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Harper Fire pre-empts Queen of Faces by debut author Petra Lord
Harper Fire has signed Queen of Faces by debut Petra Lord in a “major” pre-empt.
Fiction publisher Nick Lake and publishing director Natalie Doherty bought UK and Commonwealth rights in three books from Claire Wilson at RCW, on behalf of Pete Knapp and Stuti Telidevara at Park & Fine.
Queen of Faces will publish in hardback as the “tentpole launch” for Harper Fire in 2026 with a further two untitled novels to come in the trilogy.
It is described as a “powerful and page-turning blockbuster fantasy" which also “depicts the trans experience like never before”.
The synopsis says: “Anabelle is trapped in a boy’s body, and in a year, it will kill her. In the nation of Caimor, the wealthy buy and trade fabricated bodies like clothes, moving their souls between them as easily as blinking. But Ana can only afford a grey, damaged male form, and by her 17th birthday, it’s already falling apart. As her extraordinary magical ability grows, but her body continues to fail her, she is left with only one choice: become an assassin for the headmaster of Paragon Academy, Caimor’s prestigious school of magic, working against those who would see the nation’s magical elite toppled. If she completes her dangerous assignment, she just might escape her body before it takes its last breath.”
Lord said: “I’m very grateful that I get to partner with HarperCollins and share this work with UK audiences. Queen of Faces is the story of a single girl’s transition, of creation and self-discovery, as she forges her identity and fights to escape her dying body. It’s a book for when your heroes feel hollow, and your world feels like it’s drowning. I hope that it will resonate with trans readers, and anyone who’s ever been uncertain about where they belong.”
Lake added: “We’re proud to be publishing this exceptional debut novel. Epic, original, escapist and full of nuanced characters to fall in love with, it’s both one of the best fantasy novels we have read, and by far one of the most unique and powerful depictions of the trans experience we have come across. It’s important and impossible to put down, and builds to a climax that is nothing short of transcendent. We know it will resonate with a huge number of readers.”
