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.)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Nonbinary MC, queer MC
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
Sparks fly when bitter exes are forced to team up for an elaborate Feywild heist, in this cozy fantasy romance by the bestselling author of the Kingston Cycle and Even Though I Knew the End.
Saeldian has sworn never to fall in love. That oath isn’t just a personal promise, but rather a magical pact, granting them powerful abilities. The only catch? They must never give their heart away—a deal that Saeldian is perfectly content with. They’ve seen firsthand how messy love can get.
Saeldian prefers their no-strings-attached life as a con artist, pulling off heists and leaving a trail of broken hearts behind them. But when a grift goes horribly wrong, they catch the eye of a mysterious patron with a job offer they can’t refuse.
The mission? Steal a gem called “The Kiss of Enduring Love” and return it to the Feywild. Simple enough, until Saeldian discovers their ex-partner, Kell—a charming bard—is part of the team.
The last time Saeldian saw Kell, things hardly ended on good terms. A kiss became a betrayal, leaving Kell hurt and confused for almost a decade. But Kell can’t just walk away—not when this job might finally be his ticket back to the Feywild.
Forced to work together again, their adventure takes them from high-society parties to Feywild couple’s therapy. But as Saeldian and Kell rekindle their chemistry, they realize the gem is much more than a fey bauble, and their simple heist has summoned powerful enemies. . . .
If you had fun with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, I suspect you’ll enjoy this as well!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Look Inside beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MC with one eye, nonbinary MC
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
Moby-Dick meets The Bone Shard Daughter in this swashbuckling queer fantasy adventure packed with piracy, political intrigue, and the eternal souls of the drowned, for fans of The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi and Black Sun.
An exiled pirate queen hunts a killer whale on the high seas, while caught between a power-hungry empress and a revolutionary conspiring to end her reign . . .
Pasha the Northern Storm was once the most infamous Meridian pirate who ever sailed the sister oceans. Now, a decade into her exile, Pasha’s afterlife is being held hostage by Atle, an absurdly attractive noble who knows far too much about pirate magic—but not enough about sailing to realize how dangerous Pasha really is.
Minister Atle Itaavar is duty-bound to serve the Kingdom of Garda, but as Queen Thivaldís gathers support for her ambitions of empire, Atle turns to treason to stop her. In order to destroy the Queen’s new necromantic navy, Atle plans to steal the Queen’s flagship, kidnap a washed-up pirate to sail it, and track down a legendary killer whale to bring it down.
But the hunt for the great undying whale drags Pasha, Atle, and the crew of the Dog into a cosmic reckoning as they face threats from ghosts and gods alike—and the Queen of Garda is close behind.
There are so many books I’m excited for this week that I can’t pick one I am Most Excited For, but Pasha the Storm is definitely one of the contenders!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Look Inside beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi, Cosy Sci Fi
Representation: F/F
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
USA Today Bestselling author Rebecca Thorne delights in a brand new cozy science-fiction series...for fans of Martha Wells and Olivia Waite! Features original inside art!
Torian Razner finally bought a starship, and contrary to Amelia’s assessment, it was not “a meteoric sign of stupidity.” Sure, the alien starship may have been abandoned for a century, and it may be covered in moss now… but it’s Torian’s ticket to freedom, regardless of what her ex… ah, captain… said.
Except Torian’s first flight reveals a surprise passenger: the moss is actually an organic computer with a snarky attitude and serious abandonment issues. The target of its loathing? The immortal alien who built it (and then parked the starship, with Moss inside, and forgot about it). The same alien who just found Torian and accused her of “stealing” the ship.
It’s entirely possible that Amelia was right about this meteoric stupidity.
Will this be the first Rebecca Thorne book I try? Perhaps, perhaps!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Read Excerpt beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
Piranesi meets Swordspoint in an elegant relay race through fantasy Venice from Hugo award-winning author Jo Walton
The Serenissima is built from mist and belief, a mythical shadow sister to Venice and crossroads of the nine worlds.
When a laborer called Tiry has a dream that Serenissima will have a doge, and that they will marry the sea, he tells it to a fortune teller named Khadsha. She tells her apprentice, a gondolier called Taddeo, who tells a cop named Gom, who's heard it from five people this morning already. And by that point, it's already settled into the bones of the Serenissima, more than half-fated.
