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!

TWENTY-SIX books this week!

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

A Villain's Hope (Heart-Mage Trilogy Book 2) by S.E. McPherson
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MC, bisexual autistic MC with ADHD, M/M/F
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

When mages come to collect on the deal that resurrected Elias Batesian with deadly supernatural powers, he, his mage-king Beau, and brilliant queen Penny find their kingdom caught in a centuries-old battle between ancient magic and the secret society built to defend against it. If Elias can come to terms with the man he was before Beau–and may have to become again–he’ll secure unlikely allies to keep magic from breaking the world.

Book two of the Heart-Mage Trilogy, A VILLAIN’S HOPE is a polyam, bi fantasy romance. A perfect read for lovers of found family, steamy on-page spice, royal/guard, complex and loveable characters, and bi, Autistic, and ADHD rep.

Book one of the trilogy was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Top 100 Best Indie Books of 2025 and Top 6 Best LGBTQ+ Indies of 2025.

This is the sequel to last year’s magnificent King’s Trust, and I loved it just as much as I loved the first book! Wildly addictive, packed full of Feels, and levelling up enormously – the fate of the world is now at stake!!!

My review!

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

Ruiner (Tellers, #1) by Lara Messersmith-Glavin
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MC, nonbinary MC
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

A political fantasy where storytelling is combat magic and ordinary people must fight against exploitation and environmental destruction.

War and physical violence have been rendered obsolete. Now tellers are pitted against each other, spinning tales out of storylight to outmaneuver the other, whether in battle, for glory, or in a bid to stave off poverty and hunger. But the teller must be careful, as a story lost in combat is lost forever—and with it, sometimes, a part of the teller.

Kell is a ritual lorist, trained in her people's legends and tradition of navigating by way of the pulsar stones across the vast and ever-changing desert. A gift from the gods, these ancient stones with their strange heartbeats are their most sacred resource. When the unthinkable happens and the imperial capital of Soogway annexes the stones, mining them for geologic resources, Kell must make her way to the city as an envoy of her clan—and reluctant combat teller, should negotiations fail.

Shade, a scrappy genderqueer street fighter of indeterminate age, is a regular of the illegal underground combat circuit, a fierce survivor of the city’s rougher spots, and a keen storyteller. When offered the chance to better their lot and train for an illustrious prize fight, Shade falls under the influence of a shadowy backer whose unorthodox techniques in story combat reveal capabilities beyond what they’d ever imagined possible. Soon, this taps something already broken in Shade.

Ruiner is the first installment of the Tellers series, an epic fantasy of colliding worldviews that demands its fighters draw on all their resources to stop an encroaching extractivist power. Lush and complex, the story wrestles with trauma, the high cost of resistance, and the nature of violence. Lara Messersmith-Glavin’s depiction of strategy and dedication in the face of despair offers us energy for the times ahead.

STORYTELLING AS COMBAT-MAGIC?!

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

The Quarter Queen: A Novel by Kayla Hardy
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Representation: Black MCs
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

A Voodoo witch must navigate a magically and racially divided nineteenth-century New Orleans to save her mother—and the soul of the city itself—in this lush debut novel inspired by the life of Marie Laveau.

“An edgy, intoxicating novel pulsing with the dark heartbeat of 1840s New Orleans and a fiery mother-daughter dynamic I won’t soon forget . . . Readers will devour this!”—Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary

In 1843 New Orleans, the reigning Voodoo queen is Marie Laveau, feared by her enemies and followers alike. Her daughter, Marie "Ree" Laveau the Second, is everything her cutthroat and principled mother is not—spoiled and entitled, with a wickedly rebellious streak—and defies her mother at every turn. But Ree’s world is turned upside down when she finds Marie comatose in the bayou, cursed by exiled Voodoo king Jon the Conjurer—Marie’s former teacher, lover, and greatest enemy.

