The Lure of the Kushtaka

A storm-tossed Alaskan cruise. A vanished boy in a red raincoat. And a legend that refuses to stay buried... When fifteen-year-old Tyler Harper boards an Alaskan cruise with his aunt, he expects glaciers, wildlife, and family time-not whispers in the fog or footprints that appear where no one is walking. But as the ship drifts deeper into the Inside Passage, strange disappearances unsettle passengers. Then Tyler sees something impossible: otter-like creatures standing on two legs, watching the ship with glowing red eyes. He's stumbled into the realm of the Kushtaka-shape-shifting beings from Tlingit and Tsimshian legend, feared as tricksters and soul-stealers. By day, the Kushtaka appear as lost children or loved ones. By night, their whistles curl through the waves, luring the unwary into the water. When the shipwreck strands survivors on a remote shore, Tyler and his new friend Maya must uncover the Kushtaka's origins: once guardians of lost travelers, twisted into predators after a broken pact. With fire, copper, and the power of names, they fight to hold their identities against illusions designed to tear them apart. But as Tyler learns, survival isn't just about resisting monsters-it's about choosing what kind of story to carry forward. Blending myth, adventure, and survival horror, The Lure of the Kushtaka is a page-turner. Written for young teen readers (ages 12-18+) and set against the breathtaking, dangerous backdrop of Alaska, it's a story that will stay with you long after the last whistle fades. Will Tyler burn the legend away-or remember it into something new?