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.
SEVENTEEN books this week!
(Books are listed in order of pub date, then Adult SFF, Adult Other, YA SFF, YA Other, MG SFF.)
The Nameless Land (The Witch Roads #2) by Kate Elliott
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MC, trans secondary character
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
Surprising betrayals, surprising alliances, and surprising discoveries of heritage abound in this energetic sequel to The Witch Roads.
When the royal party finds themselves in a land they never believed they could access, it will take all of Prince Gevulin's (admittedly impressive) diplomatic skills to forge a coalition with an unlikely group of would-be allies.
Meanwhile, as Erin mourns her lost love, an unwelcome visit to the land of her birth brings back the traumatic memories of the childhood she shared with her sister.
And a surprise visit from an unwelcome family member threatens to derail the plans of multiple opposing factions.Loyalty cannot be demanded, only won
The first book in this duology had me OBSESSED, and after that ending I am freaking RABID to get my hands on book two! *GRABBY HANDS*
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read Excerpt beneath the book cover)!
The King Must Die by Kemi Ashing-Giwa
Genres: Adult, Sci Fi
Representation: Brown MC
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
From the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Splinter in the Sky comes a pulse-pounding science fiction adventure following the daughter of rebel instigators and the heir of a power-drunk ruler who team up to save their empire…or destroy it in the process.
Fen’s world is crumbling. Newearth, a once-promising planet gifted by the all-powerful alien Makers, now suffers from failed terraforming, leaving its people on the brink of collapse. Fen has spent her life working as a mercenary bodyguard for a cunning magistrate, entangled in the politics of the empire that shattered her family. But then her fathers—her last remaining tether to hope—are executed by the ruthless Sovereign, who marks Fen for the same fate.
With nothing left to lose, Fen escapes with a single map and an old quarterstaff, embarking on a dangerous quest to seek out the last remnants of her parents’ rebellion. But the underground insurgents she finds may be even more dangerous than the Sovereign’s army. At the center of it all stands Alekhai, the Sovereign’s heir—a brutal, power-hungry force of destruction. Though he embodies everything Fen despises, his dangerous plans might be the empire’s last chance at survival…or the final push to its doom.
Perfect for fans of fast-paced dystopian adventures, intergalactic intrigue, and morally complex heroes, The King Must Die weaves an unforgettable story of rebellion, survival, and impossible choices. Will Fen save her world—or ensure its destruction?
Didn’t love this author’s debut, but there was enough promise in it that I’m very curious about her sophomore novel!
You can read an excerpt here (scroll down to under the About The Book section)!
Song of Spores by Bogi Takács
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Jewish MC, nonbinary and autistic MCs
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
Hugo Award winner Bogi Takács spins a tale of adventure, mystery, and political intrigue in space. Plus sentient fungus!
Three experienced counterintelligence operatives from Alliance Treaty Enforcement are on a mission to find the source of shapeshifting infiltrators within Alliance space. Will the gruff Ereni commander, the Chasidic Jewish shapeshifter, and the cynical insectoid grandma be able to work together? Or will their differences drive them apart before they can reach their goal?
Not to mention dealing with the sentient spaceship and symbiotic pilot, who only signed on to provide transportation, not to be eaten by giant space fungus. Are they even on the right side of history when everything comes crashing down?
Can the galaxy possibly survive? This is weird space opera at its finest!
This sounds SO WEIRD and I love it. GIMME!
Helm by Sarah Hall
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Nonbinary MC
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
From the twice-Booker-nominated writer of Burntcoat, an astonishing literary masterpiece that explores faith, connection, and our relationship to the natural world, for readers of The Overstory and North Woods
Helm is a ferocious, mischievous wind — a subject of folklore and awe, part-elemental god, part-aerial demon blasting through the sublime landscape of Northern England since the dawn of time.
Through the stories of those who’ve obsessed over Helm, an extraordinary history is formed: the Neolithic tribe who tried to placate Helm, the Dark Age wizard priest who wanted to banish Helm, the Victorian steam engineer who attempted to capture Helm — and the farmer’s daughter who fiercely loved Helm. But now Dr. Selima Sutar, surrounded by infinite clouds and measuring instruments in her observation hut, fears human pollution is killing Helm.
