Hot Key Books snaps up two from sister writing duo

Hot Key Books has snapped up two new books from sister writing duo Katharine and Elizabeth Corr.

Emma Matthewson, executive publisher, and Carla Hutchinson, editor, acquired world rights to The House of Shadows duology from Claire Wilson at RCW. The first title, Daughter of Darkness, will publish in paperback, audio and e-book in August 2022, with the following title publishing in August 2023.

The House of Shadows duology is set in an alternative Ancient Greece, and imagines a story that might lie behind the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The publisher said: "In this new take on the old tale, a group of unlikely allies enters the Underworld to rescue the queen and return her to the mortal world to gain their own freedom."

Katharine and Elizabeth said: “Hot Key is such an amazing advocate for UK YA writing, so we are thrilled to be working with the brilliant team there on our new duology, House of Shadows. This story is set in an alternative Ancient Greece where heroes are history but the gods are very much alive, and take a tithe of children each year to serve them in the mortal world. Deina, our main character, has been claimed by Hades, but she is willing to do almost anything – including stealing, cheating and risking her life – to forge a different path for herself. We can't wait for readers to meet Deina – and her competition – as she embarks on her quest to the Underworld."

Matthewson added: “Kate and Liz’s innovative storytelling, inspired by the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, and taken from the rich seam of Greek mythology, is absorbing and compelling, while also being visual, pacy and dramatic. We cannot wait for YA readers to get their hands on the House of Shadows duology!”