Hodder wins 'action-packed' Hollow Crown at auction

Hodder has won a new young adult fantasy duology at auction, the Hollow Crown series, from author Zoraida Córdova in collaboration with Glasstown Entertainment.

Senior editor Emily Kitchin acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) at auction to the Hollow Crown series from Juliet Mushens at Caskie Mushens, on behalf of Stephen Barbara and Lyndsey Blessing at Inkwell Management. North American rights were sold in an eight-way auction to Disney Hyperion in a "major" six-figure, two-book deal.

Hollow Crown is "action-packed" fantasy set in a Latin-influenced world, loosely based on the Spain of the 15th century. Kitchin called it an "opulent, gorgeous world", with high hopes the series will "explode onto the YA scene" in 2019. Paramount recently picked up the film rights to Córdova's previous book, Labyrinth Lost (Sourcebooks).

Córdova's new duology, publishing in hardback and e-book in summer 2019, re-imagines the Inquisition as a battle between a cruel, autocratic state and rebel magicians. Its protagonist is "mighty heroine" Renata, a highly dangerous thief trained in the art of stealing memories, bent on exacting revenge against the royal family. When a mission goes awry and her first love is captured, she herself must kill the leader of the mercenary King’s Justice — only to discover that he may be the most powerful illusionist of them all.

Kitchin said: "With an opulent, gorgeous world, thrillingly inventive magic, memory thieves, illusionists and a bad-ass heroine wrestling with her demons, Hollow Crown is set to explode onto the YA scene in 2019 – and we can’t wait to get our very exciting plans for the series underway."

Córdova, who also is a member of Latinx in Kid lit, and is a contributing writer to Bustle Books and the B&N Teen Blog, said: "Hollow Crown is the kind of story I love to tell. High stakes, cruel royals, a mighty heroine, and, of course, romance. It is a dream to work with a publisher who loves fantastical stories as much as I do. I am thrilled to be joining the Hodder team."