As Marie hovers on the brink of death, Ree races to uncover the secrets of her mother’s life in search of a cure and gradually uncovers a web of alliances, dangers, and deception. What’s worse, Henryk Broussard, Ree’s long-missing childhood best friend, returns as a witch hunter of the Church, tasked with investigating her. With so many enemies circling, including a puritanical-minded Brotherhood of alchemists and the slave-holding mayor of the city, Ree must confront the past and face her mother’s demons that have now become her own—or die trying.

Told in alternating timelines between Ree in the present and Marie’s rise to power twenty-five years earlier, The Quarter Queen is an intimate yet epic portrait of a mother and daughter who have struggled all their lives to understand one another, and a captivating exploration of racism, family, and womanhood.

I’ve been looking forward to this one for ages – it sounds absolutely magnificent!

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

The Kingdom of Almonds (The Mirror Realm Cycle Book 3) by Ariel Kaplan
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Portal Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Jewish cast, M/M
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

In the enchanting conclusion to the Mirror Realm Cycle, the fate of all three realms hangs in the balance as Toba, Naftaly, and their companions must settle the question of Luz once and for all. . .

Toba and Naftaly have stepped through the Gate of Luz into the mythic world of Aravoth, home to the Ziz, the bird of legend capable of raising the sea. Aravoth—the fabled third realm—is more dizzying and terrifying than Toba or Naftaly could have imagined. Nor had they expected to find someone already there, waiting for them.

After barely escaping the burning city of Zayit, Elena and the old woman have a new problem: Barsilay, heir of Luz, is being held for an exorbitant ransom by the paranoid Queen of P'ri Hadar. As Barsilay sits in his dark, demon-inhabited prison cell, he begins to realize the queen is guarding an ancient secret that might be the key to his release.

And the tyrant Tarses continues to close in on P’ri Hadar, wielding an army that spans the Mazik and mortal worlds and newly-powerful visions that reveal his most longed-for future—visions that he and Naftaly seem to share.

In this triumphant finale, the mirror realms must find their balance, or risk being lost altogether.

The finale to the Mirror Realm Cycle! I have no theories at all about how everything is going to wrap up, and I love that – so much more fun when I don’t know what to expect!

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

The Dark Sweetness at the Bottom of the Well by Chandra Fisher
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

Elana Allard has been relentlessly, desperately drawn to the well since she was a child. Even in her sleep, she walks toward the final resting place of the shadow eating creature who lies at the bottom.

Her family has kept her safe, ensuring she’s lashed to her bed each night, leather cuffs tight around her ankles. They wish she’d marry a man who could keep her in bed, but Elana has never felt the spark of love the bards sing about with any man she’s met.

When a once in a century storm cracks the stone off the well, Elana’s desire to go there carves her out. She hungers, growing pale and sick, until at last she relents and goes to the well on her own.

There she finds the monster isn’t what she’d thought it was. The Darkness—Nessa—wants what many young women want: a nice place to stay, a nice dress to wear, and a trip into town with Elana.

And Elana feels things with Nessa that she’s never felt for a man. Most of all, she realizes there is no cure for the force that drew her toward the well. Toward the monster.

Toward the darkness.

With her brother’s suspicions plaguing her every move and the threat of banishment from her family to marry a man chosen for her, Elana must choose: a normal life that will keep her a prisoner forever, or a monstrous love unlike anything she’s ever felt that will ensure her alienation from everyone and everything she’s ever known.

This one caught my eye not JUST because I’m always here for eldritch love interests, but because Maiga Doocey really liked it!

You can read some (tiny) excerpts here!

Beatrice the Sixteenth by Irene Clyde
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Nonbinary cast
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

A pioneering feminist adventure in an alternate world—before the concept of gender.

