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 books this week!

(Books are listed in order of pub date, then Adult SFF, Adult Other, YA SFF, YA Other, MG SFF.)

The Thylsnean Chronicles : Book 1: Earth by Aiden E. Messer
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC, Trans MC
Published on: 27th October 2025
Goodreads

Caliel loves to learn and discover new things, that's why he decides to leave his home world, Thylsnea, and go study among humans. That, and to escape the gaze of other ialtags who, because of his rare power marked by his red eyes, either distrust him or worship him.

On earth, he's just another face in the crowd. It's refreshing, but Caliel still feels alone. This feeling only grows stronger when he meets his new roommate, Gabriel, an introverted yet passionate young man. Despite their budding romance, a wall of lies and secrets stands between them, born of the impossibility for Caliel to tell him who he truly is.

Everything changes when Caliel senses the presence of other ialtags on campus. He doesn't understand what they're doing or what they want, but one thing is they're not here to study innocently like he is.

Are they here for him? Is he putting Gabriel in danger by befriending him?

Being the most powerful member of his species might not be enough to keep himself or Gabriel safe.

You can read an excerpt here (where it says Preview Now under the book cover)!

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 28th October 2025
Goodreads

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Starling House, Alix E. Harrow, comes a moving and genre-defying adventure through time – as a reluctant lady knight and a not-so-heroic-historian will fight through time and space to rewrite their tragic fates . . . and finally reveal the truths hidden beneath the greatest legend ever told.

It begins where it ends: beneath the yew tree – a girl not yet a knight, and a boy without a story.

It is where she pulls a sword from the heartwood and becomes a legend.

And it is where, more than a thousand years later, he will find her – and lose her – and find her – and lose her again.

It is where a new story will be written – but whose will it be?

IT’S ALIX E HARROW, DO I REALLY NEED TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE???

You can read the prologue and first chapter here, and chapters two and three here!

Oblivion's Hymn (Divine Songs #1) by A.J. Peterson
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Published on: 28th October 2025
Goodreads

In a world where magic is ruled by bargains, how much would you pay for the thing you want most?

Echo’s shapeshifting has been a curse all her life. The secret police hunt her for her magical blood, and the rest of the world believes she’s a monster. To prove them wrong and escape capture, Echo bargained with a god to become a famous bard. But when she didn’t uphold her end of the deal, he took her singing voice away. Now the police are closing in, and her childhood friend, Rhienne, is the only one loyal and reckless enough to help get her voice back.

But Rhienne’s lust for power has her in trouble of her own. Her mother is dead, her scheme to steal magic from the head of the secret police failed, and time is running out before the gods come to collect her soul. If she can’t resurrect her mother—who has a history of finding contract loopholes—Rhienne belongs to the God of the Void forever. Using Echo’s innate talents might be Rhienne’s last chance at freedom.

Echo and Rhienne will search continents and dimensions for power strong enough to thwart their enemies and undo their mistakes. But the gods have their own plans to maintain balance. One way or another, they always get what they’re owed.

I ended up not finishing this one, but not because it’s bad, it just wasn’t for me. If you like D&D-esque settings and stories centred around friendship, it might be for you instead!

You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read a Preview beneath the book cover)!

To Bargain with Mortals (Reckoning Storm, #1) by R.A. Basu
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Desi-inspired setting and cast
Published on: 28th October 2025
Goodreads

An outcast heiress. A notorious gang leader. A country on the brink of revolution. 

In the colonized nation of Viryana, Poppy Sutherland lives between cultures. As the brown-skinned adopted daughter of the Viceroy, she is both rejected by white high society and alienated from the people of her native island. When she discovers her opportunistic fiancé’s plot to exile her, Poppy flees—straight into the clutches of the Jackal. 

Hasan Devar, the ruthless criminal known as the Jackal, has long been targeted for his family’s divine magic, a gift the colonizers have tried to stamp out. When his brother is arrested, he seizes Poppy as leverage. But Poppy has powerful secrets—and political ambitions—of her own. As allies, they could do more than just free Hasan’s brother and keep Poppy safe. They could topple the very power structures that hold them all back. 

