Other prizes at Freedom from Torture event include rare Mary Wollstonecraft book illustrated by William Blake

Margaret Atwood, Zadie Smith and Ian McEwan are among a number of literary stars auctioning off the chance for readers to name characters in their next novels to raise money for survivors of torture.

The auction is part of Freedom from Torture’s 10th anniversary literary festival, which brings together leading authors and survivors for a celebration of storytelling, featuring a poetry competition and live readings at the London Library on 11 November.

A grocery shopping mistake that could be costing Americans money starts even before they get to the store, according to cookbook author Jenn Lueke.

"The No. 1 biggest mistake is just not taking the time to plan ahead," Lueke, Boston-based author of "Don't Think About Dinner," told Fox News Digital.

Making a grocery list and deciding what to cook for the week ahead can help shoppers save money and stress less about meals, she said.

SCIENTISTS SAY YOU'VE BEEN THROWING AWAY PERFECTLY GOOD MEAT BECAUSE OF ONE COMMON MISTAKE

Another source of overspending may be the pressure to make a different, impressive dinner every night of the week.

Social media can offer inspiration, but Lueke, known online as Jenn Eats Goood, said home cooks can lean on familiar meals and switch them up with ingredients already in their pantries.

CELEBRITY CHEF SAYS IF YOU CAN DRIVE TO MCDONALD'S, YOU CAN COOK HEALTHY MEALS AT HOME

"You really can repeat meals," she said, adding that a "base recipe" can also be tweaked seasonally or depending on what is in your freezer at the moment.

One example from her cookbook is a one-pot chicken thighs and rice dish. Lueke said cooks can swap in different proteins or add seasonal ingredients such as squash in the fall or asparagus and peas in the spring.

NEW PROTEIN RANKING NAMES UNEXPECTED WINNER OVER BEEF, SALMON AND EGGS

A bowl-style meal or vegetable frittata can also serve as a flexible starting point for using up any food that is about to go bad, she said.

Keeping pantry and freezer staples on hand can give shoppers more options during the week, Lueke also said.

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She recommends ingredients such as canned beans, rice, pasta and quinoa, which can be bought in bulk or picked up on sale. Frozen proteins can also help cut down on weekly shopping trips.

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For shoppers trying to stretch a $50 to $75 grocery trip, Lueke suggests bulking meals up with hearty, lower-cost produce such as carrots, onions, potatoes and sweet potatoes, along with proteins like chicken thighs, tofu and chickpeas.

She also recommends getting more than one use out of an ingredient. If a recipe calls for only part of a can of artichokes, for example, use the rest in another meal, she said. 

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Spice blends and homemade sauces can also change the flavor of a protein, allowing shoppers to prepare the same ingredient in different ways.

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"The biggest thing is having that plan, but also using one ingredient in more than one way, if you can," she said.

From Twilight to Tolstoy, some of Britain’s best-loved authors reveal the books that inspired their work and stayed with them long after the final page

Author withdrawn from France’s Prix Goncourt last month has repeatedly denied using artificial intelligence to write novel

The publisher of top-selling Haitian Canadian writer Thélyson Orélien, who was removed from France’s most prestigious literary prize list last month, has confirmed the author used artificial intelligence to help write his novel C’était ça ou mourir (It Was Either That or Die).

Orélien has denied allegations that he used AI on his breakthrough novel and, last week, Canadian publisher Les Éditions du Boréal said it was standing by the 38-year-old writer.

Author withdrawn from France’s Prix Goncourt last month has repeatedly denied using artificial intelligence to write novel

The publisher of top-selling Haitian Canadian writer Thélyson Orélien, who was removed from France’s most prestigious literary prize list last month, has confirmed the author used artificial intelligence to help write his novel C’était ça ou mourir (It Was Either That or Die).

Orélien has denied allegations that he used AI on his breakthrough novel and, last week, Canadian publisher Les Éditions du Boréal said it was standing by the 38-year-old writer.

• The "Fourth Wing" TV show has its Violet and Xaden.
• Amazon MGM Studios and Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society are adapting Rebecca Yarros' series.
• Amazon announced in October that the show had found its two lead actors.

At this point, it's hard not to be familiar with Rebecca Yarros' "Empyrean" series about dragon rider Violet Sorrengail.

When "Onyx Storm," the third book in the romantasy series, was released in January 2025, it became the fastest-selling adult novel in 20 years.

