Must-Have Monday is a feature where I gather together the books I think you should know about from the coming week’s new releases. It is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all books being published that week; only those I want to highlight out of those I’m aware of! The focus is diverse SFF, but other stuff occasionally makes it in too. Corrections and suggestions are very welcome!

FIFTEEN books this week!

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

Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories by Amal El-Mohtar
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Some queer MCs
Published on: 24th March 2026
Goodreads

Full of glimpses into gleaming worlds and fairy tales with teeth, Seasons of Glass and Iron is a collection of acclaimed and awarded work from Amal El-Mohtar.

With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose.

Full of Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Hugo Award-winning and nominated stories, Seasons of Glass and Iron includes "Seasons of Glass and Iron," "The Green Book," "Madeleine," "The Lonely Sea in the Sky," "And Their Lips Rang with the Sun," "The Truth About Owls," "A Hollow Play," "Anabasis," "To Follow the Waves," "John Hollowback and the Witch," "Florilegia, or, Some Lies About Flowers," "Pockets," and more.

NEW AMAL-EL MOHTAR!!!!!!!! I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Read Excerpt below the book cover)

Goblin Heart by Fae Loxley
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Trans MC, M/M
Published on: 24th March 2026
Goodreads

As a goblin prince living in the human court of Morvane, Luc is unerringly loyal to his best friend, Prince Ramon. While his feelings seem genuine, his loyalty is forced, magically-controlled by the false heart beating in his chest. The royal wizards have hidden his true heart out of reach, keeping Luc as a well-mannered captive in the Morvanish palace.

Will Fletcher is an irritable apprentice smith, more comfortable sneaking off to the goblin kingdom of the Brightwood than staying in his family home. When Luc stumbles into his life, Will learns that he and the goblin prince have more in common than he expects. In order to steal back Luc’s heart and free him from magical bondage, Will must confront the shadows hiding in his past and forge a new life.

Always impressed when an author chooses to feature goblins or orcs or some other traditionally maligned species!

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

Olyoke by Vincent Endwell
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 24th March 2026
Goodreads

Olyoke, Tennessee is home to a Dollywood-like theme park, generations of troubled families, and the warnings of a dead architect turned conscripted prophet, who writes of a coming cataclysm.

As the fire nears, DARCY, a Dolly Parton impersonator, finds strange worms in the swamp and feeds them to her dog, who then speaks with the voice of her dead mother. Recently divorced LYLE KNOX is called through its dreams by a strange house, and through its investigation, discovers that Lyle Knox itself is not a person, but a structure. MAGGIE WARNER organizes a theater production to stave off her gnawing misery and becomes convinced that only the people she sees in her dreams are real. Moreover, the Whistler—the man Maggie becomes when she sleeps—welcomes the town’s impending Judgment with open arms.

All destinies converge in Olyoke.

None will escape unchanged.

Sounds DEEPLY weird!

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

Spacious Skies, Amber Waves: A High Fantasy Western (The Gods Are Bastards, 2) by D.D. Webb
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, Science Fantasy
Representation: Queer MCs
Published on: 24th March 2026
Goodreads

A band of adventuring young hopefuls strikes out into the wild―and straight into peril―in the thrilling second installment of this fantasy western series.

The Empire of Tiraas has spent ages casting off its sword-and-sorcery shackles in favor of high finance, practical magic, and keeping those with power in power. Everything is malleable in the name of progress. And those that cannot be bent can easily be broken―quite painfully if necessary.

But far away on the frontier, anything goes. And the University has not ceased instructing would-be adventurers on the finer points of unlocking their potential as elves, warriors, paladins, pirates, half-demons, and anything else the empire considers a threat. Now, the latest batch of brash, brawling freshmen are venturing outside the classroom on a trek to the Golden Sea for a lesson in reality. A seriously harsh lesson, to be precise. This sea is like nothing they have ever faced: an ever-shifting desert of mystery, myth, and monsters where friendship, loyalty, and their very souls will be challenged.

Meanwhile, trouble brews in the nearby town of Last Rock, as a dangerous enforcer and a battle-hardened wizard duel over a cunning elven thief who has a greater role to play in the power structure of Tiraas than anyone realizes. The pieces are set, and all will have to overcome their differences―and some very temperamental similarities―if they hope to survive.

The second volume of the genre-blending fantasy epic based on the hit web novel with more than eleven million views―plus almost four million views on Royal Road―now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Tropes include: teamwork makes the dream work, best frenemies, and opposites attract.

Yessss, I’ve been waiting for book 2 for AGES!

