First published 2026
Jesuit priest Avelyn Brocken lost his family in a mining disaster at sixteen and fled his hometown of Hreodwater, a remote English salt mining community. Years later, he receives an assignment that forces him back. A fellow priest visited Hreodwater and experienced a miraculous healing, only to transform into salt afterward. Avelyn must investigate what happened. In Hreodwater, local doctor Jericho reveals that the priest was not alone in experiencing strange cures. Others have been affected by a mysterious substance the miners call "salt light." As Avelyn and Jericho work together to understand the threat, similar incidents begin occurring at salt mines worldwide. Archaeological sites near the Dead Sea report electrical equipment producing salt. A major Polish salt works loses all communication amid rumors of complete destruction. Cities across the globe face devastation from salt light. Avelyn confronts a crisis that challenges everything he believes about faith, science, and survival. He must choose what to trust as the world faces potential annihilation.
Genres: science-fiction, historical-fiction, mystery, horror, adult-fiction, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking, unsettling
Tropes: homecoming, mystery-investigation, unlikely-partnership, world-ending-threat
Setting: Hreodwater, Dead Sea, Poland, England
Period: Contemporary
464 pages · Hardcover · Bloomsbury Publishing
Content warnings: body-horror, death