Alison Goodman – Jill Grinberg Literary Management

Alison Goodman

Alison Goodman is the acclaimed author of numerous books of young adult fantasy, including Singing the Dogstar Blues, the New York Times bestselling duology Eon and Eona, and the multi-award winning Lady Helen trilogy, comprising The Dark Days Club, The Dark Days Pact, and The Dark Days Deceit. Her debut novel for adults, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies, will be published by Berkley in May 2023, with a sequel to follow in 2024. She lives with her husband in Australia, and recently completed her PhD at the University of Queensland.

Agent

Jill Grinberg

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies

A high society amateur detective at the heart of Regency London uses her wits and invisibility as an ‘old maid’ to protect other women in a new and fiercely feminist historical mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.

Lady Augusta Colebrook, “Gus,” is determinedly unmarried, bored by society life, and tired of being dismissed at the age of forty-two. She and her twin sister, Julia, who is grieving her dead betrothed, need a distraction. One soon presents itself: to rescue their friend’s goddaughter, Caroline, from her violent husband.

The sisters set out to Caroline’s country estate with a plan, but their carriage is accosted by a highwayman. In the scuffle, Gus accidentally shoots the ruffian, only to discover he is Lord Evan Belford, an acquaintance from their past who was charged with murder and exiled to Australia twenty years ago. With Lord Evan injured and unconscious, the sisters have no choice but to bring him on their mission to save Caroline. What follows is a high adventure full of danger, clever improvisation, heart-racing near misses, and a little help from a revived and rather charming Lord Evan.

Back in London, Gus can’t stop thinking about her unlikely (not to mention handsome) comrade-in-arms. She is convinced Lord Evan was falsely accused of murder, and she is going to prove it. She persuades Julia to join her in a quest to help Lord Evan, and others in need—society be damned! And so begins the beguiling secret life and adventures of the Colebrook twins.

Publisher

Berkley

Publication Date

May 30, 2023

Age Category

Adult

Genre

Historical

Rights

JGLM

The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1)

London, 1812.

Eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall is on the eve of her debut presentation at the royal court of George III. Her life should revolve around gowns, dancing, and securing a suitable marriage. Instead, when one of her family’s maids disappears, she is drawn into the shadows of Regency London.

There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few able to stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons that has infiltrated all levels of society. Carlston is not a man she should be anywhere near, especially with the taint of scandal that surrounds him. Yet he offers her help and the possibility of finally discovering the truth about the mysterious deaths of her parents.

Soon the two of them are investigating a terrifying conspiracy that threatens to plunge the newly Enlightened world back into darkness. But can Helen trust a man whose own life is built on lies? And does she have the strength to face the dangers of this hidden world and her family’s legacy?

Set in the glittering social world of the Regency upper-crust, The Dark Days Club is a supernatural adventure that introduces New York Times best-selling author Alison Goodman’s Lady Helen Wrexhall—another heroine whom, like Eona, readers can take to their hearts.

Praise for The Dark Days Club

“This fantastic introduction leaves us hungry for more.” –Entertainment Weekly

“Fast-paced, rich in description, with fascinating characters and excitement, this tale from Australian author Goodman will leave fantasy fans wanting more.” –School Library Journal, starred review

“Delicious. . . . Lady Helen is a well-drawn heroine, and her struggle to free herself from the stilted life of an early 19th century noblewoman and embrace her wilder, darker self is powerfully delineated.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review

Publisher

Viking Books for Young Readers

Publication Date

January 26, 2016

Age Category

Young Adult

Genre

Historical Fantasy

Rights

JGLM

The Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen #2)

Summer, 1812.

After the scandalous events at her presentation ball in London, Lady Helen has taken refuge at the fashionable seaside resort of Brighton, banished from her family and training as a Reclaimer with the covert Dark Days Club. She must learn to fight the dangerous energy-wielding Deceivers and prepare to face their master, the elusive Grand Deceiver.

As she struggles to put aside her genteel upbringing, Helen realizes that her mentor, Lord Carlston, is fighting his own inner battle. Has the foul Deceiver energy poisoned his soul, or is something else driving him towards violent bouts of madness? Either way, Helen is desperate to help the man with whom she shares a deep but forbidden connection.

When Mr. Pike, the hard bureaucratic heart of the Dark Days Club, arrives in Brighton, he has a secret mission for Helen: find the journal left by a mad rogue Reclaimer, before it falls into the hands of the Deceivers. Coerced by Pike, Helen has no choice but to do as ordered, knowing that the search for the journal may bring about Lord Carlston’s annihilation.

