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 stuff sneaks in occasionally too.
FORTY books this week!!! What!!! That is a brand-new record, fifteen more than the previous record-holder Must-Have Monday #223! Definitely helped by a whole bunch of sequels and series-concluders! (Is that a word? It should be a word.)
(Books are listed in order of pub date, then Adult SFF, Adult Other, YA SFF, YA Other, MG SFF.)
Wizards & Weavers (Cozy Questing Book 1) by Nazri Noor
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 29th September 2025
Goodreads
Braiden Beadle’s craft shop is on its last legs, even though it’s filled with the plushest yarns and the finest fabrics. Nobody cares for crafts anymore, not since the dungeon appeared outside Weathervale. Adventurers have swarmed the seaside city, eager to discover the dungeon’s treasures… and not a single one of them needs any knitting needles.
Desperate to save his shop, Braiden prepares to brave the mysterious dungeon for its riches. But Augustin Arcosa, the Wizard of Weathervale, has deemed the dungeon a threat to his hometown. He wants to seal it away forever.
Armed with only his wits and his impractical magic of weaving, Braiden must convince the haughty and annoyingly handsome wizard that the dungeon poses no danger to Weathervale. And there’s only one way to be they must explore its depths together.
Can an unlikely adventurer and a windbag wizard find common ground underground? Join Braiden, Augustin, and an evolving party of quirky colleagues as they embark on the cozy quest of a lifetime. A humorous, heartwarming fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Terry Pratchett.
Aww, this sounds so sweet. And I’ve been looking for stories featuring people who work with fabrics lately! (Don’t ask me why, it’s a random craving that was a surprise to me too!)
Demon Song by Kelsea Yu
Genres: Adult, Horror
Representation: Chinese (?) demisexual MC
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
An eerie and unsettling gothic horror about the heady and hungry price of fame, drawing on Chinese mythology. Perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson and Cassandra Khaw.
Places like this have a history. Desires. And this one is famished.
Megan and her mom have escaped the clutches of an abusive man, who dragged them halfway across the world from Portland to Beijing. On the run and with few options, her mom turns to Wei, an old friend of hers and takes a job cleaning the Huihuang Opera house, a lavish theater in which she used to perform.
Rusty with her Mandarin, and feeling like an outsider in the country, Megan soon finds a group of friends in a young troupe of performers, and especially in Kristy, who takes an immediate shine to her. Torn between a battered copy of Journey to the West and an awkward friendship, Megan begins spending more and more time with Kristy. Her love of singing brings out a whole new side of Megan, who finds a new purpose unlocking within the walls of the ancient building.
But the Huihuang Opera house has secrets. There are passages within the walls that shouldn't be there, and the more Megan delves into that old book, the more the myths begin to bleed into real life. As reality and folklore start to merge, and Megan finds it increasingly difficult to tell the two apart, she must uncover a decades-old mystery, and discover the true, horrifying secret of the Huihuang Opera house before it casts its hungry eyes on her.
I think this was released in the UK last week, and I missed it – but this week it’s out in the US too! And sounds absolutely WONDERFUL, I’m itching to dive in already!
You can read an except here!
Beyond the Border Forest: Into the Prawdziwy Las (The Immortal Seasons Cycle Book 1) by Molly Haniszewski
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer (?) MC, trans love interest
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
Two kings rule the ancient woods—the Oak King in summer, the Holly King in winter—and no mortal may cross into their realm without leave. But when eighteen-year-old Rowan Gwózdek’s sister vanishes, Rowan defies the old laws and enters the forbidden forest, desperate to find her.
She isn't alone for long. Keziah, a trans (and very handsome) hunter with a shadowy tie to the Oak King, offers his help—and a perilous path to the Bear Maiden, a creature said to grant wishes. Together, Rowan and Keziah face mossmen, a wood dragon, and other servants of the forest kings.
But danger lurks deeper still. Caught between the warring Oak and Holly Kings, Rowan is forced to take sides in a battle far older and fiercer than she ever imagined. Saving her sister could cost her everything—including her way home.
I haven’t seen any early reviews for this one, but I love the sound of it!
The Witch Who Chases the Sun by Dawn Chen
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Chinese-coded sapphic MCs
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
Sometimes, true love is not the answer.
A decade after the Second War, Aixauhan Alchemist Ying Cai-Li seeks to rekindle her relationship with her ex-lover, the Inabrian Oracle Anne Barberry.However, the war changed them both. Estranged by their losses, Cai-Li has gained a notorious reputation as the dark magic-wielding Blood Hawk and Anne barricades herself in a castle on a hill where her family’s dark secrets lie. Rumors in the village say Anne is a monster, responsible for the disappearance of innocent visitors.
But when the two witches reunite and begin unraveling the mysteries of the village, it becomes clear that scars left by the war do not easily fade. Things are not as they seem. Old ghosts come back to haunt them. Past truths are revealed. Can the witches be each other’s salvations or are they doomed to repeat the past that tore them apart?
Fans of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang and The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon will fall in love with Dawn Chen’s sapphic high fantasy epic about anti-colonialism, grief, generational trauma, and the cycles of war.
Everything about this sounds perfect for me!
Nine-Tenths by J.M. Frey
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M, Native American secondary character
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
Colin Levesque is at loose ends. He's finished university, but has no career; he adores romance novels, but he's crap at relationships; and his prickliness is a detriment at the café where he's making ends meet. He also has a crush on his regular Dav, a homo draconis who comes in every morning to read his newspaper, sip his double-strong coffee, and stare longingly at Colin in return.
So it figures that the day Colin gets up the courage to do something about the sexual tension simmering between them, he also learns that Dav has an embarrassing habit of hiccupping fire when he's nervous. Which, in this case, destroys the fancy custom-made bean roaster. When Dav volunteers to take over the coffee roasting with his fire-breath, being squished together in the hot, cramped kitchen leads to even hotter kisses.
Everything's finally happening for Colin—until people start claiming the dragon-roasted coffee has cured their genetic ailments. As their budding relationship struggles under the scrutiny of scientists and media, the hype around the coffee leads the lovers to be inducted into a centuries-old conspiracy: dragon-roasted food has always healed humans. And the most powerful draconic nobles have been withholding this symbiotic advantage to keep themselves on top. Colin and Dav are determined to expose the truth, but if they're not careful, their objections could goad power-mad monarchs into destroying everything they hold dear.
