HoZ signs three from Harffy

Head of Zeus has signed three new historical novels from Matthew Harffy after publisher Nicolas Cheetham acquired world English rights direct from the author.

Harffy is best known for the Bernicia Chronicles series (Aria), charting the adventures of warrior Beobrand in the 7th Century AD, but the first title in this new deal, Wolf of Wessex, starts a new story. It will be published in e-book and audio on 14th November and in hardback on 5th March 2020.

The synopsis explains: “Wolf of Wessex is an odyssey through the forests of Anglo-Saxon Wessex in the 9th Century AD. A woodsman’s solitary existence is shattered when he stumbles on a mutilated corpse and a terrified young girl. Accused of the murder, he must clear his name and keep the dead man’s daughter alive in the face of savage pursuers desperate to see her silenced. To survive he’ll need all the skills his years in the woods have honed and he must confront his long-buried past -- becoming the man he once was: the Wolf of Wessex must hunt again.”

Meanwhile, Beobrand will be back in Fortress of Fury, the seventh instalment of the Bernicia Chronicles. Fortress of Fury sees Beobrand under siege in the great fortress of Bebbanburg and is published in e-book, hardback and audio on 11th June 2020.

Cheetham said: “Matthew’s blend of intricate historical research and red-blooded adventure has won him a committed audience in the hard-fought e-book arena. We’re looking forward to growing that audience in print and audio, in this country and around the world.”

Harffy added: "I am overjoyed to have signed for three more books with Aria and Head of Zeus. They are a great team to work with and have really helped make the first six novels in the Bernicia Chronicles a success. I am looking forward to bringing a totally new set of characters to life in Wolf of Wessex and then continue to expand on Beobrand's saga with Fortress of Fury and beyond."