Rich, wild, and vital, Helm is the story of a singular life force, and of the relationship between nature and people, neither of whom can weather life without the other.
This was out in the UK earlier this year, and I’m reading that edition now. Adoring it so far!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Preview Now beneath the book cover)!
Heart of Stone: The Negotiator Trilogy: Book One (The Old Races Universe 1) by C.E. Murphy
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
What secrets lie shrouded in darkness?
Okay, so jogging through Central Park after midnight wasn't a bright idea. But Margrit Knight never thought she'd encounter a dark new world filled with magical beings -- not to mention a dying woman and a mysterious stranger with blood on his hands. Her logical, lawyer instincts told her it couldn't all be real -- but she could hardly deny what she'd seen . . . and touched.
The mystery man, Alban, was a gargoyle. One of the fabled Old Races who had hidden their existence for centuries. Now he was a murder suspect, and he needed Margrit's help to take the heat off him and find the real killer.
As they worked together to figure out who was framing Alban, Margrit discovered that this man with a heart -- and body -- of stone made her feel more alive than ever, And as the dead pile up, it's a race against the sunrise to clear Alban's name and keep them both alive . . .
IT’S BACK! I loved this trilogy back in the day, and I’m so glad it’s being republished! Murphy’s prose and worldbuilding are a big step up from the genre standard, so if you’re at all interested in Urban Fantasy I urge you to give this one a try!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says click to look inside under the book cover)!
Mojorhythm by Sheree Renée Thomas
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Sci Fi
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
MOJORHYTHM is book one of the the three book The Root and Sky Series of short stories.
“Sheree Renée Thomas gives us a whirlpool of poem and story, a 'wild and strangeful breed' of cosmology. . ."―Tyehimba Jess, author of Olio, Pulitzer Prize Winner.
The award-winning Sheree Renée Thomas, author of Nine Bar Blues, returns with a new collection steeped in Hoodoo, fantasy, magic myths, and lore.
Meet a spacefaring prophet of the future digging in the crates of earth's past. Step into a Memphis salon where coiled braids hold ancient power, and stylists conjure Rootwork against forces both seen and unseen. Witness a future where the state claims bodies, and women forge a rebellion of fire and spirit from the land's deep memory. Follow a stylish African dandy spy navigating a world woven with intrigue and hidden currents of power. and enter a legendary diner whose culinary wares change fates.
These tales resonate with the magic and mystery, the deep rhythms and blues of the soul's passage through life and beyond. Short stories that invite readers into realms where ancient traditions and futuristic visions collide in a vibrant chorus of magic, music, and adventure, where the raw pulse of the natural world intertwines with the hum of tomorrow's technology, revealing the boundless wonders of existence.
This is a multigenre brew, strange and wondrous, exploring the supernatural currents of music, history, and culture, Hoodoo as an ancient modern spiritual force and living folklore, the exquisite whimsy and profound horrors found in existence, and the boundless territories of the impossible.
I feel like I’ve heard this author’s name quite a bit? And this collection sounds marvelous!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says preview beneath the book details)!
The Awakening of Lora Abernathy by Mj Anthony
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: MC with chronic fatigue, queer MC/s
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
After a disastrous birthday ceremony and coming-of-age ritual gone wrong, Lora flees home, taking her new lycanthrope form for a test drive on the streets of Glenhurst, and hoping to prove her worth. When she answers a local job posting at random, Lora lands in the company of two other strangers: Nic and Art.
Nic has sought redemption from his own past failings on his fiancé's family farm. When that security is threatened, he takes matters into his own hands, seeking out a connection from his sister's college days, who is rumored to have experience with magic blades and killing tyrants.
Art longs for the past about as often as he longs to forget it, pouring his time into cooking, mutual aid efforts, bounty hunting gig work, and studying crosscosm theory (the idea of travel between worlds). This job will pay his rent, and, if he's lucky, not give him time to think about his trauma.
The job? Enter the forest and eliminate the threat that's been causing townsfolk to go missing. But the woods are dark, and they have eaten adventurers before. When their pasts come back to haunt them, can the fledgling party survive?
