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.)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 18th May 2026
Goodreads
From K.V. Johansen, author of the brilliant The Wolf and the Wild King as well as the extraordinary series Gods of the Caravan Roads, comes a gorgeous new fantasy told by a godling-turned-minstrel. Johansen is known for settings that feel steeped in history, where the past always intrudes to complicate the present, and for complex, often conflicted characters struggling to live with the consequences of their own actions, and Breath and Bone is no exception.
Naskanna was the emperor’s vhalgod daughter, and then she became Naskanna Deathdealer, who killed the emperor her father, and disappeared with her lover, the wild godling Thallyn, when that war was over. Now she is known as Hedge, and she and Thallyn, called Pony for one of her favorite shapes, live quietly in the northwestern hills. But a desperate girl has heard their names, and comes seeking their help to rescue her lost brother, and the witch who holds him in thrall is their old enemy…
SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED FOR THIS! Johansen’s previous book The Wolf and the Wild King was one of my Best of 2024 books, and I fully expect Breath and Bone to end up on my Best of 2026!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Read a Sample in the header under the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Science Fantasy
Representation: (Black?) trans MC
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
"Delicious, insane, intoxicating." —Maya Deane, author of Wrath Goddess Sing
A riotous trans enemies-to-lovers romantasy that roars off the page—in which a magical girl-gone-bad and a renegade mech pilot must find a way to stay on a date forever...
...even if it means destroying the world.
Don't you want to help them?
An extraordinary meld of adventure, rom-com, and experimental fiction, Violet Allen’s unstoppable debut is the cosmic thrill ride of a lifetime. Give in, succumb (you know you want to) to Plastic, Prism, Void.
This is apparently EXTREMELY weird, and I am so freaking hyped for it! Plus it’s being comped to This Is How You Lose the Time War, and I will ALWAYS pounce on anything comped to that! You can buy the paperback in the usual places, and the ebook from the publisher here! (No idea if it’ll be on Kobo etc later.)
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Bisexual disabled MC (walks with a cane), secondary Maori character, multiple minor queer characters
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
The Boys meets Starter Villain and Assistant to the Villain in Natalie Zina Walschots’s electrifying, sharp, violent, and hilarious sequel to the highly acclaimed novel, Hench, in which the Auditor must confront the near-impossible in order to right the many wrongs in the superhuman industry…or cause more of them. She’s not picky.
Anna, better known to superheroes as the Auditor, has carved out a name for herself. Any hero unlucky enough to cross her path knows her potential and powers. Surely, success should taste she has an incredible job with lots of perks, and her boss will literally annihilate anyone who crosses her, and her greatest enemy, the former hero Supercollider, has been utterly defeated and literally ground to a pulp.
But Anna still has her sights set on a greater destroying the Draft, the organization that makes, trains, and manages the world’s most powerful superheroes. These “heroes” have shown time and time again that they do more harm than good, and now is the time to stop the damage at its source.
Yet all is not well for the Auditor and her fellow evildoers. Her employer, Leviathan—the world’s most feared supervillain—is not coping well with Supercollider’s defeat at someone else’s hands. Moreover, her unlikely ally and unexpected friend, Quantum Entanglement, has vanished without a trace, leaving Anna to examine all the ways they deceived each other. Tension and uncertainty fill the air, and fear that this moment of triumph is about to crumble looms over all of them.
Anna soon finds herself facing down an opponent unlike any she’s taken on before—not another superhero, but someone like her…someone much more the Draft’s Chief Marketing Officer. This isn’t a test of physical prowess, but ideas, and as the fight spirals deeper and deeper, with new foes popping up every day—she’ll need more than just her superpower—data research—to keep ascending through the supervillain ranks.
It’s guerrilla ad warfare, and the Auditor might have finally met her match.
I got to read an early copy of this and friends, it was SO worth the wait for this sequel because it is PERFECT. Complex and messy and merciless. I loved book one, Hench, but Villain is, appropriately, an immense levelling-up!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says ‘Read a Free Chapter’ beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror
Representation: Biracial Spanish and Indigenous Latin American MC
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
A high-strung and inventive literary horror that will delight fans of Stephen Graham Jones and Mariana Enriquez, Ito Romo’s debut novel traces the thousand-year lineage of a new kind of vampire—the mestizo Filth Eater.
