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Song of the Saltings
A monster. A girl. A sacrifice. An atmospheric folk horror fantasy set in a world both terrifying and mysterious, from the award-winning author of The Grimmelings.
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.
Eight years after the monster spared her, 16-year-old Lotta tends the Council's sacrificial horses and keeps her distance from the villagers who whisper about her fate. But something is stirring. The island is dying. It hums beneath her feet, and a song threads through her dreams. Is the Glimm calling Lotta back?
A chance encounter with Moss, a village outcast, will change both their lives, and the fate of the island, forever. To uncover Brack's deepest secrets, Lotta and Moss will need to trust each other and risk everything they hold dear.
Because on Brack, monsters come in many forms.
'Riveting, compelling.' Isobelle Carmody
'You had me at "bog witch".' Lili Wilkinson
'Utterly gripping, lyrical and haunting.' Rachael Craw
'Delightful and deliciously creepy.' Andrea Eames
'A powerfully told adventure about monsters and magic.' Noelle McCarthy
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.
Eight years after the monster spared her, 16-year-old Lotta tends the Council's sacrificial horses and keeps her distance from the villagers who whisper about her fate. But something is stirring. The island is dying. It hums beneath her feet, and a song threads through her dreams. Is the Glimm calling Lotta back?
A chance encounter with Moss, a village outcast, will change both their lives, and the fate of the island, forever. To uncover Brack's deepest secrets, Lotta and Moss will need to trust each other and risk everything they hold dear.
Because on Brack, monsters come in many forms.
'Riveting, compelling.' Isobelle Carmody
'You had me at "bog witch".' Lili Wilkinson
'Utterly gripping, lyrical and haunting.' Rachael Craw
'Delightful and deliciously creepy.' Andrea Eames
'A powerfully told adventure about monsters and magic.' Noelle McCarthy
333 pages, Paperback
Published April 28, 2026
About the author
Rachael King
9 books106 followersRachael 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. She is the author of two middlegrade fantasy novels based on Scottish mythology in a New Zealand setting – Red Rocks (republished in 2025 as Secrets at Red Rocks to coincide with the Emmy-nominated television adaptation) and The Grimmelings; a junior fiction series Violet and the Velvets; and a YA folk horror fantasy due in 2026, Song of the Saltings. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from the Victoria University Wellington, and has also written two books for adults, The Sound of Butterflies and Magpie Hall. In 2023 she was named Best Reviewer at Voyager New Zealand Media Awards for her book reviews.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 27, 2026
I loved this book. The atmosphere, the characters, the magic of it all. Not to even mention the horses.
Truly a beautiful work, I felt like I was there living along with the characters. This is the perfect book for a stormy day!
Truly a beautiful work, I felt like I was there living along with the characters. This is the perfect book for a stormy day!
May 28, 2026
I adore folklore, fairytales and myths, and there’s a special place in my heart for those of the United Kingdom. This story was woven from Scottish tales, and Ms. King takes us to the fictional island of Brack, where a village ekes out a living from the land and from the salt marshes. Legend tells of The Grimm, a large serpent who protects the island, for the small price of a child, offered up from a lottery that The Council holds every year. Lotta was supposed to be sacrificed when she was a child, but in a breaking of tradition, The Grimm took her beloved pony in her place. No one, not even Lotta herself knows why she was spared, but the villagers are both in awe and afraid of her, so she hides herself away tending the horses of The Council members.
A chance meeting with an exiled boy named Moss causes both of them to start questioning why things are done the way they are. Was it always this way?
And The Council can’t have that. You see, they have a way of dealing with troublemakers. And it very much ties into the lore of the island.
Read on to find out what’s really at the heart of Brack! I highly recommend this. It’s a little slow to get going, but give it some time, and you’ll be hooked!
4.25, rounded down.
My thanks to NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for an early copy. All opinions are mine alone.
A chance meeting with an exiled boy named Moss causes both of them to start questioning why things are done the way they are. Was it always this way?
And The Council can’t have that. You see, they have a way of dealing with troublemakers. And it very much ties into the lore of the island.
Read on to find out what’s really at the heart of Brack! I highly recommend this. It’s a little slow to get going, but give it some time, and you’ll be hooked!
4.25, rounded down.
My thanks to NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for an early copy. All opinions are mine alone.
May 25, 2026
If I could rate this book on vibes alone, it would be a 10/10. The atmosphere and world‑building are absolute perfection. The way King sets up the island really leans into that constant sense of discomfort and eeriness that hangs over most of the story. I love the folklore surrounding the village and the moors. Lotta is a fantastic MC — determined, grounded, and absolutely unwilling to back down once she uncovers a wrong. I’m a sucker for a character who refuses to let things slide, and she delivers. Moss was another standout for me. I loved that he felt childlike because of how sheltered he’d been yet still had this unique perspective that helped them piece together the truth as their world unraveled. The last third of the book really takes off. I was on the edge of my seat as the lies and conspiracies started coming to light. This is absolutely a book I’ll be recommending to everyone, and I’m genuinely excited to dive into more of King’s work.
May 6, 2026
I was pretty captivated by this book right from the start and it did not disappoint! I’ve realised I get very drawn into atmospheric books with gloomy, dark, grey settings and complex characters. I found the complex social hierarchy and the relationships between the characters and the environment so interesting. It wasn’t just a good story, it also made me reflect a lot. It was a little predictable at the end but it was also a satisfying ending.
Thank you Allen and Unwin NZ for sending me a review copy
Thank you Allen and Unwin NZ for sending me a review copy
May 23, 2026
Set on the isolated, eerie island of Brack, the story follows a community that lives by an ancient, terrifying bargain: every year, a sacrifice must be made to a mythical creature known as the Glimm, which haunts the local salt marshes. Eight years ago, sixteen-year-old Lotta was chosen for the lottery, but the monster miraculously spared her, claiming her beloved pony instead. Now working as the head groom for the ruling Council's sacrificial horses, Lotta keeps her distance from the wary villagers. But as the island begins to die and a mysterious song starts threading through her dreams, she crosses paths with an outcast named Moss. Together, they are forced to question the harsh rules of their society and risk everything to uncover the dark secrets binding their people to the bogs.
This was such a good read! It was actually the first book I have ever read that is based on folklore, and it had me completely hooked the entire way through. The Glimm is such a cool, fascinating creature, and the isolated island setting is so mysterious and intriguing. You can also really see Rachael’s deep passion for horses shining through the pages, which added such a great layer of authentic detail to the story. I highly recommend picking this one up!
This was such a good read! It was actually the first book I have ever read that is based on folklore, and it had me completely hooked the entire way through. The Glimm is such a cool, fascinating creature, and the isolated island setting is so mysterious and intriguing. You can also really see Rachael’s deep passion for horses shining through the pages, which added such a great layer of authentic detail to the story. I highly recommend picking this one up!
May 21, 2026
This was a beautiful, atmospheric read.
I loved the folklore and the overall history of the island. The writing and descriptions are very lyrical, and can easily evoke detailed imagery, which only adds intrigue to the world building.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the romance, potentially because it was YA, but it felt a bit out of the blue.
I would also have loved a bit more characterisation and emotional depth, and greater exploration into the history of the island and its people.
Overall, very enjoyable but left me wanting more. I would honestly love an adult book from this author!
I loved the folklore and the overall history of the island. The writing and descriptions are very lyrical, and can easily evoke detailed imagery, which only adds intrigue to the world building.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the romance, potentially because it was YA, but it felt a bit out of the blue.
I would also have loved a bit more characterisation and emotional depth, and greater exploration into the history of the island and its people.
Overall, very enjoyable but left me wanting more. I would honestly love an adult book from this author!
June 13, 2026
Thank you Simon Teen for the gifted review copy and the finished copy!
This was a very intriguing read. The Glimm was such a fascinating creature, and the history of the island and its people kept me invested from beginning to end. There was a wonderful sense of mystery surrounding the traditions, beliefs, and sacrifices that shaped life on Brack, and I loved slowly uncovering the truth alongside the characters.
The writing was beautiful and haunting, creating an atmosphere that felt both eerie and immersive. It gave me strong Salem witch trial vibes wrapped in a dark folklore-inspired story. The setting itself almost felt like a character, with the island's isolation and strange history adding so much depth to the narrative.
I really enjoyed Lotta and Moss, and I found the twisted history of this world especially compelling. Overall, this was an atmospheric and memorable YA fantasy that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I would absolutely read another story by this author.
