Must-Have Monday is a feature highlighting which of the coming week’s new releases I’m excited for. It is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all books being published that week; only those I’m interested in out of those I’m aware of! The focus is diverse SFF, but other genres sneak in occasionally too.
SEVENTEEN books this week!
(Books are listed in order of pub date, then Adult SFF, Adult Other, YA SFF, YA Other, MG SFF.)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 7th August 2024
Goodreads
“Never speak the name of the Black Raven aloud. Never fail your sacred duty. Never trust magic. And never travel on the River Divine…”
CALYX: Didn’t mean to bind 3 assassins to her eternal magical servitude, but leaning into it. Has places to be, and a daughter to protect.
IKAROS: Priest of death. Hates this river. Hates boats. Hates that Calyx’s magic means he can’t kill her. Abandoned by his god. Having a bad week.
DIO: Not even supposed to be here, but kind of into it. Surrounded by hot assassins. Having a great week.
VALERIA: Priest of death. Ageless, deadly, better than all of you. Can kill with a shoe but it probably won’t come to that because she is carrying all the knives.
MARDI: Priest of death. Pregnant. Dangerous. Too good for this. One day away from retirement.
REYNARD KALDORAN: Going to kill every last one of you.
THE RIVER DIVINE: Hold my beer.
An action-packed adventure tale of unreliable gods and burnt-out assassins, from the award-winning author of The Creature Court.
Tansy Rayner Roberts is one of my favourite authors, and this sounds promisingly odd and hilarious!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy
Representation: Indigenous MC, major disabled MLM character, major MLM character
Published on: 8th October 2024
Goodreads
Méka must capture a king dragon, or die trying.
War between the island states of Kattaka and Mazemoor has left no one unscathed. Méka’s nomadic people, the Ba’Suon, were driven from their homeland by the Kattakans. Those who remained were forced to live under the Kattakan yoke, to serve their greed for gold alongside the dragons with whom the Ba’Suon share an empathic connection.
A decade later and under a fragile truce, Méka returns home from her exile for an ancient, necessary rite: gathering a king dragon of the Crown Mountains to maintain balance in the wild country. But Méka’s act of compassion toward an imprisoned dragon and Lilley, a Kattakan veteran of the war, soon draws the ire of the imperialistic authorities. They order the unwelcome addition of an enigmatic Ba’Suon traitor named Raka to accompany Méka and Lilley to the mountains.
The journey is filled with dangers both within and without. As conflict threatens to reignite, the survival of the Ba’Suon people, their dragons, and the land itself will depend on the decisions – defiant or compliant – that Méka and her companions choose to make. But not even Méka, kin to the great dragons of the North, can anticipate the depth of the consequences to her world.
This was the first book of Lowachee’s I ever read – BUT IT WON’T BE THE LAST! I fell head over heads for this one, and I’m already pining for the sequel! Thank goodness we don’t have to wait long…!
My review! And you can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Speculative Fiction
Representation: Trans MC, F/F, minor nonbinary characters
Published on: 8th October 2024
Goodreads
What if the only way to fix toxic masculinity were to erase it entirely?
Mark Vogel is like the older brother Stefan never had, but one day he disappears without a trace. A year later, after encountering a woman who looks near-identical to Mark, Stefan becomes obsessed. He finds that dozens of young men have disappeared over the years, many of them students at the Royal College of Saint Almsworth, and most of them troubled or unruly. Why are students going missing? Who are these women who bear striking resemblances to them? And what is their connection to the selective student accommodation on the edge of campus, Dorley Hall?
Stefan starts studying at Saint Almsworth for one reason and one reason to find out exactly what happened to the women who live at Dorley Hall, and to get it to happen to him, too.
An electrifying début by Alyson Greaves, Welcome to Dorley Hall is an intense exploration of gender and society that will appeal to readers of Torrey Peters, Imogen Binnie and Gretchen Felker-Martin.
I read this back when it was self-published, and was WOWED. It’s so well-written, and absolutely fearless in its fuckery! I still don’t know what genre to call it, though – maybe some kind of horror? Psychological horror? But so much of it is almost slice-of-life-y – but in a really messed-up way – I don’t know, but I do know that it’s excellent!
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, New Adult, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MC, M/M
Published on: 8th October 2024
Goodreads
Red, White & Royal Blue meets The Nightmare Before Christmas in a sexy, quirky romcom where the golden-hearted Prince of Christmas falls for the totally off-limits Prince of Halloween.
Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make-out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.
But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his duty: he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s not-so-secret crush. A situation that has disaster written all over it.
Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand…and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar hottie: Hex, the Prince of Halloween.
It’s a fake competition between two holiday princes who can’t keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants. And it all leads to one of the sweetest, sexiest, messiest, most delightfully unforgettable love stories of the year.
ANOTHER INSTANTANEOUS NEW FAVE! Nightmare made me glitter with delight, it’s such FUN and so sweet, ridiculous in the best way – I love love love it! I laughed so much, and had such a book hangover when I finished it. LOVE IT!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World No Magic, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Brown bi MC, mlm MC, M/M
Published on: 8th October 2024
Goodreads
“Clever, sparkling, and perfectly indulgent, Swordcrossed feels like stepping into a party already in full swing. Everything is possible; everything is wondrous. This is fantasy romance at its very best.” —Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief
Low stakes. High heat. Sharp steel.
Mattinesh Jay, dutiful heir to his struggling family business, needs to hire an experienced swordsman to serve as best man for his arranged marriage. Sword-challenge at the ceremony could destroy all hope of restoring his family’s wealth, something that Matti has been trying—and failing—to do for the past ten years.
What he can afford, unfortunately, is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.
Luca, for his part, is trying to reinvent himself in a new city. All he wants to do is make some easy money and try to forget the crime he committed in his hometown. He didn’t plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible—and inconveniently handsome—wool merchant like Matti.
However, neither Matti’s business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem. As the days count down to Matti’s wedding, the two of them become entangled in the intrigue and sabotage that have brought Matti’s house to the brink of ruin. And when Luca’s secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the question: how many lies are you prepared to strip away, when the truth could mean losing everything you want?
Listen, I loved this SO MUCH MORE then the Last Binding series – and I loved those books! But the writing is on another level here, you can feel how much Marske enjoyed creating a new world to write in, and the intensity is OFF THE CHARTS. So much yes!!!
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 8th October 2024
Goodreads
If a fairy godmother can get one sister into a marriage, getting another out of one should be easy…
Lady Theodosia Balfour has certainly gotten the short end of the stick—her stepsister, the newly crowned Princess Beatrice, is telling everyone in polite society that Theo, her sister, and their mother are evil, wicked, and horrid people who treated her like a slave. Though Theo knows this isn't exactly true, it seems her life is thoroughly ruined by the rumor. With the Balfour family estate on the verge of bankruptcy, Theo's only path forward is a forced betrothal to the Duke of Snowbell, a foul-tempered geezer who wishes only to use her as a brood mare for spare heirs.
Desperate for help, Theo clings to the only thing that might save the rumor of a fairy godmother, one that supposedly helped her stepsister secure a prince. After discovering a way to summon a fairy in Beatrice's old room, Theo thinks her prayers have been answered. But the fairy she meets isn't at all what she imagined. Drop-dead gorgeous, incredibly cunning, and slightly devious, Cecily of the Ash Fairies is much more interested in gathering powerful favors and smoking her pipe than providing charitable magic for humans in a bind.
Before she receives magical assistance, Cecily sets Theo to three tasks, seemingly to prove that Theo is a selfless and kind person. Helping her along the way are Cecily's familiars, the flirty human-turned-mockingbird Phineas and the aloof Kasra, a fox shapeshifter who should not be as handsome as he is for someone with such cutting remarks. As Theo works on her tasks, she shockingly finds kinship with the magical creatures she's helping, and starts to wonder if a continued life among her human peers is what she really wants after all.
From debut author Laura J. Mayo comes a hilarious new spin on the Cinderella tale!
I was very much seduced by that gorgeous cover, and (for some reason???) I love the idea of a fairy godmother who DGAF!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Horror
Representation: Jamaican MCs
Published on: 8th October 2024
Goodreads
Part historical fiction, part horror mystery, this thrilling novel is perfect for fans of Black Leopard, Red Wolf and Black Sun
A leader of the Jamaican Maroons crosses paths with an enigmatic sorceress in this spine-tingling tale of ancient enemies, based on real Jamaican history and legend
Deep in the heart of Jamaica, the stories of insatiable bloodthirsty creatures and dark rituals brought over from the old country have been the stuff of legends for centuries. Queen Nanny, the leader of a community of Maroons, is well versed in military leadership and spiritual wisdom. But how do you beat an enemy that possesses the power over life and death?
