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 and SFF by minority authors, but other stuff (especially anything that strikes me as ‘outside the box’) occasionally makes it in too. Corrections and suggestions are very welcome!

SIXTY books this week!!! Are you kidding me?! And that’s with me being picky, ignoring all the obviously-slop covers, the books whose descriptions are full of typos…! Handily trounces the previous record of fifty-two (which was only two freaking weeks ago!!!)

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

Crown of Ash (Emperor's Assassin, #5) by Kai Butler
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 26th October 2026
Goodreads

As fires burn Tavornai and Bemishu marches on the Ariphadeus, something even more horrifying threatens the happiness Tallu and I have found.

We have finally found an ally that will allow us to retake the Imperium from Kacha and Bemishu’s clutches. Even as we control the rivers that cross the empire, Kacha and Bemishu move with the confidence of experienced generals, keeping us from total victory.

When Bemishu flees into the Ariphadeus, we must follow him because what lives there would change the war in his favor. Can we find it first? And if we do, could we possibly win at last?

I’ve not read this series yet, but I’ve been meaning to for ages!

Code and Codex by Yoon Ha Lee
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, Science Fantasy
Representation: Genderqueer bisexual MC, major bisexual MC
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Three-time Hugo Award finalist Yoon Ha Lee returns to science fiction with a swashbuckling space opera about fighting against an evil empire trying to erase history.

In the stars-spanning Censorate, languages other than the Republic’s own lingua rubra, which has reality-altering properties, are forbidden. Nevertheless, there are discrepancies. The Censorate’s star forces are called the Athenaeum Navy, and each of its ships is referred to as a codex. Instead of port and starboard, its soldiers refer to verso and recto. The unholy “stigmata” gouged into the ships’ hulls might, to a foreign scholar, bear a resemblance to verboten texts in other languages.

The Censorate is ruled by its Peacock, Aurelia, feared for the power of she can look through anyone’s eyes. Moreover, Aurelia’s mastery of lingua rubra lets her force anyone who can understand her to follow her orders. Valentina, sold to Aurelia’s family as a child to be Aurelia’s oath-sister and companion, is its Swan, responsible for extracting useful information from foreign texts, then destroying them as well as entire languages through arcane arts. Valentina is assisted in her work by lower-ranking linguists and AI assistants who accept temporary contamination by foreign languages as a necessity of their work.

But this isn’t enough for Aurelia. She wants to control and deploy the Censorate’s thousand-year traitor and prisoner, the Basilisk, a man with a gaze so lethal that he destroyed its fleet of old through camera feeds. Unfortunately for her, the Basilisk gave himself a form of aphasia that makes him immune to her commands.

NEW YOON HA LEE!!! I got to read this early and adored it; I strongly recommend this review over here!

You can read an excerpt here! (Beneath the About the Book section)

My review!

The Fist of Memory by Wole Talabi
Genres: Adult, Sci Fi
Representation: Nigerian cast and setting
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

"Absolutely masterful." —Annalee Newitz

"A unique meeting of big concepts and elegantly-crafted action." —Adrian Tchaikovsky

A strange alien spacecraft suddenly appears in the sky in this electrifying, action-packed first contact novel set in near-future Nigeria from award-winning author Wole Talabi

A hard science-fiction novel featuring an assassin-for-hire, a witchdoctor, and an astronomer, this fast-paced thriller is perfect for fans of Arrival

When a non-communicative alien spacecraft suddenly appears in the sky, global powers are thrown into turmoil. 

But for Tope, a principled Nigerian assassin with a talent for lethality in the employ of the mysterious witchdoctor known as "Baba," it’s all just business as usual. At least until a job goes wrong, and Tope is caught in the scramble—a high stakes game of power and politics for the future that is to come. Joined by Itumeleng, a South African astronomer plagued by mysterious dreams, they must find a way to survive, navigate their complicated pasts, and come to understand how they, and all of humanity, are connected to the alien craft before it lands and the world changes forever. But it won’t be easy. There are sinister forces marshalled against them, including a strange assassin obsessed with a single memory.

The Fist Of Memory is a first contact thriller unlike any other; a meditation on the nature of reality, memory and connectedness.

I used the UK cover because I think it’s much better! And I love the sound of this, I don’t think I’ve ever come across an alien first contact story from an African perspective before!

You can read an excerpt here!

Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Trans MCs
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

A mysterious realm on the other side of our screens. A dark force that draws victims into its static. The unlikely hero called to save them and herself from this electric hell. Public Access Afterworld is the profound, binge-all-night, headrush of a novel by the celebrated filmmaker of I Saw the TV Glow.

Find the receiver. Make it real.

At 5:35pm on September 3rd, 1988, Dallas weatherman Ray “Can You Say Sunshine” Davino makes passing reference to Public Access Afterworld during a rambling monologue, right before he puts a gun to his head on live television and pulls the trigger.

