YA Novel (suitable for all adults, 13yrs+) – Science Fantasy – ISBN: 9781922858061 (print) or 9781922858078 (ebook)
*Best Novel 2024 Ditmar Award Finalist!
Don’t go out onto the lake. Wyann trees search the shallows to spear passing prey with their roots. Giant water-ants hunt anything that moves on the water-skin. Sala’s village survives hidden behind a wall of poisonous ivy, because everyone agrees: don’t go out onto the lake.
But then a strange comet crosses the night sky, throwing Sala and her pet pointer into a race through wyann-infested swampland that has her risking it all, unearthing long-hidden truths and stirring rivalries into a terrifying conflict set to change the world of Palude forever. Sala must do whatever it takes to face the truth of who she is: to save her village, to save her family, to save herself.
If only they had listened.
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WORLD BUY IT HERE: print – MidnightSun Publishing | ebook – Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
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BOOKSELLERS & SCHOOLS BUY IT HERE: please order from your usual distributor!
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What They’re Saying…
Readers’ Gallery
Teachers’ Notes
Book Club Notes
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What They’re Saying…
“When Dark Roots Hunt is a great read – fresh, action-packed and utterly compelling. I loved it.” Ian Irvine, internationally bestselling author of The Gates of Good and Evil series
“Shapter has created an immersive, fantastical world with tension poised to snap at any moment. I couldn’t put it down.” USA Today Bestselling Author Dionne Lister, author of The Circle of Talia
“When Dark Roots Hunt is a rich and thrilling read… Shapter has created an intriguing new world filled with luminous beauty, exotic dangers, and unsettlingly familiar ageing tech, where the heroine must navigate strange cultural and political tensions and wrestle with the consequences of her own tangled ambitions.” Leife Shallcross, author of The Beast’s Heart
“A completely captivating fantasy world, that is full of action with intriguing characters and a great story line. Sala is a complicated character who will have you screaming at her one minute and cheering her on the next… A perfect story for fantasy and sci-fi lovers.” Lamont Books
“Compelling, impossible to put down.” The Supernatural Underground
“I was hooked from the first page and stayed hooked for all 398 pages. This book has broad appeal across age, gender, cultures and book genres, it’s YA for AA, that stands for All Adults.
When Dark Roots Hunt takes you to a fantastical intriguing world. To fully enjoy this book, suspend all judgment and immerse yourself in its luminosity and complexity. It’s as though Game of Thrones met Alice in Wonderland in an underwater world.
The story’s hero is Sala, a young fearless woman who refuses to let her elders, or anyone, define her destiny. Sala lives in the Village of Itta. It survives in this peculiar world where Wyann trees search the shallows to spear passing prey with their roots because Itta is hidden behind a wall of poisonous ivy and all Ittans agree not to go out on the lake where those tree roots are like vicious killers.
The politics of ruling Itta have raised serious questions in Sala’s mind and her trust of those in authority has reached such a low level that she sets out across the wyann-infested swampland to find answers. Little does she realise what her actions will set in motion.
Despite being set in a futuristic unfamiliar world there is much about this book that feels almost too real. Sala is living in a society divided by questionable politics, economic hierarchies, housing scarcity, fast changing technology, climate impacts, social irresponsibility, death and destruction.