The first book in the Reckoning Storm duology, To Bargain with Mortals is a stunning reflection on politics and purpose, blood and allegiance—and what we do with the histories we inherit. 

I’ve seen this one being praised for its portrayal of the complicated nature of colonialism and how it intersects with pre-colonial prejudice, so that should be interesting!

You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read a Sample beneath the book cover)!

Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MC (one of several PoVs)
Published on: 28th October 2025
Goodreads

In a broken system, do you save yourself or fight for the people you love?

With the godspower waning, the queen of Ashvi has had to find another way to bolster her fight against her imperialist oppressors. The solution: wrenching children of other cultures from their homes and conscripting them into service.

Hammer was one of those children. Now, she’s a jaded soldier waging Ashvi’s perpetual war, thinking only of her own survival. But when she accidentally rescues Viridian, a child with rare and potentially devastating powers, her priorities shift. The girl appears to be the answer to the queen’s prayers—the perfect weapon to restore her kingdom’s ancient borders, even if the colonized cities they reconquer don’t want her version of liberation. Can Hammer protect Viridian from the system that broke her . . . before the girl’s power is unleashed on the world?

Cry, Voidbringer is a gripping saga of how far one will go for freedom and control—and how easily it can all be taken away.

Out this week in the US and next week (I think) in the UK, some of the worldbuilding I’ve heard about has me fascinated!

You can read an excerpt here (where it says Preview Now beneath the book cover)!

Eros: Queer Myths for Lovers by Zoe Terakes
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Trans MCs, queer MCs
Published on: 28th October 2025
Goodreads

A sexy modern take on ancient Greek myths.

She keeps her eyes on me while she lights the end of my cigarette. I stare back at her. Something in the pills and in her eyes is opening up my muscles like hands parting from prayer, like trees breathing.

Eros is a stunning collection of short stories, grounded in truth and coloured with dazzling imagination and alluring, unpredictable mystery. Revealing how queerness, nature and myth have been intertwined for eternity, these are stories of gods and goddesses. Of Zeus, of Eurydice, of Hermaphroditus, of Icarus before he flew into the sun. Stories of queer life, lust, revenge, wrath, passion and sex. Of yearning, love, loss. Some transformations span across a life, and others, an evening. Perspectives will shift. Houses will burn. Lovers will learn their fate.

Zoe Terakes has skilfully blended myth and modernity to illuminate the complex and enduring truth of trans lives, resisting a history of erasure and delivering a sexy, soul-touching book to read to your lover . . . or yourself.

'Goddamn, these stories set my queer heart alight. In finally making queer and trans undertones of ancient Greek myth explicit, Zoe Terakes has forged something both classic and eternal, timely and timeless.' BENJAMIN LAW

Haven’t been able to find out if these retellings are spec fic or magicless, but the reviews are overwhelmingly positive!

You can read a (very small) excerpt here (at the bottom of the interview)!

Familiar (Occult Misadventures) by Cara Nox
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Gay MC, bi love interest, nonbinary side character
Published on: 28th October 2025
Goodreads

After years of helping his father fight the monsters that killed his mother, Jules is ready to step out of his role of being a glorified errand boy for his dad and his vampire-hunting crew.

But when the idea is quickly shot down for the second time, Jules lets one drink to blow off steam domino into accidentally becoming a vampire’s familiar overnight.

And the biggest problem is that he can’t remember what happened.

With tensions high after his father discovers the possibility of a vampire spy in their midst, Jules scrambles to keep his mark a secret and prove himself to the entire crew by hunting down his vampire, following every clue that feels familiar.

—

This is the first in a series of read-in-any-order mystery urban fantasy books, each featuring a different cast of characters but set in the same universe, called OCCULT MISADVENTURES.

This sounds like fun, but it was seeing the author talk about it that got my attention properly.

You can download the first two chapters here!

Undeniable: The Grigori Cycle, Book 2 by Jes Honard, Marie Parks
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 28th October 2025
Goodreads

A lifeless body awaiting immortality.

Magic that erodes a sister’s identity.

Enemies bent on retribution.

Bridget has saved her sister, Dahlia, from imprisonment. But their reunion has come with enormous costs. Their friend was murdered in the rescue efforts, and Dahlia herself is no longer fully human.

