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Natasha Pulley and The Salt King
Featured Book
The Salt King
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.
This book will be available for purchase at the event.
About This Event
Calling all book clubs, sci-fi/fantasy readers, bookish event enthusiasts, plot-driven readers, character-driven readers, fans of yearning, anyone who loved the film Conclave, people who get emotional about The Hunchback of Notre Dame, customers who have been converted to Natasha Pulley fans at Grace's insistence, those of us yet to recover from Good Omens, and/or readers who are itching for a story that will permanently alter their brain chemistry!
Picture the scene:
The date: August 17th, 2026; 6:00-9:00 p.m.
The place: Park & Oak, 499 Pennsylvania Ave, Glen Ellyn.
The story: The most talented author of our age discussing her new book, overall thoughts on storytelling, and more! Copies of her earlier books available for purchase! Light bites, desserts, and a drink provided! Activities and crafts for those who are interested! A chance to meet the author and have her sign your (one day early!) copy of her book! Snacks, crafts, and chats at the event that manager Grace is preemptively calling the pinnacle of her career!
All this and more can be yours for the cost of a ticket to the event of the century. What do your current Monday night plans entail in August? Taxes? Watching paint dry? Wishing it wasn't summer in the Illinois humidity? Don't torture youself so, not when the chance of a lifetime is knocking on your door! Come hang out with us, it's a no-brainer! It'll be the best decision you've ever made and the coolest author you'll ever meet!
Event details:
Guests may bring one other Natasha Pulley book for the author to sign in addition to a copy of The Salt King (to be picked up at the event). Your ticket includes a copy of The Salt King; you do not need to order one separately. The signing line will be formed in order of ticket purchase; ticket numbers will be emailed prior to the event. There will be a Q&A, so feel free to arrive with a burning question for the author!
Featured Author
Natasha Pulley
Natasha Pulley is the internationally bestselling author of seven books, including The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, The Mars House, and The Hymn to Dionysus. She has won a Betty Trask Award and been shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award and the Royal Society of Literature's Encore Award and longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize.
About the Venue
Park and Oak
Presented by The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn
499 Pennsylvania Ave
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137