“This is a story about an eagle huntress, an inventor and an organ made of icicles. But it is also a story about belonging, even at the very edges of our world . . .” 

In the snowy kingdom of Erkenwald, whales glide between icebergs, wolves hunt on the tundra and polar bears roam the glaciers. But the people of this land aren't so easy to find - because Erkenwald is ruled by an evil Ice Queen and the tribes must stay hidden or risk becoming her prisoners at Winterfang Palace.

Join Eska, a girl who breaks free from a cursed music box, and Flint, a boy whose inventions could change the fate of Erkenwald forever, as they journey to the Never Cliffs and beyond in search of an ancient, almost forgotten, song with the power to force the Ice Queen back.

This is a story about an eagle huntress, an inventor and an organ made of icicles. But it is also a story about belonging, even at the very edges of our world...

Why Novel North recommends

'Sky Song has all the elements of adventures I love. The beauty of ice and nature, animals who are characters in themselves, and language that entices and inspires! It’s perfect if you love Narnia and Northern Lights. A magical tale filled with hope and courage, set against a fantastical backdrop of ice, snow and trees. With strong characters and stronger friendships, this quest will keep you thrilled from the very first page!’

Author : Abi Elphinstone

Edition : Simon & Schuster, Paperback, 288 pages

ISBN : 9781471146077

Weight: 2452g
Dimensions: 198 x 130 x 18mm

In Island Dreams, Gavin Francis examines our collective fascination with islands. He blends stories of his own travels with psychology, philosophy and great voyages from literature, shedding new light on the importance of islands and isolation in our collective consciousness.

Comparing the life of freedom of thirty years of extraordinary travel from the Faroe Islands to the Aegean, from the Galapagos to the Andaman Islands with a life of responsibility as a doctor, community member and parent approaching middle age, Island Dreams riffs on the twinned poles of rest and motion, independence and attachment, never more relevant than in today's perennially connected world.

Illustrated with maps throughout, this is a celebration of human adventures in the world and within our minds.

Author : Gavin Francis

Edition : Canongate Books Ltd, Hardback, 256 pages

ISBN : 9781786898180

Published : 1st October 2020

Weight: 640g
Dimensions: 221 x 162 x 25mm

This alluring read includes 40 locations that are rife with disaster, chaos, paranormal activity, and death. The locations gathered here include the dangerous Strait of Messina, home of the mythical sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis; the coal town of Jharia, where the ground burns constantly with fire; Kasanka National Park in Zambia, where 8 million migrating bats darken the skies; the Nevada Triangle in the Sierra Nevada mountains, where hundreds of aircraft have disappeared; and Aokigahara Forest near Mount Fuji in Japan, the world's second most popular suicide location following the Golden Gate Bridge.

Author : Olivier Le Carrer

Edition : Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers Inc, Hardback, 144 pages

ISBN : 9781631910005

Published : 12th November 2015

Weight: 694g
Dimensions: 191 x 267 x 20mm

'For God's sake, hold on!'

On a stormy night off the coast of Scotland, young David Balfour faces his most terrifying test yet. He's been double-crossed by his wicked uncle, tricked into a sea voyage and sold into slavery. When the dashing Alan Breck Stewart comes aboard, he finds a brave friend at least, and the pair fight back against their treacherous, black-hearted shipmates. But then the ship hits a reef, it's every man for himself, and David must battle against the raging sea itself!

Author : Robert Louis Stevenson

Edition : Paperback, 368 pages, Vintage Children’s Classics

ISBN : 9780099573739

Weight: 243g
Dimensions: 188 x 129 x 22mm