Sphere signs ‘exquisite’ feminist retelling of the story of Alexander the Great

Sphere has acquired The Poison Palace, the debut novel by Shreya Ila Anasuya. Fiction publisher Tilda Key acquired world all-language and dramatic rights directly from the author, in an exclusive submission.

Sphere will publish the novel, which "fuses the Indian myth of the Vishkanya (poison girls) with the legend of Alexander the Great", in hardback, trade paperback, e-book and audiobook in May 2026.

Its synopsis reads: "Eka is raised to be a Vishkanya from a young age, able to kill with poison but not be killed by it. As Alexander threatens her homeland, she is sent with her childhood companion Ira to end his conquest. But with the fate of the world on their shoulders, what price will they pay to uphold their duty, protect their growing love for one another, and make it back home?”

Key said: "I’m so proud to publish The Poison Palace – an exquisite novel that reframes Alexander the Great’s story through a feminist, Indian and queer perspective, with a touch of the magical too.

"This is one of those special books that makes you see a familiar story in a completely new light, and I know that readers who loved books like The Song of Achilles will be just as captivated by Shreya’s debut – and find something entirely new between its pages, too."

Anasuya said: "I’m thrilled to be making my debut with Sphere Books, especially with Tilda as my editor. My book is a creative engagement with history as well as myth. It traces the cost of Alexander’s invasions through a feminine, queer voice, interrogates the femme-fatale archetype, and brings ancient India into focus."