Book cover for Saltswept: Southeast Asian mythology meets high-seas heist in this Sunday Times bestselling lush epic fantasy by Katalina Watt

Saltswept

Southeast Asian mythology meets high-seas heist in this Sunday Times bestselling lush epic fantasy

2026 Released
400 Pages
6-7 Hours
Ebook Unavailable
Audiobook Unavailable
Paperback Unavailable
Hardback Unavailable
HodderscapeISBN 9781399735070

'DEEP, SUMPTUOUS, AND ASTONISHINGLY BEAUTIFUL' HANNAH KANER
'THRILLING AND FEROCIOUS' ELIZA CHAN
'GORGEOUSLY LUSH AND HEARTFELT' GEORGIA SUMMERS
'BREATHTAKINGLY IMAGINATIVE AND POWERFUL' HOLLY RACE

🌊ONLY THE DESPERATE SAIL INTO THE MAELSTROM. . .🌊

A pirate faces the gallows drop. A farmer is given a terrible ultimatum to save her daughter. An acolyte ascends to priestesshood, only to find that a blessing really can be a curse. These unlikely bedfellows band together with an inscrutable pickpocket and a talking ottercat in pursuit of the most hopeless of causes: to sail into the Maelstrom, a raging whirlpool from which no one has ever escaped, and find the mysterious treasure hidden within it.

The quest will test their fragile allegiance to its limits, but there is more at stake here than getting rich: the magic of the world is in peril, and the barrier between life and death has never been so thin. And in the Bastion, the seat of power in Paranish, the queen has an unquenchable thirst that threatens the world and everyone in it.

Can there be honour amongst thieves? Without it, they might never see another sunrise.

Lush and lyrical, Saltswept is a vibrant debut - the first book in an epic fantasy duology based on Southeast Asian mythology. Perfect for fans of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, The Bone Ships, and Godkiller.

⭐PRAISE FOR SALTSWEPT⭐
'A briny joyride of a fantasy, brimming with adventure, found family, and a rather marvellous ottercat' Lorraine Wilson
'Richly layered and beautifully told, Saltswept is a story worth savouring' Julie Leong
'A fast-paced fantasy debut threaded with unexpected imagery, lush world-building, and characters to root for' Angie Spoto
'This breathtaking debut will sweep you away to the high seas and bring you home wrapped in the arms of a new found family' Annabel Campbell
'I was hooked from the first page to the last' Tendai Huchu
'Full of fantastical adventure and mystery' Shauna Lawless
'A charmingly written story filled with adventure, found family and a great deal of heart...this book has all!' Marianne Gordon

Magical world πŸ’«
Found family πŸ«‚
High seas adventure 🌊
Romance πŸ’—
Swashbuckling heroes πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ
NecromancyπŸ’€
Talking ottercat 🦦

Katalina Watt

Katalina Watt is an Edinburgh-based author of speculative fiction. They were selected for a 2025 Literature Matters Award from Royal Society of Literature, AIR Literature UNESCO 2024 Gothenburg Writer in Residence, and 2023 Hugo Award Finalist for Best Semiprozine as founding Audio Director for khōréō. Saltswept is their debut novel.

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