Introduced by Lucy Sante, author of the acclaimed memoir of transition I Heard Her Call My Name, this pioneering 1909 feminist utopia is productively discombobulating. When Mary Hatherley, an intrepid British explorer, is kicked in the head by the camel she was riding through the Arabian desert, she finds herself transported to what seems to be an alternate version of Earth. Arriving in Armeria, she discovers a society in which the very concept of gender is unknown. Like Mary, the reader will become disoriented, but enjoyably so: By avoiding the use of gendered pronouns, the story’s author—herself a gender-fluid activist—challenges our assumptions about gendered social paradigms.

Originally published all the way back in 1909! The reviews I’ve seen are very mixed, but I’m still interested in checking this one out.

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

Loading...The Machine Child: A Novella of Utter Speculation by T.T. Madden
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Black trans MC
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

Abby, a transfemme videogame YouTuber, finds an anonymous package left at her door. Inside is a VHS tape that seems to call to something within her, and opens up a door to the 40-year-old mystery of Polybius. The urban legend claims that an arcade cabinet allegedly caused madness and hallucinations in its players while it was installed over a single month in Portland in 1981. The package indicates that there may be even more to the story.
Something about it compels Abby on a journey across the country to discover the truth about the mysterious cabinet, the men in black watching over it, and to finish the story started in 1981.

Been hearing people raving about this one!

You can download a PDF of the prologue here!

CyberSnow by A.E. Bross
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: F/F
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

New Velles is a city built for the elite, for those who sit atop a capitalist throne while everyone beneath them has to beg for the scraps. No group carries more power and privilege than the Nieve family, owners of the Nieve Corporation.

Bianca Nieve is the sole heir to the Nieve Corporation, forced to follow in her father's footsteps. She knows there's more to the corporation than wealth. There's the corruption, injustice, and cold-blooded adherence to profit over the lives of people as well. She wants nothing to do with it. Torn between loyalty to family and her own conscience, she finds her only solace in the relative anonymity of the net, secretly broadcasting the misdeeds of Nieve Corp under the guise of CyberSnow.

Suddenly, Bianca finds herself a fugitive for a crime she didn't commit, a crime that could shake the very foundation of New Velles. Her only chance of survival lies in the dark corners of a city she has only ever seen from afar.

Taja Soliño wouldn't call herself an enthusiastic part of the resistance in New Velles. She'd call herself someone who hates seeing regular people caught up in the twisted machinations of the city's corruption. That quickly changes when she decides to make a bit of her own "good" trouble. She accidentally invites chaos into her life by saving someone she thought was an innocent bystander caught in a crossfire. That someone turns out to be Bianca Nieve herself.

Now Taja, Bianca, and those around them are thrust further into the steadily escalating conflict between the corruption that runs New Velles and the effort of the resistance to release the city from its oppressor.

Haven’t been able to learn much about this one, but it sounds promising!

Yellow: A Novel by Amy Pence
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Bisexual MC
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR

“Mysterious and mesmerizing.”––Claire Stanford, Author of Happy for You 

Yellow is a luminous, genre-defying debut that fuses cosmic mystery, trauma, and transformation. It will take you on a journey through time, space, and the inner wilderness of one girl’s mind.

It’s 1973: summer of the Watergate hearings and Skylab’s launch into space when 12-year-old Z discovers an unclassified slime mold growing in her Louisiana backyard. Something compels her deep coherence with this magical creature—until an incident with a serial killer at the lake disrupts their connection. Both mystifying and metaphorical, Yellow becomes a guiding force for her brother Clem, a New Orleans seeker. As years pass, Z tries to recover what life has taught her to forget. A multi-threaded novel, Yellow weaves fact, physics, space exploration, and philosophy to create a transcendent reading experience.

Sounds DEEPLY strange, so naturally I’m here for it!

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

Ruins by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Science Fantasy, Speculative Fiction
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

From the critically-acclaimed, bestselling author of The Light Pirate, comes a sweeping, deeply resonant novel about an archeologist in search of an ancient artifact that could not only change her life, but upend the story of civilization itself.

