John Jarrold

Cecile’s debut fantasy is THE YOUNG WOLF. Phelan is the last of the Miraseeli, a peaceful, nomadic people murdered by the tyrant Dorran for their magical ties to the land. Eluned is Dorran’s unwilling betrothed, who has had to learn how to wield charm as a weapon after he killed her family. When Cai, the gregarious Laird of Neam, a prosperous market shire on the coast—and Dorran’s Moonsworn enemy—rescues them both, they grow to love him as much as they hate one another. But in time they come to learn that loathing is not so far removed from longing, and more unites them than their respective tragedies and love of Cai. Yet Eluned is Cai’s wife, pledged to him beneath the four Moon Gods; to deny those bonds and take a lover is heresy—punishable by death by burning. Meanwhile, Dorran learns that Cai has stolen his bride, and seeks out an ally with the power to vanquish his old enemy once and for all. He turns to the maddest of the Moons, Drem. Drem agrees to make Dorran his Champion, arming Dorran with His malevolent magics—with which he means to raze Neam to the ground.

 
With the incisive imagery and devastating romance of THE SONG OF ACHILLES, the Celtic tension of Juliet Marillier and mythic prose similar to THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE, THE YOUNG WOLF is a stand-alone, adult fantasy retelling of the Tristan and Isolde myth with crossover appeal and series potential—an epic love story truly deserving of the epithet.

Cecile said:
“I am a mum of two and makeup artist based in the Cotswolds. After graduating from the Met Film School at twenty with a BA in filmmaking and screenwriting, I unexpectedly fell pregnant, and began writing as a means to bridge the endless colicky night-feeds. THE YOUNG WOLF was written exclusively on my phone while my baby daughter slept on me, and is in part informed by my own experiences, as like Eluned I come from an eclectic family and have also experienced baby loss. When not writing or getting brides ready for their big day, I am usually to be found cooking something unnecessarily complicated or reheating lukewarm cups of tea.”

John Jarrold said:
“The opening pages told me all I needed to know, in terms of how special and involving Cecile’s writing and voice are. The characters and story drew me in immediately and the mix of love, war and politics is outstanding. As a long-time fan of fantasy, mythology and history I was entranced, and I look forward to discussing Cecile and her writing with major publishers on both sides of the Atlantic. Welcome to the agency!”

Orbit is delighted to announce the acquisition of a new epic fantasy series from Matthew Ward, author of LEGACY OF ASH and the wider Legacy Trilogy, which was described as ‘epic fantasy as it should be; big, bold and very addictive’ by Starburst magazine.

Ward’s upcoming Soulfire Saga introduces us to a brand-new world ruled by an immortal king, where souls fuel magic, and a supernatural mist known as the Veil threatens to engulf the land.

Here’s a little taste of what to expect . . .

These are dark times for the Kingdom of Khalad. As the magical mists of the Veil devour the land, the populace struggles beneath the rule of ruthless noble houses and their uncaring immortal king.

Kat doesn’t care about any of that. A talented thief, she’s pursuing one big score that will settle the debt that destroyed her family. No easy feat in a realm where indentured spirits hold vigil over every vault and treasure room. However, Kat has a unique gift: she can speak to those spirits, and even command them. She’ll need every advantage she can get.

Kat’s not a hero. She just wants to be free. To have her old life back. But as rebellion rekindles and the war for Khalad’s future begins, everyone – Kat included – will have to pick a side.

The first book in the Soulfire Saga will be published in August ‘23. Orbit UK Commissioning Editor James Long acquired World rights from John Jarrold at the John Jarrold Literary Agency. Orbit US Senior Editor Priyanka Krishnan has secured US rights.

Praise for Matthew Ward:

‘Hugely entertaining’ John Gwynne

‘Epic fantasy as it should be; big, bold and very addictive’ Starburst

‘Expertly wrought . . . a vigorous, bravura saga’ Publishers Weekly (starred review)

‘A brilliantly realised setting’ SFFWorld

‘Incredible action scenes’ Fantasy Hive

‘Magnificent and epic’ Grimdark magazine

Audible has announced the acquisition of a new trilogy from science-fiction author RR Haywood. The first title in the trilogy, DELIO, will be released exclusively on Audible in September 2022,

DELIO introduces readers to a world in which life has ground to a halt, every human across the world frozen in place. Only a handful of misfits are unaffected, and must race against the clock to undo the catastrophe. As they struggle to survive, they are pursued by a mysterious entity known as DELIO.

Aurelie De Troyer, SVP of International English Content at Audible said: “RR Haywood has the knack of combining a smart story concept with vivid and believable characters, and of blending nail-biting drama with moments of absurd humour. DELIO is no exception and in its ambitious globe-spanning story it also harks back to sci-fi classics from the likes of John Wyndham.”

RR Haywood commented: “I had the idea for this story for a few years and after working with Audible UK and the success of The Code Series I pitched them the rough idea. Thankfully, they loved the concept from the outset, which gave me the confidence to develop the material. Now the first book is done and I’m absurdly excited! DELIO is one of the most exciting projects I have ever worked on and I can’t wait for it to be brought to life through narration.” 

World English audio rights for the trilogy were acquired from John Jarrold Literary Agency.

Harry Scoble at Audible has acquired audio rights to the best-selling Emaneska series by award-winning self-published author Ben Galley in a major deal. The agent was John Jarrold.

An Amazon bestseller, the Emaneska Series is an epic sword and sorcery adventure set in a frozen Nordic world. Packed with dragons, gods, and monsters, the series follows battlemage Farden as he is tested to his limit.

The deal is for all four novels in the series:

The Written
Pale Kings
Dead Stars Part I
Dead Stars Part II

“★★★★★ Ben Galley is one of the best voices in the dark fantasy genre.” – Fantasy Faction

“★★★★★ Galley’s imagination is a truly beautiful thing. The plot here is rich and intricate, and the characters are a delight… I believe Mr Galley may well be one to watch.” – Fantasy Bytes

“★★★★ An exhilarating ride from start to finish.” – Rockstarlit Book Asylum

The latest client of the John Jarrold Literary Agency is Celia Neri. Since 2017 they have had six short stories published, in Apex Magazine, The Café Irreal, and Three Crows Magazine, among others. They are French, from a Mediterranean multicultural family, and live near the Italian border. Before becoming a teacher they studied Comparative Literature and Classical Humanities.

In their debut novel, THE LIE OF THE LAND, THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY meets THE SPACE BETWEEN WORLDS, with a story that focuses on friendship, borders, and the falsehoods we are taught. A woman’s quest to find her adoptive mother pits her against an organisation that can alter reality thanks to cartography.

 
Ode is a World Walker who can step into maps. When she finds one that depicts an impossible reality, she needs advice from Marena, the woman who raised her and who is herself a cartographer with the ability to manipulate worlds. But the older woman has vanished and no one else remembers her. In a race against a mysterious enemy, Ode will need to find Marena and enter with her in a universe that shouldn’t exist, or lose her freedom.

 
John Jarrold said ‘I was totally involved in story, character and writing from the first page. Celia’s concepts and settings here are wonderful, and their characters are beautifully written and ring true. Welcome to the agency!’