Including each other.
Friends, I’ve already read this one, and I absolutely adored it. It’s the kind of book trad-pub is generally too cowardly for, because it’s so many different things at once that it’s kind of impossible to pigeon-hole: it’s a Coffee Shop (not-)AU, in a contemporary fantasy setting, with (shapeshifter) dragons, and a (queer) romance, but has a magical mystery which is also a capitalist conspiracy, directly related to the Land Back movement.
AND IT’S A WHOLE LOT OF FUN.
You can read the first five chapters here!
Wings of Tabat (The Tabat Quartet Book 4) by Cat Rambo
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MCs
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
In the final book of Cat Rambo’s magical Tabat Quartet, we return to the city of Tabat, where Humans and magical Beasts co-exist—but uneasily. The exploited Beasts, used for both their labor and their very bodies, are finally fighting back, and turmoil abounds in the city.
At the same time, as Tabat prepares for its long-predicted elections, multiple factions are jostling for power—all of them preparing to oust the Duke. And the mysterious Circus of the Autumn Moon has departed from the College of Mages and is nowhere to be found.Bella Kanto, once Champion of Tabat before being exiled for crimes she did not commit, has come home to her beloved city, carried by Dragons. If she is found, exiled Bella could be thrown into the Duke’s dark prisons.
Adelina, Bella’s former lover and best friend, has married Merchant Mage Sebastiano, but the two are still learning what it means to be in love with each other—and how to survive together.
Meanwhile, freed of his curse, Bella’s former companion Teo has escaped Lucy’s grasp, but finds the city an unwelcoming place nonetheless.
Now Bella must determine how to defend Tabat from a terrifying the transfigured Lucy, transformed into a dangerous demigod. Monstrous in her power and angry at the city she feels has betrayed her, Lucy destroys the Duke’s castle and other vital parts of Tabat, raining down destruction and chaos, and threatening to eradicate the city entirely.
Now that she is reunited with her friends and family, can Bella manage to recapture her magical tie to Tabat in time to defeat Lucy before she destroys the city?
Enter the world of Tabat and find out why writer Saladin Ahmed called this story “an unsung gem of modern epic fantasy.”
It is PAST time I had another go at this series, and with the final book now out, it’s an excellent time for it!
The Sovereign (Magic of the Lost, #3) by C.L. Clark
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic North African-coded MC, sapphic disabled MC
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
Luca is the new queen of Balladaire. Her empire is already splintering in her hands. Her uncle wasn’t the only traitor in the court, and the Withering will decimate her people if she can’t unearth Balladaire’s magic. The only person who can help her wants the only thing Luca won’t give—the end of the monarchy.
Touraine is Luca’s general. She has everything she ever wanted. While Luca looks within Balladaire’s borders, Touraine looks outward—the alliance with Qazal is brittle and Balladaire’s neighbors are ready to pounce on its new weakness. When the army comes, led by none other than Touraine’s old lover, Touraine must face the truth about herself—and the empire she once called home.
A storm is coming. Touraine and Luca will stand against it together, or it will tear them apart once and for all.
AHHHHHHHHHH.
That is all.
Fate's Bane by C.L. Clark
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
Ignyte Award-winning author C. L. Clark brings fantasy to the fens with Fate's Bane, a tragic sapphic adventure.
Warring clans. Burning hearts. Deadly fate.
The clans of the fens enjoy a tenuous peace, and it is all thanks to Agnir, ward and hostage. For as long as she can remember she has lived among the enemy, learning their ways, growing strong alongside their children. When a burgeoning love for the chieftain's daughter lures them both to a hidden spring, a magic awakens in them that could bind the clans under one banner at last--or destroy any hope of peace. By working their intentions into leather, they can weave misfortune for their enemies... just like the Fate's Bane that haunts the legends of the clans.
Ambitions grow in their fathers' hearts, grudges threaten a return to violence, and greedy enemies wait outside the borders, seeking a foothold to claim the fens for themselves. And though their Makings may save their families, the legend that gave them this power always exacts its price.
Can you believe Clark has two books coming out on the same day??? This one is a novella, in a completely new setting, so not related to the Magic of the Lost trilogy.
Silver and Lead (October Daye, #19) by Seanan McGuire
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Secondary queer characters, queernorm culture
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
Seanan McGuire’s New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-nominated October Daye series continues as Toby Daye is thrust once again into danger... and this time she has more than ever to protect.
Something is rotten in Faerie. In the aftermath of Titania's reality-warping enchantment, things are returning to what passes for normal in the Kingdom in the Mists―until it's discovered that the royal vaults have been looted, and several powerful magical artifacts are missing. None are things that can be safely left unsecured, and some have the potential to do almost as much damage as Titania did, and having them in the wrong hands could prove just as disastrous
At least the theft means that Sir October "Toby" Daye, Knight errant and Hero of the Realm, finally has an excuse to get out of the house. Sure, she's eight and a half months pregnant, but that doesn't mean she can’t take care of herself. But with the sea witch offering to stand godmother to Toby's child, maybe there are greater dangers ahead for Toby and her family than it appears....
Old enemies will resurface, new enemies will disguise themselves as friends, and Queen Windermere must try to keep her Hero on the case without getting herself gutted by the increasingly irritated local King of Cats. Sometimes, what's been lost can be the most dangerous threat of all.
If you haven’t started reading the October Daye series, OBVIOUSLY you cannot start here. But I love this series so much – not least because McGuire is a MASTERMIND at making the tiniest, most innocuous detail an immensely important clue for events three or four or seven books later! With that in mind, Seanan McGuire has said that before diving into Silver and Lead, it’s most important to reread/consider matters from Rosemary and Rue, Chimes at Midnight, The Winter Long, and Night and Silence – as well as the two books immediately before this one, aka Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep.
We Were Men Once (Malediction's Embrace, #1) by Candice Morris
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
What happens when the person you’d burn the world for forgets you entirely?
When Xaraan sacrifices himself to destroy an archdevil he once made a pact with, his soul is cast into Hell. But his husband, Kyarlin, refuses to let death be the end. He descends into Hell to reclaim the soul of the man he loves, only to find Xaraan transformed into Suneelon, a devil bound to Astaroth’s will and stripped of all memory.