On June 12th, 2009, David Sawyer and Erin Morrison, two lonely, TV-obsessed suburban teens who might be falling in love, gather in Erin’s basement to watch TV’s analog-to-digital transition. But in the static that follows, Erin witnesses surreal broadcasts from a pirate TV network called Public Access Afterworld and their lives are changed forever.

Seventeen years later, Bethany Peters toils through the night shift at megacorp GlobalVill’s bleak Austin campus. A trans content moderator, she spends her evenings reviewing an endless stream of horrific videos. But then a young streamer begins to crop up in her feed calling out to Public Access Afterworld.

But what is Public Access Afterworld?

Spanning decades and realities, with an unforgettable ensemble of outcasts and nerds, especially the messy but wholly relatable Bethany who must overcome paranoia and self-doubt to transform into a hero of our times, Public Access Afterworld will have you reading through the night and rooting for its characters to survive. A mesmerizing mashup of speculative fiction, horror, and conspiracy, it marks the arrival of a major new force in contemporary fiction by a groundbreaking filmmaker who’s been compared to David Lynch and Paul Thomas Anderson.

I keep hearing INCREDIBLE things about this one and I’m so excited for it!

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

Thousands of Eyes by Maximiliano Barrientos, Thomas Bunstead
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists, Post-Apocalyptic
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Mad Max meets JG Ballard in this daring, high-octane, surrealist body horror set against a post-apocalyptic Bolivia in thrall to a speed-worshiping cult

In 1970s Bolivia, a man and his young son are on the run from accolades of a velocity cult hellbent on using their Plymouth Road Runner to unleash a primordial entity known as The Dream. In 1990, a teenage metalhead, whose brother died while drag racing, experiences visions and body transformations after a beating. A hundred years later—after the emergence of The Dream—a girl embarks on a journey across a dystopian wasteland to carry out her father’s dying wish.

The mystery behind the cult’s beliefs and gory rituals unfold across these three time periods. As the world is transfigured into a living apocalypse that is punctuated by spark plugs hanging like fruit from trees, the boundaries that distinguish humanity from machines, natural landscapes from those of the mind, and the realm of the living from that of the dead, are diluted under the intoxicating effect of The Dream.

Fusing elements of horror, gothic, and speculative fiction, Thousands of Eyes balances its chilling and cruel propulsion with quieter moments of emotional intensity and lyricism to reveal the grotesque beauty of desolation. Maximiliano Barrientos is a wholly original and bold new voice in Latin American letters, available to English-language readers for the first time.

This sounds so strange, and absolutely fascinating. Want!

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

Power Called Victory by Ashe Thurman
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Gay MC
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

What if Spider-Man couldn't be separated from the alien suit, and they had to come to an agreement?

When Gideon wakes up one morning covered in bruises, he has two questions: what happened at the gay bar last night, and are blackouts an unexpected side effect of HRT? The culprit is VictoryInPersistence, a being of pure, condensed magical energy that's become trapped in his body with him.

Turns out elves exist. And vampires and sylvan and wizards and a not to mention other inhabited planets. Now this listless, 20-something, part-time comic shop employee/ part-time college student has superpowers...sort of. Enough, at least, he feels he needs to take saving the world into his own hands.

Along the way, he meets, Rain, an elf-sylvan transfemme tabletop player, and Nathan, an asexual incubus. Both part of a vast community of "magical" people living in secret.

The problem that he keeps failing to realize is how big a target becoming a "demon-borne" has made him.

A fantasy take on Eddie-and-Venom??? I’m listening!

You can read an excerpt here (where it says Read Excerpt beneath the book cover), though you will need to have or make a Book Sirens account to access it!

Shardfall: Tragedy Reimagined by T.O. Tate
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi, Post-Apocalyptic
Representation: Black and queer MCs
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

An omnibus of three post-apocalyptic Shakespeare retellings paired with spot illustrations and sonnets by the Bard.

A Concrete MacBeth Retold

Micah, a seasoned scout, has seen firsthand the dangers of a desolate city corrupted by a mysterious contaminant, but as the contamination spreads, his cousin Dawson only grows more convinced that it's safer inside than out. When their battle of wills escalates from argument to blackmail and murder, Micah must ask if his motives are as noble as he wants to believe.

A Starless  Othello Reloaded

Ollie, a former sniper, has been forced into retirement by a mysterious disease known as sliversickness that slowly eats away at her right eye. A perpetual outsider in an isolated underground military base, Ollie's only solace is her lover, DJ. But that relationship is forbidden, putting Ollie's already uncertain future in jeopardy, and her only protection is DJ, whose fidelity has been called into question.

A Seething  Ophelia Requited

Orris, afflicted with a mysterious disease called sliversickness since birth, finds themself in the middle of a struggle for power between their lover Hunter and his stepfather Charles. Rumors of ghosts creep through the Squall's passageways, and Hunter's behavior becomes more and more erratic. Everyone looks to Orris to help him, worried that he, like so many others, has fallen ill. But as vines begin to stir inside their chest, Hunter kills Orris's father, leaving vengeance as their only option.

