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.
TWENTY-TWO 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, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 3rd March 2025
Goodreads
Being a Nix is bad enough, what with water pollution and the world's aversion to river demons, but when the River Arun's Goddess turns matchmaker, nothing will be the same again.
Chlo
I've spent my life fitting in, a tailor who can't touch iron or steel, a Nix who avoids the river she was born to swim in. Making clothes instead of dragging people to the deep. But the river goddess Trisantona thinks I need love in my life, thinks it'll be the one thing that will bring me back to her river. And she's picked Violet, the one woman I can't resist...Welcome to the Godstouched Universe, where the Gods interfere in the lives of mortals, magic leaks back into our world, and love conquers all.
Nixies! I can’t remember the last time I saw nixies anywhere! This sounds like my favourite kind of heart-glowing romance, and I’m sold!
Genres: Fantasy
Published on: 3rd March 2025
Goodreads
Laurel Rumbroom is the sole living resident of the Underhallow, where dead moths have been showing up at the gates in neatly wrapped packages.
Since the institution of the Revenant Accords, which prohibits ghosts from freely haunting the country, the Rumbrooms have acted as Guardians to the ghosts seeking refuge at their sanctuary. But when Laurel’s father suddenly passes, leaving her orphaned, the Underhallow falls in danger of losing its sanctions.
Bewildered by the mysterious deliveries of dead moths, starting to question her grip on reality, and gradually realizing the precarious position of her home and the questionable circumstances surrounding her father’s death, Laurel begs the help of the Underhallow ghosts animated by her powers, struggling to come into her own and unmake her madness.
With humor, whimsy, and elements of gothic mystery, A Madness Unmade is the first book in the Victorian-inspired Deathly Inheritance Duology, perfect for fans of Charlie N. Holmberg and S.L. Prater.
I was hooked the moment the blurb mentioned moth packages!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC, nonbinary love interest
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
Follow the river Liss to the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, and meet two sisters who cannot be separated, even in death.
“Oh what is stronger than a death? Two sisters singing with one breath.”
In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family.There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None more devotedly than the family’s latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees.
But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters’ bond but also their lives will be at risk…
Easily my most-anticipated release this week! I have been assured that the Fae here are actually fey and strange and unhuman, and between that and El-Mohtar’s prose, I couldn’t be more excited!!!
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
From the bestselling M. R. Carey comes an utterly unique and enchantingly dark epic fantasy fable like no other.
This is the tale of Once Was Willem, who - eleven hundred and some years after the death of Christ, in the kingdom that had but recently begun to call itself England - rose from the dead to defeat a great evil facing the humble village of Cosham.
Pennick for all its beauty was ever a place with a dark reputation. The forests of the Chase were said to be home to nixies and boggarts, and there was a common belief, passed down through many generations, that the castle housed an unquiet ghost of terrible and malign power. These rumours I can attest were all true; indeed they fell short of the truth by a long way . . .
This popped onto my radar when it wowed CSE Cooney, and everything I’ve heard about it since just confirms that it’s a book I need to read. (Extremely strange found families? ‘He came back wrong’? Biblically accurate angels? GIMME!)
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
A spy lurking in the shadows, a nation on the verge of an invasion, a man desperate to protect his home.
Lucian is the Blade of Castrial–the kingdom's spymaster and first line of defense, lauded for his success in repelling an invasion from Garaner. But the war has left Castrial's economy in shambles, and when the neighbouring kingdom of Sarian musters their armies and sends spies into Castrial, Lucian realises two things: they have a spy in their midst, and they can't afford the cost of fighting off another invasion.
And if that wasn't trouble enough, there is Alaric, the Shield of Castrial and the only man in the Echelon whose power is equal to Lucian's. Returned from banishment like the vengeful spirit of their long-lost friendship, Alaric carries a deep-set grudge against Lucian, a grudge that may well be justified.
Lucian’s desire to protect his nation is nearly equal to his wish to reconcile with Alaric, but if he cannot get his act together and convince the Shield to work with him, Castrial will fall.
