Gutterwitch

by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson

Gutterwitch follows Joan, a scullery maid and sworn-servant to a high-born mistress who wishes upon a fallen star to be the greatest witch in the land. Blessed with the wild magic of a star, years later Joan is summoned to a prestigious witching academy, where, alongside fellow outcast Prince Caspar of Fairie, she quickly finds herself at the centre of a dark plot and a new war among witches.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Adult

Hardcover

Expected publication January 1, 2027

About the author

Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson is a Sunday Times Bestselling author of fantasy fiction, and the inaugural winner of the Future World's Prize in 2020. Her forthcoming novel, Gutterwitch, sold to Penguin Random House after an intense eight way auction. In the UK, the book sold to Bloomsbury after a nine way auction. Esmie's first novel was nominated for Best British and Irish Book at the Tik Tok Book Awards.

Raised between London and Sydney, Esmie is an author of Nigerian, Jamaican, and British-Australian heritage. Her work primarily focuses on people who live at the intersection of identities, whether in our world, or others. She holds a BA in English Literature and Classical Studies from the University of Exeter.

Reviews

[Cassady Piecuch]

I’m hopping on this NOW

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ *]

GIVE IT TO ME NOWWW

[Sam]

A maid who wishes upon a fallen star and becomes the greatest witch in the land? This is going to be MAGICAL, it's going to give Wicked x Disney core, I can't wait for this one. Wake me up when it's 2027.

[Lauren Molyneux]

A Deadly Education 🫱🏾‍🫲🏽 Legendborn 🫱🏾‍🫲🏽 Darkest Part of the Forest

[Sarah Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic YA is BACK and better than ever!!!!! This extraordinary series opener is the perfect blend of familiarity and originality; WICKED meets SHADOW & BONE meets the pure joy and genius that is Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson. Every single page crackles with magic and I have absolutely no doubt that GUTTERWITCH deserves to be the next YA phenomenon.

[Katie (Katieeatsbooks)]

Making sure PRH knows I want to be on the mailing list for this masterpiece right now 🥰 📝
Like seriously? Right now!
*WINK WINK* “call me” 😘

[hav! · Rating 5 out of 5]

y’all are not ready for how good this book is.

calling it now, but it’s gonna be the next big thing.

joan is THAT GIRL.

[Gerry Terhali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quickly becoming one of my top ten authors!

[alexandra linda]

give it to me nooooowwww!!!! <3

[eloise rodger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of getting to read this early and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. From the very first page, I was totally immersed in Joan’s story: a scullery maid who wishes upon a fallen star, and faces the spectacular, wild and terrifying consequences.

The writing is absolutely mesmeric, the plot is addictive, twisty and perfectly paced, and the characters within it are complex and so full of heart. It is a delicious work of fantasy but also an exploration of what it means to come-of-age, to fall in love, to be a friend and to understand your own power.

GUTTERWITCH is the kind of book you lose yourself and your surroundings to. That sweeps you up into its dark and brilliant universe and doesn’t let you go. It was a genuine pleasure to read and Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson is a force to be reckoned with. I can’t wait to see the new life it takes on, out in the world.