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!

SEVENTEEN books this week!

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

Renaissance (Wisconsin Gothic Book 5) by E.H. Lupton
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M, queernorm world
Published on: 13th April 2026
Goodreads

June, 1971. As the academic year draws to a close, Sam and Ulysses are looking forward to a quiet summer. But when Ulysses's grandmother is hospitalized, it becomes clear that relaxation is not in the cards. Unable to accept that her fall was an accident, Ulysses begins to investigate whether it may be related to a cult from their past whose mysterious and powerful leader seems to be popping up all over town.

Sam's doing his best to hold things together and be supportive, but it's hard when his new husband is barely listening and keeping him at arm's length every time family is concerned. And on top of everything else, the library has something urgent to tell Sam...

As they reunite with old friends and prepare to bid farewell to others, Sam and Ulysses will see their marriage tried, their lives threatened, and meet an old enemy they thought long dead.

Renaissance is the fifth book in the Wisconsin Gothic series. It would probably be best to start with book 1, Dionysus in Wisconsin.

I finally got to this series this year and flew through it, and am delighted I didn’t need to wait long for the next instalment!

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

They Made Us Blood and Fury by Cheryl S. Ntumy
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy
Representation: African (Ghanian?)-inspired setting and cast
Published on: 14th April 2026
Goodreads

Evil spreads throughout the Kingdom, and the one woman who can save them may be the key to their survival ... or their destruction.

Anyi is the gem of the Countless Clans. Their Queens make lifeblood, a magical substance used for everything from medicine to weapons. Once, Anyi had so much lifeblood that they gave it away. Now their Queen is dying, none of her daughters, the Diviewe, can produce lifeblood and the gods that guide the clan have gone silent.In the Empire of Ka, Anyi native Aseye dreams of leaving her work at the imperial armory to strike out on her own. Kwame, a spy with a hidden heritage, is a charming distraction. A man of conflicting loyalties, he’s not to be trusted with Aseye’s heart – or her secret, buried so deep that even she doesn’t remember it. A secret that could end her life.As Anyi’s lifeblood dwindles, the Diviewe beg the Elders to unleash an ancient weapon to save the clan. The Elders refuse. The Diviewe take matters into their own hands. But the weapon is not what they thought it would be, and it’s not the only thing to wake…

Cheryl S. Ntumy is a Ghanaian writer of speculative fiction, young adult fiction, and romance. Her work has appeared in FIYAH Literary Magazine; Apex Magazine; World Literature Today; Best of World SF Vol. 3 and Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2022, among others. Her work has also been nominated for the Nommo Award for African Speculative Fiction, the British Science Fiction Association Award, the Commonwealth Writers Short Story Prize and the Miles Morland Foundation Scholarship. She is part of the Sauútiverse Collective, which created a shared universe for Afrocentric speculative fiction, and a member of Petlo Literary Arts, an organization that develops and promotes creative writing in Botswana. Her Sauútiverse novella Songs for the Shadows was released in 2024 by Atthis Arts and her short story collection Black Friday: Short Stories from Africa (Beyond and Within) was published in April 2025 by Flame Tree Press.

Really cool story here, though alas I didn’t get along with the writing style.

The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Representation: Hawaiian MC
Published on: 14th April 2026
Goodreads

In this spellbinding fantasy debut set in a future where language magic reigns, a young Hawaiian woman must solve a murder to clear her name.

Kea Petrova is dealing with more than her fair share of trouble.

At just twenty-five years old, she’s the youngest of five Hawaiian clan leaders living on the Homestead in outer Los Angeles. Nearly 200 years ago, when a catastrophic flood submerged the Hawaiian islands and unleashed magic into the world, these clans forged a treaty with the city, establishing a new Hawaiian homeland. But that treaty is about to expire.

Kea struggles to keep her small clan afloat, scraping together rent each month through odd jobs and selling her own crafted Hawaiian language spells. While her talent for language magic is her saving grace, she feels like a shadow of those who came before her. Just when she thinks things can’t get any more complicated, the murder of Angelo Reyes—LA’s most prominent Filipino activist—turns her world upside-down.

