Saltswept

A ragtag crew. A perilous quest. First, they need a boat. Next, they need to learn how to sail it.

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 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.

Review

Saltswept is going to make waves in epic fantasy. Katalina's writing is deep, sumptuous, and astonishingly beautiful, perfectly crafting a tale of seas and magic set in a queernorm world. A ragtag crew on a quest, set against the mysterious dangers and intense infatuation of a queen and her priestess. When I say that Watt's writing is in the vein of Hobb or Le Guin, I do not say it lightly. Her tenderly realised characters, her wit, and her turn of phrase have captured my imagination and filled it with tidal waves - I can't wait to follow this found family to whatever end. -- Hannah Kaner, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Fallen Gods trilogy.

Saltswept is a briny joyride of a fantasy, brimming with adventure, found family, and a rather marvellous ottercat -- Lorraine Wilson, author of The Salt Oracle, We Are All Ghosts in the Forest, and Mother Sea

Saltswept is an exhilarating adventure on the high seas, brimming with dark secrets, forbidden magic and a found family of misfits. Thrilling and ferocious. -- Eliza Chan, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Fathomfolk and Tideborn.

Richly layered and beautifully told, Saltswept is a story worth savoring. This epic tale of found family, deadly magic, and desperate voyages will sweep you away. -- Julie Leong, USA Today bestelling author of The Teller of Small Fortunes

Gorgeously lush and heartfelt, Saltswept is a hold-onto-your-hat adventure, where the best prize comes not in fabled treasure or deep-rooted magic, but the found family navigating its stormy waters. Plus - ottercats! -- Georgia Summers, No. 1 Sunday Times author of City of Stardust.

Saltswept has the feeling of Le Guin about it with its well-woven magical world and spirit of adventure. A fast-paced fantasy debut threaded with unexpected imagery, lush world-building, and characters to root for. I stayed up late at night reading this book, craving one unexpected turn after another. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to leap right back into the story's immersive waters. -- Angie Spoto, author of The Grief Nurse and The Bone Diver

Set sail on a blistering adventure, where gallant smugglers, mysterious magic and deadly secrets await. 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, author of The Outcast Mage

About the Author

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 khoréo. Saltswept is their debut novel.