Yarros is working on the fourth installment in the series, and she recently released a collection of short stories set in the "Empyrean" universe called "Threshing Day." However, it will still be a while before book four is ready for readers.

In the meantime, though, we're getting closer to a series adaptation of "Fourth Wing," which officially found its lead actors.

'Fourth Wing' is becoming a TV show

In October 2023, Deadline announced that Amazon MGM Studios and Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society were developing "Fourth Wing" into a TV series. Yarros is an executive producer for the show.

Outlier Society produced Jordan's "Creed III" and is developing a slate of other series and films in addition to "Fourth Wing."

Deadline also reported in October 2023 that Amazon MGM Studios had acquired the rights to the entire "Empyrean" series. In her January 2025 Variety interview, Yarros said she had shared the "five-book arc" for the "Empyrean" series with Amazon.

"They have the five-book arc, which went a little awry in Book 3 just because the positioning, but they already know that," she told Variety. "But they have the five-book arc and the general big points of what happens in between each book, but they don't have the specifics between Book 4 and Book 5, because I'm getting ready to go to my crazy plotting board and plot out every single event that happens in each book, so that I make sure that I'm within my two books there."

A new showrunner

In July 2024, Outlier Society announced it had hired Moira Walley-Beckett, who worked on shows like "Breaking Bad" and "Anne with an E," as the showrunner for the series. In a January 2025 interview with Variety, Yarros said Walley-Beckett was "great" and "phenomenal," but in July 2025, Walley-Beckett exited the project.

Variety reported in September 2025 that Meredith Averill was taking over as showrunner. Averill was previously the showrunner of the Netflix series "Locke & Key" and a producer on shows like "The Good Wife" and "The Haunting of Hill House."

Amazon declined to comment on this piece when contacted by Business Insider, but Yarros shared a screenshot of a Deadline article about the showrunner announcement on her Instagram when it dropped.

"Welcome to the team, Meredith Averill! Guys, I love everything this wonderful woman has worked on and I'm so excited to have her joining us," Yarros said in her caption.

'Fourth Wing' is in the works

In January 2026, Jordan assured fans the "Fourth Wing" show was on its way in an interview with Deadline.

"We are making sure that this is going to be an exciting show that delivers on all of the things the fans want and some of the things that they won't be expecting either," Jordan said.

He also told the outlet that he's aware of how much fans of "Fourth Wing" care about the series.

"But trust me, I know how beloved this franchise IP is," he said. "It's early stages, but I feel how much people care about this one. It's not lost on us."

And on May 11, 2026, Jordan announced the show had been ordered to series for Prime Video at the Amazon Upfront, an annual event where Amazon offers a sneak peek at its coming content.

Yarros and Averill joined Jordan onstage at the event, as did Lisa Joy, an executive producer on the show who will direct the first episode. Joy has previously worked on shows like HBO's "Westworld" and Prime Video's "Fallout."

Yarros posted about the event on her Instagram story, sharing a photo of herself, Jordan, Averill, and Joy, writing, "What an absolutely wild night! So grateful for this team!"

Meet Violet and Xaden

The Amazon Upfront seemed to build momentum for the show, as it was announced in October that the Prime Video series had cast its Violet Sorrengail and her enemy turned lover Xaden Riorson. Deadline first reported the casting on October 15, 2026, though the streamer didn't confirm that news until October 21.

Esther McGregor will play Violet. McGregor, the 24-year-old daughter of Ewan McGregor, appeared in "Babygirl" and "We Were Liars," another Amazon adaptation.

Meanwhile, 30-year-old Emilio Sakraya has been cast as Xaden. The German actor is known for projects like "Rheingold" and the popular Netflix series "Warrior Nun." Both actors are relative newcomers, though, with their "Fourth Wing" casting marking a big step in their careers.

McGregor reshared Amazon's post about her casting to her Instagram story, writing, "So beyond excited. Honored. Thrilled."

Sakraya also shared the post to his Instagram story, but he captioned it with a quote from "Iron Flame," the second book in Yarros' series, in a fun nod to the text: "My house. My chair. My Woman."

In a statement shared by Amazon, Yarros said, "I'm so grateful to our producing and casting team for conducting a thorough, worldwide search to find Violet and Xaden. It will be incredibly exciting to see these talented actors, Esther and Emilio, bring our beloved characters to life on screen."

Yarros said at a London event in August 2024 that she intentionally never shared any hopes for which actors may be cast in the show.

