HarperCollins Publishers Blood Bound (3, 2026) | Ellis Hunter

A jaw-dropping, heart-pounding fantasy romance set against a once-in-a-generation duel to the death between witches and dragon riders for the source of all magic. It’s witches versus dragons… CHOOSE A SIDE! ‘If you love a fast-paced, dual POV fantasy romance with danger, a deadly competition, witches, dragons, magical animal familiars, duels to the death, politics, forbidden love and an incredible found family, then you need to pick this one up!’ ‘The twists had my eyebrows on another planet!’ YOU CANNOT FORFEIT. YOU CANNOT RUN. YOU DUEL OR YOU DIE. Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed to duel her rival from the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all magic. She only has her familiar, her potions and her wits to aid her; her opponent, Prince Zryan, has a massive Hel-damned dragon. She's going to die, and the chance to cure the Blight ravaging her queendom will die with her. Deep in dragon country, blade-juggler Skylar is searching for her best friend, who she fears has been taken in the king's conscription of those with Blooded powers. She despises the royals, but the path to find him may just take her closer to them – and the witches – than she would like… As the duel looms, Skylar and Astrid's fates intertwine, forcing them to choose between loyalty and survival in a world where every decision could lead to ruin. Readers love BLOOD BOUND: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “Six stars, no notes. Absolute perfection” “I loved everything about this beautiful love story, though it’s not the one you think it’s going to be…” “The found family and friendship in this story need to be studied. They are gold standard beautiful” “Now THIS is how you do fantasy. And that ending – I am not ok!” “Dragons, witches, magic, and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tension…what’s not to love?! It delivers all the tropes you could want, but in a way that feels fresh and genuinely fun” “Zryan is the perfect MMC and love interest. There, I’ve said it” “WOW. What a debut. When I finished it, I literally screamed at that cliffhanger. I loved this book so much” Ellis Hunter's book 'Blood Bound' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2026-05-11.