Gollancz Acquires The Relic Guild

Gollancz, the Science-Fiction and Fantasy imprint of Orion, are proud to announce the acquisition of THE RELIC GUILD, the beginning of an epic new fantasy series from debut author Edward Cox. Marcus Gipps, Editor at Gollancz, bought World all language rights from John Berlyne of Zeno Agency.

It was said the Labyrinth had once been the great meeting place, a sprawling city at the heart of an endless maze. But it has become an abandoned forbidden zone, where humans are trapped behind boundary walls a hundred feet high.

Young Clara struggles to survive in a dangerous and dysfunctional city, where eyes are keen, nights are long, and the use of magic is punishable by death. She knows her days are numbered.  The only people Clara can trust are the Relic Guild, a secret band of magickers sworn to protect the Labyrinth. But the Relic Guild are now too few. To save the Labyrinth – and the lives of millions – Clara and the Relic Guild must find a way to contact the worlds beyond their walls.

Edward Cox commented: ‘It’s incredible! It’s hard to believe that I’ll be joining such an amazing list of personal writing heroes and great authors, but I’m head-over-heels happy. Gollancz is an outstanding publisher, one of the best, and I’m looking forward to working with a team that is so dedicated to sci-fi, fantasy and horror.’

‘I was thrilled by THE RELIC GUILD from the very first page, and as I kept on reading it was clear that Edward had delivered a remarkably readable and well-constructed book. He takes elements we have seen in fantasy before, and welds them into something new. With two intertwining stories taking place 40 years apart but influencing each other deeply, it is clear that Edward is a very exciting new talent, ‘ said Marcus Gipps.

John Berlyne said: ‘Ed Cox’s confident and impressive début, THE RELIC GUILD, is an atmospheric gaslight revenge fantasy. It is set to be a stand out series and who better to launch this hugely talented, home grown author than Gollancz.’

THE RELIC GUILD will be released in June 2014.