Farshore bags 'thunderously exciting' middle-grade series from Peter Burns

Farshore has bagged a three-book deal for the Shadow Thieves, a "thrilling" middle-grade series from Peter Burns, managing director of Polaris Publishing. 

Lucy Courtenay, senior commissioning editor, acquired world rights from Julie Fergusson at The North Literary Agency. Shadow Thieves, the first book in the deal, will be published in June 2025 and supported by a "high-octane" marketing and PR campaign. The second and third books are scheduled for publication in 2026 and 2027 respectively. 

"I knew Shadow Thieves was something special the instant I started reading," said Fergusson. "Peter has woven a masterful tale of intrigue and adventure that swept me up and refused to let me go until the very last page." 

Aimed at readers aged 10-13 years old, Shadow Thieves is a "dramatic [and] action packed" series set in an alternate world, featuring Tom Morgan, his friends and a top-secret boarding school for thieves. 

When one of Tom’s friends gets caught stealing and is sent to the workhouse, Tom runs into a member of the "mysterious" Shadow League, who offers him the opportunity to train at an international boarding school for thieves. Here, Tom will develop the skills to rescue his friends, but "there are dark forces at work and soon it’s not just Tom’s friends in danger, it’s the entire world", the synopsis reads. 

Burns commented: “It’s a dream come true to be working with Lucy Courtenay, Sarah Levison, Lindsey Heaven, Aleena Hasan and all the amazing team at Farshore. Their enthusiasm for Shadow Thieves has blown me away and I’ve been so grateful for, and impressed by, their insightful editorial input. I couldn’t have found a better home for Tom and the Shadow League’s adventures.”

Courtenay added: “As soon as I started reading Peter’s story, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to publish: an upper-middle-grade thriller on an epic scale, set in an imagined past full of airships, intricate heists, wicked villains, glamorous locations, hidden schools, dizzying stakes – and an unforgettable hero in Tom, a boy born into nothing who is out to change the world.”