Requited Imprint to Launch with Major New Acquisition, “Dire Bound” by Sable Sorensen
DIRE BOUND, the first in a planned trilogy, publishes in ebook format today (5/21) with trade paperback & deluxe hardcover editions to follow in the coming months.
NEW YORK, NY — (May 21, 2025) Requited, an imprint of Hachette Book Group (HBG), will publish DIRE BOUND by Sable Sorensen, it was announced today by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (LBYR) and Requited President & Publisher, Megan Tingley. Senior Editor Ruqayyah Daud preempted North American rights to The Wolves of Ruin trilogy from Caitlin Mahony of WME. Rights have sold in ten territories so far, with UK rights acquired by Transworld in collaboration with FairyLoot from Suzannah Ball at WME and auctions ongoing throughout the world. In translation, rights sold to Companhia das Letras (Brazil), Goldmann (Germany), Loft Books (Netherlands), Hachette Livre (France), Maxim (Hungary), Ahavot (Israel), Foksal (Poland), PRH (Spain), and Bookchef (Ukraine).
The first book releases in ebook format today, May 21, 2025, to be followed by a trade paperback edition publishing on August 26, 2025 with an exclusive new chapter and an announced first printing of 300,000 copies. On March 3, 2026, Requited will publish deluxe hardcover editions of both DIRE BOUND and FURY BOUND, the second book in The Wolves of Ruin trilogy.
DIRE BOUND was originally self-published by Sorensen—the pen name of writing duo Annie Paige-Stone and Eliza Phillips—in February 2025 and quickly found an audience. It’s garnered tens of millions of digital page reads, thousands of 5-star ratings, and glowing reader reviews, including:
“Nothing has gripped me like this since Fourth Wing. I love love loved this book.”—@kiyeereads
“Hunger Games meets Fourth Wing with some Divergent meets Game of Thrones meets ACOTAR with a sprinkling of Twilight. No notes. God Tier.”—@shea_butters
“If you’re in an ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, Quicksilver reading hangover, this will get you out of it.” —@thtgrlreads
The first release from HBG and LBYR’s recently-announced new adult imprint, Requited, DIRE BOUND is a dark romantasy set in a world where humans and direwolves forge unbreakable bonds and fight for survival. Said longtime friends and now coauthors Eliza and Annie, “We wanted to write a book about feminine rage that could be both cathartic and deeply entertaining. But it’s also in many ways a coming-of-age story; Meryn is a woman in her early 20s who has been saddled with a lot of responsibility but has never struck out on her own, away from the world she knows, before the events of this book. She has to learn that strength comes in many different forms, and that you can always pick yourself back up after a mistake, which we think are important messages for today’s young women. Also, as two lifelong fantasy fans and ‘wolf girls,’ we just couldn’t resist writing about gigantic magical wolves. We’re astounded and humbled by the reader response since we self-published DIRE BOUND earlier this spring, and having the opportunity to traditionally publish the series with the brilliant team at Requited is a dream come true for both of us.”
Lisa Yoskowitz, VP & Executive Editorial Director of Requited, said, “DIRE BOUND is immersive, unputdownable, and breathtakingly romantic—everything we look for in a Requited novel. More crucially, DIRE BOUND has everything readers are looking for in romantic fantasy. From TikTok to Instagram toGoodreads and beyond, readers are already singing DIRE BOUND’s praises, and we can’t wait to introduce even more readers to the unforgettable characters, escapist fantasy world, and jaw-dropping twists in each book of this epic trilogy.”
“I am first and foremost a fangirl, and came across DIRE BOUND while searching for my next bingeable read. I was immediately hooked by the propulsive writing and majestic world of direwolves, and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. DIRE BOUND is a book of my editorial dreams, from an incredible new authorial talent I’m thrilled to be working with,” said Daud.
About the Book:
In the realm of Nocturna, perpetually at war, humans lucky enough to bond with powerful direwolves are forced into brutal gladiatorial battles. Only the victors earn the right to join the king’s army as his elite warriors—the Bonded. Meryn has made peace with her life scraping by in poverty in the shadows of the castle. But when her sister is kidnapped across the border by the enemy, Meryn’s world falls apart. Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army—only to discover that there are Bonding Trials this year, where all soldiers are forced to risk their lives in an attempt to connect with a direwolf. It’s too late to turn back; Meryn is thrown into the deadly competition against her will. Now, she’ll need to survive the next four months of training at the castle if she wants a chance of finding her sister. Everything here is a test, from the brutal classes where one mistake means death, to the glittering court parties where every smile hides a knife. To make things worse, Meryn is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her gorgeous instructor, Stark Therion, is as malicious as the wolves. Everyone is out to get her—everyone but the dangerously handsome crown prince, Killian Valtiere. The more time Meryn spends with Killian, the more of a target she becomes. But the castle is hiding dark secrets… and the stakes are higher than Meryn ever imagined.
ABOUT SABLE SORENSEN
Sable Sorensen is the pen name for Eliza Phillips and Annie Paige-Stone, two fantasy fangirls who grew up on a steady diet of wizards, magical creatures, and sweeping love stories. Visit Sable’s website for exclusive sneak peeks, character art, and more at sablesorensen.com.
ABOUT REQUITED
Requited, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, publishes immersive, romantic novels of early adulthood. Launched in 2025, the imprint’s inaugural list includes sweeping fantasy, heartfelt comedic romance, and diabolical dark academia novels, among others.
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Press Contact:
Cheryl Lew, Publicity Director
212-364-1467, cheryl.lew@hbgusa.com