The Castings trilogy is set in a pre-industrial society in a North European-style landscape. The main characters are Bramble, an independent and endearing young woman, and Ash, a most surprising leading man. In this second volume, DEEP WATER, Saker is raising ghosts from their graves to attack anyone who is not a Traveller, and towns are falling as the armies of ghosts move through them violently and ruthlessly. Bramble must find the bones of the long-dead warlord Acton, to put the ghosts at rest. But first she has to live through Acton's life with the help of Ash and the Well of Secrets. For his part, Ash can only quieten the spirits by singing to them - singing one of the songs his Traveller father refused to teach him. In order to learn the song he must journey to the Deeps and prove he is worthy of this knowledge. Bramble and Ash discover feelings that they never would have expected, and nor would we, the readers.