Entangled Publishing will soon expand its YA offerings with two new imprints, Mayhem Books and Mischief Books. The former, scheduled to debut this fall, will publish fiction for teens ages 16 and up; and the latter, which will launch in winter 2026, will issue novels aimed at readers ages 13 and up. The publisher, whose books are distributed by Macmillan, expects that each imprint will release about 12 titles annually.
Created in response to the growing demand for young adult fiction that recognizes varying maturity levels of teen readers, these imprints aim to provide teens with age-appropriate storytelling and help them find books that suit their individual comfort levels.
With the advent of Mayhem and Mischief, Entangled—which also releases YA titles under its Red Tower Books and Entangled Teens imprints—“is giving YA books a wider breadth of content,” associate publisher Justine Bylo told PW. “Today, the YA space is trending toward New Adult, given the increasing amount of adult crossover readers. There is not a lot of content between that and upper middle-grade books, and we are trying to fill the void between those two posts, while being mindful of teens’ diverse maturity levels.”
Keeping It Real
The mission of Mayhem Books, Bylo said, is to provide readers with stories “that grow with them. As kids mature, so should the books they read. I am proud that Mayhem does not shy away from exploring the more difficult topics that teenagers face every day. Books help teens make sense of a very confusing time in their lives and, oftentimes, the world.”
Though some of Mayhem’s titles will be more explicit than others, the publisher has a practice in place to convey that fact to prospective readers. “Our stories will not shy away from moral complexity and raw emotion, and covers will be branded with a ‘Mature 16+’ warning label,” Bylo explained. A note at the beginning of each novel describes the story that follows, Bylor said, “to let readers know what’s in store for them, so that they won’t be blindsided by the content.”
Mayhem, whose books feature stenciled edges, original endpaper art, and foil-stamped cases, kicks off in September with a pair of novels. A Stage Set for Villains by debut author Shannon J. Spann follows a cursed teen as she infiltrates a deadly, magical theater run by godlike beings at which mortals compete for immortality. The protagonist must confront the possibility that she may be the villain, rather than the hero, of her story. And Elise Kova’s Dragon Cursed is set in the final human stronghold of a blighted land where every teen is subject to brutal trials designed to separate the dragon hunters from the dragon cursed.
Launching next year, Mischief Books, Bylo noted, will focus on “accessible and enjoyable novels for readers seeking adventure, friendship, and personal growth, while maintaining a comfortable reading experience for even the youngest teens. We want Mischief and Mayhem to grow with teens through bold storytelling and untamed imagination.”