Angelo was killed by a death spell—something that, due to the properties of each school of language magic, can only exist in Hawaiian. With independent spellsmithing being technically illegal, Kea quickly becomes the prime suspect, known for her spellwork on the Homestead. To clear her name, she must unravel the mystery behind Angelo’s murder and confront LA’s most powerful (and dangerous) players, each wielding their own type of magic. The clock is ticking—can Kea save herself, her clan, and the Homestead before it’s too late?

Don’t pick this one up if you’re looking for Urban Fantasy that breaks the mould, but UF fans should have fun with it.

You can read an excerpt here!

You can find my DNF review here!

First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy, Science Fantasy
Representation: Wheelchair-bound MC
Published on: 14th April 2026
Goodreads

Cameron Johnston returns in this innovative space fantasy, where wizards race to be the first on the moon – also known as the land of the gods. A fast paced read perfect for fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Ella Pickering is drowning in debt. Once a Unity skymage trained to make aerial supply runs in the great war with the Ranneas Empire, following a crash she now uses a wheelchair and works gruelling shifts making magical weapons in the Unity workshops, thinking of better days.

One night Ella witnesses an experiment by engineer Jackan Grissom go awry. His device morphs into a crude rocket blasting skywards before falling into the war’s spell-ravaged No Man’s Land. But this inspires a dangerous could such a device reach the moon – the forbidden home of the gods? Could they go and beg them to stop the war?

They will need help, but as more folk get involved in their blasphemous plot, can they keep it under wraps? Can magic get them to the moon? Or will their heresy lead them to the gallows?

I love everything about this premise and I am making grabbing hands at it!

You can read an excerpt here!

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker
Genres: Adult, Horror
Representation: Japanese MC
Published on: 14th April 2026
Goodreads

In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds.

October, 2026: Lee Turner doesn’t remember how or why he killed his college roommate. The details are blurred and bloody. All he knows is he has to flee New York and go to the one place that might offer refuge—his father’s new home in Japan, a house hidden by sword ferns and wild ginger. But something is terribly wrong with the no animals will come near it, the bedroom window isn't always a window, and a woman with a sword appears in the yard when night falls.

October, 1877: Sen is a young samurai in exile, hiding from the imperial soldiers in a house behind the sword ferns. A monster came home from war wearing her father’s face, but Sen would do anything to please him, even turn her sword on her own mother. She knows the soldiers will soon slaughter her whole family when she sees a terrible a young foreign man who appears outside her window.

One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie.

Something is hiding beneath the house of sword ferns, and Lee and Sen will soon wish they never unburied it.

Been hearing absolutely amazing things about this, I’m hyped!

You can read an excerpt here!

Wife Shaped Bodies by Laura Cranehill
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi, Post-Apocalyptic
Representation: F/F
Published on: 14th April 2026
Goodreads

Sorrowland meets Manhunt in this literary horror debut in which an isolated newlywed—covered in mushroom growths like all the other wives in her community—strikes a precarious balance between following her husband’s strict rules and pursuing an intense connection with a woman who makes her question everything.

Forbidden from leaving her house from girlhood until marriage, Nicole has only her mother's lessons and what she can see from her bedroom window to draw on in forming her view of the world, and of herself. Taught that the mushrooms which cover the women in her village are repulsive and dangerous, she conforms to a rigid set of rules to protect herself and those around her.

When her wedding day arrives, Nicole moves from one prison to another—an empty mansion on the very outskirts of town belonging to the husband she’s been promised to since birth. As she haunts the edges of Silas's unknowable life and decaying home, maintaining control over her own transforming body becomes increasingly impossible. And when another wife with rebellious tendencies pays Nicole an unexpected visit, something within her cracks open. Their furtive explorations yield confusing answers, unearthing the long-buried secrets of the generations of resentful brides that came before. Unmoored, angry, and at last awakened, Nicole must reckon with who she really is, and perhaps, give in to what she truly wants.

Raw, visceral, and relentless, Wife Shaped Bodies is an exploration of gender, power, and community through the lens of mycological body horror and an ode to the unsettling beauty of the natural world.

This is for readers really into mushroom body-horror, and/or the Handmaid’s Tale genre of misogynistic dystopias. Doesn’t really do anything new on the latter front, but I did love the mushroom stuff!