Everybody's Perfect is a gentle, shifting, structurally inventive narrative of startling beauty that will make you rethink everything you think you know about fantasy.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
EEEEEEEEEEE NEW JO WALTON!!! New Jo Walton plus fantasy!Venice!!! SO EXCITED FOR THIS!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Read Excerpt beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Korean-American MC
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
Ninth House meets Babel for fans of myth and folklore in this contemporary fantasy about a Korean-American college student at a magical university where fairy tales intersect with family heritage to unleash powers beyond imagining.
“You always wanted magic to be real.”
Sharon and her daughter V’s points of origin hold common threads—both Korean American teenagers, raised by single mothers and searching for identity in the California suburbs. But during a Finals week celebration, high schooler V, compelled by strange impulses, crawls into a hollow tree trunk. That night in a fever haze, she sees gleaming strands of illegible text hovering over her body—flowing between her and her mother, leading to a long-forgotten diary.
With the aid of a luminous quill, a fountainhead of Sharon’s memories spill onto the faded pages. V witnesses her mother map out her past through drawings, diagrams, and reclaimed histories of her brief time at Alvsdahl, an exclusive East Coast college. Here, legacies and heiresses claimed descent from Bluebeard or Cinderella, grappling for control over family stories that could grant them terrifying abilities or burn them to ash. An Asian girl with an unknown inheritance was no one—until her discoveries cracked open Alvsdahl’s secrets.
Sharon’s rewritten narrative—of classroom rivalries, animal professors, debauchery in the woods, threatening Godmothers, and world-shattering powers—unfolds line by line as V desperately tries to help her mother, ultimately learning how to wield Sharon’s story to transform them both.
Lyrical and tender, Angela Mi Young Hur’s The Loom Tree is a magical campus novel centering two young women walking the thorny path toward adulthood, the fractures between parents and their children, and the global mythologies connecting us all.
This sounds MAGICAL and I am very, very here for it!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Look Inside beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Horror, Science Fantasy
Representation: Never-gendered MC
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
In a heretofore calm pocket of a postapocalyptic world, a few survivors find they are not alone as they face a new reality rife with cosmic horrors.
In an isolated village at the edge of a forest, the last of humanity ekes out a spirited existence on an Earth that was ravaged by cataclysm generations ago. Here, Sky Memoriam prepares to assume the role of memory keeper, sole relator of the long-forgotten histories of the Old World. But Sky is in for a shock.
When a ship from somewhere out in space lands in the survivors’ clearing, its wisecracking AI interface, Box, quickly announces its intention to integrate Sky into what the visitor insists is the true reality. In order to withstand the forthcoming eldritch horrors—so soul-rippingly incomprehensible there are no words to describe them—it seems assimilation is essential. But creature-combat training aside, Sky’s greatest task will be making sense of everything the snarky bot has to impart about limitless imagination, the endless infinity of other worlds, and the dangers on this one.
Being torn between the wasteland Sky and the plucky village folk call home and the infinite multiverse proffered by Box is enough to drive anyone insane. But as our hero soon discovers—and as weird as it sounds—madness itself may be the key to surviving this wild ride.
At once violent, funny, and hopeful, Shades of Forever is a reality-shattering, mind-melting slice of dystopian fiction from author, activist, and former NFL punter Chris Kluwe.
Head’s up: this is LitRPG, which I do not usually feature because it’s not a genre that interests me. This has a genuinely cool set-up, though: if I WAS into litrpg, I suspect I’d love this!
Genres: Adult, Horror
Representation: Autistic MC
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
After narrowly escaping a sacrificial ritual with her life, Alice Drayton finds herself trapped in the isolated rural village of Evanston, Maine. With guards monitoring the ancestral farmhouse she and her brother are being held captive in around the clock, escape seems impossible. She may be left with no choice but to abandon everything she stands for and assimilate into Evanston's twisted religious community.
If she survives.
When a series of seemingly inexplicable tragedies plague the town, rumors of witchcraft proliferate. Alice’s outsider status places her at the top of the suspect list. Will she and her allies escape Evanston and bring an end to its insidious practices, or will they meet their fate at the gallows?
A sequel to an apparently very excellent autistic horror??? I need to read book one first – hopefully soon!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Preview Now beneath/beside the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer and trans MCs
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
Saros Alsena has spent the last ten years mastering elemental magic to follow in his late father’s footsteps. Now a fully-fledged mage, he has one final goal: earn the title of archmage and dedicate his life to serving the sovereign Grey Order and the five kingdoms it is sworn to protect. But when Saros’s chance to prove himself finally arrives, its source is strange: a plea for help from Princess Raven Vittar, whose kingdom instigated the war that killed Saros’s father.