Granada, 1849. After centuries of scrounging in the shadows, the vampire Radamés discovers an ancient Aztec codex that reveals the vampires of the “New World” live a more “human” life—they marry, they give birth. Spurred on by tantalizing promise of a fuller existence, Radamés glamours and schemes his way onto a ship headed for Mexico. There, in the underbelly of the forgotten Aztec city of Teotihuacán, the Andalusian vampire falls in love with a member of this ancient sect of Aztec vampires who call themselves Filth Eaters. From their union, the mestizo vampire Doro is born.
Hopping back and forth in time from the Indus River Delta in 1099 to the Muslim Spanish empire of the 1400s to a flooded cyberpunk New York City of the future, Filth Eaters pulls at the threads of empire, greed, and climate collapse, but the beating, bloody heart of the story is our very human desire for the love that gives life meaning.The debut novel from a celebrated writer of “Chicano Gothic” stories, this surprising, gory saga turns a new page for a centuries-old genre.
I love the sound of this – always here for new spins on vampires! And weaving in South American mythology? I can’t wait!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says ‘Read a Free Chapter’ beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: BIPOC, queer, assorted diverse MCs
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
How far would you go to find where you belong?
A shapeshifting alien changeling raised by humans. The “wicked” child selected as the village sacrifice. People trapped in rigid belief systems, oppressive regimes, well-intentioned families, complicated relationships, and their very own bodies.
Is it better to succumb and survive, or escape by staking everything on a slender hope?
What triumphs in the end, love or vengeance?And if all that remains is ashes, is it still worth it?
Grapple with these questions by diving into twelve new science fiction and fantasy stories. Together is a Distant Star is a collaborative anthology that encompasses authors hailing from Europe to Australia, South Africa to South America, and celebrates a kaleidoscope of perspectives—female, nonbinary, BIPOC, queer, and more.
Featuring stories from: A.J. Calvin, C.B. Lansdell, Nancy Foster, V. Carvajal Leiva, Karen Lykkebo, Erika McCorkle, Branwen OShea, Alyse Steves, Delilah Waan, and Isabelle Wagner.
I don’t think I recognise any of the authors here, but this sounds like a beautiful collection I would very much like to try!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Polyamory
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
When eight children go missing in the small town of Bayhorn, the only ones who seem to care are a vampire (Ori), a zombie (Zelda), and a hume (Juniper). The three band together to crack the case and track down their missing loved ones.
Through coffee runs, lemon squares, and stakeouts, the three manage to keep their spirits high and their caffeine intake higher as the investigation leads them to an internet predator and a local woman who might be a child-napping witch.
And the more time they spend together, the stronger their feelings for one another become. But can their newfound relationship survive the investigation as secrets are revealed?
This sounds absolutely delightful (polyamory and lemon squares!) and I’m grabby-hands for it!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Preview Now beside or beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Horror, Speculative Fiction
Representation: Jewish MC, mute MC, Roma MC
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
In Ray Nayler’s speculative novel of the recent past, four young teens caught between Nazis and the Red Army survive winter in the woods with the help of a flock of highly intelligent crows with a magnificent secret of their own to protect
Neriya, a young Jewish girl who dreams of becoming a biologist, has befriended a local flock of crows in her shtetl. Czeslaw is an underage Polish soldier who deserts the Red Army and runs into the freezing Lithuanian woods. Kezia is a Roma horse trader whose family is on the run from Soviet collectivization. As the German blitzkrieg crashes across the border in June 1941, all three are caught up in the onslaught. Along with Innokentiy, an abandoned boy who cannot speak, they are driven into the primeval forest, where they survive by forming an unbreakable bond with one another—and with Neriya’s intelligent crows, who for years have been bringing her intricate gifts suggesting they are no ordinary corvids.
As the war goes on, the crows warn the children of danger and help them hide from the human threats of the forest—not only the Germans but also Russian deserters, Polish partisans, fascist Lithuanian police, and the other bandits and outcasts wandering the benighted landscape.
From the Ray Bradbury Prize and Arthur C. Clarke Award finalist, and Hugo and Locus Award winner, Ray Nayler, Palaces of the Crow blends history and haunting speculative wonder into a story of survival, loyalty and the fragile beauty of life in the darkest of times.
Despite having teenage protagonists, everyone seems very clear that this is in no way YA. Also apparently the speculative elements are pretty minimal, so set your expectations accordingly!
