Puffin signs Struan Murray's new fantasy series with six-figure US deal

Puffin has signed the “electric” new fantasy series, including Dragonborn, a pulse-pounding adventure written by Branford Boase Award-winning Struan Murray.

Puffin Fiction publisher Ben Horslen acquired world rights in two books from Stephanie Thwaites at Curtis Brown, with German rights since sold to Loewe, and US rights selling in a six-figure deal to Dutton Children’s Books. Dragonborn will be published in hardback in May 2025, followed by the paperback and a second book in 2026.

The publisher described its fifth middle grade novel with Murray as “packed with the same immersive world-building and relatable characters readers loved in his award-winning debut, Orphans of the Tide, elevated by irresistible commercial hooks – a secret island school where young dragons train and fight, forging friendships and rivalries, and a girl with the power to hear the voices of the dead”.

Puffin described the new series as “electric”. “Through main character Alex, Murray masterfully explores big themes, including grief, anger and the journey of learning to manage big emotions,” the publisher added. “At its core, this is a story about a young girl finding her strength and place in a world that desperately needs her.”

The blurb reads: “Life is no fun for Alex Evans. Ever since her dad’s death, her overprotective mother has smothered her with unbreakable rules and unspoken fears. When the frustration inside Alex finally gets too big to bear, it rushes to the surface. And flames spill from her mouth.

“Because Alex is a dragon. One of the many who live among us, unless something awakens their true nature. Led by the mighty Oliphos to the legendary island of Skralla, Alex must now train alongside fierce, frightening dragon children, if she is to unlock the power of her birthright.”

Horslen said: “From the moment Struan first pitched me Dragonborn, I was hooked. The concept was instantly so clear and so commercial, but I knew that Struan’s extraordinary writing and peerless gift of world-building would elevate it into something truly exceptional. Fans of AF Steadman and Katherine Rundell are in for a treat – as is anyone who, like me, can’t resist a dragon.”

Murray, who grew up in Edinburgh, balances writing with his role as a lecturer at the University of Oxford. His debut novel, Orphans of the Tide (Puffin) was acquired in a six-figure pre-empt within 24 hours, was Indie Children’s Book of the Month and won the 2021 Branford Boase Award.