The Runes of Dunross

Book One of The Runekeeper Chronicles
by Thomas T. Wedow

When eleven-year-old Violet MacLeod inherits a crumbling Scottish manor perched high above the North Sea, she expects draughts, seagulls, and summer boredom—not the whisper of her name carried on the wind.

Dunross House stands on the bones of older stone, bound by ancient runes whose meanings were lost after the North Berwick witch trials. Centuries ago, women were accused of calling a storm that nearly sank King James VI’s fleet. But Violet’s dreams show something different: witches fighting the storm, not summoning it—and a colossal figure with a hammer forged from lightning.

As strange symbols begin appearing in her sketches, Violet and her best friend Rosa stumble into a web of history, myth, and haunting. A ghostly boy watches over them, a hooded witch stalks the cliffs, and the sea itself seems alive with memory. The runes are waking, drawn to Violet’s bloodline, and with them an ancient god’s fury stirs once more.

To survive, Violet must unlock the truth buried in Dunross’s walls and in herself. Each discovery pulls her deeper into a battle that began four hundred years ago—between those who seek to protect the world and those sworn to bring the storm back.

Lightning cracks above the moor. The old stones hum. And when the sticky door at the end of the corridor finally opens, Violet finds the tokens that will decide the fate of both the living and the dead.

Atmospheric, heartfelt, and terrifying in all the right ways, The Runes of Dunross blends Scottish folklore, real history, and a coming-of-age mystery into a story about courage, friendship, and the power of remembering what others tried to erase.

For readers who loved A Pinch of Magic, The House with Chicken Legs, and Percy Jackson, this is the beginning of an epic adventure where the past is never truly gone—and every storm hides a name.

Themes & Appeal

Series Note:
The Runes of Dunross launches The Runekeeper Chronicles, an ongoing saga following Violet MacLeod—descendant of Isobel Gowdie—as she learns what it means to guard the line between gods and humankind. Book Two, The Fire Beneath, will continue her journey into the heart of Scotland’s sleeping powers.

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