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.
TWENTY-FIVE books this week!
(Books are listed in order of pub date, then Adult SFF, Adult Other, YA SFF, YA Other, MG SFF.)
The Sapphire Heart by Three Scribes, Sandra Mead Miller
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 20th October 2025
Goodreads
FEATURING ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY JEFF BROWN!
IT IS WRITTEN THAT AN ERYNVOR WILL SAVE EOLEMAR. TEN HAVE FAILED. WILL THE ELEVENTH SUCCEED?
Elorah longs to revive her wasting homeland, but everything she’s been taught suggests the path is nothing but myths and legends. That is, until a vision from a Founding Dragon affirms her as the fated Erynvor, the one who will restore the power centers of Eolemar.
Now, Elorah and her assembled group—a noble-born terramancer, a wind-harnessing gryphon-tamer, a firestarter in love, a wide-eyed innocent, a deal-making rapscallion, and a mysterious dreamwalker—must align their powers and embark on a quest spanning not only a waking world full of dangerous men and terrifying beasts, but an even more perilous dreamworld, where an immortal being with a grudge threatens to steal their souls.
Will Elorah and her companions restore balance to Eolemar, or will their realm be forever lost?
Even if the premise didn’t interest me (and it does!) that cover ENCHANTS me!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Preview Now to the right of the book cover)!
A Draught for a Dragon: Adventuring for Amateurs (The Side Quest Row Series Book 3) by R.K. Ashwick, Kim Halstead
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 20th October 2025
Goodreads
Goodnight, sleep tight—don’t let the dragons bite.
After Ambrose Beake’s kidnapping two years ago, he’s determined to return to normal life. A simple routine of running his potion shop, training his apprentice, daydreaming about his boyfriend Eli’s pending proposal…
(Eli tries to hide it. Ambrose knows he bought the ring months ago.)
But when an angry dragon trapped beneath the city demands help through Ambrose’s dreams, he realizes his adventure isn’t yet finished.
He quickly concocts a shrink the dragon with a potion and smuggle it to safety before the city discovers its presence. To retrieve the needed ingredients, however, he must take a cue from his customers…and go on a quest himself.
While Ambrose, Eli, and friends fumble through heroics abroad, his apprentice Nat takes control of the shop. Before long, she struggles to keep the dragon problem—and her feelings for another apprentice—under wraps. Magical merchants both near and far must pull themselves together…before the city goes on its own quest to slay the dragon.
Book three in the (extremely fun, so I’m told) Adventuring For Amateurs series! I’ve been meaning to read these for ages…
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Preview Now to the right of the book cover)!
Running Dry by M. Christian
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Gay MCs
Published on: 20th October 2025
Goodreads
A new kind of vampire…
Artist Ernst Doud has been living with his secrets for over a feeding, killing and creating art to assuage his guilt. All of that is about to change. Sergio, the lover that he turned decades before, the lost love that he thought he had killed to prevent him from turning into a monster, is back and hunting him. Fearful that Sergio will destroy his friend Shelly, Doud takes her and goes on the run, only to find new dangers closing in. Even being a monster himself may not be enough to save them.
A new edition – from Queen of Swords – of what is allegedly one of the first explicitly gay vampire novels! Apparently the vampires here aren’t bothered by holy water and the like, but do need to kill people.
Threadbound by M.E. Moirin
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 20th October 2025
Goodreads
For fans of Spinning Silver and The Winternight Trilogy, Threadbound weaves dark magic, Slavic folklore, and Ottoman-inspired intrigue into a tale that spins across realms.
When a powerful vizier curses Jasna, a red thread draws her to his palace while death follows close behind. Her soul, bound to stone, begins to splinter – until a desperate spell casts her into Syanka, a realm shaped by old stories.
There, Jasna must navigate a world of beasts, bargains, and unexpected allies to reclaim her soul and rescue Iliya – once her betrothed who left to plead with the vizier for her soul, but never returned – now a pawn in something darker. But the thread is tightening, and if she cannot reach the vizier’s palace in time, it will pull her to her death.
I’m hoping for more Ottoman-inspiration than just political intrigue, given that we have Ottoman architecture on the cover. AND A DRAGON.
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Free Preview beneath the book cover)!
