• Science Fiction & Fantasy

The 50 best fantasy books of all time

Check out our picks of the most exciting new fantasy novels of 2024, the best of 2023 and 2022, as well as the top fantasy books of all time..

new fantasy fiction books

Fantasy books offer readers the perfect escape into another world. Here we share some of the top fantasy books to give you some inspiration for your literary bucket list. From Megan Giddings dystopian The Women Could Fly , to the magical multi-dimensional universe of Genevieve Cogman’s The Invisible Library, and the dark academia world of The Atlas Six – if you’re a fantasy fiction fan we’ve got you covered.

  • New fantasy books

The best new fantasy books of 2023 & 2024

The atlas complex, by olivie blake.

Book cover for The Atlas Complex

In The Atlas Complex Olivie Blake offers a riveting conclusion to the internationally acclaimed The Atlas Six trilogy. Following a dramatic incident at the library, the Alexandrians must navigate their dangerous recruitment terms. With alliances crumbling and ethical dilemmas concerning their exceptional abilities, the initiates are split. Meanwhile, global forces are plotting their downfall, and Atlas Blakely, their Caretaker, might be planning something catastrophic. As they face decisions about power and betrayal, everyone is in a desperate race for survival.

by TJ Klune

Book cover for Heartsong

Heartsong , the third book in the Green Creek series, is a queer, paranormal romance set in Oregon's enchanting wilderness. Robbie Fontaine, having moved from pack to pack following his mother's death, yearns for a place to belong. His journey brings him to Caswell, Maine, where he experiences pack life as Michelle Hughes's trusted deputy. But when a mission incites doubt about his place and exposes whispers of treachery and magic, Robbie seeks answers, especially concerning Kelly Bennett, a wolf he believes may be his mate, and a rumored traitor. With the inevitable revelation of truth, everything stands to fall apart.

A Tempest of Tea

By hafsah faizal.

Book cover for A Tempest of Tea

Vampires. Secrets. Tea. What more do you want?! Already causing a ruckus on TikTok, in  A Tempest of Tea , Hafsah Faizal takes us to Arthie Casimir's prestigious tea establishment in the city of White Roaring. Tearoom by day, illegal bloodhouse by night, Arthie caters to both humans and vampires – but this arrangement is under threat, and Arthie can't save it alone. . .

Sword Catcher

By cassandra clare.

Book cover for Sword Catcher

Two outcasts find themselves at the centre of world-altering change in the start of an epic fantasy series from author of The Shadowhunter Chronicles. In Castellane, Kel is stolen to become Prince Conor Aurelian’s body-double. As his ‘Sword Catcher', Kel lives for one purpose: to die for Conor. Lin Caster is an Ashkar physician, part of a community ostracised for its rare magical abilities. But events pull her and Kel together and into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King who rules Castellane’s criminal underworld. Together, they’ll discover an extraordinary conspiracy. But can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? 

by Lucy Jane Wood

Book cover for Rewitched

Such is the excitement around YouTube star Lucy Jane Wood's cosy fantasy, that when she announced it, it flew to number one on the Amazon book chart on pre-orders alone. Balancing work at her beloved Lunar Books and concealing her witchcraft from the non-witches around her has left Belle burnt out. But when her thirtieth birthday brings a summons from her coven, and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle risks losing her magic forever. With the month of October to fix things, and signs that dark forces may be working against her, Belle will need all the help she can get – from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure, and even an (infuriating) watchman who’s sworn to protect her . . .

Bookshops & Bonedust

By travis baldree.

Book cover for Bookshops & Bonedust

From cosy fantasy author Travis Baldree comes the prequel to BookTok sensation Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust. Wounded while hunting a necromancer, Viv, from Rackam's Ravens mercenary company, is sent against her will to recover in the remote beach town of Murk. Who would think she'd end up in a struggling bookshop with a grumpy proprietor as her main company? Despite the seclusion, adventure lurks close with strange visitors, a resentful gnome, a summer romance, and countless skeletons, making Murk more eventful than Viv expected.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night

By carissa broadbent.

Book cover for The Serpent and the Wings of Night

In Carissa Broadbent's series opener, a human-vampire survival game akin to The Hunger Games, unfolds. Oraya, an adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, battles for more than mere survival in the Kejari, a legendary contest run by the goddess of death. To win, Oraya must ally with perilous Raihn, a deadly vampire and fierce competitor. Despite being an enemy to her father's reign, Oraya is irresistibly drawn to Raihn. In the merciless Kejari, compassion is scarce, and love could prove fatal.

Starling House

By alix e. harrow.

Book cover for Starling House

Nobody in Eden remembers when Starling House was built – stories of the house’s bad luck have been passed down the generations. Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses, or brooding men. But when an opportunity to work there arises, the money might get her brother out of Eden. Starling House is uncanny and full of secrets – just like Arthur, its heir. Sinister forces converge on Eden – and Opal realizes that if she wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it, even if it involves digging up her family’s ugly past. This is a romantic and spellbinding Gothic fairytale from Hugo, Nebula and Locus Award-shortlisted Alix E. Harrow.

Book cover for Ravensong

Set in the dreamy backwoods of Oregon, Ravensong is the second book in TJ Klune’s beloved Green Creek series. Gordo Livingstone, scarred by past betrayals, isolates himself from his wolf pack in a mountain town. However, when the wolves return, he teams up with Mark Bennett to face a common enemy and emerges victorious. A year later, Gordo becomes the witch of the Bennett pack, battling his feelings for Mark and a mysterious impending threat. As Green Creek settles, internal turmoil arises. Unbreakable bonds may prove fragile as danger looms.

Stone Blind

By natalie haynes.

Book cover for Stone Blind

The sole mortal raised in a family of gods, Medusa lives with an urgency that her family will never know, and is alone in her ability to experience change and to be hurt. Then, when the sea god Poseidon commits an unforgivable act in the temple of Athene, the goddess takes her revenge where she can. Writhing snakes replace her hair, and her gaze now turns any living creature to stone. Unable to control her new power, she is condemned to a life of shadows and darkness. Until Perseus embarks upon a quest. Shorlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023, this retelling of the famed myth of Medusa asks who the real monsters are, after all.

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He who drowned the world, by shelley parker-chan.

Book cover for He Who Drowned the World

He Who Drowned the World  is the sequel to the  Sunday Times  bestseller  She Who Became the Sun. After triumphing over the Mongol rulers, Zhu Yuanzhang aspires to become emperor. However, her ambitions are challenged by Madam Zhang, who seeks the throne for her husband, and Wang Baoxiang, a scorned scholar craving revenge. To secure her position, Zhu forms a risky alliance with the unstable eunuch general, Ouyang, while all contenders push their limits for power. As desire and ambition clash, the question remains whether even the most ruthless heart can bear the steep price of their pursuits. 

Masters of Death

Book cover for Masters of Death

This book is about an estate agent. Only she’s a vampire, the house on sale is haunted, and its ghost was murdered. When Viola Marek hires Fox D’Mora to deal with her ghost-infested mansion, she expects a competent medium. But unbeknownst to Viola, Fox is a fraud – despite being the godson of Death. As the mystery unfolds, Viola and Fox are drawn into a quest that neither wants nor expects. And they'll need the help of a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel and a love-stricken reaper. And it transpires that the difference between a mysterious lost love and a dead body isn’t nearly as distinct as you’d hope.

A Power Unbound

By freya marske.

Book cover for A Power Unbound

Set in an alternative Edwardian England,  A Power Unbound  is the third book in The Last Binding trilogy. Start the series with   A Marvellous Light  and  A Restless Truth . Jack Alston seeks a peaceful life after his twin sister's death forced him to abandon magic. However, a perilous ritual threatens British magicians, forcing Jack back into the magical world. In a London townhouse he joins the owner to find the Last Contract's final piece, enlisting the help of Alan Ross, a money-driven writer and thief. But the alliance will become entangled in a night of secrets and bloody sacrifice as the foundations of magic in Britain risk being torn up. 

Spirits Abroad

Book cover for Spirits Abroad

Drawing inspiration from Asian myth and folklore, Zen Cho's short story collection combines magic, joy, humour and tenderness. We’ll meet an elderly ex-member of parliament, who recalls her youthful romance with an orang bunian. Then a teenage vampire struggles to balance homework, bossy aunties, first love . . . and eating people. A mischievous matriarch returns from the dead to disrupt her own funeral rites and Chang E, the Chinese moon goddess, spins off into outer space – the ultimate metaphor for diaspora. Enjoy this journey into magical new worlds, each with its own meaning. 

The First Bright Thing

By j. r. dawson.

Book cover for The First Bright Thing

Ringmaster, or Rin for short, can jump to different moments in time. With the scars of World War I feeling more distant as the years pass, Rin is focusing on the brighter things in life, like the circus she’s built and the magical misfits and outcasts. But while the present is bright, threats come at Rin from the past as a malevolent shadow looms, and from the future with an impending war on the horizon. The First Bright Thing  by J. R. Dawson is a spellbinding debut for fantasy fans that also asks the difficult question – if you knew how dark tomorrow would be, what would you do with today?

Fall of Ruin and Wrath

By jennifer l. armentrout.

Book cover for Fall of Ruin and Wrath

From the author of  From Blood and Ash,   Fall of Ruin and Wrath  is a scorching romance with high stakes, breathtaking magic and a searing enemies-to-lovers romance. In a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by vengeful gods, nine surviving cities thrive under pleasure-seeking rulers. Calista, possessing infallible intuition, hides as a courtesan. She rescues a prince, triggering warnings of joy and doom. As the prince and her protector vie for power, she navigates rebellion, danger, and desire, torn between intuition's safety and heart's risk. Fall of Ruin and Wrath  is a captivating romantic fantasy from a mega bestselling author and global sensation.

The Thousand Eyes

By a. k. larkwood.

Book cover for The Thousand Eyes

The epic sequel to The Unspoken Name – could you sacrifice your dreams to escape a nightmare? Csorwe, Shuthmili and Tal survey abandoned Echentyr worlds to make a living. The empire’s ruins seem harmless but fascinating. Yet disaster strikes when they stumble upon ancient magic during a routine expedition. This revives a warrior who’d slept for an age, reigniting a conflict thousands of years old. And the soldier binds Csorwe to her cause. Shuthmili is desperate to protect the woman she loves. However, as events escalate, she’s torn. Can she help Csorwe by clinging to her own humanity or by embracing her eldritch powers? 

One For My Enemy

Book cover for One For My Enemy

In New York City, two rival witch families fight for the upper hand in Olivie Blake's new fantasy fiction. The Antonova sisters and their mother, Baba Yaga, are the elusive supplier of premium intoxicants while the Fedorov brothers and their crime boss father, Koschei the Deathless, dominate the shadows of magical Manhattan. For twelve years, the two families have been in stalemate, but that is about to change. While fate draws together a brother and sister from either side, the siblings still struggle for power, and internal conflicts could destroy each family from within. 

A guide to The Atlas Six and Olivie Blake's books

By genevieve cogman.

Book cover for Scarlet

Revolutionary France is no place to be, especially for aristocrat vampires facing the guillotine. But the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel are determined to rescue them. And they have an ace up their sleeve: Eleanor, a lowly maid from an English estate with a striking resemblance to French royalty. For Eleanor, the League and their legendary deeds are little more than rumour – until she’s drawn into their most dangerous plot yet. Revolution's a bloodthirsty business . . .  Scarlet  is a thrilling reinvention of the tale of  The Scarlet Pimpernel  with the addition of magic and even more mayhem.

A Taste of Gold and Iron

By alexandra rowland.

Book cover for A Taste of Gold and Iron

Kadou, the modest prince of Arasht, has no plans to wrestle for imperial control with his sister, the queen. Yet he is in conflict with the father of queen's new child, who is a powerful ambassador at the court. Then a hunting expedition goes badly wrong, and Kadou finds himself accused of murder. This sensual tale of courtly intrigue, backstabbing politics and romance set against the backdrop of an Ottoman Empire-inspired world, is a must-read.

The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle

By t. l. huchu.

Book cover for The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle

Ghostalker Ropa Moyo and her rag-tag team of magicians are back in The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle, the third book in the spellbinding Edinburgh Nights series. Ropa Moyo is no stranger to magic or mysteries. But she’s still stuck in an irksomely unpaid internship. So she’s thrilled to attend a magical convention at Dunvegan Castle, on the Isle of Skye, where she’ll rub elbows with eminent magicians. For Ropa, it’s the perfect opportunity to finally prove her worth. Then a librarian is murdered and a precious scroll stolen. Suddenly, every magician is a suspect, and Ropa and her allies investigate.

Fourth Wing

By rebecca yarros.

Book cover for Fourth Wing

Welcome to the brutal and elite world of Basgiath War College, where everyone has an agenda, and every night could be your last . . . Violet, destined for a quiet life among books, is forced by her commanding mother to become a dragon rider, despite her fragility. With dragons rarely bonding with humans like her, danger looms. Amidst a deadly war and failing protective wards, she suspects a dark secret among the leadership. Forming alliances and facing treacherous foes, Violet fights for survival. Romance and betrayals intertwine as she navigates this perilous path. Graduation or death awaits in the world of dragon riders. 

Immortal Longings

By chloe gong.

Book cover for Immortal Longings

In the kingdom of Talin, the deadly games held in the capital twin cities of San-Er attract thousands, offering unimaginable riches to those skilled enough to jump between bodies and enter the fight to the death. Princess Calla Tuoleimi seeks to take down her tyrannical uncle, King Kasa. To achieve her goal, she must win the games, where Anton Makusa, desperate to save his comatose childhood love, enters to secure the prize money. An unexpected alliance between Calla and Anton forms, leading to a consuming partnership. As the games near their end, Calla faces a crucial choice: her lover or her kingdom.

The best fantasy books of 2022

Legends & lattes.

Book cover for Legends & Lattes

After decades of adventuring, Viv the orc barbarian is finally hanging up her sword for good to open the first coffee shop in the city of Thune. Even though no one there knows what coffee actually  is . But old rivals and new stand in the way of success, and Thune’s shady underbelly could make it all too easy for Viv to take up the blade once more. If you've already read Legends & Lattes then Bookshops & Bonedust , the highly anticipated prequel, is available to pre-order now. 

The Atlas Six

Book cover for The Atlas Six

Dark-academia fantasy novel  The Atlas Six  was originally self-published by Olivie Blake, and was then snapped up for re-publication after it shot to fame on TikTok. The story follows six young magical practitioners as they compete to join the secretive Alexandrian Society, whose custodians guard lost knowledge from ancient civilizations. Yet each decade, only six practitioners are invited – to fill five places. Following recruitment by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they travel to the Society’s London headquarters. Here, each must study and innovate within esoteric subject areas. And if they can prove themselves, over the course of a year, they’ll survive. Most of them.

Guns of the Dawn

By adrian tchaikovsky.

Book cover for Guns of the Dawn

For generations, peace reigned over Denland – until revolutionaries assassinated their king. Next, they clashed with Lascanne, their neighbour. Both countries are now locked in fierce war, pitching war machines against warlocks. Genteel Emily Marshwic has lost much to the war. Then the call for more soldiers comes for her. Alongside other conscripted women, she finds herself on the battlefield, braving the harsh reality of warfare. But she begins to doubt her country’s cause, and her choices could determine the fate of these two nations.

The Discord of Gods

By jenn lyons.

Book cover for The Discord of Gods

The unmissable conclusion to the epic A Chorus of Dragons series by Jenn Lyons, containing the final battle between gods, demons and dragons. As Kihrin seeks an eleventh-hour reprieve for the universe – with Relos Var and the demon Xaltorath continuing to wage war on each other – his body threatens to betray him. Reeling from the aftereffects of a corrupted ritual, one that twisted both him and the last dragons. Worse, he’s now bound to the avatar of a star, a form that’s becoming catastrophically unstable. All of which means he's running out of time. One curse. One man. One destiny.

Jenn Lyons on world-building in her fantasy novels

By frances hardinge.

Book cover for Unraveller

In a world where anyone can cast a life-destroying curse, only one person has the power to unravel them. Kellen does not fully understand his unique gift, but helps those who are cursed, like his friend Nettle who was trapped in the body of a bird for years. She is now Kellen's constant companion and his closest ally. But the Unraveller carries a curse himself and, unless he and Nettle can remove it, Kellen is a danger to everything – and everyone – around him . . .

Fury of a Demon

By brian naslund.

Book cover for Fury of a Demon

The third and final instalment in Brian Naslund's Dragons of Terra trilogy has come to paperback this year. Osyrus Ward has subdued most of Terra, but to finish the job and annihilate the dragons he must add to his huge army of skyships and create a machine that possesses unheard-of power. Rebels Bershad and Ashlyn are doing every everything they can to prevent this, but they have been captured in Dainwood by Ward's mercenaries. Ashlyn employs her dark magic against the terrifying forces massing around them, and Bershad summons his history of victory in battle. But will their combined energies be enough to save the world?

The Empire's Ruin

By brian staveley.

Book cover for The Empire's Ruin

In the first book in Brian Staveley's epic fantasy trilogy, Ashes of the Unhewn, the great Annurian Empire is on its last legs, and its elite soldiers – the Kettral – are dwindling. Kettral soldier Gwenna Sharpe is given a quest, in order to restore the hawk-riding battalion. She must travel beyond the known world, to the place where the mighty war hawks nest. She will face obstacles along the way, from poisoned land to a monk turned conman to sinister forces massing against the empire. Gwenna's quest to save it is fraught with danger, but full of potential for recovery and renewal.

The Women Could Fly

By megan giddings.

Book cover for The Women Could Fly

Part fantasy, part dystopia,  The Women Could Fly  is a powerful novel that speaks to our times. In a world where witches are real and unmarried women over the age of thirty must be monitored by the state, Josephine Thomas is twenty-eight, ambivalent about marriage and on the cusp of losing autonomy over her own life. It's been fourteen years since her mother's disappearance, and Jo has heard ever possible explanation from kidnapping to murder . . . to witchcraft; but all these years later, she feels she's never understood her mother more. So when she's offered an opportunity to honour one last request from her mother's will, she takes it . . .

A Marvellous Light

Book cover for A Marvellous Light

For fans of Bridgerton who'd like to welcome magic into their lives. Set in an alternative Edwardian England, this is a comedy of manners, manor houses, and hedge mazes: including a magic-infused murder mystery and a delightful queer romance. Young baronet Robin Blyth thought he was taking up a minor governmental post. However, he's actually been appointed parliamentary liaison to a secret magical society, and he’ll need the help of Edwin Courcey, his adversarial magical-society counterpart, as together they discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles.

Witchshadow

By susan dennard.

Book cover for Witchshadow

Susan Dennard’s  New York Times  bestselling fantasy series continues – with the story of Iseult, the Threadwitch. The Witchlands have been on the brink of war, and in the fourth book in this epic fantasy series, it arrives. Iseult has found her heartsister Safi at last, but their reunion is brief. For Iseult to stay alive, she must flee Cartorra while Safi remains. As villains from legend reawaken across the Witchlands, only the mythical Cahr Awen can stop the gathering war. Iseult could embrace this power and heal the land, but first she must choose on which side of the shadows her destiny will lie.

The Witchlands series books in order

Book cover for Wolfsong

When Ox Matheson was twelve his father taught him that he was worthless, destined to be misunderstood, and then he left him. Four years later, the energetic Bennett family moved in next door, harbouring a secret that would change his life forever: they are shapeshifters, and can transform into wolves at will. Drawn into an unimaginable new world, Ox found a friend in Joe, the youngest Bennett brother, but when the pack was pulled apart by tragedy and murder, Joe left town . But now, he has returned, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

Origins of The Wheel of Time

By michael livingston.

Book cover for Origins of The Wheel of Time

This companion to Robert Jordan's internationally bestselling series, The Wheel of Time, will delve into the creation of a masterpiece, drawing from interviews and an unprecedented examination of his unpublished notes. Michael Livingston tells the behind-the-scenes story of who Jordan was (including a chapter that is the very first published biography of the author), how he worked, and why he holds such an important place in modern literature.

by Lucy Holland

Book cover for Sistersong

This folklore-inspired tale of betrayal, magic and murder is a 2022 must read. King Cador’s children inherit a land abandoned by the Romans, torn by warring tribes. Riva can cure others, but can’t heal her own scars. Keyne battles to be seen as the king’s son, although born a daughter. And Sinne dreams of love, longing for adventure. All three fear a life confined within the hold, protected from Saxon invaders. But when Myrdhin, meddler and magician, arrives, the siblings discover the power within themselves and the land.  

She Who Became the Sun

Book cover for She Who Became the Sun

A Number One  Sunday Times  Bestseller, this absorbing historical fantasy novel from Shelley Parker-Chan reimagines the rise to power of the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor. In 1345, China lies restless under harsh Mongol rule, and when a bandit raid wipes out her home and her brother perishes, Zhu resolves to overcome her destiny by taking her dead brother’s identity. Can Zhu escape what’s written in the stars, as rebellion sweeps the land? Or can she claim her brother’s greatness – and rise as high as she can dream?

The best fantasy books of all time

The invisible library.

Book cover for The Invisible Library

The Invisible Library is the astounding debut fantasy book by Genevieve Cogman, and the first novel in The Invisible Library series. Professional spy Irene works for the mysterious Library, along with her enigmatic assistant Kai. Their mission is to steal a dangerous book from an alternative London. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. And to make things more complicated, this alternative world is infested with chaos, full of supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic.

The Invisible Library books in order

Empire in black and gold.

