Electric Monkey to publish Caitlin Breeze's 'stunning' dark academia fantasy debut

Electric Monkey, the young adult imprint of Farshore – part of HarperCollins – is set to publish the debut YA novel from Caitlin Breeze, described as a "stunning" grounded dark academia fantasy.

Lucy Courtenay, senior commissioning editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights for The Fox Hunt and a second book at auction from Jenny Meyer, from the Jenny Meyer Literary Agency, on behalf of Nicole Cunningham at The Book Group.

The synopsis reads: "Welcome to the University, where generations of power have been forged. Deep in its shadows, elite secret society the Turnbull Club has turned out centuries of young men destined to rule. And when practical, unassuming student Emma Curran falls for the Turnbulls’ leader, the glamorous Jasper Balfour, she’s swept into a world of glittering parties and unsettling rituals. But centuries of power come at a terrible price. A dark magic secures the Turnbulls’ right to rule, and it demands a sacrifice. And so one night, the Turnbulls propose a sinister little game: a fox hunt. The women run. The men chase. And this year, Emma is their prey. Torn from her ordinary life and trapped in the dangerous, otherworldly realm of the Night City, Emma must summon every ounce of cunning and ferocity to reclaim her fate and topple the Turnbull Club."

Breeze is based in London, and her debut was pre-empted in a six-figure deal in the US, where it went to Liv Ryan at Little, Brown. The Fox Hunt was shortlisted
for the Cheshire Novel Prize.

Courtenay said: "Dark academia has a new queen! With her knack for uncanny world-building, UK-based Caitlin is an incredibly exciting new talent for our award-winning YA Electric Monkey list. The themes of female rage and male privilege that blaze through The Fox Hunt make it truly unputdownable and set it very much apart in a competitive YA fantasy market."

Breeze said: "The Fox Hunt is a book about privilege, power and the dark magics at the heart of both. I’m so excited to be working with Electric Monkey to bring readers into the shadowed libraries and ancient halls of the University, and I hope they find as much magic there as I have."

The Fox Hunt will publish in the UK in 2026 with a second book to follow in 2027.