Professor Ember Agni is a rising star in archeology, trying to balance an unfulfilling career in academia and a crumbling marriage, all while pursuing her true passion: unearthing a lost empire that no one else believes existed. Just as she’s about to give up on the ambitious expedition she spent a decade trying to fund, a message arrives from overseas. A former student claims to have found something extraordinary—an artifact that hints at the forgotten world lying beneath history’s tidy surface.

With vindication finally within reach, Ember risks everything for the sake of discovery and undertakes an odyssey that will either make her name or ruin her. Driven by unwavering faith in her vision of the past, she challenges the limits of her nation, her colleagues, and herself in order to exhume the missing pieces of how humanity began. But as she journeys deep into an untouched wilderness, in dogged pursuit of a dead civilization, she collides with the wreckage of her own life. On the brink of either discovery or destruction, Ember must choose who she wants to be, and to what kind of world she wants to belong.

I cannot figure out WHY I’m obsessed with getting to read this, but I very much am! (For one thing I’m very excited by the claims that it’s Science Fantasy, which we always need more of!)

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

Undercity by Monte Schulz
Genres: Adult, Sci Fi
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

In an uncannily prescient novel eerily relevant to our contemporary political moment, Undercity unfolds across 16 interconnected vignettes, as author Monte Schulz charts the lives of two dozen characters desperately trying to survive and retain their humanity in a civil order that has tumbled into totalitarianism.

Once there was a republic of boundless wonder and achievement whose bright horizon had gone dark, soiled by a populace it imagined as undisciplined, unhealthy, feebleminded, and whose very existence stained and subverted a great society. A solution appeared in the furious logic of Biological Dominion that named the ineffectual and weak, the criminally deformed and unwell, as the root cause of this decline. Now, imagine laws conceived in the high halls of government to rid this society of millions deemed infected by a curious disease supposedly responsible for that poverty of health and morality. Next, imagine those millions considered to be unfit and unworthy for daily life loaded onto freight trains and ushered away to perish in distant woods and fields. Imagine more thousands chased into the vast underground of labyrinthine caves and dark catacombs beneath vibrant city streets and lovely city parks to wither away and die.

Undercity collects the voices of brave survivors, of those who’ve refused to submit to the indignities of eugenical persecution, the horror of gas chambers, and relentless warfare in rural provinces. Some of these stories demonstrate the moral disaster of eugenics, while others tell of courage and love and that indomitable magic of the human spirit that refuses to be silenced in the face of unspeakable crimes. Perhaps Undercity is a warning to us, as well, that what we might think is unimaginable needs only apathy and inattention to arise.

I mean, obviously I have to check out anything with that weird a cover. Obviously.

The Loudest Place on Earth: A Novel by Ken Ziegler
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

Only Ludwig can save the fairies—if he can be bothered to.

Long before sirens and subways, New York’s first residents—noise-loathing fairies—fled underground to escape the city’s ever-increasing roar. Now, after centuries of failed plots to bring silence to the city, they’re trying something new: hiring a human.

When Ludwig, a comfort-obsessed slacker, begins hearing a word no one else remembers speaking, he follows its trail to a hidden fairy society beneath Times Square. There, he meets An Exalted Northwind, a fairy enchantress determined to forgo her species’ signature fondness for cruelty in favor of peacefully reclaiming the surface. But she can’t do it without a human go-between.

As payment for Ludwig’s help, she offers him a ruby-defecating piglet. Unfortunately for the fairies, Ludwig’s sudden wealth leaves him free to do any job except the one he’s been given—like becoming an athleisure fashion mogul. As the fairies become increasingly desperate, Ludwig must choose between comfort and accountability before New York City is forever undone by fairy vengeance.

The Loudest Place on Earth is an urban fable of defiance and consequence, where even magic must make way for the modern.

This premise is ridiculous and I love it.

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

The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

When a Victorian fossil hunter discovers a baby pterodactyl, she vows to protect him, with the help of a fellow scholar—her former fiancé—in this enchanting and transporting historical fantasy.

