The landscape of young adult (YA) dystopian fiction is poised for a profound cultural shift. Bestselling and award-winning author Sonido Reyes, renowned for their resonant contemporary fiction celebrating queer and Mexican narratives, is stepping boldly into speculative territory with their upcoming novel, To Our Untamed Core. Scheduled for publication on September 22, 2026, by Versify, an imprint of HarperCollins, the novel has already generated significant industry buzz. Pitched compellingly as The Hunger Games meets The Sunbearer Trials, Reyes’s new work promises a harrowing yet triumphant exploration of survival, systemic oppression, and indigenous-Catholic syncretism.
Represented by literary agent Alexandra Levick, Reyes has constructed a high-stakes narrative following a young boy who has long survived by concealing his true identity. That fragile safety shatters when his boyfriend is sentenced to El Torneo—a brutal, fight-to-the-death spectacle orchestrated by a regime whose ideological architecture draws heavily from the legacy of the conquistadores. To save the person he loves, the protagonist must dismantle his carefully constructed camouflage and risk everything.
Beyond its gripping premise, the path to To Our Untamed Core represents a fascinating case study in modern publishing agility, editorial alignment, and the psychological evolution of a creator at the top of their game. In this comprehensive feature, we examine the origins of the novel, the mechanics of its rapid development, the serendipitous editorial pivot that brought it to life, and Reyes’s hard-won insights on the writing life.
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Detailed Chronology: From a Casual Conversation to a 2026 Release
The genesis of To Our Untamed Core defies the traditional, agonizingly slow gestation period often associated with world-building-heavy dystopian literature. Instead, it was born out of an impromptu creative challenge in the middle of 2023.
Mid-2023: The Inciting Spark
During a casual discussion about speculative fiction, a peer posed a deceptively simple question to Reyes: Was there any book they wished they had written?
Instinctually, Reyes pointed to Suzanne Collins’s landmark classic, The Hunger Games. However, Reyes immediately offered a vital structural caveat: they would rewrite it to center queer and Mexican experiences. That casual musking of ideas quickly evolved into an intensive world-building exercise. Reyes began visualizing a fictional "Capitol" inspired not by futuristic Roman fascism, but by the historical brutality and ideological justification of the Spanish conquistadores.
This world-building fused elements of Catholic orthodoxy with suppressed Indigenous traditions, giving rise to themes centered heavily on state-mandated propaganda and systematic detribalization. Recognizing the raw power of the concepts spilling forth in real-time, the listener insisted that Reyes immediately commit the vision to paper.
Late 2023: Rapid Prototyping and Drafting
Propelled by that initial conversation, Reyes dove straight into the drafting process later that same year. Unlike previous projects that required arduous, doubt-ridden revisions, the creation of To Our Untamed Core proceeded with unprecedented velocity and psychological clarity. By the end of 2023, the manuscript was substantially complete.
September 2026: The Horizon of Publication
With a release date locked in for September 22, 2026, the total timeline from conceptualization to bookstore shelves spans just over three years. For Reyes, this marks the fastest turnaround from initial idea to published work in their professional career. Despite the lengthy traditional publishing pipeline required for major house releases, the core narrative heartbeat has remained remarkably faithful to that very first conversational brainstorming session in mid-2023.
Supporting Context & Metrics: The Literary Architecture and Publishing Pivot
To fully appreciate the magnitude of To Our Untamed Core, one must examine the broader bibliography of Sonido Reyes and the structural shifts within the publishing industry that allowed this project to leapfrog into priority production.
A Proven Track Record in Contemporary Spaces
Reyes has carved out an exceptional reputation as a versatile storyteller across various genres and age categories. Their celebrated bibliography includes:
- The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School
- The Luis Ortega Survival Club
- The Broposal
- The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar
Additionally, Reyes has contributed compelling short fiction to recognized anthologies such as Transmogrify! and For the Rest of Us. Beyond solo authorship, Reyes serves as the vice-president of My Galvanized Friend, a prominent nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying LGBTQ+ writing, art, and creators, while also co-hosting the Bidi Bidi Book Pod, a celebrated podcast spotlighting queer and trans BIPOC authors.