This was a very intriguing read. The Glimm was such a fascinating creature, and the history of the island and its people kept me invested from beginning to end. There was a wonderful sense of mystery surrounding the traditions, beliefs, and sacrifices that shaped life on Brack, and I loved slowly uncovering the truth alongside the characters.
The writing was beautiful and haunting, creating an atmosphere that felt both eerie and immersive. It gave me strong Salem witch trial vibes wrapped in a dark folklore-inspired story. The setting itself almost felt like a character, with the island's isolation and strange history adding so much depth to the narrative.
I really enjoyed Lotta and Moss, and I found the twisted history of this world especially compelling. Overall, this was an atmospheric and memorable YA fantasy that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I would absolutely read another story by this author.
June 6, 2026
My Selling Pitch:
Temu Scorpio Races meets Andromeda.
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
You say water horse, and I'm in. Scorpio Races is one of my very favorite books. That cover is stunning.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Why sex the horses to then use it’s about them? That doesn’t make any sense.
I love a Roman nose. Horse and people.
Excuse? Who names a horse Hannah and a boy Moss.
This dialogue is bad.
She called it a colt but then says stay with her. GIRL.
Purposely misgendering animals to not get attached is WHACK.
He’s so rude. We’re poor and don’t have food. Here, let me waste some.
Why can’t they have chimneys?
I hate the not like other fantasy girl heroines. How do girls wear skirts!?! Grow up.
How did her brother get there? That’s not what we were just told in their backstory.
It’s like this was written out of order and then cobbled together without an edit because suddenly she doesn’t know what his name was, but she was just saying that she should go to the moors and check in on him. It doesn’t make any sense.
It’s gratingly repetitive.
I would DNF. This is so bad.
Moss SUCKS, and his mother is not a parent.
An Andromeda retelling?
This is unreadable. The plotting and pacing make no sense. Characters don’t have distinct voices. The parents don’t feel like parents. I can’t get over how abrupt all the events of the book are, and then how they just vanish from the narrative’s consciousness.
I can’t get over how bad this is.
This is actually unreadable. No one in this book reacts like a real person. There’s so much explanatory dialogue. I mean, even just a villain named Stormy Pete is crazy.
This romance is so forced.
Mayflower ass fanfic
A me! God, I’m reading a lot of evil Sams this year
The real villain was colonialism the whole time! God, this is awful!
Post-reading:
Y’all did that cover artist dirty putting her work on this mess! There’s this idea that it’s okay for YA fiction to be kinda bad. Like eh, it’s for kids! If you examine it with an adult’s critical eye, of course it’s going to fall apart! And I think that’s a steaming load of horseshit. No one is going to pick this book up and not compare it to Scorpio Races, and when your comp title essentially set the standard for YA folk horror and murder ponies… You’re already up against impossible odds. You have to bring your absolute A game to convince your reader that this book was different enough to necessitate publication. And this book is different but in the worst possible ways all around.
It felt like misguided Pocahontas, Pilgrims on the Mayflower, vaguely Scarlet Letter fanfiction but shackle that to half-assed Scottish folktales. It’s not enjoyable. It’s not a cheeky retelling. You’re gonna read this with your hands dragged down your face like get the Catholic Church away from Andromeda! It’s miserable! The references are so discordant from each other that you have to be blind to themes in literature to smoosh them together like this and come away with colonialism was the real villain all along! What are we doing!
And I’ll admit, maybe I’m coming into the criticism of this book a little hot and heavy, but you pitched me horse girl horror, and then used colt and foal interchangeably for a goddamn filly. Misgendering horses’ pronouns you’ve already sexed for the reader by calling them a mare or a gelding to show that your FMC is keeping animals at arm's length is cuckoo bananas, batshit insane. How an editor let the author get away with that is beyond me. It’s also barely a horse book. There’s no race. There’s no we have to save the farm. It’s a book about overthrowing religion. The horses don’t have personalities. They function like cars that never run out of gas, and the author uses them for cheap sympathy. But spoiler alert, your YA audience probably doesn’t know The NeverEnding Story well enough to be upset by a horse stuck in a bog. There’s not a speck of horror in this book. And if you’re like Samantha, why are you harping on it so much for not being a horror book, the author advertises herself as a folk horror author on her own Instagram. This is barely gothic.
I have so much I don’t like about this book, I fear I’m gonna run out of word count before I express all of my grievances.
The names in this are stupid. What do you mean the horse is named Hannah and the love interest is named Moss? No one questions this. Oh, it’s to illustrate the class divide! No, it’s not. Daphne, Lewis, Heather, Samuel, and Wolf? Not in the same wheelhouse.
Characters continuously forget information that the reader was just told about in a way that not only makes the story gratingly repetitive to read, but also makes it seem like scenes were written independently of each other and then assembled unedited for the final copy. Characters will remain nameless for a hot minute in the book before the author remembers them, and then suddenly, we’ll halt the action to infodump a bit of their backstory. This does not fix the issue of them basically materializing or teleporting into scenes for the reader, where the narrative will treat them like a character the reader is supposed to already know about. Good luck during one of the opening scenes where we find out there’s a gay older brother who’s been hired as a gardener just so he can fuck a boy in a horse stall in front of his little sister. You won’t even have time to blink at the idea that these characters are so non-plussed about that because you’ll be trying to figure out where he came from when the last thing you heard about her family was how they dismissed her to give their new baby more attention.
The romance in this is so forced, I can’t even dignify it with longer criticism. None of the characters respond or have motivations that real people would have. The upper class is evil for the sake of being evil. The townspeople are evil for the sake of being evil. And if you’re like Samantha, how bad could it be? At one point, a six-year-old mimes cutting her throat to tell the FMC that she’s not welcome in town. I don’t even know how to get into the parenting in this book. It’s both nonexistent, and yet somehow, all the adults act like their children’s besties. Every single character has the exact same voice and feels maybe 14 years old with their stilted dialogue and their emotional explosions that never tonally fit the rest of the scene.
The plotting is so all over the place and deus ex machina. Everyone’s lying for the sake of being cryptic, but then they give the main characters explicit instructions on how to advance the story. The town’s farming practices make no sense. For some reason, a hallmark of being exiled is that their houses don’t have chimneys so they just sit in the smoke instead, which is so nonsensical I couldn’t even take it seriously.
Have I done enough? I feel like I’ve done enough ranting to put you off this. I root for a horse book every time, and when I say there is genuinely nothing redeemable about this book... Don’t read it. It’s awful. You’ll have a bad time. I’m gutted that such a good cover was wasted on this. I will not pick this author up again. I’m amazed this was published.
Who should read this:
Generic YA magical realism fans
Horse girls
Ideal reading time:
Summer
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
No
Similar books:
* Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin-same book, different font, YA historical, magical realism, romance, enemies to lovers, family drama
* Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater-YA historical, magical realism, romance, family drama, horses
* Tenderly, I am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone-dark academia, magical realism, why choose romance, queer, family drama
* Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross-historical, fantasy romance, family drama
* This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson-YA urban fantasy, thriller, romance, queer, horses, religious commentary
* The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis-historical, gothic horror, revenge thriller, family drama
* She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheca-lit fic, historical, gothic horror, classic retelling, revenge thriller, family drama, queer
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Temu Scorpio Races meets Andromeda.
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
You say water horse, and I'm in. Scorpio Races is one of my very favorite books. That cover is stunning.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Why sex the horses to then use it’s about them? That doesn’t make any sense.
I love a Roman nose. Horse and people.
Excuse? Who names a horse Hannah and a boy Moss.
This dialogue is bad.
She called it a colt but then says stay with her. GIRL.
Purposely misgendering animals to not get attached is WHACK.
He’s so rude. We’re poor and don’t have food. Here, let me waste some.
Why can’t they have chimneys?
I hate the not like other fantasy girl heroines. How do girls wear skirts!?! Grow up.
How did her brother get there? That’s not what we were just told in their backstory.
It’s like this was written out of order and then cobbled together without an edit because suddenly she doesn’t know what his name was, but she was just saying that she should go to the moors and check in on him. It doesn’t make any sense.
It’s gratingly repetitive.
I would DNF. This is so bad.
Moss SUCKS, and his mother is not a parent.
An Andromeda retelling?
This is unreadable. The plotting and pacing make no sense. Characters don’t have distinct voices. The parents don’t feel like parents. I can’t get over how abrupt all the events of the book are, and then how they just vanish from the narrative’s consciousness.