“Scholarly and clever but still full of heart . . . Five baby pterodactyls out of five.”—Heather Fawcett, New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series

Mary Anning wants to be a geomagician—a paleontologist who uses fossils to wield magic—but since the Geomagical Society of London refuses to admit women, she’s stuck selling her discoveries to tourists instead. Then an ancient egg hatches in her hands, revealing a lovable baby pterodactyl that Mary names Ajax, and she knows that this is a scientific find that could make her career—if she’s strategic.

But when Mary contacts the Society about her discovery, they demand to take possession of Ajax. Their emissary is none other than Henry Stanton, a distinguished (and infuriatingly handsome) scholar . . . and the man who once broke Mary’s heart. She knows she can’t trust her fellow scholars, who want to discredit her and claim Ajax for their own, but Henry insists he believes in the brilliant Mary and only wants to help her obtain the respect she deserves.

Now Mary has a new mystery to solve that’s buried deeper than any dinosaur She must uncover the secrets behind the Society and the truth about Henry. As her conscience begins to chafe against her ambition, Mary must decide what lengths she’s willing to go to finally belong—and what her heart really wants.

“Mary Anning, magic, politics, and a pterodactyl—with this intriguing mix, this delightful and clever book provides definitive proof that Victorian England needed more dinosaurs!”—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

Book One of The Geomagician Duology

Sorry, I hear ‘baby pterodactyl’ and I must read the thing, I do in fact make the rules and this is one of them!

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

A Widow's Charm by Caitlyn Paxson
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

In this witty fantasy romance, a widow attempts to resurrect her dead husband by blackmailing her rakish necromancer neighbor—only to find herself falling for him instead.

“Witty, whimsical, and deeply kind, A Widow’s Charm is beyond charming—it’s wholly enchanting.”—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of The Everlasting

Lady Hildegarde Croft is accustomed to changes in position. After all, she rose from maidservant to lady of the manor when she married Lord Thorgoode Croft. But when he dies unexpectedly, the plans that would have protected her and the people of Croftholde die along with him. What’s a widow to do?

Potential salvation arrives in the form of Lord Elmwood, who is fleeing the consequences of using his forbidden Charm to raise the dead. Now he’s injured, destitute, and hiding out at the neighboring estate.

For Hilde, blackmailing Lord Elmwood to resurrect Thorgoode seems like the perfect solution. For Elmwood, beautiful Lady Croft seems like the ideal distraction from his troubles. The problem is, all she wants from him is the horrifying power he knows he can never use again.

“Witty, sexy, and deeply romantic . . . a warm, glowing hearth of a book.”—New York Times bestselling author Tessa Dare

“Bursting with humor, heart, and healing love . . . an unmissable debut.”—Allison Saft, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wings of Starlight

“Funny, sexy, and unbelievably charming—this novel is a new forever favorite.”—Alexandra Vasti, USA Today bestselling author of Ladies in Hating

“A lush garden of warmth, wonder, and appetite that will leave you pleasantly sated and hungry for more.”—Amal El-Mohtar, New York Times bestselling co-author of This Is How You Lose the Time War

CSE Cooney has been head over heels for this one, so naturally I must nab a copy!

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

The Lighthouse at the End of the World (Cities of the Drift, #1) by Philip Suggars
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Portal Fantasy
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

Enter a London like no other in this fast-paced, captivating fantasy novel, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Genevieve Cogman.

Oyster McLellen has spent his life causing mischief. Running with a small-time gang and fleecing money from tourists in Hyde Park to support his struggling family in the absence of his father, who abandoned them years ago.

When a simple money drop for his boss, Big Mickey, goes wrong, Oyster's future looks bleak. His only chance to redeem himself in the eyes of Mickey is to get the money back, but as he pursues the thieves across South London he suddenly finds himself washed up on a beach, surrounded by broken phones and shattered office furniture.

