Our Blog

Photo by Judit Peter from Pexels

If you're participating in NaNoWriMo this year, you probably have a good amount written at this point! But there's also the dreaded slump that seems to always hit before the finish line. Here's some advice from Quirk's editorial team to keep you going. Remember, you've got this!

Photo by Judit Peter from Pexels

If you're participating in NaNoWriMo this year, you probably have a good amount written at this point! But there's also the dreaded slump that seems to always hit before the finish line. Here's some advice from Quirk's editorial team to keep you going. Remember, you've got this!

We’re excited to share the cover reveal of Hunters of the Lost City by Kali Wallace. Perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce and Shannon Hale, or anyone who longs for adventure, this page-turning middle-grade fantasy is packed with shocking twists, frightening monsters, and dark magic. (But trust us—it’s not just for middle-grade readers!)

Designed by Quirk’s senior designer, Ryan Hayes, and illustrated by Matt Saunders, just look at how beautiful this cover is!

Ryan Hayes said, “When creating the cover for Hunters of the Lost City, it was all about mood and atmosphere. The wonder and mystery (and a bit of the danger) that exists beyond the walls of Vittoria is so integral to the story and the characters that we focused Matt’s efforts there. The color of the town is a bit more drab while the mountains and sky beyond the walls is much more dreamy, magical, and inviting—almost calling to our characters to venture to them. ”

To celebrate the reveal, we asked author Kali Wallace to answer a couple of questions about the book and the cover.

Quirk Books: Thanks for joining us for a Q&A today, Kali! If you only had one tweet, how would you describe Hunters of the Lost City?

Kali Wallace: Octavia dreams of being a Hunter who protects the last town in existence from magical monsters, but when she meets a stranger who isn’t supposed to exist, she sets out on a journey that will force her to question everything she thought she knew about her home, her history, and her place in the world.

QB: What was your favorite part of writing Hunters of the Lost City?

KW: I enjoyed writing all parts of Hunters, but the most fun was definitely in creating the friendship—and mutual crush!—between Octavia and her new friend Sima. Some of the most fun to be had while writing is forcing characters to get to know each other while also sticking them in endless peril.

QB: The main character, Octavia, lives in the walled city of Vittoria. The city is protected against magical monsters by two important sets of people: Hunters and magical Crafters. Octavia wants to be a Hunter when she grows up. If you lived in Vittoria and could have one job, what would it be?

KW: To be honest, a big part of the reason I made Octavia’s family own a bakery is because being a baker is the job I see myself doing in most fantasy settings. I would not be great at fighting or casting spells or running into danger, but I can definitely make the pies that all those brave people will need to eat when they come back home.

QB: Now, back to this awesome cover! What is your favorite part of the cover? Without giving anything away, are there any clues hidden on the cover?

KW: I love everything about this cover. I think it’s ridiculously beautiful, and it captures the mood and feeling of the story so well. My absolute favorite part is the silhouettes of the monsters on the wall. But I also love that if you look closely at the mountains in the background, you might get a little hint about how the story ventures beyond those walls and monsters!

QB: One last question before we go… What book(s) are you currently reading?

KW: I am between novels right now, but the next one on my stack is Leigh Bardugo’s Crooked Kingdom—I want to finish the duology before I let myself watch the Netflix show! In the meantime, I have recently decided to read more short fiction, so I have been working my way through Ann and Jeff VanderMeer’s The Weird, a 1100-page anthology of weird fiction that spans over a century. As of now I’ve only made it as far as Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s “The Hell Screen,” so I have a good thousand pages left to go.

Interested in hearing more about Hunters of the Lost City? Sign up for our newsletter here!

Preorder Hunters of the Lost City here.

National Intern Day is on July 29, 2021, and we're shining the spotlight on our rockstar marketing and publicity intern! Read on to get to know Olivia.

Hello everyone! My name is Olivia, and I am the marketing and publicity intern for Quirk Books for summer 2021! I’m also a rising junior at Emerson College studying Writing, Literature, and Publishing. In my free time, you can usually find me reading, discovering new food places, hunting for used copies of Moby Dick at my local used bookstores, and spending way too much time scrolling on TikTok!

What book(s) are you currently reading?

Normally, I am very much a Young Adult enthusiast when it comes to my reading tastes. However; I’ve been trying to branch out recently, so all of these books are outside of my comfort zone!

1. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

While I really like Young Adult contemporary books, I have not graduated to Adult literary fiction quite yet! However, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous has been a wonderful introduction to the genre, and I will definitely be reading more.

2. The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Since I started interning at Quirk, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires has been at the top of my TBR list! I am not normally a horror reader (or a fan of vampire books), but the idea of a book club protecting their community from vampires had me pushing aside all of my priorities so I could start reading this.

3. Selected Poems of Langston Hughes

I am not normally the type of person to pick up and analyze a poetry collection, however last semester, I took a class called “Black Revolutionary Thought” where we talked about phenomenal Black writers and artists throughout U.S. history. One of these writers was Langston Hughes! We touched on his work briefly since it was an overview course, but I wanted to dive deeper into his works so I decided to pick up this poetry collection!

What are some of your all-time favorite books?