Shattered Veil by Nika Vyre
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
Selen thought she and her sister, Sidra, were safe in the protection of the world renowned academy of magic, Celestara-until the night Sidra vanished. Now, Selen is forced to chase whispers of a captor who wields magic far beyond her own, one who has bound the sisters to a purpose they do not understand.
But finding Sidra is only half the battle. A shattering event left them both broken, their connection severed, their powers unbalanced. Selen's magic should have tied her to Sidra-but instead, it haunts her, unraveling memories she cannot face and revealing a darkness she barely understands. As she fights to find her sister, she isn't just battling those who stand in her way-she's battling the demons that haunt the depths of her mind.
I’m not sure if this is Fantasy or Horror or possibly both, but it sounds intriguing!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Free Preview beneath the book cover)!
Social Sorcery: A Cozy Fantasy Novel (Aberterrene) by Alex Peachy
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
Zaquocorin Flickerwhizzle is the greatest artificer the world has never known. Recently retired from Mysti Messages, he now has the time but lacks the materials to build what could be his greatest invention: a messaging system better than his former employer ever made. While contemplating his plans over a meal at his favorite inn, a cute, chubby young gnome interrupts to beg for his assistance in becoming an artificer.
Zaq’s world is turned upside down when the reclusive gnome buckles to Wyndi’s request and takes her and two others on as apprentices. If Zaq wants to fulfill his dreams, he’ll need to learn that mentorship is a two-way street. But opening up to others is hard after being betrayed in the past, and his reckless decision to send the group out of Ryefeld on a quest to get the materials may have dire consequences. Who knows what dangers may lurk in the wild woods and dark caves? There could be unimaginable horrors—or even spiders.
If Zaq and his apprentices can find a way to work together and trust one another, they may create something beyond anything Zaq could have invented alone—something capable of changing the entire world of Aberterrene.
Social Sorcery returns to the world that brought you Distilled Magic. In this stand-alone cozy fantasy, we experience the city of Ryefeld during the Harvest Festival, evade a black cat, explore with a giant beaver, and experiment with steampunkesque artificery. Opening your heart is the first step toward success.
I love stories where people are inventing things – even more so when what’s being invented isn’t something cinematic but immensely practical and useful, LIKE A WELL-FUNCTIONING POSTAL SERVICE. Not flashy, but still very much world-changing!
Ranger by Dietrich Stogner
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
Jaina Creighton has always known what it means to sacrifice. When both her brothers are marked for conscription into the Dominion’s wars, she makes a desperate choice—trading her own freedom to join the rangers, an ancient order bound by oath to walk the wilds and guard the people. Her decision will spare her brothers from service… but binds her to a life of duty from which there is no return.
Far to the south, Antoinette DeLuca—scion of one of Vetticci’s most powerful houses—has secrets carved into her every masterpiece. An artist, a spy, and a woman trapped by her family’s ambitions, she has learned to shape beauty from duty and deceit alike. When her path collides with Jaina’s, the chemistry between them is as dangerous as it is undeniable.
But the Dominion is shifting. The dukes raise armies. Shadows lengthen across the land. And as the days slip away, whispers of something vast and terrible grow louder.
To protect the ones they love, Jaina and Antoinette must each come to understand the truth of who they are—and choose between loyalty and desire, between what they owe and what they yearn for.
The countdown has already begun. And when it ends, nothing will be the same.
I realise hiding secrets in artworks is probably the smallest part of that blurb, but it’s the bit that jumps out at me!
A Tide of Treason by A B Daniels-Annachi
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Desi cast, queer MC/s
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
The Poppy War meets The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi in this queer adult fantasy.
"A high-seas adventure unlike any you've ever read. Daniels-Annachi amazes in this utterly unique take on The Little Mermaid." -Samantha R. Goode, author of Bound & Barbed
For Veshak, the sea is both his home and his battleground. He sails the open waters as a privateer, striking against those who once betrayed his homeland. But when a lost secret from Aatma’s downfall surfaces—one forged in blood and iron—he finds himself at the center of a deadly conspiracy that could change the balance of power across the world.
Hunted by the forces of the Iron King, Zara’s only hope lies in an uneasy alliance with Veshak. A fierce and enigmatic being of the deep with secrets of her own, she will do anything to save those she loves and protect her family legacy.