Together, they seek to grant their friend a second chance at life. But the magic that will save him also paints a target on their backs.

As the sisters race to uncover the key to resurrection, Dahlia’s former captors pursue them—coveting the ancient powers and seeking justice for their own fallen companions.

At the same time, they must also contend with how Dahlia’s immortal life, new abilities, and fracturing personality are changing their relationship forever.

UNDENIABLE is the second book in The Grigori Cycle. Multi-Hugo Award-winning author Mary Robinette Kowal called UNRELENTING “a tapestry of emotion that effortlessly weaves together the threads of grief and obsession.”

I have not read the first book – I only discovered this series via Undeniable – but I’m liking the look of it!

You can read an excerpt of the first book on its Big River site page!

Southwest Gothic: The Harvesting Angel of the Plains by Bladen Mercutio
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 28th October 2025
Goodreads

An ancient villain draws Macarthy Black into its spiral as a mysterious drought overtakes the region. When legends such as the Marfa Mystery Lights and the Ghost Torch of the Chisos go missing, Macarthy returns to her roots only to uncover that the enemy has set a target on her back. She finds herself in cahoots with renegade meteorologist and closet necromancer, Remy Gaumond; scholar and sassy librarian, Jonas Rodriguez; and the charmingly dark, cartel-associated Vincent Salmerón. Tensions and wit run high as this makeshift group of strangers race to uncover their villain’s weaknesses before it unleashes its world-altering Reaping.

Several early reviews were impressed with this book’s take on local mythology, which made my ears perk up.

You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read a Preview beneath the book cover)!

The Changeling Queen by Kimberly Bea
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Published on: 28th October 2025
Goodreads

A lyrical, sensual, feminist retelling of the Scottish “Ballad of Tam Lin,” combining folklore, desire, sacrifice, and nature’s wonder in a tale perfect for fans of Natalie Hayes, Genevieve Gornichec, Holly Black, Quicksilver by Callie Hart, and Outlander.

“I am Faery and Faery is me.”

On Samhain in medieval Scotland, pregnant Janet rescues her lover Tam Lin from being sacrificed by the Wild Hunt—but the callous Faery Queen is not finished with them yet. Over the span of a single night, the Queen and Janet spar over Tam Lin’s fate. The Queen aims to win, knowing how fickle mortals can be. Long before she was royalty, she was simply Bess, the changeling daughter of a midwife.

Born with magical and mortal blood, Bess feared there was no true place for her on either side of the veil. She found refuge in the arms of the charming Thomas Shepherd, the bastard son of a local noble. While villagers viewed her as a scandal, Bess’s cunning knowledge and secret dark gifts attracted the attention of the elf lord Adaman. Wily and silver-tongued, Adaman led Bess into Faery’s realm of decadence, where her heart warred against her destiny. She fought to keep both—but at what cost?

Inspired by Scotland’s famous “Ballad of Tam Lin” and weaving together mystical folklore and tragic romance, The Changeling Queen’s journey into memory, betrayal, and redemption will enchant you.

An origin story…of the SEELIE QUEEN?! Yes yes YES!

You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read a Sample beneath the book cover)!

Moth Dark by Kika Hatzopoulou
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Queer Greek MC, nonbinary love interest
Published on: 28th October 2025
Goodreads

From the bestselling author of Threads That Bind comes a timeline-crossing romantic fantasy about a girl in love with a world of darkness—and with the mysterious heir to its throne—who must fight to prevent the destruction of all she loves.

“A lush, breathtaking, and wholly unique fantasy. I was entranced.” —Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

Sascia has always loved the Dark. Six years ago, when the world she knew collided with the world of the Dark, she found it thrilling rather than terrifying. Now, she spends her days studying Darkcreatures or seeking them out in the shadows where they thrive.

Then, one day, she—impossibly—pulls a person from the Dark. A person who shouldn’t exist. And they’re here to kill her. Nugau, the heir to the Darkworld, claims to be delivering a sentence for Sascia’s betrayal in a battle she’s never heard of, in a war that hasn’t happened.

Sascia escapes with her life—barely. But tensions are brewing between her world and the Dark, and it’s not long before she discovers that she and Nugau are bound together by forces they don’t understand. As they grow closer, crossing worlds and timelines, they must find a way to fight for peace—and for each other.