The Beheading Game: A Novel by Rebecca Lehmann
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Speculative Fiction, Historical Fantasy
Representation: F/F
Published on: 24th March 2026
Goodreads

Disgraced. Beheaded. And out for revenge . . .

We all know what happened to Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. But what if she woke up the day after her execution and took it upon herself to seek justice?

“Fabulous! A marvelously inventive and mythic reworking of the story of Anne Boleyn. I loved it.”—Kelly Link, author of The Book of Love

“Nobody was surprised at Anne’s conviction. The world loves to put a woman in her place.”

The Beheading Game begins in the hours after Anne Boleyn’s beheading, when she wakes to find herself unceremoniously laid to rest in a makeshift coffin, her head wrapped in linen at her knees. Discarded by King Henry VIII for being unable to give him a male heir and reviled by Cromwell for being too smart for her own good, she was ultimately executed based on trumped-up charges of adultery, incest, and high treason.

Anne escapes the Tower of London, sews her head back on, then sets out on a quest to kill Henry VIII before he can marry her own lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour. The stakes are high—if Jane gives birth to a rival heir, Anne’s daughter, Elizabeth, will lose her claim to the throne. Traveling the streets of London in the guise of a commoner, with the help of a prostitute who becomes a trusted friend (and perhaps something more), Anne soon realizes how little she knew about life in the real world.

A fantastical journey through the wilds of England and Tudor history, filled with danger and magic and steeped in Arthurian legend, The Beheading Game is a prescient reminder that “mouthy” women have always been punished. Now, thanks to debut novelist Rebecca Lehmann, nearly five hundred years after Anne Boleyn’s death, one of history’s most maligned women finally has the chance to tell her story.

Reviews for this are pretty mixed, but I’ve seen praise for the historical details!

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

Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Representation: Moroccan cast and setting
Published on: 24th March 2026
Goodreads

TEMPTRESS. MONSTER. WARRIOR.

Aicha is the story of Morocco's warrior goddess, her strange magic, fierce rebellion, and devastating romance. Debut author Soraya Bouazzaoui weaves an epic tale of female rage and hidden myths, perfect for fans of The City of Brass and The Stardust Thief.

The Portuguese flag has been planted across Morocco, its empire ruling with an iron fist. But eventually, all empires must fall.

Aicha, the daughter of a Moroccan freedom-fighter, was born for battle. She has witnessed the death of her people, their starvation and torture at the hands of the occupiers, and it has awakened an anger within her. An anger that burns hot and bright, and speaks to Aicha's soul.

Only Aicha's secret lover Rachid, a rebellion leader, knows how to soothe her. But as the fight for Morocco's freedom reaches its violent climax, the creature that simmers beneath Aicha's skin begs to be unleashed. It hungers for the screams of those who have caused her pain, and it will not be ignored.

To be honest, I haven’t heard anything positive about this one, just a lot of critique, so if it interests you, maybe check the reviews first?

You can read an excerpt here!

Deep Black (Arcana Imperii) by Miles Cameron
Genres: Adult, Sci Fi
Representation: Black MC, autistic-coded love interest, secondary nonbinary characters
Published on: 24yh March 2026
Goodreads

This explosive sequel continues the thrilling space opera saga that started with Artifact Space, following Marca Nbaro and her crewmates aboard the Greatship Athens—perfect for fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky and James S.A. Corey.

Marca Nbaro always dreamed of serving aboard the Greatships, colossal vessels with sprawling crews and cargo holds vast enough to fuel entire cities. These ships keep human space alive, transporting priceless goods from City to far-off Tradepoint to trade for xenoglas with an unknowable alien species.

But something sinister is lurking in the dark, and now the Greatships have become the prey.

Racing against time, Marca and her crew must track down an elusive enemy as their allies lose patience and danger closes in. When one of the mysterious aliens they’ve been trying to understand defects to humanity, it sparks a mission more perilous than anything they’ve faced before. Marca must risk it all to retrieve the alien and uncover the secrets that could forever alter the fabric of the universe.

Packed with gripping space battles and pulse-pounding alien encounters, Deep Black hurtles through a galaxy teetering on the brink of chaos, where every decision could mean survival or annihilation.

Yessss, new edition of one of my favourite books!

You can read an excerpt here! (Scroll down past the cover reveals)

My review!

Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction
Published on: 24th March 2026
Goodreads

The Bear and the Nightingale meets Weyward in this enchanting, deeply compelling debut about love and power, autonomy and consent.