On the one hand, I’m not very good at handling tragedies. On the other hand, this sounds very cool!

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

Rage of the Wiled by Revey Galaer
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Massachusetts, 1692. One witch. One Puritan. A curse that could damn them both.

When Lorelle Wolf was a child, she was orphaned and brought to Sufferance: a secret settlement of witches hiding from the growing terror of Salem. The last living member of England’s formidable Silversun coven—and the so-called defective twin of a dead prophesied savior—Lore has spent her life under watch, trapped in her brother’s shadow and longing for freedom.

Abigail Willard, a devout Puritan, is running from a loveless engagement when she flees Salem and lies her way into Sufferance. Living among witches should terrify her, but even that feels preferable to a forced marriage.

When Sufferance is attacked, Lore and Abigail escape into the harrowing Wiled Woods, a cursed forest steeped in the blood of innocent women. Hunted by a dark witch and Salem’s most ruthless witch hunter, the two women must rely on each other to survive.

To break the curse threatening witches and Puritans alike, they must find Lore’s missing familiars and unite a rare, dangerous magic split between them—magic powerful enough to save both their worlds… or destroy them entirely.

Perfect for fans of historical fantasy, witchcraft fiction, dark folklore, sapphic fantasy, forbidden bonds, and Salem-era magic with high emotional stakes.

I’ve been looking forward to this one for ages; ‘the so-called defective twin of a dead prophesied savior’??? GIMME!

Chateau Reverie by Natasha Siegel
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MC, sapphic MC, F/F
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Another sweeping speculative, romantic novel from the author of As Many Souls as Stars, in which attendees of a magical auction must bid secrets in exchange for their greatest desires. Perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern or V.E. Schwab.

Reverie and Sons humbly requests your attendance at THE AUCTION OF SECRETS.

Genevieve de Vienne does not remember the journey to the Chateau Reverie. She only remembers receiving her invitation to the Auction of Secrets, writing upon it her greatest desire—to forget the woman she once loved—and setting it aflame.

Leander Sterne does not remember a life outside of the Chateau Reverie. When he receives his own invitation, he does not have any secrets to bid, but his greatest desire—his liberty—is worth risking everything. He has nothing to lose.

Alongside five fellow attendees, Leander and Genevieve must survive three nights in the Chateau in order to bid their secrets and win their hearts’ desire. But the Chateau has a mind of its own. As guests begin to disappear and Leander and Genevieve become more and more entangled, it becomes clear that the rules of the Auction might not be in anyone’s favor…and even those who win might not be allowed to leave.

Written in Natasha Siegel’s transportive, lush prose and set amidst the final days of the French Revolution, Chateau Reverie is a rococo fairytale full of horrors and both a sweeping romance and a twisting speculative mystery.

Siegel’s prose is absolutely gorgeous, and I’m eager to get a new dose of it!

You can read an excerpt here! (Where it says Read a Sample beside the book cover)

She Isn't Herself Tonight by Hailey Piper
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MC
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

From the Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Queen of Teeth and A Game in Yellow, a “blissfully twisted and genuinely heartfelt” (Rachel Harrison, New York Times bestselling author of Play Nice) literary horror novel following a young woman on the heels of a traumatic break-up as she anxiously awaits an impending alien abduction.

When Rabbit was ten years old, she was abducted by aliens. Then, it happened again when she was twenty. Now thirty, she’s ready for their next visit. What she isn’t prepared for is her boyfriend callously ending their long-term relationship and ejecting her from their shared home.

As her birthday approaches, the aliens still haven’t arrived. Rabbit descends into a spiral of growing paranoia and bizarre bodily transformations, until soon it seems that even her reflection has a mind of its own. With her only refuge being the chaos of strangers who might not have her best interests at heart, Rabbit worries that her ex’s abandonment not only severed her from his life, but also from her own. Struggling to orient herself within a world growing more topsy-turvy by the day, Rabbit must regain control before her aliens at last return.

Hailey Piper + alien abductions? Oh I HAVE to check this out!

You can read an excerpt on the book’s Big River Site page!

The Killing of a Chestnut Tree (Havelock Harper Mysteries, #1) by Oliver K. Langmead
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Be gay, solve crimes! The Killing of a Chestnut Tree introduces Havelock Harper, an all-new queer gentleman detective in the tradition of Sherlock Holmes, with a cozy, fantastical mystery.

“I loved this book! Havelock and Sebastian are such great company, brilliant, approachable, fascinating, their relationship is real and touching and relatable. And the mystery is riveting.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author LOUISE PENNY

Everyone in England knows Havelock Harper, the celebrated consulting detective, from the cases published in the papers. If any of them read his secret files, they would discover a very different man. His most fantastical cases must never reach the public eye, and nor must the love he shares with his stalwart companion, the formidable Major Sebastian Wright.

