Song of the Saltings - Hardcover

King, Rachael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1665984333 ISBN 13: 9781665984331

Publisher: Margaret K McElderry, 2026

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 this title

About the Author

Rachael King is a writer, reviewer, former literary festival director, and ex–bass player living in New Zealand. Her novels for children include the award-winning The Grimmelings and Secrets at Red Rocks, which won the Esther Glen Medal and has recently been adapted into an Emmy Award–winning television series. Song of the Saltings is her first novel for young adults. All three novels reflect Rachael's love for, and obsession with, folklore—the weirder the better. Rachael’s adult novels, The Sound of Butterflies and Magpie Hall, have together been translated into nine languages. She holds a master’s in creative writing from Victoria University of Wellington. Visit her online at Rachael-King.com.

Edition details

• Publisher: Margaret K McElderry
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1665984333
• ISBN 13: 9781665984331
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336