Anipa lives with her parents and younger brother in the middle of the tundra, in the Nunavak encampment. They prepare for winter and stock up so that later, sitting in a dugout with lit fat lamps, they can sing songs and tell funny stories, but the devourers interfere. These terrifying creatures suck the soul out of a person and leave an empty shell. The devourers have settled beyond the Black Mountain and now threaten Nunavak. Because of them, the residents of the encampment caught only two walruses in the summer — too few to survive the cold. Anipa worries about her family, and she still has to deal with her own concerns since her father is giving her in marriage to a reclusive stranger. How to talk to the future husband if he has no language, and where has mother's brother gone? Who are the devourers? Why was no one harmed the last time they attacked? Anipa must answer these questions. She needs to understand the secret the adults keep because the life of the entire encampment depends on it. Evgeny Rudashevsky is a laureate of the V.P. Krapivin Award, "Kniguru," and the "Golden Delvig." His works are included in the catalog of outstanding children's books of the world "White Ravens" of the Munich International Youth Library and are translated into foreign languages. His latest published novel "The Idol" won the "Book of the Year — 2022" award. Rudashevsky's works are known not only for captivating plots but also for deep reflections on growing up, perception of the world, and relationships with wild nature.