Book cover for Empire in Black and Gold

This epic fantasy novel is the first book in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s critically acclaimed fantasy series The Shadows of the Apt. The Lowlands have lived in peace and prosperity for decades, but now an ancient Empire is conquering city after city, and the Lowlands are next . . . Stenwold Maker, spymaster, artificer and statesman, sees the threat, but can he convince his people of the danger that is coming? 

Adrian Tchaikovsky's books in order

Blood of an exile.

Book cover for Blood of an Exile

In Brian Naslund's must-read debut fantasy novel we meet Bershad, an adventurer sentenced to kill dragons for a living after being caught trying to assassinate a fellow noble. When the king who sentenced Bershad offers him a way out of his forced occupation and exile, Bershad sees a way to earn redemption, but it won't be easy.  Blood of an Exile , the first book in the Dragons of Terra series is packed with adventure and of course, lots of dragons.

The Lord of the Rings

By j. r. r. tolkien.

Book cover for The Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy is a classic of fantasy fiction and is a must-read for all fantasy fans. The story of the hobbit Frodo and his epic quest to reach Mount Doom and defeat the Dark Lord, Sauron, by destroying the One Ring, Tolkien’s epic fantasy was adapted into three of the most popular films of the 2000s. One of the best fantasy books ever written. 

Book cover for Bloodwitch

The brilliantly imagined coming-of-age fantasy series, Witchlands, continues with  Bloodwitch . The Bloodwitch Aeduan and Iseult the Threadwitch race for safety, desperate to evade the Raider King. His attempts to subdue the Witchlands are gaining momentum, as his forces sow terror in the mountains, slaughtering innocents. Despite differing goals, Aeduan and Iseult have grown to trust one another in the fight to survive. Yet trust is a tenuous bond . . .

by Neil Gaiman

Book cover for Stardust

In the tiny town of Wall, young Tristan Thorn is madly in love with the beautiful Victoria Forrester. When she agrees to marry him if he retrieves a fallen star he doesn’t hesitate. But to find the fallen star he’ll need to cross the ancient wall which the town is named for, into a world of magic and danger. This charming fairytale fantasy will delight fans of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted and Spinning Silver . 

The Colour of Magic

By terry pratchett.

Book cover for The Colour of Magic

Terry Pratchett’s wonderfully inventive fantasy fiction series Discworld begins with  The Colour of Magic . Set in a flat world resting on the back of four elephants who are balanced on the shell of a giant turtle, this is a parallel time and place full of magic. When the first-ever tourist arrives, their survival is charged to a comically inept wizard who must face robbers, mercenaries and Death himself. Terry Pratchett is the author of some of the most-loved fantasy books of all-time.  

The Star-Touched Queen

By roshani chokshi.

Book cover for The Star-Touched Queen

Maya's world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges her marriage for political advantage. She becomes the Queen of Akaran and the wife of Amar despite a horoscope that promised a marriage of death and destruction. As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire. But Akaran has its own secrets. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger, but who besides her husband can she trust? Steeped in Indian folklore and mythology The Star-Touched Queen is an enthralling fantasy read.

A Game of Thrones

By george r.r. martin.

Book cover for A Game of Thrones

No list of the best fantasy fiction is complete without George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy fiction series, universally acknowledged to be some of the best fantasy books of all time. The first book in the series gave its name to the TV series that became one of the most talked-about in history. In a world where summers span decades and winter can last a lifetime, the battle for the Iron Throne has begun. The breakout success of A Game of Thrones means the series will feature on best fantasy books lists for years to come.

Books series to read if you love Game of Thrones

The fifth season, by n. k. jemisin.

Book cover for The Fifth Season

The Fifth Season is the first fantasy novel in N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy. In a far-future Earth, a continent known as the Stillness is plagued by apocalyptic natural disasters known as Seasons, that can last for generations. Book one follows the story of Essun, a woman living an unremarkable life in a quiet town until three tragedies strike in one day. Her husband murders their beloved son in cold blood and kidnaps their daughter, a world-spanning empire falls, and a great rift has been torn into the Stillness throwing ash into the sky and blocking the sun's light for years to come. And so Essun's fight to save her daughters in this dying land, begins . . .

Sorcerer to the Crown

Book cover for Sorcerer to the Crown

Sorcerer to the Crown is the first book in Hugo Award-winning author Zen Cho’s fantasy series. In Regency London, Zacharias Wythe is England's first African Sorcerer Royal. He leads the Royal Society of Unnatural Philosophers, whose duty it is to keep the levels of magic stable   – but they're failing. The supply of magic is being disrupted by the Fairy Court, and war with France means the government wants to drain this scarce resource even further. When Zacharias meets ambitious orphan Prunella Gentleman they find that her recent magical discovery might just change the nature of sorcery forever.  

by John Gwynne

Book cover for Malice

Malice is the first book in John Gwynne’s The Faithful and the Fallen series , from bestselling author Conn Iggulden. Set in the Banished Lands where armies of men and giants clash in battle, Young Corban watches enviously as boys become warriors, learning the art of war. He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king’s realm. But that day will come all too soon. Only when he loses those he loves will he learn the true price of courage.

The Ruin of Kings

Book cover for The Ruin of Kings

The hugely anticipated debut by Jenn Lyons is the first fantasy book in the A Chorus of Dragons series. Brim-full of big ideas – body-swapping, prophecy, rich worldbuilding and grim commentaries on many aspects of empire – to name but a few, this is the tale of Kihrin, a young prince cursed with bad luck and worse prophecy.  The Ruin of Kings  is a fantastically complex and multi-layered fantasy book, and characters like Doc and Galen, alongside Kihrin's own well-balanced set of talents and flaws make this a promising new fantasy series. 

Children of Blood and Bone

By tomi adeyemi.

Book cover for Children of Blood and Bone

Tomi Adeyemi’s YA fantasy book is the first in her West African-inspired fantasy fiction series Legacy of Orisha. Zélie remembers when Orisha was full of magic. When different clans ruled with unique powers, including her Reaper mother who could summon forth souls. But everything changed when the ruthless king had anyone with powers killed. Now only a few people still have the power to use magic, and they must stay hidden. Zélie is one of those people, but now she has the chance to bring magic back to her people and strike against the monarchy . . . Tomi Adeyemi is the author of some on the best fantasy books for YA readers in recent years.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf

By marlon james.

Book cover for Black Leopard, Red Wolf

Black Leopard, Red Wolf  is the first fantasy novel in Marlon James's Dark Star Trilogy. A New York Times bestseller, National Book Award finalist and Ray Bradbury Prize winner, it's no stranger to accolades. Set in an African-inspired fantasy world, the first book in the series follows Tracker, a mercenary with an extraordinary ability to follow scents, as he hunts down a missing boy. On his journey Tracker's crosses paths with strange companions, from shapeshifters to giants, who seek the same child and hide their own secrets . . .

We Hunt the Flame

Book cover for We Hunt the Flame

A TikTok sensation, We Hunt the Flame  is a brilliant YA fantasy debut about exploration and claiming your own identity. Zafira is a Hunter, who disguises herself as a man to try to provide for her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, a notorious assassin in thrall to his sultan father. Both are reluctant legends, and both are on dangerous missions. As they embark on these perilous tasks, a long buried evil begins to stir. We Free the Stars is the epic sequel in Hafsah Faizal's duology.

The Buried Giant

By kazuo ishiguro.

Book cover for The Buried Giant

Booker Prize-winning author Kazou Ishiguro does not disappoint in his first fantasy book, The Buried Giant . The book begins as a couple, Axl and Beatrice, set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen for years. They expect to face many hazards - some strange and other-worldly - but they cannot yet foresee how their journey will reveal to them dark and forgotten corners of their love for one another. Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, this is a novel about lost memories, love, revenge and war.

Howl's Moving Castle

By diana wynne jones.

Book cover for Howl's Moving Castle

Now also a movie from Studio Ghibli, this beloved modern classic follows Sophie Hatter from the land of Ingary as she catches the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a spell. Deciding she has nothing more to lose, Sophie makes her way to the moving castle that hovers on the hills above her town, Market Chipping. But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl, whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the souls of young girls . . . 

Northern Lights

By philip pullman.

Book cover for Northern Lights

First published in 1995, and acclaimed as a modern masterpiece, this first book in the Hid Dark Materials series is a must-read for all fantasy fans. Lyra Belacqua and her animal daemon live half-wild and carefree among scholars of Jordan College, Oxford. The destiny that awaits her will take her to the frozen lands of the Arctic, where witch-clans reign and ice-bears fight. Her extraordinary journey will have immeasurable consequences far beyond her own world. 

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The Best Fantasy Novels of 2022

From dark academia to epic journeys, the best fantasy of the year comes in all shapes and sizes..

new fantasy fiction books

If, in the year of our Lord 2022, the phrase fantasy books evokes nothing but decades-old series of thousand-page sword-and-sorcery door stoppers set in slightly altered versions of medieval Europe, well, we’re thrilled to tell you that you have some catching up to do. Today’s fantasy fiction refuses to be constrained by the dominant cultural stereotype. There’s room for door stoppers, to be sure, but there’s so much more out there. The books on this list are the cream of this year’s crop, from dark academia to mythological retellings to epic journeys, set in alternate versions of our reality and in worlds completely foreign to us.

In the interest of covering the widest variety of books and authors, we’re not including sequels or series entries here, but 2022 was a rich year for those, too. Don’t miss A.K. Larkwood’s The Thousand Eyes (the second entry in her Serpent Gates series), N.K. Jemisin’s The World We Make (the second and final book in her Great Cities duology), Naomi Novik’s The Golden Enclaves (the final book of the Scholomance trilogy), and Tamsyn Muir’s Nona the Ninth (third in the Locked Tomb series).

10. The Atlas Six , Olivie Blake

new fantasy fiction books

Olivie Blake’s runaway self-published #BookTok sensation turned traditionally published No. 1 New York Times best seller is the real deal. Equal parts Lev Grossman’s The Magicians and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History , the novel follows six magical adepts (called “medeians”) who have been chosen to compete for a spot in the ultra-elite, ultrasecretive Alexandrian Society, whose members are caretakers of the world’s lost knowledge. Five will be admitted, and the sixth — well, don’t worry too much about the sixth. The joy here is in sinking fully into these characters’ personalities, powers, quirks, foibles, assignations, and betrayals as they maneuver their way toward a place in the group. (Plus, we’re always a sucker for a good fantasy library.) It’s an immensely satisfying read, and if you love it, the sequel came out in October.

9. The Book Eaters, Sunyi Dean

new fantasy fiction books

A reclusive family lives in self-imposed isolation on the Yorkshire moors: They are Book Eaters who live on pages and the stories they contain. But the Book Eaters are a dying breed, and their daughters are forced into arranged marriages in the interest of furthering the population. When Devon gives birth to a son, Cai, with a rare mutation — he eats not books but minds — she finds herself on the run from her controlling relatives, driven at all costs to protect her child and find a way to make a life for herself in the human world. This fantastical, often horrifying premise sets the scene for a remarkably nuanced exploration of the triumphs and sacrifices of motherhood (Devon must procure victims for Cai to subsist on even as she searches for a fabled drug that will allow him to live something closer to a normal life) and an affirming, if difficult, journey of self-determination as Devon comes into her own sexuality and agency.

8. Nettle & Bone , T. Kingfisher

new fantasy fiction books

For those of us who grew up on a diet of a certain kind of ’80s and ’90s fantasy (think Patricia C. Wrede, Tamora Pierce, Terry Pratchett), tucking into a T. Kingfisher book feels a bit like coming home to a house you’ve long loved only to find that some industrious, careful soul has dismantled the building board by board, removed the dry rot and plugged the leaks, and reconstructed the pieces into something familiar, spectacular, and utterly surprising. This is the key, though: The  feeling  is the same. You already know all the individual components of  Nettle & Bone : a plucky heroine whose family is in danger, an evil prince, a helpful(ish) witch, a fairy godmother, a disgraced knight, three impossible tasks, and not one but  two  delightful enchanted animals. But this isn’t a retelling; this is someone with a deep love for fantasy, folklore, and fairy tales picking the best parts from a smorgasbord of story elements and stitching them into something sparklingly original. Morbid but funny, cozy but with real danger at its heart,  Nettle & Bone  is the fairy tale this year needed.

7. Saturnalia , Stephanie Feldman

new fantasy fiction books

A fascinating, genre-bending dystopian fantasy-thriller-ecohorror hybrid, Stephanie Feldman’s Saturnalia imagines a magical near-future Philadelphia studded with mysterious, mythologically connected secret societies and a populace that has bent back toward paganism as the world burns. On the feast of Saturnalia each year, debauched revelry is the order of the day. Nina, a fortune teller who removed herself from the elite ranks of the Saturn Club three years prior, undertakes a heist for a friend during the festival but finds herself drawn into a much darker, more dangerous plot before night’s end. Feldman builds an engrossing, upsetting vision of the future that’s at once grim and wondrous — a magical feat in and of itself.

6. Spear , Nicola Griffith

new fantasy fiction books

Inclusive retellings of misunderstood figures of myth and folklore are very much in vogue right now, but vanishingly few of them are written by authors as talented as Nicola Griffith. She has been writing singular queer speculative fiction for 30 years now (when Ursula K. Le Guin says your debut novel has a “very interesting take on gender,” you’ve planted your flag early), and this short novel is as strong as anything she has written. Spear reimagines the legend of Percival, the Welsh Grail knight later supplanted by Sir Galahad, as the story of a nameless girl raised in isolation but called to adventure, romance, and glory. The book is steeped in research (but never weighed down by it) and told in prose as incisive and devastatingly beautiful as any we’ve read this year.

5. The Spear Cuts Through Water , Simon Jimenez

new fantasy fiction books

Formally ambitious and imaginatively rich beyond wonder, Simon Jimenez’s sophomore novel is a marvel. On the surface, this is the story of two soldiers shepherding a dying goddess across a landscape populated by miracles, oddities, and monsters to bring down a tyrannical emperor. That alone would be enough, but Jimenez’s command of prose and playfulness of thought is used to incredible effect to show how oral traditions can transform a tale. The frame narrative (calling it a frame narrative is reductive, but it works for simplicity’s sake) is set generations later than the main story and shifts from recounted myth to immersive storytelling by way of a theater accessed through dreams; it’s a timeline that intersects with the main story in unexpected and magical ways. This book must be read to be believed.

4. The Women Could Fly , Megan Giddings

new fantasy fiction books

Megan Giddings’s remarkable second novel takes place in an oppressively racist and misogynist totalitarian version of the United States that simultaneously fears, covets, and punishes women’s power. Witches are real, and any woman not married by 30 will have her autonomy curtailed by force under suspicion of witchcraft, especially if she’s not white. Jo — Black, bisexual, and 28— is at a crossroads. She’s staring down the deadline for marriage (to a man, of course) and haunted by the disappearance of her mother (a suspected witch), which happened when Jo was a teenager. But when new clues about her mother’s fate arise, Jo finds herself in the midst of a community unlike any she has ever experienced. It’s a harrowing and beautiful book, and Giddings never lets the immediacy of her subject matter overbalance her graceful storytelling and the deep humanity of her characters.

3. The Ballad of Perilous Graves, Alex Jennings

new fantasy fiction books

Some of the best fantasy starts from a place of metaphor made literal. A visitor to New Orleans in our reality may observe that music seems to be the city’s lifeblood; in Alex Jennings’s exceptional urban-fantasy debut, the magic of song is quite literally the engine that keeps the phantasmagorical city of Nola alive. But some of the songs that form its foundation have escaped from the piano of Doctor Professor, Nola’s “haint” musician emeritus, and it’s up to a plucky and powerful set of young characters to track them down before the city crumbles around them. Just as Nola overflows with personified song, vivid art, zombie cabs, talkative nutria, sky trolleys, and floating graffiti, Perilous Graves is full to bursting with surreal ideas, gloriously unique characters, unapologetic Blackness, and a soul-deep love for New Orleans and its people.

2. Babel, or the Necessity of Violence , R.F. Kuang

new fantasy fiction books

R.F. Kuang’s Poppy War trilogy made her an instant name in the fantasy world, and her first stand-alone novel once again shows us why. In Babel , the work of translation is the source of magic, which is in turn the source of the British Empire’s power. At Oxford, a team of young translators finds “match-pairs,” or words and phrases translated from one language to another. The gap in meaning or connotation between the two holds immense power, and the empire uses that power to maintain its stranglehold on the rest of the world. The protagonists are young people snatched from their homelands (China, Haiti, India) who were raised to support Britain but are coming into their own awareness about imperialism, academia, racism, and what revolutionary decolonization could look like in practice. Babel is not an easy read — Kuang isn’t here to hold your hand through your feelings about colonialism, and she doesn’t shy away from the ugliest pieces of imperialist history. Rather, she challenges us to actively engage with the story in a way that more casual readers may not be used to. But it’s worth it: Babel is a monumental work that rewards the effort you put into it.

1. Siren Queen , Nghi Vo

new fantasy fiction books

In an alternate version of pre-Code Hollywood where aspiring actors often meet their end as fodder for the sinister ritual magic that powers the studio system, Luli Wei is determined to be a star. The odds, of course, are stacked against her as she’s a gay Chinese American woman, but driven by her ambition and willingness to play the studio heads’ dark game, she finds her breakout role: not as a heroine but a monster. Yet as she sinks further into the murk of the industry, risking her own soul in the process, Luli finds love — and a greater purpose if she can muster the strength to see it through. Coming hot on the heels of last year’s The Chosen and the Beautiful , a queer, immigrant reimagining of The Great Gatsby , Siren Queen establishes Vo as an uncommonly talented new voice in fantasy, one who writes from a place of anger, insight, and deep compassion.

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New Releases in Science Fiction & Fantasy

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24 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books to Look Forward to in 2024

Exciting new series’ and standalones from kelly link, lev grossman, sofia samatar, james s.a. corey, and more.

It seems impossible that 2024 could outdo what was truly a spectacular year of SFF and speculative offerings. But considering how difficult it was to narrow down this preview, you and I are in for a treat this year. We’ve got alternate-history utopian nations and near-future dystopian surveillance states, sexy wedding duels and interstellar artifact heists, daring works in translation and new takes on familiar archetypes. And the characters—get ready to meet vengeful ghosts and body-hopping mothers-to-be, pirates and aliens and time traveler “bridges,” river goddesses and accidental generation ship saints. Let’s scale that TBR together.

kinning

Nisi Shawl, Kinning (Tor Books, January 23)

I can’t think of a better way to kick off 2024 than with Nisi Shawl’s steampunk alternate history epic about the formation of Everfair, a utopian nation within the borders of the Congo Free State. Following the eponymous first novel in 2016, Everfair has reached a tentative peace among its clashing factions, from England’s Fabian Society to Black missionaries to the royals whose land was annexed as a European colony, however well-meaning.

But while Princess Mwadi and Prince Ilunga attempt to seize the throne their father abdicated, influenza beyond Everfair’s borders has weakened rival powers in Europe. Could the solution lie in empathy spores—one of Everfair’s many magical inventions—that Chinese scientist Tink is distributing around the world via aircanoe? The Everfair sequel looks to replicate the first book’s success (both within and without the central story) in creating bonds between small groups that have global effects.

new fantasy fiction books

Tlotlo Tsamaase, Womb City (Erewhon Books, January 23)

Womb City is one of those books I’ve been waiting nearly a year for, so I’m thrilled for Motswana writer Tlotlo Tsamaase’s Africanfuturist debut to finally be here. Obviously the title concerns a world in which babies are grown in artificial wombs, but this science fiction horror tale is about so much more than the future of fertility; it’s set in a surveillance state in which consciousnesses can body-hop, but only if they agree to be monitored at all times.

