HolesAuthor Louis Sachar Debuts His First Adult Novel: 'More Excited About the Publication of This Book' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Louis Sachar and the cover of ‘The Magician of Tiger Castle’.Photo:Perry Hagopian 2005; Ace

Perry Hagopian 2005; Ace

If you grew up loving books likeHolesandSideways Stories from Wayside School, get ready — beloved children’s author Louis Sachar is publishing his first novel for adults.PEOPLE can exclusively share the cover of Sachar’s adult debut,The Magician of Tiger Castle, forthcoming from Ace next year.In the new modern fantasy novel, Princess Tullia, who lives in the kingdom of Esquaveta, is set to marry a prince from a neighboring village in order to form an alliance. When the princess falls for a lowly scribe instead, her father the King enlists the help of a magician named Anatole, who must decide if he wants to betray the kingdom or the princess’s trust in the process.

Ace

Sachar tells PEOPLE in an email interview thatThe Magician of Tiger Castlewas originally going to be a young adult novel.“That was my initial premise, but I never stick to a rigid outline,” Sachar says. “Rather, I let the story and characters take me in different directions … I was in the middle of the third draft, when it became clear to me that Anatole had nudged his way into the center of the story.”

“Well, it’s not a good idea to have a 40-year old-man, desperate to save his career, as the main character of a book for young people, so I decided to refocus and turn this into a novel for adults — though perhaps those adults who still had a place in their hearts for theWayside Schoolbooks, orHoles,” Sachar adds.

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The covers of Sachar’s novels ‘Holes’ and ‘Sideways Stories from Wayside School’.Yearling; HarperCollins

Yearling; HarperCollins

Sachar’s readers may be surprised that the author is now venturing into fantasy, but the author says that he doesn’t “think in those terms.”“I try to write intriguing, fun and thought-provoking stories with engaging characters,” Sachar says. “Whether others call my work fantasy, absurdism, surrealism, magical reality or something else is unimportant, just as long as the reader keeps turning the page.”

Louis Sachar.Perry Hagopian 2005

Perry Hagopian 2005

The author also shares thatThe Magician of Tiger Castlerepresents a milestone for him, as well.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“I think I’m more excited about the publication of this book than I had been for any other book I’d written, except for probably my first book,Sideways Stories From Wayside School,” Sachar says. “I was 23 when that book was published. I’ll be 71 whenThe Magician of Tiger Castlecomes out.  By then, as Pito tells Anatole, the arrow will have left my bow.”The Magician of Tiger Castlewill be published on Aug. 5, 2025 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.

source: people.com