The Duke of Farleigh has been killed, and Havelock Harper summoned to the secluded Farleigh Forest to solve his murder. When he and Sebastian arrive, they discover a greater mystery. The trees of Farleigh have begun to speak, writing words into their leaves and bark. The victim is one of those an ancient chestnut, cruelly chopped down.

Why has the forest begun to speak? Why would anyone cut down the Duke? And how can Farleigh’s gentle, quiet paradise survive this crime?

The hardcover of this one isn’t quite 200 pages, so it’s not a full novel I think? Still want to give it a try!

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

The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier (Folk With a Disregard for Convention) by Natalie Kelda
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Lesbian MC, F/F
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Grief and despondency consumes every moment of Ellie's waking hours. Or at least every moment that isn't spent toiling away in the cramped and dark confines of an English coal mine at the turn of the nineteenth century.

She doesn't believe her dreadful existence can get any worse but then a firedamp explosion claims the lives of two young children right before her eyes.

Brise is an air sprite and has never had a single concern in the eons she has had sentience. Playing chase with her sister in a coal mine as they have done thousands of times before, an open trapdoor captures Brise in a stale air full of firedamp. A spark lights it – changing her life forever.

Ellie didn't expect to discover a lone survivor from the explosion. But the woman she rescues from the depths of the pit doesn't quite seem human and her hair and eyes don't match those of the collier who had entered the pit the day before.

Who is Brise Collier? An evil spirit sent to haunt Ellie, or an angel come to guide her towards hope and healing?

The Turbulent Appearance of Brise Collier is part of the series of standalone novels in the series Folk With a Disregard for Convention which are set in a fantastical version of historical Britain.

This shares a setting with Kelda’s book Reflections of Lilje Damselfly, but Reflections is a novella, and Turbulent Appearance is a full novel!

To Dream in Darkness by Ann Liang
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Representation: Chinese cast and setting
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Two gods strike a bargain that leads them on a journey with devastating consequences in this lush historical fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Ann Liang.

China in the age of brilliance, where gods freely wander the three realms. Amongst them is the cruel and beautiful Death God, who has never failed to collect a soul on time. Until now. For when he seeks out Rujia, the noble god of healing―and the only god he is fated to kill with his own hands―she makes him an offer he can’t refuse: she will help lift the excruciating, century-old curse placed upon him if he gives her a one-month reprieve.

Rujia knows she isn’t as noble as everyone believes. Her deal with Death is merely an excuse to buy herself time while she figures out an escape plan. But when her plan causes the Celestial Palace’s collapse and the beloved crown prince’s disappearance, she and Death are both held responsible. The only way to avoid the wrath of all the other gods is to travel across the realms and safely retrieve the crown prince themselves.

Yet the journey proves far more treacherous than expected. As the unlikely alliance between them blooms into more, and Death’s resolve to kill Rujia weakens by the day, neither can outrun their intertwined fate without devastating consequences: A mysterious plague. An empire-destroying flood. A thousand deaths―and rising―to restore the balance Rujia's disrupted. And if Rujia continues to live despite the will of the Heavens, this is only the beginning...

I’m very curious how they can make things work with plagues and floods and all happening the longer they resist fate…

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

The Riven Kingdom by Juliet E. McKenna
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

A sharp feminist historical fantasy that blends politics, religion, and a battle for a dead king's throne, perfect for fans of the Realm of the Elderlings series.

The King is dead...

Struck down by lightning on a hunting trip, King Venais leaves the Kingdom of Arafaze with no clear successor. And soon enough the nobility are shedding loyalty in favour of ambition as two princesses with competing claims to the empty throne seek alliances and favours and the realm teeters on the brink of war.

Fear reaches far beyond the court. The Priestesses of the Sun and the Priests of the Moon, servants of the divinities that balance healing and death, truth and lies, must serve the people and keep the Sun Goddess and the Moon God above the designs of the powerful. But even in the churches ambition festers.

Away from high counsels, two wives, traders on the rivers that are the Realm’s life blood, an agent, a priest and a priestess are drawn into the brutal tangle.

And, in the Shadow Realm, fear, lies and hatred are taking terrifying form..

I’m reading this at the moment and enjoying it – especially the worldbuilding!

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

The Space Wizard Novella Collection by William C Tracy
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Queer MCs
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Select queer science fiction and fantasy, collected for the first time!

Six stories, ranging over past and future, space and time, alternate histories and strange planets. Welcome to Space Wizard's first collection of novellas, where each story takes you to a vastly different place:

A colonized land, where the indigenous people hold secrets of an ancient power.

A colony world of dandelions, dragons, and the magic of dreams.

A society of early technology and magic, where a witch and an ostrich make an unlikely team.

A far-off planet in the deep future, where subjugated aliens hold secrets of thought and life.

A New England town where a kid learns of ghosts, mannequins, and dolls with a creepy history.

A post-apocalyptic Earth, where an amnesiac woman learns of herself while she protects her daughter from the world.