As Kyarlin navigates a war-torn underworld rife with political manipulation, infernal monstrosities, and damned souls, he must decide whether to save who Xaraan was—or love who Suneelon has become.
In an unforgiving hellscape where love is weakness, souls are currency, memory is fractured, and obsession is power, Kyarlin’s devotion may be either salvation or damnation.
We Were Men Once is a dark romantic fantasy inspired by Dante's Inferno and Orpheus and Eurydice (with some Baldur's Gate 3 vibes sprinkled in).
Will this be the dark, fucked-up romantic horror of my dreams??? OH I HOPE SO.
You can download a pdf of the first chapter here!
What Stalks the Deep (Sworn Soldier, #3) by T. Kingfisher
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Nonbinary MC
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
The next novella in the New York Times bestselling Sworn Soldier series, featuring Alex Easton investigating the dark, mysterious depths of a coal mine in America
Alex Easton does not want to visit America.
They particularly do not want to visit an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia with a reputation for being haunted.
But when their old friend Dr. Denton summons them to help find his lost cousin—who went missing in that very mine—well, sometimes a sworn soldier has to do what a sworn soldier has to do...
I still haven’t read any of Kingfisher’s horror! Gotta get on that!
The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet by Melinda Taub
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: F/F
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
An utterly fantastical and undeniably queer melding of Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein that recasts Mary Bennet as an insatiable scientist, one who creates a monster in an attempt to save herself from spinsterdom
Mary Bennet is the middlest middle child of all time. Awkward, plain, and overlooked, she’s long been out of favor not only with her own family but with generations of readers of Pride and Prejudice.
But what was Mary really doing while her sisters were falling in love? Well, what does any bright, hardworking girl do in an age when brains and hard work are only valued if they come with a pretty face? Take to the attic and teach herself to reanimate the dead of course. The world refuses to make a place for peculiar Mary, but no Bennet sister ever gives up on happiness that easily. If it won’t give this fierce, lonely girl a place, she’ll carve one out herself. And if finding acceptance requires a husband, she’ll get one. Even if she has to make him herself, too.
However, Mary’s genius and determination aren’t enough to control what she unwittingly unleashes. Her desperate attempts to rein in the destruction wreaked by her creations leads her to forge a perhaps unlikely friendship with another brilliant young woman unlike any she’s ever known. As that friendship blossoms into something passionate and all-consuming, Mary begins to realize that she may have to choose between the acceptance she’s always fought for and true happiness.
Sounds like a lot of fun!
You can listen to an excerpt of the audiobook here!
A Philosophy of Thieves (The Canarvier Files, #1) by Fran Wilde
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Brown sapphic MC
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
Leverage meets Parasite meets Six of Crows in multi-award winning author Fran Wilde’s thrilling, high-tech adventure heist wrapped in a gaslamp fantasy where thieves are entertainment for the wealthy.
The Canarviers are the premier performance thieves in New Washington, blending astonishing acrobatics, clever misdirection, and daring escapes to entertain their rich patrons. As King Canarvier has always told his children, their work is art. Who else could titillate audiences with illicit history lessons and tease them through the gaps in their much-prized security?
Now that they’re adults, King’s children feel their divisions more than their bonds. Roosa attends an exclusive finishing university, blending in so well she’s unsure where she belongs. Her brother Dax craves a chance to prove himself, stifling under his father’s caution.
Then King disappears.
With only days to buy mercy before their father is lost forever, Roo and Dax must compete in a high-stakes Grand Heist, pushing down their resentments to work together. Against a technocrat wagering more than he can lose, a security chief with a taste for pain, and a society beauty with secrets of her own, any misstep promises catastrophic ruin.
But Canarviers are artists. And they perform best when the pressure is on . . .
No matter how many times I try I cannot seem to enjoy heist stories, so this didn’t work for me – but even I could tell that it was really well-written! And so I very much recommend it for anyone who DOES love heists.
You can read an excerpt here!
Dark Intent by Jon Smout
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Gay MC
Published on: 30th September
Goodreads
Rory was once Sanctuary’s most promising young sorcerer—a prodigy of charm, ambition, and unparalleled potential. He had it all: talent, a future carved in light, and Kris—the boy who made him believe in love beyond power. But betrayal cuts deeper than any spell, and when Rory discovers Kris’s secret affair with Jack, the cracks in his perfect world shatter.
Consumed by heartbreak and rage, Rory stumbles upon an ancient dark tome—a forbidden relic promising strength, vengeance, and the means to take control of his fractured fate. But the power comes with shadows… and something else. Beasts, monstrous and unseen by others, begin to stalk him, whispering promises of supremacy.
Oooh, are we going to watch this mc cross to the Dark Side? That could be fun indeed!
Son of Hyperion (The Son of Hyperion Trilogy Book 1) by K. E. Andersen
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
Prince Helios of Kythira embarks on a heart-pounding odyssey across Greece, determined to rescue his missing sister. As ancient prophecies unfurl and the darkest of secrets unravel, Helios navigates a perilous path where love and darkness entwine in a spiral of passion and pain. Throughout his odyssey, he must navigate the delicate balance between love and hatred, loyalty and betrayal, and the delicate dance between life and death. With his homeland on the brink of civil war and dangers lurking at every turn, will he unearth his sister's fate?
The early reviewers have said the prose here is really gorgeous, so of course I want to check it out! Always looking for beautiful prose, especially when it’s queer!
You can read the opening paragraph here! (There are more snippets scatted around the author’s tiktok.)
Freed Kingfisher (The Slave-Soldier Series Book 2) by R. Laham
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Brown pansexual cast
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
The thrilling second book in the Slave-Soldier Series by R. Laham.
The rebellion won them freedom. The war for survival has only begun.
The Manzakar Rebellion has ended. The chains are broken. But freedom is fragile.
In the aftermath, the kingdom of Anzor teeters on the edge of collapse, its throne mired in intrigue and its people divided. Once slave-soldiers, Tikran, Coxani, and their brothers must carve out a place in a world that still sees them as outsiders.