One such figure is the enigmatic White Witch, shrouded in mystery and superstition—some say she was once a wealthy woman who murdered her husbands while others believe she was a powerful sorceress who used dark magic. As the White Witch threatens the safety of Queen Nanny’s home, she must use every weapon at her disposal to protect her people.
With action and mystery that brings to life a legendary urban myth, this thrilling novel provides a fresh perspective on Jamaica's rich cultural history and is a must-read for horror and thriller enthusiasts.
I haven’t been able to find out anything more about this book than what the blurb tells us…but that’s MORE than enough to capture my interest! I know very little about this period of history, and really nothing at all about Jamaican myth/folklore, so here’s hoping this’ll be a great introduction!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MC, Black MC
Published on: 8th August 2024
Goodreads
Learn more about the characters from The Sunday Times bestselling author S.T. Gibson's Evocation in this gorgeously illustrated prequel novella to The Summoner's Circle series.
It takes a lot of commitment to make a marriage between a modern ceremonial magician and a tarot witch work, but when a malevolent entity takes up residence in Rhys and Moira’s home, their love will be pushed to the limits.
Brewing up a solution is easier said than done when your magical styles are polar opposites; throw a psychic ex and a secret society in the mix, and things are bound to get messy.
The prequel novella to Evocation! This was originally self-published, but it’s been rewritten QUITE A BIT, so even if you read the old version, this should be new to you!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 8th October 2024
Goodreads
A queer, madcap, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers time travel romance with the future of the world at stake, this charming fantasy tale is sure to satisfy fans of Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree.
The kingdom of Farsala is broken and black clouds hang heavy over the arid lands. Former Grand-Mage of the High Court, Cyril Laverre, has spent the last decade hiding himself away in a ramshackle hut by the sea, trying to catch any remaining fish for his cat familiar, Shoestring, and suppressing his guilt over the kingdom’s ruin. For he played his part – for as the King, Eufrates Margrave, descended further and further into paranoia, violence and madness, his Grand-Mage – and husband – Cyril didn’t do a thing to stop him.
When Shoestring wanders away and dies one morning, Cyril knows his days are finally numbered. But are there enough left to have a last go at putting things right? With his remaining lifeblood, he casts a powerful spell that catapults him back in time to a happier period of Farsalan history – a time when it was Eufrates’s older sister Tig destined to ascend to the throne, before she died of a wasting disease, and a time when Cyril and Eufrates’s tentative romance had not yet bloomed. If he can just make sure Eufie never becomes King, then maybe he can prevent the kingdom’s tragic fate. But the magical oath he made to his husband at the altar, transcending both time and space, may prove to be his most enduring – and most dangerous – feat of magic to date…
Featuring a formidable Great Aunt, a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, an awkward love quadrangle and a crow familiar called Ganache, this charming story is imminently easy to read and sure to satisfy fans of fanfiction who like their fantasy lite.
Reading this at the moment, and it’s looking a lot like an ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ book-breakup – but only because I’m so unreasonably picky about prose. I think most of the target audience should have a lot of fun with this!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy
Published on: 8th October 2024
Goodreads
Uncover the lost years of Critical Role’s unrelentingly upbeat undead spellcaster in this original prequel novel to Laudna’s adventures with Bells Hells.
For as long as she can remember, Laudna has had a friend. A mentor. A little voice whispering in her cropped ear, promising that, no matter how monstrous she becomes or how far she wanders, there will always be someone to guide her.And so, Laudna is content.But the thought of more—of life, of love, of the magic stirring in her still veins—is unrelenting in its familiarity. More is the dream of the young girl trapped behind the bloodstained walls of Whitestone, and the nightmare of the woman who now stalks the woods outside them. More, Laudna’s little voice reminds her, is dangerous. From Tal’Dorei to Marquet, the world is infested with heroes destined to rid their kingdoms of creatures like Laudna.The little voice is right, she knows.But still, she thinks of more. And when she reaches for that dream, what reaches back will change everything.
Written by USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw, Critical Role: Bells Hells—What Doesn’t Break delves into the unexplored years before Laudna joined up with the crew of Bells Hells, chronicling her departure from Whitestone and her solo adventures on the road to Jrusar.
