Description
by Rachael King
Spellbinding middle-grade fantasy adventure of loyalty, courage, and being careful what you wish for . . .
'The runaway hit of the year: haunting, steeped in atmosphere, with themes of the significance of story, language and myth.' The Sapling
'Splendidly inventive, expertly controlled, full of passion and compassion, and a narrative I would give four fingernails to have thought of.' David Hill
'A compelling and lovingly crafted novel.' David Mitchell
The same evening Josh Underhill went missing, the black horse appeared on the hill above the house.
Thirteen-year-old Ella knows that words are powerful. So she should have known better than to utter a wish and a curse on the same day, even in jest.
When the boy she has cursed goes missing, in the same sudden, unexplained way as her father several years earlier, Ella discovers that her family is living in the shadow of a vengeful kelpie, a black horse-like creature.
With the help of her beloved pony Magpie, can Ella break the curse of the kelpie and save not just her family, but the whole community?
Rachael King's writing is immersive and vibrant, rich in lore and an appreciation of the natural world that fans of Katherine Rundell, Susan Cooper and Kiran Millwood Hargrave will love.
Category: Children's
Awards: Shortlisted, Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award, New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, 2024, NZ
Longlisted, Ages 11-14+, UKLA Book Awards, 2024, GB
Publisher: A&U Children's NZ
Pub Date: 20 Feb 2024
Page Extent: 320
Package type: PAPERBACK
Age: 9 - 12
Subject: Fantasy & magical realism (Children's / Teenage)