Such is the case for Nelah, who is on her third lifetime but in a loveless marriage, with a gestating daughter held as collateral for her not stepping out of line. But when a night of indiscretions culminates in a car accident cover-up, Nelah finds herself responsible for another life of sorts: the ghost of her victim, which demands revenge on everyone close to Nelah.

exordia

Seth Dickinson, Exordia (Tordotcom Publishing, January 23)

While I breathlessly await the next installment of Seth Dickinson’s heartrending geopolitical fantasy series about Baru Cormorant , I’m delighted to see that he’s playing in the sci-fi sphere in the meantime. Exordia is an expletive-laden first-contact story between Kurdish genocide survivor Anna Rekani and Ssrin, an eight-headed viper alien that only she can see. With vibes of Independence Day (except where the extraterrestrials are at least our frenemies) and Michael Crichton, this bonkers-sounding adventure is high-concept, horrific, and perfect to fill the Baru-sized hole in my TBR.

new fantasy fiction books

Bora Chung (trans Anton Hur), Your Utopia: Stories (Algonquin Books, January 30)

Korean author Bora Chung’s second collection (after the Booker Prize-shortlisted Cursed Bunny ) contains eight new speculative tales, perhaps a bit more tender but no less haunting. There are stories of one-sided love, from a husband tracing his wife’s late-night phone calls in “A Very Ordinary Marriage” to an AI elevator falling for its riders in “One More Kiss, Dear.” We follow along with a bottom-rung employee at “The Center for Immortality Research” who still has better job security than most of us (if the same boss forever is your sort of thing). And it should come as no surprise that the title story’s utopia is one in which AI has replaced humanity, though there is still a humanoid robot asking existential questions into the void.

book of love kelly link

Kelly Link, The Book of Love (Random House, February 13)

Kelly Link is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient for her fantastical short fiction, with her debut novel long anticipated. In the New England town of Lovesend, three teenagers who have been missing for months find themselves resurrected from the dead by their music teacher, Mr. Anabin, who has also brought back a mysterious traveler. But there’s a catch: two get to remain, and two will have to return to wherever they came from. Perform the magical tasks Mr. Anabin assigns, and they’ll have their second chance. But as the teens undertake this bargain of unfinished business, Lovesend itself begins transforming into something more extraordinary.

fathomfolk

Eliza Chan, Fathomfolk (Orbit Books, February 27)

Water-based worlds has become its own SFF subgenre, but often it’s humanity adapting to inhabit the waves; Eliza Chan instead submerges us into a world populated by fathomfolk, or all of the sirens, sea witches, and water dragons you would expect but don’t always get to hear about. But humanity is polluting the waters, forcing fathomfolk like Nami (daughter of the water dragon matriarch) onto land and into the dry sphere of two-leggers who regard them with the usual human amount of prejudice for someone not like them. In the half-flooded city of Tiankawi, reunited with her ambassador brother and his half-siren partner, Nami begins to better understand how fathomfolk live on the fringes—and why rebellion calls to them like an irresistible song.

new fantasy fiction books

Hao Jingfang (trans Ken Liu), Jumpnauts (Saga Press, March 12)

In 2016, Hao Jingfang won the Hugo Award for her novelette Folding Beijing (translated by Ken Liu), in which Beijing literally folded itself into different permutations in order for three social classes to share the same surface at different times. Now, her debut novel looks to examine similar class and cultural factions, with the Pacific League of Nations competing with the Atlantic Division of Nations over who will make first contact with an alien civilization that has already been hiding on Earth for thousands of years. The fact that Jumpnauts is listed as part of the Folding Universe makes you wonder if she will employ the same imaginative physics to how humans and aliens finally interact.

someone you can build a nest in

John Wiswell, Someone You Can Build a Nest In (DAW, April 2)

John Wiswell is a writer new to me as I’ve been reading more deeply into SFF short fiction in the past year, but it’s no surprise he has an extensive body of work, with standouts like “D.I.Y.” and “So You Want to Kiss Your Nemesis.” That sense of initial irreverence belying deeply-considered pathos is reflected in his debut novel, an unflinchingly dark and unflinchingly heartfelt romance between a monster-hunter and her prey—but from the perspective of the monster, who’s seeking a mate in which to lay her eggs. For Shesheshen, having her young devour her partner from the inside out is the ultimate expression of love; but Homily, who doesn’t know the true identity of the mysterious woman she nursed back to health, might not appreciate things. I’m ready for Wiswell to convince us why they’re meant to be.

new fantasy fiction books

Oliver K. Langmead, Calypso (Titan Books, April 2)

I’m a sucker for a generation ship story where the protagonist awakens far enough into the ship’s future that entire eras have passed—that the descendants hardly resemble the people who first boarded on Earth, and they have created their own culture and beliefs in a figurative and literal vacuum. Oliver K. Langmead’s latest really commits to that idea, with Rochelle waking from cryostasis into a lush forest. It’s fitting for an ark named after the mythical nymph Calypso, who kept Odysseus on her island for seven years during The Odyssey . And while Rochelle’s initial assignment was to be Calypso ’s engineer, instead the forest’s inhabitants revere her as some sort of saint. Combine this with Langmead’s use of epic verse, and a blurb from Fingersmith author Sarah Waters, and how can anyone resist?

The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain

Sofia Samatar, The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain (Tordotcom Publishing, April 16)

Recent generation ship stories from authors like River Solomon have delved into the class and racial tensions of this phase of humanity’s migration through the stars. But what most intrigues me about Sofia Samatar’s science fantasy is that it has shades of R.F. Kuang’s Babel as well, interrogating the ivory tower of academia and how it can grant freedom via intellectual advancement, or withhold it from those not deemed deserving enough.

This novel’s mining ship left Earth long enough ago that its people are embedded within a centuries-old caste system, with much of the population Chained to the Hold. But when a Chained boy is brought “upstairs” by a “professor” who sees potential in him, he enters the insular academic world of the ship, only to discover that it—and his mentor, whose own academic career is rooted in him succeeding—possesses its own damning chains.

new fantasy fiction books

Em North, In Universes (Harper, May 7)

Emet North sounds like the kind of writer who has lived a half-dozen lives before this, not least due to their physics thesis on the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. Their academic study has clearly influenced their fiction, with their debut novel following Raffi, a queer physicist distracted from their dark matter research by thoughts of Britt, an artist they barely know. But what if they knew her better?

Before Raffi realizes, they’re bouncing through parallel timelines and alternate realities, constantly changing the events of the summer they almost met Britt when they were both thirteen. Instead of strangers, they’re friends; instead of friends, they’re something more; instead of something more, Raffi betrays Britt. But which reality is the real one, and how does the past affect the present?

new fantasy fiction books

Kaliane Bradley, The Ministry of Time (Avid Reader Press, May 7)

In Kaliane Bradley’s delightful-sounding novel, time travel is so bureaucratic as to be mundane, with civil servants who act as “bridges” to help the real time travelers (or “expats”) adjust from their era to ours. But what is supposed to begin and end with our protagonist acting as a host-slash-liaison for expat “1847,” a.k.a. an Arctic explorer, the two become unlikely roommates and even begin to fall in love. The fish-out-of-water time traveler relationship, not to mention the workplace strictures against any personal interactions, is giving vibes of Outlander meets Severance , with other expats including a spy who keeps getting plastic surgery and a 17th-century cinephile who gets addicted to dating apps.

Escape Velocity Victor Manibo (

Victor Manibo, Escape Velocity (Erewhon Books, May 21)

Victor Manibo’s debut novel The Sleepless explored a very speculative case of the haves versus the have-nots—that is, those afflicted by a pandemic of insomnia and those who could still sleep at night. His deliciously tense follow-up looks to twist the knife on those class tensions; it’s literally being billed as “ Knives Out in space with a Parasite twist.”

At the twenty-fifth high school reunion held on the luxurious Space Habitat Altaire, a quartet of alums aren’t just looking to impress each other with their enviable lives. One is trying to solve a murder from senior year, another is collecting blackmail secrets (how Clue !), a third is angling for a coveted position on the Mars settlement to which Earth’s rich and famous are fleeing… and, OK, the fourth is trying to win the heart of his high school crush, aww. This looks like one of the year’s most fun SF mysteries.

goddess of the river

Vaishnavi Patel, Goddess of the River (Redhook, May 21)

After reinventing the “wicked stepmother” of the Ramayana into a diplomat-queen in Kaikeyi , Vaishnavi Patel turns her gaze to another reimagining, this time of the Mahabharata : River goddess Ganga is cursed with a mortal body, forced to atone for the antics of the godlings on her shore. But her human life ebbs and flows with triumph and tragedy, as she becomes a powerful queen but also a mother who is forced to abandon her infant son. As he grows up, prince Devavrata carries his mother’s curse, and their fates intertwine and separate over the course of both their lifetimes.

Evocation

S.T. Gibson, Evocation (Angry Robot Books, May 28)

Neither urban fantasy nor millionaire protagonists are usually my thing, but S.T. Gibson’s combination of the two has, shall we say, invoked my interest. Mostly because Boston-based lawyer David Aristarkhov has inherited both his family’s fortune and their rumored magical powers from a thousand-year-old deal with the Devil, yet he’s still an alcoholic former psychic prodigy who can barely manage moonlighting as a medium.

When the Devil comes to collect on the family’s long-ago bargain, David must excavate the other failed portion of his life: turning to his ex Rhys, a rival within their magical Society, for help. But working with Rhys involves grappling with his astronomer wife Moira—and despite himself, David finds himself attracted to them both. A polyamorous love story definitely sweetens the deal… if David can make it to his thirtieth birthday before the Devil steals him away from potential happiness.

new fantasy fiction books

Alexandra Rowland, Running Close to the Wind (Tordotcom Publishing, June 11)

It’s fun to watch an author play within the bounds of their own world but with such different tones. Last year’s A Taste of Gold and Iron was a swoony fantasy romance set in the realm of Arasht, but this next installment is a swashbuckling queer pirate adventure on the high seas. The requisite newbie to the pirate crew is Avra Helvaçi, formerly of the Araşti Ministry of Intelligence, who steals the ultimate secret to sell on the black market. But his ex, pirate Captain Teveri az-Ḥaffār, has other plans to ferry the secret to the Isle of Lost Souls for an even greater booty.

Well, the real booty belongs to Brother Julian, the hot celibate monk who’s part of their ragtag crew. Alexandra Rowland has written the ideal antidote to the past indeterminate number of awful years, as well as a cure for the Our Flag Meets Death hiatus. What’s more, they tweeted , it’s not just funny in the way that Terry Pratchett’s work was funny, but “also angry in the same way that Terry Pratchett was angry.” All aboard!

The Stardust Grail

Yume Kitasei, The Stardust Grail (Flatiron Books, June 11)

I really enjoyed Yume Kitasei’s generation ship debut The Deep Sky , but I’m even more sold on the premise of her second novel: Maya Hoshimoto is an intergalactic reverse Indiana Jones-meets-Debbie Ocean, which is to say she’s a former art thief renowned for stealing back alien artifacts. At least, until she retired to pursue a graduate degree in anthropology. But when an old friend approaches with one last score, Maya is powerless to resist. Better yet, tracking down an extraterrestrial object that may save an entire species from extinction might also solve the mystery of why Maya is seeing visions of the future—like the fact that someone will betray her on this final heist.

navola

Paolo Bacigalupi, Navola (Knopf, July 9)

I know Paolo Bacigalupi’s work through more futuristic novels like The Windup Girl and The Water Knife , tackling themes of bioengineering and global warming. Ironically that’s what has me even more intrigued for his latest, a historical epic fantasy that owes equal inspiration to Renaissance Italy and Game of Thrones . Davico di Regulai is the scion of one of the most powerful families in the city-state of Navola, who have clawed their way to prominence through their cunning as merchant bankers… though the family heirloom of a fossilized dragon eye probably deserves some credit, too. Expected to step up and run the di Regulai family, Davico must show that he knows how to navigate Navolese diplomacy, though even more crucial will be his willingness to delve into the dark history of how his adopted sister Celia di Balcosi was taken from her own decimated bloodline.

new fantasy fiction books

Lev Grossman, The Bright Sword (Viking, July 16)

The eagerly anticipated next book from The Magicians author Lev Grossman shifts its classics-riffing focus from Narnia to Camelot… or rather, post-Camelot’s collapse. Freshly-forged knight Collum seeks to join the Round Table, but it’s (metaphorically) fractured, as King Arthur has fallen in battle two weeks prior and his idyllic kingdom is beset by warring factions.

There’s Morgan le Fay backed by an army of faeries and other supernatural creatures; Lancelot and Guinevere, grieving Arthur yet also regarded as traitors; and outsiders not part of Arthur’s fall, who sense an opportunity without an heir on the throne. Instead of joining the storied Knights of the Round Table, Collum will team up with a ragtag band of survivors including Sir Palomides and Sir Dagonet, as well as Merlin’s former apprentice (and betrayer, but for her own reasons) Nimue.

the mercy of gods

James S.A. Corey, The Mercy of Gods (Orbit Books, August 6)

The Expanse authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck are collaborating once more on a new sci-fi trilogy that explores a different corner of the space opera universe, inspired in part by the Bible’s apocalyptic Book of Daniel. Dafyd Alkhor is a bright-eyed research assistant on the long-ago-settled human planet of Anjiin, but his world broadens beyond romantic and academic intrigue when he and a handful of other human survivors are snatched by the Carryx—an alien hive who kidnap species to their homeworld, only to pit them against one another in a competition for survival. While the idea of humanity justifying its continued existence is intriguing, I’m especially curious as to how humans made it off Earth in the first place; hopefully The Captive’s War trilogy will answer that and more.

asunder

Kerstin Hall, Asunder (Tordotcom Publishing, August 20)

Kerstin Hall’s fiction delves into dark corners and underworlds that I might hesitate to enter as a reader, but I trust her enough to explore realms shaped by cannibalism ( Star Eater ) and populated by demons ( The Border Keeper ). To wit, I’m not usually a fan of eldritch tales, but I’m fascinated by her latest protagonist Karys Eska, a Deathspeaker whose power comes from one such nightmare being. But when a dying client pays Karys to investigate a suspicious demise and she accidentally binds him to her own shadow… a descent into the underworld seems all but inevitable.

august clarke,

August Clarke, Metal From Heaven (Erewhon Books, fall TBD)

As excited as I am for H.A. Clarke to conclude their Scapegracers series with The Feast Makers in March, I’m even more psyched for the next phase of August Clarke’s literary career. They’ve signed a new book deal for three standalone novels , the first of which is an industrial fantasy whose setting was inspired by the steampunk anime Arcane: League of Legends but whose revenge plot is all Count of Monte Cristo . We don’t know much about it beyond the tantalizing pitch of a young woman presumed dead reinventing herself in a glittering world of industrial change in order to avenge her family’s murder by a ruthless mining company, but that’s all we need.

Freya Marske

Freya Marske, Swordcrossed (Bramble, fall TBD)

At the book launch for A Power Unbound , Freya Marske shared that her forthcoming standalone fantasy romance was equally inspired by the tradition of hiring a swordsman at your wedding and by the underrated queer romance Imagine Me & You , in which Piper Perabo falls for her wedding vendor Lena Headey. Now that Marske’s Edwardian-era magic series The Last Binding is complete, I can’t think of a better followup than this cozy romantasy about a wool merchant who hires a con artist to teach him swordplay for his nuptials, only to be seduced away from family obligations to a life where he can actually be himself, even if it’s with the last person he ever thought he’d love. Cross my heart, can’t wait to swoon over this one.

Kalyna the Cutthroat

Elijah Kinch Spector, Kalyna the Cutthroat (Erewhon Books, November 26)

My ruthless daughter Kalyna is back surviving and thriving in the sequel to Kalyna the Soothsayer . While her fake fortune teller shtick crumbled along with the demise of the Tetrarchic Experiment—four countries trying to coexist, only for the realm of Loasht to revoke peace—Kalyna has found a new application for her special set of skills: here, escorting a scholar-on-sabbatical back to his home country of Loasht amid the Tetrarchic tensions.

Partly narrated by the scholar (Radiant Basket of Rainbow Shells) himself, Elijah Kinch Spector’s latest adventure will see this motley crew joining up with the only people who will take them: a utopian community existing on the borders of Loasht and Tetrarchia. But if the Tetrarchic Experiment couldn’t succeed, we’re already suspicious of this cult and their seeming ability to have figured it all out. I can’t wait to see how Kalyna earns her new title.

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Natalie Zutter

Natalie Zutter

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  • Fantasy Books

75 Best New Fantasy Books of 2023

This year's best new fantasy books will fill your days with magic.

new fantasy fiction books

As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

Sometimes, it can feel like the real world is too much to handle. Fortunately, there are plenty of choices for escapism in 2023, with a slew of phenomenal new fantasy books to transport you to worlds of myth and magic.

This year's fantasy books offer plenty to choose from. Long-running stories are finally coming to epic conclusions, with authors like Cassandra Clare wrapping up series this year. There are also new stories from beloved authors like Rebecca Yarros, Claire Legrand, Andrea Stewart, Alexandra Bracken, Tahereh Mafi, Shannon Chakraborty, Caroline Peckham, and Susanne Valenti, plus fresh voices introducing us to their creative, fantastical new worlds full of mystery and romance.

No matter what fantasy style you enjoy most, there's sure to be something you'll love among this year's best new fantasy reads. Some releases take inspiration from folklore worldwide, with exciting and creative twists on all the creatures, stories, and tropes you love in your favourite fantasy fiction. There's never been a better time to get swept away in the magic and adventure of a really great fantasy book. As a bonus, many of these books are perfect for filling several of the prompts from the 2023 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge ! Check out what's coming out when, and happy reading!

1 "Playing the Witch Card" by KJ Dell'Antonia

"Playing the Witch Card" by KJ Dell'Antonia

If you prefer your fantasy books on the cosy side, check out " Playing the Witch Card " by KJ Dell'Antonia. When Flair returns to her hometown to take over her late grandmother's bakery, she swears to avoid any and all of the magic that runs in the family. Unfortunately, fate seems to have other plans. A batch of Tarot-themed cookies unwittingly unleashes magic on the town, while also summoning Flair's flighty mother, intriguing her daughter, and bringing her first love and her cheating ex both back into her life. There are bigger forces at play than she realises, and she'll have to come to terms with her magic to put things right.

Release date: Sept. 12

2 "Fall of Ruin and Wrath" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

"Fall of Ruin and Wrath" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout launches a new fantasy series with " Fall of Ruin and Wrath ." In a world after a divine apocalypse, nine cities remain, each watched over by a royal "guardian." Calista, born with unerring intuitions, serves as an informant and courtesan for a powerful nobleman. After she saves a travelling prince, fated to be both her joy and her doom, she becomes his companion in turn. But there's rebellion afoot, schemes around every corner, and dangers she hasn't even begun to imagine. For the first time, Calista's intuition might not be enough to keep her safe from what's next.

3 "Cursebreakers" by Madeleine Nakamura

"Cursebreakers" by Madeleine Nakamura

" Cursebreakers " by Madeleine Nakamura centres on a magical city, a disgraced professor, and a secret plot. In the city of Astrum, people are suffering from magical comas, and Adrien, an ex-professor, is determined to find out why. Alongside a chaotic young soldier and a talented healer, Adrien sets out to find out the truth and put a stop to the curse before it destroys everything. He'll have to learn to manage his own faltering mental health and self-destructive habits — and overcome a particularly dangerous unrequited love — in order to save the city and everyone who lives in it.

4 "A Market of Dreams and Destiny" by Trip Galey

"A Market of Dreams and Destiny" by Trip Galey

Beneath Covent Garden in 19th-century London lies the setting of " A Market of Dreams and Destiny " by Trip Galey. The magical market sells all manner of things seen and unseen — for the right price. Deri, a young man who has lived in servitude since childhood, sees a chance to buy freedom and his own place in the market when a runaway princess asks to sell her destiny. When news of the princess spreads, however, Deri will have to contend with powerful forces (including the manipulative masters of Owain, the man Deri has fallen in love with) in order to secure his place in the world.

5 "The Hexologists" by Josiah Bancroft

"The Hexologists" by Josiah Bancroft

Looking for fantasy with a mystery twist? Try " The Hexologists " by Josiah Bancroft. This new series follows the adventures of Iz and Warren Wilby, the "hexologists" of the title who specialise in using hexes, charms, and relics to help solve the strangest cases brought to their doorstep. Then, the royal secretary arrives with news of a bizarre request from the king himself. To solve their most challenging case yet, the Wilbies will have to go up against anti-monarchists, alchemists, and mysterious creatures from all sorts of magical dimensions. It will take all their skills and every artifact they possess to get answers this time.

Release date: Sept. 26

6 "The Fragile Threads of Power" by V.E. Schwab

"The Fragile Threads of Power" by V.E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab returns with a new fantasy series, set in her "Shades of Magic" universe, with " The Fragile Threads of Power ." It's been seven years since anyone has seen the last magicians with the power to open the doors between worlds. Now, a new leader, Kosika, has appeared in White London, determined to take power and feed her city and her religious fervour no matter the cost. Meanwhile, Rhy, the king of Red London faces a rebellion determined to do away with the throne altogether. As royals struggle for power, a mysterious girl named Tes arrives with the power to unite the worlds, or destroy them all.

7 "The Witches of Bone Hill" by Ava Morgyn

"The Witches of Bone Hill" by Ava Morgyn

Family secrets abound in Ava Morgyn's " The Witches of Bone Hill ." Two very different sisters, Cordelia and Eustace, are summoned to a small town in Connecticut to handle the estate of the great-aunt they never met. They get much more than just a house, though: they find themselves entangled in the mysterious and supernatural history of their family. Add in a family crypt, a mysterious groundskeeper, and the truth about what happened to their mother, and the two sisters have to completely rethink what they know about themselves and their family. Plus, there's the small matter of a powerful enemy who's been stalking the family for generations...

8 "This Dark Descent" by Kalyn Josephson

"This Dark Descent" by Kalyn Josephson

Inspired by Jewish folklore, " This Dark Descent " by Kalyn Josephson brings together the daughter of magical horse breeders, an enchanter who operates in secret, and an heir embroiled in a succession battle. Mikira's family is famed for breeding horses for the deadly dangerous horse race, but with debts piling up, Mikira decides to enter the race herself, despite the peril. She allies with Arielle, a black-market enchanter who creates golems, and Damien, a lord battling for his succession. All three have their own secrets to keep and wrongs to avenge, but the only way they'll survive is to find a way to work together.

9 "Medusa's Sisters" by Lauren J. A. Bear

"Medusa's Sisters" by Lauren J. A. Bear

Lauren J. A. Bear puts a new twist on Greek mythology with " Medusa's Sisters ." Sisters Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale ventured into the human world in search of understanding, belonging, and even love, but they quickly learned just how tempestuous and deadly the "love" of the gods can be. After seeing Medusa's fate, Stheno and Euryale — now the reviled Gorgons — are the survivors, and the only ones left who can tell the story of how three sisters who loved one another so much could wind up tangled in a doomed story of divine rivalries, curses, and twisted versions of the truth.

Release date: Aug. 8

10 "Labyrinth's Heart" by M. A. Carrick

"Labyrinth's Heart" by M. A. Carrick

M. A. Carrick wraps up the "Rook & Rose" trilogy with this final instalment, " Labyrinth's Heart ." Ren's plan to collect a fortune for her and her sister has worked a little too well. She's successfully posed as the lost heir to the Traementis noble house, and she's now known as Renata. Those aren't the only identities she must balance: she's also Arenza, a notorious rebel, and the Black Rose, a legendary vigilante partnered with the equally-famed Rook. Even with the help of her closest allies, Ren finds herself overwhelmed by wearing so many masks, and when it all comes tumbling down, the entire city is in danger.

