The Chasers Saga (Saga Los Rastreadores)

The Secret City | The Hidden Power | The Battle of the Clans

Other invisible cities exist within the city of Madrid. 

The Mopa clan, a gang of seven-centimeter anthropomorphic creatures called chasers, has lived hidden for decades on the rooftop of a department store in downtown Madrid. They steal food from the supermarket, play in the aisles at midnight and have fun scaring customers. However, they have to stay hidden, because if humans see them, they would be instantly turned into salt.
Sasa is a young thirteen-year-old clan creature who has never been outdoors. She hopes to soon pass the Test that will allow her to become an explorer in order to fulfill her dream of being able to leave the confines of the building. Sasa knows that her mother is hiding something from her. Her little brother, Film, is terrified of the human world. Still, they and the clan live in peace and freedom.

However, their peace of mind is interrupted when a nearby clan disappears without a trace. A surviving member of this clan warns the Mopa clan, but before they have time to react, an anti-pest company arrives at the supermarket; also known as, their home.

The Mopa clan must find a new home quickly. This involves moving a hundred chasers who have never left the building, all while dodging their pursuers. However, Sasa has another concern: her mother has not returned home in time from her mysterious investigation, about which she doesn’t speak of, and they will lose her trail if she does not return in time for the move. For this reason, Sasa and Film decide to break the rules and go in search of their mother.

While traveling through the city, Sasa and Film meet Pulga, a very mysterious chaser around Sasa’s age who claims to know where their mother is. Shortly after being reunited with their mother, Pulga disappears.

Sasa is left with many unanswered questions about the attack and is fed up with being treated like a child despite being the fastest in the clan. This is why, once again, she disobeys the rules and undertakes the investigation on her own. She joins her new friend Pulga and this time, they will be the ones who will chase the humans.

The anti-pest company is located in some laboratories to the north of the city, in the skyscrapers. Although the trip may take them days, they decide to make their way towards the north. They will have to face several animal enemies, as well as take several transports, including a drone, to reach their destination. Meanwhile, Sasa and Pulga will strengthen their relationship and she will learn more about the Savages, a fifth chaser clan that have more secrets than anyone could imagine and that affect Sasa’s ancestors.
When they finally reach the laboratory, Sasa sneaks into a secret room. Once inside, the room lights up and a human cries out. The human sees Sasa and she knows she will be soon turned in to salt,  as she has always been told happens to careless chasers.
But when Sasa turns and sees the six-foot-tall human staring at her, a giant in comparison to her seven centimeters, she realizes that the human is none other than her own father, who disappeared years ago, now turned into a human. Against all odds, Sasa is left unscathed, and she is puzzled.

After this event, Sasa and Pulga will continue to investigate the origin of their people, the relationship with an ancient colony of scientists near the city and why Sasa is different from the rest of the chasers.

Soon they learn how to become human beings, just as Sasa’s father had done, although she refuses to do so. Pulga tries to convince her, arguing that their life would be much easier and that they could be together. But, Sasa is not destined to be just any regular teenager; she wants to be free and likes to be different… she was born to be a chaser.

RELEVANT DATA: The Chasers Saga (Saga Los rastreadores) is Mara Blefusco’s debut novel. The second and third books of this promising and exciting young adult saga will be published in the fall of 2021 and 2022, respectively. The characters are endearing and complex, with special mention to the protagonist, a very brave, independent and determined young teenager. In addition, the plots are set in the most emblematic places of the city of Madrid.

The Chasers Saga (Saga Los rastreadores) has all the ingredients to become an audiovisual project in the purest style of The Borrowers, The Secret World of Arriety, or Arthur and the Minimoys.

AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV Series, Miniseries, Film, TV Movie.

LANGUAGES AVAILABLE: Spanish. English sample available.