The Grimmelings

'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.



'There is a freshness of imagination in this story combined with prose that delights in exploring language while also telling an arresting tale.' Nicholas Tucker, Books for Keeps

'Stunningly original. I loved it!' Bren MacDibble

'I was gripped until the very end and it left me in tears.' Stacy Gregg

'Eerie and beautiful.' Elizabeth Knox

'Exquisitely crafted and thrumming with old magic.' Rachael Craw

'I could not put it down.' Zana Fraillon

'Set to become an all-time favourite for adults and children alike.' Tania Roxborogh

'Filled with evocative landscapes and stunning horses, this exciting novel also has the classic feel of The Dark Is Rising and other stories of ancient magic come to life. A wonderful read for ages 10+.' Readings

Short-listed for Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award 2024 (New Zealand) Long-listed for New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2024 (UK)

'The Grimmelings is a compelling, lovingly crafted novel about magic, liminal spaces (of several kinds), language and folkloric fusion. Rachael King's characters live and breathe. Her dialogue glitters quietly. She discovers new perspectives in inherited narratives to create a world that is familiar yet unexpected, tense and eerie with flashes of beauty.' David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas, The Bone Clocks


'Rachael King's The Grimmelings is one of those very rare books that feels like it has always existed, as if the world has been holding space for this story. With wonderfully assured writing, this is Susan Cooper for the next generation. King writes with the utmost respect for her readers, for the story and for language itself. The Grimmelings is a beautifully written story of old magic; uncontainable, unpredictable, wild and true - I could not put it down. And although the phrase is thrown around a lot, this genuinely is a future classic. I cannot wait to recommend it far and wide. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this remarkable story.' Zana Fraillon, The Bone Sparrow, The Raven's Song

'The Grimmelings is a riveting adventure set on a horse-trekking farm in the lakeside wilds of the South Island of New Zealand, where lonely thirteen-year-old Ella, the granddaughter of a rumoured witch, finds herself the target of an ancient and vengeful water horse. Ella's courage, grief and grit make her a worthy protagonist; the reader cannot help but sympathise with and root for her as she fights to save her family from the saddle of her feisty pony, Magpie. Exquisitely crafted and thrumming with old magic, The Grimmelings wraps the reader like an heirloom quilt, stitched with glittering folklore, mysterious family secrets and the love of horses.' Rachael Craw, Spark trilogy

'An eerie and beautiful contemporary fantasy full of very real characters - humans, horses and a monster - all grounded in warm and abrasive family life, and the daily surprises and hard grind of making a living from working with horses.' Elizabeth Knox, The Absolute Book, Dreamhunter

'I was gripped until the very end and it left me in tears - which is always the sign of cracking good book. The writing just sings; it's evocative and atmospheric with the moodiness of Wuthering Heights. And the horse action is epically good! I completely loved this book! Totally genius.' Stacy Gregg, The Princess and the Foal

'If I had this book when I was twelve, my child-self's reading heart would have been changed in the same way as it was by Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series and Elyne Mitchell's The Silver Brumby series. Like those books, this novel expands the imagination. Today's young people are here gifted with an exceptional way of seeing story, words, and the world. The Grimmelings is set to become an all-time favourite for adults and children alike and, for me, now one of my favourite stories.' Tania Roxborogh, Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea

'The best book I've read this year. Rachael has delivered a story that transcends time and place, playing with old words and mythical creatures in a stunningly original way. I loved it!' Bren MacDibble, How to Bee, The Raven's Song

King weaves together contemporary Aotearoa, the drawings of a Scottish heritage and mythology, a generous dollop of the fantastical and the terrifying impact of disappearances in this gripping and original novel. Children will revel in the imaginative twists and turns, discover words, and explore vivid worlds that feel both ancient and fresh. Erica Stretton - Aotearoa New Zealand Review of Books

'Playing with words in the most skillful way, exploring the language of horses, of winds, of landscapes, of relationships, King stitches together her magical elements . . . to create a dynamic new adventure that will reverberate in the reader's memory.' Ann Packer, Listener

'Splendidly inventive, expertly controlled, full of passion and compassion, and a narrative I would give four fingernails to have thought of.' David Hill

'There is real danger on every page of this book. The faerie realm threatens with the worst kind of mischief and the thin veil between life and death haunts the family. Malevolence, terror, bravery and sacrifice make this a thrilling ride for readers of about 10 and up.' Lou Ward, Wardini's Bookshop


'Absolutely riveting! A slow-burning build-up of characters, place and time to its thrilling conclusion. A story of old magic and mythical creatures. Unpredictable and wild. A most satisfying read.' Rebecca, Telling Tales


'Filled with evocative landscapes and stunning horses, this exciting novel also has the classic feel of The Dark Is Rising and other stories of ancient magic come to life. A wonderful read for ages 10+' Readings.

'This Young Adult book is a fast-paced read, with plenty of action and lots of eery folklore and magic. Ella is a spirited heroine and her family well drawn characters. It's a great story and compelling reading.' Ann Killduff, Wairarapa Times-Age

The Grimmelings is a book I would have devoured and made my entire personality as a young person. It's the perfect blend of this world and the world that lies just beyond the reaches of our day-to-day lives. Cassie Hart, The Sapling

The Grimmelings succeeds as a fantasy adventure story, with convincing magic and deliciously judged suspense. Beyond this though, it is a book to savour for its storytelling craft, its detailed depiction of family life, and the way it will feed young readers' ravenous minds with words and ideas. Courtney Johnston, The Spinoff


'This is a book to devour: it will sizzle and fortify and haunt.' Paula Green, Poetry Box

'There is a freshness of imagination in this story combined with prose that delights in exploring language while also telling an arresting tale.' Nicholas Tucker, Books for Keeps

'The runaway hit of the year-haunting, steeped in atmosphere, with themes of the significance of story, language and myth.' The Sapling

Rachael King is a writer, reviewer, former literary festival director and ex-bass player living in Ōtautahi Christchurch. She's the author of two novels for children: Red Rocks, which won the Esther Glen Medal, and The Grimmelings, published in 2024. Her adult novels, The Sound of Butterflies and Magpie Hall, were published in nine languages altogether. Red Rocks is currently in development for Sky TV by Libertine Pictures.

Rachael received a Waitangi Day Honour Award in 2020 from the New Zealand Society of Authors for her work at WORD Christchurch bringing Behrouz Boochani to New Zealand. In 2023 she was named Best Reviewer at the Voyager New Zealand Media Awards.

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