HarperVoyager pre-empts debut trilogy Godblind

HarperVoyager has pre-empted rights to Godblind, a debut trilogy featuring strong female characters and black comedy in an intricate world.

Natasha Bardon, deputy publishing director at HarperVoyager, pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada for the Godblind trilogy by debut author Anna Stephens in a six-figure deal with Harry Illingworth at D H H Literary Agency. 

Godblind is the first in a grimdark series reminiscent of Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence, according to HarperVoyager.

The publisher said the book is “set in a vast and intricate world, filled with strong female characters, black comedy and themes including religious fanaticism and political machinations.”

Bardon said: “I am absolutely thrilled that Anna is joining the Harper Voyager family. I’ve been looking in this area for a while and knew as soon as I started reading that this was exactly what I had been after – I had to have it. Anna is a superb talent, this book is fantastic and I couldn’t be happier to be publishing her.”

Stephens added: “It's great to be surrounded with people who are as enthusiastic about Godblind as I am, and I'm particularly grateful to my agent Harry and to Natasha for taking a chance on a debut author.”
Illingworth said that Stephens had a “huge career” ahead of her.

“It's an ambitious story with powerful themes and Anna weaves multiple perspectives so expertly it's hard to recognise this as a debut,” he added.

German rights have also been pre-empted, sold by Louisa Pritchard Associates.

The book will be published in spring 2017.