Titan scoops 'haunting' fantasy from A C Wise

Titan Books has scooped Ballad of the Bone Road, a "haunting" dark fantasy novel, from A C Wise. 

Fiction editor Katie Dent acquired world English-language rights from Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary LLC. Ballad of the Bone Road will be published in January 2026. 

Set in North America where black-and-white film stars are blessed, or cursed, by the Hollow Queen, the novel follows ghosthunter Brix who has trapped his dead fiancee’s spirit in his house. It also charts the tale of Bellefeather who shares her body with a demon, a young couple who have summoned and fallen in love with the ghost of a faerie queen, and film star Jimmy Valentine.

Wise commented: "I’m so excited to be sharing a new novel with readers in early 2026. The vibe I’m going for with Ballad of the Bone Road is a dreamy, haunted alternate history. I’ve always loved stories about both ghosts and the fae, and to combine the two in this novel was a delight." 

Dent added: "Ballad of the Bone Road is unlike anything I’ve read, mixing the glamour of old Hollywood with inexplicable hauntings, deadly fae queens, devils and so much more. Every character is tenderly drawn, in a world that brims with dark magic, mystery and malice. Alison’s originality and haunting prose are second to none, and I can’t wait for readers to fall in love with this book the way I have."