Perfect for fans of dark academia and readers who loved the high stakes, rivalry and romance in Fourth Wing
Sophia DeWinter leads a double life, spending her days in her uncle’s antiques shop and her evenings on dangerous assignments for a crime boss, the Collector; a magic wielder who has trained her to do his bidding - to know when to run, when to steal and when to fight. That is, until one assignment goes horribly, brutally wrong. Shaken and determined to escape the Collector’s control, Sophia sets off to follow in her parents’ footsteps and attend the elite, hallowed halls of Killmarth College – a place of magic and learning where illusionists, masquiers, botanists and alchemists fight for limited places to become scholars.
For an illusionist like Sophia – one able to discern the real from the imaginary and create illusions to manipulate those around her – Killmarth is the single place she can go to develop her skills. But with only half the hopeful scholars making it through the first semester and a series of trials called The Ordeals designed to test their daring and power along the way, the college has a cut-throat reputation. And with the sole route to and from the island only accessible at low tide, once you’re in, there’s no getting out.
As she begins to fight her way through the semester, Sophia quickly learns that the Ordeals aren’t quite what they seem – in fact, this year they seem to have been tampered with, making them deadlier and more unpredictable than ever.
Sophia realises she won’t survive alone so goes against her better judgement and teams up with her rival, the illusive and insufferably handsome botanist, Alden Hughes; an expert in poisons who might just keep her alive if he doesn’t irritate her to death – or murder her in the night. For there is a murderer on the loose at Killmarth, picking off hopefuls in between the Ordeals, and if Sophia isn’t careful, she might just find herself the next target.
Rachel Greenlaw grew up in North Cornwall, surrounded by wild moorland. She studied English with Creative Writing at Falmouth University before moving to an island in the middle of the Atlantic, with all the allure of tropical palm trees in the summer and spine-tingling storms in the winter. Rachel’s debut adult novel, One Christmas Morning was published by HarperCollins imprints in the US and UK in October 2023. Her YA debut fantasy novel, Compass and Blade, was published in February 2024 by Avon.
<aside> ⌛ “[A] powerful, seafaring adventure, featuring a smart and sassy heroine and an irresistible love story” - The Bookseller, Editor's Choice
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<aside> ⌛ “I flew through each page… Readers will be truly captivated by Mira and her journey to find her father and herself along the way. A magical tale with a lot of heart” - Alexandra Christo, author of To Kill a Kingdom
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<aside> ⌛ “An addictive blend of lyrical prose, shimmering magic and whip-sharp pacing” - Laura Steven, author of The Society for Soulless Girls
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Extent: 95,000 words
UK Publisher: HQ, Autumn 2026
US Publisher: Ballantine/Dell, Autumn 2025
Primary Agent: Maddalena Cavaciuti
Film/ TV agent: DHA (Clare Israel)
Rights sold: All rights available
Co-agents: Chinese Bardon Chinese Media; Japanese Japan Uni