Release date: Aug. 15

11 "Thornhedge" by T. Kingfisher

"Thornhedge" by T. Kingfisher

You've never read a "Sleeping Beauty" retelling quite like " Thornhedge " by T. Kingfisher. As a baby, Toadling was kidnapped from her human family and raised in the land of the faeries, where she grows up safe and loved. Once she's an adult, the fae ask Toadling to return to the land of the humans and bestow a blessing on a newborn child, but things unfold in unexpected and dangerous ways. Centuries later, a knight arrives at a wall of thorny brambles, determined to hack his way through and break a curse — the same curse Toadling will do anything in her power to uphold.

12 "The Water Outlaws" by S. L. Huang

"The Water Outlaws" by S. L. Huang

Get swept up in a vibrant, epic fantasy with " The Water Outlaws " by S. L. Huang. Inspired by a 14th-century Chinese classic, the story centres on Lin Chong, an expert commissioned to train the Emperor's finest soldiers on how to use every weapon at their disposal. She's not a rebel by any means, but when her carefully planned life is torn away from her by a man out for revenge, she's forced to disappear. In disguise and on the run, she's recruited by the Bandits of Liangshan, vigilantes determined to see justice done — and, in the process, they might take down an empire.

Release date: Aug. 22

13 "The Midnight Kingdom" by Tara Sim

"The Midnight Kingdom" by Tara Sim

The second instalment in Tara Sim's "The Dark Gods" series, " The Midnight Kingdom " picks up with the four heirs to the four noble houses scattered across the realms after a devastating battle. The rebellious Taesia and the soldier Nikolas have been cast into the realm of night, accompanied by the god of light determined to bring down the dark realm. Peaceful necromancer Risha lands in the realm of death, but she struggles to help the trapped spirits and to get her and her friend home before they're trapped forever. Only Angelica remains in the city of Nexus, trying to keep it from unraveling as all four heirs fight to find their way home.

14 "House of Odysseus" by Claire North

"House of Odysseus" by Claire North

Claire North returns to Greek mythology with " House of Odysseus ," another mythological retelling that centres the women of the legends. The world where the whims of gods can doom or uplift men is a dangerous one, and the queen, Penelope, works hard to try to keep Ithaca safe after her husband Odysseus fails to return. The fragile balance is shattered with the arrival of Orestes, King of Mycenae, brought to Ithaca by his sister Elektra after he killed his mother Clytemnestra. His violent uncle Menelaus longs to take his throne, and Penelope — and her kingdom — are now caught in the middle of this deadly family feud, even as the goddess Aphrodite watches and makes her own plans.

15 "He Who Drowned the World" by Shelley Parker-Chan

"He Who Drowned the World" by Shelley Parker-Chan

" He Who Drowned the World ," Shelley Parker-Chan's much-anticipated sequel to "She Who Became the Sun," is finally here. In the conclusion to the duology, Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is fresh off a victory over the Mongols. Now, she's searching for an even greater ambition: to sit on the imperial throne. Meanwhile, the courtesan Madam Zhang is likewise scheming to secure the throne for her husband (and herself), and vengeful scholar Wang Baoxiang has ingratiated himself into a position of power to carry out his own plans. None of the would-be rulers are willing to bend, so someone will have to break.

16 "The Phoenix King" by Aparna Verma

"The Phoenix King" by Aparna Verma

Aparna Verma launches a new trilogy with " The Phoenix King ," an epic fantasy drawing on Hindu mythology. In the kingdom of Ravani, fire is power, and three very different people will face the whims of the Phoenix. Elena is a queen-in-waiting struggling to harness the power of the Eternal Flame. Leo, the king, is not quite ready to give up his crown, not until he can feel that his kingdom and family will be safe — but hanging onto power comes at a price. Then, there's Yassen, a former assassin looking for redemption, even if it means serving the royals he once set out to eliminate.

Release date: Aug. 29

17 "Assistant to the Villain" by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

"Assistant to the Villain" by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

If your fantasy tastes run more to the quirky and comic side, you might like " Assistant to the Villain " by Hannah Nicole Maehrer. When the notorious Villain needs some administrative help, Evie signs right up, desperate for a job to support her family. It takes some getting used to, but she starts to be pretty good at her job (even if she does develop an inconvenient crush on the Villain himself). When a nefarious plot to take out the Villain begins to reveal itself, Evie might be the only one who can solve it — or she might find herself in the crossfire.

18 "The Carnivale of Curiosities" by Amiee Gibbs

"The Carnivale of Curiosities" by Amiee Gibbs

If you love star-crossed romance, Faustian deals, and the glamour and mystery of the circus, then " The Carnivale of Curiosities " by Amiee Gibbs should definitely be on your TBR list! In a strange circus in Victorian London, rumours spread that the proprietor, Aurelius Ashe, has the ability to make any dream come true — for a price, of course. The circus is also home to Lucien, a boy with the ability to conjure fire, and Charlotte, Ashe's ward. When one of the most dangerous men in London blackmails Ashe, the proprietor is left with no choice but to make a devastating deal that unearths secrets and puts everyone's lives in peril.

Release date: July 11

19 "The Saint of Bright Doors" by Vajra Chandrasekera

"The Saint of Bright Doors" by Vajra Chandrasekera

In " The Saint of Bright Doors " by Vajra Chandrasekera, the ordinary world comes up against the magic of mysterious portals and vicious antigods. Raised from childhood as an assassin against the sainted — his own father included — Fetter escapes his small town and moves to a city where "divine destinies" are everywhere. Revolutionary sentiments lurk under the guise of innocuous group therapy, the arrival of a god is portended via spam emails, and strange portals lurk behind plenty of doors. As Fetter unpacks the realities of his own dangerous past, his journey of self-discovery could wind up changing the entire world.

20 "Ebony Gate" by Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle

"Ebony Gate" by Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle

Described as a women-driven "John Wick" set in San Francisco's Chinatown and featuring dragons, "Ebony Gate" by Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle combines epic magic with sharp urban fantasy. Emiko Soong, known as the Blade of the Soong Clan, never needed magic, despite belonging to one of the eight most powerful magical families in the world. Then, a devastating battle sends her into hiding, living a quiet life as an antique dealer. When a shinigami, a god of death, calls in her family's blood debt, she must take up her blade again and recover the gate that holds back an army of the underworld, or her own soul is forfeit.

21 "The Judas Blossom" by Stephen Aryan

"The Judas Blossom" by Stephen Aryan

Set in a fantastical version of the Mongol Empire, " The Judas Blossom " by Stephen Aryan reimagines the 13th-century Mongol invasion of Persia through the eyes of four key figures. Hulagu Khan, grandson of the legendary Genghis Khan, insists that war and violence are the only ways to expand their empire further. Temujin Khan, his youngest son, may not be a warrior, but he may have other gifts that surprise them all. Kokochin, a princess and the last of her people, is one of Hulagu's many wives, but she's determined to make a difference. And Kaivon, a Persian rebel out for revenge, is biding his time until he can strike at the very heart of the empire that attacked his people.

22 "Dark Water Daughter" by H.M. Long

"Dark Water Daughter" by H.M. Long

For an epic fantasy crossed with pirate adventure, pick up H.M. Long's " Dark Water Daughter ." Mary, a stormsinger, has the power to control the tempestuous seas, but even her powers cannot save her from servitude to the pirate lord Lirr. To save herself, she bargains with his nemesis: her skills at his service in exchange for his help destroying Lirr. Samuel, a disgraced former naval officer, is out for his own revenge against Lirr, and he's also in search of a talisman — stolen by Mary — that keeps his own demons at bay. Pushed to the ends of the Earth (literally), Mary and Samuel will have to make the hard choices to conquer forces beyond their reckoning.

Release date: July 18

23 "The Third Daughter" by Adrienne Tooley

"The Third Daughter" by Adrienne Tooley

In Adrienne Tooley's " The Third Daughter ," the people of Velle have waited for their prophesied heroine to arrive, the third daughter of a third daughter. When the queen gives birth to the long-awaited New Maiden, everyone is delighted — except Elodie, her eldest daughter, who has just lost her inheritance and her future crown. She seeks the aid of a magical apothecary, Sabine, but accidentally gives her new sister Brianne a vial of sadness, not a harmless sleeping potion. When Brianne slips into an enchanted slumber, Elodie and Sabine must work together to revive the New Maiden, even as an attraction between the two young women grows hard to ignore.

24 "The Jasad Heir" by Sara Hashem

"The Jasad Heir" by Sara Hashem

Inspired by Egyptian lore and history, Sara Hashem's " The Jasad Heir " features everything you love about epic fantasy: complex world building, dangerous politics, a lost heir in hiding, slow-burn romance, and more. A decade ago, the kingdom of Jasad was destroyed along with its royal family — except for Sylvia, the lost heir who hides in the shadows and hopes never to be found. When she accidentally displays her magic in front of Arin, the prince of the empire who destroyed her home, she's forced to make a deal to help him find Jasadi rebels in order to save herself. As an unexpected connection forms between them, Sylvia must choose between the role she once had and the future she could build.

25 "The Weaver and the Witch Queen" by Genevieve Gornichec

"The Weaver and the Witch Queen" by Genevieve Gornichec

Viking history and Norse mythology collide in " The Weaver and the Witch Queen " by Genevieve Gornichec. In 10th-century Norway, ambitious Gunnhild and quiet Oddny become fast friends, along with Oddny's sister Signy. A wise woman's prophecy spooks the girls and leads them to take a blood oath to protect each other always. When Signy is kidnapped and the family farm destroyed by Viking raiders, Oddny is determined to rescue her sister — even as she finds herself drawn to one of the raiding party. Meanwhile, Gunnhild, now learning witchcraft in the remote north, learns that her own story is inextricably bound with the king, Erik. The women's journeys intersect as they strive to keep their long-ago oath, no matter the cost.

26 "The Sun and the Void" by Gabriela Romero Lacruz

"The Sun and the Void" by Gabriela Romero Lacruz

Gabriela Romero Lacruz builds a vibrant, complicated world of determined women, dangerous magic, and whispering gods based on South American folklore in " The Sun and the Void ." When Reina, an outcast, journeys to her grandmother in search of aid, she is set upon by deadly creatures. Her grandmother saves her life, revealing herself to be a powerful sorceress who now demands Reina's loyalty — as does an ancient god. Eva, meanwhile, is a young woman who seems to be perfect in every way, but she too holds a secret: magic calls to her. When she answers its siren call, she'll become something she never thought possible.

Release date: July 25

27 "Immortal Longings" by Chloe Gong

"Immortal Longings" by Chloe Gong

Chloe Gong draws inspiration from Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" for " Immortal Longings ." An annual tournament of dangerous games draws competitors who hope to use the ability to jump between bodies as a chance to win unthinkable riches. Princess Calla Tuoleimi joins the games in hopes of having the chance to kill her uncle, the king and the last survivor of the monarchy she's trying to destroy. She finds unexpected allies in Anton, an exiled aristocrat trying to keep his comatose childhood love alive, and August, the earnest adopted son of the king. As their relationships grow more tangled and the games more dangerous, Calla finds herself faced with a familiar dilemma: love or power.

28 "Shadows of the Lost" by Maxym M. Martineau

"Shadows of the Lost" by Maxym M. Martineau

Maxym M. Martineau's " Shadows of the Lost " is the first instalment in a new fantasy series set in a world of mysterious beasts, immortals, and forbidden love. When he was first alive, Gaige was a Charmer, with the power to bond with magical beasts. Then, he suddenly died and was reborn as one of the immortal assassins of Cruor, with more power than he ever dreamed of — and a darkness waiting to claim him. Kost, the leader of the assassins, bears the heavy burden of guilt over Gaige's fate, but that guilt is mixed with a powerful longing between the two of them — if they can learn to trust again.

Release date: June 6

29 "Secret of the Moon Conch" by David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall

"Secret of the Moon Conch" by David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall

" Secret of the Moon Conch " by David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall toggles between modern-day Mexico and 1521 Tenochtitlan, where two people are bonded by a mystical conch shell. After her abuela's death, Sitlali is targeted by a gang and plans to flee to America to find her father, taking the conch as a memento of home. In 1521, Calizto is trapped in Tenochtitlan as it is besieged by the Spanish, and he uses his mother's conch to plead with the gods for aid. Somehow, the shell allows the two to connect across centuries, even as the dangers in their own times increase every day.

30 "Ruling Destiny" by Alyson Noël

"Ruling Destiny" by Alyson Noël

Alyson Noël continues the Stealing Infinity series with " Ruling Destiny ." At a magical academy, Natasha finds herself thrown through time, with her mysterious power to "Trip" from era to era at a glance. Torn between loyal Killian and charming yet untrustworthy Braxton, she's on a mission to figure out the truth behind her strange abilities, all while investigating mysterious disappearances and webs of lies on top of lies. The eccentric billionaire who runs the school has an ambitious agenda that spells danger for them all, and if Natasha's suspicions are right, it's not just the school in danger — it's all of time.

31 "The First Bright Thing" by J.R. Dawson

"The First Bright Thing" by J.R. Dawson

The mystery and magic of the circus has inspired plenty of fantasy stories, and " The First Bright Thing " by J.R. Dawson is the latest to take advantage of this atmospheric setting. In the years after World War I, time traveller Rin and her trapeze-artist wife, Odette, lead a circus that serves as a safe haven for magical, mystical misfits. As the Circus of the Fantasticals brings magic to every town it visits, darkness threatens to catch up with them. Rin's past is about to catch up with all of them, along with a vicious rival ringmaster who rules his circus with dark power and won't stop until he gets what he wants.

Release date: June 13

32 "Savage Crowns" by Matt Wallace

"Savage Crowns" by Matt Wallace

Matt Wallace wraps up his Savage Rebellion trilogy with " Savage Crowns ." Evie, the Sparrow General, has been captured by Skrian, Crache's vicious army, and is being brought back to the Capitol to be punished, but she hasn't been left all alone. Dyeawan, the former street urchin turned power broker, has found herself in the highest seat of power in the land. But whispers of rebellion are growing louder, and word of a martyr could lead to a coup that would end her rule before it has even begun. Evie and Dyeawan must face one another and either find a shared vision for the future of Crache or launch one final battle.

33 "Psyche and Eros" by Luna McNamara

"Psyche and Eros" by Luna McNamara

If mythological romances are your style, then pick up " Psyche and Eros " by Luna McNamara. Psyche, a princess of Mycenae, is prophesied to defeat a monster that even the gods fear, and she spends her early life training as a warrior to meet her destiny. When Psyche angers Aphrodite, the goddess sends Eros, god of desire, to enact a terrible curse. Instead, Eros pricks himself with the arrow meant for Psyche, dooming himself to yearn for a woman he cannot have. Together, the pair will face seemingly insurmountable challenges, and the looming Trojan War could tear them apart before they have the chance to find out what they could be if they were free.

34 "The Shadow Cabinet" by Juno Dawson

"The Shadow Cabinet" by Juno Dawson

Juno Dawson's " The Shadow Cabinet " picks up right where "Her Majesty's Royal Coven" left off, with the witch Niamh dead and her chaotic, vengeful twin, Ciara, masquerading as her. As Ciara struggles with amnesia and works to fool even Niamh's nearest and dearest, she also slowly comes to discover how the world remembers her after all these years. Meanwhile, the witches are in search of Dabney Hale, a renegade warlock seeking a dark means of gaining unlimited power, and a "Shadow Cabinet" of ordinary humans grows more and more suspicious. If the witches don't get answers soon, all of witch-kind — and all of humanity — could pay the price.

Release date: June 20

35 "Gods of the Wyrdwood" by RJ Barker

"Gods of the Wyrdwood" by RJ Barker

RJ Barker launches a new fantasy trilogy with " Gods of the Wyrdwood ." Cahan du Nahare is an expert forester, able to navigate the dangers of the Deepforest like few others can. He has a secret, though: long ago, he served a god of fire. When Udinny, who serves the goddess of the lost, needs help finding a lost child in the Deepforest, Cahan becomes her guide to the risky territory. Soon, however, their quest becomes part of a greater battle that pits the servants of one god against those of another, and Cahan will have to choose where his loyalties truly lie.

Release date: June 27

36 "A Crown of Ivy and Glass" by Claire Legrand

"A Crown of Ivy and Glass" by Claire Legrand

Claire Legrand launches a new trilogy with " A Crown of Ivy and Glass ," set in a world of gods-blessed nobility, blood feuds, and mysterious magic. Gemma is the only member of her noble, magical family who cannot do magic, which leaves her constantly ill and on the sidelines. When she meets Talan, the lone survivor of a disgraced family, they strike a deal to restore his place in society and help her halt a blood feud. Nothing goes to plan, however, and attacks on a source of magic threaten them all, even as Gemma draws closer to Talan and learns more about her own potential power.

37 "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros

"Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros

"The Magicians" meets "Game of Thrones" in " Fourth Wing ," the new fantasy epic by Rebecca Yarros. Twenty-year-old Violet survived a near-deadly illness when she was younger, and she now looks forward to a quiet, studious life in the Scribe Quadrant of the kingdom. Her imperious mother, general of the army, has other plans, and Violet is forced to join the brutal, often-deadly college that trains elite dragon riders instead. Violet will need every bit of her courage, plus some allies, to survive the dangers posed both by the dragons themselves and by her classmates — including the children of former rebels who would rather see her dead.

Release date: May 2

38 "A Shadow Crown" by Melissa Blair

"A Shadow Crown" by Melissa Blair

" A Shadow Crown " by Melissa Blair is the second book in the Halfling Saga, picking up right where "A Broken Blade" left off. Keera lives a double life: in public, as the king's most feared and deadly assassin; in private, as an ally to Prince Killian and the Fae Riven, who together plot to kill the tyrannical king. Keera, a halfling, longs for acceptance and a place where she belongs, but even in the idyllic city of Myrelinth, where fae, elves, and halflings live in peace, Keera cannot escape her past. Even as she struggles to overcome past betrayals, a traitor lurks in their midst, and Keera herself becomes the prime suspect.

Release date: May 9

39 "To Shape a Dragon's Breath" by Moniquill Blackgoose

"To Shape a Dragon's Breath" by Moniquill Blackgoose

Moniquill Blackgoose combines dragon mythology with sharp commentary on colonization and the struggles of indigenous populations in " To Shape a Dragon's Breath ." When the teenage Anequs finds a dragon egg and bonds with the newly-hatched beast, her people celebrate her and recall the days when their people lived in harmony with dragons. However, the conquerors of her people's land have a very different perspective, and they believe Anequs is not fit to raise and bond with a dragon. Finally, they come to a reluctant agreement. Anequs must enroll in one of their academies and conform to their ways, and if she fails, her dragon will be killed.

40 "Bound by Sword and Spirit" by Andrea Robertson

"Bound by Sword and Spirit" by Andrea Robertson

Andrea Robertsons's "Loresmith" trilogy comes to a conclusion with " Bound by Sword and Spirit ." The evil Vokkans are descending on the world that our heroine Ara is desperate to protect, and she and her companions find themselves separated at the worst time. Teth has been betrayed by his supposed friend Eamon and must contend with a dark secret from the past, while Eamon struggles with his own plan to help his sister and redeem himself, if that's possible. Ara and her Loreknights could be the only thing standing between their world and utter destruction, and they'll need all the help they can get to succeed.

Release date: May 16

41 "Of Light and Shadow" by Tanaz Bhathena

"Of Light and Shadow" by Tanaz Bhathena

Tanaz Bhathena creates a fantasy universe inspired by Indian mythology in " Of Light and Shadow ." Orphaned at birth and adopted by the king of bandits, Roshan now leads a clan of farmers-turned-bandits whose lives have been ruined by the corrupt government. She's out for revenge for her adopted father and justice for her people. When her Shadow Clan captures Prince Navin, the second son of the king, he hopes that he can get close to Roshan and escape. Instead, he learns more than he ever imagined about the corruption at the heart of the government and even his own family, and the duo's burgeoning attraction may or may not be enough to get past their mutual distrust.

Release date: May 23

42 "The Will of the Many" by James Islington

"The Will of the Many" by James Islington

James Islington launches a new fantasy series with " The Will of the Many ," inspired by tales of ancient Rome. The Catenan Republic is ruled by the Hierarchy, which puts down rebellion without a second thought and drains the strength of the ordinary people in order to support those "higher up." A young fugitive, going by the name of Vis, enters an elite academy with a tale of being orphaned young and a promise to offer his strength (his Will) to add to the power of those on top. In reality, he's at the academy with a purpose: to solve a murder, find a weapon, and uncover the secrets that could tear apart the empire that destroyed his family.

43 "Perilous Times" by Thomas D. Lee

"Perilous Times" by Thomas D. Lee

Thomas D. Lee puts a new spin on the classic myths of King Arthur and the Round Table with " Perilous Times ." Centuries and centuries ago, Sir Kay was a hero of Camelot, riding alongside his brother Arthur and the other Knights. He's also an immortal, having seen the great battles of human history and watched empires rise, fall, and reshape. Now, he finds himself in a nearly unrecognisable world, ravaged by climate change and transformed into a militarized dystopia. Marian, an ordinary woman struggling against a broken system, hopes Kay can help uncover and defeat an apocalyptic plot, but even an ancient knight may not be a match for the dangers of this future.