You can read an excerpt here! (Below the ‘About the Book’ section)
Genres: Adult, Sci Fi
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
An intergalactic art heist by a ragtag group of underqualified misfits. What could go wrong?
For three hundred years, humanity’s greatest works of art have been on loan at the Greenwood Museum. It was finally time for them to come home...but the alien curators were disinclined to return them.Force was out of the question. Earth’s government was They were not going to press the issue. So, all we had was guile and hubris to fuel our little intergalactic art heist.
My old friend Tarquin was our leader, but not the captain. That was Tchik-tchik, though whether Tchik-tchik was our insectoid pilot’s name or species is still unclear to me. Misora, with her extremely illegal biotech mods, was our muscle.
Jack was there to hack the security systems of the biggest museum in the galaxy. He was a sensynth, a sentient synthetic being, and the most powerful machine intelligence on Earth uncorrupted by alien technology.
My name is Fennel Tycho. I’d like to tell you I was there because of my expertise in Art History. Truth is, I was there because without me, Jack would not have agreed to go. He was notorious for being difficult to work with—but it was a mistake to think I could make things any easier.
A meditation on the nature of love, life, and the "culture of the copy," And Side by Side They Wander asks the In a future where there are clones, androids, and a sentient mycelium that creates fungal simulacra, who is real and what is fake?
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
I’ve really enjoyed Tanzer’s historical fantasy/horror, and I’m really looking forward to trying her sci fi! This sounds like a potentially really interesting premise – her fantasy explores things like the value of art too, so it’s no surprise she’s going for similar themes here.
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
What is it that you are, Rhys?
In a land of magic and myth, Rhys awakens on the shore of Lanilia with mysterious wounds on his back and no memory of his life before. Disoriented, he stumbles on the Mernese estuary protected by the mermaid Delia, who is quickly intrigued by this male who doesn’t smell like any Lanilian she’s ever met and who is unable to answer questions about himself. Determined to figure out his past, Rhys convinces Delia to help, and begins a dangerous journey to discover who he is, or was, and who he might become as they hunt for the truth beneath story and prophecy.
David Ly brings readers a fascinating and fresh take on dragons and destiny in this captivating debut novel.
Praise
"Not All Dragons is an invitation into a wholly original magical world, a world of mermaids, monsters, witches and dragons. Ly’s prose is infused with a poet’s lyricism and a terrific storyteller’s gift for spinning a sparkling tale. An evocative debut novel, steeped in memory and myth, exploring all those parts of ourselves we try to reject, and all those parts of ourselves we try to reclaim."— Anuja Varghese, Governor General’s Literary Award–winning author of Chrysalis"Lush world-building, gripping adventure and luminous imagery come together as one in Not All Dragons, David Ly’s dreamy fiction debut. Lovers of fantasy are sure to be irresistibly drawn in by this tale of dragons and witches, haunting myths and ancient magic, and Ly’s emotionally resonant characters are sure to linger in his readers' minds long after they turn the last page. Reminiscent of the works of Patricia McKillip, Charles de Lint and Indra Das, Not All Dragons is a beautiful addition to the lineage of emotionally powerful, poetic fantasy that leaves you wiser for having read it."— Kai Cheng Thom, author of Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir
“In David Ly’s debut novel, a fast-paced adventure and unforgettable characters unfold like dragon wings in striking, shining prose. Throughout, Ly reveals insightful truths about the role of story, memory and family in reclaiming self. In the end, the act of falling becomes a process of becoming.”— Tanya Boteju, author of Bruised and Messy Perfect
“Not All Dragons is a thrilling and evocative exploration of reclaiming one’s identity, memory, self and kin from acclaimed poet David Ly. The debut fantasy novel brims with lush world-building, epic adventure, powerful magic and rich mythological creatures, making it a compelling and unforgettable quest narrative. Danger is omnipresent and omnipotent in Ly’s feral universe; otherworldly enemies injure and maim, while allies help shape the perilous trajectory of the dual protagonists. Long after you read the last page, you will be awestruck by Ly’s multifaceted imagination.”— Lindsay Wong, Villain Hitting for Vicious Little Nobodies
“David Ly’s Not All Dragons is a contemporary saga that takes readers on adventurous explorations of family, belonging and self. Ly builds a world full of magic and wonder, weaving Vietnamese mythology and epic fantasy to bring to life the quest of an unforgettable protagonist as he journeys toward homecoming. Propulsive and gripping, this debut novel is endlessly readable.”— Vinh Nguyen, author of The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse
Anything that’s being comped to Patricia McKillip, Charles de Lint and Indra Das – by Kai Cheng Thom, at that!!! – is going DIRECTLY onto my tbr, oh my GODS!