His new world: Greater London. A city built on the detritus of our own, where leviathans crafted from broken skyscrapers roam the seas, where ink beetles nestle beneath the skin of its residents and where Oyster's father, Lucas, may well have escaped to all those years ago.

But there are bigger things at stake. Oyster's allegiances are torn between the enigmatic Nonesuch, the eccentric escapist Marya Petrovna, and the terrifying Mr Primrose - and he will have to choose who to align himself with quickly. Because plans are afoot: something ancient is brewing, and a choice needs to be made, the consequences of which will determine the fate of Londons, and life, everywhere.

I’m a sucker for things like leviathans built out of skyscrapers and also ink-beetles. Crossing my fingers that the other-world setting is as weird and magical as it sounds!

You can read an excerpt here (where it says Free Preview beneath the book cover) or another from later in the book here!

Where No Shadow Stays by Sara Hashem
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Representation: American Egyptian MC
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

A homecoming queen and a bad-boy loner team up to break a generational curse in this YA supernatural horror from a talented American Egyptian voice.

Seventeen-year-old Mina is always focused on what comes next: exams, school dances, opportunities for a picnic by the lake. Filling up the future keeps her from lingering over how little she knows about her history or where she comes from. Anytime she asks her father questions about Egypt--or about her mother's mysterious death--he struggles to open up.

When Mina receives an invitation from an aunt she’s never met to visit the Haikal mansion, her mother’s childhood home in El Agamy, Mina accepts. She can’t resist the chance to learn more about her roots or what happened to her mother, even if it means lying to her loves ones for the first time in her life.

But when Mina returns from El Agamy, she doesn’t come back alone.

A sinister entity follows Mina from the Haikal mansion to her tiny California town. Mina is forced to abandon her friends, her father, and everything she loves in order to prevent the entity from violently possessing them. Isolated and fighting for her life, Mina must seek help from an unlikely ally: Jesse Talbot, the mortician’s hostile son and the only person who proves immune to possession. Jesse would rather floss with barbed wire than team up with social butterfly Mina, but he doesn’t exactly have a choice—after all, he’s running from family secrets of his own.

As Mina and Jesse dig deeper into Mina's family lore, they uncover a bloody debt that must be satisfied if Mina wants to finish senior year alive.

Love the sound of this, and the reviews have been praising the use of Arabic Egyptian folklore!

You can read an excerpt here!

Our Immortal Bind by Christopher Hartland
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Queer autistic MC, M/M
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

To enter the afterlife, one must first pass through a door unlocked by the angel of death, but when the keys to those doors are stolen, the entire human race is rendered immortal.

With the world heading into global crisis and the very fabric of the universe at risk, Death tasks her son, the half-angel/half-human Orpheus, with the retrieval of the keys.
Orpheus soon encounters Evan, a warlock who lives in fear thanks to laws punishing the use of magic.

The Witchfinders are already pointing the blame for the immortality at the witches and warlocks of the world, so Evan agrees to help Orpheus in the hopes of fixing things before anti-magic rhetoric reaches an all-time high.

In a quest that pushes them both to their limits, what neither boy expects is to find there may be more to life, each other, and themselves than they ever thought possible.

Fascinated by the idea of the human race suddenly becoming immortal – you’d think a lot of people would want things to stay that way, so will Orpheus and Evan have people working against them? And what do you mean, the fabric of the universe is at risk?! I’m way too interested to NOT check this out!

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

The Celestial Seas by T.A. Chan
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi, YA
Representation: Queer (bi?) MC
Published on: 31st March 2026
Goodreads

A tale of identity, love, and the hunt for vengeance in the darkest corners of space—perfect for fans of Iron Widow and Aurora Rising!

Ishara Ming is the sole survivor of the Essex, a spacefaring whaler destroyed by the legendary Ballena. Left with a damaged memory chip and a missing arm, Ishara has vowed to avenge the twenty-three lives lost to the rogue Mech-Operated Bio-Integrated Spacecraft (MOBIS), an autonomous spacecraft containing an intricate blend of mechanical hardware and code-controlled bacteria.

