I was so enchanted by the cover of this tale and enticed by the otters. I find otters a fascinating creature, clearly very clever and loving but with a sense of fierceness to them as well. It was easy to devour this story, the first in a new series by Uber-talented, Holly Webb.
Many animals rely on the river for shelter, food and livelihood in this beautiful story, but when the rain becomes heavy and floods threaten everyone, it is time to speak to Lady River. Sedge and his mother are the leaders of the holt, the otter home, and they sing songs to placate and soothe the cross waters of the river.
Silken lives in a beaver den but is constantly called out for being different, and it upsets her more than they know. She and Sedge are both weaker in some areas where the expectations are high and they both feel a sense of failure and disappointment within themselves.
Both Sedge and Silken have dreams that are filled with floods and a sense of loss. When Sedge hears a familiar song, a wave of memories crash over him and his certainty sends him on an adventure to search for someone he lost in the Dark Spring, the floods that hit when he was very young and unable to swim.
Silken watches a raft of river otters float past and suddenly knows why she has felt so different all her life. When their worlds collide, it sets into motion a desperate swim, fraught with song, family and danger from an ancient, legendary wolf.
Beautifully told and with gorgeous illustrations, this story has a legendary quality to it and this promises to be the start of a wonderful new series based around the animals calling Green River their home.
My Shelves Are Full 