You can read an excerpt here!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, Speculative Fiction
Representation: Nonbinary MC
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
“A scorchingly brilliant, wildly funny, and deeply moving epic.” —John Green, #1 globally bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars
Two unlikely heroes embark on quests to win God’s favor in this outrageously entertaining, profoundly heartfelt novel that announces an ingenious new voice in the tradition of Chain-Gang All-Stars, No One Is Talking About This, and Martyr!
Yara can’t comprehend why God has chosen them to slay Dominic, the ruthless leader of the army of Bad Guys. Cast out by their family and reeling from a destructive relationship, Yara has never felt weaker—but with nothing left to lose, they strike a deal. Abandoning their solitary days of embroidery and obsessive cleaning, Yara reluctantly embarks on a perilous odyssey designed to prepare them for the daunting mission ahead.
Meanwhile, Adrena, a disillusioned prophet with a terrifying secret power, is determined to become the hero of this story. Desperately seeking the glory of God’s approval and the promise of heaven, where she hopes to reunite with her beloved mother, Adrena must first persuade Harpo, the leader of the Good Guys, that her plan is God’s will.
As their journeys unfold in a series of unforgettable adventures, Yara and Adrena are propelled toward each other and transformative revelations about life, death, and destiny in this intensely captivating, irreverent epic from a singularly brilliant new voice in fiction.
This one’s particular flavor of Odd did not quite work for me, but it’s one of those books where I’m very glad it exists and I hope everyone else loves it!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Look Inside beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
Sports romance gets a Dungeons & Dragons makeover with the next book in the Magic and Romance series that follows half-giant Orok, forced into a PR relationship with a feisty, fan-favorite cheerleader.
Orok Monroe: Half-giant. Rawball defensive tank on the Philadelphia Hellhounds. Follower of Urzoth...only Orok’s tired of following the god of aggression.
Alexo Warden: Cheerleader. Human? A dancer with a stadium’s worth of secrets.
When Orok saves Alexo at a bar, fans go feral for the star athlete protecting the pint-size dude-in-distress. The Hellhounds propose that Orok and Alexo start a PR relationship to put a positive spin on Orok’s god. Orok is set to refuse and renounce Urzoth―but that wouldn’t let him see Alexo again.
So, like a sap, he agrees.
As Orok tries to drop the fake part of their fake-relationship, Alexo’s dangerous truths emerge. To save him, Orok will have to sacrifice far more than his divine association.
I enjoyed the first book in this series and naturally I’m tuning in to see Orok’s happily ever after!
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
Two women are cursed to be mortal enemies, despite their love for each other, in this queer, fantastical novel by Annie Mare.
In the lead-up to the Salem witch trials, a desperate man made a deal with the devil—a deal that would drag two families down with him. Now, over 400 years later, the Steadfasts and the Prynnes remain caught in a curse that sentences both families to an existence of rigid rules, torturous consequences, and half-lives.
Lucy Prynne and Ashes Steadfast are the latest to take on the mantle of this centuries-old deal: Lucy, born to try to reap the souls of the hopeful; and Ashes, born to stop Lucy, no matter the cost. But before they inherited their respective curses, it sure felt like Ash’s purpose was Lucy. Her best friend, her closest confidant, her true love.
Ash knows the rules. She keeps her head down, her emotions in check, and she fights Lucy, no matter the personal cost. They are doomed to an incessant battle between good and bad, self-righteous and carnal.
Or so Ash thinks. But when she resists her instincts to fight Lucy and finally starts to fight the curse instead, she realizes there might just be a way to end this once and for all. If not in this timeline, then the next. As generational secrets begin to unravel, Ashes and Lucy join forces against the true threat that has haunted their families for centuries, even if it costs them their lives—and their love.
