Hot Key Books is delighted to announce the acquisition of Red Star Rebels, a high-octane sci-fi adventure from New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae and Aurora Rising, Amie Kaufman.
Red Star Rebels follows a stowaway girl, Cleo, and the richest boy in the galaxy, Hunter, who are stranded on Mars and racing against the clock to outwit a gang of mercenaries. An enemies-to-lovers high-chemistry action-adventure, perfect for fans ofMarie Lu and Beth Revis.
Georgia Murray, Commissioning Editor at Hot Key Books, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding ANZ) from Christabel McKinley, David Higham Associates, on behalf of Tracey Adams at Adams Literary.
Amie Kaufman said: “Hot Key is the publisher of so many books I love and authors I admire, so I’m pinching myself at this chance to join the family. Readers of Illuminae and Aurora Rising have been asking for years when we’re heading back to space, and Red Star Rebels is my answer to that question. Cleo and Hunter’s snark, sass and romance was so much fun to write, and I can’t wait to share it with readers.”
Georgia Murray said: “From the very first page, Red Star Rebels had me hooked – Amie Kaufman’s storytelling is electric. With sci-fi surging back into the YA spotlight, this novel arrives at the perfect moment: it’s fast-paced, funny, romantic and utterly cinematic. We’re thrilled to welcome Amie to Hot Key Books and can’t wait to launch this exhilarating adventure into the world.”
Amie Kaufman is the New York Times bestselling co-author of the Illuminae Files and the Aurora Cycle, with Jay Kristoff, and the Starbound, Unearthed, and Other Side of the Sky series with Meagan Spooner. Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law and conflict resolution, and is currently undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing. She lives in Melbourne with her husband, daughter and rescue dog, and an extremely large personal library. @amiekaufmanauthor
Red Star Rebels will be publishing in paperback in February 2026.
Photography credit: Christopher Tovo