As you read this fast-paced story you’re right there with Sala, experiencing her emotions, indecision, doubt, frustration and breakthrough moments. There are so many twists and turns, double-crosses, even triple-crosses. It’s the ultimate nail-biting thriller that keeps you questioning your assumptions right the way through.” Tawny Frogmouth Magazine
“This delicious fantasy tale will sweep you away into a futuristic world where the only way to survive is to trust yourself” Berkelouw Books Balgowlah
“In When Dark Roots Hunt, Zena Shapter has crafted a complex world that is at once hauntingly recognisable, predictive and mystical. The pace in this story, with its many twists and turns, does not slow. Characters you think you’ve come to know, turn without warning. And, throughout the story, a voice inside your head asks, ‘Is this where we are headed?’ Sala, however, is the perfect hero – tortured, strong, vulnerable, determined – and I defy any reader not to find a point of connection or something about Sala that resonates within… The only question is, does the story provide the answers readers – and Sala – need? You’ll have to read it to see.” Kellie Nissen, Buzz Words Magazine
“Get ready to dive into a moving, fantastical story that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!” Dymocks Chatswood
“What’s not to love about about this brilliant new sci-fi by Zena Shapter. set in a dark and dangerous world, full of intrigue, action and a hint of romance. Speculative sci-fi with its own truly unique flavour that kept us fixed! Fans of the Hunger Games will love this one!” Collins Booksellers Armidale
“Upon writing her new book, Zena Shapter asked young people what their greatest concerns were about the world. Shapter has so cleverly manifested these concerns into the haunting landscape of Palude; the dark swamp, the wyann trees and the giant water ants. ‘When Dark Roots Hunt’ is a thrilling and immersive read. One that is surely not to be missed. Thank you for stopping by and signing a few copies, Zena!” Novella Fine Books
“Every moment seems to sit on a knife’s edge of tension in this uniquely crafted world… Already the first page unleashes the details of a vivid and unique world, which holds a dank and dark atmosphere. The creatures possess a delightful mix of familiarity and fantasy to make the threat sit with just the right amount of creepiness… The writing’s kept tight, letting scenes unfold without overloaded details and allowing the danger and action to stay front and center the entire time... The read grabs more and more until it’s hard to put down… A refreshing breeze with bite.” Bookworm for Kids
“When Dark Roots Hunt is an exhilarating science fantasy adventure with a heart of belonging. Thank you so much for writing such a cool book!” Berkelouw Books Hornsby
“Inspired by the anxieties affecting young people today – scarcity of resources, environmental change, where we will find a home in the future, When Dark Roots Hunt introduces a new world full of danger and excitement that speaks to our everyday lives.” The Book Nest Mudgee
“For lovers of alternative worlds with hints of our own, or worlds and communities which have degraded and fractured, this is an amazing journey! Lovers of sci-fi and speculative fiction will love this story. But even those who are more attuned to adventure and conflict will be charmed.” ReadPlus
“Hi Zena – Barry, who has a broken leg, enjoys listening to me read ‘When Dark Roots Hunt’. Here you can see him pointing out his favourite part of the book. We both agree the book is beautifully written, a wonderful creative flight of imagination that can be enjoyed at any age. So imaginative and so carefully thought out. Well done.” Sue Osborne, reader
“Reading through ‘When Dark Roots Hunt’ I am blown away by your extraordinary imagination and wonderful prose.” Sally Aurisch, reader
“This book draws you in to a fantastical setting of dark secrets and hidden dangers. It’s captivating main character Sala, is as complex as the world she has to navigate. Like all great books of this genre, it leaves you with more questions that need to be answered and un-resolved mysteries that beg to be solved in the next instalment.” Claire Hampson, reader
“I don’t usually read YA but this was a pleasant surprise. I hear there might be more coming in the series, fingers crossed… Five Stars!” ‘S’, reader
“A fabulous YA sci fi/dystopia with a wonderfully realised world space, brimming with contemporary concerns and issues. It is richly visualised world, one that I wanted to know more about. Seeing the world through the eyes of Sala, the protagonist, you get to experience how the vigour and naivety of youth is battered by learning and understanding the complexities of the world beyond our own spheres of influence and understanding, and it offers hope. Sala sees how the world could be, how she wants it to be, yet learns of the brutal reality of the world outside her home of Itta, the Swampers, the Tillars, and that of her own mother. But she doesn’t lose hope that the world can change for the better.” Adam Byatt, reader
“Every moment seems to sit on a knife’s edge of tension in this uniquely crafted world. Sala knows her village is dying, but not only do the others refuse to change their fate, they won’t even recognize the truth of what she’s telling them. Determined to prove that there’s a better way, she heads out onto the forbidden lake to harvest milk from healthy fish and not the dying ones hanging near the shore. But there’s a reason her village holds tight rules and stays sheltered. The world around them is deadly. When a comet shoots through the sky during her expedition, a chain of events is set off, which will destroy the village’s last bit of life…unless she can stop it.
Already the first page unleashes the details of a vivid and unique world, which holds a dank and dark atmosphere. The creatures possess a delightful mix of familiarity and fantasy to make the threat sit with just the right amount of creepiness. Especially the first scenes come to life in the mind’s eye and make the danger Sala faces potent.
The writing’s kept tight, letting these scenes unfold without overloaded details and allowing the danger and action to stay front and center the entire time… the read grabs more and more until it’s hard to put down.
Sala is a strong character, who is ready to take on whatever comes her way. Her stubborn attitude makes her interactions with others a little prickly, at times, and kept her at arm’s length, but for the mission she’s on, she can’t be a push-over because she’s got a lot to face. And this drives the tale forward.