As their fates unravel and failure looms on the horizon, Veshak and Zara must decide whether to chase vengeance or trust the tides of fate to lead them toward something greater.A sweeping tale of rebellion, betrayal, and the call of the sea, A Tide of Treason is perfect for fans of high-stakes adventure and political intrigue.
Please read TW/CW at www.abdanielsannachi.com
This is the hardcover release of a book that I think was first out last year, and I think we can all agree it sounds freaking EPIC!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Preview Now beneath the book cover)!
The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic Desi MC, sapphic biracial Desi MC, F/F, secondary trans character
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
From World Fantasy Award-winning author Tasha Suri comes The Isle in the Silver Sea, a heart-shattering romantasy of sapphic longing, medieval folklore and a love that spans the centuries.
In a Britain fuelled by stories, the knight and the witch are fated to fall in love and doom each other over and over, the same tale retold over hundreds of lifetimes.
Simran is a witch of the woods. Vina is a knight of the Queen's court. When the two women begin to fall for each other, how can they surrender to their desires, when to give in is to destroy each other?
As they seek a way to break the cycle, a mysterious assassin begins targeting tales like theirs. To survive, the two will need to write a story stronger than the one that fate has given to them.
But what tale is stronger than The Knight and the Witch?
Opinions from early readers have been super mixed – it didn’t work for me, for example – but it’s TASHA SURI. She always has a place on my Must-Have posts!
You can read an excerpt here!
When They Burned the Butterfly by Wen-yi Lee
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Representation: Sapphic Singaporean MC, F/F, minor trans character
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
A fierce, glamorous sapphic fantasy reimagining the secret societies of postcolonial Singapore, for fans of Jade City, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and the feverish intensity of RF Kuang’s Poppy War trilogy.
Singapore, 1972: Newly independent, a city of immigrants grappling for power in a fast-modernizing world. Here, gangsters are the last conduits of the gods their ancestors brought with them, and the back alleys where they fight are the last place where magic has not been assimilated and legislated away.
Loner schoolgirl Adeline Siow has never needed more company than the flame she can summon at her fingertips. But when her mother dies in a house fire with a butterfly seared onto her skin and Adeline hunts down a girl she saw in a back-alley barfight—a girl with a butterfly tattoo–she discovers she’s far from alone.
Ang Tian is a Red Butterfly: one of a gang of girls who came from nothing, sworn to a fire goddess and empowered to wreak vengeance on the men that abuse and underestimate them. Adeline’s mother led a double life as their elusive patron, Madam Butterfly. Now that she’s dead, Adeline’s bloodline is the sole thing sustaining the goddess. Between her search for her mother’s killer and the gang’s succession crisis, Adeline becomes quickly entangled with the girls’ dangerous world, and even more so with the charismatic Tian.
But no home lasts long around here. Ambitious and paranoid neighbor gangs hunt at the edges of Butterfly territory, and bodies are turning up in the red light district suffused with a strange new magic. Adeline may have found her place for once, but with the streets changing by the day, it may take everything she is to keep it.
This one didn’t work for me either, but the issue was the prose – if you’re not bothered by the quotes in my linked review, and you’re looking for a fabulous FMC who is extremely Not Nice, you’ll probably love When They Burned the Butterfly!
You can read an excerpt here!
Red Star Hustle / Apprehension (Saga Doubles) by Sam J. Miller, Mary Robinette Kowal
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Red Star Hustle: queer MC, ace-spectrum MC. Apprehension: disabled MC
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
Two expertly crafted crime stories set in a far-future science fiction universe, from two award-winning authors known for their gripping plots and unforgettable characters—a short novel and a long novella that will thrill fans of space adventures, mystery, and intergalactic intrigue in this Saga Double
Red Star Hustle
Aran, an optimistic, high-class escort, is on the run after his famous ambassador client is assassinated. With an ace security contractor ( bounty hunter) trailing—who is also running from her own boss who happens to be both her mom and the head of one of the most powerful groups in the galaxy—Aran is running out of time. This science fiction thriller is a crisscross of heartbreak, addiction struggles, and trauma which comes together in a fast-paced space-hopping fight with the whole damn galaxy by Nebula Award–winning author Sam J. Miller.Apprehension
A family vacation arranged by Bonnyjean, a grieving mother, her son-in-law Jax, and her six-year-old grandson Tristan, quickly becomes disastrous as Tristan is kidnapped by a terrorist operation that is hoping to affect the planet’s upcoming elections between rival parties. They believe Bonnyjean was given a secret by the double agent who died in her arms. However, not only is this a deadly misunderstanding, but it’s also a dangerous one as Bonnyjean was last on Nahatanau when she was a special forces operative. Unfortunately, that was over thirty years ago, but she won’t let the years nor her bad hip get in the way of rescuing her grandson. Beloved Hugo Award–winning author Mary Robinette Kowal has crafted an intricate mystery of mistaken identity on an alien planet.