I can’t get over how bad this is.
This is actually unreadable. No one in this book reacts like a real person. There’s so much explanatory dialogue. I mean, even just a villain named Stormy Pete is crazy.
This romance is so forced.
Mayflower ass fanfic
A me! God, I’m reading a lot of evil Sams this year
The real villain was colonialism the whole time! God, this is awful!
Post-reading:
Y’all did that cover artist dirty putting her work on this mess! There’s this idea that it’s okay for YA fiction to be kinda bad. Like eh, it’s for kids! If you examine it with an adult’s critical eye, of course it’s going to fall apart! And I think that’s a steaming load of horseshit. No one is going to pick this book up and not compare it to Scorpio Races, and when your comp title essentially set the standard for YA folk horror and murder ponies… You’re already up against impossible odds. You have to bring your absolute A game to convince your reader that this book was different enough to necessitate publication. And this book is different but in the worst possible ways all around.
It felt like misguided Pocahontas, Pilgrims on the Mayflower, vaguely Scarlet Letter fanfiction but shackle that to half-assed Scottish folktales. It’s not enjoyable. It’s not a cheeky retelling. You’re gonna read this with your hands dragged down your face like get the Catholic Church away from Andromeda! It’s miserable! The references are so discordant from each other that you have to be blind to themes in literature to smoosh them together like this and come away with colonialism was the real villain all along! What are we doing!
And I’ll admit, maybe I’m coming into the criticism of this book a little hot and heavy, but you pitched me horse girl horror, and then used colt and foal interchangeably for a goddamn filly. Misgendering horses’ pronouns you’ve already sexed for the reader by calling them a mare or a gelding to show that your FMC is keeping animals at arm's length is cuckoo bananas, batshit insane. How an editor let the author get away with that is beyond me. It’s also barely a horse book. There’s no race. There’s no we have to save the farm. It’s a book about overthrowing religion. The horses don’t have personalities. They function like cars that never run out of gas, and the author uses them for cheap sympathy. But spoiler alert, your YA audience probably doesn’t know The NeverEnding Story well enough to be upset by a horse stuck in a bog. There’s not a speck of horror in this book. And if you’re like Samantha, why are you harping on it so much for not being a horror book, the author advertises herself as a folk horror author on her own Instagram. This is barely gothic.
I have so much I don’t like about this book, I fear I’m gonna run out of word count before I express all of my grievances.
The names in this are stupid. What do you mean the horse is named Hannah and the love interest is named Moss? No one questions this. Oh, it’s to illustrate the class divide! No, it’s not. Daphne, Lewis, Heather, Samuel, and Wolf? Not in the same wheelhouse.
Characters continuously forget information that the reader was just told about in a way that not only makes the story gratingly repetitive to read, but also makes it seem like scenes were written independently of each other and then assembled unedited for the final copy. Characters will remain nameless for a hot minute in the book before the author remembers them, and then suddenly, we’ll halt the action to infodump a bit of their backstory. This does not fix the issue of them basically materializing or teleporting into scenes for the reader, where the narrative will treat them like a character the reader is supposed to already know about. Good luck during one of the opening scenes where we find out there’s a gay older brother who’s been hired as a gardener just so he can fuck a boy in a horse stall in front of his little sister. You won’t even have time to blink at the idea that these characters are so non-plussed about that because you’ll be trying to figure out where he came from when the last thing you heard about her family was how they dismissed her to give their new baby more attention.
The romance in this is so forced, I can’t even dignify it with longer criticism. None of the characters respond or have motivations that real people would have. The upper class is evil for the sake of being evil. The townspeople are evil for the sake of being evil. And if you’re like Samantha, how bad could it be? At one point, a six-year-old mimes cutting her throat to tell the FMC that she’s not welcome in town. I don’t even know how to get into the parenting in this book. It’s both nonexistent, and yet somehow, all the adults act like their children’s besties. Every single character has the exact same voice and feels maybe 14 years old with their stilted dialogue and their emotional explosions that never tonally fit the rest of the scene.
The plotting is so all over the place and deus ex machina. Everyone’s lying for the sake of being cryptic, but then they give the main characters explicit instructions on how to advance the story. The town’s farming practices make no sense. For some reason, a hallmark of being exiled is that their houses don’t have chimneys so they just sit in the smoke instead, which is so nonsensical I couldn’t even take it seriously.
Have I done enough? I feel like I’ve done enough ranting to put you off this. I root for a horse book every time, and when I say there is genuinely nothing redeemable about this book... Don’t read it. It’s awful. You’ll have a bad time. I’m gutted that such a good cover was wasted on this. I will not pick this author up again. I’m amazed this was published.
Who should read this:
Generic YA magical realism fans
Horse girls
Ideal reading time:
Summer
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
No
Similar books:
* Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin-same book, different font, YA historical, magical realism, romance, enemies to lovers, family drama
* Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater-YA historical, magical realism, romance, family drama, horses
* Tenderly, I am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone-dark academia, magical realism, why choose romance, queer, family drama
* Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross-historical, fantasy romance, family drama
* This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson-YA urban fantasy, thriller, romance, queer, horses, religious commentary
* The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis-historical, gothic horror, revenge thriller, family drama
* She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheca-lit fic, historical, gothic horror, classic retelling, revenge thriller, family drama, queer
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read
June 9, 2026‘Song of the Saltings’ is horse girl folklore horror perfection, perfect for fans of Emily Coopers ‘Season of Fear’ and those who hoped and prayed that Artax would be saved from the Swamp of Sorrow.
Rachael King takes us into the isolated island of Brack, haunted by a centuries old creature known as the Glimm — Lotta Salter survived being sacrificed as an offering only to return inexplicable different and feared by her community, a chance meeting with an exiled boy named Moss causes both of them to start questioning why things are done the way they are. Was it always this way?
Lyrical and immersive, ‘Song of the Saltings’ evokes an atmospheric, nostalgic eerie sense of something lurking beyond.
A haunting unraveling of life as you know it. I love this and I would love to see Rachel write an adult story as I think this story could have benefited from really digging deeper into the darker more horror like themes.
All in all a 5 star read!!
Rachael King takes us into the isolated island of Brack, haunted by a centuries old creature known as the Glimm — Lotta Salter survived being sacrificed as an offering only to return inexplicable different and feared by her community, a chance meeting with an exiled boy named Moss causes both of them to start questioning why things are done the way they are. Was it always this way?
Lyrical and immersive, ‘Song of the Saltings’ evokes an atmospheric, nostalgic eerie sense of something lurking beyond.
A haunting unraveling of life as you know it. I love this and I would love to see Rachel write an adult story as I think this story could have benefited from really digging deeper into the darker more horror like themes.
All in all a 5 star read!!
Did Not Finish
April 17, 2026DNF at 21%.
Usually, third person point of view books aren’t a challenge for me and I don’t mind them. But for some reason this one was extremely hard for me to get into.
Thank you to Simon Teen for the advanced copy.
Usually, third person point of view books aren’t a challenge for me and I don’t mind them. But for some reason this one was extremely hard for me to get into.
Thank you to Simon Teen for the advanced copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: atmospheric reads, fantasy, younger YA
Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books, Netgalley, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Okay, first thing's first, I absolutely love this cover. It's gorgeous and I love the style!
As for the story itself, I had kind of a hard time getting into it. I liked the premise and found it interesting, but something about the execution fell a little flat to me. Now, that's not to say there aren't some heart-stopping moments in the book, especially in the last third, but I feel like maybe too much time was spent setting up the world and things began to feel a bit repetitive. Also, I'm not sure how old Lotta and Moss are meant to be, but they feel on the younger side of YA, which isn't particularly something I'm into.
I did like the setup of the village. It falls more on the side of The Lottery than The Hunger Games in terms of vibes, and I think King captured that powder keg small town vibe really well. Everyone acts neighborly enough, but no one can really forget the children that were sacrificed or the one who managed to survive. So, naturally, when things go wrong it doesn't take much for people to turn on each other.
The folklore aspects of the book were interesting as well, but like with the overall premise, I do feel like these were underutilized. I loved the idea of Jenny and really wish we saw more of her throughout the book. She kind of hovers on the outskirts in songs and whispers, but we only really see her once or twice and she doesn't play as big a role in the story as I would've liked. The Glimm is similar, but we only actually see the Glimm for one scene and then it's over, which makes sense for where the plot went, but I did want to see more of it.