44 "Threads That Bind" by Kika Hatzopoulou

"Threads That Bind" by Kika Hatzopoulou

Kika Hatzopoulou puts a new and thrilling spin on Greek mythology with " Threads That Bind ." In this world, the children of Greek gods inherit their parents' powers, and the world they inhabit resembles a fantasy noir setting, full of dangers and corruption. The Ora sisters are, like all descendants of the Fates, born in threes, and the youngest, Io, works as a private investigator in a half-sunken city. Then, she uncovers a conspiracy: someone is maiming women's life-threads and setting loose deadly wraiths in the city. She'll have to work with Edei, the boy with whom she shares a fate thread, and find out what's really happening, even as those closest to her prove they can't be trusted.

Release date: May 30

45 "Witch King" by Martha Wells

"Witch King" by Martha Wells

Kai, the protagonist of Martha Wells's " Witch King ," doesn't quite seem like your typical fantasy hero at first. He's a demon — or, perhaps, he was a demon. After being assassinated, Kai's consciousness remains, floating in some in-between space until he is awakened by a lesser mage hoping to channel Kai's power for his own ends. Now, Kai must try to figure out what happened to get him murdered in the first place, how much has changed in the time that has passed since then, and why a mysterious, shady council is growing in power. It will take a lot of magic, and some useful allies, to uncover the truth in time.

46 "Silver in the Bone" by Alexandra Bracken

"Silver in the Bone" by Alexandra Bracken

Alexandra Bracken, best known for "Lore," returns with " Silver in the Bone ," a new fantasy that puts a twist on Arthurian legends. Tamsin has no magic of her own, but when her foster father disappears without a trace, she dives headfirst into the pursuit of enchanted relics to provide for herself and her brother. A decade later, rumours swirl that her disappeared guardian had found a ring with roots in Arthurian lore — a ring that could free her brother from a dangerous curse. With powerful sorcerers closing in, Tamsin reluctantly teams up with her rival, Emrys, hoping to uncover the secrets of the past and find the ring before her hopes are dashed forever.

Release date: April 4

47 "Blood Debts" by Terry J. Benton-Walker

"Blood Debts" by Terry J. Benton-Walker

Terry J. Benton-Walker transforms modern-day New Orleans into the site of generations of magical feuds in " Blood Debts ." Thirty years ago, a magical family were dethroned and massacred, and today, the would-be heirs are Clement and Cristina Trudeau, 16-year-old twins who have a complicated relationship with their magic and each other. Cristina has given up magic after a spell gone wrong led to tragedy, while Clement tries to lose himself in the magic to avoid his pent-up anger and pain. The siblings will have to put their own tensions aside to team up and figure out who's coming after their family again. If they can't, they're not the only ones in danger, and both the magical and nonmagical communities could pay the price.

48 "Divine Rivals" by Rebecca Ross

"Divine Rivals" by Rebecca Ross

Magical letters and a mysterious war between gods create the atmosphere of " Divine Rivals " by Rebecca Ross. Long after the gods were supposedly bested and put into a permanent slumber, a violent god has risen again, and he and his rival are both calling to mortals to fight for them. Iris, a young journalist, struggles to compete for a columnist role against her all-too-perfect rival, Roman, but finds solace in a blossoming closeness with a magical pen pal she discovers when trying to write to her brother, who's away at war. What she doesn't know is that the man on the other side of the correspondence is Roman, and both of them are about to be plunged straight into a battle neither of them could imagine.

49 "Wings Once Cursed & Bound" by Piper J. Drake

"Wings Once Cursed & Bound" by Piper J. Drake

" Wings Once Cursed & Bound " by Piper J. Drake combines familiar fantasy elements with Thai mythology. Peeraphan lives a seemingly normal life in Seattle, unaware that she's actually a Thai bird princess of legend. When she's attacked, she's rescued by vampire Bennett Andrews, but not in time to prevent her from falling victim to a curse. The pair venture deep into the magical underworld in search of a solution before the curse can progress any further, even as Peeraphan's powers develop in unexpected ways. Even if she can break the curse, she's not sure she can ever return to the life she knew before.

Release date: April 11

50 "The Haunting of Alejandra" by V. Castro

"The Haunting of Alejandra" by V. Castro

V. Castro's " The Haunting of Alejandra " weaves together Mexican folklore, fantasy, and a touch of horror in its tale of demons and curses. On the outside, Alejandra seems like a perfectly normal wife and mother. But on the inside, she's haunted by ghostly visions of La Llorona, a vengeful spirit of Mexican legend. As she looks for answers, diving into her family history, Alejandra soon learns that the women in her family have a history with the spirit; she is not the first to see it, nor to be tempted by its call. She will have to summon the strength of generations to banish La Llorona forever — or be lost to its darkness.

Release date: April 18

51 "The Bone Shard War" by Andrea Stewart

"The Bone Shard War" by Andrea Stewart

Andrea Stewart brings her Drowning Empire trilogy to an end with " The Bone Shard War ." Lin Sukai has survived — and won — her first battle as Emperor, but the fate of the Phoenix Empire is far from certain. She'll need plenty of allies to hold on to her victory, but she seems to be running low on those, too. Her governors conspire against her, rebellions brew, and old enemies seem to be gaining strength at every turn. To turn the tide in her favour, she sets out on one more quest: to find seven mythical swords forged in past eras. If she can't reach them in time, though, her empire may fall.

52 "A Sleight of Shadows" by Kat Howard

"A Sleight of Shadows" by Kat Howard

New York City is home to an underworld of powerful magicians in " A Sleight of Shadows ," Kat Howard's second book in her "Unseen World" series. Sydney has successfully destroyed the source corrupting the Unseen World, but it's come at a price: her powers are almost entirely drained. It couldn't happen at a worse time, as the deadly House of Shadows is slowly rebuilding itself and the magic of the Unseen World is behaving strangely. She's determined to keep the House of Shadows from returning, but powerful forces are fighting against her, and this time, her determination and courage might not be enough.

Release date: April 25

53 "That Self-Same Metal" by Brittany N. Williams

"That Self-Same Metal" by Brittany N. Williams

Brittany N. Williams crafts an epic fantasy with a Shakespearean backdrop in " That Self-Same Metal ." At the age of 16, Joan is a talented enough craftswoman to be entrusted with making and maintaining all the blades for Shakespeare's plays. Her talent comes from her magical ability to control metal, and her entire family is Orisha-blessed. The other side of her family's powers is the ability to sense the presence of the Fae among humans, and when it seems like there is a sudden uptick in violent Fae attacks, Joan finds herself right in the middle of a potential war that bridges two worlds.

54 "A Game of Malice and Greed" by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

"A Game of Malice and Greed" by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

From Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti, authors of the BookTok-beloved Zodiac Academy series, comes " A Game of Malice and Greed ," the first book in a new fantasy saga. The new series puts a fresh spin on fairy tales and fae mythology for an adventure full of romance, mystery, and, of course, plenty of magic. It's packed to the brim with twists on the classic elements that you know and love from the fantasy genre: a competition for the hand of a princess, a cursed kingdom, a forbidden love with devastating consequences, and tales of monsters, gods, and immortals all woven together.

Release date: March 3

55 "The Faithless" by C.L. Clark

"The Faithless" by C.L. Clark

C.L. Clark continues her Magic of the Lost saga with " The Faithless ," the second book in the series. After a successful rebellion, princess Luca returns home to claim her throne, but her uncle refuses to let go of power without a fight. She'll need allies, and they're fast disappearing, so she turns again to Touraine, the soldier who saw her through her first adventures. Touraine is trying to help her land recover from the ravages of the empire but struggles to find ways to lead in a time of peace. If Luca isn't on the throne, or can't convince her uncle to ratify a peace treaty, all their battles could be for nothing.

Release date: March 7

56 "Weyward" by Emilia Hart

"Weyward" by Emilia Hart

For a subtler take on the fantasy genre, pick up Emilia Hart's " Weyward ." The story alternates between three women in the same family, separated by centuries, and all of whom have a powerful connection to the natural world. In 1619, Altha writes her memoirs as she awaits her trial for witchcraft. During World War II, Violet struggles against the limits placed on her because of her gender and tries to learn the truth about what happened to her mother. In 2019, Kate flees an abusive relationship to a cottage inherited from her great-aunt, where she begins to uncover the secrets of her family — and potentially her own power, too.

57 "The Foxglove King" by Hannah Whitten

"The Foxglove King" by Hannah Whitten

Hannah Whitten launches a new fantasy series with " The Foxglove King ," centreed on Lore, a girl with death magic. She's been living underground (literally) since she escaped a cult at age 13, working as a poisons runner to earn food and shelter. When one run goes wrong, her highly prized — and highly dangerous — power is revealed, and she's taken by an order of warrior monks who are permitted to use death magic in service to the king. Instead of being executed or imprisoned, Lore is brought into the court, guarded by a noble-turned-monk, and wary of the king's heir. She's soon sent on a misson: to find out why entire villages have been dying and to pinpoint who's responsible, all while navigating the power plays at this treacherous court.

58 "Arca" by G.R. Macallister

"Arca" by G.R. Macallister

G.R. Macallister continues her epic Five Queendoms series with " Arca ," the second book in a planned series of five. The Drought of Girls has ended, but its ramifications are still causing upheaval throughout the Five Queendoms. In Paxim, Queen Heliane plans to make her son the first-ever male ruler, causing dissent at every level. Arca's succession crisis has left a young, uncertain queen on the throne, and she struggles to find her footing, while the army of Scorpica, their warrior-culture neighbours, lurk at their borders. Elsewhere, hidden heirs and magical beings wait in the shadows for their time to come. It's "Game of Thrones" without dragons but with a matriarchal society packed with power plays and epic battles.

59 "The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi" by Shannon Chakraborty

"The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi" by Shannon Chakraborty

" The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi " brings "The City of Brass" author Shannon Chakraborty into adult fantasy with a vibrant new adventure. Amina al-Sarafi, who has spent years becoming one of the Indian Ocean's most notorious pirates, retires to a lifetime of peace and satisfaction — or so she thinks. She's pulled out of retirement when the wealthy mother of a former crewman offers her an enormous reward to rescue her old colleague's kidnapped daughter. Tempted by the reward and the possibility of one last adventure with her crew, Amina agrees. She soon realises, however, that there's much more behind the kidnapping, and there are supernatural plots afoot.

60 "The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill" by Rowenna Miller

"The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill" by Rowenna Miller

For anyone who loves faerie mythology but is looking for something more "cosy" than "epic," check out " The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill " by Rowenna Miller. Generations ago, the farmers and villagers of Prospect Hill learned to barter with the Fae who live on the other side of the veil, but that knowledge was lost with the dawn of industrialization. Today, Alaine's family still hold onto some of the old superstitions. When her sister Delphine confides that her intended husband is not who he seems to be, Alaine will stop at nothing to help her break free, even if it means calling upon the magic that hasn't been touched in centuries.

Release date: March 28

61 "Chaos & Flame" by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland

"Chaos & Flame" by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland

" Chaos & Flame " is the first in a planned duology from Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland. Darling, an orphan girl, sets out to save her adoptive father, who has been captured by House Dragon, the faction that killed her birth family. Talon, a prince and younger brother of the ruling House Dragon prince, grows frustrated with his brother's cruel and erratic rule. When their paths cross, Darling and Talon become unlikely allies — and possibly more — as they work to unravel what the High Prince Regent is doing, but even their newfound alliance might not be able to withstand the devastation about to be unleashed on their world.

62 "Wildblood" by Lauren Blackwood

"Wildblood" by Lauren Blackwood

Lauren Blackwood's eerie fantasy novels draw loosely upon classic Gothic literature, and her latest, " Wildblood ," is like an anticolonialist take on "Heart of Darkness." Deep in a haunted Jamaican jungle, Victoria is pressed into service to use her magic to protect tourists who want to explore the wilderness. When she's passed over for a promotion, she is determined to prove herself on the next expedition, where Thorn, a gold miner, seeks a legendary treasure. Thorn is nothing like the men (and women) Victoria has worked for before, but the dangers that lurk in the jungle make no exceptions for love, and she soon must decide whether to forge her own path or stick to the life she knows.

Release date: Feb. 7

63 "The Last Tale of the Flower Bride" by Roshani Chokshi

"The Last Tale of the Flower Bride" by Roshani Chokshi

If you like your fantasy a little more horror-tinged, pick up Roshani Chokshi's " The Last Tale of the Flower Bride ," an eerily Gothic story about the dark side of fairy tales. A scholar of myth and fairy tale marries a beautiful, wealthy, and mysterious heiress named Indigo. All seems well, except for one promise she demands of her new husband: never ask about her past. When the couple returns to Indigo's childhood home to care for her ailing aunt, he cannot resist exploring the secrets lurking in the manor's crumbling, haunted rooms. Soon, he uncovers another mystery: what really happened to Azure, Indigo's childhood friend who disappeared under strange circumstances.

Release date: Feb. 14

64 "These Infinite Threads" by Tahereh Mafi

"These Infinite Threads" by Tahereh Mafi

" These Infinite Threads " picks up where Mafi's "This Woven Kingdom" leaves off, with star-crossed lovers Alizeh and Kamran struggling with their shared attraction amid a brewing conflict between their people. Alizeh is the heir to the Jinn throne, destined to free her people from the oppression they have suffered at the hands of humans, and now she is the captive of Cyrus, king of a neighbouring kingdom. He plans to marry her and help her restore her throne — with some benefits to him, of course — but she wants no part of his plot and seeks another way to save her people. Kamran's grandfather lies dead at Cyrus's hands, and Kamran knows he is obligated to exact revenge, but he's more concerned about finding Alizeh before it's too late.

65 "Seven Faceless Saints" by M.K. Lobb

"Seven Faceless Saints" by M.K. Lobb

Powerful saints and their disciples rule the city of Ombrazia in " Seven Faceless Saints " by M.K. Lobb, leaving ordinary citizens vulnerable to their whims. After her father's murder by the Ombrazian military, Rossana embraces her own powers as a disciple, joins the rebellion, and tries to forget the boy who broke her heart: Damian, the youngest captain in history, who nevertheless can't help questioning the things he's supposed to believe in. When a serial killer strikes down a disciple as its latest victim, Damian and Rossana must team up to solve the case and protect their people, but their investigations uncover something darker than they imagined.

66 "Immortality: A Love Story" by Dana Schwartz

"Immortality: A Love Story" by Dana Schwartz

Dana Schwartz follows up her haunted romance "Anatomy" with a sequel, " Immortality: A Love Story ." In Regency-era London, Hazel, a young physician, tries to recover from the past year's events, in which she uncovered a plot, fell in love, discovered the existence of immortality, and seemingly lost her true love. After being arrested for a medical intervention gone wrong, Hazel is instead personally requested by the king to tend to his sickly and precious heir, Princess Charlotte. As Hazel learns more about the secrets kept at court — particularly a mysterious society — she is reunited with Jack, her lost love who is now searching for a cure to his immortality. Their search will put them in danger's way because behind the glamour of the monarchy hides something dark.

Release date: Feb. 28

67 "The Wicked Bargain" by Gabe Cole Novoa

"The Wicked Bargain" by Gabe Cole Novoa

Swashbuckling pirate adventure meets haunted Latinx queer YA fantasy in " The Wicked Bargain " by Gabe Cole Novoa. Mar, a transmasculine nonbinary young pirate, is hiding their magical ability to manipulate fire and ice, but their powers aren't enough when el Diablo comes to collect on a bargain made by Mar's father, costing the souls of everyone on the ship. A pirate crew miraculously rescues Mar, but el Diablo returns and tracks them down, issuing an ultimatum: Mar can sacrifice their own soul to save their father, or never see him again. Outmatched and desperate, Mar turns to a team of unexpected and mysterious allies in hopes of finally gaining the strength to harness their magic — if it's not too late.

68 "A Day of Fallen Night" by Samantha Shannon

"A Day of Fallen Night" by Samantha Shannon

" A Day of Fallen Night " takes place in the same universe as Shannon's bestseller "The Priory of the Orange Tree." A prequel that delves further into that book's rich mythology and world building, the story follows the intersecting lives and fates of four women: Tunuva, a sister of the Priory during a time when some question the need for its existence; Sabran, a queen who marries to save her kingdom; Glorian, her daughter who watches from the shadows; and Dumai, who has spent her life trying to wake the gods. When the Dreadmount erupts, chaos and violence follow, and these four women will be pivotal in ensuring that humankind survives.

69 "The Magician's Daughter" by H.G. Parry

"The Magician's Daughter" by H.G. Parry

" The Magician's Daughter " by H.G. Parry takes readers to a magically hidden island off the coast of early-1900s Ireland, where a girl named Biddy lives with her guardian, the magician Rowan. When Rowan fails to return one night, Biddy decides to venture into the outside world for the first time in hopes of finding him. What she doesn't know, however, is just how many enemies Rowan has and how they've been hoarding the world's magic for themselves. Biddy could be the one person who can stop them, but there's a lot she has to learn about herself and about the world first.

70 "The Stolen Heir" by Holly Black

"The Stolen Heir" by Holly Black

Bestselling fantasy author Holly Black launches a new duology with " The Stolen Heir ." Set in the world of Elfhame, which was first introduced in the Folk of the Air trilogy, the story picks up eight years after the great Battle of the Serpent. In the Court of Teeth in the North, Lady Nore has taken power and uses an ancient relic to build an army to do her bidding. Meanwhile, Suren, the rightful young queen of the court, has fled to exile in the human world. When she is rescued from a frightening pursuit by Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame and her onetime betrothed, their lives and the fate of the North are changed forever.

Release date: Jan.3

71 "Song of Silver, Flame Like Night" by Amélie Wen Zhao

"Song of Silver, Flame Like Night" by Amélie Wen Zhao

Weaving together inspiration from Chinese folklore and mythology with a brand-new fantasy tale, Amélie Wen Zhao's " Song of Silver, Flame Like Night " creates a rich world in a tale of a people rising up against oppressive conquerors. When outsiders stormed in and conquered her kingdom, Lan lost everything: her name was changed, her magic was banned, and her mother was killed — but not before branding Lan with a mysterious mark as her last act. Now, Lan scavenges to get by and seeks answers about the mark. One night, Zen, one of the last magicians in existence, saves her life and recognises the mark as designating her as a practioner with immense magic. Together, they'll journey through the kingdom to find a group of surviving magicians, who have their own plans to overthrow the invaders.

Release date: Jan. 3

72 "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries" by Heather Fawcett

"Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries" by Heather Fawcett

Heather Fawcett puts a heartwarming spin on fantasy lore with " Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries ." Emily Wilde is a talented professor who is compiling the first-ever encyclopedia of faerie lore, but the one thing she's terrible at is interacting with her fellow human beings. When she arrives in a small town to pursue more of her faerie studies, she doesn't plan on connecting with the townspeople — or her academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who also shows up in the same town. As Emily pursues a breakthrough in her research, she's also faced with figuring out what Wendell is up to and what she herself really wants out of her future.

Release date: Jan. 10

73 "The Daughters of Izdihar" by Hadeer Elsbai

"The Daughters of Izdihar" by Hadeer Elsbai

" The Daughters of Izdihar " launches Hadeer Elsbai's new duology, drawing inspiration from modern Egyptian history. Nehal is a waterweaver who desperately wants to attend an academy and join the first all-women military regiment. Unfortunately, her family can't afford to send her, instead marrying her off to a wealthy but indifferent merchant, Nico, who is already in love with Giorgina, a seemingly ordinary bookseller. Giorgina has a secret, though: she's an earthweaver with strong, unpredictable powers and an affiliation with a radical women's rights group. Nehal, Nico, and Giorgina's lives intersect thanks to this cause, but a threat from a foreign enemy could end weavers altogether.

74 "Hell Bent" by Leigh Bardugo

"Hell Bent" by Leigh Bardugo

" Hell Bent ," Bardugo's sequel to "Ninth House," takes readers on a journey from academia to hell and beyond. Alex, a scholarship student at Yale with supernatural powers, is on a quest: open a portal to hell and rescue her former mentor from the underworld. Without official backup, she and her allies will have to form a team of misfits in order to navigate a mysterious and dangerous mission. When faculty members start dying under strange circumstances, Alex knows that the seemingly random deaths must be connected to the supernatural secrets that lurk all around them.

75 "Chain of Thorns" by Cassandra Clare

"Chain of Thorns" by Cassandra Clare

The Last Hours trilogy, the most recent series in Clare's sprawling Shadowhunter universe, wraps up with " Chain of Thorns ." After losing her family, her marriage to James Herondale, her best friend, her Shadowhunter powers, and everything she holds dear — not to mention being bound to the ancient demon Lilith — Cordelia Carstairs flees to Paris with Matthew Fairchild. Then devastating news breaks: London is under attack by the prince of Hell, who has a devastating connection to the Herondale line. With secrets tearing friends and allies apart, Cordelia, James, and their friends will need all their strength and faith in each other to fight off this new evil once and for all.

Release date: Jan. 31

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new fantasy fiction books

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13 Exciting New Winter 2024 Fantasy & Science Fiction Books

We have another exciting batch of new science fiction and fantasy books coming in winter 2024! From books by popular fantasy authors like Robert Jackson Bennett and Sarah J. Maas (a new Crescent City book!) to incredible debut fantasy authors, these new winter 2024 fantasy and science fiction books are at the top of my TBR list.

new winter 2024 fantasy and science fiction book covers

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New Sci Fi & Fantasy Books of Winter 2024

In this list, I’m sharing my most highly-anticipated new science fiction novels and fantasy books, including a wide variety of fantasy sub-genres like Greek mythology, historical fantasy , romantasy, and more.

If you love speculative fiction like I do, be sure to check these out. 🙂 Without further ado, let’s get to the list!

For general fiction and literary fiction fans, check out my list of exciting new winter 2024 fiction books ! And historical fiction fans will love these highly-anticipated 2024 historical fiction books .

