Hodder acquires reimagining of the legend of Scheherazade

Hodder & Stoughton has acquired four books by American author Renée Ahdieh, two of which reimagine the legend of Scheherazade.

Editor Anne Perry bought UK and Commonwealth rights in The Wrath and the Dawn and its sequel, The Rose and the Dagger, as well as the author’s forthcoming duology, Flame in the Mist. The deal was negotiated by Helen Boomer at Penguin Random House US.

Already published in the US, The Wrath and the Dawn and The Rose and the Dagger are based on the mythical tale of Scheherazade, telling the story of a land ruled by a murderous caliph, who marries a different woman every day and has her put to death at dawn the next morning. In Ahdieh's books, 16-year-old Sharhzad offers herself up as the caliph’s next bride, and marries him with a clever plan to stay her execution and avenge the deaths. But things begin to go awry when Shazi finds herself falling in love with her husband.

In Flame in the Mist, the first of a two-book series, Ahdieh tells the story of Mariko, daughter of a prominent samurai and promised in marriage to the son of the emperor’s favourite consort. But on her way to the imperial city, Mariko narrowly escapes an ambush by a group known as the Black Clan, who are intent on her death. Disguising herself as a peasant boy, Mariko infiltrates the Black Clan and discovers a dark history of secrets, betrayal and murder.

Perry said: "I have loved the story of Scheherazade since I was young, and Renée’s brilliant reimagining of the legend in The Wrath and the Dawn and The Rose and the Dagger has everything I could possibly want: romance, war, intrigue and an unforgettable heroine. I was thrilled to learn that Renée will be publishing a new two-book series beginning in 2017 and am absolutely delighted to be bringing all four books to the UK as Renée’s British publisher."

The Wrath and the Dawn and The Rose and the Dagger will publish in paperback in April 2017. Flame in the Mist will publish on 4 May 2017.