Now, Raven’s people are being terrorized by deadly magical attacks that threaten to shatter the delicate peace maintained by the Grey Order. But as Saros soon discovers, the mystery goes much deeper than that, and what began as a simple mission will delve into long-lost secrets that could not only herald another war, but also bring forth the unravelling of life itself.
The Tree of Yesterdays is a queer & trans-centered dark fantasy story, perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings and Avatar: the Last Airbender.
Love the sound of this!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says View Preview beneath/beside the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Queer MCs
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
Five days until a new world.
Robbed of their green-energy aspirations by military-backed billionaires who misled the whole planet, Ryn embraces new dreams—fighting deep sea threats alongside unexpected allies and a giant cephalopod. Dream the Deep is a community-focused sci-fi adventure of kindness, compassion, and resilience.
I didn’t get on with Ward’s debut, Be the Sea, but this sounds potentially MUCH more my thing!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Excerpt beneath the book information section)
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Gay and lesbian MCs
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
A hunted community. A haunted author. A horror that spans centuries.
Men are disappearing from Toronto's gay village. They're the marginalized, the vulnerable. One by one, stalked and vanished, they leave behind small circles of baffled, frightened friends. Against the shifting backdrop of homophobia throughout the decades, from the HIV/AIDS crisis and riots against raids to gentrification and police brutality, the survivors face inaction from the law and disinterest from society at large. But as the missing grow in number, those left behind begin to realize that whoever or whatever is taking these men has been doing so for longer than is humanly possible.
Woven into their stories is David Demchuk's own personal history, a life lived in fear and in thrall to horror, a passion that boils over into obsession. As he tries to make sense of the relationship between queerness and horror, what it means for gay men to disappear, and how the isolation of the LGBTQ+ community has left them profoundly exposed to monsters that move easily among them, fact and fiction collide and reality begins to unravel.
A bold, terrifying new novel from the award-winning author of The Bone Mother.
This is a new edition of a supernatural horror that’s all tangled up with some real-life serial killer? I read this years ago (and very deliberately did not look up the real-life serial killer, I do NOT want to know) and it’s almost a collection of short stories more than a typical novel? I liked the lore a fair bit!
You can read an excerpt of a previous edition here! (Where it says Look Inside beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Lesbian MC, trans secondary character
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
A thrilling adventure packed with laughs, escapes and kick-ass action, about a smart-talking bunch of rogues and dropouts being thrust into an epic quest to save the future and meddle with the destinies of empires. From the Audible-bestselling author of The Lion: Son of the Forest, and perfect for fans of Tasha Suri, Richard Swan, Samantha Shannon and Netflix's Arcane.
Kitt Carver is one of the best diviners in the business at finding destinies for the rich and powerful. When she’s nearly killed, and her regular broker is murdered, it becomes clear that someone has an issue with the last destiny that she found.
Determined not to let anyone else die, Kitt gathers a mismatched group – including Two Tongue Derna, her childhood friend and now a renowned street duellist; Sulian the Swallowmage, powerful but plagued with intrusive visions of futures; and Donal Klae, Kitt’s one-night stand who was accidentally responsible for her near-murder – and sets off across the Timeless Lands to warn the destiny’s recipient.
However, unbeknownst to Kitt, she has her own destiny; one which might spell disaster for everyone.
This is by the same author as my beloved Black Coast – though from early reviews, this is a lot more humorous than that was! Also, it seems to be a standalone, not the start of a series.
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Read a free chapter beneath the book cover)
Genres: Adult, Science Fantasy
Representation: Secondary F/F
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
It hasn’t been very long since the Super Patriots, Inc. were defeated by Velveteen and her friends, and the echoes of a world where superhumans could be bought and sold by corporate interests are still shaping the greater landscape. In order to achieve their victory, Velveteen had to make a devil’s bargain with Santa Claus himself, and now the cost of his aid is coming due. Even as the rebuilding begins, she has to leave for the Seasonal Lands and fulfill the terms of service she agreed to, or she’ll never be able to come home again, and never be able to enjoy the world she’s fought so hard and sacrificed so much to achieve.
And of course, there’s the matter of what comes after her sentence has been served.