I’ve loved everything I’ve read from both these authors, so I’m looking forward to this two-in-one set immensely!
Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Black cast
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
Ignyte and Mythopoeic Award-winning author Eden Royce pens a Southern Gothic historical fantasy story of a contentious funeral in her adult fiction debut.
Phee St. Margaret is a daughter of the Reconstruction, born to a family of free Black business owners in New Charleston. Coddled to within an inch of her life by a mother who refuses to let her daughter live a life other than the one she dictates, Phee yearns to demonstrate she's capable of more than simply marrying well.
When word arrives that her Aunt Cleo, long estranged from the family, has passed away, Phee risks her mother's wrath to step up and accept the role of pomp―the highly honored duty of planning the funeral service. Traveling alone to the town of Horizon and her aunt's unsettling home, Phee soon discovers that visions and shadows beckon from every reflective surface, and that some secrets transcend the borders of life and death.
I’m not usually interested in stories about ghosts and things – but psychopomps are something quite different and I’m fascinated by this premise!
You can read an excerpt here!
The Great Tree of Iris by Jess Skultety
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
7 Unlikely Companions.
5 Libraries.
1 Hidden Prophecy.The Great Tree of Iris: a place of unmatched healing power for humans. Top scholar Lia Tovar protects the Tree in honor of her dead father, but she has visions of its tragic demise. When Rory Elatha, an elf from the hidden city of Kyrali, arrives seeking experts to save the decaying, sacred sunflower fields, Lia suspects their situations are connected. For once, her books cannot help, and she answers the call.
To save the Tree, Lia must learn to trust six allies:
- A youthful jeweler
- A haunted scholar
- A vibrant secret-keeper
- An inkdelver on a mission
- A wizard seeking a friend
- A dragon looking for homeWhen they discover one part of a deadly prophecy, Lia, Rory, and their party search desperately for a way to challenge fate. But as more natural disasters arise in their race across the continent, Lia must decide if she can let Rory into her heart, and if that will free or destroy her.
An epic romantic fantasy standalone for adults, The Great Tree of Iris combines a 30-year-old FMC's map-crossing quest with fade-to-black sapphic romance in a queernormative world. Perfect for fans of Samantha Shannon, L.R. Lam, S.A. Chakraborty, Saara El-Arifi, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
Scholars, sacred sunflowers, and inkdelvers, whatever they are? Yes please!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Preview Now to the right of the book cover)!
A Legacy of Blood and Bone by Millie Abecassis
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
“A gothic gem, rich with dread, desire, and a magic system as haunting as it is original.” —April Yates, author of Ashthorne
For fans of Shannon Fay’s Innate Magic and Alix E. Harrow’s Starling House comes A LEGACY OF BLOOD AND BONE—a spellbinding debut set in an alternate Belle Époque France, brimming with intrigue, dangerous magic, and a swooning, slow-burn sapphic romance.
“Blood is life. Bones are strength. Flesh is control. Skin is death.”
Every blessed family knows this mantra, and Aubeline—gifted with blood magic and heiress to the powerful Sterraux line—is no exception.
When her father dies unexpectedly, Aubeline inherits the title of Countess. But her brother Renan soon challenges her claim, demanding the title of Count for himself—and quietly coveting guardianship of their young niece, Damarisse.
As sinister forces gather around Renan and his allies wield forbidden, deadly power, Aubeline must seek out unlikely companions to protect Damarisse, expose her brother’s true intentions, and stop a catastrophe that could unravel their world.
