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!

NINETEEN books this week!

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

Grief Eater by Emma Osborne
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 1st June 2026
Goodreads

Visceral, gritty, and unforgiving, GRIEF EATER is a zombie story like you’ve never read before.

When Kristina rises from her violent death, she’s not the same fragile woman her family once abandoned. She’s rageful, powerful, and hungry—for the blood of the ones who were supposed to love her. With a newfound craving to see vengeance and grief served, she launches into a once-in-an-undead-lifetime journey across blood-slicked highways to the scorched Australian bush and her hometown. As her body fails and her mind fractures, she’s left with one final question: Is she here to forgive, or to feed?

A transgressive, gory examination of queer identity and found family, GRIEF EATER sinks its teeth into trauma and what it means to be devoured by grief.

Advance Praise for Grief Eater
“Grief Eater is a scathing rebuke. And yet it has so much heart. Every line of Osborne’s gorgeous prose is a knife that cuts like a balm. Lyrical, constantly surprising, essential—Grief Eater takes a familiar genre and transforms it into something entirely new.” —Cadwell Turnbull, award-winning author of the Convergence Saga

“This story will not spare you. It will reach into your chest and eat your heart. Osborne writes with brutal clarity about abuse and betrayal, about the queer joy and chosen family that will help you survive it. About how love and a quest for vengeance can be strong enough to move the dead. I’ve never read anything like it.” —K Tidbeck, author of Amatka and Jagannath.

“Grief Eater is an embodied, sensory experience: screaming, snarling grief; monstrous hunger; the desire for answers that can only be found in blood. Horror at its finest, as glorious, gory relief and release.” —Angela Meyer, author of Moon Sugar

“Soaked in blood and loss, Grief Eater is a bittersweet tale that is redolent with the transformative closure that comes after confronting painful trauma. A visceral and unflinching read!” —Suzan Palumbo, author of Skin Thief: Stories and Countess

Sounds visceral and marvellous!

You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Read a free chapter under the book cover)

Galeas the Keen by Rien Gray
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Blind sapphic MC
Published on: 1st June 2026
Goodreads

Follow a fellowship of sapphic knights as they're seduced by witches, queens, goddesses—and each other—in a dark, lush fantasy inspired by Arthurian legend.

Under the reign of King Theomacha the Exalted, the Land of Maidens flourishes. Her knights protect and explore the realm, seeking artifacts lost to time and fending off wicked, cunning magics.

As the youngest knight in the court of Afallennau, Galeas serves as Her Majesty's voice. Born blind, Galeas is known for her kindness and untarnished virtue, using her words and intuition to handle matters of diplomacy throughout the realm.

When King Theomacha sends her to a village that appears to be slowly drowning, Galeas is shocked to hear this impending disaster may be the work of the House of Corbenic, whose guilds are responsible for every architectural and creative art in the kingdom. How would their notoriously brilliant guildmistress, Lady Belakané, benefit from flooding the river Fand and rending nature asunder?

Accompanied by her legendary guide and steed, Hengroen, Galeas quests past the flood to the House of Corbenic and meets Belakané's only daughter, Liban, whose injury in her youth has shattered her faith in love and loyalty. That, and a mysterious curse that bleeds water from her skin, one that may swallow the world entire if left unchecked.

Haunted by images of lost oceans and a relic that erases itself from the memories of outsiders, Galeas must break the curse, save Liban, and confront an unthinkable question: what if King Theomacha has been lying to her from the very beginning?

A new entry in Gray’s series of queer Arthurian standalones! I’ve fallen a bit behind on this series, but the prose is lovely and you DEFINITELY need to check these books out if you like lady knights!

You can buy it from the author’s store, itch.io, kobo, or smashwords!

(Or, just for today, you can get the whole series for $10!)

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

BOOM goes the Bride (Brides of Nap City Book 1) by Valiant Evermech
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Science Fantasy
Representation: F/F
Published on: 1st June 2026
Goodreads

A pulpy lesbian romance between an elven thief from another world and a corporate princess whose company is built on her clones. 300,000 and counting, and the woman they're made from wishes they didn't exist. Danger, spice, and everything not-nice.