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years book cover

Genre: Historical Fantasy/Gothic

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Imagine a combination of Rebecca and The House of the Spirits , but set in a crumbling mansion on the coast of South Africa.

A woman named Sana and her father move into the mansion, looking for a new start after a tragedy.

But Sana can’t help but investigate the house’s multitude of strange curiosities – including the locked door in the East Wing, where a djinn waits in the shadows.

Publication date: January 9th, 2024

The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler

The Tusks of Extinction book cover

Genre: Science Fiction/Novella

In Moscow, someone figures out how to resurrect woolly mammoths using their DNA. The consciousness of a now-deceased expert researcher on elephant behavior is uploaded into one of the mammoth’s brains.

Can she help the mammoths survive, despite the odds? And, will she figure out why they were brought back in the first place?

If you’re a fan of Jurassic Park , I have a feeling you’ll enjoy this novella!

Publication date: January 16th, 2024

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (Emily Wilde #2)

Emily Wilde Map of the Otherlands book cover

Genre: Historical Fantasy/Romance

This is the highly-anticipated sequel to the popular cozy fantasy book, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries !

Emily Wilde is a curmudgeonly professor studying the world of faeries.

After writing a comprehensive guide to faerie-kind, she’s now taken on the task of creating a map of the faerie realm – which proves to be more dangerous than she ever imagined.

Voyage of the Damned by Frances White

Voyage of the Damned book cover

Genre: Fantasy/Mystery

I’m obsessed with genre-bending books, so whenever I come across a fantasy-mystery combination, it immediately gets added to my TBR list !

This locked-room murder mystery story is set on an enchanted ship in an empire called Concordia.

Twelve magical heirs to each of the empire’s provinces travel aboard the ship toward a sacred mountain. But soon, a body is found. It turns out a killer is on the loose, and everyone’s a suspect.

Publication date: January 18th, 2024

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas (Crescent City #3)

House of Flame and Shadow book cover

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

To avoid spoilers, I won’t add a synopsis here. But, fans of Sarah J. Maas and her urban romantasy series Crescent City are sure to devour this third installment!

Publication date: January 30th, 2024

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

The Tainted Cup book cover

A brilliant, quirky investigator and her assistant – who’s been magically-altered to have a perfect memory – are called to an opulent mansion to investigate the murder of a powerful officer.

But in a world where magic exists, finding a murderer – and keeping your own secrets – is even more difficult and dangerous.

Publication date: February 6th, 2024

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Bride book cover

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Paranormal

Fans of paranormal romance and/or popular contemporary romance author Ali Hazelwood will be excited to hear about this new vampire-werewolf romantic fantasy!

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

The Warm Hands of Ghosts book cover

Genre: Historical Fantasy

From the author of The Bear and the Nightingale comes a new historical fantasy about a combat nurse during World War I.

When Laura Iven returns home after serving as a combat nurse, she’s devastated to hear her brother Freddie was killed in the war.

But something isn’t adding up, so she returns to Belgium as a volunteer nurse to follow the strange, eerie rumors she’s heard.

Publication date: February 13th, 2024

Medea by Eilish Quin

Medea book cover

Genre: Fantasy/Greek Mythology Retellings

This fresh take on the mythological story of the sorceress Medea is perfect for fans of Circe !

We follow her reimagined story as she travels with Jason (her destined husband-to-be) and the Argonauts, and hones her witchcraft. But no matter what she does, she can’t seem to shake the terrible prophecies that hang over her.

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

The Fox Wife book cover

Set in China in 1908, The Fox Wife explores the folk mythology of fox spirits who are believed to transform themselves into beautiful humans in order to lead people to their deaths.

When a woman’s body is found in the snow – her death swirling with rumors about the fox gods – a detective is called to investigate.

Meanwhile, a cursed family believes they are about to lose their eldest son, until a mysterious woman arrives. It seems her arrival may have turned their luck around – but can she be trusted?

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

The Book of Doors book cover

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Magical Realism

In New York City, a bookseller named Cassie receives a magical book – the Book of Doors – that can transport her wherever she wants.

She and her best friend are thrilled by the discovery. But soon, they come to find that there are other magical books in the world, and dangerous people are now hunting for hers.

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

The Other Valley book cover

Genre: Science Fiction/Magical Realism/Literary Fiction

This literary speculative novel centers around a valley with a repeating sequence of towns – each one twenty years apart in time.

A teenage girl lives in one of the towns, working toward a position as a border guard. But one day, she sees something she isn’t supposed to. She’s sworn to uphold the law, but she can’t help but grow closer to the very person that might endanger her future.

Publication date: February 27th, 2024

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

A Fate Inked in Blood book cover

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Mythology

The bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom is back with a new fantasy series inspired by Norse mythology.

A woman named Freya – blessed by the gods as a shield maiden – is destined to unite a nation. But a powerful king-to-be forces her to bind herself to him and hone her magic in order to defeat his kingdom’s enemies.

As she faces down tests from the gods themselves – along with her own personal struggles – her destiny and the fate of the kingdom hangs in the balance.

Which new science fiction or fantasy book release are you most looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!

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new fantasy fiction books

The Books Must Flow: 8 Rad New SFF Books Out February 2024

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Liberty Hardy

Liberty Hardy is an unrepentant velocireader, writer, bitey mad lady, and tattoo canvas. Turn-ons include books, books and books. Her favorite exclamation is “Holy cats!” Liberty reads more than should be legal, sleeps very little, frequently writes on her belly with Sharpie markers, and when she dies, she’s leaving her body to library science. Until then, she lives with her three cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon, in Maine. She is also right behind you. Just kidding! She’s too busy reading. Twitter: @MissLiberty

View All posts by Liberty Hardy

There’s a tale of Indigenous survivors of the apocalypse searching for a new home and resources; three dead teenagers who are returned to life to help fight in an epic magic battle; a book that gives its owner the ability to open a door anywhere in the world; a haunting story of real events during WWI with a supernatural twist; two fantastic collections of short stories, one fantasy and one science fiction; and more! If you love SFF, I guarantee at least one of these is already on your TBR, and you’ll end up putting a couple down as your favorite books at the end of the year. So let’s get started!

cover of The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden; illustration of hands holding a rose

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden (February 13)

Katherine Arden is well-known for her Winternight fantasy trilogy and the Small Spaces quartet for kids, all of which are fabulous. But this is her best book to date. It’s a speculative work of historical fiction set during World War I. Laura Iven was a field nurse in Flanders when she was injured and sent home to Nova Scotia. Shortly after, she loses her parents in the Halifax munitions explosion and then receives her brother Freddie’s possessions, indicating that he was killed in battle. But when no one can tell Laura how or where he died, and now, with nothing keeping her in Halifax, she gets a new job. Her nursing position takes her back to Belgium in the hopes that there is the slightest chance that Freddie is alive. Meanwhile, in alternating chapters, readers are taken back a few months in the story to learn what happened to Freddie. It is a story of family, love, and survival. It’s one of the most harrowing works about war written in the last decade: its speculative plot line captures the classism, devastation, and futility of war.

cover of The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown; blue, with a staircase running across the front with an open door in the middle and a woman falling from the door

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown (February 13)

If you love books, magic, and adventure, this is the dark fantasy debut for you! Cassie is a bookseller in NYC, where she makes friends with an elderly man who often comes into the store. But sadly, one day, he dies, and she discovers he left a book with a note for her. The book is called — you guessed it — The Book of Doors . While Cassie doesn’t know why he left it for her, she soon learns it opens doors. Like, actual doors to any place in the world for whoever is in possession of it. Just pick up the book, imagine the door to the place you want to go and step through — voilà! You’re there. But Cassie will find out that not only are there other books like this that give the owner different special abilities, but there are people who would stop at nothing to get their hands on them, including one of the scariest villains anyone has ever seen, simply known as The Woman. She’s like Cruella de Vil’s less-nice sister. (+5 Sliding Doors reference!) This is an imaginative read that sticks the landing and is perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Erin Morgenstern!

cover of The Book of Love by Kelly Link; red with different phases of the moon

The Book of Love by Kelly Link (February 13)

This is simply the most exciting fiction release of the year: Kelly Link’s debut novel! Link has published several collections of award-winning stories, but now we are invited to visit her longest work yet. (Seriously, it’s over 600 pages!) In a small, sleepy Massachusetts town, three teenagers are returned to the town. Returned, because they’ve been dead for a year. Their high school music teacher, who it turns out is more than just a teacher, has brought them back to life to enlist their help in fighting the coming battle between good and evil. This is a remarkable tale of love, family, magic, books, and chosen ones, but told only as Link would tell it…meaning it’s really freaking brilliant. It’s a lush, hypnotic fantasy novel like no other.

cover of The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed; illsutration of green foliage, with red candles, and a crow, a unicorn, a fox, and a rabbit, all with skulls for faces

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed (February 27)

Readers of SFF could subsist on amazing Tordotcom Publishing novellas for a very, very long time. This one is from award-winning author Premee Mohamed. It’s a dark fairytale about a woman who, as a child, was the only villager to survive a stay in the dark, magical woods. Now, she is forced to return as an adult to rescue the children of the village tyrant, and the trappings she escaped all those years ago may prove too much for her this time around. This is one of three new books Mohamed has coming out in 2024. The second is The Siege of Burning Grass , out March 12, and the third is We Speak Through the Mountain , out June 18. (And if you haven’t read it yet, the novella And What Can We Offer You Tonight is also excellent.)

cover of Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart: And Other Stories by GennaRose Nethercott; illustration of black vines, pinks roses, a black wolf, and a black goat wearing a black dress

Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart: And Other Stories by GennaRose Nethercott (February 6)

In 2022, GennaRose Nethercott dazzled readers with an adult fantasy novel about Baba Yaga’s descendants and her chicken leg house. Now, she is back with a collection of fantasy tales for adults about the terrors and dark desires that reside within us all. In this anthology, a woman begins to change after moving in with her boyfriend; an unusual detective — okay, a zombie rooster — is working a missing persons case; two teens get drawn into the roadside attraction where they work; a group of students use black magic to fight a terrible classmate; an unusual romantic match is made between a goat woman and a vampire; and much more. Get ready to sink into this weird, wonderful book, perfect for one sitting or to read in bite-sized bits!

cover of Moon Of The Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice; an orange glow seen through a black forest under a starry night sky

Moon Of The Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice (February 27)

This is the exciting follow-up to 2018’s Moon of the Crusted Snow ! In that book, an isolated Anishinaabe community was cut off from the coming horrors of the outside world, left with no electricity and no news of what was happening around them. (I recently saw someone online say they had to stop reading the first book because it was too unsettling in the best way, which is a great way to sum it up.) This new book contains the same community and characters but can be read as a standalone. In it, it’s two decades after the apocalypse for the Anishinaabe people, and they have run out of supplies. In order to survive, they will have to leave the only place they have known for 20 years and go out into the wilds of the post-apocalyptic country. Relying on their wits and gut feelings, they will encounter help and dangers in the form of people, animals, and nature.

cover of Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana; illustration of a young Black woman holding an open book with wisps coming out of it, standing in front of two young Black men

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana (February 27)

In keeping with the surge of interest in romantasy these past couple of years, here is another thrilling adult debut featuring Fae, a cursed library, and and a human willing to risk her life to save the people she loves. Lore Alemeyu’s human village has been being kept prisoner by the Fae for many years. No one has been able to leave without serious harm. But when the villagers need protection, Lore makes a deal with the Fae — she will catalog the cursed library in exchange for the safety of the village. No Fae has ever been able to enter the library, and but Lore thinks a human can. She convinces them she will organize it and relay all the information she learns there about magic. Of course, Lore also has her own reasons for wanting to enter the library. As she works to gain the trust of the very creature who has caused so much harm to her and the rest of her village, she begins to fall for the two Fae men charged with keeping her safe in their world. How awesome does that sound?? What book lover wouldn’t jump at the chance to spend time playing with books in a library untouched for a millennium??!

cover of Convergence Problems by Wole Talabi; illustration done in purple, white, black, and yellow of a Black astronaut and a deity

Convergence Problems by Wole Talabi (February 13)

And last but not least, we have this exciting anthology from a Hugo-, Nebula-, Locus- and Nommo award-nominated author, featuring 16 new and collected stories and a novella, all inspired by or set in Africa. In these speculative works, a technical support engineer must contend with malfunctioning AI; a man looking for revenge submits to an experimental procedure to electrify his skin; a woman must figure out how to rescue her brother from the surface of Mars; a young woman puts her consciousness in a robot in order to escape a city run by machines; and lots more! These stories are electrifying takes on the limits of the human body but not the human imagination.

Bonus mentions: Because I can’t just stop at eight books, in February, be sure to watch for the kids and YA books Bumps in the Night by Amalie Howard and Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender. In sequels, there are Tales of the Celestial Kingdom by Sue Lynn Tan and The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles (The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti) by Malka Older. And Robert Jackson Bennett, author of the Founders Trilogy, is back with The Tainted Cup , a fantasy-mystery that is sure to be a great time!

If you want to learn about more sci-fi and fantasy books, check out The Most Anticipated SFF of 2024, According to Goodreads , and be sure to sign up for our SFF newsletter, Swords and Spaceships , and listen to our SFF podcast, SFF Yeah !

Finally, you can also find a full list of new releases in the magical  New Release Index , carefully curated by your favorite Book Riot editors, organized by genre and release date.

new fantasy fiction books

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Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Authors Go to War

New genre fiction examines the consequences of armed conflict.

Speculative fiction is rife with depictions of combat—inventive takes on historical wars, clashes on battlefields suffused with magic, and military strikes executed by futuristic AI. What makes science fiction, fantasy, and horror such fertile ground for contemplating war?

For one, genre fiction offers an opportunity to “literalize things that are otherwise invisible or impossible to reckon with,” says fantasy novelist Katherine Arden. She and other authors PW spoke with confront visceral realities through flights of imagination.

History lessons

When Arden, whose Winternight trilogy is set in a magical medieval Russia, was considering her next project, she came across a WWI-era photograph of “a German cavalry officer on horseback, holding a lance and wearing a gas mask.” It sparked the idea for The Warm Hands of Ghosts (Del Rey, Feb.), which PW ’s starred review called “a breathtaking historical fantasy [that] blends a meticulously researched WWI epic, an eloquent family saga, and a touch of the supernatural.” The story follows honorably discharged Canadian field nurse Laura Iven, who returns to Europe to search for her brother Freddie, missing in action in Belgium.

As Arden conducted research for the book, she says, it seemed to her that “the 20th century ushered in these earthly hell- scapes.” She wondered, “If humans make the hellscapes, what does the devil do?”

Lucy Holland’s Song of the Huntress (Redhook, Mar.) draws on earlier European history—the eighth-century CE reign of warrior queen Æthelburg of Wessex—and the Northern European legend of the Wild Hunt. Holland, who lives near the part of England where the book is set, is fascinated by the time and place that inspired her story. “It was a war-torn landscape,” she says. “Obviously, the formation of Britain was very bloody.”

Daughters of Chaos (Overlook, July) is set during the American Civil War, but author Jen Fawkes says its central conflict is “the struggle to be a woman in the world.” In the novel, Sylvie Smith comes to Nashville to search for a missing sibling. She begins to spy for the Union Army and is also drawn into a sisterhood of women with secret, potent powers—the Cult of Chaos, whose members have been militating against men’s violence since ancient times. Fawkes says she had an epiphany while rereading the ancient Greek comedy Lysistrata , in which women end the Peloponnesian War by withholding sex until the men agree to make peace. She realized there are so many untold stories of “women and the way warfare has impacted them,” she says. “In the book, the women are their own army. They become a force standing in for all women who are struggling for personhood.”

Rules of engagement

Other books use historical events as a launchpad to second-world settings. Nebula Award winner Premee Mohamed says she’d grown interested in WWII-era German pacifists and wanted to “remove some of the baggage of real-world history” while also writing about the wartime lives of civilians. In The Siege of Burning Grass (Solaris, Mar.), which PW ’s review called a “haunting and insightful examination of the human capacity for violence and mercy,” the Varkal and Med’ariz empires are locked in perpetual battle. Varkal pacifist leader Alefret, tortured by his own government, is offered a chance at freedom, one that could end the fighting but would also mean moral compromise.

For the fantasy House of Open Wounds (Head of Zeus, Mar.), Adrian Tchaikovsky looked to the European revolutions of 1848, which he calls “the greatest historical upheaval that never was” because the uprisings were “brutally put down” by imperial power. The book, second in the Hugo Award winner’s Tyrant Philosophers series, focuses on a group of healers in an occupying army’s field hospital. PW ’s starred review, which likened the story to “ M*A*S*H written by an uncharacteristically somber Terry Pratchett,” said this depiction of “the corroding conflict between medicine and war” is “not to be missed.”

Samantha Mills, who has won numerous awards for her short fiction, makes her full-length debut with The Wings upon Her Back (Tachyon, Apr.), a “cathartic adventure,” according to PW ’s starred review. In the aftermath of a civil war, the city of Radezhda is split into five sects, each worshiping a different sleeping god. Winged Zemolai, banished from the mecha sect after an act of mercy toward a spy, is rescued by a rival faction and must choose between betraying her people or begging the forgiveness of her former leader.

In Radezhda, Mills says, to rebel is to demand the right to “be heretical, to question the gods and the government.” Zemolai’s struggle to distance herself from her increasingly authoritarian sect dramatizes a behavior pattern called the irrational escalation of commitment, she explains. “It’s similar to the sunk cost fallacy, where a person or group gets increasingly negative consequences from their actions but instead of pulling back, they double down. It appears irrational, but it’s consistent. It’s the only way to justify prior things you’ve done.”

Once and future conflict

The Korean War, which led to the separation of North and South Korea, is technically still ongoing, and the fear and dread of living in a war zone suffuse the atmosphere of Yeji Y. Ham’s debut, The Invisible Hotel (Zando, Mar.). Ham, who was born in South Korea and moved to Canada at age 11, says, “I have vivid memories of, for example, having to draw posters for my elementary school— report the reds , report North Koreans . Being so young, I didn’t know what those meant, but looking back, the war had always lived with us and it still lives with us.”

In The Invisible Hotel , that presence is literal: protagonist Yewon watches her mother wash the bones of ancestors who suffered the fallout of the conflict. As Yewon begins to spend time with Ms. Han, an elderly refugee from North Korea, the younger woman’s haunting dreams of an inescapable hotel with infinite rooms grow more intense and harder to distinguish from reality.

Like many authors of military science fiction, U.S. Army veteran Zac Topping is intimately familiar with the moral complexities of war. He follows his PW -starred debut, Wake of War , with the near-future thriller Rogue Sequence (Tor, June), in which a genetically engineered super-soldier suddenly finds his very existence to be illegal. Topping says the book considers how technological innovations such as gene editing might be “implemented in for-profit militaries, and how we’re going to address that—with a knee-jerk reaction, a stopgap measure that’s not fully thought out?” He also wanted to explore a character reckoning with his past, “recognizing the fact that you didn’t always do the right thing. And if you have the ability to do that, then you have the ability to change. Your future doesn’t have to be defined by your past.”

Edward Ashton covers similar philosophical ground in Mal Goes to War (St. Martin’s, Apr.). Mal, a free AI, becomes trapped in the body of a child’s cyborg bodyguard while a civil war rages between factions who support human augmentation and those who oppose it. “Ashton’s vision of the future feels all too plausible and his blend of action and humor keeps the pages flying,” according to PW ’s review.

Ashton’s time as a research engineer for the U.S. Navy brought him as close to an AI’s point of view as is currently possible. “A lot of the combat in the book is mediated through electronics and drones,” Ashton says, and the violence “seems like a game” until you recognize that the missiles are flying at real people. Mal has a similar realization. At first, “he considers himself not just at a remove from humans but superior to them.” As the conflict continues, Mal begins to see the violence as both futile and costly, Ashton explains. “He makes a decision that he is not going to do this anymore.” Mal and other novels discussed in this feature could likewise prompt readers to examine their own attitudes toward war.

Vera Kean is a writer living in New York City.

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10 Must-Read Books By Black Authors Using Fantasy to Explore Black Imagination

We've rounded up the best fantasy books by black authors whose tales will transport you to new worlds of magic, mystery, dragons and more..

The outsized impact Fantasy has had on literature is often minimized because so many people view this genre as escapist fiction. But historically, authors have used Fantasy not only to entertain but also to comment on issues and injustices society avoided engaging with, and today, many talented Black authors are turning to Fantasy to shatter seemingly impossible-to-break-through glass ceilings, drive awareness of unchecked injustice and shine a light on revelatory Black storytelling.

SEE ALSO: The Best Books to Cozy Up With When You’re Feeling Romantic

Why Fantasy? Because the genre can do something other forms of storytelling often can’t: reshape reality entirely, for better or for worse, to showcase the best and the ugliest truths about us all. Black History Month is a great time to restock your shelf with books by Black authors who are telling fantastical tales inspired by true events and otherworldly stories with wild Star-Wars-meets-the-Authurian-legend vibes. It’s also a great time to acknowledge that the best books in the genre are increasingly being penned by diverse voices. There’s a lot to love in this list of ten amazing books that use Fantasy to explore Black imagination.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

A book cover featuring a woman with red light swiling around her wrist

Legendborn is one of the most stunning books of recent years. Bree Matthews enters a secret society she discovers is connected to her mother’s mysterious death. They are the Legendborn, the exalted heirs of King Arthur’s knights who fight demons in the contemporary South. Members keep the famous tales of King Arthur alive but also exemplify the institutional racism of historical and modern-day America. This is a complicated tale of grief and Black girlhood but one that’s so full of what readers of Young Adult Fantasy find so appealing: secret societies, intense romantic moments in between demon fights, brooding goth boys and shocking family secrets. Deonn’s fresh take on the genre has been much needed.