She never expected her greatest ally to be Damarisse’s new private teacher, Vinnie—a clairvoyant woman cursed with uncontrollable visions. Nor did she expect to fall in love with her, defying every rule of polite society and risking everything for a chance at love in a world built on blood and secrets.
Surprised I haven’t heard more about this, because it sounds like it should be of major appeal to my circles! Also surprised by how INTENSELY interested I am in the family politics aspect of this!
Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Korean-American adoptee MC, elderly MC
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Golden Girls in this humorous contemporary standalone fantasy about a group of former Chosen Ones coming out of retirement to save the world one last time
Three former Chosen Ones have joined together to spend their retirement in peace and quiet, running Second Life Books and Gifts in Salem, MA. A calm, peaceful, tourist-filled oasis, where they never have to worry about saving the world. Until some of the locals start summoning ancient creatures best left where they were . . . and they discover that their bookstore basement just may be the portal to the underworld. These ex-heroes may have thought they were done . . . but if they want to finish their retirement in peace, they’ll have to join together to save the world one last time.
Why leave saving the world to the young? Cozy mystery readers looking for an extra dash of magic will eat this story fun, funny, and heartwarming, it's a novel about community, second chances, and the healing power of scones.
This is a very light fun time for anyone looking for something that’s not gonna break the mold. (And I should emphasise, only one of the main characters can fairly be described as elderly!)
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Free Preview beneath the book cover)!
The Lost Reliquary (Divine Thrall, #1) by Lyndsay Ely
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
A divinely-blessed warrior bound to the last living goddess plots deicide to win her freedom in this propulsive epic fantasy for fans of Godkiller and Gideon the Ninth.
The Devoted Lands was once home to many gods: Salt, Stone, Storm, Green, Shadow. Now, after centuries of devastating wars, only Tempestra-Innara, the Eternal Flame, remains.
Conscripted as a child, Lys, potentiate of the Dawn Cloister, is outwardly a loyal servant to her goddess. If she harbors impossible dreams of deicide, that’s her business. But when a routine heretical execution erupts into a near-fatal assassination attempt on Tempestra-Innara, Lys sees a glimmer of hope for her freedom.
Lys is chosen to hunt down the heretics and find an ancient reliquary that holds the power to kill a god. Annoyingly, she’s not alone. Paired with Nolan, a potentiate from a rival cloister who is as pious as he is determined, Lys must feign devotion if she hopes to keep her own heretical thoughts hidden and god-killing ambitions within reach.
As they pursue a dangerous network of heretics linked to the assassination, Lys uncovers a world brimming with more possibility—and peril—than she ever anticipated.
If the blurb sounds familiar, I recommend skipping this one, because it’s very predictable if you’ve read this kind of story before. If you HAVEN’T, then I think there’s a lot to like here. I’m very curious about the sequel!
You can read an excerpt here!
A Wild and Hungry Place by E.E. Ottoman
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Nonbinary (bi?) MC
Published on: 22nd October 2025
Goodreads
Cricket is trapped.
When she was wed, her dreaded mother-in-law laid a blood curse on her, and now that her husband is dead, fully intends to commit her to an asylum … or worse.
To save her life, Cricket flees to a small New England town and throws herself upon the mercy of a man she has never met.
Gabriel Throckmorton is not happy when Cricket turns up on his doorstep, but he does grudgingly agree to help her break the curse. Cricket expects the process to be difficult, but she has no idea how many secrets are waiting for her in the forest just beyond the garden wall.
There is a ghostly woman who visits Cricket in her dreams. Whether to seduce her or to ask for help, Cricket isn't sure. Then there is Throckmorton himself with a garden full of poisonous plants and a predator's smile. The two of them awaken desires in Cricket that she has never experienced and threaten to reveal secrets she has long kept hidden.
When she discovers bones in the forest, a strange hole in the ground that exudes a frightening power, and townspeople driven to terrible violence by deep and wild magic, she begins to think she might be in over her head.
Why is her name Cricket when everyone else in the blurb has a more conventional name? I do not know, but I like the sound of this a GREAT DEAL!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Preview Now to the right of the book cover)!