Blade Broken is a queer, sword-and-sorcery fantasy and the first book in The Echelon Series. If you love flawed characters, betrayals and redemption, and gritty worldbuilding with lots of political machinations, you will love this book.
I’ve heard very mixed opinions on this one, but I still want to take a peek at it. (What Kobo/Big River book samples are for!)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MC
Goodreads
Lane didn't know what she thought the afterlife would be, but she certainly hadn't expected to be a student of the elite Magistrate Academy, performing death magic, chasing down ghosts, and protecting After Life against witches. All for a second chance at life.
Shepherd may be an unwitch, but she's not going to sit idly by while her sister, Addie, is missing. Witch or not, she's still one of the most notorious dealers at the Night Market, and she's going to use every resource at her disposal to find her powerful sister.
When ghosts start turning into shades, their souls dying, Lane is left with all the blame. . . and with a curious key that seems to be made of bone. And it turns out the sarcastic, witch-affiliated Shepherd has a key too-Addie's. Lane is forced to team up with Shepherd to clear her name, and in exchange, she'll help find Shepherd's sister.
But as they investigate the shades and trace Addie's steps, the two unknowingly stumble upon a secret even bigger than their own-so big that it might be the end of Life as they know it.
In her stunning debut, Kate Gray Glass crafts a sapphic tale of life versus death, lies versus the truth, and the powerful versus the powerless that will have readers hungry for more.
Afterlife magic school! Night markets! Unwitches! YES PLEASE!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Queernorm setting
Goodreads
To save her people, she will become Her Dark Grace.
Northern law demands sacrifice.
For any shadow-marked born in the northern realm, this means death. No one knows that better than Eirlys, who escaped her own fate twenty-seven years ago. These nights she prowls the border between realms to rescue infants from cruel and fatal blades.
When an encounter with a northern priest goes awry, Eirlys is lucky to escape with her life. Only to find that very life upended. The priest has identified her as the lost northern heir who stands to inherit the crown. Seeking revenge for herself and every shadow-marked she couldn’t save, Eirlys chooses to take her place in the north and dismantle it from the inside.
But then, Eirlys is thrown under the protection of the same priest who ruined her life and worships the gods she needs to destroy. A dark secret held in his past threatens not only Eirlys’s own life, but the lives of Price, the priest she should hate, and August, the prince she left behind. Now, Eirlys must risk all she holds dear to confront the very gods who condemn her and their promise of a fate far crueler than death.
I don’t remember why, but past!Sia put this very firmly on her Books To Watch Out For List, so I suspect there was some detail that maybe didn’t make it into the blurb? Clearly I’ll have to check out the book to make sure!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: (Some) queer and brown MCs
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
Celebrate a decade of Critical Role with this anthology featuring the perspectives of ten characters who fought alongside—and against—Vox Machina.
In these ten stories, see the legendary adventuring party anew through the eyes of some of the most memorable characters whose lives were touched by Vox Machina.
Within its pages:
• Shaun Gilmore reflects on the life he has chosen, as told by Aabria Iyengar.
• Raishan, racked by a pestilent curse, plots to release the Cinder King from his fiery prison, as told by Rory Power.
• Trinket the Wonder Bear accompanies the next generation of Vox Machina on their first adventure, as told by Sarah Glenn Marsh.
• Plus seven more hilarious, heartbreaking, and heroic tales featuring Kaylie, Doty, Kevdak, and more!The adventure began in 2015 with a group of friends sitting down in front of a camera to roll some dice, bring their characters to life, and tell a story that would become immortalized in their livestream tabletop roleplaying game: Critical Role. What started as a humble home game eventually grew into a worldwide phenomenon that has touched countless people with its poignant, larger-than-life storytelling—and in that same vein, this collection celebrates the characters whose lives were touched by Vox Machina but whose stories are yet to be told.
I think I might be the last person on the internet who knows virtually nothing about Critical Role…so I’m hoping this collection serves as a good introduction! Because I really would like to learn more about it.