When the twice-dead thief Nil steals a magical dagger from one of the world's angriest trillionaires, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with his daughter Sook, the so-called Mother of a Million Clones. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and in this case the heart wants to be chased, shot at, and possibly exploded.

Til death do us part is gonna need a bit of an extension...

Amazing premise – the prose didn’t quite work for me, but I think a LOT of people are going to have a ton of fun with this!

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

Muñeca by Cynthia Gomez
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Latine/Latina lesbian MC, sapphic love interest, F/F, secondary Latine/Latina sapphic characters
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

A vivid, surreal Gothic about a queer, Latine, working class witch who sets out to rescue a bespelled heiress and loses control of her powers and her heart in the process.

It is 1968 Oakland, and Natalia Fuentes has been hearing rumors about the beautiful Violeta Miramontes. The young heiress to Spanish colonial wealth has been left paralyzed by a mysterious illness. But Nati knows a thing or two about witchcraft, and she is certain that this is the work of dark magic.

Armed with a plan to break the spell and earn a handsome reward, Nati works her way into the house as Violeta’s caretaker, and immediately discovers her suspicions are true. But who cursed Violeta? And why?

As feelings between the two women bloom into romance, Nati grows more and more reckless, and is forced to face her own ghosts—ones she hoped would stay gone forever. 

Riveting and richly layered, Muñeca explores how far one will go to save the person they love—even if that means damning themselves. Cynthia Gómez fills her debut novel with moments that chill your bones and warm your heart, a razor-sharp examination of deep-rooted issues that will haunt readers long after the last page is turned.

Every aspect of this book is GENIUS and I hereby declare it mandatory reading!!!

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

My review!

Phoning Faust by Sophie Mutiara Nova
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer biracial Indonesian MC
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

Queer mixed Indonesian college student Dian Faust attempts to call the suicide hotline only to dial the wrong number, her finger slipping and typing in six three times (the mark of the Devil). The mysterious voice on the other end of the line is revealed to be a charming scam caller named Memphis with a penchant for chattiness, trapped in a dingy bus stop bathroom, wanting to learn a concerning amount about the lonely Dian’s life.

But this scam caller is more than just a Mr. Robot hacker wannabe—a sinister presence lurks in the pixels on Dian’s laptop screen in the shadows of her apartment. The Devil themself has come to collect Dian’s soul, and “Memphis” is actually Mephistopheles—Hell’s foremost golden-tongued agent and notorious liar.

In this loose retelling of Goethe’s Faust, will Dian save her soul before time runs out—or will she fall prey to the renowned storytelling deception of the infamous Mephistopheles?

I dnfed this one, because it was shaping up much more paranormal romance-y than the book description sounds. But if that’s your thing, then check this one out!

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

No Man's Daughter (The Killing Frost Cycle Book 1) by Justine Lombardi
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

On the continent of Greater Vinland, jarls control the civilized lowlands, blood mages practice runic magic at a price, and the steam engine era has just begun. Fugitive mage Kára finds sanctuary on the mountain frontier. Having escaped execution for murdering a jarl’s son, she works in the fur trade to help support the children of a widowed homesteader. Until the jarl’s bounty hunters find her, shattering her once peaceful existence. After killing her attackers, she departs, fearing for her family's safety if she should stay. Kára bitterly believes she will never see her loved ones again—until an acquaintance offers her a deal. Help his team retrieve the hide of the wampus cat for the high king. In return, she will receive a pardon and enough gold to set her family up for life. No one has entered the magic-wielding cat’s range since the Jotun, frost giants, wiped out the human settlements there. Seeking an advantage against them and the competition, Kára plunders her father’s tomb, tearing the last arcane weapon from his undead hands. Yet, with each battle, the cursed rifle sings to her, and she delights more and more in the blood spilled across the snow. Everything she does, right or wrong, is for her family, but her love for them may not save her from repeating her father’s path to ruin. NO MAN'S DAUGHTER is a dark fantasy epic inspired by Norse paganism and Appalachian folklore, and set in an environment inspired by the Canadian Rockies.

I cannot express how excited I am that we’re getting a novel about a WAMPUS CAT! When was the last time THAT happened?! I’m not sure I’ve EVER seen one in a book before!

