First Ink snaps up 'epic' YA trilogy from debut author Annabelle Cormack in four-way auction

First Ink, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Books, has snapped up a "heart-thumping" romantasy YA trilogy from debut author Annabelle Cormack in a four-way auction. Charlie Castelletti, commissioning editor at Macmillan Children’s Books and First Ink, bought world rights, excluding USA, to the trilogy from Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency in a "hotly contested" auction. Like the Moon We Rise, the first book in the trilogy, will be published in hardback in autumn 2026. 

The book is described as "an epic witchy romantic fantasy that readers are yearning for with exceptional world building, a morally grey heroine, prophecies, princes, Celtic mythology, dragons, a friends-to-rivals-to-lovers romance and more".

The book follows Auriel, a poison maiden who is promised to a young prince as part of a prophecy, and used as a pawn in a longstanding war against the Empire. The synopsis continues: "But there is a dark presence that has always been with Auriel, and the more she learns about the prince and the Empress, the less sure she is about who to trust."

Cormack said: "I couldn’t have asked for a better team than First Ink to bring this story to life.  I’ve been working on this book, in one form or another, since I was a child, and it’s amazing to see it in such safe hands. I’m over the moon to finally share it."

Castelletti said: "Here at First Ink we publish the best quality books, and Like the Moon We Rise is exactly that. An atmospheric, tropey story, with accessible crossover writing perfect for fans of Belladonna and Red Queen. Annabelle is a major new voice in this romantic fantasy space, and I can’t wait for the world to experience this book for the first time. I’m so jealous!"

Like the Moon We Rise will be a lead title in 2026 for First Ink, Macmillan Children’s Books’ audience-first, coming-of-age YA imprint.