In the aftermath of the fall of the Super Patriots, Inc., Velveteen will have to overcome the greatest challenge she’s faced to date: how does she move forward with her life and become an independent adult, when that’s the one battle she’s never been prepared for? And what about all the other problems she hasn’t defeated yet, from super villains to death itself? She’s already won, so why does it feel like the fight will never end?These short stories continue Velveteen’s adventures, from her service with the Seasons to her attempt to find a way to live a normal life in a superheroic world. Includes the original volume three, along with the sixteen stories in the never-before-published volume four.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! It’s the second Velveteen collection from Subterranean Press!!! I don’t know when the hardcover will be going out to those who bought it, but the ebook is out this week! I love the Velveteen series, and this collection will have the first new Velveteen stories in years and years!!! I might be hyperventilating a little bit!
Genres: Adult, Horror, Science Fantasy
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
Return to Jason Sanford's dark sci-fi world in Plague Birds: The Red Day Edition, newly-edited and with an additional afterword and short story, "Little Fathers of Darkness," originally published in Robotic Ambitions: Tales of Mechanical Sentience.
In a world of gene-modded humans constantly watched over by benevolent AIs, everyone hates and fears the plague birds. But to save her father and home village, Crista becomes the very creature she fears the most. And her first task as a plague bird is hunting down an ancient group of murderers wielding magic-like powers.
As Crista and her AI symbiote travel farther from home than she ever imagined, they are plunged into a strange world where she judges wrongdoers, befriends other outcasts, and uncovers an extremely personal conspiracy that threatens the lives of millions.
Plague Birds is a genre-bending mix of science fiction and dark fantasy and the epic story of a young woman who becomes one of the future's most hated creatures, with a killer AI bonded to her very blood.
I have heard only great things about this series, and am excited to get to try the (updated?) edition of book one!
You can read a sample (of the original edition) here! (Where it says Sample next to the buy button)
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
Nedra Ceto has always known Vampires don’t exist.
Until a visit to the magical Night Markets changes everything.
After the humiliation of letting the mythical vampire escape, Nedra enlists the help of the mysterious stranger Cinda to investigate the rumours of vampires infiltrating the town. Nedra and Cinda’s connection soon develops into more than a friendship with benefits. But Nedra doesn't do commitment.
Amidst the escalating dangers of the investigation, Nedra discovers Cinda isn’t who she says she is.
Will Nedra embrace Cinda and her true emotions, or will past trauma drive her to run like she’s always done?
Follow Nedra’s heart-pounding journey in Devil in Book 2 Lost Witches of Hecate, the thrilling continuation of Better the Devil you Book 1 Lost Witches of Hecate.
I stumbled upon this one completely by accident, but I’m cautiously intrigued…
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Gay MC
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
Twenty-something Justin Erasmus doesn’t know how he ended up in the mountains of Missoula, Montana on a commune with Adrian, his hookup from the other night. What he does know is that Adrian might help him find his estranged sister, Helen, since he and the other members of the group are devoted followers of her from afar, by way of her podcast and certain mysterious other communications. Justin himself only has hazy memories of Helen from when they were kids; he remembers her locked in a dog cage in his family’s living room and how, as though she were made of smoke, she reached her arms out to him through the bars before being sent away. A voice is telling him he needs to find her again.
But as his feelings for Adrian grow and the commune starts to feel more like home, Justin discovers he’s not the only person trying to find Helen. A shadowy government organization called The Aversion Project with a mysterious magic of their own are bent on eradicating Helen: her magic, her free thinking, her free-love community and free-living movement in favor of a more rigid, orderly, heteronormative world–and soon they’re knocking on their door… and invading their dreams. If Justin is going to find his sister and remain with his beloved new community, he’ll first have to deal with the ominous figures haunting his sister and found family.
Been OBSESSED with this since I first heard about it, AHHH GIMME!
You can read an excerpt here! (Down below the About the Book section, where it says Look Inside)
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Published on: 30th June 2026
Goodreads
Bonding with dragons gave humans magic to craft metal―now, two school rivals have to work together to protect a priceless secret, all while fighting their growing attraction to each other, from Dana Swift, author of Cast in Firelight.
Copper-crafter Farren Walsh is set on following in her father's footsteps to become a dragon veterinarian. The only thing more powerful than her love for these magnificent creatures is her hate for those who exploit them for their precious metal. That includes her classmate, an arrogant dragon racer named James Murphy, whose silver-crafting family represents the worst of human greed and dragon abuse―plus, he's the biggest competition for the college scholarship she desperately needs.