Once upon a time, on the edge between meadow and forest, there was a lonely child with only his older sister for company. In exchange for being left in peace, his sister made him a playmate-Daye, a girl woven from flowers and words. And for the first time, this boy, Rory, had a friend.

Rory couldn't be happier, until he learns that Daye is a short-lived creature. At the end of each season, she must be woven back together or fall gruesomely apart. And every time Daye falls apart might be her last.

As Rory and Daye grow older and the line between friendship and romance begins to blur, Rory becomes desperate to break this cycle of bloom and decay. But the farther Rory pushes his research and experiments to lengthen Daye's existence, the more Daye begins to wonder just how much control she really has over her own life.

As a loose reimagining of the story of Blodeuwedd from Welsh mythology, Honeysuckle is an entrancing, inventive, and unsettling debut.

Always interested in retellings of Welsh myths, even loose retellings!

Trace Elements: Conversations on the Project of Science Fiction and Fantasy by Jo Walton, Ada Palmer
Genres: Adult, Nonfiction
Published on: 24th March 2026
Goodreads

From two of the most acclaimed writers in the field today, a groundbreaking look at how SF and fantasy writing—and reading!—works.

Jo Walton and Ada Palmer are two of the most innovative and insightful writers to emerge in the SF and fantasy genres in this century. As writers of fiction they’ve each won multiple awards. As commenters on SF and fantasy in print and in visual media, they’ve both sparked new conversations that expanded our imaginations and understanding of how SF and fantasy work, and what more it could be doing.

Now, in Trace Elements, Walton and Palmer have come together to write a book-length and supremely entertaining look at modern science fiction and fantasy, at how our genre is written and how it is read, that will join nonfiction works like Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Language of the Night, Samuel R. Delany’s The Jewel-Hinged Jaw, and Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud on the short shelf of titles essential to all readers of our genre.

Subjects covered include the nature of genre itself, the history of SF publishing, the implicit contract between author and reader, the ways SF and fantasy disguise themselves as one another, what SF&F can learn from outside influences ranging from Shakespeare to Diderot to anime, the role of complicity in reading, the need to expand our “sphere of empathy”, and finally the need for optimism, the importance of rejecting “purity” culture, and the fact that the human story for centuries to come will be composed of hard work.

Two of my favourite authors discussing SFF??? HELLS YES!

Charmed and Dangerous by Shelly Page
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Black sapphic MC, F/F
Published on: 24th March 2026
Goodreads

“An absolutely delightful romp that you need in your life.” —C. B. Lee, New York Times bestselling author of Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe

A teen mystic will do anything to solve a series of love-related magical mishaps plaguing her high school, including fake dating her boss's daughter, in this charming sapphic romance.

Magic lingers in the cozy town of Fair Glen, Illinois, and it’s up to the agents at the Bureau of Mystical Affairs to keep it in check. Monroe Bennett, a junior recruit at the Bureau, is ready to ace her first tracking down the source of a rogue love charm.

Protecting her charmed classmates, including the Bureau Director’s daughter Iris James, is top priority. But when Iris asks Monroe to fake date her to make her ex jealous, things get complicated. 

Monroe believes in duty, not romance. Yet the more time she spends with Iris, the harder it is to ignore the very real sparks flying between them. Can Monroe protect herself from love long enough to solve this case, or will her growing feelings get in the way?

Sounds super sweet!

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

The Wine-Dark Sea by Kris Madigan
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MC
Published on: 25th March 2026
Goodreads

When her wife’s ship vanishes somewhere in the Aegean Sea, Helena decides to leave the island of Rhodes — the only home she’s ever known — and embark on an odyssey to bring her beloved home before she’s lost even to the gods themselves. With the sole survivor of the wreck as her guide and the goddess Artemis at her back, Helena pushes her devotion to its limits as she faces countless obstacles and her greatest fear: the wine-dark sea itself.

I don’t think this one’s available through the usual places, but you can nab it through the author’s itch.io! And I believe it’s a novella, not a novel.

The Cure for Living - Part Two (The Twelfth World Book 3) by Nicolas Lietzau
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 26th March 2026
Goodreads

“I am what you made me."

In the oasis city of Qurrâb, wealth, power, and fame all bow to a single yâsh, the virtue of one's heart. There, a thirteen-year-old girl with a mind like no other resolves to become the brightest soul history has ever seen, inspiring others to follow her example. Her goal? To unite humanity and vanquish the Darkness, the destructive force within all of us that makes the world the wretched place that it is.