A blossoming relationship between a woman and a care-bot.

Discover a breadth of speculative fiction inside!

I don’t know which novellas are included in this, but Space Wizards is an indie press I’ve been keeping a close eye on, so this is worth checking out!

The Bone Seer by H.J. Nevius
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

A queer fantasy debut that combines all of the slow sweetness of The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst with the magic and moral complexity of The War of Lost Hearts series by Carissa Broadbent. As magical and melancholic as a rainy day, as lyrical and warm as your favorite cup of tea, this LitRPG-inspired novel will help you heal and start again.

Lenox Azra has lived, died, and lived again. Both in the past as a human and in the present as one of the Raised, an animated skeleton, he’s been through too much for one lifetime, let alone two. Now, Nox is on a mission: help the other Raised across the continent in the aftermath of a war they never wanted to be involved in. All he wants is a comfortable life and to forget about the Necromancer who haunts his past.

But it seems like life, and that very Necromancer, H.G. Emmett, have other plans. With another war on the horizon, Nox is thrust back into the life—and the memories of the love—he once had. When he and Emmett grow closer again, new behaviors start to heal old scars and reignite fresh hope. With a new war and the potential of a relationship with Emmett in the balance, Nox has learned that there is only one response he can meet the future with: to fight for what he wants.

A story of love and loss, redemption and hope, The Bone Seer is a queer fantasy romance that explores the question of what must end, and what we must fight to find a new beginning for.

I’m not interested in LiTRPG, but LiTRPG-inspired might be okay!

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

Dead Batteries by Kate Maupin
Genres: Adult, Sci Fi, Post-Apocalyptic
Representation: Major autistic character
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

A single mom and her neurodivergent son battle for survival and stability in a post-apocalyptic world, one that is arguably no less harsh to them then the pre-pandemic one, in this gripping, one-of-a-kind debut.

Ever since May’s husband decided parenthood wasn’t for him and left, it’s just been May and her autistic son with high support needs, Davis, against the world. A rather unwelcoming one that never had much patience or understanding.

Then 99.9% of the population was wiped out by a virus in just a few weeks, and that world ended. May has kept herself and Davis alive only through the self-imposed isolation she got so good at in the Before. They have their routines, their cozy nest in an abandoned library, and most importantly, the old battery-powered Game Boy that offers Davis familiarity and comfort in a world that’s difficult to understand.

One day May runs into a stranger while out scavenging for the precious batteries that keep Davis's Game Boy alive. This stranger calls himself Bird, he has intel—and a proposition. Supposedly there’s an entire haven of survivors nearby. Bird wants in, and he needs May and Davis to play along as wife and child in order to guarantee himself a spot. Besides, wouldn’t May want to be part of a community again?

Not particularly—but the survivors have batteries. So she reluctantly agrees. And while May knows better than to trust the man who ripped her and Davis out of their routines, she can’t help but open up to him. But when Bird’s true motivations come to light, her old life collides with the new in terrifyingly dark ways, forcing May to question how far she would go to protect her son. How long can she and Davis last until the batteries run out?

What part of that premise isn’t heartbreaking???

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

Change by Shawn Hoover
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MCs
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

They were witches bound by tradition, broken by hysteria. Fleeing a world that sought to control and kill them, they found sanctuary in the strangest of the home of a vampire who offered not just protection, but transformation. Now reborn as a new breed, witch-born vampires, they wield arcane magic with immortal power.

But freedom comes at a cost.

Hunted by those who fear them, they embark on a quest to recover lost magical artifacts and reclaim the fragments of their stolen history. As danger mounts and loyalties are tested, two women find unexpected love in the chaos. A romance that burns brighter than any spell.

In a world where bloodlines define destiny, they'll forge their own.

Wasn’t able to find out much about this one, except that it involves sapphic vampire witches in Arizona!

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

From the Library of Jurgen Leitner (The Magnus Archives) by Premee Mohamed, Jonathan Sims
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror
Representation: Indo-Caribbean author, queer author
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Enter the library of an enigmatic collector, where occult books are guarded and researched at a fatal cost, with this uncanny eldritch horror novel.
Fear comes before the fall.

In the winding, perilous corridors of Jurgen Leitner’s private library, you never know what you’ll find. A starving cookbook. An ancient scroll that casts cool, predatory breezes. A cloth-bound hardback that compels you to DIG, DIG, DIG, DIG.
Free, these books are more than simply unnerving—they’re deadly. But the library keeps their dangers in check and their would-be readers safe. . . .

Or so Leitner claims.

For two of his employees, the risks are worth it. Hugh Franklin, research assistant, has finally found a place he belongs, where his skill in translation is valued, even if his employer is a bit odd. Sebastian Everett, acquisition specialist, can indulge his arcane ambitions, even if it means pretending to care about Leitner’s mission.

Though their tenures at the library were years apart, Hugh and Sebastian’s stories unfold in parallel, and their footsteps echo down the same eerie aisles, caught in a web spun long before either ever heard the name “Jurgen Leitner.”