Everything I’ve read in the early reviews has me MASSIVELY hyped for this!

You can read an excerpt here (where it says Look Inside beneath the book cover)!

All the Stars in the Daylight Sky by Maya MacGregor
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Agender autistic MC
Published on: 28th October 2025
Goodreads

In this spellbinding romantasy, an agender teen stumbles into the fae world and finds love and belonging– but at what cost?

Eighteen-year-old Cam bounces between houses in Texas and Scotland and has always thought that’s why they don’t feel at home in either place. A recent Autism diagnosis followed by a fight with their Mothers add an extra layer of real-life stress, only amplifying their struggle to belong. However, things take an unexpected turn when they cross paths with members of the fae deep in a Scottish forest. With the Gaelic wisdom from their Granaidh (Grandma), Cam understands that they have been noticed by the fae, and that this means that their life is suddenly in grave danger.  

Cam must make a face the danger or join the fae and never see their family again. With their human ties fraying even further, the allure of the fae’s acceptance tugs at Cam’s heart, but are they ready to say goodbye to their family forever? From the acclaimed author of The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester, this is a lush, lyrical romantasy novel set at the crossroads of belonging and the magical realm of the unknown.

I feel like the pitch for this was written specifically for me and I am IMMENSELY excited to finally be able to read it tomorrow!

You can read an excerpt here (where it says Preview Now beneath the book cover)!

Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews
Genres: Horror, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Queer autistic MC
Published on: 28th October 2025
Goodreads

CG Drews, acclaimed author of Don't Let the Forest In, returns with another deeply unsettling and yet hauntingly beautiful tale of murder and botanical body horror, perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White and We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

Evander has lived like a ghost in the forgotten corners of the Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in by his reclusive billionaire guardian, Byron Lennox-Hall, when he was a child. For his safety, Evander has been given three ironclad rules to follow:
He can never leave the estate. He can never go into the gardens. And most importantly, he can never again be left alone with Byron's charming, underachieving grandson, Laurie.

That last rule has been in place ever since Laurie tried to kill Evander seven years ago, and yet somehow Evander is still obsessed with him.

When Byron suddenly dies, Evander inherits Hazelthorn’s immense gothic mansion and acres of sprawling grounds, along with the entirety of the Lennox-Hall family's vast wealth. But Evander's sure his guardian was murdered, and Laurie may be the only one who can help him find the killer before they come for Evander next.

Perhaps even more concerning is how the overgrown garden is refusing to stay behind its walls, slipping its vines and spores deeper into the house with each passing day. As the family’s dark secrets unravel alongside the growing horror of their terribly alive, bloodthirsty garden, Evander needs to find out what he’s really inheriting before the garden demands to be fed once more.

I adored Drews’ previous YA Horror, Don’t Let the Forest In, and VERY MUCH expect to adore this one too!

Youc an read an excerpt here (where it says Read Excerpt beneath the book cover) or here!

Wiz Duos - Book 3 by Ruthanna Emrys, Andrew Knighton
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 30th October 2025
Goodreads

Two novellas in one book

The Sheltering Flame by Ruthanna Emrys

Three old friends fleeing from their lives in academia take on a unique restoration project in the hills of New England, only to find that the stewardship of their crumbling new property comes with a magical obligation. When a desperate teenager turns up on their doorstep claiming sanctuary, it brings them into direct conflict with an ancient power of the land – one who rules over its debtors without mercy. The Hearth’s new keepers have 24 hours to save their new friend, fulfill their unexpected obligations, and claim the future they didn’t know they wanted.

Walking a Wounded Land by Andrew Knighton

Ghosts linger amid the fields and streets of England, waiting to be summoned by those who can walk their paths. Paul is one of the walkers, returned home to follow in a friend's last footsteps and learn how he died. But the land is a place of conflict, caught between connection and control. To find peace, Paul will have to confront his own past and other people's power, in a poignant tale of grief, justice, and walking your own path.

Emrys is one of my favourite authors – and the proximity makes me excited for Knighton’s novella too, if they thought it was well-paired with Emrys’!