The Demon and the Light (The Floating World, #2) by Axie Oh
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Representation: Korean-coded cast and setting
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone in The Demon and the Light, the hotly anticipated follow-up to Axie Oh's The Floating World.
The battle is over, but the war is just beginning...
With the help of her friends and allies, Ren managed to topple the General's insurrection, but the Floating World and its territories are still under threat of attack from the rival Volmaran Empire. And far worse, she was powerless to save Sunho from being overcome by the monstrous power in his blood. Now he's gone, transformed into a feral, deadly creature that doesn't even recognize her anymore, and her heart aches for the sweet boy she's grown to love.
But the escalating war will not pause for her grief. Seen by some as a heavenly savior and others merely a figurehead to be manipulated, Ren must use all her courage and cunning to survive the royal court's game long enough to find Sunho and bring him home before he loses himself to the Demon forever.
The sequel to The Floating World! Which I have not yet read, but I’ve heard great things!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read Excerpt beneath the book cover)!
A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 21st October 2025
Goodreads
Howl's Moving Castle meets Little Thieves in this cozy fantasy about the teenage owner of a (mostly fake) magical curiosity shop and a girl cursed to turn everything she touches into magic.
Everyone in Ardmuir knows that Willow Stokes is a charlatan, including Willow herself. Her father's shoppe hasn't sold anything magical in decades, and it's only hanging on by the skin of the fake dragon's teeth Willow sells as charms, along with “enchanted” ostrich eggs, taxidermied chimeras, and talismans made of fools' gold.
Until outlander Brianna Hargrave appears and turns Willow's fakes into exactly what they're purported to be. But try as Willow might to enlist Bri's help, she wants nothing to do with Willow and her curiosities.
Because Brianna is harboring a secret of her own: everything she touches turns to magic, and the consequences have chased her all the way to Ardmuir. All she wants to do is find a particular missing grimoire, which contains a spell that can finally put an end to her curse.
Desperate to keep her father's shoppe, Willow proposes a bargain that could save them both. Together with the frustratingly handsome printer's assistant, the girls will uncover a plot that goes far deeper than either could have imagined. But when Willow is forced to participate in an ambitious collector's quest for the rarest magical object in the world-a quest that risks almost-certain death-she learns that not all treasure is for sale, and that true magic is closer than she ever could have imagined.
Again, I’ve been hearing good things about this one!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read Excerpt beneath the book cover)!
Firstborn of the Sun by Marvellous Michael Anson
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Yoruba-inspired cast and setting
Published on: 23rd October 2025
Goodreads
A HEART-POUNDING YORUBA INSPIRED FANTASY NOVEL SET IN AN EPIC WORLD OF COURTLY INTRIGUE AND FORBIDDEN POWER . . .
‘Absolutely Radiant’ BEA FITZGERALD
‘A Dazzling Debut’ ANDREA STEWART
‘Enthralling and epic’ ANNA DAY
‘Readers are going to LOVE THIS BOOK!’ ANGELA MONTOYAIn Oru L'ore has a secret. She is the only one without agbára – the ability to harness power from the sun. On pain of death she must conceal it from everyone. Including her best friend, Alawani.
But when the gods declare Alawani an Àlùfáà – a great honour where he will serve the gods and the Kingdom – he must be stripped of his power in a brutal trial likely to kill him. Unwilling to bear his death, L'ore vows to rescue him.
When she desperately attempts to channel agbára an icy shadow magic instead pours from her hands; a power she learns originated from a forbidden, secret land beyond the six rings of Oru.
One where she and Alawani must now seek sanctuary and discover a secret that could bring the Kingdom to its knees . . .
_____________
‘Absolutely radiant. Anson has created a captivating, intricate world with characters who will stay with me for a long time. A perfect balance of political machinations and aching romance, wrapped up in a fast-paced action packed adventure. I loved it!’ BEA FITZGERALD, author of Girl Goddess Queen'A dazzling debut, with characters that leap off the page and burrow into your heart. Filled with love, betrayal, and questions of loyalty, the twists and turns this story takes will keep you reading late into the night' ANDREA STEWART, author of The Gods Below
‘Fierce, exciting and utterly original, Firstborn of the Sun is an enthralling and epic fantasy, with a beautiful and tender romance at its center’ ANNA DAY, author of The Girl who Grew Wings
‘A rich and confident fantasy with expansive world building and a magic system as vicious as it is unique. Filled with intricately woven twists and action from beginning to end, readers will have a hard time putting this book down. Readers are going to LOVE THIS BOOK!’ - ANGELA MONTOYA, author of Sinner’s Isle and A Cruel Thirst
I HAVE BEEN SO EXCITED FOR THIS FOR SO LONG! AHHHHHHHHHHH can’t believe it’s almost here!