In terms of characters, I did like Lotta more than Moss and think she had some very valid reasons for shutting people out. I mean, good god, she was meant to be a sacrifice when she was six. That would fuck anyone up for relationships. I also think her parents unduly give her shit for distancing herself, but I don't see them trying to make it up to her, so...
Moss is a bit harder for me to sympathize with. I get that it majorly sucks having the entire town turn on you, but at the same time, I do think the hidelings' parents made the right decision. Like, wtf else are you supposed to do when your town has a child sacrifice lottery if not pull an Octavia Blake and hide your kid under the floor? Plus, none of the other hidelings seem all that upset about their parents' choices or their current situation, so Moss seems to be the odd one out on that front, which doesn't help.
Overall I think this book has a super interesting premise and if you're looking for something on the younger YA side it might be a good pick for you.
Recommended if you like: atmospheric reads, fantasy, younger YA
Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books, Netgalley, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Okay, first thing's first, I absolutely love this cover. It's gorgeous and I love the style!
As for the story itself, I had kind of a hard time getting into it. I liked the premise and found it interesting, but something about the execution fell a little flat to me. Now, that's not to say there aren't some heart-stopping moments in the book, especially in the last third, but I feel like maybe too much time was spent setting up the world and things began to feel a bit repetitive. Also, I'm not sure how old Lotta and Moss are meant to be, but they feel on the younger side of YA, which isn't particularly something I'm into.
I did like the setup of the village. It falls more on the side of The Lottery than The Hunger Games in terms of vibes, and I think King captured that powder keg small town vibe really well. Everyone acts neighborly enough, but no one can really forget the children that were sacrificed or the one who managed to survive. So, naturally, when things go wrong it doesn't take much for people to turn on each other.
The folklore aspects of the book were interesting as well, but like with the overall premise, I do feel like these were underutilized. I loved the idea of Jenny and really wish we saw more of her throughout the book. She kind of hovers on the outskirts in songs and whispers, but we only really see her once or twice and she doesn't play as big a role in the story as I would've liked. The Glimm is similar, but we only actually see the Glimm for one scene and then it's over, which makes sense for where the plot went, but I did want to see more of it.
In terms of characters, I did like Lotta more than Moss and think she had some very valid reasons for shutting people out. I mean, good god, she was meant to be a sacrifice when she was six. That would fuck anyone up for relationships. I also think her parents unduly give her shit for distancing herself, but I don't see them trying to make it up to her, so...
Moss is a bit harder for me to sympathize with. I get that it majorly sucks having the entire town turn on you, but at the same time, I do think the hidelings' parents made the right decision. Like, wtf else are you supposed to do when your town has a child sacrifice lottery if not pull an Octavia Blake and hide your kid under the floor? Plus, none of the other hidelings seem all that upset about their parents' choices or their current situation, so Moss seems to be the odd one out on that front, which doesn't help.
Overall I think this book has a super interesting premise and if you're looking for something on the younger YA side it might be a good pick for you.
May 28, 2026
I am so torn about this book.
You ever read something and the synopsis looks amazing and the first chapter delivers and you think oh this is going to be Something....and then it just never quite delivers? and then it gives you things you Didn't Want instead? well, it happened for me with this one.
Things I liked
-Moss as a character. he was good fun and i like my more strange, wild boys. I especially liked the idea of him being kept into the dark for so much of his life that it permanently affected his eyesight and made the world look even more beautiful to him. and his 'you have to see the world properly' thing near the end there.
-the aesthetic. 90% of the aesthetic is the most glorious thing. i am always down for creepy bogs and strange desolate islands and salt flats and spooky caves and ancient rings of stones etc etc. the descriptions were lovely and it felt so wild and cold and beautiful and a little creepy. The opening segment from the pov of the bog witch was honestly one of my fav parts of the whole book.
-lotta's cool connection and the 'magic' being linked to music. i won't elaborate bc of spoilers but i did like that aspect of it.
-the cult aspect. again, don't want to do spoilers, but that was pretty neat, looking into how easy it is to distort the truth and the way cults operate.
-the sequence in the bog with the lights and the dead faces and creepy bog witch was good. that was what I was wanting
-doesn't really count bc its not actually anything to do with the book but the author is from my hometown so go off xD xD
Things that didn't quite land:
-the pov. i just...something about the narration just felt a little funky and I cannot place what it is. Maybe this book might've been better in past tense instead of the narration tumbling over itself. It just felt a little off aesthetically and for pacing
-lotta. i think i've just got tired of hardened/strong/angry/not-like-other-girls protagonists in their pants bc they're cool, with a huge chip on their shoulder, and being vaguely superior to more feminine girls. i did enjoy her softening a bit as the book went but i am just so tired of sharp-edged female characters. they're too busy being Tough that I can't connect with them the way I want to
-i wanted more spooky. it wasn't spooky enough. i saw the horror tag and i went!!! but it just didn't spook me out at any point. i wanted the cold tingles. I was like ok so its just a bit darker and more folksy??? ok??
-felt weirdly hunger games esque even tho it wasn't. I don't know. maybe i'm having a lot of trope fatigue and its a me problem
Things I didn't like:
- i cannot lose book bingo. i want to lose. guys pLEASE stop filling out my bingo card. if you miss the one space you hit the other. we hit token gay couple, strong female character, present tense narration, aND token lesbian couple? mine's four by four i didn't even need the free space. please. someone. let me lose this bloody game
You ever read something and the synopsis looks amazing and the first chapter delivers and you think oh this is going to be Something....and then it just never quite delivers? and then it gives you things you Didn't Want instead? well, it happened for me with this one.
Things I liked
-Moss as a character. he was good fun and i like my more strange, wild boys. I especially liked the idea of him being kept into the dark for so much of his life that it permanently affected his eyesight and made the world look even more beautiful to him. and his 'you have to see the world properly' thing near the end there.
-the aesthetic. 90% of the aesthetic is the most glorious thing. i am always down for creepy bogs and strange desolate islands and salt flats and spooky caves and ancient rings of stones etc etc. the descriptions were lovely and it felt so wild and cold and beautiful and a little creepy. The opening segment from the pov of the bog witch was honestly one of my fav parts of the whole book.
-lotta's cool connection and the 'magic' being linked to music. i won't elaborate bc of spoilers but i did like that aspect of it.
-the cult aspect. again, don't want to do spoilers, but that was pretty neat, looking into how easy it is to distort the truth and the way cults operate.
-the sequence in the bog with the lights and the dead faces and creepy bog witch was good. that was what I was wanting
-doesn't really count bc its not actually anything to do with the book but the author is from my hometown so go off xD xD
Things that didn't quite land:
-the pov. i just...something about the narration just felt a little funky and I cannot place what it is. Maybe this book might've been better in past tense instead of the narration tumbling over itself. It just felt a little off aesthetically and for pacing
-lotta. i think i've just got tired of hardened/strong/angry/not-like-other-girls protagonists in their pants bc they're cool, with a huge chip on their shoulder, and being vaguely superior to more feminine girls. i did enjoy her softening a bit as the book went but i am just so tired of sharp-edged female characters. they're too busy being Tough that I can't connect with them the way I want to
-i wanted more spooky. it wasn't spooky enough. i saw the horror tag and i went!!! but it just didn't spook me out at any point. i wanted the cold tingles. I was like ok so its just a bit darker and more folksy??? ok??
-felt weirdly hunger games esque even tho it wasn't. I don't know. maybe i'm having a lot of trope fatigue and its a me problem
Things I didn't like:
- i cannot lose book bingo. i want to lose. guys pLEASE stop filling out my bingo card. if you miss the one space you hit the other. we hit token gay couple, strong female character, present tense narration, aND token lesbian couple? mine's four by four i didn't even need the free space. please. someone. let me lose this bloody game
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
If you’re a sucker for atmospheric, folklore-heavy stories with a strong sense of place, “Song of the Saltings” by Rachael King is definitely one to check out. Just be ready for a bit of a slow burn.
First off, the vibes? Immaculate. This book absolutely nails that eerie, windswept island atmosphere. The setting of Brack feels alive in that quiet, unsettling way, like the land itself is watching. Between the salt flats, moors, and constant whispers of old traditions, it gives off major “something is deeply wrong here” energy. Think small-town paranoia mixed with folklore and a touch of dread.
The story follows Lotta and Moss, and I’ve got to say—Lotta really carries this book. She’s prickly, closed-off, and shaped by surviving something seriously traumatic as a child (she was literally meant to be sacrificed). Her emotional walls and complicated relationship with her community feel very real, and she’s easy to root for. Moss is a bit quieter and more divisive; his thoughtful, justice-driven personality may make him a bit difficult to latch onto.
