NEWS: BOOK 1 OF "THE WICKED POWERS" HAS BEEN POSTPONED (with proof, or so it seems).
[We posted this on X/Twitter, but the news has made it to Tumblr, so let's just repost it here as well😄]
Recently, Cassandra Clare shared that she had just finished writing "The Last King of Faerie" and that she had turned in the manuscript some days before.
Though it was initially announced that it was going to be published in spring 2026, the first book in the series now will be published in fall 2026. The presale page of Better in Black on Walmart confirms it in the description, stating the following:
Okay, so we've seen you all commenting "Well, this is not official cause it doesn't come from Cassandra Clare, this could be a typo, Walmart is not a reliable source".
Oh, well... We did in fact ask Cassie about it and she ACTUALLY replied on an Instagram comment, confirming that TWP1 will be published in fall 2026 (North American time)
(Although she's mistaken here, she DID announce it for spring, it was never fall. But that's just the way Cassie's memory has been crashing lately, considering the issues with some facts stated in Better in Back that contradict the previous canon.)
So, yeah, this was inevitable. We knew this was coming. And you may say "But she said she had turned it in already!"
Yes, she turned in the book, but please do remember that there's still lots to do afterwards. Even if the manuscript is finished, editing it takes some months. The editing stage implies a deeper revision for corrections, rewriting and potentially reworking from scratch parts of the text, all that takes no less than 4 months. Don't forget the continuity reading too!!! Plus the time designing the inside of the book and the cover. Also, printing usually takes place several months before the release date, it's not something they do 1 week before the publishing date, they need a timeframe that allows transporting the hundreds of thousands of books they print with major writers.
We also haven't had any news on the cover (let alone an established release date). Be reminded that Cassie reveals the book covers 1 year prior to the publication of the books. And as this is the start of a new series and the first stage of the grand finale, this book needs more time to properly advertise it, they will likely send ARCs some months before like they did with BIB. Let's not forget Cassie is publishing on a new publishing house, so they need time to make the people know they will be publishing TWP.
Considering all this, there was definitely not enough time, we're only 6 months away from the start of spring in North America😅
So, this is absolutely not a surprise. This was needed. There was no other option. This is all for the best, we all want this book to be worth it. We've been waiting for it for over a decade. The Wicked Powers better be the best books ever written.