Will they find a way out . . . or will the library consume them before it’s too late?

I went down the Magnus Archives rabbit hole last year and have been looking forward to this one! Jonathan Sims, the creator of Magnus Archives, and Premee Mohamed?! HELLS YES!

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

Cats Are Sluts: Revised and Expanded Edition by Nori Rose Hubert
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer (bisexual?) MC
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

How far would you go to save yourself?

Leelee Steel loves post-punk music, night drives, and her black cat, Pluto. What she doesn't love is the violence she experiences at the hands of her alcoholic husband and the chronic pain endangering her dream of becoming a veterinarian. Despite her precarious circumstances, she's determined to regain control of her life.

Then, a senseless act of cruelty forces Leelee to make a drastic choice. With the help of her best friend, Leelee conjures a mysterious entity to guide her on the path to freedom. But will the power of magic--and love--be enough to save her?

Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's classic short story "The Black Cat," this modern tale of feminine grit, tenacity, and refusal to accept a life of unhappiness is a testament to reclaiming our truest selves and stepping into our own power.wer.

Original music by Steven Canham.

A battered wife, a grieving heart, and a midnight magic that won't be ignored--Leelee Steel calls in the supernatural to save her life in this gripping blend of domestic thriller and magical realism. Told with sharp queer romance, veterinary-life detail, and a found-family warmth, this novel is perfect for readers of domestic suspense, #QueerRomance, and spellbound survivorship. Buy now to start Leelee's fierce, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful journey.

I am always looking for stories about vets!

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

Our Infinite and Inevitable Ends by A.D. Sui
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Sapphic MC
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

This sapphic cli-fi thriller is a love letter to hope in the bleakest of times, combining the multiverse-bending drama of This Is How You Lose the Time War with the cat-and-mouse chase of Killing Eve.

On a near-future Earth devastated by climate change, Dr. Cassandra Barlowe is right where she wants to be: working on an island of floating trash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, as far away from Dr. Yana Gulsvig as possible. Cas’s research on plastic-dissolving fungi is undervalued and underfunded, thanks to the invention of deleria, a drug that allows glimpses into different timelines. For the average user, it’s a way to view lost loved ones or experience a different life, but it also offers a glimpse into worlds where humanity has solved its many global crises. Now, most science funding is dedicated to trawling these different timelines, searching for a reality with the solution to the climate devastation.

But when Yana — the world’s leading expert on deleria and Cassandra’s ex-lover — is killed in a mysterious explosion in the hub of deleria research, taking the hope of reversing climate change with her, Cas is arrested on charges of domestic terrorism. Cas must delve through timelines to piece together what happened, while watching other versions of herself and Yana live out the life they could have had — happier, more in love. As brutal government agents close in and her addiction to deleria grows, Cas has to make a choice: live in the spiraling branches of reality, seeking closure for Yana’s death until the drug shatters her mind, or live in the now, even if that means embracing her own damaged self and fighting, however hopelessly, for her own future and that of humanity.

Dragonfly Gambit has been on my tbr for years, but I might end up reading this first!

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

Nightcats by Kristen J. Sollee
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Horror
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

In this feral feminist vampire novel, cats—and cat ladies—are out for blood.

It’s 2005, and Vera Valcourt is an aimless goth waitress in New York City, desperate for something to sink her teeth into. Caged by her Catholic upbringing, her dead-end job, and her deadbeat boyfriend, Vera’s only solace is her rescue cat, Sammy. But when Sammy disappears, Vera is forced to claw her way out of the domestic life she’s been trapped inside.

‍The frantic search for her missing cat drives Vera into the dark underbelly of cat lore. Following a blood-soaked trail blazed by a medieval abbess and a roaring twenties witch, Vera is cast into a world of ancient myths and ancestral magic, ruthless cults and cutthroat cat ladies. If she and her beloved Sammy are to survive, Vera must uncover the secrets of a deadly feline species with more than nine lives.

A suspenseful mix of occult horror and urban fantasy drenched in dark humor, Nightcats explores the unbreakable bonds between women and their cats, and what we sacrifice to keep our teeth sharp in a world that wants us defanged.

My partner and I have two cats, two dogs, and a lizard. I am VERY in favour of diving into occult underworlds if it means rescuing your pet!

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

Savage Lake by Nick Medina
Genres: Adult, Horror
Representation: Indigenous American author and lore
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

A mother and son travel to a dilapidated cabin in the woods that haunts more than just her memories in this new unnerving horror from the author of The Whistler and Sisters of the Lost Nation.

Nell Marin swore she would never return to the place where part of her died.

The passing of her estranged father, however, leaves her with no choice but to take her teenage son, Oscar, back to the run-down family cabin on Torchlight Lake, where horrific memories linger. The two will fix the place up, sell it, and ensure Nell never has to return to that dreaded lake again.