One of the coolest elements here is the folklore, things like Jenny, the Glimm, and the island’s creepy traditions. The problem? It’s so interesting that you kind of wish there was more of it. A lot of those mythological elements stay just out of reach, which adds mystery but can also feel a little underdeveloped.
Pacing-wise, it’s definitely on the slower side, especially in the middle. There’s a lot of worldbuilding and repetition that can drag a bit, but the final third really pulls it together with higher stakes and some genuinely intense moments. It’s one of those books where the ending makes you appreciate the buildup more, just maybe not while you’re in the slower parts.
Theme-wise, it digs into some pretty heavy stuff, like blind faith, control, tradition, and how communities can twist truth to maintain power. It’s not super subtle about it, but it works, especially as everything starts unraveling.
Overall, this is a beautifully written, haunting debut that leans more toward quiet, unsettling fantasy than fast-paced action. It won’t work for everyone (especially if you want constant plot movement), but if you like character-driven stories with eerie folklore and morally messy communities, it’s worth the ride.
If you’re a sucker for atmospheric, folklore-heavy stories with a strong sense of place, “Song of the Saltings” by Rachael King is definitely one to check out. Just be ready for a bit of a slow burn.
First off, the vibes? Immaculate. This book absolutely nails that eerie, windswept island atmosphere. The setting of Brack feels alive in that quiet, unsettling way, like the land itself is watching. Between the salt flats, moors, and constant whispers of old traditions, it gives off major “something is deeply wrong here” energy. Think small-town paranoia mixed with folklore and a touch of dread.
The story follows Lotta and Moss, and I’ve got to say—Lotta really carries this book. She’s prickly, closed-off, and shaped by surviving something seriously traumatic as a child (she was literally meant to be sacrificed). Her emotional walls and complicated relationship with her community feel very real, and she’s easy to root for. Moss is a bit quieter and more divisive; his thoughtful, justice-driven personality may make him a bit difficult to latch onto.
One of the coolest elements here is the folklore, things like Jenny, the Glimm, and the island’s creepy traditions. The problem? It’s so interesting that you kind of wish there was more of it. A lot of those mythological elements stay just out of reach, which adds mystery but can also feel a little underdeveloped.
Pacing-wise, it’s definitely on the slower side, especially in the middle. There’s a lot of worldbuilding and repetition that can drag a bit, but the final third really pulls it together with higher stakes and some genuinely intense moments. It’s one of those books where the ending makes you appreciate the buildup more, just maybe not while you’re in the slower parts.
Theme-wise, it digs into some pretty heavy stuff, like blind faith, control, tradition, and how communities can twist truth to maintain power. It’s not super subtle about it, but it works, especially as everything starts unraveling.
Overall, this is a beautifully written, haunting debut that leans more toward quiet, unsettling fantasy than fast-paced action. It won’t work for everyone (especially if you want constant plot movement), but if you like character-driven stories with eerie folklore and morally messy communities, it’s worth the ride.
June 15, 2026
I picked this book up based purely on its cover, and I think it was the right choice. Going into this book blind I was sucked right in to Lotta’s plight. She’s both a beacon of change — in that the island no longer has to sacrifice its children every three years — and a mark of their shame, in that if they’d just tried to sacrifice horses earlier, maybe more children would be alive. It’s a tense line to walk and I think the book does well in establishing how Lotta is always on the outside, always looked at as something other than a person, other than a sixteen year old girl whose parents gave her up to the council for sacrifice.
Lotta is not an easy character to like. She’s mulish in her temper, cruel and curt to Moss, caring only for the horses even as she refuses to name them and calls them all “it” in an effort to not get attached. But as the story goes on she develops from sulky and self-centered to someone who demands justice and reparations for all the harm done to those around her. She finds herself able to love the horses she cares for, to forgive her parents, to make friends and find some pride in what she’s done.
It’s hard, after all, to feel proud of herself when she’s raising horses to be killed; or raising them for the people taking food and goods from the islanders in the name of “protecting them” when in reality they’re just abusing their power.
Every scene in this book is to a purpose. And that purpose is to tell a story about propaganda, religious indoctrination, deliberate “othering” of one half of the island to keep the two impoverished factions hating one another rather than the rich and powerful living on the hill, abuse by those in power, and how the truth will set you free. (This is a YA book, so some of themes are a little heavy handed.)
In the end it’s a story about community, about realizing the people telling you to hate something, telling you do obey without question might not have your best interests at heart. It’s also a book about two people who love horses, how dangerous and magical bogs are, and sometimes it takes more than one person to change the world.
Thank you so very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!
Lotta is not an easy character to like. She’s mulish in her temper, cruel and curt to Moss, caring only for the horses even as she refuses to name them and calls them all “it” in an effort to not get attached. But as the story goes on she develops from sulky and self-centered to someone who demands justice and reparations for all the harm done to those around her. She finds herself able to love the horses she cares for, to forgive her parents, to make friends and find some pride in what she’s done.
It’s hard, after all, to feel proud of herself when she’s raising horses to be killed; or raising them for the people taking food and goods from the islanders in the name of “protecting them” when in reality they’re just abusing their power.
Every scene in this book is to a purpose. And that purpose is to tell a story about propaganda, religious indoctrination, deliberate “othering” of one half of the island to keep the two impoverished factions hating one another rather than the rich and powerful living on the hill, abuse by those in power, and how the truth will set you free. (This is a YA book, so some of themes are a little heavy handed.)
In the end it’s a story about community, about realizing the people telling you to hate something, telling you do obey without question might not have your best interests at heart. It’s also a book about two people who love horses, how dangerous and magical bogs are, and sometimes it takes more than one person to change the world.
Thank you so very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!
June 17, 2026
Horse girls rise up!
Lotta lives on a remote island named Brack. After being spared from the lottery, and if you’ve read Shirley Jackson you know what kind of lottery, she is now the head groom for the ruling class Council. She has a special connection to the horses, and a growing connection to the island that haunts her through song. While out for a ride she encounters Moss, a hideling boy, and rescues his horse. Through their growing relationship, she begins to question what she’s always known about the island and its inhabitants, what she’s always been told.
This book reads like a solid middle grades book, but with more mature themes of identity, oppression, power, religious fundamentalism, and child sacrifice. The setting is eerie and atmospheric. The characters are grounded and interesting. The folklore is familiar yet creative.
The islanders fear and worship The Glimm. The Council controls the islanders through this fear. Lotta and Moss join together to find a bog witch, travel to forbidden places, face a mythic beast and uncover the truth.
The setting is the major standout. The island reminded me of the remote islands of Scotland with foggy moors, bogs, marshes, and weather that feels like a character. I had no trouble getting into this book. The pacing was solid throughout the first half. Things really picked up in the second half with a lot of great action. I finished this one in a single day. The characters were well developed and grew along the way. I like the ending and that it left space for more stories about these characters while definitively resolving the plot.
This book is marketed for Grades 7 and up and I agree with that. Lotta and Moss have a developing relationship that is very mild. A few characters are in same-sex relationships. It was great to see this presented as completely unexceptional. I will definitely purchase this for my high school library. I think it would also be great for middle school readers. YA sometimes feels formulaic or trope-heavy, but not this one. The author calls this horse girl folk horror. It is mysterious, eerie, atmospheric, but I wouldn’t say its scary. I give it two thumbs up!
Lotta lives on a remote island named Brack. After being spared from the lottery, and if you’ve read Shirley Jackson you know what kind of lottery, she is now the head groom for the ruling class Council. She has a special connection to the horses, and a growing connection to the island that haunts her through song. While out for a ride she encounters Moss, a hideling boy, and rescues his horse. Through their growing relationship, she begins to question what she’s always known about the island and its inhabitants, what she’s always been told.
This book reads like a solid middle grades book, but with more mature themes of identity, oppression, power, religious fundamentalism, and child sacrifice. The setting is eerie and atmospheric. The characters are grounded and interesting. The folklore is familiar yet creative.
The islanders fear and worship The Glimm. The Council controls the islanders through this fear. Lotta and Moss join together to find a bog witch, travel to forbidden places, face a mythic beast and uncover the truth.