Apparently this one is set in an urban fantasy world, where magic is known about? It’s also a novella, so prepare for a quick read!
The Great Work by Sheldon Costa
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
An alchemist and his young nephew hunt down a legend in this profound and unsettling speculative Western, for fans of Karen Russell and Victor LaValle.
Alone in a frontier town in the nineteenth-century Northwest, Gentle Montgomery is grieving his best friend. Liam was an alchemist, killed when he tried to capture a creature that shouldn’t a giant salamander that drives men mad. When Gentle’s teenage nephew Kitt arrives at his doorstep, the two set out together to track the monster down, so they can use its blood in an alchemical formula that will bring Liam back to life.
It's a hard and haunted journey. The salamander produces surreal nightmares and waking dreams of a blighted, burning future. And Gentle and Kitt soon find themselves pursued by a bloodthirsty hunter, a sadistic judge, and a doomsday cult, all of whom have their own plans for the river monster. Armed with nothing but Liam’s alchemical notebooks, they must not only find the salamander but learn to understand it—and the terrifying visions it causes—before it’s too late. And as Gentle struggles to comprehend the creature, his lost friend, his nephew, and his fellow seekers, it becomes clear that the Great Work of the alchemists may pale in comparison to the small work of human connection.
Sheldon Costa’s dark, vivid, and strangely hopeful debut novel is a supernatural adventure through the wilderness of friendship and the rotten heart of the early American empire.
I am baffled but fascinated by everything I’ve heard about this one, and looking forward to taking a peek at it!
You can read an excerpt here!
The Sufi's Nightingale by Sarbpreet Singh
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer Sufi cast
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
"A brilliant work of historical fiction." - The Telegraph
"A tale of transcendental love woven around poetry and prose with confidence and tenderness." - Farah BashirIn a small house beneath a mosque in the Bazaar e Husn, home to the pleasure houses of sixteenth-century Lahore, lives the mystic Shah Hussain. A former Islamic scholar now disavowed by the clergy, he courts rejection and abuse as a means of conquering his ego. Despite his notoriety, his exquisite poems—sung by his dearest disciple Maqbool, his nightingale—have won the hearts of thousands.
Into this world strides Madho, the handsome scion of a high-born Brahmin family, seeking the favours of the most famous courtesan in Lahore. Shah Hussain is smitten the moment he lays eyes on Madho, who replaces Maqbool as his favorite acolyte. Torn between devotion and jealousy, Maqbool sings Shah Hussain’s exquisite songs of love, which he thinks are addressed to Madho… but will he ever understand the true nature of their relationship?
Thus unfolds a saga of sublime love, heartbreak, scandal, mystical experience and, ultimately, spiritual triumph.
Told in the voices of Hussain and Maqbool, The Sufi's Nightingale is a moving and transcendent novel about the wonders and mysteries of love and faith.
"This well-researched and magnificently crafted book would appeal to a variety of readers (and) would also strike a chord with young South Asian queer folks looking for pre-colonial and non-Western queer narratives and icons to affirm their existence."- Open Magazine
"In Sarbpreet Singh's hands, the poet's life and world come alive with a charming subtlety and elegance, elevating the small details and everydayness of a Sufi's life, as much as its raptures and leaps of faith and emotion. This is historical fiction at its finest."
- Manu Pillai, Sahitya Academy honoree and author of The Ivory Throne
Not fantastical, so far as I know, but this sounds like a gorgeous read and I’m very intrigued!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Preview Now beneath the book cover)!
Hear Her Howl by Kim DeRose
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Sapphic MC
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
As fiercely feminist as it is hopeful, this speculative, sapphic YA romance from the author of For Girls Who Walk through Fire is simultaneously a modern-day war cry and a PSA that there is a wolf who slumbers inside us all—we only have to wake her.
Rue’s life is over. After she’s caught kissing a girl behind the Sunday School classrooms, she gets exiled to Sacred Heart so she can be transformed into her mother’s idea of a respectable lady. The irony of being sent to—of all places—an all-girls Catholic boarding school is not lost on Rue, especially when she falls irreversibly under the spell of its ethereal, ferocious outcast, Charlotte Savage.
