
Song of the Saltings
Rachael King(Author)
Margaret K. McElderry Books (Publisher)
Published on 19. May 2026
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-1-6659-8433-1 (ISBN)
Description
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.
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.
More details
Language
English
Target group
Young adult
US School Grade: Second Grade and over
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 233 mm
Width: 166 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
496 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6659-8433-1 (9781665984331)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Rachael King is one of New Zealand’s best-loved writers for children. Her novels often reflect her love for the Scottish folklore of her ancestors––the weirder the better. When she was young, she read fantasy books voraciously and galloped horses bareback along beaches. Secrets at Red Rocks won New Zealand’s longest-running literary award, the Esther Glen Medal, and has been adapted into an Emmy Award–winning television series for BYUtv. Her other novels for young people include Song of the Saltings and the multi award-winning The Grimmelings. She holds an MA in creative writing from Victoria University in Wellington. Visit her online at Rachael-King.com.