"I will never say who my perfect fan cast is because the cast is so diverse, and I want to open that up to more diversity," she said. "And I feel like the second I say who I think this character is, that's who everyone will accept. That's only who they will accept."

"I kinda hope they find, like, an up-and-coming generation," she added. "But I would never put my fan cast in your heads."

At the same event, she clarified that she wouldn't be involved in the casting process, but that she had shared one hard-line casting request with Amazon and Outlier Society.

"They know how staunch I am against whitewashing Xaden," she said. "I think that's the biggest thing."

Xaden is described as having "warm tawny skin" in "Fourth Wing" and "tawny-brown" skin in both "Iron Flame" and "Onyx Storm." Sakraya was born in Germany to a Serbian father and a Moroccan mother, according to an interview with German Films Quarterly.

Amazon did not provide any additional details on casting or when filming for the series may begin.

Yarros talked about the series' pilot while on a book tour for 'Onyx Storm'

Although details about the series are limited, Yarros made a few comments about the show while promoting "Onyx Storm."

Speaking at an engagement on January 24, 2025, in New York, Yarros told fans she had read the pilot for the "Fourth Wing" show — and loved it.

"I read the latest version of the pilot last week," she said. "It's really nerve-racking when you read something like that because you're really — you're trusting someone else with your baby, right? And you're trusting someone else to say, like, 'Hey, this is important in your work, and this isn't,' and you kinda get your guard up."

"But guys, I, like, kicked my feet the whole time," she said. "You're gonna love it."

Yarros also praised Walley-Beckett at the event, calling her a "brilliant writer" and saying she maintained the book's integrity in the pilot. It's unclear how the pilot may have changed since Walley-Beckett's exit from the project.

The record-breaking romantasy series continues with ‘A Court of Splintered Harmony’ and ‘A Court of Forgotten Melody’

• Sarah J. Maas is returning to the "ACOTAR" world with two new books.
• The sixth book will be released on October 27, 2026, and the seventh on January 12, 2027.
• Teasers shared ahead of its release confirmed four characters who will return in book six.

Sarah J. Maas fans, gather round. We're just one a week away from returning to Prythian.

On August 17, 2026, Maas announced the titles of the sixth and seventh "A Court of Thorns and Roses" books, along with initial descriptions of the novels. Book six is called "A Court of Splintered Harmony" and will be released on October 27, 2026, and book seven is "A Court of Forgotten Melody," hitting shelves on January 12, 2027.

Maas first announced she would publish the sixth and seventh installments of her "ACOTAR" series in March 2026, remaining tight-lipped about them until the title announcement in August.

The books are eagerly awaited not only by fans but also by Maas' publisher, Bloomsbury. The company's sales fell 10% for the 2025-2026 fiscal year because Maas didn't release a new book, Publishers Weekly reported.

Ahead of the release, Bloomsbury shared quotes from "A Court of Splintered Harmony" on social media, building hype for the novel and teasing what's to come. Maas joined in the fun a week before the release (after asking fans to stop sharing any leaks of book six).

Here's everything we know about "ACOTAR" six so far.

Warning: Some spoilers for Maas' work — including "ACOTAR" and "Crescent City" — ahead.

Maas is releasing the sixth 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' story in multiple volumes

In March 2023, Bloomsbury announced that Maas had signed a deal for three more books with the publisher. At the time, she was already under contract for four titles, including "House of Flame and Shadow," the third installment in her "Crescent City" series, published in January 2024. Readers didn't find out what the next book she would write would be until her March 2026 appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast with Alex Cooper.

She told Cooper she finished the sixth "ACOTAR" book while writing in Montana over the summer of 2025, but she didn't share details about it because of its nontraditional release structure.

"This book's coming out October 27, and then on January 12, like two months later, I can't do math, whatever that is, the next ACOTAR book will be coming out," Maas said. "So there will be two books within, like, a very short span."

As her fans will know, Maas' books are typically split into parts, separating different sections of the story she is telling. However, when it comes to the sixth "ACOTAR" story, Maas said the individual parts became longer than she anticipated as she started writing, with part one coming in at 400 pages at one point.

As she continued writing, Maas decided the parts didn't have to be in a single physical book.

"What if this book was really long?" she said. "What if it took me more than a thousand pages to tell the story that needed to be told, the arc that I wanted to create from start to finish?"

