Toronto born, London based author Alwyn Hamilton might not be someone you've heard of yet, but watch out for her debut novel Rebel of the Sands, which is due out in February 2016.

The novel was the subject of a heated auction battle between eight publishers in the United States, and an equally competitive auction between four publishers in the UK - which saw Viking/Penguin win the US battle, and Faber & Faber win in the UK. The story of the Young Adult fantasy novel, the first of a trilogy, is still under wraps, but promises 'shooting contests, train robberies, festivals under the stars, powerful Djinni magic and an electrifying love story'. The book will also be published in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Turkey, Israel and the Netherlands.