Apparently this is inspired by The Scarlet Letter? Reviews are pretty mixed – it sounds like this might depend on a lot of ‘we’re keeping secrets Because Plot, not because we have good reasons to’, which is something I don’t enjoy. But maybe you don’t mind it!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Read a Free Chapter beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Portal Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
A story for anyone who has ever wanted to lose themselves in a good book, and for those who have needed to rediscover themselves again the same way…
When Alastair, playboy fae prince and bisexual disaster, and his stoic, snarky bestie Killian travel to the human realm to retrieve the prophesied Chosen One, they abduct Vivi Pierce to save their home from a sinister, ancient curse. Vivi may be a nineteen-year-old college student, but fortunately for Faerie, she’s eager to save the world. In fact, she's pretty sure that she could ride a dragon or help perform a coup, should the need arise. She has, after all, read every romantasy novel she’s ever gotten her hands on. She knows every trope in the book.
The only problem? Vivi isn't actually the Chosen One, and this kidnapping isn’t the meet-cute that she thought it was. It turns out the Chosen One is actually her middle-aged mother Jenn, and the fae men grabbed the wrong woman.
Now, instead of leading the charge to save the world, becoming inexplicably good at combat through a quick training montage, and getting seduced by a sexy, impossibly-old fae love interest, Vivi has to contend with the fact that her mother may be the real Main Character in this story. Worse yet, it looks like Jenn has known about the existence of Faerie for years, and purposely hid that knowledge from her daughter. It seems that maybe Vivi's books have gotten more than a few things terribly wrong…
A loving but humorous homage to the genres of romantasy and portal fantasy, The Heart of Faerie is the first book of the Broken Tropes trilogy. This trilogy, meant for adult readers 18+, includes a Happily Ever After for all main characters by the end of the trilogy and wraps up at least one HEA in each individual book. It is a first person, dual point of view story that includes the POVs of both Vivi and Jenn (who, unfortunately, isn’t nearly as boring as Vivi thought she was).
This sounds like it could be very fun indeed, if it is indeed making fun of its tropes!
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
For fans of Lisa McInerney, Gabriel Krauze, and Graeme Armstrong, All Them Dogs is a fizzing debut from one of Ireland's most striking new voices
Tony Ward has landed back in Lucan with his chest puffed up and a chip on his shoulder. After five years in the UK, staying out of trouble just like he'd been told to do, he's returned home to his west Dublin estate ready to reinstate himself into the gangland scene.
But things are different now. Tony's old mentor is dead and his best pal Kenny Boyle has gone on the straight and narrow. That won't do, so when an opportunity to work directly for Darren 'Flute' Walsh, an enforcer of notorious crime boss Aengus Lavelle presents itself, it seems like a no brainer.
Flute Walsh is a far-cry from the meek, quiet boy Tony knew in school. Working as his left-hand man offers a level of security against repercussions for the crimes he'd gone on the run for as well as giving him a way into the life he wants but none of that stops the big-man Lavelle making it clear that any trouble from his past will be Tony's alone to answer for.
Already burned by the empty promises of one dead mentor, Tony is keen to prove himself as his own man, but there is a pull to Flute Walsh, one he's felt before. With the fragments of his past life still in the rearview and a whole new gang of headbangers to contend with, it is a pull too hard to resist. As Tony turns his back on the paper-thin structures that support him he looks for stability in his new, brutal surroundings. But where is there room for love in a world like this, where anything that's buried is always unearthed and retribution is never far away?
Listen, if you pitch a thing to me as ‘Peaky Blinders but queer’ – which is how this was described to me – then OBVIOUSLY I must pounce on it! Even if, as far as I know, it’s not speculative in the slightest.
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Look Inside beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult
Representation: MC with Crohn’s disease
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
To open her cannabis dispensary, a chronically ill woman must defeat the surly doctor next door in this hilarious and steamy romantic comedy.
Nomi Wyeth, former valedictorian and current pothead, has her heart set on opening her own boutique cannabis dispensary in charming downtown Sparrow Nook, New Jersey. Cannabis changed Nomi’s life, giving her relief from Crohn’s disease when nothing else could, and it’s her dream to help others find the same peace and comfort she has.
But Nomi’s plans are rudely interrupted when Dr. Julian D’Angelo, former salutatorian and current asshole, returns to Sparrow Nook with a chip on his shoulder, a probation to serve at the medical practice next door, and a lifelong vendetta against weed.
When an unfortunate shaving accident lands Nomi onto Julian’s exam table, Julian is appalled to discover that his high school nemesis is still inconveniently gorgeous, still hates his guts, and worst of all, that she’s planning on opening an amoral weed bordello next to his clinic. War is the only answer and definitely not an excuse to keep running into witty, free-spirited Nomi.