The setting is the major standout. The island reminded me of the remote islands of Scotland with foggy moors, bogs, marshes, and weather that feels like a character. I had no trouble getting into this book. The pacing was solid throughout the first half. Things really picked up in the second half with a lot of great action. I finished this one in a single day. The characters were well developed and grew along the way. I like the ending and that it left space for more stories about these characters while definitively resolving the plot.
This book is marketed for Grades 7 and up and I agree with that. Lotta and Moss have a developing relationship that is very mild. A few characters are in same-sex relationships. It was great to see this presented as completely unexceptional. I will definitely purchase this for my high school library. I think it would also be great for middle school readers. YA sometimes feels formulaic or trope-heavy, but not this one. The author calls this horse girl folk horror. It is mysterious, eerie, atmospheric, but I wouldn’t say its scary. I give it two thumbs up!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!~~
2.5/5 stars rounded up
While this was interesting for the most part, I wasn't as taken with it as I wanted to be.
The thing I liked most about the book was the themes about indoctrination in religion and rewritten history to serve the narrative men in power push onto those who follow them. The reveal of these things wasn't done the most subtly, and I have read books that have done it better, but for all intents and purposes it works fine here. There were also points the hammering got a tad frustrating, especially when Lotta tries to sway the masses by her word alone, but that's part of the process.
I also liked the atmosphere and worldbuilding of Brack. Sometimes the long-winded descriptions had me glazing over it, but the general culture and lore behind the island, both the true and false side of it, was enough to keep me going.
The main characters were okay. Lotta was the most interesting, especially with her being between seemingly chosen by her island's god and terrible complicated feelings regarding the fact she should have been sacrificed. She also had more initiative and sway over the story than Moss, whose POV lend some insight into the hidelings but not much else. I don't think much would change if he was regulated to important side character status. If anything, the story was so insistent on focusing on Lotta's brother's gay doomed romance. It consumed this guy's whole character, and while it seemed like commentary on toxic hetero norms, it also felt like a distraction from the main plot, especially when Marten wasn't really characterized beyond that.
All in all, I thought this was fine. Horse people, particularly those for this book is aimed at, would probably enjoy this a lot more than I did.
2.5/5 stars rounded up
While this was interesting for the most part, I wasn't as taken with it as I wanted to be.
The thing I liked most about the book was the themes about indoctrination in religion and rewritten history to serve the narrative men in power push onto those who follow them. The reveal of these things wasn't done the most subtly, and I have read books that have done it better, but for all intents and purposes it works fine here. There were also points the hammering got a tad frustrating, especially when Lotta tries to sway the masses by her word alone, but that's part of the process.
I also liked the atmosphere and worldbuilding of Brack. Sometimes the long-winded descriptions had me glazing over it, but the general culture and lore behind the island, both the true and false side of it, was enough to keep me going.
The main characters were okay. Lotta was the most interesting, especially with her being between seemingly chosen by her island's god and terrible complicated feelings regarding the fact she should have been sacrificed. She also had more initiative and sway over the story than Moss, whose POV lend some insight into the hidelings but not much else. I don't think much would change if he was regulated to important side character status. If anything, the story was so insistent on focusing on Lotta's brother's gay doomed romance. It consumed this guy's whole character, and while it seemed like commentary on toxic hetero norms, it also felt like a distraction from the main plot, especially when Marten wasn't really characterized beyond that.
All in all, I thought this was fine. Horse people, particularly those for this book is aimed at, would probably enjoy this a lot more than I did.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The world Rachel King has built in Song of the Saltings is a small one geographically, a wind-scoured island community living under the shadow of the Glimm, a sea serpent woven into the fabric of their faith and survival. For generations the price of the Glimm's protection was a child, given annually to the sea. Years ago, a girl named Lotta was chosen, bound to the stones and left to her fate. But the Glimm did not take her. It took her pony Hazel instead, and in the aftermath, the island's tradition quietly shifted. Horses have been offered ever since.
The arrangement has held, more or less since. But harvests have been failing and suspicion begins to curdle into accusation. And at the center of the community's unease stands Lotta herself, a young woman who survived the sacrifice but who has never quite recovered from having been offered up by her family. She has built a life in the margins of her own society, sleeping in the stables, pouring tenderness into the horses she cares for, including the one that will die each year. She is dutiful and wounded.
Early in the story Lotta forms an unlikely alliance with Moss, a young man whose family once hid him from the reapings and has carried reduced social standing ever since. Together they dig into the island's oldest lore, looking for some interpretation of the Glimm's needs that might release their community from this cycle without requiring further blood or bone. The moral questions at the heart of the story, about inherited guilt, community complicity, and what we owe one another when tradition becomes harm, are handled beautifully.
Readers drawn to darkly atmospheric fiction in which young people push back against the systems that claim authority over their lives will find the world of novel a natural home.
Many thanks to #NetGalley for the advance copy of the book.
The arrangement has held, more or less since. But harvests have been failing and suspicion begins to curdle into accusation. And at the center of the community's unease stands Lotta herself, a young woman who survived the sacrifice but who has never quite recovered from having been offered up by her family. She has built a life in the margins of her own society, sleeping in the stables, pouring tenderness into the horses she cares for, including the one that will die each year. She is dutiful and wounded.
Early in the story Lotta forms an unlikely alliance with Moss, a young man whose family once hid him from the reapings and has carried reduced social standing ever since. Together they dig into the island's oldest lore, looking for some interpretation of the Glimm's needs that might release their community from this cycle without requiring further blood or bone. The moral questions at the heart of the story, about inherited guilt, community complicity, and what we owe one another when tradition becomes harm, are handled beautifully.
Readers drawn to darkly atmospheric fiction in which young people push back against the systems that claim authority over their lives will find the world of novel a natural home.
Many thanks to #NetGalley for the advance copy of the book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Song of the Saltings is atmospherically GORGEOUS, with beautiful writing that feels both mysterious and folkloric. I could feel the wind across the moors, smell the salt along the coast, hear the gulls screeching over the sea cliffs, and feel the island itself breathe. Its remote setting feels both intimate and a little like a disoriented homecoming—especially when faced with the ugly truths of a small community trapped in a web of lies.
I connected immediately with Lotta. She nearly died eight years ago and carries that knowledge like a weight. She is both strong and vulnerable, prickly and stubborn, and faces the trauma of her past with a resolute, terrified bravery.
Then there’s Moss. He’s not your classic male main character, which I loved. There’s an innocence about him. He sees beauty in the land that no one else does, and possesses a strong sense of injustice. The world has not been kind to him, but he’s ready to push at the walls that have always hemmed him in. He’s not a character I imagine everyone will relate to, but I definitely resonated with his quieter, rebellious strength.
Overall, Song of the Saltings is the kind of story I wanted to savor, but couldn’t keep myself from devouring. I fell in love with Brack and the horses as much as I fell for the characters. The story stayed sharp in my mind even days after turning the last page, and it left me craving more from this world and the author.
* Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I connected immediately with Lotta. She nearly died eight years ago and carries that knowledge like a weight. She is both strong and vulnerable, prickly and stubborn, and faces the trauma of her past with a resolute, terrified bravery.
Then there’s Moss. He’s not your classic male main character, which I loved. There’s an innocence about him. He sees beauty in the land that no one else does, and possesses a strong sense of injustice. The world has not been kind to him, but he’s ready to push at the walls that have always hemmed him in. He’s not a character I imagine everyone will relate to, but I definitely resonated with his quieter, rebellious strength.
Overall, Song of the Saltings is the kind of story I wanted to savor, but couldn’t keep myself from devouring. I fell in love with Brack and the horses as much as I fell for the characters. The story stayed sharp in my mind even days after turning the last page, and it left me craving more from this world and the author.
* Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The cover is stunning and earns every bit of attention it gets — it suits the book perfectly.
The writing is atmospheric and folkloric, grounded enough in the physical world that you feel the coast and the cold before the story has properly begun. The island setting is one of the most convincing I have read in recent memory — specific and lived-in and quietly eerie throughout.
Lotta is a strong lead. She survived something terrible at six years old and has been shaped by it ever since — closed off, difficult, and brave in ways she would not call brave. The book respects her damage rather than trying to fix it, which made her very easy to root for. Moss is less immediately accessible but no less interesting — observant and principled and quietly determined, the kind of character who grows on you steadily rather than winning you over at once. He will not suit every reader, but I found him genuinely affecting.
The folklore woven through the story is its most distinctive quality — Jenny, the Glimm, the old local songs that suggest something much larger and darker underneath the surface. It is also, frustratingly, the most underused. The middle section is where the book loses some momentum, and more time spent in that mythological layer would have been very welcome.