The Heart of the Nhaga (The Bird That Drinks Tears #1) by Yeong-Do Lee, Anton Hur
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy
Goodreads

Welcome to Lee Young-do’s epic classic series, The Bird That Drinks Tears. The master of Korean fantasy—often cited as the J.R.R. Tolkien of South Korea—Lee Young-do has created a tale of castles built on the backs of flying mantas, giant birdmen, heartless immortals, and a quest that will change the very nature of the world and its gods, available for the first time in English by award-winning translator Anton Hur.

Three handles one.

The world is divided by the Line of Limit. To the north are the Tokkebi—fire people able to manipulate flames as both weapons and illusions; Rekon—giant birdmen with immense strength and warrior acumen; and the humans—as divided as the other races are unified. To the south are the Nhaga—a reptilian people who relinquish their hearts for immortality. For centuries, the races didn’t cross that line, but change is in the air. A Nhaga is being sent North…and a trio is being dispatched to make sure this agent from the South makes it out alive—one from each race.

But the illusion of a simple journey is quickly dispelled by the fact that the Tokkebi is merely a scholar, not an adventurer; the Rekon is deathly afraid of water; and the human hunts and eats Nhaga. And when the Nhaga they’re supposed to be escorting out of the Kiboren forest is murdered, the one sent in his place turns out to very much have a heart—meaning he’s quite vulnerable to the dangerous exodus.

The four must quickly forge an alliance and shed the distrust and prejudice that plagues them if they are to survive. And just as crucial, they must figure out what this mission is actually about, because unbeknownst to them, the very fate of the world might rest on this one Nhaga making it to the North intact.

A classic not to be missed, The Heart of the Nhaga is epic fantasy at its best, translated into English for the first time ever by award-winning translator Anton Hur.

This has been an enormous deal in South Korea for a very long time, and we’re finally getting it in English! I generally don’t get along with Anton Hur’s translations – I dnfed this one – but I seem to be an outlier in that respect, so don’t let my dislike put you off!

You can read an excerpt here!

Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim
Genres: Adult, Sci Fi, Speculative Fiction
Representation: Korean MC
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

Doppelgängers, corporate intrigue, heartbreak, betrayal, and the harsh permanence of the border: Sublimation is a thrilling and provocative debut for fans of Severance that asks what you'd sacrifice for a different life from award-winning author Isabel J. Kim.

The border cuts you in two.

When you immigrate, you leave a copy of yourself behind, an instance. One person enters their new country; the other stays trapped at home.

Some instances keep in touch, call each other daily, keep their lives and minds in sync in the hopes of reintegrating and resuming a life as one person. Others, like Soyoung Rose Kang, leave home at ten years old and never speak to their other selves again. Rose, in America, never imagined going back to Korea until her grandfather died and her Korean instance called her home for the funeral.

She doesn’t know that Soyoung plans to steal her body and her life.

How far would you go to live the choice you didn’t make?

This is such an incredibly weird premise!

You can read an excerpt here!

Rabbit, Fox, Tar by P.C. Verrone
Genres: Adult, Magical Realism
Representation: Black MC/s
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

A mesmerizing, fable-like debut novel about a mysterious young Black woman whose arrival in an insular neighborhood threatens to shake its foundations

When Baby appears in Original Hill, her name is on everyone's lips. A young Black woman is a rare sight in this part of town, and she sits all day on the Foxes’ garden wall, swinging her bare feet and speaking to no one. That is, until the charismatic Lucius “Lucky” Foote comes along and touches her, sparking their romance. Arm-in-arm with Baby, who seems to exert a seemingly supernatural pull on the other residents, Lucky is confident he will secure the open city council seat away from Baby’s uncle Eugene Fox, the back-from-retirement white incumbent.

With protestors reopening old wounds around the Black neighborhood that was leveled by the nearby highway decades ago and Lucky threatening his position, Fox believes it’s not just a city council seat at stake, but the “soul” of Original Hill.

As Baby is woven further into the unraveling community, she begins to stray from Fox’s strict rules and question everything, from where she came from to who—and what—she truly is.

I haven’t been able to find out much about this one, but I’m kinda fascinated?