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea

A book cover featuring a woman floating in water

Jamison Shea’s Young Adult novel is a fantastical read focused on Black girl excellence in a racist institution—it’s also one of the best books of 2023 . Laure Mesny, a talented ballerina in the cutthroat world of Parisian ballet, is continuously overlooked for top positions. She’s ready to go to such extreme lengths to reach her ambitions that she makes a deal with a river of blood, and her monstrous instincts pull her down into a grim underworld in this book that’s both perfectly disturbing and spectacularly cathartic.

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

A book cover featuring a woman with braided hair looking outward

If you’re looking to read more gothics by Black authors, Lauren Blackwood’s Young Adult novel is a perfect book to add to your list. Within These Wicked Walls is an Ethiopian re-imagining of Jane Eyre with an exorcist in the titular protagonist’s role. Andromeda is hired to cleanse the household of ghostly manifestations and finds herself drawn toward Magnus Rochester, who is as interested in her as she is in him.

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

A book cover featuring the words THE DEEP

The Deep , written by the author of An Unkindness of Ghosts , is ostensibly about the African slave women tossed overboard during the Middle Passage but in this short read, they are immortalized as mermaids in a mesmerizing underwater society. Originally a Hugo Award-nominated song by Daveed Diggs’ band, Clipping, this brilliant story tells the story of Yetu, who holds the memories of her people to keep the painful archives of their ancestors from disappearing. But keeping that trauma with her continuously proves traumatic. It’s a smart story that uses Fantasy to unpack the nuances of modern survival and generational trauma.

Kindred by Octavia Butler

A book cover featuring a close up of a woman looking down

Remembered as one of Science Fiction’s most iconic and canonical authors, Octavia Butler’s Kindred should be on every American’s shelf. Butler originally wrote Kindred as a response to the minimization of slavery and its impact. It’s an insightful, emotionally packed story about a Black woman facing the everyday horrors of her female ancestors. Dana is transported to the Antebellum South to the home of Rufus, the heir of the plantation where her ancestors were enslaved. Every time Dana is transported back in time, the closer she grows to knowing her ancestors and the difficult, complicated realities of their lives.

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark

A book cover featuring a woman with her arms outstretched

A story of colonialism, The Unbroken was inspired by France’s brutal colonization of North Africa. Touraine, stolen as a child to be groomed as a soldier of the empire, breaks off from what is expected of her and joins the rebellion. Luca, a princess who takes a liking to her, brings Touraine into her plot against her uncle. Together, they live lives of allyship, revenge, political maneuvering and romance. C.L. Clark’s debut Fantasy novel is perfect for fans of military fiction—this book adds a complex perspective-driven layer that enriches the usual narrative.

Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark

A book cover featuring black gloves

In Ring Shout, or, Hunting Ku Kluxes in the End Times , P. Djeli Clark puts a demonic twist on the rise of the Klan after the release of 1915’s Birth of a Nation . Across America, the Klan spreads fear as part of a plan to bring Hell to Earth. Maryse Boudreaux, a Harlem Hellfighter , hunts the Klan’s demons and then sends them back to Hell. With fascinating worldbuilding and strong characterization, Clark uses Fantasy paired with African American folklore to comment on real historical events that had a long-lasting impact on the U.S.

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

A book cover featuring a dragon skull

Evan Winter’s debut novel, The Rage of Dragons , is a coming-of-rage tale for anyone who has been searching for a beautifully told, Africa-inspired Dragon Fantasy. The Emehi, who have the power to call dragons, have been stuck in a centuries-long war. Tau, enraged at the loss of a loved one, becomes a warrior intent on taking revenge on his enemy.

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

A book cover featuring two women underwater

Tavia is a siren forced to keep her identity hidden in a society threatened by her kind. By her side is Effie, who is bent on escaping her own traumatic past in a city (a magical version of Portland, Oregon) that is buzzing about a siren murder trial. The girls try to live their lives as normally as they possibly can given this terrifying news. But when the murderer goes free, Tavia reveals her identity at the worst possible moment. A Song Below Water is Young Adult Fantasy set in a world where Black girls get to be mermaids, embrace Black girlhood and fight for justice in the same breath.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

A book cover featuring two people, one shorter and younger and one older and taller

Tristan Strong is mourning the loss of his friend after a catastrophic bus accident. When he’s sent to Alabama to live with his grandparents, a strange creature takes his friend Eddie’s journal and pulls them both into a world inspired by African-American folklore. With John Henry and Brer Rabbit, Tristan is determined to find a way back home—but he’ll have to barter with the famed trickster god of West African mythology, Anansi. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is a middle-grade Fantasy story that emphasizes the importance of children hearing the tales of their ancestors and knowing where their families come from.

10 Must-Read Books By Black Authors Using Fantasy to Explore Black Imagination

  • SEE ALSO : ‘Suncoast’ Is Another Mediocre Coming-of-Age Movie That Makes Too Many Wrong Choices

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Inside the Censorship Scandal That Rocked Sci-Fi and Fantasy's Biggest Awards

Last week, the Hugo Awards melted down over unexplained disqualifications. Insiders tell Esquire what really happened—and what it could mean for the future of literary awards.

A thousand miles west of Shanghai, on a vast plain between two mountain ranges teeming with giant pandas, it looks like an alien spacecraft has landed in the fourth-largest city in China.

Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects to resemble a star nebula, this is the 59,000-square-foot Chengdu Science Fiction Museum, constructed at lightspeed over the course of a single year to host the 81st World Science Fiction Convention, also known as WorldCon. For writers and readers of science fiction and fantasy, it's like the National Book Awards, the Academy Awards, and San Diego Comic-Con all rolled into one.

On Saturday, October 21st, 2023, thousands of people gathered here for panels, parties, and the annual Hugo Awards ceremony, which celebrates the best works of science fiction and fantasy published or released during the previous calendar year.

In Hollywood, a Hugo Award for best film or TV series may not carry the same cachet as an Oscar or an Emmy, but in bookstores from New York to Moscow, a bright Hugo Award badge on the cover of a novel can help it stand out. “We usually make a display in the store for the nominees and winners,” says Matthew Berger, co-owner of the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego. In their early days, the Hugo Awards recognized writers who have since become genre legends, like Isaac Asimov, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Frank Herbert; more recently, honorees have included modern masters like George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, and N.K. Jemisin.

main venue for 81st world science fiction convention

That evening in Chengdu, in a massive auditorium shaped like the belly of a whale, Dave McCarty—a middle-aged software engineer for an Illinois trucking company and lifelong sci-fi fan who was chosen by the convention’s leaders to oversee last year’s Hugo Awards—walked onstage to thundering applause. Within the WorldCon community, he’s nicknamed the “Hugo Pope” for serving on so many awards committees over the years.

“With the help of fans from all over the world, including many fans here in China participating for the very first time, we identified a ballot of 114 deserving finalists,” McCarty said behind a podium, wearing a black tux over a white waistcoat and bow tie. “We then asked the community to rank those choices as they saw fit.”

But that’s not what happened. Something had gone horribly wrong.

Among sci-fi and fantasy fans, the uproar was immediate and intense. Had government officials in the host country censored the finalists? Did the awards committee make a colossal mistake when tallying the votes, then try to cover it up? Or did something even stranger occur?

To get to the bottom of the mystery, I spoke with more than a dozen past Hugo winners, finalists, and committee members, some of whom requested anonymity. But to understand what these insiders believe really happened —and what it means for the future of the Hugos and other literary awards—we have to utilize a science fiction trope and go back in time.

The Hugo Awards have courted controversy before. In 2015, a right-wing voting bloc led by Brad R. Torgersen dominated the ballot after he complained that the Hugos had become “an affirmative action award” for “underrepresented minority or victim group” authors and characters. In 2021, the voting process to select the host city for the 2023 convention became a lightning rod for conspiracy theories. Each year, anyone who purchases a membership in the World Science Fiction Society can vote on where WorldCon will be held two years later. In 2021, voters could choose between Chengdu and Winnipeg, Canada for the 2023 convention. “There were concerns that a couple thousand people from China purchased memberships [in the World Science Fiction Society] that year to vote for Chengdu,” says Jason Sanford, a three-time Hugo finalist. “It was unusual, but it was done under the rules.”

While Sanford welcomed the participation of new Chinese fans, other people were alarmed that many of the Chinese votes for Chengdu were written in the same handwriting and posted from the same mailing address. The chair of the convention that year, Mary Robinette Kowal, says some members of the awards committee wanted to mark those votes as invalid. “But if you’re filling out a ballot in English and you don’t speak English, you hand it to a friend who does,” she says. “And the translation we’d put in could be read as ‘where are you from,’ not ‘what is your address.’”

Eventually, a few votes were invalidated by the committee, but most were allowed to stand. “China has the largest science fiction reading audience on the planet by several magnitudes, and they are extremely passionate,” Kowal says.

Later, when Chengdu was announced as the winning site for the 2023 convention, more than 100 authors—including N. K. Jemisin, G. Willow Wilson, S. A. Chakraborty, and Tochi Onyebuchi—signed an open letter “in protest of serious and ongoing human rights violations taking place in the Uyghur region of China.” Other authors were concerned about the Chinese Communist Party’s history of censoring LGBTQ content, as well as material that criticizes the party’s government.

These concerns planted the seeds for this year’s crisis, which reached a boiling point on January 20, 2024.

the 81st world science fiction convention opens in chengdu

Compared with other literary awards, the Hugos are usually remarkably transparent and democratic. While the National Book Awards and the Booker Prizes are selected behind closed doors by a panel of judges, anyone can vote for the Hugos by purchasing a supporting membership in the World Science Fiction Society for each year’s convention.

Most years, the Hugo committee shares the nominating statistics later the same evening after the winners are announced, or a few days later, at most. This year, Dave McCarty didn’t share the statistics until January 20—91 days after the awards ceremony, with no explanation for the delay. “The World Science Fiction Society’s constitution says the statistics have to be released within three months, but it’s never taken that long before now,” says Sanford.

When McCarty finally shared last year’s nominating statistics on his Facebook page, authors, fans, and finalists were shocked. In the history of the awards, no works had ever been deemed ineligible like this. Many people who had expected Kuang to win for Babel were now stunned to see she very well could have, and McCarty’s refusal to explain what happened made everything worse. (McCarty did not respond to interview requests for this story.)

“Fandom doesn't like people fucking with their awards, no matter who does it or why,” says John Scalzi, a three-time Hugo Award winner who was a finalist last year in the Best Novel category: the very same category in which R.F. Kuang should have been nominated for Babel, according to the nomination count on page 20 of McCarty’s document. “The reason people are outraged right now is because they care about the award, in one fashion or another, and this lack of transparency feels like a slap,” Scalzi says.

Brandon Sanderson , another past Hugo winner, says this incident damages the reputation of the award: “To find out that the committee behind the scenes [overrode] the voter base without saying anything AND with possible political motivations is extremely unsettling.”

Neil Gaiman didn’t respond to my interview request, but he did comment directly on McCarty’s Facebook post : “Is there anyone who could actually explain WHY Sandman episode 6 was ineligible?”

McCarty responded: “The only statement from the administration team that I can share is the one that I already have, after we reviewed the constitution and the rules we must follow, we determined the work was not eligible.”

Since then, hundreds of people have asked McCarty to explain what exactly in the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS) constitution or rules made these works ineligible, but his responses quickly deteriorated into insults, such as “Are you slow?” and, “Clearly you can't understand plain English in our constitution.” However, there isn’t a single rule in the WSFS constitution that could possibly explain why any of these writers were deemed ineligible.

“When I started seeing Dave McCarty’s responses, I was utterly unsurprised,” a former WorldCon committee member who asked to remain anonymous tells me. “That is very consistent with who he is, and how he’s treated other people. It’s incredibly disrespectful on every level.”

china sichuan chengdu worldcon cn

A few days later, McCarty apologized for his “inappropriate, unprofessional, condescending” responses, but still refused to explain the ineligibles. Without answers from McCarty, many Hugo enthusiasts have coalesced around two theories: either the awards committee miscounted early-round votes and realized their mistake too late, or the ineligible writers were censored under pressure from the Chinese Communist Party.

“If they had issued a statement saying there was a miscount and we’re deeply sorry about it, people would have been mad, but it would have been understandable,” Kowal says. Some fans have pointed to mathematical irregularities in the voting statistics compared to past years, and an additional former WorldCon committee member tells me, “I’m guessing someone made a mistake—probably more than one.”

Meanwhile, allegations of censorship have spread like Star Trek tribbles, especially because the protagonist of R. F. Kuang’s Babel is queer, Zhao is non-binary, and all four “ineligible” writers have criticized the Chinese Communist Party or its policies at some point in the past.

Gaiman, Kuang, and Zhao declined to comment on this story, but confirmed on social media that they were just as shocked as everyone else. Weimer says one of his Patreon posts from 2021, where he expressed concerns about holding the Hugos in China, may have marked him for censorship. “It's possible that the [Chinese Communist Party] took umbrage at my piece, or the [convention] felt that they might, and so I was rendered ineligible,” he says.

However, multiple former WorldCon committee members who spoke with me on the condition of anonymity do not believe the Chinese government—nor the Chinese members of last year’s Hugo Awards administration—directly or indirectly censored the awards. Rather, they believe that one or more members of the executive committee mismanaged this year’s awards—and failed to explain why four popular works were deemed ineligible.

On January 31, less than two weeks after McCarty revealed the voting statistics that kicked off the controversy, the California nonprofit that owns the Hugo Awards trademarks released a bombshell statement : McCarty resigned from the organization, alongside the chair of its board of directors, Kevin Standlee. Additionally, the nonprofit censured McCarty “for his public comments that have led to harm of the goodwill and value of our marks and for actions of the Hugo Administration Committee of the Chengdu Worldcon that he presided over.” Two other members of the Chengdu awards committee, Ben Yalow and Shi Chen, were censured as well, “for actions of the Hugo Administration Committee of the Chengdu Worldcon that [they] presided over.”

Yalow and the rest of the 2023 awards committee did not respond to my interview requests for this story. None of my sources know why Yalow or Chen were censured, though as co-division heads of the convention, they would have been McCarty’s superiors.

Meanwhile, organizers of the upcoming 2024 Hugo Awards in Glasgow, Scotland, released a statement of their own to calm the waters: “We will also publish the reasons for any disqualifications of potential finalists, and any withdrawals of potential finalists from the ballot.”

china sichuan chengdu worldcon cn

While this may be the last we hear about the Chengdu crisis, each year’s WorldCon and Hugo Awards are run by a different crop of volunteers, leaving many authors, fans, and finalists hopeful about the future, albeit insistent that permanent changes need to be made to the WSFS constitution that can’t be ignored by individual committees.

“At the very least, I think those [writers] who were removed should have their eligibility extended by a year, and perhaps it's time for a long hard look at the Hugo committee and overhaul how the award is managed,” Sanderson says.

Scalzi agrees. “The thing I would like to stress here is that the Hugos have been to this point pretty resilient: there have been major crises involving them before… and the [community] moved to address them,” he says. “So while this is a problem and needs to be addressed, quickly and comprehensively, I feel pretty confident the community will address it and the Hugos will come out the other side a better award.”

One thing everyone seems to agree on is that the transparent voting process makes the Hugo Awards special. “I love the Hugo for its unique method of walking the line between being a juried award and an open-voting, ‘who has the most fans’ award,” Sanderson says. “It's like an Academy Award, except if any person dedicated enough to the genre were able to join the Academy and participate.”

Perhaps in the future, other literary awards will be inspired by the transparency of the Hugos, if not the controversies that have occasionally accompanied them. Imagine the thrill and tragedy of finding out a book was one vote away from winning or becoming a finalist for the National Book Awards or the National Book Critics Circle Awards. Imagine the drama!

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But when I reached out to those award organizations, they didn’t sound too wild about the idea. “The National Book Awards judges make their decisions independently of the National Book Foundation staff and Board of Directors, and deliberations are strictly confidential,” says Ale Romero, communications and marketing manager at the National Book Foundation, which presents the National Book Awards.

A rep for the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) says that privacy is part of what gives the award its personality. “Much like the Quakers, nearly every decision made at the NBCC is one undertaken by the entire group, [and] I believe it would be very difficult to persuade a majority of our board to vote for such a change,” says Keetje Kuipers, vice president of awards and diversity, equity, and inclusion for the NBCC. “Releasing a voting statistics tally would not be in keeping with the tenor of our traditional deliberation style, which favors passionate critical argument over all else.”

At the end of my Zoom call with Sanford, I see some emotion in his face around the eyes. “When I was young, science fiction and fantasy books literally saved my life,” he says. “I looked for books that were Hugo finalists or winners, and they showed me a way forward. They showed me there are other people out there who think like me.”

Whatever happens to the Hugos moving forward, one thing is clear: No one should have the power to erase books from the reading lists of future Jason Sanfords.

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The 25 science fiction and fantasy books we’re excited for in 2024

Exciting debuts, beloved authors returning, and much more

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The time has come to send 2023 and all of its highs and lows packing and to ring in the new year. While it’s impossible to say now what 2024 holds in store for all of us, there is one thing that I know for certain: It is going to be a truly banner year for sci-fi and fantasy readers. Not only does Leigh Bardugo have a new novel coming out (I’m counting down the days for this one myself), but there are also titles translated by Anton Hur and Ken Liu coming out, the writing duo that makes up James S.A. Corey is joining forces once again, and the long wait for several sequels is finally coming to an end.

The publishing schedule for the back half of 2024 is still a mystery (even to the most book-savvy people), but below you’ll find 25 titles hitting shelves between the months of January and September. That’s a full nine months of reading planned out for you to enjoy! So take a look and let us know what you’re most looking forward to.

A veiled woman looks to the side in the cover of Shubnum Khan’s The Djinn Waits A Hundred Years. She wears red and there are shadow sof hands on heir veil

The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan

A sumptuous and haunting multi-generational saga set in a crumbling estate along the coast of South Africa, The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years promises to be a fresh take on a classic and beloved genre. When Sana and her father move into Akbar Manzil, the last thing they expect to find is a house full of secrets, a garden full of bones, and a lonely and heartbroken djinn haunting its decaying halls. Stranger still is the east wing of the house, its contents frozen in time, and the story of love and tragic, untimely death that awaits Sana’s discovery.

A creepy looking owl hangs out on a branch in the cover for Aimee Pokwatka’s The Parliament

The Parliament by Aimee Pokwatka

Billed by Tordotcom as “ The Birds meets The Princess Bride ” (an intriguing combination to say the least), Aimee Pokwatka’s upcoming fantasy horror novel The Parliament asks readers “What would happen if tens of thousands of bloodthirsty owls descended upon a small town library, trapping people inside?” The answer, as Madeline Purdue discovers, is utter chaos. Madeline is determined to keep her students safe and alive, but with food and water in short supply, she finds herself struggling to find a way out that will keep them far away from the owls.

A woman in a white dress smirks as a wolf appears in the night sky in the cover for Ali Hazelwood’s Bride

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood, bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love, Theoretically , has taken a paranormal approach to her steamy new romance novel, Bride . Misery Lark (which is, in my opinion, an excellent name for a vampire who happens to be the leading lady in a romance novel) has been living secretly among humans, away from her cold and uncaring father and the threat of werewolves, for years. But Misery’s days of anonymity and peace are swiftly coming to a close. When a deal is struck between the werewolves and the vampires, Misery finds herself being married to Lowe Moreland, their surly — and frustratingly handsome — Alpha.

Cover for Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup, a gold and black image overgrowing with leaves that shows a spilled cup, with flowers made of skulls growing out of what spilled.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

I’ve been a huge fan of Robert Jackson Bennett and his books for some time now. He’s truly masterful when it comes to magic systems and world-building, and his upcoming novel, The Tainted Cup , promises to be no exception. Set in a brand-new world with a brand-new set of characters, The Tainted Cup is a clever spin on classic murder mysteries. Ana Dolabra is a brilliant investigator who insists on wearing a blindfold at all times and never sets foot outside her home. Her assistant, Dinios Kol, has been magically altered to have a perfect memory, so it falls to him to be her eyes, ears, and everything in between at the scene of a crime. When a tree bursts out of the chest of a high-ranking imperial officer, it falls to Ana and Dinios to figure out who killed him before the mastermind strikes again.

Many moons — some full, some half, some with silhouettes of people’s face on them — array over a red cover for Kelly Link’s The Book of Love.

The Book of Love by Kelly Link

Clocking in at a whopping 640 pages, Kelly Link’s upcoming novel The Book of Love is by far the longest title on this list and one of the most eagerly anticipated for fans of all things H.P. Lovecraft. Set in the picturesque seaside town of Lovesend, Massachusetts, The Book of Love tells the story of three friends — Laura, Daniel, and Mo — who mysteriously reappear in a high school classroom after vanishing without a trace the year before. Stranger still is the fact that they are not alone. With them is their music teacher, who proposes that they take on a series of magical tasks in order to ensure that their return to this world is permanent.

The catch? They aren’t allowed to tell anyone where they’ve been, or else everything will fall apart.

A horse disintegrates into a skeleton against a red backdrop on the cover of T. Kingfisher’s What Feasts at Night.

What Feasts at Night (Sworn Soldier #2) by T. Kingfisher

Alex Easton, Angus, and resident mycology expert Miss Potter return once again in this breathtaking (pun very much intended) addition to the Sworn Soldier series from the delightfully spooky mind of T. Kingfisher. Not long after the harrowing events that took place at Usher Manor, Alex and their companions arrive at the lodge they spent time at after the Gallacian war. When the party arrives, they discover the lodge has long been abandoned, the caretaker is dead, and that the surrounding grounds are wreathed in a deeply unsettling and seemingly impenetrable — and definitely supernatural — silence.