The final third recovers strongly and pays off everything the opening set up. It has been days since I finished it and I am still thinking about it.
A confident, unsettling debut. I would happily return to this world.
The writing is atmospheric and folkloric, grounded enough in the physical world that you feel the coast and the cold before the story has properly begun. The island setting is one of the most convincing I have read in recent memory — specific and lived-in and quietly eerie throughout.
Lotta is a strong lead. She survived something terrible at six years old and has been shaped by it ever since — closed off, difficult, and brave in ways she would not call brave. The book respects her damage rather than trying to fix it, which made her very easy to root for. Moss is less immediately accessible but no less interesting — observant and principled and quietly determined, the kind of character who grows on you steadily rather than winning you over at once. He will not suit every reader, but I found him genuinely affecting.
The folklore woven through the story is its most distinctive quality — Jenny, the Glimm, the old local songs that suggest something much larger and darker underneath the surface. It is also, frustratingly, the most underused. The middle section is where the book loses some momentum, and more time spent in that mythological layer would have been very welcome.
The final third recovers strongly and pays off everything the opening set up. It has been days since I finished it and I am still thinking about it.
A confident, unsettling debut. I would happily return to this world.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
📖𝐸-𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌📖
𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒶𝓁𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 ʙʏ ʀᴀᴄʜᴀᴇʟ ᴋɪɴɢ
𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs
✨ 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝓀✨
ᴏɴ ᴀɴ ɪsᴏʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪsʟᴀɴᴅ ʀᴜʟᴇᴅ ʙʏ ғᴇᴀʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ʙᴀʀɢᴀɪɴs, ᴀ ɢɪʀʟ ᴏɴᴄᴇ sᴘᴀʀᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀʀsʜ ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ ᴍᴜsᴛ ᴜɴᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ’s ᴛʀᴀᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴs ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɪsʟᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏs ɪᴛsᴇʟғ.
𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝓈𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒹𝑒𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝒶 𝓈𝒶𝒸𝓇𝒾𝒻𝒾𝒸𝑒… 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒾𝓉 𝓇𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁 𝒾𝓉 𝓈𝓅𝒶𝓇𝑒𝒹.
ᴛʜɪs ғᴇᴇʟs ᴅᴇᴇᴘʟʏ ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇsᴛ ᴡᴀʏ—ғᴏɢɢʏ ᴍᴀʀsʜᴇs, sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇ sᴏɴɢs, ᴏʟᴅ ʀɪᴛᴜᴀʟs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴsᴛᴀɴᴛ sᴇɴsᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪs ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ʙᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ sᴜʀғᴀᴄᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄᴇs ғᴏʟᴋ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ-ᴏғ-ᴀɢᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʀᴀᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ ᴋᴇᴇᴘs ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ. ǫᴜɪᴇᴛʟʏ ʜᴀᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ.
𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝒱𝒾𝒷𝑒𝓈:
✨ ғᴏʟᴋ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
🌊 sᴀᴄʀɪғɪᴄɪᴀʟ ʜᴏʀsᴇs
✨ ɪsᴏʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪsʟᴀɴᴅ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ
🌊 ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ʙᴀʀɢᴀɪɴs & ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs
✨ ʏᴀ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
🌊 ᴇᴇʀɪᴇ, ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ sᴛᴏʀʏᴛᴇʟʟɪɴɢ
📖 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒...
🌊 ʜᴀᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ-ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴇᴅ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
✨ ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ ʏᴀ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ
🌊 ɪsᴏʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪsʟᴀɴᴅ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢs
✨ ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴀʏ ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs
🌊 sʟᴏᴡ-ʙᴜʀɴ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴇs
✨ ʟʏʀɪᴄᴀʟ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ
𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟʟʏ ᴇᴇʀɪᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ ʟᴀʏᴇʀᴇᴅ—ᴀ ʜᴀᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʟᴋ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛ ғᴏʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀs ᴡʜᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ.
ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ
𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒶𝓁𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 ʙʏ ʀᴀᴄʜᴀᴇʟ ᴋɪɴɢ
𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs
✨ 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝓀✨
ᴏɴ ᴀɴ ɪsᴏʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪsʟᴀɴᴅ ʀᴜʟᴇᴅ ʙʏ ғᴇᴀʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ʙᴀʀɢᴀɪɴs, ᴀ ɢɪʀʟ ᴏɴᴄᴇ sᴘᴀʀᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀʀsʜ ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ ᴍᴜsᴛ ᴜɴᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ’s ᴛʀᴀᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴs ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɪsʟᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏs ɪᴛsᴇʟғ.
𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝓈𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒹𝑒𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝒶 𝓈𝒶𝒸𝓇𝒾𝒻𝒾𝒸𝑒… 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒾𝓉 𝓇𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁 𝒾𝓉 𝓈𝓅𝒶𝓇𝑒𝒹.
ᴛʜɪs ғᴇᴇʟs ᴅᴇᴇᴘʟʏ ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇsᴛ ᴡᴀʏ—ғᴏɢɢʏ ᴍᴀʀsʜᴇs, sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇ sᴏɴɢs, ᴏʟᴅ ʀɪᴛᴜᴀʟs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴsᴛᴀɴᴛ sᴇɴsᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪs ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ʙᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ sᴜʀғᴀᴄᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄᴇs ғᴏʟᴋ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ-ᴏғ-ᴀɢᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʀᴀᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ ᴋᴇᴇᴘs ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ. ǫᴜɪᴇᴛʟʏ ʜᴀᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ.
𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝒱𝒾𝒷𝑒𝓈:
✨ ғᴏʟᴋ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
🌊 sᴀᴄʀɪғɪᴄɪᴀʟ ʜᴏʀsᴇs
✨ ɪsᴏʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪsʟᴀɴᴅ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ
🌊 ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ʙᴀʀɢᴀɪɴs & ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs
✨ ʏᴀ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
🌊 ᴇᴇʀɪᴇ, ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ sᴛᴏʀʏᴛᴇʟʟɪɴɢ
📖 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒...
🌊 ʜᴀᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʟᴋʟᴏʀᴇ-ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴇᴅ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
✨ ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ ʏᴀ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ
🌊 ɪsᴏʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪsʟᴀɴᴅ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢs
✨ ᴍᴏʀᴀʟʟʏ ɢʀᴀʏ ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀs
🌊 sʟᴏᴡ-ʙᴜʀɴ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴇs
✨ ʟʏʀɪᴄᴀʟ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ
𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟʟʏ ᴇᴇʀɪᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ ʟᴀʏᴇʀᴇᴅ—ᴀ ʜᴀᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʟᴋ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛ ғᴏʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀs ᴡʜᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ.
ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ
June 2, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for a copy of this book!
The vibes of this book were immaculate. The way that Rachel King set up the world and the atmosphere really drew me into the book. Personally I am a massive fan of folktales, myths and fairytales so this felt right up my alley.
The plot itself was ok. I wasn't as hooked as I thought I would be. To me the pacing of the novel felt a bit slow. The romance especially didn't really work that well for me. I think I would have much preferred them staying as friends. They didn't really seem to like each other romantically outside of being in a high stakes (life or death-ish) situation. When Lotta and Moss kissed I had to go back and read the last few chapters as it personally felt really out of place.
I did love the way the townsfolk and the council were set up. The interactions between Lotta and them really put me on edge and slightly fear for her safety, especially as the townsfolk got more and more worked up.
Unfortunately I did see the reveal towards the end coming regarding the secret about the villages formation. It felt very reminiscent of a Horror movie, The Village, I watched as a kid.
Overall it was a solid YA novel that was beautifully written. I do think it leans slightly towards the younger side
The vibes of this book were immaculate. The way that Rachel King set up the world and the atmosphere really drew me into the book. Personally I am a massive fan of folktales, myths and fairytales so this felt right up my alley.
The plot itself was ok. I wasn't as hooked as I thought I would be. To me the pacing of the novel felt a bit slow. The romance especially didn't really work that well for me. I think I would have much preferred them staying as friends. They didn't really seem to like each other romantically outside of being in a high stakes (life or death-ish) situation. When Lotta and Moss kissed I had to go back and read the last few chapters as it personally felt really out of place.
I did love the way the townsfolk and the council were set up. The interactions between Lotta and them really put me on edge and slightly fear for her safety, especially as the townsfolk got more and more worked up.
Unfortunately I did see the reveal towards the end coming regarding the secret about the villages formation. It felt very reminiscent of a Horror movie, The Village, I watched as a kid.
