Orbit seizes new dark academia-inspired fantasy series by Jacka

Orbit has acquired a new dark academia-inspired fantasy series, “set in a world where anyone can use magic – if they can afford the price,” by Benedict Jacka, author of the Alex Verus novels.

UK and Commonwealth rights to three books were acquired by Jenni Hill at Orbit from Sophie Hicks at the Sophie Hicks Agency. US and Canada rights were snapped up by Anne Sowards at Berkley in the US.

The series sees magical power bought and sold by aristocratic dynasties and vast mega-corporations, telling the story of Stephen, who has a minimum wage job and a cat but who has inherited an unusual talent for magic from his father, and realises that unlocking that potential will take money and training.The first book – An Inheritance of Magic – will be out in October 2023, with the dates for the next two books as-yet undisclosed.

Jacka said: “With the Alex Verus series complete, I decided for my next series to try something different: a story where the mundane and supernatural worlds were integrated through trade and where you could buy magical powers out of a catalogue."

Hicks added: "Benedict’s inventive new series will delight readers of contemporary fantasy.”

Hill said: “An Inheritance of Magic shows us a world where the super-rich control everything – including magic. There’s a lot to love here for fans of Benedict’s previous series, as well as fans of dark academia.”