Would you believe I’ve never watched Critical Role??? I KNOW! It’s not lack of interest, only that I’m very bad at watching things. So this will be my introduction to it! Because obviously I’m not going to skip a Khaw novel!!! *grabby hands*
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists, Historical Fantasy
Representation: M/M
Published on: 8th October 2024
Goodreads
A spine-tingling, queer gothic horror debut where two men are drawn into an otherworldly spiral, and a journey that will only end when they reach the darkest part of the human soul.
“The Black Hunger is a bleak, gothic masterpiece. A devastating exploration of humanity's capacity for evil." – Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters
John Sackville will soon be dead. Shadows writhe in the corners of his cell as he mourns the death of his secret lover and the gnawing hunger inside him grows impossible to ignore.
He must write his last testament before it is too late.
It is a story steeped in history and myth - a journey from stone circles in Scotland, to the barren wilderness of Ukraine where otherworldly creatures stalk the night, ending in the icy peaks of Tibet and Mongolia, where an ancient evil stirs.
Slow-burn historical horror about Buddhist heretics! And also queer. I didn’t quite get along with this one, but I’m willing to bet I’ll enjoy it more when I’m in the right headspace for it.
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy
Published on: 8th October 2024
Goodreads
Blood of the Old Kings begins an epic adventure in which three strangers journey through a vast Empire that uses the power of dead wizards to conquer and subdue, from award-winning author Sung-il Kim and translated by the highly-acclaimed Anton Hur.
Powered by the corpses of sorcerers, the Empire has conquered the world. It claims to have brought peace and stability to its conquered lands, but some see that peace for what it is—a lie—and will give everything in the fight against it.
Loran is desperate for revenge after the Empire killed her family, so much so that the swordswoman climbs the volcano where the legends say an ancient dragon slumbers and leaps in. She finds that the legends are true, and Loran leaves the mountain with a sword made of dragon’s fang and a great purpose before her.
Cain arrived in the Imperial Capital lost and orphaned, and it’s only thanks to the kindness of a stranger-turned-mentor that he survived on the city’s streets. When his friend is found murdered, he will leave no stone unturned to find those responsible, even if it means starting a war.
Arienne’s future has never been in question—born a sorcerer, she’ll be a Power Generator for the Empire upon her death. But when she starts to hear the voice of a powerful necromancer in her head, she realizes the only thing more terrifying than dying for the Empire is never getting to truly live in the first place.
When peace is a lie, there is power in truth—and as Loran, Cain, and Arienne hunt for answers in their own lives, any one of their small rebellions could be the stone that brings the Empire toppling down.
High Fantasy originally written in Korean, now translated into English!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Published on: 8th October 2024
Goodreads
Ancient sorcery. Magic gemstones. Only one woman can save a city in ruins…
1348. As the Black Plague ravages Italy, Ginevra di Gasparo is summoned to Florence after nearly a decade of lonely exile. Ginevra has a gift—harnessing the hidden powers of gemstones, she can heal the sick. But when word spread of her unusual abilities, she was condemned as a witch and banished. Now the same men who expelled Ginevra are begging for her return. Ginevra obliges, assuming the city’s leaders are finally ready to accept her unorthodox cures amid a pandemic. But upon arrival, she is tasked with a much different she must use her collection of jewels to track down a ruthless thief who is ransacking Florence’s churches for priceless relics—the city’s only hope for protection. If she succeeds, she’ll be a recognized physician and never accused of witchcraft again. But as her investigation progresses, Ginevra discovers she’s merely a pawn in a much larger scheme than the one she’s been hired to solve. And the dangerous men behind this conspiracy won’t think twice about killing a stone witch to get what they want…
Magic with gems? I don’t think I’ve seen that very often, and the examples I can think of were very unsatisfying. Hopefully Rasche gives us a much better take!
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Speculative Fiction
Representation: Bi/pan MC, sapphic MCs, nonbinary MC
Published on: 8th October 2024
Goodreads
An unlikely group of rebels are ready to burn down the empire in the first book in a new speculative trilogy that explores gender, sexuality, and oppression within an empire teetering on the brink of rebellion
Told from multiple POVs: a young heiress, an undercover spy, a bastard brother and a fugitive who has history with all three, Sargassa equal parts political intrigue, queer romance, and revolution
Selah Kleios is twenty-two years old and suddenly one of the most important women in the empires. The role of Imperial Historian is her birthright, something she’s been preparing for since birth—but she was supposed to have more time to learn the role from her father, the previous Historian. In the wake of her father’s sudden and shocking assassination, Selah finds herself custodian of more than just the Imperial Archives, the towering central library that safeguards all collective knowledge of the Roman Imperium and its client empires. There’s also the question of the two puzzling classified items her father left in her care—an ancient atlas filled with landscapes that don’t exist, and a carved piece of stone that seems to do nothing at all.
