Some news I’ve been sitting on for a while now – Lone Wolf Pictures lands rights to Anthony Ryan’s fantasy book universe to produce new, major multi-volume TV drama series. Here’s the full press release from Lone Wolf Pictures:

‘London, Berlin & Los Angeles – Lone Wolf Pictures and The Whole Spiel announce an epic adventure drama series, “Queen of Fire” (working title), based on the best- selling multi-volume fantasy universe.

The powerful, live-action fantasy drama series will feature the legends, worlds and characters of the Raven’s Shadow trilogy, Raven’s Blade duology books and collections of short stories written by The New York Times and international bestsellers master storyteller Anthony Ryan.

Lone Wolf Pictures acquired exclusive rights tothe Penguin Random House published multi-volume fantasy universe with plans to adapt it into a character- driven multi-season fantasy TV series, with Stephen McDonogh, Paul Telegdy and Anthony Ryan executive producing. Key showrunner appointments are to be announced shortly.

The world of Raven’s Shadow has been on many “best of” lists, with the Blood Song, Tower Lord and Queen of Fire, each being New York Times bestsellers. The

two novels, along with Blood Song, were also international bestsellers with more than 1 million copies sold worldwide.

The story’s heart binds the enthralling journeys of five characters in a shared destiny of another world, divided into warring nations, where the politics are as cut-throat as any own real-world history.

“Queen of Fire” features Lyrna, an enslaved princess who, despite the malign manipulations of her father, rises to lead an empire in uncovering the truth of the forbidden powers of the Dark; Reva, a young woman, born to privilege, stolen fromher loving home, raised to kill and blinded by revenge; and ‘The Woman,’ as she is simply known, is a cruel, ruthless and utterly unrepentant soul in the body of a beautiful woman with an insatiable lust for power who will stop at nothing for the promise of immortality.

These series also features Vaelin, a legendary warrior, server of the faith, possessor of a gift, known as ‘the Blood Song,’ a form of precognition, guiding his sword in battle and showing him the right path – if he chooses to take it. Frentis, who grew up on the streets alone, is powerless against The Woman’s magic and forced to kill innocents and those he once served. He possesses a quest for revenge, which might see him lose the last remnants of the gentle soul he once was.

Each character is entwined in a destiny they have yet to comprehend, one which will alter the world for eternity.

They are torn by dualities: the child versus the adult they’ll become, the world of the battlefield and the world of the court, the sins of the past and the payment they extract in the present. A belief they have a destiny and a duty to fulfill it. But do they have to follow the course chosen for them? And how will the world suffer if they don’t?

“Once drawn into Ryan’s masterful storytelling, audiences will delight in the twist to the immensely satisfying non-stop action, with heretics challenging the monastic orders of faith, legendary characters and monstrous creatures in an extraordinary struggle for power spanning a world of empires,” adds Stephen McDonogh, “‘Queen of Fire’ is an unflinchingly brave story of people and empires bitterly divided, and the vital necessity of overcoming their differences to have any hope of making a better world.”

“Ryan’s beautifully crafted body of work has captured the attention of millions and we are honored to bring it to life on television,” said Telegdy. “The robust and timeless

storylines of this epic franchise provide endless possibilities to uniquely engage and captivate a global audience.”

“I am thrilled with the production’s fresh, original and expansive vision for adapting my books and stories for global screen audiences and core fans alike.” Says Ryan, “It is an exciting opportunity to collaborate closely with the creative team in bringing my universe and characters to life on screen.”

LONE WOLF PICTURES is an independent British-based production venture founded by long-standing BBC alumni and producer Stephen McDonogh (Walking With Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie, Louis Theroux’s award-winning documentary featureMy Scientology Movie, and multi-award-winning family nature feature, Earth: One Amazing Day), with an eclectic slate of high-end, immersive feature film and TV projects each with something important to say about (and to) the world, its people and the nature within.

THE WHOLE SPIEL is an entertainment startup founded by Paul Telegdy and Stefan Telegdy, focused on creative and commercial development in film, television, gaming and music. With offices in Los Angeles, London and Berlin provides creative and strategic support for a diverse range of clients across the media and technology sectors.

In addition to “Queen of Fire,” Lone Wolf Pictures and The Whole Spiel, along with Infinity Hill, recently announced the new Falkland-Malvinas 10-episode war drama series, “The Islands.”’

This is obviously great news but I should stress that there’s a lot of road between now and the series making it to screen. I’ll post updates when I get them and, to answer an oft-asked question, please direct any casting enquiries to Lone Wolf Pictures.

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In other news, I’ll be running a quickie giveaway on my mailing list for three advance reader copies of To Blackfyre Keep this coming Friday, July 15th. If you’re not already signed up, join here to make sure you don’t miss out on a chance to enter.

To Blackfyre Keep is volume four in my Seven Swords novella series and will be published by Subterranean Press in September 2022. Pre-order from the Subterranean Press website.