The Editorial Pivot: Serendipity Meets Strategy
The path to publishing To Our Untamed Core involved a stroke of administrative serendipity. The novel was initially contracted as part of a multi-book deal secured alongside The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar. At the time of signing, however, the exact nature of the second book in the contract remained unspecified.
Reyes initially anticipated following up with another contemporary coming-of-age novel. However, structural changes within the publishing house intervened: Reyes’s acquiring editor transitioned to a different publishing house before the follow-up project was finalized.
This opened the door for editor Carolina Mancheno Ortiz. Upon discovering they would be working together, Reyes checked Ortiz’s professional manuscript wish list. Noting that Ortiz was actively seeking nuanced dystopian fiction centering characters of color, Reyes seized the moment. They pitched the concept that would become To Our Untamed Core—affectionately described in early creative circles as the "trans Mexican Hunger Games." Ortiz embraced the vision instantly, securing the title’s home at Versify with HarperCollins.
Official Statements & Creative Insights: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Writing a high-stakes, politically charged dystopian novel often exposes authors to deep-seated anxieties about their capacity to handle complex socio-political themes. Yet, for Reyes, To Our Untamed Core marked a profound psychological milestone.
Conquering Imposter Syndrome
In candid reflections on the writing process, Reyes revealed a surprising personal breakthrough:
"I learned that imposter syndrome is actually not inevitable! This was the first book that I never once felt unworthy during the writing process. From the very first moment, I felt like I could see this story’s full potential. Even when I was drafting, which is usually my least favorite part of the process, I knew this was a story I connected with deeply."
For an author accustomed to the nagging self-doubt that frequently plagues creative professionals, this lack of hesitation was transformative. Rather than struggling through blocks, Reyes experienced a fluid puzzle-solving state whenever narrative gaps appeared. The result is a project that reinvigorated their confidence, leaving them feeling profoundly motivated and elevated as a literary artist.
Thematic Objectives: History, Nuance, and Joy as Resistance
Reyes does not merely intend to entertain readers with high-octane action sequences and visceral survival stakes; the author has articulated clear socio-political and emotional goals for the audience:
- Re-examining Historical Bias: Reyes hopes readers will interrogate historical narratives with a more critical, nuanced eye. By asking questions such as “Who is telling the stories?” and “Whose version of events has been erased?” the novel challenges readers to deconstruct institutionalized accounts of power and conquest.
- Joy as an Act of Resistance: In a bleak dystopian landscape defined by authoritarian control and systemic violence, Reyes emphasizes the necessity of celebration. Resistance and joy, the author argues, are inextricably linked. Every ounce of communal joy sustains the fight, and the fight is waged precisely to ensure that celebration can endure.
Deconstructing Writing Advice
As a seasoned mentor and community advocate through their work with My Galvanized Friend, Reyes frequently offers pedagogical guidance to emerging writers. Their foundational philosophy is disarmingly liberating: no single piece of advice is universal.
Addressing rigid industry clichés—such as the infamous decree that “you’re not a real writer unless you write every day”—Reyes encourages writers to look past the literal phrasing to find the underlying core value:
"Maybe you have kids, or a job, or a disability that makes writing every day impossible, but what does consistency look like for you? If any piece of advice feels off, just ask yourself how you can make it useful to you, and if there’s nothing useful to extract from it, just toss it! It’s OK that not everyone has the same kind of brain or writing process."
Future Outlook: What to Expect Leading Up to September 2026
As the publishing industry and eager fans look toward the September 22, 2026 release date, To Our Untamed Core is positioned to be one of the most significant YA dystopian releases of the decade.
By merging the breathless pacing and structural familiarity of arena-survival narratives with a deeply rooted critique of colonial history, Catholic-Indigenous syncretism, and queer trans survival, Reyes is expanding the boundaries of what commercial speculative fiction can achieve. For readers, educators, and literary critics alike, the countdown has begun to enter the brutal arenas of El Torneo and witness firsthand how a boy’s hidden truth can spark an untamed revolution.
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