THREE-BOOK DEAL WITH PRH AUSTRALIA FOR BRONTE-MARIE WESSON
Christine Ebbs, Publishing Executive at Penguin Random House Australia, has clinched a three-book deal for Australian and New Zealand rights in the BROKEN CYCLE fantasy trilogy by Australian bookseller and influencer Bronte-Marie Wesson. The agent was John Jarrold. The first book is due for publication early in 2026, with books two and three following at six-monthly intervals.
In November 2021, Bronte-Marie posted a video on TikTok describing the premise of THE BROKEN CYCLE series, which went viral, amassing 1.5 million views and 280,000 likes. She has a collective social following of 880,000 and has accrued 4.1 million views on a playlist documenting her progress writing the trilogy.
THE ASCENSION OF SOULS is the first book in the trilogy, a queer own-voices story that explores the last stand of a dying culture against a goliath empire, as well as the misfits who fall within the margins of history who try to grind an age old conflict to its end. A curse has trapped Loghar in an eternal war with their imperial neighbours, with central figures reincarnated in each generation to act out the tale. Luminara is a servant who has spent her whole life learning to go unseen, just another face amongst the hundreds who work in the kitchens. When her birthday celebrations coincide with that of the boy-king, the two strike up a serendipitous companionship that blooms into romance. Luminara finds herself pulled into a realm of prophecy that is as ancient as her homeland and as her lover begins to take up his mantle in the war, she is forced to take a stance against him or watch the world around her turn to ash.
THE ASCENSION OF SOULS will appeal to readers who loved The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri, The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon and She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan.
Christine Ebbs said: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Bronte-Marie onto the Penguin Random House list. With The Ascension of Souls they have created an incredible new world and a cast of characters I immediately fell in love with. I can’t wait to introduce the Broken Cycle trilogy to the world!”