Overall it was a solid YA novel that was beautifully written. I do think it leans slightly towards the younger side
Review of advance copy received from Author
Song of the Saltings is a gripping page-turner for young adults and adults alike who love fantasy worlds with creepy folklore creatures, sweet and real romance, pacey action, horses, ritual sacrifices, and many, many secrets that Lotta and Moss must uncover and reveal to protect those dearest to them.
Think the darkness of Shirley Jackson's short story, The Lottery, landing on an imagined landscape similar to the Scottish Outer Hebrides with eery folklore creatures lurking in the moors.
For those of you old enough to remember the childhood trauma of the drowning of Artreyu's horse, Artax, in The Neverending Story, beware in a good way! There are moments in the bogs where I was transported back to my 8 year old self, willing the horse to escape the mud and certain death.
Rachael King has created an immersive fantasy world that will be devoured by readers young and a little old like myself.
The Glimm is waiting for you in the salt marshes...so get reading.
Think the darkness of Shirley Jackson's short story, The Lottery, landing on an imagined landscape similar to the Scottish Outer Hebrides with eery folklore creatures lurking in the moors.
For those of you old enough to remember the childhood trauma of the drowning of Artreyu's horse, Artax, in The Neverending Story, beware in a good way! There are moments in the bogs where I was transported back to my 8 year old self, willing the horse to escape the mud and certain death.
Rachael King has created an immersive fantasy world that will be devoured by readers young and a little old like myself.
The Glimm is waiting for you in the salt marshes...so get reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Gorgeous cover, but unfortunately that's about all that gripped me about this story in the end.
I went into Song of the Saltings with high expectations, especially since it was compared to one of my favorites, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. It didn't meet that expectation. Not having that in the description would do it more justice.
Overall, this book had a very young feeling. Of course, it's listed as YA and I do enjoy YA quite a lot, but this felt VERY YA, very young. It lacked emotional depth or the sharp edges that can be found in YA.
The highlight was definitely the folklore of the village of Brack; I wish the story had leaned much further into that eerie potential rather than playing it so safe. This was a bit too simplified, and safe, which really left me wanting more. It did not hook me, and around the 30% mark, I basically gave up and was left skimming the rest of the book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I went into Song of the Saltings with high expectations, especially since it was compared to one of my favorites, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. It didn't meet that expectation. Not having that in the description would do it more justice.
Overall, this book had a very young feeling. Of course, it's listed as YA and I do enjoy YA quite a lot, but this felt VERY YA, very young. It lacked emotional depth or the sharp edges that can be found in YA.
The highlight was definitely the folklore of the village of Brack; I wish the story had leaned much further into that eerie potential rather than playing it so safe. This was a bit too simplified, and safe, which really left me wanting more. It did not hook me, and around the 30% mark, I basically gave up and was left skimming the rest of the book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Song of the saltings is a young adult fantasy novel heavily inspired by folklore, set on an island with moors and bogs and salt marshes. This story was incredible and beautifully written. In this story, you will come across corrupt leaders, a strong female lead, prejudices and the importance of doing what is right.
On the island of Brack, every year, a child is sacrificed to the Glimm, the creature that haunts the salt marshes. When young Lotta is drawn as the annual sacrifice and sent down to the marshes, the Glimm surprisingly spares her and takes her horse instead. From then on, a horse is drawn for sacrifice each year instead of a child. Eight years later, teenage Lotta works for the Council, tending to their sacrificial horses. But strange things begin to happen on the island. Crops are failing. Babies are stillborn. It seems like the island is dying. Now Lotta must uncover many dark secrets in order to save her island.
On the island of Brack, every year, a child is sacrificed to the Glimm, the creature that haunts the salt marshes. When young Lotta is drawn as the annual sacrifice and sent down to the marshes, the Glimm surprisingly spares her and takes her horse instead. From then on, a horse is drawn for sacrifice each year instead of a child. Eight years later, teenage Lotta works for the Council, tending to their sacrificial horses. But strange things begin to happen on the island. Crops are failing. Babies are stillborn. It seems like the island is dying. Now Lotta must uncover many dark secrets in order to save her island.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
E-ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!
After unknowingly breaking the sacrifice cycle by having her beloved pony taken instead, Lotta is now dealing with the strange twist of fate. Now, the community is struggling again, and Lotta begins to question them when she sees something wrong beginning to bubble up in the community. The worldbuilding of this island setting was done fantastically as we built it up along with the main characters. The originality of this book was so unique, especially in its discussion of the monster and the world in it. The characters were well written, especially with the great depth into their backstories. It did take a bit for it to build up the story, but it was definitely worth it. Overall, this was a great YA Fantasy book with great worldbuilding and deep characters.
After unknowingly breaking the sacrifice cycle by having her beloved pony taken instead, Lotta is now dealing with the strange twist of fate. Now, the community is struggling again, and Lotta begins to question them when she sees something wrong beginning to bubble up in the community. The worldbuilding of this island setting was done fantastically as we built it up along with the main characters. The originality of this book was so unique, especially in its discussion of the monster and the world in it. The characters were well written, especially with the great depth into their backstories. It did take a bit for it to build up the story, but it was definitely worth it. Overall, this was a great YA Fantasy book with great worldbuilding and deep characters.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Atmosphere and world-building are excellent in this Celtic-adjacent fantasy. Song of the Saltings feels like a fresh fairytale, with a setting that is based in the Scottish islands and particularly the Outer Hebrides and St. Kilda. Centered in a terrain of storm-swept rock and brackish marsh, Song of the Saltings depicts a place and a culture where eking out a living is hard and starvation is an ever-present possibility. The Island of Brack depends on the Glimm, a supernatural unseen figure who blesses them with food and prosperity if they will sacrifice to appease it. For generations, that sacrifice has been a child, chosen by lot every three years. The sacrifice and worship of the Glimm is guided by the Council, a hereditary leadership that tithes support from the villagers.
But times are changing, and the Glimm has begun accepting horses as a tithe instead of children. Some Council members aren't eager for that change. Their own children have always been protected from the sacrificial tithe, and they have little motivation to protect the common people of Brack.
Lotta, once designated for sacrifice as a child, was spared when the Glimm took her pony instead. Now a teenager with strange powers, she works for the Council members as a horse trainer. She is filled with questions. Why did she survive? Why does she feel so connected to the Glimm? And are the Council's choices actually just?
Joining together with Moss, a boy depised by the villagers because he spent his childhood hidden away and protected from being sacrificed, Lotta explores her unique situation--blessed by the Glimm, spared from sacrifice, but marked by it--and questions the Council's control and judgment. Together, Lotta and Moss find answers to questions. Their answers may turn everything upside down!
But times are changing, and the Glimm has begun accepting horses as a tithe instead of children. Some Council members aren't eager for that change. Their own children have always been protected from the sacrificial tithe, and they have little motivation to protect the common people of Brack.
Lotta, once designated for sacrifice as a child, was spared when the Glimm took her pony instead. Now a teenager with strange powers, she works for the Council members as a horse trainer. She is filled with questions. Why did she survive? Why does she feel so connected to the Glimm? And are the Council's choices actually just?
Joining together with Moss, a boy depised by the villagers because he spent his childhood hidden away and protected from being sacrificed, Lotta explores her unique situation--blessed by the Glimm, spared from sacrifice, but marked by it--and questions the Council's control and judgment. Together, Lotta and Moss find answers to questions. Their answers may turn everything upside down!
June 9, 2026
Ahh I wanted more from this book. I will say I loved part one but part two took it in a way I wasn’t expecting and I didn’t love it. This is also written in third person which I don’t always love as someone with ADHD it’s very easy to get lost. I feel like this book was trying to do too much and then it didn’t deliver. It’s a great atmospheric read, and I loved all the horse things. I also loved the Glimm and its description. I wish we got to see more of it. I also didn’t love the romance. It felt kinda forced and rushed.
Review of advance copy
I guess my local bookstore was naughty and put this on the shelf 2 weeks before it was supposed to be released ?
Anyway. I loved this book, horses and folklore. My cup of tea. A really nice quick easy read.
Anyway. I loved this book, horses and folklore. My cup of tea. A really nice quick easy read.
June 15, 2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Lovely read, would make a lovely transition for those that focus on YA looking to transition to darker reads but still in the same style of writing.
video review on my instagram /@nzbookfae
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is SO GOOD. I can’t wait for more people to read it!
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