But there’s more to Charlotte than her sharp gaze and even sharper Charlotte Savage is, against all logic, a werewolf. And Rue can become one, too—any woman can, if she’s brave enough to heed the wild that howls inside of her.
She and Charlotte aren’t alone in answering the call, and upon forming a wolf pack of fearless girls who refuse to remain docile, Rue realizes she couldn’t have been more wrong. Her life isn’t over. It’s just beginning.
This world is not kind to women, much less wild women . . . but God help the man who tries to cage the girls of Sacred Heart.
Laini Taylor called this ‘the sapphic, Catholic school, werewolf power ballad you didn’t know you needed’, and yep, I’m sold!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Free Preview beneath the book cover)
Deadly Ever After by Brittany Johnson
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Black sapphic MCs
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
Two dead princesses must find true love's kiss to be brought back to life in this heart-stopping romantic fantasy debut.
“A captivating blend of suspense, romance, and fantasy.” —Kalynn Bayron, New York Times bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead
Amala has spent her whole life trying to be the perfect delicate, quiet, obedient. But when she’s murdered on the night of her wedding, her story is cut short before it begins.
Kha’dasia has been told her whole life that she is too rough, too loud, too much. She’s no ordinary princess but a ruthless warrior on a quest to fulfill her late brother’s dying wish. Except she dies before reaching her destination.
When both girls wake up in a cursed forest, the gods offer them a second chance at life—if they can find true love’s kiss. But there’s a catch, the gods warn. While the right kiss will save you, the wrong kiss will kill you.
On their journey, the princesses must overcome challenges that force them to face the truth of their lives…and their deaths. And as Amala and Kha’dasia grow closer, they can’t help but wonder if true love has been standing right in front of them all along.
OPENING with the MCs deceased isn’t something we see often!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Look Inside beneath the book cover)!
The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
Fans of romantasy rejoice! The Carnegie Medal–winning novel by internationally best-selling author Margaret Mahy is back in a new edition, introduced by New York Times best-selling author Caroline O’Donoghue.
Laura’s little brother, Jacko, is fighting for his life after being marked by the sinister storekeeper Carmody Braque. Laura knows there is only one way to save Jacko: she must seek the help of Sorensen, a brooding male witch in her class, and use his supernatural powers to change into a witch herself. For admirers of Caroline O’Donoghue, fans of fantasy romance, and collectors of great young adult literature comes a return of the celebrated novel that helped spawn a genre.
This is a new edition of a book I’ve never heard a bad word about – one of my own favourites. It’s set in Australia, which we don’t see often enough, and I remember the prose being gorgeous. I think I did a lot of eyebrow-raising at the ‘love interest’, though, so be warned for that!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Look Inside or Read Sample beneath the book cover)!
Beautiful Brutal Bodies (Gorgeous Gruesome Faces, #2) by Linda Cheng
Genres: Horror, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Sapphic MCs, MLM secondary character
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
Full of skin-crawling folk horror and sapphic romance, this feral fairytale and standalone follow-up to GORGEOUS GRUESOME FACES follows a reclusive songstress and her bodyguard who must unravel the occult mysteries of their past to escape from a cursed island.
Tian
is a singer-songwriter with a massive online following, known for her hypnotic vocals and ethereal looks. But behind the glamorous façade is a disturbing reality: raised in an isolated mansion, Tian is a prisoner in her own life.
Liya
is Tian’s childhood friend and her only close companion, tasked with protecting Tian at all costs. But hidden beneath Liya’s beautiful human exterior is a beastly secret: her teeth are far too sharp, and her appetite much too ferocious.When several fans mysteriously suffer fatal injuries while watching her livestream, Tian, along with Liya, are sent to a spiritual healing retreat on a remote island in the South China Seas. They are joined by Tian's musical collaborator Shenyu, a troubled idol whose recent brush with the law and string of bad boyfriends has him seeking his own new start. But the trio soon discovers that the island is no peaceful getaway. There is constant surveillance, bizzare rituals, and something terrifying lurking in the forest. Something not quite human.
In order to escape with her loved ones, Tian must uncover her connection to the island’s blood-drenched legend -- and the truth behind Liya’s monstrous identity -- before the island claims them all as its final sacrifice.
