I’m thrilled to announce that Zaffre, the commercial imprint of Bonnier Books has acquired two books by debut author Pablo Valcárcel Castro, starting with DREAM OF THE JET-BLACK CITY. Editorial Director Kelly Smith acquired World rights in the series and the first book will be published May 2026. You can read the Bookseller article here.
DREAM OF THE JET-BLACK CITY is set in a storm-ravaged Venetian-style city made of onyx where dreams and nightmares are wielded by the powerful to maintain order.
With the power to form dreams and nightmares into reality, will those in control choose to shape a better world – or destroy it…?
Lightning-Hunter, Ash, chases living lightning over the dark rooftops. This energy the jet-black city depends upon, is all that stands between him and starvation. When a monstrous nightmare attacks his gang, death is all but certain – until Ash manages to dream a shadow creature to protect him. But this new power comes with a price and will see him either sent to the harrowing Academy to weaponize his gift or under the thumb of an Archdreamer patron who will use him to their own ends.
Geil is a Nightmare-Hunter and Dream-mutt; half-human, half-dream creation. Torn between the desires of her violent dragon’s heart and a need to pacify the guilt she feels for her lover’s death she seeks a balance to bring her peace. But upon returning to the city, she stumbles across a plot by her old master and nemesis to unseat the Archdreamers. She must find a way to accept the dragon within her to stop a nightmare being unleashed that will destroy her home and everything she cares about.
The Motherstorm rages eternal over the city and only the Wailers, a devout sisterhood of singers, can calm it. When Daerna’s order insists on ignoring the mysterious Wilting plague that is infecting the city’s populace, Daerna chooses to find the root of the disease even if it leads her into the darkest heart of the city – and her own death.
As each draws closer to their goals, they discover a connection between the plague, the city and those who have been manipulating the dreaming power for their own ends. If they can’t find a way to learn from the secrets the city has buried within its past, then their whole world will turn into a living nightmare.
Having worked with a variety authors including China Miéville, Adrian Tchaikovsky, John Gwynne, Devin Madson and Jay Kristoff during my time as an editor/agent - I was absolutely blown away by the imaginative and rich world-building that Pablo brings to this epic fantasy. So I was thrilled when Kelly, at Zaffre, felt the same way about it.
Pablo tells us a little about the inspirations behind his book:
‘I’ve always been fascinated by the power of imagination and believed that our fantasies and utopias are the guiding stars that help society chart its course. Inspired by that, this book emerged at the crossroads of the imaginative societies envisioned by both China Miéville in his Bas-Lag series and Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities.
What happens in a society that prizes dreaming above all else? If education and art are ways of shaping imaginations, then influencing either is a way to control the population. Controlling what we fear, too, allows others to harness the power of our nightmares. Ultimately, this is a book about dreaming as an act of rebellion, about dreaming big, yes, but also about the power of envisioning a different world and fighting for it.’
Very much looking forward to you all getting a chance to read this next year!