Beyond Anzor’s borders, the rival kingdom of Dilovar shatters its truce, driving east into Gohar to hunt nomads and seize their magic—the fabled Essence.
As Tikran is pulled into a deadly web of betrayal and court politics, Coxani journeys into Gohar to unite its scattered tribes for the coming war. Empires are stirring, gods are watching, and the fate of a people hangs in the balance.Tikran swore the Gohari would be free. Now he must decide what price he is willing to pay to keep that promise.
* Content Warnings: Profanity, violence, torture, pregnancy, rape (off page), death (humans and animals), sexual situations
This is book two in the Slave-Soldier series, and we only got the first book earlier this year! I haven’t gotten to it yet, but the reviews are pretty promising.
The Guy Sure Looks Like Plant Food To Me by Santana Knox
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
♪ ♬ THE FLOWERS THAT KILL IN THE SPRING - TRA - LA - LA ♬ ♪
From the best-selling author of Heartless Heathens, TGSLLPFTM is a killer rom-com, feel-good, magical short story about fated love blooming in the most unexpected of places.
I'VE GIVEN HER SUNSHINEI’ve given her dirt
She's given me much more
Than I ever deserved.
I’m begging her sweetly
I’m down on my knees
Oh, please,
KILL FOR ME
TGSLLPFTM Is a novella inspired by Roger Corman’s The Little Shop of Horrors
Fated soulmates
Plant biologist & witch
Sentient plant as an attack dog
Men as fertilizer
Bone soup
Why would a man be there?
If you’re not delighted by that cover, then I am afraid you’re simply Wrong.
The Tailor of Bridewater Bay by C R Fagan
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Gay MC
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
Ronan at nineteen has lived by himself for ten years, ever since the night his mother disappeared. He has taken up her trade as a tailor and included the Irish/Druid blessings in the clothing he stitches. But his life is afflicted with isolation--he and his mother were outsiders never accepted in the community--and he has no friends in the small Louisiana bayou town of Bridewater Bay. Without friends or parents his new feelings of attraction to a charismatic young man who works at the docks confuse and distress him. When he is visited by the ghost of the Bride for whom Bridewater Bay is named, he assumes she comes because of his shameful feelings for Abel.
This gripping story of a lonely young man's coming of age in a southern town in the late nineteenth century is moving, romantic, and scary. Readers experience the two young men making their way down a road that is totally unfamiliar to them and facing grave danger. A terrifying and beautiful love story.
A druid in New Orleans? Okay, I’m fascinated by what that might look like!
You can read an excerpt here (click the arrow on the bottom-right corner of the cover)!
Knave of Sands (Spiritsinger Book 1) by Julia Greenshaw
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
In the Southern Realm of the Sentinel, Queen Attiqah of Yorenth has a tenuous grasp on her domain. The fabric of reality is breaking down around them, manifesting as strange, unnatural blights: eternal fires, fog that never dissipates, rivers that have stopped flowing, and other bewildering accounts. The land has a will of its own. Desperate for answers from the Spirits, her court advisors grow restless.
When Kyr ap Sand, a Yoren thief, witnesses this breakdown firsthand on a heist, she finds herself the unlikely catalyst of a journey of intersecting paths, and often reckless adventure. Prince Atlan Solorien, the first Spiritsinger in the Solorien line for several generations, must navigate a web of opposing responsibilities to discover his chosen path–Spiritsinger, king, scholar, or soldier.
Far to the north, Oria of-Cailir is torn between diverging notions of duty and sacrifice, that of Whispess to her clan, and that which her visions have made clear to her. Mothril of-Arcandras finds himself as guard to the Whispess, unwillingly at the center of Wiccar clan politics, despite his inclination to stay in the shadows.
Four disparate strangers, pulled together by threads of both will and something more determined, seek answers about themselves and their place in the world. Not all that is sought will be expected, and perhaps some answers should have stayed locked away.
Wait wait wait – reality is COMING APART? No small stakes here, clearly!
Singing Down the Sky by S.K. Neilson
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
All our scars tell a story.
Eulo Juke' s gambling debts have cost him his weapons, his horses and his pride. If he doesn't pay what he owes Iskarlia's Scabmen soldiers in enchanted kilili silveriron, they'll slaughter his brother.
Silveriron trader Tali Sarsega offers Eulo a marriage of convenience in Vernesia, dragging him into an unfamiliar world where women rule politics, society, and commerce.
The Vernese culture relies on wits and diplomacy, but the Scabmen are coming to take the kilili the Iskarlian way: with hard fists and sharp blades.
Can Eulo slip behind Tali's dedication to her horse breeding enterprise, rundown estate and dysfunctional family to find out her silveriron secrets before it's too late for his brother?
No-one is ready for what' s coming their way, because some things are not free to be taken.
SK Neilson writes fantasy fiction in worlds inspired by Australia' s unforgiving environment and tenacious outback folklore.
I’m always craving non-traditional gender stuff, but I got really interested in this one when I learned that the setting is based on the Australian outback! That is not at all something I see very often!
The Wax Child by Olga Ravn, Martin Aitken
Genres: Adult, Horror, Historical Fantasy
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
An astounding, haunting tale of accused witches—a book of sorcery itself—from the celebrated author of The Employees and My Work
In seventeenth-century Denmark, Christenze Kruckow, an unmarried noblewoman, is accused of witchcraft. She and several other women are rumored to be possessed by the Devil, who has come to them in the form of a tall headless man who gives them dark they can steal people's happiness, they have performed unchristian acts, and they can cause pestilence or death. They are all in danger of the stake.
The Wax Child, narrated by a wax doll created by Christenze Kruckow, is an unsettling horror story about brutality and power, nature and witchcraft, set in the fragile communities of premodern Europe.
Deeply researched and steeped in visceral, atmospheric detail, The Wax Child is based on a series of real witchcraft trials that took place in Northern Jutland in the seventeenth century. Full of lush storytelling and alarmingly rich imagination, Olga Ravn also weaves in quotes from original sources such as letters, magical spells and manuals, court documents, and Scandinavian grimoires.
Excuse me, this is narrated by a WAX DOLL??? Yeah, I absolutely need to check this out! Weird narrators are my JAM.
You can read an excerpt here!