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

Amarisa's Cooking Pot: Tales of Life in All Its Wonders by Desiree Zamorano
Genres: Adult, Magical Realism
Representation: Mexican MCs
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

Amarisa’s Cooking Pot: Tales of Life in All Its Wonders is a riveting collection whose worlds collide and connect between the fantastic and the ordinary. Startling in their breadth and depth, these stories range from the quietly desperate to the gloriously fantastical, representing Mexican American culture among the characters who are guided by gifts of enchantment or confronted with illusory events shaped by deeply human and enlightening emotions.

Each story is dedicated to capturing something ineffable, an emotional truth, a moment of beauty or realization, a moment of calm, or a spark of fury. What does it mean to be alive in a capricious world? Désirée Zamorano allows readers to explore this question beautifully, and memorably, long after the last page is turned.

I’m not clear on whether ALL the stories in this collection are magical realism or not? But at least some of them are.

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

Moonfall (The Everlands Trilogy #2) by Ed Crocker
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

The thrilling sequel to Lightfall, a fantasy epic of revolution set in a world of vampires, werewolves, and sorcerers, for fans of Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire and Cassandra Clare’s Swordcatcher.

The revolution is here… but in the Everlands, nothing comes easy.

In the last vampire city of First Light, the rebels know the truth about the Grays. But nothing has changed. Sam has a plan to bring the whole rotten city a plan of peace, not violence. But in this city, the best laid plans have a way of falling apart, and she’ll need the help of the city’s ex ruler and former enemy if she’s to avoid a bloodbath.

Meanwhile, in the Wolflands, Jacob, Sage, and Raven must seek help from the wolves. But when a murder is committed, the land threatens to descend into war, and unless the culprit is found, they might not escape with their lives. But with a long list of suspects and a long set of claws out for them, the odds don't look good.

And then there’s Neuras Sinassion. History’s most dangerous sorcerer has decided it’s finally time to tell his secrets and the truth about the humans. But the truth will come at a price.

When the dust has settled and the bodies are counted, only one thing is certain—the Everlands will never be the same again.

The sequel to last year’s Lightfall!

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

There's Only One Sin in Hollywood by Rasheed Newson
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Black gay MC
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

A cinematic, razor-sharp novel following a backlot fixer’s daring investigation into the suspicious death of a closeted Black actor within the glamorous world of Hollywood, from the bestselling author of My Government Means to Kill Me

Xavier C. Barlow, one of Hollywood’s young Black stars taking the industry by storm in the late 1950s, is Skyline Studios’s ambitious attempt to rival Sidney Poitier's burgeoning success. His arrival into the industry is calculated, his charm is magnetic, and his seductive screen presence appeals to both audiences and celebrities across generations.

But years later, after Xavier dies at the height of his fame, Aaron Touissant—Skyline’s designated backlot fixer who helps the studio’s stars stay as deep in the closet as humanly possible—is finally ready to expose the powerful culprits responsible for his untimely death.

Written as part-confessional, part-cris de coeur from Aaron's panoramic lens, There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood is a searing portrait of the movie industry as a manicured minefield and a compelling journey into the queer history of Los Angeles.

A rare not-SFF title appears! SFF or not, though, it sounds fantastic. (Pun entirely intended.)

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

Where You'll Find Us by Jen St. Jude
Genres: Queer Protagonists, YA, Magical Realism
Representation: Nonbinary MC, queer cast
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

Calla Quick has no future. At least, that’s how it feels. Her parents disowned her via text message, and now she can’t afford to go to an all-women’s college with her girlfriend Ramona like they planned. But Calla wonders if maybe that’s for the best—because even though Calla told Ramona her parents disowned her because they found out she’s gay, the truth is, Calla has been questioning whether she’s a girl at all.

Calla wishes she had more time to figure everything out, and one night, her wish is seemingly granted. When Calla and Ramona stumble upon a mysterious farmhouse in the woods, they meet five teens who claim they’ve lived there for decades. The land, which they call Amaranth, acts as a safe haven for queer kids throughout history—a place free of hate, free of violence, free of time itself. Here, Calla can be Cal, and they feel instantly accepted. They don’t have to worry about the future because at Amaranth, it will never come—until one night when the clock strikes twelve.

Now under a literal ticking clock, the housemates must find a way to stop time again or face going back to their harsh realities, but as Cal learns everyone’s story, they begin to wonder what queer people lose when their history is lost to time.

Very soft and magical-sounding!