When James strongarms his way into interning at her family's dragon sanctuary for the summer, it puts everything at risk. Farren isn't just the plain copper-crafter she seems. She's hiding a secret that could not only change her life, but their society as a whole. And James, trying to find refuge from his controlling father, harbors his own secret, years-long crush on Farren. Hating James might be harder than she thought, but Farren can't risk getting too close: the fate of an endangered species is at stake.
When Dealing with Dragons is a delightful young adult dual-POV romantasy about cross-class romance, finding family, and creating a better world for creatures big and small.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t read anything past DRAGON VET DRAGON VET DRAGON VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!! *GRABBY HANDS*
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Read Excerpt beneath the book cover)
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Published on: 2nd July 2026
Goodreads
A young woman on the run from her fate must face her past to save her future. This fierce fantasy of blended cultures is the perfect read for fans of For She is Wrath, We Hunt the Flame and Children of Blood and Bone.
When she bleeds, the Kingdom falls.
At five years old, Nisha was selected to be the Mortal Goddess – a vessel for the great Goddess Shantavi. But on her twelfth birthday, Nisha escaped the temple before she could be sacrificed at the hands of the Immortal King.
Now the Kingdom searches for its new Mortal Goddess and their eye has fallen on Ratna, the only family Nisha has left.
Helped by a Golden Eagle Warrior and the only boy she has ever loved, Nisha must learn to embrace her power in order to liberate her people.
It’s time to take the Kingdom back.
Another I’ve not heard much about – it may be a UK-only release?
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Lesbian MC
Published on: 2nd July 2026
Goodreads
You are cordially invited to the Dragon Masquerade …
Del has two rules. stay away from royalty. don’t fall in love.
The first – because Del is secretly a runaway princess. After the death of her sister at the hand of her boyfriend, Del flees her family, home and all the responsibilities that come with being the queendom’s new heir. With a magically constructed mirrorwoven face, Del is now unrecognisable, and disappears to the faraway opaline lagoon-city of Salato.
The second rule – because the enchantment hiding Del’s identity can only be unravelled by true love’s kiss. But that’s just fine. Del’s had enough of love anyway.
When Del breaks Rule One and becomes court bard to the newly widowed First of Salato, she is resolved to keep her head down. But Clara is naïve and trusts too easily, and soon Del finds herself having to guide Clara through the shoals of court life, somehow without revealing her own secret.
As Del grows closer to both Clara and Nasca, Clara’s brilliant, dangerous sister-in-law, it will only take a push to bring Del’s house of cards tumbling down.
Like, for example, breaking Rule Two.
By all accounts this is a fairytale retelling that is very fun and sweet!
You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Read Excerpt beneath the book cover)
Genres: YA
Representation: Lesbian MC
Published on: 3rd July 2026
Goodreads
Most eighteen-year-olds are worried about college, relationships, and their future.
Blythe Rousseau has a devil named Rosie living in her basement.Blythe has spent her life protecting the world from the red-skinned creature imprisoned in her basement rec room. Rosie cannot be killed, only sedated with a stake through the heart. Invisible to everyone outside her bloodline, the captured monster is both a prisoner and an inescapable burden.
After her mother’s sudden death, Blythe makes a desperate journey to Winchester, Louisiana, a town that—according to her mother’s notes—may hold the key to Rosie’s permanent demise and Blythe’s first real chance at freedom.
Instead, she finds Elsie Audley, the owner of a local cryptid museum and the first person outside her family who can see Rosie too.
But in Winchester’s moss-cloaked forests and towering cypress swamps, a new threat emerges that Blythe and Elsie must stop together. As Blythe’s connection with Elsie deepens and she learns the truth about Rosie’s past, she will have to face not only Winchester’s monsters, but her own demons.
How much is Blythe willing to sacrifice for the girl she loves?
Welp, I’m obsessed. DEMON IN THE BASEMENT, WHY DOES THAT GRAB MY ATTENTION SO HARD???
You can read a (short) excerpt here! (Scroll down to beneath the Conclusion section)
Will you be reading any of these? Did I miss any releases you think I should know about? Let me know!
I’ll be reading, “Shades of Forever,” soon.
I hope you like it more than I did! Have you read other LitRPG?