The Captive by Kit Burgoyne
Genres: Adult, Horror
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
From a new voice in horror comes a satirical Rosemary’s Baby for our conspiratorial present in which anti-capitalist activists unwittingly unleash terrifying demonic forces when they kidnap a pregnant heiress.
From Ned Beauman, the Man Booker Prize longlisted author of The Teleportation Accident and Clarke Award winning author of Venomous Lumpsucker.
For months, Luke and his underground revolutionary group have been planning their biggest operation kidnapping 23-year-old Adeline Woolsaw. They don’t want a ransom—they want to expose the Woolsaw Group, the source of Adeline’s parents’ enormous wealth, a vast yet largely anonymous company that runs everything from military bases and mental hospitals to commuter trains, call centers, and prisons.
But the revolutionaries get a shock when they bundle Adeline into their van. She’s about to go into labor. And she may not object to being kidnapped, if it allows her and the baby to escape her despotic parents.
It quickly becomes apparent that this is no ordinary child. He’s capable of setting off deadly weather events and summoning plagues of vermin. And that’s just the beginning. Luke discovers that Adeline’s parents engineered the pregnancy as part of a dark bargain with an ancient evil of nearly limitless power. Now the Woolsaws and their henchmen will stop at nothing to get the infant back, so they can establish an infernal new kingdom on Earth with their grandchild on the throne.
Kit Burgoyne (pen name of Booker-listed author Ned Beauman) is a ruthlessly funny new voice in witty, appalling, and as adept at skewering today’s plutocratic overlords as he is at conjuring our most primeval nightmares.
Antichrist-type stories are something I’ve always been morbidly fascinated by, and I’ve had my eye on this one since the pub deal was announced!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read Sample under the cover)!
The Cost of the Coat (Tides of Change Book 1) by Darbie Hamilton
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Mute MC
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
Dive into the depths of this modern twist on an old Irish myth.
Shannon Rowle was never someone the average person would describe as normal. Between the disappearance of her father as a child, her eccentric artist of a mother, and her inability to speak, normal was never even on the table. But when she and her friend Mandy are attacked, they encounter a reality far beyond what they thought was possible. A world that until that moment only existed in the tales of old fisherman. Strangest if all, maybe...just maybe... Shannon belonged to that world all along.
SELKIE BOOK!!! I really hope the mc’s muteness isn’t ‘fixed’ by selkie magic, though.
Here Be Dragons by Ralph Whitlock
Genres: Adult
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
Dragons are everywhere in the British countryside! They are woven into the folk history of villages and hamlets, they snarl from church decorations and they survive in mumming plays and other pageants. Tracing their remains, in whatever form they are to be found, is no only a fascinating pastime but a glimpse into how our rural forefathers thought and behaved, for dragons played the vital role of representing evil and destruction in the pantheon of the country dweller.
Ralph Whitlock has found almost 200 places in England, Scotland and Wales where there is evidence of a dragon tradition. He describes every one in a comprehensive Gazetteer, and also provides in his long introduction an examination of dragon legends throughout history and in other lands. He examines, too, the ways in which the Church made use of dragon lore to put across its ideas - an intriguing example of the meeting of pagan and Christian.
The text is illustrated by 59 engravings and photographs, and will be an important source for folklorists as well as providing hours of fascination for would-be dragon-hunters.
Rowynn Ellis has been one of my favourite artists since their Welsh mythology bestiary, and when I heard they were illustrating a book of dragon lore–!!! This was written and originally published in the late 1900s, I think? But now updated with Ellis’ incredible art! (I’m pretty sure Ellis said that they used the original edition of this as research for their book of mythological Welsh beasties, which is a VERY CONVINCING endorsement of its lore!)
You can see examples of Ellis’ art on their insta!
Between the Walls by Caspian Faye
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Queer MC, trans love interest, M/M
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
When James Thorne and his recently divorced dad move into their new house, in a new town, looking for a new start, James can’t help thinking about all he’s left behind.
Missing his best friend, his high-maintenance boyfriend, and troubled by the paranormal occurrences rattling his nerves, James wishes he’d never moved.
But when his presence awakens Nathaniel, the ghost of a seventeen year old trans boy who has haunted the walls of this house since the 1700s, things take a surprising turn.After a false start or two, Nathaniel and James hit it off, an easy connection that could become something more.
But only if they survive.
Because Nathaniel isn’t the only ghost haunting this house. In the basement hides a dark entity, longing to escape, to claim their souls.
Can James and Nathaniel cross the boundaries of the living and the dead in order to see each other and themselves for who they truly are?
Very curious about how a ghost/not ghost romance can get a happy ending…although I guess there’s no guarantee that we’ll get one of those!
Make Me a Monster by Kalynn Bayron
Genres: Horror, YA
Representation: Black MC
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is back with a Frankenstein-tinged horror romance.
Meka is used to death. After all, it's the family business.
As a newly certified mortician's assistant at her parents' funeral home, her days are not for the faint of heart. Luckily her boyfriend Noah isn't squeamish, and Meka is finally feeling ready to say the three little words that will change everything.
But then tragedy strikes, and Meka's world is torn apart. Nothing makes sense, especially the strange things start happening. Ravens are circling her home. Strangers are following her. Someone is leaving mysterious items at her door. And worst of all . . .
The dead don't seem to be staying dead.
Meka thought she understood death better than anyone. Turns out, the family business is a bit more complicated than it seems. And Meka isn't the only one desperate to unearth their secrets . . . because the truth may be worth dying for.
I’ve been informed that the character really isn’t up to date on the modern mortuary industry, but other than that, I think the reviews have been mostly positive?
Hollow by Taylor Grothe
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Autistic queer MC
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
Don’t Let the Forest In meets The Whispering Dark in a queer YA cult horror following a recently diagnosed autistic teen who becomes enmeshed in a community of outcasts harboring sinister secrets.
“One of the best horror novels of the year, full stop. Haunting, heartfelt, and downright creepy.” —Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of So Let Them Burn
After a meltdown in her school cafeteria prompts an unwanted autism diagnosis, Cassie Davis moves back to her hometown in upstate New York, where her mom hopes the familiarity will allow Cassie to feel normal again. Cassie’s never truly felt normal anywhere, but she does crave the ease she used to have with her old friends.
