Vodneek

The Vodneek is a dark fantasy novel about family, prejudice, and racism.

The vodneek is a mythical creature from Czech folklore. It's a green-skinned male water goblin and a guardian of the river. He's often malevolent, luring people (especially children) into the river, drowning them, and stealing their souls, keeping them in little cups with lids on top, so they can never escape and be free.

Mikli, a 12-year-old vodneek, meets a mentor-a chatty old soul of a drowned cat, which connects him to a human girl (that the cat used to belong to) and together, they slowly help Mikli see that not all humans are savages, and not vodneeks are good.

Of course it's not that easy, there's premonitions and rivers of blood, trapped souls, kidnappings and abuse, grave injustice, and even a murder...