You can read an excerpt here!

Goldenborn by Ama Ofosua Lieb
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Representation: Ghanaian-inspired setting and cast
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

A girl with a mission. A god with a deal. A story that could change everything.

When 17-year-old Akoma Addo stumbles into a world of ancient gods and modern magic, she’ll have to choose between saving her father… or staying true to everything she’s ever believed.

Akoma Addo has one rule: don’t get too close to the supernatural.

Ever since a blazing orb of light left her father in a coma, she’s buried herself in her secret job investigating magical crimes in San Francisco’s AfricaTown -- just enough to keep her grief at bay. But when a body turns up in a pool of molten gold and ash, Akoma’s pulled into something much bigger -- and far more dangerous.

At the center of it all is Anansi, the trickster god of stories, who makes her an impossible offer: help him catch a killer and awaken the ancestral magic buried deep in her blood... and in return, he’ll give her a chance to bring her father back. To take the deal, Akoma will have to lie to everyone she loves and embrace the very power she’s spent years trying to deny. And as her connection grows with Xander, the new guy in town with secrets of his own, Akoma must decide who she can trust -- especially when she’s no longer sure she can even trust herself.

Rooted in Ghanaian mythology and packed with mystery, danger, and slow-burning romance, Goldenborn is a gripping fantasy about legacy, lies, and what it really means to rewrite your story.

I’ve not been able to find out much about this one – possibly it’s a UK-only release? But it sounds incredible!

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

The Hyacinth Labyrinth by Jamie Pacton
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: F/F
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

A whimsical adventure full of magic, fantastical road trips, and a sapphic slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance—for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

All magic begins in stories. That’s what Fae princess Hyacinth has always been told. As the unmagical daughter of Queen Mab, Hyacinth has never fit in at her mother’s court. She hopes that if she learns about her father, who disappeared fifteen years ago, she can finally learn more about herself.

When Hyacinth and her friend Chloe—a human stablehand trapped in Fae—sneak off to a riverside night market, Hyacinth learns that her father was last seen heading to a library at the heart of a treacherous labyrinth. The The labyrinth was built long ago by three goddesses, and no one has ever returned from it.

Still, Hyacinth has to try.

With the help of Chloe and a tiny dragon named Coffee, she defies Queen Mab and sets off into the wilds of the Moonshadow Kingdom. Along the way they face bandits, magical creatures, a centuries-old human who hosts an Endless Ball, and Hyacinth and Chloe’s growing feelings for each other. Meanwhile, an ancient power lies in wait at the center of the labyrinth, and it is eager to write the girls’ ending.

A lush, fairycore, sapphic YA fantasy that returns readers to the Fae world introduced in Jamie Pacton’s bestselling novel The Absinthe Underground!

Perfect for readers who love Sapphic Slow-Burn, Friends-to-Lovers, Grumpy/Sunshine, Princess/Lady Knight, Bodyguard Romance, Fae/Human Relationships, Only One Bed, and Stories Are Magic!

Another fabulous-sounding premise from Jamie Pacton! I love the sound of this one, definitely going to check it out!

You can read an excerpt here!

Their Will Undone by R.J. Valldeperas
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Representation: Incan (Peruvian) cast and setting
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

A debut YA fantasy must-read for fans of The Winner’s Curse, What the River Knows, and This Woven Kingdom.

When a maiden is selected to marry the emperor, her journey to the palace will see her fighting both a spark of magical power and her growing feelings for her broody escort in this romantic fantasy duology opener, inspired by a true story from the Inca empire. 

In Amaru, it is an honor to be chosen in the annual harvest and serve the gods'-favored emperor. Nina’s brother has already been chosen, but when the emperor’s men come a second time for her sister, Nina volunteers instead. She is taken to the acllahuasi, a gilded cage where women train to become servants or wives for the ruling class. It is there that a soldier comes to collect her, and Nina learns of her fate—to become a wife...to the emperor.

As the emperor's trusted friend and soldier, Kasik is ordered to retrieve Nina and deliver her untouched. But the emperor’s betrothed is not as he expected. The distrust between Nina and Kasik is thicker than the trees surrounding them, and Kasik’s honor is put to the test when their path back to the capitol leads them into dangerous territory. Their lives and hearts are in peril as forbidden desires are unearthed, along with a stirring of dark magic in Nina that inexplicably ties her to the gods. 