When veteran Jespar tre Moreste reaches the fabled City of Sages forty years later, his only concern is finding Loanne, the sister he once abandoned. Little does he know that his journey will soon lead him into the dark underbelly of the supposed paradise, where ruthless crime syndicates mingle with death cults and forbidden schools of philosophy. As old wounds resurface and reality fractures, Jespar realizes that even after the tumultuous events of Kilay, he still has demons of his own to conquer — and that often, the most charming masks hide the vilest of minds.
~
This is the second part of The Cure for Living, a single story told across two volumes. Closing Jespar’s saga with a haunting blend of mystery, dark fantasy, and thriller, The Cure for Living examines the cost of obsession, the fragility of identity, and the dark side of humankind.

Too grimdark for me but I’ve heard great things about this series!

Wolfskin by Jeremy Szal
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 26th March 2026
Goodreads

Vakov Fukasawa is a Reaper. An elite soldier injected with a dangerous drug called the DNA of a genocidal alien race, the Shenoi. It makes him stronger, faster, more aggressive. At a price.

A price that, if the House of Suns cult and the dangerous Shenoi alien race behind it, isn't stopped, all of humanity will have to pay . . .

Praise for Stormblood:

'Stormblood is a high stakes adrenaline filled adventure featuring two estranged brothers suddenly on opposite ends of an addict's war. And it's real damn good' Nick Martell, author of THE KINGDOM OF LIARS

'A captivating military sci-fi debut. Stormblood tells a splendid story about two brothers divided by war that is full of comradeship, actions, and conflict' Novel Notions

'A magnificent and explosive adrenaline-fest . . . Szal's debut is an absolute must read for fans of gritty, action-packed, detective and military SF' Grimdark Magazine

'This frenetic, grisly sucker-punch of a book manages to be everything you could want from sci-fi, while also carving out its own niche with a rusty slingshiv.' Fantasy Book Review

'Vakov Fukasawa is a former soldier, addicted to the biotech inside his own body that makes him constantly crave for action. And there is plenty of action in this fast moving novel, but not at the expense of ideas, or of humanity, or of vivid descriptions of Szal's carefully imagined war-torn galaxy' Chris Beckett

Only just heard about this series, but my interest is piqued!

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

Afterbirth by Emma Cleary
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MC
Published on: 26th March 2026
Goodreads

An unsettling, hypnotic descent into the visceral heart of “mommy horror,” Afterbirth is a story of fractured sisterhood, aching hunger, and irrevocable transformation—reverberating with the echoes of classic horror cinema.

In the wake of a fraught and ill-omened romance, Brooke arrives in Vancouver to care for her sister Izzy, who is preparing to undergo reproductive surgery. But Izzy’s rapidly decaying apartment building, its hallways stalked by an ominous figure known only as Medusa, offers little of the refuge the sisters need.

Seeking solace in the horror movies her ex-girlfriend loved, Brooke soon finds traces of horror bleeding from the screen into their lives. Old wounds reopen and new tensions surface. When Brooke begins to exhibit strange symptoms of her own, the line between self and sister blurs, and their concern for each other twists into a tangled obsession.

Eerie, threaded with yearning, and startlingly original, Emma Cleary’s haunting literary debut explores loneliness, motherhood, and the body’s threatened autonomy. The novel blooms with the dark desires we suppress or surrender to—until only one question who, or what, will survive when all unravels?

Sounds terrifying, I love it!

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

Dragons, Heists and Other Retirement Plans (Hornsboggle & Dodge #1) by Meg Pennerson
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 26th March 2026
Goodreads

A spellbinding cozy fantasy adventure that will make you believe in second chances. Complete with dragons. And cats. And dragon-cats.

Katherine and Imogene are done with their criminal past—honestly.
They’ve traded in their outlaw lifestyle for seaside views, knitting projects (strictly non-magical), and only the occasional pub brawl (entirely accidental). But when an old friend begs them for help, they're back in the game.

Their last heist—the one they botched all those years ago—needs finishing. And fast.
Saint Percival’s is in danger. The convent is sinking into the ground, and the dragons and nuns have been swindled out of their land by a ruthless real estate mogul. It's up to Katherine and Imogene to set things right, armed with enchanted needles and the power to knit a magical map straight to the villain’s lair.

The mission? To go back to where it all ended, outwit their enemy and save Saint Percival’s.

Except this time, they have the help of their beloved otherworldly cats and dragons. And the same charming rival who blew up their plans the first time round with just a wink…

What could possibly go wrong?

This delightful cozy, heist-y fantasy about friendships new and old is perfect for fans of TJ Klune and Travis Baldree.

Been looking forward to this one, it sounds ridiculously adorable!

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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