I am the girl with no name ... I have a secret I must never tell. If I do, they will come after me - the Protector and his men.
Only a number branded on her arm betrays the orphan girl's past. When she arrives at Murkmere Hall to be a kitchen maid, they call her Scuff, and little guess she has committed a terrible crime. Haunted by her dark secret, all Scuff can do is pray to the divine beings - the birds - for forgiveness.
Now, five years later, the past is catching up with Scuff. Hunted from all sides, she flees Murkmere, only to be forced back to the cruel confines of the Capital, and the Orphans' Home where it all began.
Set in the capital city, this has a very different feel from Murkmere, but is still grounded in the bird tradition, superstition and religion that haunts the first book.
Read MoreThis is a beautiful, compelling novel. - GuardianMurkmere: 'Fraught with fenland mist and magic, this supernatural thriller ... is compassionate and original.' - The TimesCompelling ... a salutary reminder to keep an eye on the children's bookshelves. - SFX magazineThe Ice Boy: 'A remarkable first novel ... here is a writer whom you can trust.' - ArmadilloElliott is one of [the Fidler Award's] worthiest winners. This atmospheric debut novel [is] heavy on Kleenex - The Glasgow HeraldThe standard of writing displayed by the winners of the Fidler Award is high, and The Ice Boy is no exception. - Writers' News
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