But when the roads—which pass through Native land—are barricaded by the local Tribe, the quick trip turns into weeks. Oscar, a horror movie buff, knows this is exactly how it starts. As the long summer days drag on, unsettling things begin to occur: screams ring out over the water and a mysterious figure watches the cabin from the trees at night. Most disturbing of all, his mother is becoming less and less herself.

As the strange events lead Oscar to uncover the secrets Nell has shielded him from, he is forced to confront a reality that is far more frightening than movie monsters. He must uncover answers to the questions that stole so much from his mother…before the horror that traumatized Nell drags him under as well.

I’ve seen this tagged as vampire fiction, but also as featuring cryptids or Native American lore, so I am very confused and very curious!

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

Game of Gods and Blood (Heirs of Fate, 3) by N.E. Valla
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

The gods walk amongst mortals. Blood will flood the land as armies clash. But who succeeds in this game?

Under Hela’s control, Maude has disappeared into Ahland’s shadowed corners. She is being dragged through every inch of the Lamenting Woods, a prisoner in her own mind, doomed only to observe as the goddess wields her body and her power like a weapon. Witness to the atrocities unfolding in the Kingdom of Rivers, she has no choice but to rebel in the only way she leading her friends to where Flame Soldiers need to be stopped.

Herrick leapt over the railing of the longship and into the unknown with little more than his axe on his back and the thread binding him to Maude, showing him the path back to her side. Traveling through the woods he grew up in as a fugitive with the most unlikely companion, they struggle to find more than a glimpse of their loved one. He knows he can find Maude and free her from the goddess's grasp, the secret he has held onto since Hilgafell will guarantee that, but what will be left of her when Hela is banished?

Baldr toes the line between rebellion and maintaining his position of power within the crooked regime that has taken over Ahland. If he can stay under Vilde’s radar, he can keep feeding information to the Kolbecks hiding out in Ljosa. But when a new, power-hungry sergeant raises suspicions about Baldr’s allegiance to his soldiers, he is left with little choice other than to take his mask of cruelty and make it real, even if his moral compass is now being influenced by the neat scribblings found around the room he inhabits in Veter. Is cruelty and duplicity the only way to his end goal of freeing Ahland, or will this new guide change his heart– and his fate– for good?

In the south, their friends rebuild the empty city of Ljosa into a haven for those left destitute from Vilde and Helvig’s seizure of Ahland. But where new pillars of leadership rise, self-doubt follows in its shadow as fate moves each of them down different paths. Two races separated by centuries of hiding come together to form a new army, but where their numbers are stronger than ever, the enemy continues to grow. Citizens are dragged from their homes and forced to join Helvig’s ranks under the threat of their families being slaughtered if they refuse. With nowhere else to turn, where will our rebels find the numbers they so desperately need?

With Vilde and Helvig’s army closing in around them, the insurgents of Ahland are forced to make tough choices in the name of freeing their people from both gods and men who play with lives like pieces on a gameboard. Sacrifices will be made on the altar of the greater good, but choices in the face of one’s fate are what mold us. In this next installment in the Heirs of Fate series, become witness to Maude and her friends as their clash with evil reveals that choosing one’s fate can sometimes be an act of rebellion in and of itself.

Wasn’t able to find out anything about the queer rep in this one – the earlier books in the series weren’t tagged queer anywhere I found.

The Porcelain Sisters by Daryl Gregory
Genres: Adult, Horror
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

A shy young woman and her deeply unpleasant — and literally porcelain — sister fight for their inheritance, taking on an impossible array of enemies, including a chain-smoking demon crow, an unkillable assassin, and a secret clan of French sorceresses.

In his newest adventure from the world of Harrison the Monster Detective, Daryl Gregory (Spoonbenders) takes us on a dizzying yet poignant romp through the horrors of sisterhood.

Ruth Winslow is trying to save up enough money to finish college while looking after her sister, Isabel — who happens to be a haunted doll. When an accident severely damages Isabel's porcelain body, the sisters have to find the only woman who can fix her, the fearsome witch known as La the Dollmaker.

The sisters head to Marseille, where they take on Le Chiffon, a red-headed, unkillable assassin; a collection of angry, haunted dolls; plus a pair of demons — one a cigarette-smoking crow, the other a black cat — and their human familiars. Along the way, the sisters learn that they've been lied to their entire lives. Their mother wasn't just a homemaker who died in a car accident, she was a legendary enforcer in the Le Clan des Sorcieres.

While Ruth has to come out of her shell and deal with her own latent powers, Isabel has to grow up in a body that can't grow. They'll have to outwit and outfight everyone to claim their birth right.

HER SISTER IS A DOLL??? (Also, I think this makes three books featuring amazing horror dolls this year – Muñeca, She’s a Doll, and now Porcelain Sisters! This delights me.)

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

The Saints We Make by Josie Kallo
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MCs
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

It is the Empire. It is always the Empire.