To take on the Ballena, Ishara assembles a crew of capable misfits, including her first mate, Quinn, the girl who makes Ishara's heart stumble over its own beats. Quinn has always believed in her, even when the rest of the system thinks she’s a delusional captain who hallucinated the Ballena.

That is, until Augustus, a handsome ship mech with his own reasons for revenge, convinces Ishara to let him join the crew. He’s armed with a specialized tracking system Ishara can’t refuse, but there’s something familiar about him she can’t quite shake. Torn between Quinn’s cautious guidance and Augustus’s encouragement, Ishara issues increasingly risky orders. But one too many brushes with death will force her to choose between her newfound family or the vow to avenge her old one—and the two closest to her she can't help but fall for.

Inspried by Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, this retelling brings a much-needed modern update to a beloved classic.

I have been promised SPACE WHALES who are also LIVING ARCHIVES, making this a must-read for me!

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

The Wandmaker's Apprentice: A Nox Hollow Novel by R.A. Brown
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 1st April 2026
Goodreads

Fantasy doesn’t pay the bills. No matter how much Alan wishes it did.

He’s about to have to pick up a dreaded part-time job after trying for years to squeeze a living out of the geeky things he loves making, when real fantasy interrupts his life in the form of a genuine magic wand.

Guided by Randall, a mischievous master wandmaker, and his new friend Michaela, Alan is thrown into a new life as a wandmaker’s apprentice— a life full of secrets, adventure, and chaos. Gathering materials from absurd magical creatures is dangerous, after all. And that’s just the beginning.

He may have finally found a place he really belongs, though, if his new master doesn’t get him killed first!

The Wandmaker’s Apprentice is a cozy modern-day fantasy set in the northwestern United States. This story is appropriate for adult readers and features a diverse, relatable cast of characters, awkward romance, danger, and lots and lots of magic.

I love stories exploring crafts, and WAND-MAKING?! I’m so excited!

Politics and Poly by M.N. Bennet
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M/M
Published on: 1st April 2026
Goodreads

Rus doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with punching bigots. Some call it anger issues or impulse control; he sees it as clearing away the cesspool of hateful idiots. All the same, he doesn’t want his rage to control him or push away the two people he’s beginning to care deeply for.

Dylan’s façade of joy is so masterful, he even deceives himself most days. Underneath that worn smile, though, is a frightened man who doesn’t trust the world. Now, he has to navigate taking care of the queer youth home that gave him a life worth living while exploring the life he’d like to live if he wants to pursue romance in this new relationship.
Kaiden struggles to accept himself, wayward and insecure most days. So, when two men express how much they see him, he feels like a complete and total imposter. He’s convinced himself this awkward throuple would be a much happier couple if he took a step back. But despite his reservations, he doesn’t want to give up.

These three will have to come together, work through their personal fears, and be real with one another if they hope to explore this romance.

Pretty sure this isn’t SFF, but it sounds fun and sweet and also I’m in love with all the colour and tiny details in the cover!

Bereket (Tuyo Book 12) by Rachel Neumeier
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Brown cast
Published on: 2nd April 2026
Goodreads

The stranger took four strides and stopped, facing Bereket. Taking a pouch from inside his shirt, he set it on the table. “Help me.”

Never attached, never involved, friendly but never close to anyone, Bereket isn’t a man to make strong connections to any place or person. After three years in his latest job, he’s ready to pull up stakes and move on.

But when he’s asked to help prevent a grave miscarriage of justice, well … maybe he can stick around a little longer. This job sounds tricky. And interesting. Also a little bit illegal. But legality has never mattered much to Bereket. Justice, on the other hand, always has.

For this job, he’ll go far out of his way … if he can pull it off.