It’s a grabbing read with a setting, which entices and draws in. There’s never a boring moment, and it’s a refreshing breeze with bite. I received a DRC and enjoyed this world so much.” Tonja Drecker, book reviewer
“Hidden behind a wall of poisonous ivy, safe from the giant water-ants hunting anything that moves out on the lake, and the dangerous wyann trees with their spear-like roots, the people of Sala’s village eke out a quiet existence, doing what they can to survive. But Sala knows Itta is dying, and without change, time is running out. So when a strange comet crosses the night sky, and the surrounding towns and tribes begin to mobilise, Sala knows this is her opportunity. Quick-thinking and inventive, she knows there’s technologies out there that might be able to help her village – and, just maybe, a chance to find out more about what happened to her mother.
Immersive and impossible to put down, When Dark Roots Hunt feels like the start of something very exciting. Author Zena Shapter‘s world is rich and beautifully constructed, filled with danger, tension, and intrigue.
Blending fantasy, sci-fi, and a dash of dystopia, Sala, her friend Aten, and her pointer Spyke are launched into an adventure that pushes them to their limits, taking these former big fish in small ponds and throwing them right into the proverbial deep end.
Sala herself is wonderful. Innovative and driven, she thinks outside of the box, and it’s as frustrating for the reader as it is for her when her ideas are dismissed – largely because of her similarities to her mother, who came from outside Itta. But a few encounters later in the novel (no spoilers here!) really see her come into her own, revealing a softness that beautifully rounds this prickly young woman out.
Though it’s aimed at YA readers, When Dark Roots Hunt will likely scratch the itch of many a fantasy and sci-fi fan, due in no small part to Shapter’s fantastic world-building and description. A fresh new entry in the genre, and one not to be missed. FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)“ Jodie Sloan, The AU Review
Readers’ Gallery
Teachers’ Notes
DOWNLOAD HERE – Teachers’ Notes:
• cover the key curriculum areas of English, Humanities and Social Sciences
• analyse literary techniques, narrative form and worldbuilding
• examine speculative fiction writing
• offer Analytical, Imaginative, Discursive, Multimodal and EALD task options to cater for different ability levels and learning styles, along with marking criteria suggestions
• engage in discussion around contemporary issues and themes:
- –> Greed
- –> Wealth (Money, Property, Power, Security, Wellbeing)
- –> Value of Life
- –> Courage
- –> Love (Family, Friendship, Relationships)
- –> Identity and Belonging
- –> Sustainability
- –> Land Scarcity
- –> Technology
- –> Cultural Rivalries
- –> Social Responsibility
Introduction to Text
Set on a planet of carnivorous tree swamps and giant water-ants, When Dark Roots Hunt portrays a world where land and resources are alarmingly scarce. Survival depends on the various cultural groups of Palude putting aside their conflicting ideologies and cooperating to transfer their limited resources between various communities established on a saltwater lake, in freshwater swamps, and the only dry farmland atop towering ‘hillfarms’. However, most remain resentful of what other groups have and have not, resulting in constant intercultural tensions and rivalries.
Speculating on the true nature of wealth, and whether a society’s continual pursuit of economic growth and power over others is to its own detriment, the story draws subtle parallels with contemporary society to expose a deep collective anxiety about the future. The novel’s protagonist, Sala, is particularly anxious about the short-sighted environmental and wellbeing policies of Palude, and is increasingly convinced that she has the answer to Palude’s greatest sustainability issue: the keei fish.
With everyone’s solar technology in permanent decline, the oily saliva of keei fish will soon be the world’s only fuel, yet her village keeps squeezing juvenile keei fish to death to extract the oil. A worldwide disaster looms. Yet no one will listen to Sala, a trainee engineer. Her ideas about extracting saliva oil from mature fish out on the lake go unheard. It’s up to her to physically prove everyone wrong.
A thought-provoking page-turning adventure, the story champions the power of collaboration, empathy, and environmental foresight. As Sala discovers a long-hidden truth about her family, along with a stranger with unusual powers, and advanced tech that incites a violent and excessive individual and collective greed, When Dark Roots Hunt also explores themes of belonging, identity, and courage. Its dramatic climax not only challenges Sala with deep personal betrayals and issues of responsibility, but raises questions about the value of human life.
Book Club Notes
DOWNLOAD HERE – Book Club Notes invite readers to enjoy this exhilarating science fantasy adventure with belonging and becoming at its heart, while also discussing narrative form and worldbuilding, examining speculative fiction writing, and engaging in discussion around contemporary issues and themes.
When Dark Roots Hunt is an accessible read that will appeal to contemporary and speculative readers alike, adults and young adults, exploring topics such as family, friendship, technology, land scarcity, social responsibility and sustainability.
Why not make your book club meeting even more special and arrange a chat with the author?
Find out more about the author too, with her FAQ, About Zena, and pages on Movies, Potatoes, Chocolate, Frogs, Ants, and Driving.
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