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Trans MC
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
As a transgender woman, the kind and impulsive goblin Trinx has never felt fully accepted in her rural clan. Feeling destined to always live on the edge of goblin society, she naively decides to adopt a child as the first step on a path to joining the High Council of Goblin Grandmas, intending to leverage her position to make the Chubug clan more accepting of everyone. When she finds it impossible to create a family this way, she looks to alchemy for an easy solution. Follow Trinx’s journey as she finds a family of friends and discovers the truth that has been eluding her.
Distilled Magic is a cozy fantasy novel offering a slice-of-life look into goblin society, full of alchemical magic, a warm and welcoming tavern, delicious foods, dragonroot tea, found family, and the power of change.
A trans goblin performing alchemy?! HI YES THANK YOU I AM SEATED! (I wonder if turning to alchemy as a solution for creating a family means she’s going to make a family in test-tubes…I kind of hope so, that would be so cool!)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Nonbinary MC, MLM MC
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
Long-banished dragons, revered as gods, return to the mortal realm in the second book in this magical, romantic, epic fantasy trilogy from a London Times bestselling author
One volume has closed and the next opened. But a different Archivist writes this now, for the last has flown out to the horizon and never returned. I wish I could promise all turned out well. That fate arced its way straight and true towards fairness and justice. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that life, even one touched by magic and fate, is never tidy.
But no matter how difficult things became, I cannot shy away from putting it all down, tempting as it is to burn certain pages. I made a pact and a promise that I would show it all. The good, the bad, the intimacy, and the betrayal. I am, for better or worse, the new archivist. I have to let it stand.
Stories often begin with either a life or a death. This one is the latter.
The conclusion of the Dragon Scales duology!
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
In the beloved tradition of Howl’s Moving Castle, a whimsical and unforgettable story of fantastic adventure, common sense, and the power of love to overcome the greatest of obstacles . . .
Before Foss Butcher was Snagged, she thought no more of the magic-users than did anyone else in her tiny village. Sometimes gorgeous women in impossible carriages rolled into town and took bits of people’s hearts. Everyone knew hearts fueled their magic. But Foss, plain, clumsy, and practical as a boot, never expected anyone would want hers.
True enough, when the only sorcerer in the kingdom stepped from his glossy carriage, he didn’t intend to hook Foss. Sylvester’s riot of black curls and perfectly etched cheekbones caught her eye a moment too long, that was all. Suddenly, Foss is cursed and finds herself stomping toward the grand City to keep his enchanted House, where her only friend is a talking cat and the walls themselves have moods.
But as Foss learns the ways of magic, she realizes she’s far from its only unwilling captive. Even Sylvester is hemmed in by spells and threats. It’s said this sorcery protects king, country, and order for thousands. If Foss wants to free herself—and, perhaps, Sylvester—she’ll have to confront it all . . . and uncover the blight nestled in the heart of the kingdom itself.
I massively enjoyed this one, most especially because of main character Foss, who was my favourite first-person narrator in a while!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
Step into a world where every tapestry is a portal to somewhere else…
Sophie O'Toole has always been more interested in weaving tapestries than traveling through them. But now she's ready to escape her small town in Western New York to study weaving at one of England's most prestigious colleges. At East Lawn, she will learn the secrets of transforming thread into the tapestries everyone uses for transportation and recreation.
But weaving is easy compared to navigating campus life and a new country with her roommates — and their incredibly attractive older brothers. And those aren't the only challenges in store for Sophie, as she becomes entangled in the mystery surrounding the death of Britain's most beloved tapestry designer, Sabrina Maxwell.
When Sophie discovers the design for Sabrina's final, unwoven tapestry, it could be the clue that's been missing all this time. But will weaving the tapestry unravel the mystery behind Sabrina's death? Or will the months of work — and the relationships Sophie sacrifices in the process — lead to nothing more than a tangled mess?
