Rights to New York Times-bestselling and award-winning author Alwyn Hamilton’s The Notorious Virtues and two other titles have been acquired by Faber Children’s for publication from May 2020.

Alice Swan, Editorial Director for Faber Children’s acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency and says of the deal: “Alwyn is a first-class storyteller with an unparalleled imagination and an incredible talent for world building. She shot straight to the top with her Rebel of the Sands trilogy and The Notorious Virtues is equally showstopping. An enormously wealthy and glamorous family competing to become heir to generations worth of their family’s accumulated magic and wealth: the plot is irresistible!”

Ker Hawn says: “Faber have published Alwyn’s books beautifully, so I’m delighted they’ll be ushering her new project into the world. I can’t wait for fans to join these captivating new characters on what will be the most thrilling adventure of 2020.”

Hamilton adds: “Back in 2014, Faber & Faber took on the debut trilogy of an inexperienced author and put me and my books out into the world with more care, passion and attention than I could ever have hoped for. I feel so lucky that they also wanted to take in hand my next series of books, and after having worked with them for almost five years, I know that I and The Notorious Virtues are in the best of hands.”

© Alexandra Cameron, 2019.

Set in the same world as Alwyn’s Rebel of the Sands trilogy—though on a different continent and generations apart—readers will be transported to a 1920s-inspired society reliant on magic to keep itself safe from the dangers of the forest, and in turn reliant on the family who controls that magic. With echoes of much-loved folk and fairy tales from many European traditions, The Notorious Virtues will once again transport the reader to a world of magic, danger and political unrest…

The Notorious Virtues introduces a world of glitz and glamour, debauchery and decadence, where a deadly rivalry threatens to tear the Holtzfall family apart. The younger generation must compete in trials to determine who is most virtuous – and therefore most worthy – of inheriting control of the family, their money, their magic and their influence over the country.

Born into privilege, Honora Holtzfall has never wanted for anything until now. Lotte was born with nothing—or so she thought. While Theo was raised to serve a family for whom his loyalty is now being tested. And August knows nothing in this world is going to be handed to him, unlike the heiress he’s becoming entangled with.

But even as the Holtzfalls wage their battles of privilege and power, virtue and vice, something bigger and more sinister bubbles beneath the surface. Behind closed doors, a revolution has begun…

#NotoriousVirtues

Available for pre-order now.

Alwyn Hamilton:

Alwyn Hamilton was born in Toronto and spent her early years bouncing between Europe and Canada until her parents settled in France. She left France for Cambridge University to study History of Art at King’s College. She then moved to London, where she now lives, and put her degree to use working for an auction house while completing her debut, Rebel Of The Sands which was a New York Times Bestseller and won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Debut 2016. The trilogy was completed with the publication of Traitor To The Throne and Hero At The Fall and has sold over 100,000 copies in the UK alone. Alwyn is now working on the launch of The Notorious Virtues.

Follow Alwyn on Twitter @alwynfjh and Instagram @alwynhamilton