Random House Children’s Publishers UK (RHCP) have announced the acquisition of a powerful new YA fantasy series, MAGISTERIUM, from global bestsellers, Holly Black and Cassandra Clare.
UK & Commonwealth rights for the series were snapped up by Becky Stradwick, Editorial Director at RHCP UK from Heather Baror Shapiro at Baror International Inc, in a major deal. The series launches with The Iron Trial, which will be published by Doubleday this September.
Commenting on the acquisition Becky said "Holly and Cassie are two of the hottest authors on the planet right now, having already sold a combined total of 36 million books across the world and enjoyed huge success with film adaptations of their SPIDERWICK and MORTAL INSTRUMENTS books, they both have an immense international fan base. It’s a real thrill to be publishing these two phenomenal authors together across all our territories. We know The Iron Trial will electrify readers immediately - and of course leave them desperate for the next instalment in the series."
The synopsis for Magisterium Book 1: The Iron Trial reads like this:
Callum Hunt has grown up knowing three rules by heart. Never trust a magician. Never pass a test a magician gives you. And never let a magician take you to the Magisterium. Callum is about to break all the rules. And when he does, his life will change in ways he can’t possibly imagine.
The Magisterium series is a five-book series of fantasy novels, one book for each year of Callum’s life as he struggles between the forces of good and evil, and discovers his true destiny.
And here's Holly and Cassie talking about the series themselves:
Holly Black is the bestselling author of contemporary fantasy novels for teens and children, including Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale and the #1 New York Times bestselling Spiderwick series. She has been a finalist for the Mythopoeic Award and the Eisner Award, and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award. Holly lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library. Her website is www.blackholly.com
Cassandra Clare is the author of the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices trilogy, and The Bane Chronicles. Her books have more than 30 million copies in print worldwide and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. Cassandra lives in western Massachusetts. Visit her at www.cassandraclare.com. Learn more about the world of the Shadowhunters at www.shadowhunters.com