--#--
The Fall of the Loom is a cozy academic fantasy mystery with a dash of low-spice romance and a smattering of salty language. It's also a love letter to the art of weaving and an imagined version of our world where tapestries serve as the dominant mode of transportation.
Immediately interested in the magic system Auman’s created here. Tapestries as teleportation??? Not something I’ve seen before!
You can access an excerpt (by signing up for the author’s newsletter) here!
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, YA
Representation: Black MC
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
Severed from the Legendborn. Oathbound to a monster.
Bree Matthews is alone. She exiled herself from the Legendborn Order, cut her ancestral connections, and turned away from the friends who can’t understand the impossible cost of her powers. This is the only way to keep herself—and those she loves—safe.
But Bree’s decision has come with a terrible price: an unbreakable bargain with the Shadow King himself, a shapeshifter who can move between humanity, the demon underworld, and the Legendborn secret society. In exchange for training to wield her unprecedented abilities, Bree has put her future in the Shadow King’s hands—and unwittingly bound herself to do his bidding as his new protégé.
Meanwhile, the other Scions must face war with their Round Table fractured, leaderless, and missing its Kingsmage, as Selwyn has also disappeared. When Nick is detained by the Order’s Merlins, he invokes an ancient law that requires the High Council of Regents to convene at the Northern Keep and grant him an audience. No one knows what he will demand of them...or what secrets he has kept hidden from the Table.
As a string of mysterious kidnappings escalates and Merlins are found dead, it becomes clear that no matter how hard Bree runs from who she is, the past will always find her.
The third (but not final!) book in the Legendborn series! There’s going to be one more installment after this and then the story will be over! I am not prepared.
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Horror, YA
Representation: Mute MC
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
From bestselling author Kelly Andrew comes the most electrifying dark romance of the decade...
Following the death of his father, Thomas Walsh had to grow up quickly, taking on odd-jobs to keep food on the table and help pay his gravely ill mother's medical bills. When he's offered a highly paid position as an interpreter for an heiress who exclusively signs, Thomas -- the hearing child of a Deaf adult -- jumps at the opportunity.
But the job is not without its challenges. Thomas is expected to accompany Vivienne wherever she goes, but from the start, she seems determined to shake him. To make matters worse, her parents keep her on an extremely short leash. She is not to go anywhere without express permission. She is not to deviate from her routine.
She is, most importantly, not to be out after dark.
A selective-mute, Vivienne Farrow hasn't said a word in years -- not since going missing in Red Rock Canyon when she was four years old. No one knows quite what happened to her out in the dark. They only know that the sound of her voice is now as deadly as a poison. Anyone who hears her speak suffers a horrible death.
Ever since that fatal family vacation, Vivienne has been desperately searching for a way to regain control of both her voice and her body. Because the face staring out of the mirror isn't hers. It's something with teeth.
Thankfully, Vivienne has a plan. She's finally found someone who claims to be able to perform a surgical exorcism. She just needs to find a way to get rid of Thomas first. But Thomas can't afford to walk away, nor is he willing to abandon the mysterious girl he's quickly falling for, no matter what dark powers threaten to swallow them both whole.
I’ve been meaning to read Kelly Andrews for ages, and I’m hoping to start with I Am Made if Death! A very feminine would-be ballerina possessed by an eldritch monster? Unable to speak without killing people? Here for it!
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Representation: Desi cast
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
From critically acclaimed author Shveta Thakrar comes a beautifully imagined contemporary fantasy about two teens, one a believer of magic who yearns to belong, the other a skeptic searching for an escape, who find themselves embroiled in a twisty world of court intrigue when they venture into a forest ruled by yakshas, mysterious woodland spirits drawn from Hindu and Buddhist folklore.
Plant-loving Ridhi Kapadia and popular Nilesh Batra were friends once.
Now, seventeen and alone, Ridhi blends natural perfumes, wears flower crowns, and wanders her local woods, listening for the leafy whispers of her beloved trees. Pleading for the yakshas to admit her into their enchanted forest kingdom, where she knows she truly belongs.
