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Penguin acquires YA romance trilogy from Clíodhna O’Sullivan
Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Random House Children’s UK, has acquired YA romance trilogy from Clíodhna O’Sullivan. Editorial director Linas Alsenas and assistant editor Emma Wood acquired world rights for three books in the Her Hidden Fire series from acting agent Niamh Mulvey, via a special arrangement with Mulcahy Sweeney Associates.
The YA romance trilogy is set in an Ireland-inspired world in which patriarchal elites have magical powers, drawn from their subjects – and the publisher said it is a "perfect next read for fans of Powerless".
Penguin explained that the trilogy had an unusual journey to publication, as in 2021, O’Sullivan published the first book with a small publisher who closed their business soon afterwards, so the book was brought back on submission. It has been re-edited to its current form as Her Hidden Fire. Penguin plans to publish all three books of the trilogy in rapid succession by the end of 2027.
The synopsis states: "In a world where dragons stalk the skies and magical abilities are an elite privilege, the ruling family of Ailm’s Keep is on a knife edge: can Ionain, the heir apparent, channel magic, or will the family be cast out and replaced by a cruel master from a neighbouring land?
"So when Éadha, a servant girl who loves Ionain, discovers that she can draw power, she finds herself in grave danger. It’s extremely rare for a girl to have this talent, and certainly never outside the great families. At Ionain’s moment of truth, Éadha makes a desperate gamble to save him, Ailm’s Keep and, ultimately, herself.
"As Éadha and Ionain enter a whirlwind of patriarchy, class, heartache and jealousy, they learn about power’s terrible cost – a price others willingly pay to maintain theirs. How far would you go to empower the one you love?"
O’Sullivan said: "I’m still pinching myself that I get to work with two such extraordinary editors as Linas and Emma, and with an imprint that’s published some of my all-time favourite books. To have such a brilliant team working on making your story as thrilling and as heart-stoppingly romantic as it can be has been the most immense privilege. I’m so grateful to them, and to my amazing agent Niamh Mulvey for finding such a wonderful home for this story. I can’t wait to see it go out into the world."
Alsenas said: "Readers are showing us how much they love romantasy, and they want more complex, brilliantly crafted worlds, with characters filled with passion and spark. Her Hidden Fire is all this and more, so Emma I are delighted to be welcoming Clíodhna to Penguin’s growing list of dynamic YA writing talent."
Penguin will publish Her Hidden Fire by Clíodhna O’Sullivan in February 2026.