Maas said the story for "ACOTAR" six was ultimately divided into four parts, though it is still one cohesive story. Part one is the novel Bloomsbury will publish on October 27, 2026, and parts two and three will be published together on January 12, 2027. Maas has yet to write or give a publication date for part four, but she told Cooper all three volumes would be published "in a very short time."

"It's meant to be read, ideally, as one massive, massive story as opposed to in a trilogy," she said. "It's not a trilogy. Like, arcs aren't wrapped up."

Maas finally shared some details about the books in August 2026

On August 16, Maas cleared her Instagram of all its posts, changing her profile photo to a black-and-white illustration of a monster and a spider. Then, on August 17, she shared the covers and titles of books six and seven on social media.

The "Splintered Harmony" cover features a pink-and-orange backdrop with a sketched drawing of a monster with teeth and bones, and the subtitle is "The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement I." The Valkyrie were introduced to "ACOTAR" in "A Court of Silver Flames," when Nesta Archeron brought the legendary all-female fighting squad back to life alongside her friends Gwyn and Emerie.

Maas posted the book alongside the tagline, "What was broken will be remade." The blurb shared on booksellers' websites reveals that the Night Court is facing new threats when book six opens: Koschei the Deathless, one of three legendary monster siblings introduced throughout "ACOTAR," and those willing to ally with him to claim the newly freed human lands.

The description also notes that there is tension among the members of the Night Court because of "recent betrayals and revealed truths," which they must work through if they want to defeat Koschei.

"A Court of Splintered Harmony" will be 352 pages and will include three bonus chapters from the "ACOTAR" series. Those bonus chapters were previously published in specific editions of Maas' novels, but they will be in all copies of "ACOSH," as the publisher shared on its social media on September 24. One chapter focuses on Feyre and Rhysand, one on Cassian and Nesta, and one on Azriel's experience on the Winter Solstice that takes place in "A Court of Silver Flames."

Teasers from the new book

In mid-September, Bloomsbury began sharing quotes from "A Court of Splintered Harmony," offering more insight into the novel than the vague blurbs.

It released six quotes in total, and the first, shared on September 17, revealed that at least some of the novel will be told from Lucien Vanserra's perspective.

"Lucien's heart thundered, throat drying out," the quote read. "Maybe this had been a terrible idea."

Lucien has only played a supporting role in the "ACOTAR" books so far, but Maas has been teeing up his expanded role in her books through his unaccepted mating bond with Elain Archeron, Feyre's middle sister, and his connection to Koschei. He serves as an emissary to the human lands for the Night Court in "ACOSF," alongside Jurian and Vassa, a human queen who was sold to Koschei and cursed to turn into a firebird each day. It would be surprising if Vassa — and by extension Lucien — weren't involved in fighting against Koschei in book six.

Likewise, the final quote Bloomsbury shared on October 9 appeared to confirm that Azriel will narrate some of "ACOSH." The quote didn't include his name, but the unnamed narrator was communicating with shadows: "'We are here,' the shadows whispered in his ear. 'We are always here.'"

Azriel is a Shadowsinger in the "ACOTAR" world, with his shadows being described as keeping him company and whispering to him as he serves as the Night Court's spymaster.

No other passage shared by Bloomsbury names a narrator, but the quote shared on October 6 mentions Rhysand, whom the narrator calls Rhys — indicating it could be the POV of one of his close companions — giving a "savage smile" before saying, "With pleasure."

A quote shared on September 22 referenced "sisters lost to us — ones we pray each day will find a way home to our sides."

That might refer to the original Valkyrie, many of whom died in the first war against Hybern. Gwyn, whose own sister was killed by Hybern soldiers, had started writing a chapter for a book about the new Valkyrie in "ACOSF," so it's possible the quote is from her book. However, Rhysand's sister was killed by Tamlin's father and brothers, so the quote could connect to her as well.

A teaser shared on October 1 confirmed that a female character will tell some of the story, saying, "Like hell would she allow this creature to bring her to her knees again."

There are several female characters the quote could be attributed to, though some fans think it may be from Vassa when she must face Koschei again.

And most interestingly, the quote shared on September 28 asks if it is "possible for mates to…un-mate" if a bond were to "fracture deeply enough" that it cannot be repaired.

Lucien and Elain's mating bond is strained because Elain has yet to accept it, so some fans think the comment is about them. At the end of "House of Flame and Shadow," though, Nesta and Cassian were at odds, so others think the quote hints at tension between the pair (more on that in a minute).

