John Jarrold

 

 

Cecile’s debut fantasy is THE YOUNG WOLF. Phelan is the last of the Miraseeli, a peaceful, nomadic people murdered by the tyrant Dorran for their magical ties to the land. Eluned is Dorran’s unwilling betrothed, who has had to learn how to wield charm as a weapon after he killed her family. When Cai, the gregarious Laird of Neam, a prosperous market shire on the coast—and Dorran’s Moonsworn enemy—rescues them both, they grow to love him as much as they hate one another. But in time they come to learn that loathing is not so far removed from longing, and more unites them than their respective tragedies and love of Cai. Yet Eluned is Cai’s wife, pledged to him beneath the four Moon Gods; to deny those bonds and take a lover is heresy—punishable by death by burning. Meanwhile, Dorran learns that Cai has stolen his bride, and seeks out an ally with the power to vanquish his old enemy once and for all. He turns to the maddest of the Moons, Drem. Drem agrees to make Dorran his Champion, arming Dorran with His malevolent magics—with which he means to raze Neam to the ground.

 
With the incisive imagery and devastating romance of THE SONG OF ACHILLES, the Celtic tension of Juliet Marillier and mythic prose similar to THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE, THE YOUNG WOLF is a stand-alone, adult fantasy retelling of the Tristan and Isolde myth with crossover appeal and series potential—an epic love story truly deserving of the epithet.

 

 

Cecile said:
“I am a mum of two and makeup artist based in the Cotswolds. After graduating from the Met Film School at twenty with a BA in filmmaking and screenwriting, I unexpectedly fell pregnant, and began writing as a means to bridge the endless colicky night-feeds. THE YOUNG WOLF was written exclusively on my phone while my baby daughter slept on me, and is in part informed by my own experiences, as like Eluned I come from an eclectic family and have also experienced baby loss. When not writing or getting brides ready for their big day, I am usually to be found cooking something unnecessarily complicated or reheating lukewarm cups of tea.”

 

John Jarrold said:
“The opening pages told me all I needed to know, in terms of how special and involving Cecile’s writing and voice are. The characters and story drew me in immediately and the mix of love, war and politics is outstanding. As a long-time fan of fantasy, mythology and history I was entranced, and I look forward to discussing Cecile and her writing with major publishers on both sides of the Atlantic. Welcome to the agency!”