You can read a (short) excerpt from Sheltering Flame here!

Of the Emperor's Kindness (Imperial Vices #1) by Chaz Brenchley
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MC
Published on: 30th October 2025
Goodreads

Feremendas is an age-old empire, settled and certain. Clath is an alliance of smaller kingdoms, upstart and expansive. They are the two great powers of the world.

Malance is from Verantha, one of the little countries caught between. She was in Feremendas-city, working as an interpreter and having the time of her life, when Clath invaded her homeland and swallowed it whole. Bereft and alone, as other Veranthans slip away from the imperium to seek their families or join the resistance, she’s ready to follow—except that the emperor forbids it.

So long as the embassy remains open, Verantha still survives, at least as an idea, a seed, a hope. But an embassy demands an ambassador, and the official appointee has gone. Everyone’s gone, except Malance…

For more than a year now, Her Excellency Malance Hermentine has been mourning her lost land and struggling to find some balance in this new and bewildering life of hers. Ambassador by imperial decree for a country that no longer exists, she has a large and decaying house to manage with a ramshackle and eccentric household, and no budget at all. She has allies and enemies at court; she has beloved friends throughout the city, and one brewing relationship in the palace itself.

And now the emperor warns her that things are about to get worse…

Emperors, of course, do nothing without a reason.

I have loved SEVERAL of Brenchley’s books, and have been grabby-hands for this one specifically since KJ Charles’ review!

You can read an excerpt here (where it says Preview Now beneath the book cover)!

Let the Sea Take You: A Novel by B.N. Russo
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 31st October 2025
Goodreads

A dreamlike, surrealist horror fantasy about a woman who rescues an injured selkie from the sea, only to find something far more dangerous lurking beneath the water’s surface.

"A creature I’d had no business pulling from the waters. A theft I would soon pay back tenfold. The Sea keeps a long memory, you see…"

Muire has spent her lifetime fighting to hold back the Sea. On the rocky shores of a mist-shrouded isle, where the tide’s slow encroachment is only kept at bay by old promises and blood-drenched sacraments, Muire is a dedicant to the ancient spirit of the Sea. In exchange for the devotion of the fisherfolk, the Sea guards their harbors and fills their nets with fish.

But the Sea is no longer sated. The fish have gone, the water is rising, and vicious storms begin to drown ships. On the night of one such storm, Muire rescues an injured selkie from the water. The selkie, a shapeshifting creature that is both woman and seal, is said to have the power to grant a favor.

With the selkie’s favor, Muire could finally deliver the isle from the Sea’s wrath. To do it, she only needs the creature’s sealskin coat — but it has already been stolen by another. Neither Muire nor the selkie will be safe until its return, for the selkie brings news of a new peril that creeps from the water: a sickness that will infect the minds and bodies of the fisherfolk, drawing them into the drowning deep. Already, it has begun. Without her coat, the selkie cannot return to the safety of her home, and without the favor, Muire’s isle will succumb to the Sea. United in their common aims, Muire and the selkie fight against time and the rising water. All the while, a disconcerting magnetism is drawing her toward the selkie, one that threatens to upend the precipitous balance of their mission. a

LET THE SEA TAKE YOU is a haunting horror fantasy exploring agency, identity, and the costs of devotion.

It’s very simple, really: I WILL ALWAYS SHOW UP FOR QUEER SELKIE STORIES! (Though in fairness I don’t know that the selkie in this is queer, only that the book’s shelved under queer fantasy.)

Let me Keep You: a M/M Cosmic Horror Romance by Kate Peters
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC, queer blind love interest
Published on: 31st October 2025
Goodreads

Lionel, a lifelong horror movie fanatic, is perfectly content keeping to himself—just him, the monsters on screen, and the occasional repair job around the luxury apartment building where he works. As the maintenance man, he knows every hidden passage, creaky floorboard, and even where the cats like to hide in the walls.

But when real horrors break through and the building is overrun by nightmarish creatures, Lionel is forced into action. He finds himself protecting Mads—a blind resident with a sharp wit and an eerie calm that doesn’t waver, even as reality begins to twist.