Maas chimes in

Maas' Instagram was quiet after she announced the titles of her books, until October 19, when she took to her Instagram story to ask fans not to share leaks of "A Court of Splintered Harmony."

"I know how much you love these books and these characters; I know you've been waiting for a long time to know what comes next," she wrote. "That love for these stories is exactly why I'm requesting that you please, please don't share leaks."

"Nothing about this release is meant to feel like a secret that needs to be found out," Maas went on. "Publishing a book takes time and effort from so many hardworking people to get it into your hands. Throughout this long process, everyone involved has been dedicated to keeping things from being spoiled, but sometimes things happen, and it is beyond disheartening to see out-of-context moments take away from all of you who have waited so patiently."

"All I'm asking for is just a bit more of that patience — until you can get everything in its fullness, the way it's meant to be read," Maas said.

Representatives for Maas did not respond to a request for comment on the Instagram story, and Maas did not specify which images spreading online contained authentic leaks of the book.

However, she posted a short video on her Instagram on October 20 that featured another sneak peek at the text, this time from Feyre's perspective, as she confirmed by captioning the post, "7. FEYRE."

Feyre was the narrator for the first four "ACOTAR" books, telling the story from a first-person perspective. Like books one through four, the passage Maas shared was in the first-person perspective:

"My body wouldn't move. Couldn't move. I could do nothing to help him, nothing at all, and I would die from it, this despair and agony. Please, I tried to beg the darkness, please. Anything. I'd give anything for him to be safe. My life, my territory, my — would you give that too?"

Maas provided no further context about the quote, though fans were quick to point out that the inner monologue seemed like what Feyre would have been thinking when she gave birth to her son, Nyx, as she and the baby almost died because he was born with wings. Rhys also nearly lost his life, as he and Feyre bound their lives together at the end of "ACOWAR." Nesta saved them all by returning her power to the cauldron, but the passage could be a flashback to the scene from Feyre's perspective.

Maas also didn't elaborate on why she included a "7" in her caption, though it could refer to chapter seven of "A Court of Splintered Harmony," Feyre as a seventh narrator not yet featured by Bloomsbury in its teasers, book seven, or the number of days until the book is released.

More clues about 'ACOTAR' 6 narrators

Lucien, Feyre, and Azriel all appear to have a POV in the new book, and it's also likely safe to assume Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie will be central to Maas' new books since the novels are part of "The Valkyrie Cycle."

Maas ushered in a new era of the series by writing from Nesta's perspective in "A Court of Silver Flames," released in 2021.

The "recent betrayals and revealed truths" mentioned in the description of "A Court of Splintered Harmony" could refer to Nesta's actions in "House of Flame and Shadow" from Maas' "Crescent City" series. Specifically, the "revealed truths" may reference the resurrection of the long-forgotten Dusk Court in Prythian, which they discover Rhysand is an heir to, while the "recent betrayal" against the Night Court could be Nesta's lending the Mask of the Dread Trove to Bryce Quinlan, the "Crescent City" protagonist, without Rhysand and Feyre's permission.

Bryce also gave Nesta the sword Gwydion at the end of "HOFAS," telling her she thinks she was meant to have it when she returns the Mask. Nesta shared with Bryce in the same scene that Cassian is the most upset with her of everyone for her actions.

It seems Maas was setting up a continuation of Nesta's story for her next "ACOTAR" story in the scene, which may see her explore her power and connections to the fae of the Dusk Court.

You can read a more detailed breakdown of what to remember from Maas' previous works ahead of "ACOTAR" six here.

Elain's role in future 'ACOTAR' books

Although it seems like Nesta and her fellow Valkyrie will be important in the new novels, Maas told Eva Chen during an appearance on "Live Talks Los Angeles" in February 2021 that she planned to write a book from the third Archeron sister's perspective — Elain.

In "A Court of Silver Flames," Elain had settled into life at the Night Court, refusing to explore her mating bond with Lucien or her Seer powers.

Maas also spoke to Cooper about Elain and Lucien's mating bond, telling her that Lucien's involvement in bringing Elain to the fae world is a barrier to their relationship. She also said she was "interested" as a writer in exploring what it meant for someone not to desire to be mated.

Elain also seems to have an attraction to Azriel in the text, with the pair almost kissing in his bonus chapter. However, Maas juxtaposes their connection with the ill-fitting aspects of life at the Night Court for Elain during a visit to the Court of Nightmares in "ACOSF."