You can read an except here (where it says Look Inside beneath the book cover)!
The Rose Field (The Book of Dust, #3) by Philip Pullman
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 23rd October 2025
Goodreads
Picking up right where The Secret Commonwealth left off, this story finds Lyra alone in a city haunted by daemons, searching for her beloved Pan. Malcolm Polstead isn't far behind, searching for Lyra. And they are both racing toward the desert of Karamakan, following the trail of roses said to hold the secret of Dust.
Their allies and enemies are converging on the mysterious red building at the heart of the desert: Marcel Delamare and the military might of the Magisterium; the radical Men from the Mountains; scientists, scholars and spies; troops of witches and other people of the air. And awaiting them all is a previously unseen and chilling new threat that will change everything.
The intertwining odysseys of Malcolm and Lyra, their journeys both internal and external, will test their limits and challenge even their most dearly held beliefs.
As ever, Philip Pullman is using the language of fantasy to illuminate our world and to explore the deepest questions of what it means to be alive and awake to all the splendors and horrors around us. The extraordinary novels of The Book of Dust speak powerfully to today's readers and will take their place alongside the forever-favorites of His Dark Materials.
Speaking of things that are almost here – THE FINALE OF THE BOOK OF DUST!!! Excuse me while I flail for a moment.
Reborn in Ash: A Thellian Standalone Fantasy Novel by Gabrielle Steele
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer and BIPOC cast
Published on: 23rd October 2025
Goodreads
Magic abandoned humanity millennia ago. Now it returns, bringing ruin to a wanted thief, and her chance for redemption.
When ash fell like snow, everyone it touched grew ill with fever. Most died. Ada Renwick didn’t. She endured the ash plague, food shortages, and brutal riots, only for one merchant’s greed to threaten her livelihood. To keep her jewellery business afloat, Ada turned to thievery. Now she wants revenge.
Breaking into the merchant’s manor, Ada discovers unfamiliar gems that carry a shocking truth. Earth magic hides within them, and she can wield it. But the first time she does, she makes a mistake that leaves a man dead.
Sickened by her crime and hunted for it, Ada runs. Yet, using magic feels as natural as breathing. She’ll do anything to keep it, even join a war she wants no part of. It’s not until Ada meets a woman who can wield fire magic that she realises some things are worth fighting for.
But fire burns anything that gets too close.
Reborn in Ash is a dark epic fantasy that will leave readers reeling. This debut novel from Gabrielle Steele paints an expansive, complex world while keeping readers firmly in the mind of a tenacious thief who must navigate the changes brought about by magic’s return. The book features a varied cast, with LGBTQ+ and BIPOC characters.
This book contains content with adult themes.
I am very magpie-like and am always interested in magical gems, and I’m very hopeful for the promises of intricate worldbuilding!
You can read the first chapter here (scroll down)!
It’s Not a Cult by Joey Batey
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror
Published on: 23rd October 2025
Goodreads
Callum, Melusine and Al play in a band with no name, baffling audiences in terrible pubs across the north-east of England with their 'sound' and occasionally reaching the dizzy heights of 97 viewers on their livestreams. To say they are losers would be to imply they were in the race in the first place. But they believe in their music, and in each other.
Their songs tell the stories of the Solkats: fictional northern gods of small things, mishap and mayhem. However, when an act of violence at a pub gig goes viral they catch the eye of a disillusioned influencer and suddenly go from having a cult following to having a cult, following.
All the Solkats want, Callum insists, is to have effect on the world. But as fans from LA to Australia and everywhere in between flock to Northumberland, and each gig becomes larger and more lawless than the last, this effect starts to feel scarily. real. And if they really do exist, which is it more dangerous to anger: a wayward group of elder gods, or your biggest fans? Because gods and cults both demand sacrifices. And one way or another, they're going to get one.