I love the sound of this! It’s a sort-of sequel to another book, but I think it’s that they only share a setting? They’re both meant to be complete standalones!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read Excerpt beneath the book cover)!
Where There's Room For Us by Hayley Kiyoko
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Speculative Fiction, YA
Representation: F/F
Published on: 4th November 2025
Goodreads
In WHERE THERE'S ROOM FOR US, #1 New York Times bestselling author Hayley Kiyoko brings us a young adult novel set in a reimagined 1880s Victorian England where everyone is free to love whoever they choose.
When her brother unexpectedly inherits an English estate, the outspoken and infamously daring poet, Ivy, swaps her lively New York life for the prim and proper world of high society, and quickly faces the challenges of its revered traditions–especially once she meets the most sought-after socialite of the courting season: Freya Tallon.
Freya’s life has always been mapped out for her: marry a wealthy lord, produce heirs, and protect the family’s noble status. But when she unexpectedly takes her sister’s place on a date with Ivy, everything changes. For the first time, she feels the kind of spark she’s always dreamed of.
As Ivy and Freya’s connection deepens, both are caught between desire and duty. How much are they willing to risk to be true to themselves—and to each other?
Inspired by Hayley Kiyoko’s own experiences and classic favorites like Little Women and Pride and Prejudice, Where There’s Room for Us is a romance set in a world where society’s expectations are everything—but love is so much more.
I’ve been hearing about this one for months and months. Not sure it’s going to be for me, but I’m willing to take a peek at it!
You can read an excerpt here!
Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MC (one PoV among several)
Published on: 6th November 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.
This was out in the US last week, and now it’s the UK’s turn!
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Preview Now beneath the book cover)!
Gold and Gossamer by Riley S. Quinn
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Black MCs
Published on: 8th November 2025
Goodreads
The Mage King of Avonbend is meant to be untouchable. With his throne balanced on the precipice of the human and fairy world, Dante is the sworn protector of the Talamherra he knows from the Talamherra he doesn't. But he cannot help feeling that the formidable Fairy Queen who lurks beyond the ruins and rivers of Avonbend's borderlands is not truly the threat that human legends describe her to be. When he finds himself in need of a favor, he dares to ask for her generosity, in hopes of saving his own people from a mysterious blight.
The Fairy Queen questions why the Mage King would not turn to his own allies in such a time of uncertainty, but she is never one to stay in the dark for long, and is eager to lure this ambitious king into the shadows of her dominion. When a rivalry blooms from her refusal to aid him, enflamed by his desperation for victory against her, the Fairy Queen offers up a different one that leads to a truth that Dante is not yet prepared to unveil. The webs of secrets, oaths, and intrigue that await Dante in Fairyland are all at the mysterious queen's fingertips... and now, to his bewilderment, so is he.
Dante knows one ruler will have to yield to another eventually, but perhaps it will not be the enemy they expect... and the fates that await them are more intertwined than he ever dared to imagine.
This is shelved under Epic Fantasy, but I think it’s safe to expect a pretty big romance plotline!
You can read some short excerpts here and here!
The Fault Mirror by Catherine Fearns
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 8th November 2025
Goodreads
Everyone sees the house they want to see...
Paris, 1900: Amidst the decadence of the Belle Époque, American heiress Lydia Temple falls in love with ethereal aristocrat Séraphine de Valleiry, and builds her a whimsical castle in the Swiss mountains. The Chateau des Miroirs becomes a bastion of spiritualism until it is taken over by sinister forces during the First World War. And then it disappears. Or did it ever really exist?
Oxford, 2035: Elderly professor Cyrus Field is rapidly losing his sight and his will to live, when student Haydn Young presents him with a collection of letters previously lost to history. These letters may contain the answer to the philosophical problem that has been his life’s work. But does he really want to know the truth? With war closing in, Cyrus and Haydn must decide whether to risk everything in the quest for knowledge.
The mystery of the Chateau des Miroirs reverberates through the generations, connecting two souls that are destined to find each other.
Given that this is shelved as Sci Fi, I’m expecting timey-wimey shenanigans.
You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read a Preview beneath the book cover)!
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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