After learning his parents’ perfect marriage is a sham and getting suspended from school, a heartsick Nilesh lands at Ridhi’s doorstep—the last thing either of them wants. So when a pretty yakshini offers him the distraction of magic, the same magic he mocked Ridhi for believing in, he jumps at it.
Furious, Ridhi strikes a bargain with a noblewoman named Sulochana. In return for helping restore her reputation, Sulochana will turn Ridhi into the yakshini she yearns to be—and teach her to divine the trees’ murmurs.
But when Nilesh ends up trapped in the yakshas’ realm, Ridhi realizes the leaves might be telling a disturbing story about the forest her heart is rooted in—one that, even if the two of them band together, threatens to shred the future like so many thorns.
Thakrar always gets such stunning covers! And wow, do I feel for Ridhi – believing in magic only for some idiot to be given it instead of you? I’d be furious too!
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Horror, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Nonbinary Vietnamese MC
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
A red algae bloom has taken over Mercy, Louisiana. Ever since a devastating hurricane, mutated wildlife lurks in the water that rises by the day. But Mercy has always been a place where monsters walk in plain sight. Especially at its heart: The Cove, where Noon’s life was upended long before the storm at a party her older boyfriend insisted on.
Now, Noon is stuck navigating the submerged town with her mom, who believes their dead family has reincarnated as sea creatures. Alone with the pain of what happened that night at the cove, Noon buries the truth: she is not the right shape.
When Mercy’s predatory leader demands Noon and her mom capture the creature drowning residents, she reluctantly finds an ally in his deadly hunter of a daughter and friends old and new. As the next storm approaches, Noon must confront the past and decide if it’s time to answer the monster itching at her skin.
The author has described this as a ‘coming of rage’, and frankly, that’s all I need to hear.
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Representation: Chinese-inspired cast and setting
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
In a world invaded by demons, one girl will face the ultimate test when she is forced to enter into an ancient, deadly competition for the chance to save her mother's soul… before she loses her forever. From the New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night comes the beginning of a dark and opulent fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Throne of Glass.
Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore Àn’yīng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now the mortal realm is falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.
Àn’yīng is no longer a helpless child, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter the Immortality Trials, which are open to any mortal who can survive the journey to the immortal realm. Those who complete the Trials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Àn’yīng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.
Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, Àn’yīng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng.
The longer she survives the Trials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Àn’yīng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms.
I very much like the sound of ‘dark and opulent’ – I haven’t read Zhao before, I’m hoping her prose is delicious enough to justify ‘opulent’!
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi, YA
Representation: F/F
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this standalone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.
By encouraging massive accumulations of debt from its underclass, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society.
Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town where they scrape by running a taxidermy shop. Unbeknownst to Inesa, their cruel and indolent mother has accrued an enormous debt—enough to qualify one of her children for Caerus’s livestreamed assassination spectacle: the Lamb’s Gauntlet.
Melinoë is a Caerus assassin, trained to track and kill the sacrificial Lambs. The product of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she is a living weapon, known for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. She has never failed to assassinate one of her marks.
When Inesa learns that her mother has offered her as a sacrifice, at first she despairs—the Gauntlet is always a bloodbath for the impoverished debtors. But she’s had years of practice surviving in the apocalyptic wastes, and with the help of her hunter brother, she might stand a chance of staying alive.
For Melinoë, this is a game she can’t afford to lose. Despite her reputation for mercilessness, she is haunted by painful flashbacks. After her last Gauntlet, where she broke down on livestream, she desperately needs redemption.
As Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, both girls begin to question everything: Inesa wonders if there’s more to life than survival, while Mel wonders if she’s capable of more than killing.
And both wonder if, against all odds, they might be falling in love.
Ava Reid has been completely hit-or-miss for me, but I’m hoping for a hit with this one!
