Kurestin Armada is a Root Literary agent who specializes in ambitious, surprising genre fiction for adults and middle-grade readers, with a particular appetite for speculative fiction, horror, romance, and illustrated works that push against the expected.
In brief
Armada's confirmed deal record skews heavily toward speculative fiction and horror at major imprints — Tor, Saga, Harper Voyager UK, Little Brown, and Random House — signaling strong relationships across both commercial and literary-leaning genre publishing.
Repeat clients are evident: Emily Tesh (THE INCANDESCENT, a confirmed recent deal at Tor) and A.K. Larkwood (THE SEVENTH BANISHER, upcoming at Tor) appear on both the roster and the deal list, suggesting Armada builds long-term author relationships rather than one-book partnerships.
Armada explicitly does not want YA prose — a meaningful carve-out that surprises many writers, since the genre list otherwise reads broadly 'speculative.' Middle grade and adult are the target age brackets for prose; YA is off the table.
The wishlist reveals a taste for humor threaded through darkness: from litRPG comedy and villainess webcomic energy to creature-forward picture books, Armada consistently rewards projects that don't take themselves too seriously.
As of late October 2025, Armada's submission form is closed. Verify the live form status before querying — this can change without notice.
Lately
Armada's wishlist emphasizes a desire to work with creators who are creatively ambitious and always pushing toward their most interesting, challenging ideas — describing these as the people who are 'always growing and writing stories that only they can tell.'
What Kurestin is looking for
Armada is drawn to short, strange, intensely personal fiction in the tradition of surrealist or uncanny women's literary fiction — the kind of book that unsettles as much as it moves. Standalone works with lush, unhurried prose set in interesting worlds also fit here, especially when the story crosses into women's fiction territory.
Armada wants horror that feels of the moment — engaged with contemporary anxieties rather than leaning on genre convention. Atmospheric dread is preferred over graphic gore. This is a confirmed area of actual sales (WIFE SHAPED BODIES at Saga), making it one of the strongest bets on the list.
Three distinct fantasy lanes are all signaled as high priority. First: epic fantasy that honors familiar genre pleasures while arriving with a fresh, modern voice. Second: the deliriously fun 'villainess isekai' or webcomic-adjacent subgenre. Third: litRPG-inspired fantasy — either high-action and plot-twisty or comedic and warmhearted. All three lanes suggest Armada is equally comfortable with prestige fantasy and crowd-pleasing genre entertainment.
Armada is looking for ambitious, page-turning space opera driven by mystery and intrigue — books with secrets that unfold across a grand scope. The emphasis is on intellectual ambition and plot momentum together, not action spectacle alone.
Speculative premises grounded in recognizable reality, pursued to their weirdest logical conclusions and leavened with humor. Think high-concept, commercially legible ideas that commit fully to their own strangeness rather than playing it safe.
Stories centered on women over thirty discovering magic, embarking on genuine adventures, and inhabiting big, expansive lives. Cozy-adjacent in spirit but not small in scale.
Armada's middle-grade appetite is broad but specific: voice-driven mysteries with series potential, upmarket stories with a vivid sense of place, humor-forward adventure series starters, and — most distinctively — SFF for the 'weird kid' reader, the child who would grow up to love adult genre fiction. Armada favors books that make them laugh, so humor is nearly a requirement even in more serious MG.
For illustrated work, Armada looks across age ranges: funny, creature-forward picture books (as author-illustrator projects — Armada does NOT want text-only picture book scripts); series-friendly early MG and chapter-book graphic novels; and YA/NA romance graphic novels. The visual storytelling standard is high — Armada specifically looks for illustrators with a dynamic command of panels and page movement. Contemporary as well as speculative stories are welcome in graphic novel format.
Listed among Armada's genres and specialties in the deal record, and supported by confirmed sales in romantasy-adjacent territory. The current wishlist does not spotlight a standalone romance wishlist item, but the category is active in Armada's recent deal output.
Not the right fit
On Kurestin's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Kurestin
Verify the live submission form status before querying — as of late October 2025 it was closed, but Armada's form can reopen without public announcement.
Lead with genre and a compelling premise hook. Armada's wishlist is unusually specific with named subgenres (litRPG, villainess fantasy, 'weird girl' fiction) — if your book fits one of these lanes, name that lane explicitly in your query letter.
Armada values creative ambition and surprise above all. If your book does something genuinely unexpected within its genre, lead with that distinction rather than burying it in the synopsis.
Do NOT submit YA prose, books in verse, or text-only illustrated scripts under any circumstances — these are hard exclusions.
For middle-grade submissions, signal the humor content early. Armada consistently emphasizes wanting MG that makes them laugh, even in otherwise serious premises.
For illustrated work, your art must speak for itself — Armada is looking for a strong, dynamic visual sensibility, so include sample pages or a portfolio link if the form allows.
Armada has established imprint relationships at Tor, Saga, Random House, Little Brown, and Harper Voyager UK — if your project feels like a natural fit for one of those houses, that is a signal you may be pitching into a strong network.