Together, they navigate the shifting hallways and impossible horrors within the building, relying on Lionel’s obsessive knowledge of horror tropes to survive. As the danger closes in, an unexpected connection grows between them—quiet, intense, and undeniable.

But something inhuman is watching Lionel. And it doesn’t plan on letting him leave.
“Let Me Keep You” is a m/m cosmic horror romance that follows Lionel and Mads’ struggle for survival in a monster apocalypse while trying to keep a hold of each other.

Trigger and Content warnings that can be found in “Let Me Keep You”: Explicit sex, hematolagnia, erotophonophilia, blood, gore, murder, death, descriptions of an unnamed eating disorder

Intriguing! Very in favour of blue-collar MCs, so I’m eager to try this!

Prima Materia: On Matter and Decay, Book 1 by Lance W. Bones
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Assorted queer cast
Published on: 31st October 2025
Goodreads

A LGBTQ+ spicy dark academia fantasy horror on alchemy, set in an alternative 1800s Europe.

The Alchemists inspired terror, and becoming one was the last thing he wanted.

In the dark and rainy city of Clawfort, the weakened Crown of Von Meier, the fearsome cult of Moonthorne Alchemists, and the infamous Guild of Thieves are spreading panic and plotting deadly subterfuge to determine who can be in control.

As the third child of one of the wealthiest and most prestigious families in the city, young Kilian Morgenstern resigned himself to the idea of merely running the family law office when the terrible news of his father's accidental death shakes his family from across the ocean.

While his brothers inherit the Morgenstern fortune, ensuring lives of luxury, the proud Kilian is forced to follow his father's last wishes to become an Alchemy student at the infamous Moonthorne Academy, trapped forever behind its inescapable walls with the ultimate goal of finding a cure for Death.

Driven by terrifying visions of unspeakable horrors that hang like an axe over the heads of his family and friends, the only person who offers to help Kilian out is a dangerous criminal and Guild member from his a scarred young man with demon-yellow eyes named Nikolas Vesa, who hates the Alchemists.

The only problem is that Nikolas also hates the Morgensterns to his core, and he’s eager to rip them apart...

This book contains explicit scenes, violence, and gore.
For a complete list of Trigger Warnings, please check out the Author's website.

I’m listening…

The Floating Castle by L. N. Holmes
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: East Asian-coded MC
Published on: 1st November 2025
Goodreads

From the author of Space, Collisions (Ghost City Press, 2018) comes The Floating Castle, an adult dark fantasy with the formidable dragons of The Priory of the Orange Tree (Bloomsbury, 2019) and the pernicious family feuds of The Women’s War (Random House Worlds, 2019).

In a world where demons control the supply of magic and dragons are both feared and sentient, three women combine forces to oppose an evil prince and escape his floating castle.

To secure her position as the emperor’s favorite daughter, Princess Fu Liling sails across a monster-infested sea to marry and subdue Elias of House Zartisval, crown prince of a rival kingdom. When she meets Elias, however, he unexpectedly refuses to marry her. At risk of being cut off from the imperial family, Liling tries to force the wedding, only to discover that Elias is a murderer and she is his disposable hostage. Liling resolves to expose this betrayal to her father and plots an escape, relying on a reluctant guard and a rebel witch to aid in her flight. Elias, who’d rather see them all dead than free, gives chase. The ensuing battle may cause the Floating Castle to literally fall, and Liling must decide: surrender and die to keep the peace or dishonor her father in exchange for her own life and liberty. The repercussions of her choice will ripple across a continent.

Flying castles AND sentient dragons??? Yes please!

Sekaran (Tuyo Book 11) by Rachel Neumeier
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Brown cast
Published on: 2nd November 2025
Goodreads

A crown forged piece by piece, moment by moment.

Prince Sekaran is nine years old when he meets his cousin Aras for the first time.

Twenty when Aras is given a scepter.

Thirty-five when he becomes heir and discovers the truth about his cousin …

A novel-length series of linked stories and vignettes, each revealing the moments that define Sekaran’s first encounters, unexpected revelations, and the ties of blood, friendship, and loyalty that bind him to his cousin, his broader family, and the summer country itself.

NEW TUYO BOOK! Though interestingly, this isn’t a novel, but a collection of short stories following one character from the series. I will be reading it asap!

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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