My review!

Wine for Roses by Emily O'Malley Liu
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 14th April 2026
Goodreads

They say the stolen rose blooms best.

When Ethan Keating Mendoza is hired as a gardener at an old Victorian residence in central Indiana, he has one clear mission: make the roses bloom. Ethan's life is roses--he's the son of a hedge witch and a partner in his father's rose growing business--but he has no magic himself.

The Kilbride estate is wild and overgrown. The roses have not bloomed in decades, and Ethan fears he may be in over his head. Worse still is Louis, the peculiar trustee of the property, who lives under a bloodthirsty curse that ties him to the garden. But Louis gives Ethan a chance, and Ethan is determined to do right by the suffering roses. As Ethan and Louis grow closer, Ethan becomes increasingly desperate to save the man he loves from the garden's curse.

But the garden isn't letting them go without a fight.

I’ve not heard much about this one, but it’s from a new indie press that has me very intrigued.

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

Snowblooded by Emma Sterner-Radley
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Asexual MC, lesbian MC
Published on: 14 April 2026
Goodreads

The Princess Bride meets Six of Crows in this uproarious fantasy debut set in 18th century Scandinavia full of assassins, magic potions, romance and rivalry.

Valour and Petrichor are esteemed members of the Order of Axsten, an assassin’s guild tasked with keeping order in the rough city of Vinterstock. Plucked from the streets as children and raised to compete for their guild’s approval, Valour uses her brawn to survive, while Petrichor strives to be a gentleman assassin. When they’re given their biggest job yet—to kill Brandquist, the mysterious leader of the city's illegal magic trade—it’s a recipe for disaster. If they can quell their rivalry long enough, the reward will be enough to settle their debts with the Order and start new lives.

If this job wasn’t dangerous enough, Valour is saddled with protecting the aristocrat, Ingrid Rytterdahl. Valour finds her dangerously attractive, but Petrichor can’t wait to be rid of them both. He begrudgingly accepts Ingrid’s knowledge and connections as they navigate the city’s criminal underbelly in pursuit of Brandquist.

As secrets bubble to the surface, the duo must outwit the thugs on their tail, keep Ingrid alive, and—hardest of all—work together without murdering each other.

I think this was out in the UK at least a year ago, but now’s the US release!

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

Morsel by Carter Keane
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 14th April 2026
Goodreads

Carter Keane's Morsel is a delicious folk horror debut about learning to bite back when the world is determined to eat you alive.

Lou did what the children of parents with backbreaking, poorly paying jobs are supposed to pulled up her bootstraps, went to college, and got an office gig with coworkers who won’t stop talking about their multilevel marketing scheme disguised as self-betterment.

When Lou accepts a property appraisal assignment in the rural hills of Ohio, she knows it's her last chance to save her job and keep making rent. But she quickly finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere with a sabotaged truck, her dog, and someone--or something--stalking her through the ancient Appalachian woods.

If she can’t escape the woods in time, she’ll see firsthand that her job isn’t the only thing that wants to eat her alive.

Morsel is The Blair Witch Project meets The Ritual, with a generous helping of The Menu, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Cassandra Khaw, and Paul Tremblay.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Apparently the supernatural stuff only comes in near the end, but despite than the reviews I’ve seen have been pretty positive!

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

Super Castle Fun Park by Daniel Zomparelli
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Speculative Fiction
Representation: Gay MC/s
Published on: 14th April 2026
Goodreads

A wild, beguiling novel about isolation, technology, and raising the dead by the co-editor of Queer Little Nightmares

The dead want to speak to you. But are you ready to hear their words? Super Castle Fun Park explores a group of people tending wistfully to their precarious lives. Dario is an aimless pessimist staying at a themed hotel who is tasked with the care of his aunt at the end of her life. Jeremy is Dario's anxious boyfriend who is trapped in his home, plagued by disturbing visions. Chelsea is an ornery medium who spends her free time on her phone trolling a group of misfits in an online game. Each of them is at the precipice of change, and the people they are interconnected to, including the dead, will be there when it happens.

Moving seamlessly between quiet melancholy, wry humor, and the supernatural, Super Castle Fun Park is a novel that defies a tragicomic, very human story about isolation, ghosts, technology, and our deep, abiding need for connection.

