New Delhi: Fifteen years after Fifty Shades of Grey became a global hit, author EL James is now venturing into an entirely new genre with her first young adult fantasy novel, Land of Ghosts.
The novel is scheduled to be released on 20 October and will be published by Bloom Books. The story follows a woman who moves to London after suffering an unbearable loss and develops an unexpected connection with a young man whom only she can see, according to USA TODAY.
Land of Ghosts will be the first book in a planned two-part series, with its sequel, Land of Dreams, expected to be published in 2027. The book marks a significant departure from James’ bestselling Fifty Shades series and her subsequent Mister and Missus novels.
James described the new book as her take on the paranormal genre, centring on two young people who are grieving the lives they once had before falling in love.
“Who doesn’t love a paranormal tale? Land of Ghosts is my take on the genre,” James told USA TODAY.
She added that the characters “face obstacles that seem insurmountable”, including the divide between the living and the dead.
Cosmopolitan, which first announced the book, reported that the story had been on James’ mind for a long time.
“This tale has haunted me (see what I did there!) for a long time,” the author had said while revealing the project.
(Edited by Stela Dey)