Hot Key Books, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, has acquired a new duology from sister writing duo Katharine and Elizabeth Corr.
World rights were acquired by Emma Matthewson, Executive Publisher, and Carla Hutchinson, Editor, from Claire Wilson at Rogers, Coleridge and White Ltd.
The House of Shadows duology, set in an alternative Ancient Greece, imagines a story that might lie behind the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. In this new take on the old tale, a group of unlikely allies enters the Underworld to rescue the queen and return her to the mortal world to gain their own freedom.
Katharine and Elizabeth are based in Surrey and are already authors of the spell-binding trilogy The Witch’s Kiss (2016) and the enthralling A Throne of Swans (2020) duology.
The sisters commented on the acquisition: “Hot Key is such an amazing advocate for UK YA writing, so we are thrilled to be working with the brilliant team there on our new duology, House of Shadows. This story is set in an alternative Ancient Greece where heroes are history but the gods are very much alive, and take a tithe of children each year to serve them in the mortal world. Deina, our main character, has been claimed by Hades, but she is willing to do almost anything – including stealing, cheating and risking her life – to forge a different path for herself. We can’t wait for readers to meet Deina – and her competition – as she embarks on her quest to the Underworld.”
Emma Matthewson added: “Kate and Liz’s innovative storytelling, inspired by the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, and taken from the rich seam of Greek mythology, is absorbing and compelling, whilst also being visual, pacy and dramatic. We cannot wait for YA readers to get their hands on the House of Shadows duology!”
The first title in the duology, Daughter of Darkness, will publish in paperback, audio and ebook in August 2022, with the following title publishing in August 2023.