Problem is that her friends aren’t so eager to welcome her back into the fold. They extend an olive branch by inviting her on their backpacking trip to Hollow Ridge, in the upper reaches of the Adirondacks. But when a fight breaks out their first night, Cassie wakes to a barren campsite—her friends all gone.
With severe weather approaching and nearing sensory overload, Cassie is saved by a boy named Kaleb, who whisks her away to a compound of artists and outcasts he calls the Roost. As Kaleb tends to her injuries, Cassie begins to feel—for the first time in her life—that she can truly be herself. But as the days pass, strange happenings around the Roost make Cassie question her instincts. Noises in the trees grow louder, begging the question: Are the dangers in the forest, on the trail, or in the Roost itself?
In a world where autistic characters rarely get to be the hero of their own stories, Cassie Davis’s one-step-back, two-steps-forward journey to unmasking makes Hollow as much a love letter to neurodiversity as it is a haunting tale you’ll want to read with the lights on.
Read if You Love:
-Don’t Go in the Woods
-Deadly Road Trips
-CottageGORE
-Malevolent Masks
-Cults-Nerd-core
-Wound-tending
-First Love
The reviews for this one are absolutely GLOWING, which is extra great because I’ve been so excited for it! More autistic rep in supernatural stories, please and thank you!!!
You can read a review here (where it says Look Inside under the book cover)!
The Transition by Logan-Ashley Kisner
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Trans MC
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
A transgender teen’s post-op recovery is derailed when he is bitten by a werewolf and his body begins to change. A thought-provoking page-turner that will haunt you for days!
Hunter’s life is at a turning point: After years of fighting his father for it, he’s gotten top surgery. He’s finally starting to feel comfortable in his own skin . . . only to be attacked by a strange creature in his backyard.
The encounter should kill him, but his best friend Gabe intervenes, and Hunter is able to walk away from the incident with his life—and new body—mostly intact. Still, something isn’t right. First, his wounds are healing quickly—too quickly. Then there are the feverish nightmares, the sudden return of his period, and his teeth . . . they’re falling out of his head.
Enter Mars, Hunter’s other best friend. A horror movie devotee, Mars points out the obvious: That mysterious creature was a werewolf, and Hunter is becoming one too—unless they can figure out a cure, which basically means they have to kill the creature that bit him.
Now, Hunter, Gabe, and Mars are in a race against time. A voice that could only belong to the creature itself is worming its way into Hunter’s head, and as the days pass, it’s only getting louder. It promises revenge on Hunter’s transphobic peers if he succumbs to his lycanthropic transformation. Or he can reject the monster and fight alongside his friends before the body—and life—he’s fought so hard for slips away for good. The choice is Hunter’s.
I missed the UK release of this one too, eek. But come on – lycanthropy mixed up with transness? GIMME! Plus, I really liked what I read of Kisner’s debut! (I didn’t finish it, but I didn’t DNF it – I just did that ADHD thing of getting distracted and wandering over to something else. I plan to go back to it!)
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read Sample under the cover)!
The Dandelion Riots by Kim Smejkal
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 30th September 2025
Goodreads
A breathtaking new teen fantasy in which girls are cursed at birth with terrible powers.
‘Provocative and compassionate… compelling’ Patrice Lawrence, author of Orangeboy
The destruction I was destined to cause was unfathomable…
Cursed at birth, 16-year-old Drinn has been hidden away from the world – moved from house to house to ensure that she never finds love. But this year, she has decided to break free.
Fleeing, Drinn finds herself in Oblison, surrounded by others just like her – cursed girls whose lives are dangerous and wild. They vow to liberate themselves once and for all. But rebellion is dangerous, and if Drinn finds love before the curse can be broken, a terrible fate could befall them all…
This one also came out in the UK first – back in March! The cover is giving me intense pansexual flag vibes, and I approve. Smejkal’s debut duology was packed full of very original ideas, and I’ve heard great things about this one too!
You can read an excerpt here!
Original Sin by G.D. Burkhead
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Portal Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MC
Published on: 1st October 2025
Goodreads
Alice in Wonderland meets Dante’s Inferno in this tale of swords, sorcery, and sin.
College student Morgan Amell didn't set out to be a witch, but when an ancient grimoire found in a local second-hand shop snags her attention and refuses to let go, she reluctantly dives into its secrets in the hopes of settling this strange obsession and maybe making her life a little easier.
What happens instead is a botched spell way above her novice skill level that sends her hurtling into Hell itself, specifically, the sprawling but unexpectedly orderly city-state of Dis, where the seven races of sin live colorful lives under the rule of the only other human before Morgan that their world has ever seen—the rogue Arthurian knight-squire Vambrace, forgotten by history but somehow ruling in the devil's place as Archfiend of all demonkind.
Now Morgan must navigate sinful society, demonic royalty, treasonous plots, mythical conspiracies, one extremely sexy succubus, and the capricious whims of a man out of time obsessed with learning everything about her and her world, all while trying to keep her amateur magical talents secret on pain of death. Can she find a way to master her extremely limited sorcerous skillset and make her way back home again, or will she be eternally damned for failing her first ever magical pop quiz?
This modern portal fantasy with a side of sapphic romance is a standalone novel (not part of a series).
‘Alice in Wonderland meets Dante’s Inferno‘? A knight of KING ARTHUR ruling Hell?! This is so bonkers-sounding that I MUST take a peek at it!
The Seer Ablaze (The Viridian Curse #1) by Quinn Elmsworth, China Dennington
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MC
Published on: 1st October 2025
Goodreads
In this sweeping, tragic sapphic fantasy perfect for fans of Ava Reid and Nina Varela, iconic characters of Arthurian legend, such as Tristan and Isolde, are given new life.
A false seer. A reluctant queen. A mysterious healer.
False prophecies spill from Isolde's lips, as demanded by her grandparents. They exploit her unique Bond with the divine blue-green phoenix for their own gain. After the high king perishes, Isolde seizes the opportunity to control her own voice by raising the unwilling Princess Arturia to the throne with a false prophecy and an enchanted sword.