1. They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

Even though They Both Die At The End has been blowing up recently because of TikTok, I have loved this book since I got an Advanced Reader’s Copy of it when I was in high school (yes, I totally have an "I loved it before it was cool" complex about this book!). I read it during a time of change and transition in my life, and this book definitely changed my life for the better.

2. Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I normally don’t re-read books, however Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children is one of the few books that I have re-read! I am a sucker for a book with a found-family trope (and spooky vibes, of course!), so this book has been a hard-core favorite of mine for a while. In fact, I had to take the SAT exam one morning when I was a senior in high school and then I immediately left to drive two hours to a Ransom Riggs book signing! Yes, I’m that hardcore about this series.

3. One Last Stop by Casey McQuinston

One Last Stop is a new favorite of mine. I have two great loves in life: New York City and public transportation! One Last Stop is essentially a love letter to both of these! This book also has a found-family trope, so I immediately connected with the characters and the story.

Image by Wallula from Pixabay

Tell us about your favorite fandom!

Broadway! Before the pandemic, I used to go see a musical or show at least once a week (thanks to all of the amazing student discounts at Boston-area theaters).

I just truly think there is something so magical about sitting down in a theatre and being able to immediately immerse yourself in a production. I’ve been able to meet so many amazing people through Broadway and attending shows, and I am already counting down the days until Broadway reopens!

What is your favorite thing about interning at Quirk Books?

As cheesy as it sounds, one of my favorite things about interning at Quirk Books has to be the books that I have been able to work with. I’ve been a fan of Quirk for quite some time, and I feel like I’m pinching myself every day that I get to work with books that I genuinely love. I’ve learned so much already during my time at Quirk, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for me!

National Intern Day is on July 29, 2021, and we're shining the spotlight on our rockstar marketing and publicity intern! Read on to get to know Olivia.

Hello everyone! My name is Olivia, and I am the marketing and publicity intern for Quirk Books for summer 2021! I’m also a rising junior at Emerson College studying Writing, Literature, and Publishing. In my free time, you can usually find me reading, discovering new food places, hunting for used copies of Moby Dick at my local used bookstores, and spending way too much time scrolling on TikTok!

What book(s) are you currently reading?

Normally, I am very much a Young Adult enthusiast when it comes to my reading tastes. However; I’ve been trying to branch out recently, so all of these books are outside of my comfort zone!

1. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

While I really like Young Adult contemporary books, I have not graduated to Adult literary fiction quite yet! However, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous has been a wonderful introduction to the genre, and I will definitely be reading more.

2. The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Since I started interning at Quirk, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires has been at the top of my TBR list! I am not normally a horror reader (or a fan of vampire books), but the idea of a book club protecting their community from vampires had me pushing aside all of my priorities so I could start reading this.

3. Selected Poems of Langston Hughes

I am not normally the type of person to pick up and analyze a poetry collection, however last semester, I took a class called “Black Revolutionary Thought” where we talked about phenomenal Black writers and artists throughout U.S. history. One of these writers was Langston Hughes! We touched on his work briefly since it was an overview course, but I wanted to dive deeper into his works so I decided to pick up this poetry collection!

What are some of your all-time favorite books?

1. They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

Even though They Both Die At The End has been blowing up recently because of TikTok, I have loved this book since I got an Advanced Reader’s Copy of it when I was in high school (yes, I totally have an "I loved it before it was cool" complex about this book!). I read it during a time of change and transition in my life, and this book definitely changed my life for the better.

2. Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I normally don’t re-read books, however Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children is one of the few books that I have re-read! I am a sucker for a book with a found-family trope (and spooky vibes, of course!), so this book has been a hard-core favorite of mine for a while. In fact, I had to take the SAT exam one morning when I was a senior in high school and then I immediately left to drive two hours to a Ransom Riggs book signing! Yes, I’m that hardcore about this series.

3. One Last Stop by Casey McQuinston

One Last Stop is a new favorite of mine. I have two great loves in life: New York City and public transportation! One Last Stop is essentially a love letter to both of these! This book also has a found-family trope, so I immediately connected with the characters and the story.

Image by Wallula from Pixabay

Tell us about your favorite fandom!

Broadway! Before the pandemic, I used to go see a musical or show at least once a week (thanks to all of the amazing student discounts at Boston-area theaters).

I just truly think there is something so magical about sitting down in a theatre and being able to immediately immerse yourself in a production. I’ve been able to meet so many amazing people through Broadway and attending shows, and I am already counting down the days until Broadway reopens!

What is your favorite thing about interning at Quirk Books?

As cheesy as it sounds, one of my favorite things about interning at Quirk Books has to be the books that I have been able to work with. I’ve been a fan of Quirk for quite some time, and I feel like I’m pinching myself every day that I get to work with books that I genuinely love. I’ve learned so much already during my time at Quirk, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for me!

This post contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Quirk Books may earn a commission.

Like Mother's Day, Father's Day has snuck up on us this year, but no need to panic purchase another random tchotchke! It will only collect dust or get totally, unintentionally misplaced. Instead, give our latest list of Father's Day book recommendations a scroll, and make this year's celebration a book-filled one.