John Stephens (he/him/his)

John Stephens is a New York Times bestselling author and television writer known for the middle grade fantasy trilogy "The Books of Beginning", which includes "The Emerald Atlas", "The Fire Chronicle", and "The Black Reckoning". He earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Virginia and worked on television series. His most recent books are "The Black Reckoning", and "The Age of Fury". Stephens lives with his family in Pasadena, California.

Book:

The Age of Fury

Teen
Random House
October 2026
ISBN 9780593900178
Hardcover, 481 pages

In Gilded Age New York, a fierce seventeen year-old Irish girl joins forces with a notorious gangster to hunt down her sister's killer. Told from both perspectives, their search for justice pulls them from the city’s darkest corners to glittering ballrooms, where a secret can mean death, and love comes at a perilous price. Two unlikely allies must venture into dangerous places--perhaps into each other's arms--to solve a brutal crime. Caitlin Mary, my darling twin. I came on the instant of getting your letter. Leaving home in Ireland, crossing the ocean and still arriving too late. Because you're gone. Murdered and left in a dark alley! But I will avenge you, my love. I swear it. Even if I must make a deal with the devil. Or, in this case, the most blood-soaked gangster in New York. William There is blood on my hands I cannot wash away. But if finding this girl's killer proves that I am more than the dark thing inside me, more than a monster, then I will. Only I did not forsee Caitlin. Now I have to make a choice. About who I am, who I will be, and who I love. A producer, director, and writer for shows like Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls, The O.C., and Gotham turns his attention to the underbelly of Gilded Age New York in this riveting suspense novel that blends tension and humanity--and deftly showcases a heart-stirring exploration of truth, identity, and love. More/less