When the Griffin Kingdom starts waging war, Arturia shuts herself away from the public. But if Arturia fails as a queen, then Isolde will lose her power and possibly her life. She spins lie after lie to try to hold everything together at court while forging a friendship with a mysterious healer named Tristan. Facing indifferent gods, ruthless politics, and heartbreaking betrayal, Isolde must decide if she is willing to sacrifice her hard-won agency for the queen who snuck into her heart.
I love the sound of the phoenix, but although I usually don’t want to go near tragedies, there will be a sequel which will wrap things up with a happy ending. Which is a relief, because this sounds like a story I really want to try!
Watchmaker by Maeve Rose Heslin
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MCs, nonbinary MC
Published on: 1st October 2025
Goodreads
Time is breaking. The city is unraveling.
Only a handful of unlikely souls remember how it was meant to hold together...In the city of Kursa, time is more than a measure—it’s law.
Every hour is sacred. Every gear aligned. Every life is shaped by the divine rhythm of the stars and the capital’s great clockwork heart.
But now, that rhythm is faltering.
MATYEV, heir to the legacy of the Watchmaker, never sought power. But when the great clockwork heart of the city begins to fail, and fractures ripple through the sacred order of time, Matyev is drawn into a dangerous world of hidden rebellions, broken history, and a web of secrets buried deep within that inheritance.
LILLIAN, a battle-hardened general forged in the city’s darkest corners, wields her grief like a knife. Commanding a fragile rebellion, she knows what’s worth saving—and what must be sacrificed.
RUSHE, a young apprentice with something to prove—and something to hide—walks the bleeding edge between obedience and truth. Quietly resilient, they carry secrets that could tip the balance, a poignant reminder that even the smallest cog can hold great power.
As the gears of the city tick inexorably toward fate, these intertwined lives must navigate ancient mechanisms, forbidden knowledge, and the tangled loyalties of those who would rather see time run out. To protect what remains—and uncover what was lost—they must each decide whether to uphold a system built on secrets or risk everything to break it.
Watchmaker is a genre-bending, slow-burn queer literary fantasy of fragile alliances, quiet revolutions, and the courage it takes to reshape time itself.
Every choice is a turning point. Every silence hides a truth. Enter a masterfully woven story that will stay with you long after the last tick of the clock.
Perfect for fans of R.F. Kuang (The Poppy War), N.K. Jemisin (The Broken Earth Trilogy), and Erin Morgenstern (The Night Circus), Maeve Rose Heslin’s debut combines sweeping worldbuilding, taut political intrigue, and a profoundly human core. Her voice is lyrical, precise, and unflinching—melding beauty with brutality in a world where time is both weapon and god.
What advance readers are ★ “Inventive, intricate, and utterly absorbing—Watchmaker is a triumph of imagination.”
★ “Like the best clockwork, every part of Watchmaker clicks into place; heart, politics, character, plot. I couldn’t put it down.”
★ “A fierce and moving tapestry of found family, doomed loyalty, and the machinery of power.”
★ “This book has queer found family, underground rebellions, and secret marriages—and yes, I’m obsessed.”
★ “If you love morally gray characters making terrible choices in a clockwork city on the brink of collapse? Yeah. You need this.”
★ “I started for the vibes (steampunk + queer rep) and stayed because the characters have me by the throat.”
★ “This isn’t the chosen one story—it’s the story of everyone the chosen one would leave behind.
I have no idea what it means for a place to be ruled by time – because presumably it’s not meant in the usual way, where time rules all of us and everything! I do like the sound of this combination of main characters…
First Oaths (The Bone Men Book 1) by C.J. Tuma, Quinn Cameron
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 1st October 2025
Goodreads
“We weren’t meant to burn our dead.”
After escaping the cult that nearly destroyed him, Kit Mosel has built a new life. He’s sure that no one in town knows his real name or what he did, until Penwell Oliver appears, desperate for help retrieving his father’s stolen remains from the very cult Kit fled.
Kit knows he should say no, but there's something about Penny he can't refuse.
Together, Penny and Kit plan to infiltrate the cult and earn their trust. Kit knows how to blend in and play their games, but Penny isn’t like him; he’s always been too soft. Too quick to trust. Worse, Penny draws attention from people who would gladly hurt him just to punish Kit.The deeper they go, the more Kit unravels. Penny isn’t just a liability—he’s a temptation. A reminder of everything Kit thought he didn’t deserve. And in a place where weakness is punished and love is weaponized, wanting each other could cost them both everything.
Cults revolving around funerary practices??? The early reviews have called this cosy, despite the death cult, which…I kinda want to pick this one up just to see how that would work!
Runewave by Joseph Langley
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 1st October 2025
Goodreads
At the heart of the Zenithian Swamp, birds sing violent harmonies...
A Magical Botanist would watch the world burn so that his children are not forced to save it. The Runecaster General would turn his own daughter into a weapon to save the world. The General's Daughter must choose: rob the botanist of those he loves to sate her father, or let her enemy's love change her forever.
None emerge from the heart of the swamp the same as they enter. Some do not emerge at all.
Listen. LISTEN. I am ALWAYS here for stories about parents willing to burn the world down for their kids. One of my many catnips!
Shy Trans Banshee by Tony Santorella
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Gay MC, major nonbinary character, major trans character
Published on: 2nd October 2025
Goodreads
Brian, Nik and Darby - three friends practiced in ennui, binge-drinking, hooking up with strangers and fighting supernatural crime (when Brian's not committing it as a werewolf once a month) - have been sent to London to track down a missing colleague.
As they putz around the city, following any leads that might help them find their British counterpart, they uncover a clairvoyancy smuggling ring, located right in the heart of the financial district. Who's kidnapping all the fortune tellers in Soho and why? And is it coincidence, fate or something more sinister altogether that Maeve, a timid trans woman taking time out of her job to track down her birth mother, turns up on the gang's doorstep...and has the uncanny ability to know just what's going to happen next?
I ADORED the first book in this series – I cackled the whole way through – and I was so hoping we’d get a sequel. AND NOW WE HAVE ONE! Don’t call my phone, I WILL vanish into this on release day!
You can read an excerpt of the first book, Bored Gay Werewolf, here (where it says Read Excerpt under the book description)!
Vapormage by Zoe Landon
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Nonbinary MC
Published on: 2nd October 2025
Goodreads
Linnute is a land of mundane magic, of schoolhouse sorceries and summons on every street corner. And then there are the Vapormages, Cymona's beloved battle mages, masters of overwhelming spellcraft.
