Song of the Saltings - by Rachael King (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Scorpio Races meets The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea in this gripping young adult fantasy about a girl who must defy tradition to save her beloved island from the monstrous forces that are tearing it apart.

On the isolated island of Brack, the people live by an ancient bargain: every year, a sacrifice must be made to the Glimm, the creature that haunts the salt marshes. Once, it demanded children. Eight years ago, it should have taken Lotta. Instead, the monster spared her and claimed her pony, shattering tradition and anointing her both folk hero and object of suspicion.

Now sixteen, Lotta tends the Council's sacrificial horses, keeping her distance from the islanders who whisper about her fate. But something is stirring. The island hums beneath her feet, and a song threads through her dreams. Is the Glimm calling Lotta back?

When she crosses paths with Moss--a boy once hidden from sacrifice--a daring bog rescue sparks a chain of events that forces them both to question the Council's rule and the lore that binds their people. As crops and animals are blighted and uncanny weather plagues the community, Lotta and Moss must decide whether to obey the Council or risk everything to uncover the island's deepest secrets.

Because on Brack, monsters come in many forms.

About the Author

Rachael King is a writer, book reviewer, and former literary festival director from Aotearoa (New Zealand). When she was young, she played bass guitar in rock bands, rode horses bareback along a beach, and voraciously read fantasy books. Now, she writes books of her own: Red Rocks and The Grimmelings for young readers and The Sound of Butterflies and Magpie Hall for adults. Visit her online at Rachael-King.com.