After global warming came the Melting. Then came Ark.

The new dictator of Ark wants to silence speech for ever. But Letta is the wordsmith, tasked with keeping words alive. Out in the woods, she and the rebels secretly teach children language, music and art.

Now there are rumours that babies are going missing. When Letta makes a horrifying discovery, she has to find a way to save the children of Ark - even if it is at the cost of her own life.

Praise for The Wordsmith:

`The fantasy book of the year' - Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl

`Important' - The Guardian

`Stands out for its imaginative approach and its beautiful and careful use of language' - The Literary Review

`This gripping story has the dark atmosphere of books such as the Hunger Games series' - Inis magazine

`Full of jeopardy and nail-biting tension and asks fundamental questions about the nature of humanity and the future of our planet' - BookTrust UK

`Pair with Patrick Ness' The Knife of Never Letting Go' - Booklist

`Fantasy lovers will lap it up!' - Sarah Webb, Irish Independent

`A tremendous pageturner; I hope this won't be the last we hear of Letta, a brave and spirited heroine' - School Library Association

This book is part of a book series called Wordsmith .

There are 224 pages in this book. This book was published 2019 by Little Island .

Patricia Forde lives in Galway, in the west of Ireland. She has published six books for children, and written two plays, as well as several television drama series for children and teenagers. She has worked as a writer on both English and Irish language soap operas. In another life, she was a primary school teacher and the artistic director of Galway Arts Festival.