Praise for The Dark Days Pact

“The fantasy/Regency/history mashup readers didn’t even know they wanted.” –Kirkus

“A fast-moving plot, intriguing paranormal elements, and a developing love triangle make this book hard to put down. Diverse, well-drawn supporting characters add depth, and readers will find it difficult not to root for the first female Reclaimer—a strong yet relatable protagonist.” –School Library Journal

Publisher

Viking Books for Young Readers

Publication Date

January 31, 2017

Age Category

Young Adult

Genre

Historical Fantasy

Rights

JGLM

The Dark Days Deceit (Lady Helen #3)

Lady Helen has retreated to a country estate outside Bath to prepare for her wedding to the Duke of Selburn, yet she knows she has unfinished business to complete. She and the dangerously charismatic Lord Carlston have learned they are a dyad, bonded in blood, and only they are strong enough to defeat the Grand Deceiver, who threatens to throw mankind into chaos. But the heinous death-soaked Ligatus Helen has absorbed is tearing a rift in her mind. Its power, if unleashed, will annihilate both Helen and Carlston unless they can find a way to harness its ghastly force and defeat their enemy.

In the final book of the trilogy that began with The Dark Days Club and continued with The Dark Days Pact, the intrepid Lady Helen’s story hurtles to a shocking conclusion full of action, heartbreak, and betrayal.

Praise for The Dark Days Deceit

“Goodman’s assured writing and masterful grasp of historical milieu create a world where doing one’s hair can take hours–and is done even when the end of the world is at stake. The slow burn, punctuated by murder, forbidden declarations of love, and surprising plot twists provides readers… with exactly what they want…You’ll never see the Regency the same way again.” –Kirkus

Publisher

Viking Books for Young Readers

Publication Date

November 20, 2018

Age Category

Young Adult

Genre

Historical Fantasy

Rights

JGLM

Eon

A New York Times bestseller

Sixteen-year-old Eon has a dream, and a mission. For years, he’s been studying sword-work and magic, toward one end. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye-an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune.

But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a twelve-year-old boy. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured.

When Eon’s secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic…and her life.

Praise for Eon

“Fans of Tamora Pierce will appreciate both the strong female protagonist and the cast of shrewd misfits who support her.” –School Library Journal

Publisher

Viking Books for Young Readers

Publication Date

December 26, 2008

Age Category

Young Adult

Genre

Fantasy

Rights

JGLM

Eona

A New York Times bestseller

Eon has been revealed as Eona, the first female Dragoneye in hundreds of years. Along with fellow rebels Ryko and Lady Dela, she is on the run from High Lord Sethon’s army. The renegades are on a quest for the black folio, stolen by the drug-riddled Dillon; they must also find Kygo, the young Pearl Emperor, who needs Eona’s power and the black folio if he is to wrest back his throne from the selfstyled “Emperor” Sethon. Through it all, Eona must come to terms with her new Dragoneye identity and power – and learn to bear the anguish of the ten dragons whose Dragoneyes were murdered. As they focus their power through her, she becomes a dangerous conduit for their plans. . . .

Eona, with its pulse-pounding drama and romance, its unforgettable fight scenes, and its surprises, is the conclusion to an epic only Alison Goodman could create.

Praise for Eona

“The flashy swordplay, spectacular magic . . . and elaborately constructed society should leave readers satisfied.” –Publishers Weekly

Publisher

Viking Books for Young Readers

Publication Date

April 19, 2011

Age Category

Young Adult

Genre

Fantasy

Rights

JGLM

Singing the Dogstar Blues

Seventeen-year-old Joss is a rebel-the daughter of a famous newscaster and a sperm donor; a wild girl who can play a mean harmonica; a student of time travel at the prestigious Centre for Neo-Historical Studies. This year, for the first time, the Centre has an alien student. Mavkel, from the planet Choria, has chosen Joss—of all people—as his study partner. Can this very different pair manage to live together, much less learn from each other? Singing the Dogstar Blues is a genre-breaking mix of humor, science fiction, and adventure that will keep readers riveted.

Praise for Singing the Dogstar Blues

“This wildly entertaining novel successfully mixes adventure, humor, mystery, and sf into a fast-paced, thrilling story that will appeal to a wide audience.” –Booklist

Publisher

Viking Books for Young Readers

Publication Date

April 14, 2003

Age Category

Young Adult

Genre

Fantasy

Rights

Viking