What is Song of the Saltings about?
A teenage girl named Lotta finding out her way of life on an island isn’t what she has been taught. Folktales and suspicion are key factors.
Plot summary of Song of the Saltings (No Spoilers)
A 16 year old girl helps a teenage boy save his horse from the bogs that spread across their island. They clash at first, as he is one of the exiled people from their village. His family hid him as a child from the annual village lottery, which choses a child to sacrifice for the good of the village.
The ruling Council believes that a child must be given to the mythical creature below the island called the Glimm. This ensures the coming year’s crops will thrive and all manner of good will fall upon the village.
The girl herself is an anomaly, as she was chosen by the lottery years before, to be payment to the Glimm. But for the first time ever, the creature took her horse instead. She is part feared and part revered by the villages, but besides the stable work she does for a Councilor, the villages are wary of her.
She knows she is different. She hears and feels the Glimm below the island and is somehow connected to it. It pulls haunting song from her, and somehow she is connected to the weather elements too. This knowledge, and advice from village elders, send her on a trek to find the truth about the Glimm, the island’s past, and herself.
The answers she seeks shocks her to her core, and the result is part horror, part wonder, and found love.
My thoughts
Wow! This YA novel had me captured from the first few sentences to the very last, as I turned the pages faster and faster. The pacing of the story is excellent, building the setting, characters gradually (but not slowly), giving me all the understanding I needed to fully appreciate what it was like living on an island of contrasts.
There were the rich, their followers, and the exiled, banished for the crime of hiding their children from harm. The characters are lush and credible, with convincing motivations, and actions, tugging on my own emotions while reading.
The bleak, remote, island setting is eerie at times, especially around the bogs and moors at night where the villagers fear to tread.
Tension builds throughout the novel, as hearts are broken, others found, truths are revealed, and choices made.
Song of the Saltings is beautifully written by NZ’s own multi-award winning author, reviewer and past literary festival director, Rachael King.
My favourite YA read of 2026.
Main Characters
Lotta Salter – Aged 16 and works hard in the Manor stables of Councilor Lewis – one of the important men of her island home of Brack. She has a natural affinity with horses, and is head groom. She lives above the stables and has had the apprenticeship for three years.
Besides her friend Daphne (daughter of the Manor), she’s not close to anyone. Lotta fell out with her parents after they meekly did the Council bidding when she was chosen as the Glimm sacrifice. Everyone else was wary of her, after the Glimm let her live. Lotta is brave, detests cruel treatment of person or animal, and will stand against it when she can. Her connection with the Glimm is growing, but she doesn’t fear it.
Moss Smith –Â is labelled a hideling by the villagers. This is spoken as an insult, no matter how many times he tells people he didn’t ask to be hidden by his parents. This was done to prevent him being entered into the annual sacrifice lottery, but it has done much more harm than good.
Their life of exile is now one of poverty and hardship. His eyesight has also been affected, and he avoids bright clear days, preferring to be out at night.
Marten Salter – 18 years old and works with the gardener for the same Councilor as Lotta. He is in love with the Councilor’s son Roderick, and they grab whatever time they can together, often in the stables while Lotta and Daphne are on watch. His love for Roddy soon becomes a broken heart, which sends him to drink and trouble.
Writing Style
Prologue / 42 Chapters in 2 parts / Epilogue
The story follows Lotta and Moss’ points of view, blending along the way.
FAQs
What age is it for?
12+
Where & When is it set?
A fictional remote island named Brack in the Scottish Isles “…in an alternative history or possible future.”
What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?
Third person / Present tense
Is there Violence?
Yes
What genre is Song of the Saltings?
Historical / Folk Horror / Young Adult
Is there any sex in the novel?
No
Themes
Truth, Mythical Creatures, Sacrifice, Control, Courage, 1st Love, Community
Is it part of a series?
No
Find a junior series by Rachael King here
Find an award winning middle-grade novel by this author here
Author
Rachael King
Publisher
Allen & Unwin
(2026, Allen & Unwin NZ, Aotearoa New Zealand, Multi Award Winning Author, Suspicion, Folktales, Family, First Love, LGBTQ+, Folk Horror, Sacrifice, Horses, Mythical Creature, Serpent, Connection, Control, Truth, Lies, Historical, action, Betrayal, Love, Secrets)