Thriller author James Patterson is turning to a wildly different genre for his next book.
The novelist is teaming with author Hazel McBride on a romantasy novel, USA Today reports. Little, Brown and Forever will publish the duo’s Firedance next year; the Hachette imprints call the book “a smoldering adventure infused with magic and danger, intensity and yearning from two powerhouse authors at the top of their game.”
Patterson is best known for his thrillers and mystery novels, particularly his series featuring Washington, D.C., police detective Alex Cross. He has frequently collaborated with other authors, including former President Bill Clinton, the late singer Dolly Parton, and actor Viola Davis. Earlier this month, he announced he is co-writing a novel with movie star and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
McBride is the author of the romantasy novels A Fate Forged in Fire and A Queen Crowned in Flames. Her novel A Secret Born of Storms is slated for publication next July.
Firedance, the first installment in a planned duology, will follow Julianna, who runs a home for magical creatures that are imprisoned by two evil princes. She tries to infiltrate the royal court while the princes embark on a hunting trip.
“I think your initial response is (how) a lot of people are going to respond—like, ‘What?’” Patterson told USA Today reporter Clare Mulroy, who had evinced surprise about the book. “But I will tell you, it has nothing to do with the money, it has everything to do with the storytelling. I just love the idea and having read some of these, as I mentioned, with Sarah [J. Maas] and Callie [Hart] and Rebecca [Yarros], I just said, I’d love to let my imagination loose in this area.”
Firedance is slated for publication on June 7, 2027.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