This publication meets the EPUB Accessibility requirements and it also meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG-AA). It is screen-reader friendly and is accessible to persons with disabilities. This book is defined with accessible structural markup. This book contains various accessibility features such as alternative text for images, table of contents, page-list, landmark, reading order and semantic structure.

Probably not going to be for me – I suspect this is more literary than I prefer – but the reviews have been really positive!

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

Vampire Missionaries by Kathleen Rhodes
Genres: Adult, Horror
Published on: 14th April 2026
Goodreads

A haunting blend of Gothic horror, religious satire, and supernatural thriller, this is a bold, subversive story that pits faith against fangs in a battle for redemption. Two young Mormon missionaries, Gabriel and Luke, wake up in their apartment, dazed, blood-soaked— and sprouting fangs. Loyal to their devotion they attempt to carry on their mission, but they quickly learn their newfound thirst isn't just metaphorical. Bound by blood to an ancient, manipulative vampire called Bishop, the boys are thrust into a spiritual crisis that threatens their faith, their morality, and the souls they vowed to save. Each failed attempt to resist their monstrous urges pulls them deeper into a web of violence, seduction, and, at times, humorous, damnation. With Bishop's influence spreading across the small Oregon town like a plague, Gabriel and Luke must confront the seductive power of their transformation and make a harrowing choice: serve their new master and become harbingers of death or defy him— and risk eternal suffering to reclaim their morality.

…what even. This sounds so bonkers I think I HAVE so check it out!

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

Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Representation: Chinese-inspired cast and setting
Published on: 14th April 2026
Goodreads

"Rich and wholeheartedly poignant. Deathly Fates sings with profound spirit, exploring the consequences of war and the scars cut by nobility during trying times. An entrancing world that will certainly linger." —Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.

As a corpse-driving priestess, a holy servant paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses due to his declining health, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.

But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince's head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying's commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won't stay alive for long―not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.

In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince's death―secrets that could endanger both Siying's father and their entire kingdom.

Another I’ve only heard great things about!

You can listen to a sample of the audiobook here!

A Little Less Invisible by Maisie M. Meyers
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, YA
Representation: Chronically ill MC
Published on: 14th April 2026
Goodreads

One chronically ill girl.
Fae who feed on pain.
Being a snack just got a whole new meaning.

Sixteen-year-old Sedona “Seda” Gerard has one goal: stay in school and on track for her future. But chronic heart issues and pain make it feel like she’s getting rotisserie chicken roasted from the inside out. School administrators are trying to force her into the hospital-homebound program because of all her absences, and her doctors are stumped, unable to diagnose what’s wrong.

Then, right as she’s made a plan to outfox the administrators and avoid being sent home, fae monsters masquerading as humans—beings who feed on pain—hunt her down at school. Someone told the monsters about her. They crave her chronic pain—and worse, they want her trapped at home too, helpless, so they can feed without anyone noticing just like they did with the last chronically ill girl.

Nikolai Shaw is probably human and definitely Seda’s only hope for protecting herself as the fae close in. Too bad he’s prickly as a bundle of IV needles, with a smile that does funny things to whatever is wrong with her heart. But he knows about a weapon that can destroy the monsters for good. While he has a secret agenda of his own, he’s willing to help Seda get it, but they have to hurry—before the fae make a meal out of Seda and erase her from existence forever.

Teen Wolf meets Legendborn in this heart-pounding, romantic, and bitingly funny YA contemporary fantasy debut featuring a chronically ill girl, the fae who want to turn her into a meal, and the secretive but annoyingly cute boy she needs to help her stop them. Perfect for fans of Holly Black

I’m so in love with this premise! Fingers crossed it lives up to it!

The Healer and the Phoenix (Legendary Allies, 1) by Linda Trinh, Quynh Anh Nguyen
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, MG
Representation: Vietnamese-inspired queernorm world, secondary F/F
Published on: 14th April 2026
Goodreads

An exciting, full-color early chapter fantasy series about a powerful group of ten-year-olds who, along with their legendary ally animals, must work together to find their voices and help heal a broken world, from the author of the award-winning Nguyen Kids.

