Gollancz acquires new Brandon Sanderson series – STEELHEART is coming!

Gollancz, the SFF imprint of Orion Publishing, has acquired the first YA series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, it was announced today by Simon Spanton, Deputy Publishing Director. UK & Commonwealth rights were bought from John Richard Parker of the Zeno Literary Agency.

Gollancz will publish the first novel, STEELHEART, in Autumn 2013 in a simultaneous publication programme with the American publishers, Delacorte Press. Simon Spanton said “Brandon Sanderson has already proved himself to be one of our best-loved fantasy authors. We are hugely delighted to be able to join him on this new adventure. STEELHEART had me from page one. It was an exhilarating ride and I’m sure fans of Brandon – existing and new – will fall in love with his fantastic tale.”

Brandon Sanderson is a #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning fantasy author with books published in over twenty-five languages, and millions of copies sold around the world.

The first novel of Sanderson’s new series, STEELHEART, follows David – a teenager in the city that was once called Chicago – as he searches for the extraordinarily powerful Epic named Steelheart, who killed his father. Steelheart possesses the strength of ten men and can control the elements. It is said no bullet can harm him, no sword can split his skin, no explosion can burn him. Nobody fights back… nobody but the Reckoners.

A shadowy group of ordinary humans, the Reckoners spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then taking them out. For the death of his father, David wants to be there for the kill. For years, like the Reckoners, David has been studying, and planning, and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He’s seen Steelheart bleed.

STEELHEART takes an action-heavy plot, layers in complexity, and delivers twists and a breathtaking conclusion, as David and the Reckoners try to undo the dystopia the Epics have created. According to Sanderson’s agent Eddie Schneider, STEELHEART has entered preliminary negotiations for a major Hollywood deal.

Brandon Sanderson’s book publishing career began with the standalone fantasy Elantris, which was followed by his Mistborn trilogy, a modern classic of the fantasy genre with more than 1 million copies sold in the English language. He has also had great success with The Way of Kings, the first in a projected ten-volume series called The Stormlight Archive. In December 2007, Brandon was chosen to complete Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series after his untimely passing. His entry into the world of children’s writing came with the Alcatraz series, to be published by Gollancz in September 2012. STEELHEART is his first young adult novel. Sanderson received his Masters in creative writing from Brigham Young University, where he continues to teach. He resides with his wife Emily in Utah.