As they battle each other all over Sparrow Nook, from “pot luck” fundraisers to public debates at City Council meetings, their fraught pasts and feelings for each other become harder and harder to ignore. It’s tough to say what will change first—their minds or their hearts—but one thing’s for they’re not going down without a fight.
Another that’s definitely not SFF, but still sounds like something I want to read! (What? I do read outside of SFF occasionally.) A romantic comedy with a chronically ill lead? Yes please!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Read a Free Chapter beneath the book cover)
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Representation: Moroccan-inspired setting and cast
Published on: 19th May 2026
Goodreads
For fans of Sabaa Tahir and Guillermo del Toro comes The Lustrous Dark, a sweeping YA fantasy inspired by a Moroccan folktale, in which a young midwife’s apprentice rises up to take back the power that’s been stolen from women.
Orphaned as a baby, Shay has spent her life training as the midwife’s apprentice. Her role grants her stability, yet Shay has always yearned for more. Namely, motherly affection and answers regarding her mysterious birth—neither of which the midwife deems practical to provide.
After Shay discovers her birth mother, Hind, is still alive and addicted to a magical drug called Snow, she determines to get the woman clean. But when Hind betrays Shay to get her hands on more Snow, Shay’s abandoned within a deadly forest and forced to rely on a band of monstrous ghouls for safety.
Shay’s realm has long stood on the brink of war between the men who control magic and the revolutionaries who want to eliminate it. But in the forest, Shay hears the pleading call of ancient spirits who claim that not only has magic been stolen, but she has the power to return it. With the help of a spitfire revolutionary and the boy who’s winning over her heart, Shay discovers the horrific truth of who produces Snow and will have to decide for herself whether to heed the spirits’ charge or fade into obscurity.
This emotionally raw and gorgeously rendered fairytale combines the lush worldbuilding of This Woven Kingdom with the mother trauma of Snow White and a dash of Tim Burton. Steeped in mysticism and mythology, The Lustrous Dark confronts injustices against women with a righteous scream that’ll inspire readers to rally against the patriarchy and oppressive regimes worldwide.
Perfect for readers who love Political Revolutions, Fighting the Patriarchy, Toxic Mothers, Reawakening the Gods, Ancient Magic, Bone-Chilling Monsters, Haunted Forests, Female Friendships, Fairytale Retellings, North African Folklore, and Cinnamon Roll Love Interests.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
‘For fans of Sabaa Tahir and Guillermo del Toro’? Now THAT is one hell of a combo! All right, I’m listening!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Look Inside beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 21st May 2026
Goodreads
Damian Hartter expected death to be the end.
After a fatal car accident, Damian awakens in a bureaucratic Afterlife where faith is irrelevant and souls can perish again. Reunited with his wife and best friend, he tries to settle into a perfect existence, taking a job in the Embassy's Department of Satanic Investigations. But the Afterlife isn’t as peaceful as he imagined.
Whispers inside the Embassy warn of a growing conspiracy that threatens all of Creation. Damian and his allies are locked in a race to secure the Sphere of Doom and stop an evil soul from infiltrating the Celestial City. The dangerous relic is creating a pattern of destructive havoc around the city, paving the way for a full-scale invasion by Satan and the Fallen.
As Damian navigates office politics, bureaucracy, and ancient secrets, he's forced to confront lingering memories from his time on Earth. His past urges him to question his faith, his choices, and the kind of person he truly is. And as he gets closer to the truth, he realizes the true enemy might be someone he trusts with his life—and his afterlife.
The War for Heaven blends bureaucratic fantasy with cosmic intrigue in a gripping tale of afterlife, betrayal, and redemption you won’t want to miss.
I haven’t been able to learn much about this one, except that the reviews aren’t terribly enthusiastic. But that premise COULD be great!
Will you be reading any of these? Did I miss any releases you think I should know about? Let me know!
The book I’m most excited for this month is Startup Hell by Caitlin Rozakis, and it comes out tomorrow [May 19th]. Been looking forward to it for a while.
I loved her last book, Grimoire Grammar School! I think Startup Hell is in the same setting? Afaik it’s not diverse though, so I didn’t end up featuring it. Have you heard good things?
I haven’t heard anything, but that’s only because I’ve been a bit out of the loop when it comes to book discussion for the last couple weeks. I’ll let you know what I think and if I like it. :D