It’s a gripping listening experience—intimate storytelling on an epic scale.
Kirkus Reviews
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Natasha Pulley
- Narrator
- Luke R. Francis
- Duration
- 16 hours 22 minutes
- Release Date
- 18 August 2026
- ISBN
- 9781639737314
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- Fantasy
Synopsis
Bloomsbury presents The Salt King by Natasha Pulley, ready by Luke R. FrancisAn apocalyptic novel about belief, religion, and the power of myth that blends the gripping, end-of-the-world storytelling of The Passage with the biting wit and epic queer romance that makes Natasha Pulley’s books “delightful” (The Washington Post).Jesuit priest Avelyn Brocken was born into a mining family in Hreodwater, a small, totally isolated salt town in the Fens of England. At age 16, he fled, abandoning his faith in the god of the mine—the Salt King—and the mythology that killed his whole family.When a fellow priest is miraculously healed only to then be turned to salt after a visit to Hreodwater, Avelyn is sent by the Vatican to investigate. But in Hreodwater, the town’s gentle doctor, Jericho, tells him that the priest is not the only one experiencing strange cures—and may not be the only one in danger from a substance in the mine that the locals call “salt light.”Avelyn and Jericho team up to protect the world from the salt light—but they may already be too late: strange happenings are occurring at mines all around the world. At an archaeological dig on the Dead Sea, electrical devices froth salt; at another salt mine in Russia, a KGB officer finds the bodies of five tourists who seem to have turned to salt; and at the huge salt works at Wieliczska in Poland, all communication is lost, and rumors circulate of total annihilation.As salt light spreads, devastating cities around the world, Avelyn must decide what and who to believe—and whether his faith is strong enough to withstand an apocalypse.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.