Soon, though, it becomes clear that the Iveroa Stone is more than just a slab of rock. With the reappearance of an old lost love who’s been blackmailed into stealing it for an unknown entity, Selah finds herself in a race to uncover the mysteries the Stone holds. But she isn’t the only one with an interest in it—she’ll have to contend with the deputy chief of police, an undercover spy, and her own beloved half brother along the way. What begins as an act of atonement and devotion ultimately pulls her into the crosshairs of deep state conspiracy, the stirrings of an underground independence movement, and questions that threaten to shake the foundational legitimacy of Roma Sargassa’s past, present, and future.
A DNF for me, but if you’re fascinated by ancient Rome, you’ll probably love the very detailed, very clever worldbuilding in this one!
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi, YA
Representation: Brown disabled MC, brown demisexual MC, Black MC, F/M/F polyamory
Published on: 8th August 2024
Goodreads
The greatly anticipated final book in the Change series. In a world of mutant powers and deadly creatures, one small town faces its worst nightmare...
In a single shocking night, Las Anclas is conquered. Voske rules the town, remaking it in his image. He brings Opportunity Day to Las Anclas, with its terrifying lottery of "Change or die." He forces Paco into the role of his son and prince, always watching him for signs of rebellion. And for those who escaped his net, he sends elite Changed soldiers to drag them back to be executed.
Inside Las Anclas, Paco and Becky play a nerve-shattering game of cat and mouse, plotting a resistance under Voske's eye. Outside the walls, Ross, Mia, Jennie, and Kerry desperately evade pursuit and try to free their town. And at last, Felicité must face the choice she's given up everything to avoid.
In the darkness of defeat, can hope catch fire?
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read the Change series – and the final book is out this week! EEE! I have no idea how Brown and Smith are going to wrap everything up, but I am HERE for whatever they choose to write!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M, matriarchal queernorm world
Published on: 10th October 2024
Goodreads
The play’s the thing to catch the attention of Astreiant…especially when it includes murder, mystery and magic.
It’s ghost-tide in the city and the dead walk the streets, haunting those who meant something to them in life. The theaters of Point of Dreams have a hit season on their hands and Adjunct Point Nicolas Rathe and former mercenary Philip Eslingen have a murder on theirs. Not to mention a heady mix of intrigue, politics and magic, where even the flowers are more than they seem. Added to all of that, the crimelord that Philip worked for has dismissed him from his service and he’s had to move in with Nico. Can Nico and Philip stop the killer before they strike again? And will their relationship survive it if they do?
Lambda Literary Award Winner for Speculative Fiction.
It’s the third book (and second novel) of the Astreiant series! These are some of my favourite books OF ALL TIME EVER; I reread this series every year. I’m so happy they’re coming back into print! The Astreiant books are very forgiving, you can pick up any of them anywhere in the series and won’t be lost! Sort of police procedurals in a Renaissance-esque setting, but matriarchal and queernorm. Oh, and astrology is VERY REAL!
Genres: Fantasy, Portal Fantasy, YA
Published on: 10th October 2024
Goodreads
Vengeance awaits in the follow up to the epic, award-winning, New York Times bestselling Inkheart trilogy by internationally acclaimed author Cornelia Funke.
Five years have passed since the events of Inkdeath. At last, peace reigns in Ombra where Meggie, Mo, Dustfinger and all the other residents lead a happy, carefree life. But it has been a different story for Orpheus, who after fleeing to the north, has spent his days living a meager and deprived existence fueled only by his thirst for revenge against Dustfinger and all those who betrayed him.
Now Orpheus is willing to use any means necessary to take revenge. Even the darkest spell the ink world has to offer.
When Dustfinger’s deepest fears come true, he’ll have to figure out whether the words still obey him. Or is he the one who should be afraid of the pictures this time…
Remember Inkheart? The fourth book you might have heard rumours about is out in English this week!!! At least in the UK; the US has to wait until next month. I’m so excited to get to return to this world and its characters!!!
Will you be reading any of these? Did I miss any releases you think I should know about? Let me know!
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