Odilon has a dream: he wants to find Promised Land, an island her mother spoke of in the old days. An island where he and his older sister Babette can live in peace. To escape the war against the birdmen, they board the raft of a strange poet who is riding the river in search of adventure.

Together they will discover marvellous and terrifying places: the city of the words of power, the island of bastards, and a town that lives only for giant snail races. Along the way they will meet new companions who are also seeking refuge.

But where will the river finally take them? Does Promised Land really exist anywhere else but in Odilon’s heart?