A prequel novel to Rihasi

Already read this one (Neumeier releases her books early via Patreon) and ADORED it, unsurprisingly! She remains incredible at creating fascinatingly unconventional characters.

The Last Death Poet by Stephen Daly
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Gay MC
Published on: 2nd April 2026
Goodreads

'I know about the visions. I have your camera. Call me. Please.'

When Michael is uprooted to his mum’s hometown of Belfast, he isn’t just hoping for a fresh start. He’s determined to discover the truth about his dad’s mysterious absence. But from the moment he arrives, he’s plagued with visions of the city’s troubled past.

Michael begins settling into his new life and even meets a boy who helps erase the painful memories of his ex. But as the visions grow stronger and more intense, the only person he can really confide in is his new friend Meg.

As Meg delves into the supernatural source of the visions, Michael begins to question whether events of the past are linked to his dad’s disappearance.

Can he use his powers to find his dad before he’s gone forever?

UK-only for now – this’ll be released in the US in June! I’ve been hearing very promising things.

Lost Talent by M.S. Palmer
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Asexual MC, nonbinary secondary character
Published on: 3rd April 2026
Goodreads

At Oakward Academy, Mina was told she was 'a mage of no particular talent.' After graduating, she is stuck working in Burgamont & Mandragora's Arcane Emporium and wondering what happened to her childhood dreams.

Everything changes when one of her school friends suddenly disappears, accused of smuggling magic to the 'untalented.' Mina and her friends have to scour Britain's hidden arcane society in a desperate attempt to find him and clear his name before they lose him forever.

To succeed, Mina will need more than just magic… she will need to overcome the repressive lessons of her time at magic school and the shadow that it continues cast on her life.

Let’s be real, magical queer found-family is one of my many catnips, so clearly I’ve got to check this one out!

You can read the first chapter here!

Besieger by Kalina Mitova
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 4th April 2026
Goodreads

Greed needs little to fester. When you have starved for so long, all you can see is hunger.

Besieger is a vampire Gothic fantasy with a dash of historical fiction. A tale of a love so corrupt it eats you from the inside. Perfect for fans of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles, Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber, S.T. Gibson's A Dowry of Blood, and Kat Dunn's Hungerstone.

A Vampire Coven is thrown into chaos after its maker and master is found dead under mysterious circumstances. With the assassin hiding among them, the Vampire Council must choose a new Coven Master, and who better than the man who wants the throne the least. A deserter from the First Crusade, Silvio is saved by Dulior, a vampire determined to turn and bind him at the altar. In the midst of a cycle of arranged marriages to mortals, Dulior uses Silvio as her escape from her domineering maker, and a promise, finally, of a true love match. Although granted immortality, Silvio sees no value in eternity if he cannot share it with Emerick, the man he has sworn to protect. Husband to a woman he despises, bound to a man he wants to drown in pleasure, Silvio will have to become a pawn in the Coven’s schemes if it helps him break free from his wife and mistress.

Listen, one of the (many) surefire ways to make me take a close look at your book is to have warickaart do the book cover. I’m easy like that.

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

Scars (The Recovery, #1) by J.A. McCoy
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC(s?)
Published on: 5th April 2026
Goodreads

In a world that has forgotten magic, some scars refuse to heal.

Kel’rak Zaulyl wanted nothing more than a quiet farm and the silence of the plains to bury his past. But when he unearths a sentient dagger that feeds on his darkest emotions, that simple life is replaced by a path of blood and vengeance.

Amelia was a healer until wicked men took everything from her. Now, she is a vessel for a necromantic power she doesn't understand, protecting a son who is only human in soul.

Together with a band of outcasts, they must learn to turn their deepest pain into a weapon. An ancient entity is stirring, and it is looking to fill its Vault with the very concept of history, beauty, and agony. Those who dare to wield the return of both the light and the dark are the targets of its newest planned acquisition.

Necromancers, a kid ‘only human in soul’, and a demonic-y dagger? All right, I’m listening!

You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Free 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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