Welcome to the magical world of Van Lang, where in every generation, a team of four adventurous kids and their magical ally animals come together to help their communities recover from The Dark Times.

When ten-year-old Starbright Mai is chosen as the newest member of Van Lang’s Legendary Allies Team by a phoenix named Ruby, her whole world changes overnight. Mai is thrust into a world of secret quests and magical powers. But she struggles to fit in with her new team; and why did Ruby, whose magical power is to heal, choose Mai anyway? Before long Mai starts to feel like her place on the team is all a big mistake.

But when the Legendary Allies get word of an illness, they must act quickly to help save the community. With all of Van Lang counting on them, Mai discovers a key to the cure: will her teammates believe her? And can she find the strength to believe in herself?

In this first installment of a four-book series, award-winning author Linda Trinh explores themes of social justice, empathy, and resilience. Vibrant, full-color illustrations by Quynh Ahn Nguyen bring the world of Van Lang brilliantly to life.

This sounds incredibly sweet, and I believe it’s illustrated!

Raised by Eva Adderley
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 15th April 2026
Goodreads

Thirteen years ago, Sadie’s father left her to live with a family of bears in the enchanted forest that surrounded her peculiar hometown.

Yesterday, the bears ate him.

In the wake of her father’s death, Sadie befriends a mysterious Wolf-Woman who is mourning a loss of her own. Together, they work to rebuild a sense of normalcy.

But “normal” looks different for everyone, and their magical town has its own ideas about how they should heal.

There’s a story in the town library that needs an ending.

There’s a golden thread that needs a knot.

And The Festival of The Fireflies is fast approaching.

Something about this premise/set-up has me kind of obsessed??? I think it’s the fairytale-vibes combined with something that’s not a retelling of a story I know.

You can read (tiny) excerpts here, here, and here!

The Frog Ward's Journey (Purple Oak Oasis) by Laura Greenwood, Ariana Jade
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Cosy Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 16th April 2026
Goodreads

A journey across the sea will change everything.

As the granddaughter of the captain, Ines loves nothing more than visiting new places alongside her trusty frog familiar. And with a mission to collect tea witches for Purple Oak underway, she has a reason to do just that.

Alone in the world and without anyone to rely on, Susie has been searching for a purpose and a way to use her mer powers. When a ship visiting her port reveals they need a mer to help them on their way, she sees the chance she's been looking for.

As Ines and Susie bond on their journey across the sea, they realise there might be something more between them than just friendship.
-
The Frog Ward's Journey is a cozy fantasy romance with a sapphic romance, a frog ward who wishes they could save everyone, a mer looking for home, unusual magic, a pinch of steam, and a happy ever after.

This is a standalone in a series of connected standalones, I believe, and it sounds very cute!

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

Shadows in Dream Stone (Dark Stars Book 1) by Kelly K Branyik
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi, Dystopia
Representation: Sapphic MC
Published on: 16th April 2026
Goodreads

"This feminist story delivers an indelible hero and a powerful, timely message." - Kirkus Reviews

What if the laws of nature resulted in imprisonment at the hands of political tyrants? 

Abaddon Ordell is a teacher, fighter, sister, and wife turned prisoner. In the wake of a devastating miscarriage-a crime in this era-Abaddon is cruelly handed over to the law and condemned to nine years in the brutal Dream Stone prison. 

Hemmed in by aggressive inmates, guards steeped in misogyny, and a warden whose sympathy is nothing but a sham, she grapples with her consuming grief and a deep rage over the oppressive forces that placed her in prison to begin with. 

Just when all seems lost, an unexpected ally offers her the strength and love she needs to endure this darkness, but trusting her could be the best thing for her heart, or the deadliest.

As the dangers of Dream Stone escalate, Abaddon plots to assassinate those at the heart of the oppressive regime. If Abaddon survives Dream Stone, she becomes proof the system can be broken. But if she fails, she'll never have the chance to dismantle the regime that put her there.

This is part of a series of sapphic dystopian books for adults. Readers of The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, and the Crescent City series, by Sarah J Maas, will enjoy this series.

Not sure I’m feeling up to reading a dystopia at the moment, but perhaps you are!

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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