Song of the Saltings

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.

Rachael King is a writer, reviewer, former literary festival director and ex-bass player from Aotearoa New Zealand. Her novels for children include The Grimmelings, which has won several awards and was named one of New York Public Library's Best Books of 2025, and Secrets at Red Rocks, which won the Esther Glen Medal (as Red Rocks) 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 holds an MA in Creative Writing from Victoria University Wellington, was named Best Reviewer at the Voyager New Zealand Media Awards in 2023, and was awarded the 2025 Frank Sargeson Fellowship. She sometimes writes for adults, too. rachael-king.com