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi, YA
Representation: Brown MLM MC, M/M
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
In this stunning graphic novel by two-time Ignatz award–winning graphic novelist Ariel Slamet Ries, Oberon must choose between fantasy and reality when he develops the ability to conjure his dreams in real life—including the facsimile of the boy who got away.
In the not-too-distant future, most of humanity resides on its last-ditch effort at Meridian, a remote alien planet where you’re more likely to be born superhuman than left-handed.
None of that is important to Oberon Afolayan. Since his mildly public breakdown, his whole life seems to be spiraling out of control—from dropping out of university to breaking up with his boyfriend, it seems like only a karmic inevitability when he wakes up one day with the ability to conjure his dreams in the real world.
Oberon’s newfound powers come with a facsimile of his high school crush, Kon, who mysteriously dropped off the face of the planet almost three years ago and who is a little more infuriating (if not also infuriatingly hot) than Oberon remembers.
Kon makes it his mission to turn Oberon’s life around, and while they struggle to get a handle on his powers and his disastrous personal life (not to mention the appearance of strange nightmare creatures), it turns out this dream version of Kon has secrets of his own—dangerous ones.
Oberon might have more on his plate than he originally thought, but is giving up his dreams—even the one he might have accidentally fallen in love with—the only way to find happiness in reality?
Love the premise of this one – reality-warping to make your dreams reality! – and though this isn’t the kind of art style I usually like, the colour schemes and imagination in it have me making heart-eyes!
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Bisexual MC
Published on: 4th March 2025
Goodreads
The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.
They've loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They've killed each other in every one.
Evelyn remembers all her past lives. She also remembers that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being whose soul―and survival―is tethered to hers.
The problem is that she’s quite fond of the life she’s in now, and her little sister needs her for bone marrow transplants in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she’ll have to:
1. Find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life―before they find her first.
2. Figure out why she’s being hunted and finally break their curse.
3. Try not to fall in love.
Reincarnation stories usually let me down, but I’m hopeful for this one – true loves who aren’t cursed to randomly die tragically, but are actually killing each other in every life?! Not to mention a sisterly bond as a core motivator! Sia wants!
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 6th March 2025
Goodreads
Myth, folklore, and magic come together in 21 illustrated short stories of hope, transformation, and finding light within the dark.
A young woman unearths a masquerade mask that reveals her innermost secrets. A grieving woman uses cocoa beans to open a door between worlds. A graduate student leaves her thesis behind when she crosses into fairyland. A child becomes separated from their home beneath the waves. An aging grandmother recounts her post-war encounter with a shapeshifter who brought out new desires.
This inspiring collection empowers readers with strength and resilience to conquer everyday challenges.
We could all do with some hopeful stories at the moment, okay?
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 7th March 2025
Goodreads
Keno Sif is a marauder who has made her name killing, drinking, and breaking hearts across the vast continent of Atlas. Together with her mentor Buri the Giant, and the master thief Ivon, their combined bounties have an army of mercenaries dogging their every waking moment.
After a reckless escape lands them among the ruins of a lost kingdom, Sif begins to suffer from nightmares calling her to the sunken city of Agartha, said to be the resting place of both horrific tragedy and priceless treasure. Maybe enough treasure to escape arrest for good.
Decades later, Sif has retreated into the snowy mountains of her homeland, wanting only to be left in peace. But when she is forced to defend a cursed girl named Najah from a common enemy, Sif realizes that the only way to protect her solitary life is by accompanying the girl back into a world she’d hoped to forget. The closer they get to unraveling Najah’s curse, the more Sif’s memories of Agartha call to her.
It seems all roads lead back to that city at the end of the world, and the horrors Sif left there decades ago.
The Dreaming Dead is a queer dark fantasy about finding your place with the family you choose, and finding your purpose even after the world has cast you aside.
I can’t put my finger on why, but I am DEEPLY interested in hearing how Sif’s story turns out! (It probably helps that I have a soft spot for badasses having to protect kids/younger people.)
Will you be reading any of these? Did I miss any releases you think I should know about? Let me know!
Hey that’s me! :)
It is!