I adore bands making up their own mythologies – see Sleep Token and all their lore! – and this kind of manifestation magic, where people end up believing something into reality, is one of my FAVOURITE things to see!
Magic, Maps, and Mischief: A Cozy Neurodivergent Adventure (Greton's Marvellous Maps Book 1) by David Green
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Neurodivergent MC
Published on: 24th October 2025
Goodreads
What Would You Do To Discover Your Heart’s Desire?
Greton of Willow is in a spot of bother. Caught in the act while escorting a family of elves to safety, Greton flees for greener pastures with only his scant magic and brilliant mind to his name.
And a question. The question.
‘What is your heart’s desire?’
A life-long outsider, Greton sets out to uncover what lies at the centre of his heart. Is it adopting a tawny owl? Owning his very own map shop? Forging a found family with others as similarly scorned as himself? The possibilities are endless. Determined to put his marvellous mind to the task, Greton discovers a way to reveal anyone’s heart’s desire, but not everyone’s longings are as pure as his…
Something odd is occurring in Greton’s new home of Barrow’s Hill, and, before long, the old man in search of a comfortable new life finds himself swept up in danger and mischief.
A heart-felt, cozy, neurodivergent adventure filled with found family and an elderly autistic hero searching for his place in the world, ‘Magic, Maps, and Mischief’ is a story built on love, friendship and acceptance, perfect for readers of ‘Legends and Lattes’, ‘The Teller of Small Fortunes’ and ‘Under The Whispering Door’.
Praise for David Green’s award-nominated ‘Empire of Ruin Saga’:
‘David Green has become an insta-buy for absolutely any and everything he releases.’ - Rachel Rener, author of the ‘Gilded Blood’ series
‘The characters are excellent, written with depth and humanity.’ - Liz Delton, author of ‘The Witch at the Edge of the Wood’
‘If you're looking for classic fantasy, with fortresses, magic, battles, and scheming, but told with a modern voice and a diverse cast, this is a great pick.’ - Fantasy-Faction
‘The plot is well-paced and enthralling, with no scene wasted. It will pull you through the book and leave you wanting more. The prose is confident and deft throughout.’ - Shona Kinsella, author of ‘The Heart of Winter’
This sounds extremely sweet, and I’m looking forward to taking a peek at it!
Evernight: Wild Moon Book One by Ken Sanchez
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 24th October 2025
Goodreads
Some towns are built on secrets. Hollow Pines is made of them.
When city-born Nate Harrington is uprooted to the rain-soaked wilds of Hollow Pines, he expects to be the outcast. Armed only with a camera and a restless heart, he’s determined to keep his head down, survive the stares, and maybe—just maybe—find a piece of himself that wasn’t broken by the life he left behind.
But Hollow Pines isn’t just another sleepy town at the edge of nowhere. There are eyes in the forest, shadows that move where they shouldn’t, and every smile in town hides something sharp beneath. Nate knows he’s being watched—by classmates who know each other too well, by teachers who dodge innocent questions, and by a beautiful, silent boy with secrets in his bones.
Evan Callahan has spent his life holding back—his words, his grief, his true nature. As the son of the local alpha, he’s meant to be strong, stoic, and unbreakable. But the weight of his mother’s death and the legacy he never asked for threaten to crush him every day. The only thing that makes him feel alive is the quiet call of the forest…and the strange, stubborn new boy who refuses to be afraid.
Drawn together by curiosity, loneliness, and a connection that feels older than memory, Nate and Evan find themselves caught between human and wolf, outsider and heir, longing and fear. But in a town where the line between hunter and hunted is always shifting, the cost of trust might be more than either is willing to pay.
Because some secrets are hungry. Some legacies come with claws. And in Hollow Pines, falling for the wrong boy might be the most dangerous thing of all.
Perfect for fans of slow-burn queer romance, supernatural intrigue, and stories where the most dangerous monsters wear familiar faces. Step into Hollow Pines…and don’t look away.
I’m crossing my fingers that this isn’t Paranormal Romance – I think it’s not, the vibes are different!
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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