A pair of hands holds a rose. Grass grows from their arms, and they appear to be wearing black. It is all framed inside an oval frame, on the cover of Katherine Arden’s The Warm Hands of Ghosts.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

In her upcoming, heart-wrenching paranormal historical fiction novel The Warm Hands of Ghosts , Katherine Arden trades the frozen Russian wilderness of her Winternight trilogy for the desolate trenches of World War I. In the wake of tragedy, Laura Iven — a former field nurse — receives news that her younger brother has died in combat. But something about the letter doesn’t ring true and Laura, determined to discover the truth, returns to the frontline as a volunteer at a hospital in order to find her brother and bring him home.

Animals with skulls for faces prance around a forest-like image in the cover for Premee Mohamed’s The Butcher of the Forest

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

When the children of a bloodthirsty foreign tyrant make the mistake of wandering into the Elmever, a dangerous stretch of forest bordering the kingdom, it falls to a jaded and weary woman by the name of Veris Thorn to retrieve them. Locals know that once you set foot in the Elmever, you never come back. But Veris has done exactly that, and has no choice but to set foot in the forest once again in order to keep what’s left of her own family safe. I recently had the pleasure of reading The Butcher of the Forest and am pleased to say that the Grimm brothers can’t hold a candle to Premee Mohamed and her fever dream of a fantasy novella.

A gray figure, likely a statue, lies on its side against a red backdrop in the cover for Marina Yuszczuk’s Thirst. We see the figure from thigh to shoulder

Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk (translated by Heather Cleary)

Written by Marina Yuszczuk and translated by Heather Cleary, Thirst marks the arrival of an exciting new voice in Gothic literature that readers are sure to enjoy sinking their teeth into. Set in Buenos Aires during the 1900s and modern day, Thirst follows the story of two very different women with a magnetic attraction to one another, for better or for worse. One is a young woman struggling to come to grips with her mother’s terminal illness. The other is a vampire who has watched the rise and fall of great cities for hundreds of years.

Two astronauts approach a third in the colorful cover image of Hao Jingfang’s Jumpnauts

Jumpnauts by Hao Jingfang (translated by Ken Liu)

For years, scientists have tried to prove (or disprove) whether or not there is intelligent life beyond our own galaxy, but what if the aliens have been here, hidden on planet Earth, the entire time? In Jumpnauts , the Pacific League of Nations and the Atlantic League of Nations have been in heavy competition with one another to achieve first contact with a mysterious alien race. Neither is expecting a third party that has existed beneath their feet in an ancient castle for thousands of years to make contact with them first.

A group of people holding guns stand on the top of a building in an apocalyptic wasteland in the cover for Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas.

Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas

Found family is, frankly, one of the best and most important tropes that any sci-fi or fantasy novel can have. L.M. Sagas’ gritty space adventure Cascade Failure features a wide array of lovable misfits who come to depend on one another in the way all found families eventually do. Fast-paced, fun, and told through multiple points of view, Cascade Failure tells the story of the crew of the Ambit — a ragtag group that includes a deserter, an AI pilot, and a trigger-happy XO, just to name a few — as they respond to a distress call from an abandoned planet and uncover the mystery waiting for them there.

A young person holds a lamp in darkness, but that darkness is actually the looming figure of a witch, in the cover for John Wistwell’s Someone You Can Build a Nest in.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

There’s a chance you’re already familiar with Nebula and Locus award-winning author, John Wiswell, his insightful and funny tweets about writing, and his myriad short stories. John’s long-awaited debut novel, Someone You Can Build a Nest In , arrives in April and is a delightful mashup of horror, fantasy, and romance.

Shesheshen is a shape-shifter who spends her days as nothing more than an amorphous blob, peaceful and alone in the depths of a manor house. All of that changes, however, when she’s forced to make a body for herself out of scrap material (mostly old bones) and meets Homily, a charming and kind human being who mistakes Shesheshen for a fellow human.

An astronaut walks in a dark space station with blood on the floor in the cover for S.A. Barnes’ Ghost Station.

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

If you’re anything like me and you can’t get enough of horror stories set in outer space — think Aliens , Event Horizon , and Mission to Mars — then Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes should be at the very top of your TBR pile.

After dedicating her life to the study of ERS (a fictional, space-induced condition that results in violent outbursts), psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has been assigned to keep an eye on a ragtag crew as they explore a distant planet that was hastily abandoned by its previous inhabitants. While their investigation goes according to plan at first, things take a shocking and violent turn when one of their own is brutally murdered. With nowhere to run and no one to trust, it soon becomes clear that Ophelia might be the only one who can save her crew before it’s too late.

An insect crawls on a bejeweled hand in the cover for Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar.

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

As someone who absolutely adores Leigh Bardugo’s Alex Stern series and has been on the hunt for something to tide me over until the next book comes out, I damn near lost my mind when I heard the news about her upcoming novel The Familiar . Set during the Spanish Golden Age, The Familiar tells the story of Luzia Cotado, a serving girl with latent magical abilities that she uses to help her get through the day. When Luzia’s mistress discovers her power, she’s suddenly thrust into a dangerous world of holy men, thieves, charlatans, and magic beyond her wildest dreams.

A woman, wearing gold, holds her arm up in the very gold-covered cover for Xiran Jay Zhao’s Heavenly Tyrant

Heavenly Tyrant (Iron Widow #2) by Xiran Jay Zhao

If you’re a fan of Xiran Jay Zhao’s blood-soaked, Neon Genesis Evangelion -inspired first novel, Iron Widow , then chances are you’ve been counting down the days until Heavenly Tyrant hits shelves. After almost a yearlong publication delay, Heavenly Tyrant ’s release date is swiftly approaching, proving that good things really do come to those who wait. This time around Zetian finds herself forced to ally with a dangerous man in order to protect those that she loves, all while navigating violent political upheaval and her newfound power in Huaxia.

A young girl holds up a playing card and a pocket watch in a gorgeous drawn cover for Park Seolyeon’s A Magical Girl Retires.

A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon (translated by Anton Hur)

Everyone loves the idea of being a magical girl, but being a magical girl isn’t all sparkly outfit changes, special powers, and talking animal companions. They still have to deal with everyday issues such as world-ending levels of climate change, job hunting, and credit card debt, just like everyone else. This is all much to the chagrin of the down-and-out millennial protagonist of A Magical Girl Retires . Park Seolyeon (with award-winning translator Anton Hur) has crafted a clever take on magical girl genre that fans and newcomers alike will both enjoy.

Cover image for Stuart Turton’s The Last Murder at the End of the World, showing some boats on the water, a lighthouse in the distance, and mountains of many, many different colors.

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

A mashup of apocalyptic science fiction and suspenseful murder mystery, The Last Murder at the End of the World is set on an island occupied by 122 villagers and 3 brilliant scientists. The island itself is surrounded by a bank of deadly fog that has swept across the planet, killing everyone it touches. When one of the scientists is brutally murdered, the island’s remaining occupants discover that they only have 92 hours before the security system keeping them safe fails.

I’ve been a huge fan of Stuart Turton and his madcap mystery novels since The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle first hit shelves. (I still regularly think about the plot twist in that one.) His upcoming thriller might be his best and most intriguing yet.

A robot holds a teapot in a destroyed cityscape, as the moon lingers, in the cover of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Service Model.

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Perfect for fans of discussing the morality and ethics of I, Robot and the much-beloved and thoroughly chaotic Murderbot Diaries, Adrian Tchaikovsky’s upcoming novel Service Model is a tale of murder, mayhem, and artificial labor gone rogue. When a robot that knows nothing of the world outside of the house where it works murders its owner, it’s forced to go on the run, something that it didn’t know was at all possible. What it discovers is a world that is slowly falling apart, and robots not unlike itself who are unsure what to do once humans disappear for good.

A bloody eye is skewered by a chopstick in the cover for Monika Ki’ms The Eyes are the Best Part

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

At least once a year a book hits shelves that can best be described as “absolutely unhinged,” and The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim promises to be just that. This horror debut is about a woman named Ji-won who tries to keep what’s left of her family from falling apart after her father leaves them. Ji-won’s mother tells her that consuming fish eyes will bring her luck, and soon after she begins experiencing strange dreams in which she eats human eyes. Things take a turn for the even stranger when her mother begins dating a white man with striking blue eyes and Ji-won develops an unhealthy obsession with them.

A figure is surrounded by what looks like demon spirits in the cover for Genoveva Dimova’s Foul Days

Foul Days (The Witch’s Compendium of Monsters #1) by Genoveva Dimova

Taking inspiration from Bulgarian folklore, the strange and terrifying monsters found in The Witcher series, and fellow fantasy authors such as Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden, Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova is one of my most anticipated novels of 2024.

Set during the 12 days after Christmas, when monsters are free to roam, Foul Days tells the story of Kosara, a young witch who finds herself at odds with Zmey, the Tsar of Monsters — a dragon who can disguise himself as a handsome man. Determined to leave Zmey and the walled city where they live far behind, Kosara trades her shadow for illegal passage over the wall. Life on the outside isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, though, and Kosara soon finds herself contending with a magical wasting sickness, an honorable detective who may or may not be on her side, and a plethora of monsters, human and otherwise.

A slumped over figure crawls along a pile of bodies in a red cover for Christopher Buehlman’s The Daughters’ War.

The Daughters’ War by Christopher Buehlman

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about or recommending Christopher Buehlman’s The Blacktongue Thief since I first read it in 2021 (if you haven’t picked up a copy yet, then you’re missing out on one of the best fantasy novels to hit shelves in the last five years). Needless to say, Buehlman’s The Daughters’ War is one of my most anticipated novels of 2023. Set in the harrowing, war-torn years preceding the events of The Blacktongue Thief , The Daughters’ War focuses on Galva as she goes against her family’s wishes and joins the Raven Knights (a group of ruthless warriors who ride into battle on the backs of horse-sized corvids). Together, Galva and her fellow soldiers will have to survive the goblin-infested cities that await them in the hopes to save what is left of humanity.

A bloody hammer against neon title text on the cover of Chuck Tingle’s Bury Your Gays

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

Best known as the internet-famous author of extremely niche erotica (with the occasional foray into horror) who keeps his identity hidden behind sunglasses and a pink mask, Chuck Tingle is back with a new novel, Bury Your Gays , a terrifying, tongue-in-cheek play on a tragic literary trope. When a screenwriter by the name of Misha — which is almost certainly a wink and nod to a certain fandom in particular — is asked to kill off a gay character in the upcoming finale of a show he’s working on, he refuses. It’s the right thing to do, obviously, but now Misha has a target on his back and, worse still, creatures from the horror movies that he worked on years ago are hunting him and his friends down across Los Angeles.

Two birds fight as guts spill out in the cover for Nicholas Belardes’ The Deading

The Deading by Nicholas Belardes

What’s not to love about (and be terrified by) a dystopian horror novel that is described as Under the Dome meets The Last of Us ? In The Deading by Nicholas Belardes, a picturesque fishing village is turned on its head when a mysterious contagion that appears to have come from the depths of the ocean begins to alter their daily lives. While the disease first only seems to infect local wildlife, it quickly spreads to residents of the village, causing them to collapse and die before they come back to life.

A vast sci-fi fantasy scape, with long jagged cliffs stretching into the sky, on the cover for James S.A. Corey’s The Mercy of Gods.

The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey

The iconic duo that writes together under the pseudonym James S.A. Corey (best known for creating the phenomenal series The Expanse) are joining forces once again for an epic new sci-fi venture. The upcoming first novel, The Mercy of Gods , focuses on a planet with a long-forgotten history and a group of humans who have been taken captive by an aggressive alien species. The Mercy of Gods promises to be action-packed and a gripping tale of survival, humanity, and rebellion.

A winged creature appears to come out of a house on a cliff in the cover for TJ Klune’s Somewhere Beyond the Sea.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

I don’t want to go and wish 2024 away before it’s even started, but knowing that a sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea is coming out in September is a good enough reason to do just that. Arthur Parnassus, Linus Baker, and the six adorable (and occasionally terrifying) magical children who live on the islands they call home all return in this heartwarming sequel to TJ Klune’s bestseller.

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Historical Fiction

New Historical Fiction That Immerses You in Far-Flung Places

From England and France to the deepest Arctic and northern China, these stories will transport you.

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This illustration shows a man peering into an old-fashioned camera at silhouettes of five people standing outside on a snowy night. The drawing is done in shades of blue and red.

By Alida Becker

Alida Becker was an editor at the Book Review for 30 years. She was the first winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for excellence in reviewing.

Anne Michaels has served as Toronto’s poet laureate, so it’s no surprise that her latest novel, HELD (Knopf, 240 pp., $27), turns a multigenerational family saga into a lyrical jigsaw of images and observations, a trigger to “the long fuse of memory, always alight.” It begins in the trenches of World War I with a soldier’s impressions of what’s essentially a “450-mile grave” and ends in the near future as one of his descendants walks the streets of a city on the Gulf of Finland.

In between, Michaels’s narrative glides gracefully back and forth in time, from North Yorkshire in the 1920s to rural Suffolk in the 1980s, then all the way to 1908 Paris. John, the soldier we first meet in 1917, returns from the war to his wife, Helena, and his photography studio. Haunted by what he has seen (or not seen), he leaves a legacy that will send his daughter and granddaughter to other front lines, this time working in field hospitals and refugee camps, “the most dangerous places.”

Each brief chapter is filled with deftly sketched characters: a war correspondent tasked with writing “what no one could bear to read”; a widow encountering an unexpectedly kindred spirit as she trudges across a snowy landscape; even Marie Curie, whose courage is recalled by one of her closest friends. Throughout, these stories spark both poignant connections and provocative divergences. Those whose lives follow John’s must find their own way to survive in this “new world, with new degrees of grief, many more degrees in the scale of blessedness and torment.”

Survival — and how far a person will go to achieve it — is at the heart of Ally Wilkes’s WHERE THE DEAD WAIT (Emily Bestler Books/Atria, 388 pp., $27.99), which her publisher aptly describes as “an eerie, atmospheric Polar Gothic.” William Day was a lowly young fourth lieutenant when the deaths of his superior officers gave him command of a ship stranded in the Arctic ice. He made it back to civilization, but emerged with the cannibalistic moniker “Eat-Em-Fresh Day.” Thirteen years later, his former second-in-command, a dashing American named Jesse Stevens, has gone missing in the very same region. Now, in the winter of 1882, the Admiralty orders Day to go find him.

Complications abound, both logistical and psychological. Day’s relationship with Stevens was intense, to say the very least. And as the new expedition becomes trapped in the Far North, Day is haunted by the earlier group’s travails, presented in alternating chapters. Eating human flesh may not have been the only horrific act committed back then, and new crimes could be uncovered in Stevens’s wake. Even the lost adventurer’s domineering wife, a spirit medium who travels with a “pet skull,” begins to doubt the wisdom of joining this ill-fated mission.

The ice has “swung shut behind them like a cemetery gate,” leading Day’s crew toward a possible mutiny. Haunting visions and ominous clues leave no one’s sanity untested. What is the significance of a hideous mask made from the hide of a killer whale? Of unearthing the figurehead of a ship that was supposed to have sunk hundreds of miles away? True to the novel’s title, there are plenty of dead men waiting to be found. And it’s not just the light that “plays tricks out here.”

One of the shape-shifting tricksters from Chinese folklore is the unlikely yet convincing narrator of Yangsze Choo’s witty and suspenseful THE FOX WIFE (Holt, 400 pp., $27.99). Calling herself Snow, she makes her way through northern Manchuria and Japan in 1908 in female guises, intent on hunting down the man responsible for the death of her cub. In the process, she illuminates the realities of a hidebound society on the brink of change: “If there ever was a time for ghosts and foxes to appear, it’s now,” when the last imperial dynasty is failing and uncertainty is everywhere.

For most of the novel, Snow’s pursuit of a Manchurian named Bektu Nikan runs parallel to another quest featuring Bao, a former teacher who has earned a reputation as an amateur detective. His attempt to investigate the death of a courtesan will eventually lead him to Snow — and the solution of a mystery from his youth, when he and his childhood sweetheart left offerings for the fox god at an improvised altar.

Following various clues, Snow and Bao take the reader into the households of aristocrats and peasants, urban centers and rural villages. Their inquiries will soon enmesh them in the dramas of a merchant family convinced that a curse has doomed their son. Young men dabbling in revolutionary politics and a photographer with a bent for blackmail add complexity to the plot, as do a pair of foxes who masquerade as attractive gentlemen. Shiro is the less savory of the two, fond of romancing rich, bored women. Kuro, a novelist, is more honorable, albeit more enigmatic. But this is Snow’s story, and although she relishes being able to live either as a fox or as a woman, she is aware that “neither are safe forms in a world run by men.”

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The best new science fiction books of February 2024

From a new Jasper Fforde to post-apocalyptic hellscapes aplenty, February’s science fiction offers something for everyone

By Alison Flood

1 February 2024

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A priestess can manipulate space-time in Meredith Mooring’s debut novel

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Now we have finally moved on from an interminable January, it is time to see what science fictional delights February has in store – and it’s a varied line-up this month. I am looking forward to some enjoyably disastrous-sounding postapocalyptic novels from Daniel Polansky and Paul E. Hardisty – I love a good tale of a world in ruins – and I’m also going to make time for the latest novel from Jasper Fforde, a writer who I have loved ever since The Eyre Affair came out in 2001. Top of my list to track down, though, is Meredith Mooring’s Redsight – starring a blind priestess who can manipulate space-time.

Tomorrow’s Children by Daniel Polansky

Nothing can cheer me up more than a good post-apocalyptic romp, and the new novel from Hugo Award nominee Polansky sounds like a corker. Manhattan has been enveloped by the funk, a “noxious cloud” that separates it from the world and mutates its population. Generations on, those who remain are focused only on surviving, when the first tourist in centuries arrives on the Island.

The Descent by Paul E. Hardisty

This is waiting on my desk at home for the moment I get a minute to read it. It is the prequel to climate emergency thriller The Forcing , and sees Kweku Ashworth, who was born on a sailboat as his parents fled disaster, setting out to uncover what led the world to cataclysm. More post-apocalyptic disaster – great!

Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde

This is the sequel to Fforde’s bestselling Shades of Grey , set in a society where hierarchy is determined by the colours you can see, following “Something that Happened” 500 years earlier. When Eddie Russett and Jane Grey discover this might make no sense at all, and could potentially be unfair, they investigate.

12 extraordinary science fiction books to watch out for in 2024

From a new Adrian Tchaikovsky novel to pandemic echoes in Haruki Murakami's The City and its Uncertain Walls (fingers crossed we get an English translation), there is loads of excellent science fiction reading ahead next year, says Sally Adee

Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee

Unemployed and in debt, Jonathan Abernathy takes a job as a dream auditor, which will see him entering workers’ dreams to remove their anxieties so they can be more productive. I love this brilliantly sinister idea, and this novel has been described by one reviewer as the “spiritual sibling of Severance , but creepier”, which is right up my street.

Plastic: A Novel by Scott Guild

This sounds delightfully weird: plastic girl Erin lives in a plastic world, where she sells her fellow plastic people a form of wearable tech called a Smartbody, which allows them to fully immerse themselves in a virtual world as a refuge from real life and its wars. “Profound, hilarious, wrenching, bizarre, about an imaginary universe with incalculable complexities that is also somehow our own broken world,” says author Elizabeth McCracken.

The best new science fiction books of January 2024

From Machine Vendetta by Alastair Reynolds to Tlotlo Tsamaase’s Womb City and Ali Millar’s Ava Anna Ada, January’s sci-fi will chase the New Year blues away

Redsight by Meredith Mooring

I like the sound of the heroine, Korinna, in Mooring’s debut novel: she is a blind priestess who can manipulate space-time, but who has been raised to believe she is weak and useless. When she takes a job as a navigator on an Imperium ship, she discovers she is meant to become a weapon for the Imperium – but then her ship is attacked by a notorious pirate, Aster Haran, and Korinna’s world changes.

Exordia by Seth Dickinson

“Michael Crichton meets Marvel’s Venom ,” says the publisher of this story of Anna, a refugee and survivor of genocide, who joins a team investigating a “mysterious broadcast and unknowable horror” as “humanity reels from disaster”. I’m loving the drama we are being promised here.

Twice Lived by Joma West

Tipped by our former sci-fi columnist Sally Adee as one to watch out for in 2024, there are two Earths in this set-up, existing in parallel, which “shifters” can cross between. Canna and Lily are the same person, shifting randomly between worlds, lives and families, but they need to settle in one of them – and how can they prepare their loved ones for their final disappearance?

How I Won a Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto

Maybe this debut novel isn’t science fiction per se, but it is fiction about science and it sounds intriguing, so I wanted to mention it. It sees young physicist Helen, who is on a quest to save the planet, decide to follow her mentor (who has been involved in a sex scandal with a student) to an island research institute giving safe harbour to disgraced artists and scientists.

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The Bone Hunters is loosely inspired by the life of 19th-century palaeontologist Mary Anning

Alamy Stock Photo

The Bone Hunters by Joanne Burn

Again, not science fiction but fiction about science, and pitched as The Essex Serpent meets Ammonite , so hard to say no to, for me at least. Loosely drawing from the life of the pioneering 19 th -century palaeontologist Mary Anning, this is set in 1824 Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK, when 24-year-old Ada Winters uncovers some “unusual fossils” on the cliffs.

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