Sylvia Hunter‘s debut novel, THE MIDNIGHT QUEEN, is out today in the UK! Published by Allison & Busby, it is the first in the Midnight Queen series. Here’s the synopsis…
Gray Marshall’s Britain is a fragmented kingdom of many tongues, many gods and many magics. But all that concerns Gray is returning as soon as possible to his studies at Merlin College, Oxford and setting right the nightmare that has seen him disgraced and banished to his tutor’s home.
Sophie Callender may not have magic herself and a father who forbids his daughters a magical education, but her bookish rebellion and growing friendship with Gray are the first steps of a journey. A journey that will involve them in a conspiracy at the heart of the kingdom and into the legend of a young queen who vanished without a trace years before.
Sylvia Hunter has created a world that is both only slightly different and a far cry from the England we know of the 1800s, teeming with depth in language, myth and religion that defies easy categorisation.
The second novel in the series, LADY OF MAGICK, is also forthcoming from Allison & Busby (January 2017). We’ll share the cover here in a couple of weeks! THE MIDNIGHT QUEEN was published in the US in 2014, where the series title is Noctis Magicae. A third novel, A SEASON OF SPELLS, is also forthcoming. Here’s some of the great things reviewers and peers have said and written about the novel…
‘Hunter does a splendid job of confounding my expectations [and] … THE MIDNIGHT QUEEN keeps taking fresh turns. A fresh and inventive historical novel… I can’t wait to see what Sylvia Izzo Hunter does next.’ — Marie Brennan
‘In THE MIDNIGHT QUEEN, Hunter pulls from a multitude of mystical tales and myths to create her own magical version of Britain that is both innovative and intriguing. The plot is creative and suspenseful — and never predictable. Your affection for the dynamic heroes will only grow as Hunter’s characters face challenge after unexpected challenge. THE MIDNIGHT QUEEN is a novel that readers will be unable to put down.’ — RT Book Reviews
‘Elegantly written, fast-paced and highly original – a stunning story of magic, scholarship, and true love. Sylvia Izzo Hunter brings both rural Brittany and an alternative Regency England to vivid life. A remarkably assured debut.’ — Juliet Marillier
‘A well-balanced blend of fantasy with a historical fiction-type setting, overlaid with a story laced with a heavy dose of the kind of chaste, slow-burn romance one might find in a traditional Regency novel… THE MIDNIGHT QUEEN is a very beautiful, very atmospheric novel about young love.’ — Bibliosanctum
‘A powerfully atmospheric novel…’ — Bookworm Blues
‘A great fantasy… THE MIDNIGHT QUEEN sets up a storyline with intrigue, magic and romance… a really fun ride.’ — Seattle Geekly
Zeno represents Sylvia Hunter in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.