What begins as a simple task becomes a tense journey that forces Nina and Kasik to confront where their true loyalties lie—with the emperor and the fate of their people, or with the desires of their own hearts.

Honestly I think I’d buy this one JUST FOR THAT COVER. I can’t stop staring at it!

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

The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: F/F
Published on: 2nd June 2026
Goodreads

A lush and immersive queer “Sleeping Beauty” retelling about escapism, grief, and dreaming of a better world, as imagined by YouTube star Cindy Pham

100 years have passed since the last heir of Gyldan fell into eternal slumber and doomed the once-mighty kingdom into poverty and invasion. At least, that’s what the fairy tales claim. 

Corin is a jaded thief who doesn’t believe in fables, even when she searches Gyldan’s underground tunnels to find her younger sister, Elly, who ran away to find the sleeping princess in hopes of a better life. Corin's conviction is challenged when she discovers the ruins of the ancient castle, maintained by beings from the kingdom's golden age, who protect a hidden portal into princess Amelia's subconscious. Following Elly’s voice, Corin jumps in the portal and seals the entry behind her.

Inside the lush world of Amelia's dreams, the sisters reunite for a new adventure as they meet Briar Rose, Amelia’s whimsical alter ego, and Malicine, a sharp-tongued demon with a gift for magic. But as they explore ice castles, sunflower mazes, and star-filled oceans, Corin suspects Briar Rose is hiding darker secrets behind her "perfect" paradise – and that there are some things their subconscious can’t bury forever.

This is the debut of booktuber Cindy Pham! Which is why I want to check it out; Cindy’s one of my favourite booktubers and I’m very interested to see what her writing is like!

You can read an excerpt here!

Bright Dead Things (Bitter Legacies Book 1) by Hailey Turner
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 3rd June 2026
Goodreads

If the forest stares back at you, you’re already prey.

Bran Gallagher grew up with three rules passed down through his coven: beware forest paths that lead to dangerous mounds, always keep iron close, and never speak of magic.

Cillian Dunne grew up with his mother’s love, his father’s absence, and secret warnings to never trust a witch.

In Pelham’s forest, where bright lights haunt the trees and hunt the lost, there are traditions kept for survival and others out of habit, none of which should be broken.

Bran and Cillian unknowingly broke tradition and ruined each other in the aftermath of a kiss years ago. Reunited in the wake of a family tragedy, they cross paths with something old, something terrifying—something that wants them dead. When Bran’s younger sister is stolen away by a nightmare into the Otherworld, they can only follow and try to keep each other alive in a strange and haunting land.

Trapped in a dangerous Fae Court, Bran learns being a witch comes with a death sentence. To save him, Cillian must fight against those who seek power from a past he has no memory of, and the only person he can trust is the witch who broke his heart.

But it might be too late.

For the Fae have never been kind, and they have always hungered, and this time, what they hunger for is revenge.

A searing M/M fantasy romance full of magic, Fae lore, high-stakes, courtly intrigue, and a forbidden love readers will be sure to devour. Please see the beginning for TWs.

I admit I haven’t gotten along with the other books I’ve tried from this author, but I’m willing to try again!

One Knight Stand by Meagan Spooner, Amie Kaufman
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: F/F
Published on: 4th June 2026
Goodreads

Saddle up your dragons, the ladies are going on tour! The sapphic love story continues in the sequel to joyful medieval romp LADY’S KNIGHT from NYT bestselling duo, Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner. Perfect for fans of Gwen and Art are Not in Love and My Lady Jane.

Dearest reader… let me catch you up.

Gwen, our lady knight.

Isobelle, our knight’s lady.

They fight monsters, and they’re in love. Well, they fought one monster, once. And while they are in love, they haven’t discussed that fact with each other, and neither wants to be the first to bring it up.This is going to be fine.

This story includes:

Seaside mysteries
Brooding redemption arcs
A cursed town
A sea monster
Medieval tourist attractions
An evil sorceress
A crumbling dark tower
Moonlit magical rituals
(Ignore all the tentacles, everything is definitely fine…)

This actually sounds much more to my taste than the first book in the series…

You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Read a free chapter 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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