For vapormage Kell Rusalka, their latest assignment should have been simple enough: cross the border to the north, do some secretive scouting, and make sure another war doesn't start. Easy.
After running into a murderous magical bird, a sword to the throat, and a pack of zombie hounds... maybe it's not so easy. And the second day will only get worse.
But Kell's not the first person to be cast aside by the powerful, whether that's the god-like Guardians or the mortal men who claim to serve them. If they're going to bring peace to their home, they'll need their fellow nobodies to help them dig through not only the history of their warring world, but Kell's own lost past.
Everyone claims to want peace. But one man's peace is another man's trouble, and trouble does what it wants.
‘Mundane magic’ is something I’m always looking for – it’s always so fascinating to see the completely fantastical normalised and taken for granted in a world that’s not ours! And, you know – the rest of the synopsis sounds very cool too!
Bloodwater (Bloodharker) by Forrest Graey
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Nonbinary MC
Published on: 3rd October 2025
Goodreads
A mad king. A forgotten child. An unwilling vessel. A grieving mother.
Esmar is sinking. As the country grapples with a Mad King, otherworldly forces conspire to reveal wicked secrets. Blood stains the walls of Carn-Duhl as people become desperate for answers. Will the ego of King Einar's council usurp the justice being delt and reshape Esmar's destiny, or will what haunts the halls of the castle decide their fate?
Dice Ward has only ever known the sea. But after hiding away in a port-city, she finds a book of strange symbols that rearranges the shape of her destiny. Falling into a world she wants no part of, but unable to escape, Dice attempts to retain her freedom - and her sanity - as the reality she knew begins to crumble.
After their plans to revel in their family's luxury are undone, Sen YeSara grapples with living in a world without the protection of their name. With their limited elemental magic, they struggle to figure out who they are without money or power. When an unnamed Goddess reveals herself, Sen tries to fight against the current of their destiny. Yet as their unstable livelihood shifts, they find out that this Sleeping Goddess is not the only one who wants to mold their future. But the cost of all that power is something Sen cannot afford: themself.
Neoma felt that she had no choice but to leave her home. After the death of her only child, she felt haunted by an unknown desire. By a twist of Destiny or Chaos, she becomes part of the strange crew on The Countess. She feels joy for the first time in an age, until she finds out that the crew is manned by the bloodthirsty Revkyn. She is thrown into a new world, but it is not all as it seems. The blood-eaters' daring - and beautiful - captain opens Neoma's eyes to new desires. But is it really their gruesome world she wants to be a part of, or something more?
Four different lives, four different stories, all seemingly disconnected. From the mouths of once-dead gods, their fates are decided...
But is it Destiny ruling their lives... or Chaos?
This sounds ridiculously awesome to me! Alas, there is no ebook edition yet – the ebook and paperbook will come out later. But if you nab the hardback, come back and tell me what you thought of it!
Cleaning Spells Before Courtship (Fae & Human Relations: A Regency Fantasy) by Sarah Wallace, S.O. Callahan
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Brown queer MC, queer MC, M/M
Published on: 4th October 2025
Goodreads
To look at someone and to truly see them were entirely different.
Summer 1814: Moody fae Sage Ravenwing is on his way to the country estate of Wyndham and Roger Wrenwhistle - and very confused as to why he was even invited.
Still pining after Wyndham and nursing a grudge against Roger, Sage reluctantly joins the raucous house party, which soon adds a mysterious guest to their number.
Conrad Moore has come a long way from the docks of Bristol. Armed with a humble education, middling magical skill, and a great deal of audacity, he journeys to the Wrenwhistle estate to inquire about the open position on the Council.
Thrown together in the only remaining available room, the surly fae and cheerful human establish a tentative acquaintanceship. As they learn surprising lessons from each other - riding, swimming, and mending a broken heart - a tender friendship blooms and an explosive magical connection forms.
But just as Sage starts to yearn for a new future with Conrad, he discovers that the hardest lesson of all will lie in atoning for his mistakes and scrubbing his messy past clean.
This is one of those series that I haven’t properly started, but am obsessed with anyway. The beautiful covers really don’t hurt! (If you don’t know, every book in this series is a standalone, so you can jump in anywhere!)
Egg's Curse (The Accursed Book 1) by Amber Braun
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 4th October 2025
Goodreads
Elliott Stride is a guard for a rare and dangerous prize: a dragon egg. A treasure that was stolen and placed on display by his employer, the eccentric and mysterious Cyneric Haytere.
Having grown up in a world that fears the dangerous creatures from beyond the border of gwythroot flowers, Elliott sees the young dragon as a monster, rather than a child.
However, when she begins to speak inside his mind, begging for love, Elliott lets his guard down. An unlikely bond quickly forms between the two, one that is seemingly unbreakable.
But that child isn't Elliott's to raise. Her father is still out there, searching for his stolen daughter. Will he separate the two when he finds them? Or will he keep the human around?
Dragon eggs AND a parent on a quest to find his missing baby daughter??? Yeah this is gonna get me RIGHT in the Feels!
Speak with the Dead by E. C. Taylor
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Representation: Secondary disabled character, secondary queer character
Published on: 4th October 2025
Goodreads
Annalyn Hale doesn't believe in the gods. If they do exist, they've only ever taken from her.
After her father dies, Anna lives a small, quiet life with her mother, gathering what their bakery needs from the woods. For fun, she treks deep into the trees surrounding her home to find dangerous ruins and the treasure they hold within. Her world shifts when she returns home to find debt collectors harassing her mother. They give her a choice-either her mother goes to jail for missing payments, or Anna joins the governor's armed forces and they take the money out of her wage. Anna enlists and when the commander gives her a mission that would pay off half her debt, she accepts, even though she doesn't think she's ready.
But the mission is steeped in treachery before it can begin. Is the team strong enough to triumph over the conspiracy set against them? Will Anna succeed despite her shortcomings, or are they too much for her to overcome? If the gods do exist, what will they take from her now?
This book contains the line “I swear to the Well, if you die… I will learn necromancy, bring you back, and then kill you again!” Which imo is VERY promising!
There are excerpts scattered across the author’s insta!
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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