Clarion is the sun, bright and hot. At her side is Respite, a wisp of cloud. Behind them, pale like the morning's moon, is Saint Penance.

The Saints and their chosen are all that stand between the people and the consuming Empire. And as one girl learns when her village burns to the ground, one does not refuse the saint-path, no matter how hard it may prove to walk.

"The Saints We Make has it sapphic paladins! Resistance against an evil Empire! Suffering and joy, trauma and healing! This book burns like cleansing fire and shelters precious seeds of hope. Josie Kallo calls us to the righteous fight and never lets us forget that, after the fighting is done, we'll need to make a better world. We'll need music. Most of all, we'll need each other. "

-Izzy Wasserstein, author of All the Hometowns You Can't Stay Away From

Part of the Neon Hemlock Novella Series.

New Neon Hemlock novella! In this house we pounce on ANYTHING they publish!

Venus, Vanishing by Rebecca Birrell
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer Jewish MC, 'messy queer polycules'
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

The Safekeep meets Portrait of a Lady on Fire in a gripping debut following a young Jewish painter in 1930s Berlin whose work is tampered with and exhibited under a man's name, reckoning with art forgery, desire, suspicion, and resistance

In the raucous world of 1928 Berlin, Hannah Sherman has deviated from the traditional narrative arc of a woman’s life. After rejecting an arranged marriage, she leaves home to explore the city and revel in its clubs and galleries, finding friends and lovers along the way. Her true passion, though, is art. Working as a tailor while studying painting with every spare moment, Hannah comes to know women and their bodies, first with measuring tape and silk, and later through sensuous layers of paint.
Hannah feels like she can finally call herself an artist when one of her clients, a wealthy female art collector, commissions her to make an elaborate series of nude portraits. But after Hannah finishes the Venus paintings, she discovers that her work is being tampered with and exhibited under a man’s name. While lines between artist and muse are crossed in an intoxicating but perilous affair, Hannah finds herself caught up in a devastating game of survival.
Laced with queer desire and life-threatening secrets, Venus, Vanishing pulses with hedonism and danger as history comes to Hannah’s door, offering a textured and sweeping counter-narrative of creativity, resistance, and survival.

Not SFF as far as I know, but I still love the sound of this!

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

The Stolen Women by Alysandra Dutton
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Speculative Fiction
Representation: Lesbian MC
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

A case of missing noble women and a determined young warrior who sets out to bring them home in this new and exciting ancient historical set just before the founding of Rome, for fans of The Song of Achilles, Circe, and A Thousand Ships.

Safinia is fine to focus on her training as a warrior, providing for her sisters, and minding her own business. She feels no great need to meddle in anyone else's, until women in her town, including her former lover, begin disappearing. Quietly, at first, but disappearing just the same. All of the missing women have vanished from powerful households, but their formidable fathers are in utter denial, claiming their daughters are off on trips, sure to be back shortly, with perfectly reasonable explanations for their absences.

Dissatisfied with the half-hearted attempts to hand wave away the alarming and mysterious cases of the vanishing women, Safinia takes matters into her own hands, embarking on a journey to a neighboring village in search of answers or at the very least clues that might unearth threads she can begin to pull at. Along the way, she meets an unlikely yet helpful search partner, a historian who calls himself Livy. But despite his eerie sense of knowledge, Safinia is unable to uncover to missing women, thwarted more often than not by the girls' fathers themselves. As war with Rome looms on the horizon, Safinia must face the reality that the only one she can trust to bring them home is herself.

Alysandra Dutton has crafted an expertly researched and indepth look at the Sabine women, one of history's most overlooked yet crucial stories that has inspired countless works of art throughout the centuries. It's a fresh, page-turning adventure, perfect for readers of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes.

Inspired by mythology, but I don’t think this will feature any actual fantastical elements.

You can read an excerpt here!

Scorpion Deep by C.G. Drews
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: Asexual MC, M/M
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

CG Drews, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Don't Let the Forest In and Hazelthorn, weaves a disturbing and intoxicating siren-call in Scorpion Deep, about a lonely boy who accidentally awakens an obsessive eldritch sea god.

The only thing Jonathan Covey wants from the gloomy, moldering isle of Kelcarrow is to leave it. Summer is ending, and his friends are looking forward to college on the mainland, unaware that Jonathan was not accepted to join them. He'll be left behind with nothing but the ocean's haunts and a rising dread of being abandoned.

In an act of wild desperation, Jonathan pays a tithe to Scorpion Deep, an eldritch sea god who many of the locals have dismissed as myth. He wants to forget the past, he wants to follow his friends, and most of all he wants to finally escape.

To his shock and horror, the ritual works—Scorpion Deep awakens. And despite his terror, Jonathan can't help but feel drawn toward the ageless entity that seems just as mutually obsessed with him. As scales start growing down his spine and Scorpion Deep's adoration of him turns bloody, Jonathan realizes the only way to end the nightmare is to destroy the monster one way or another.

But once a god has awoken, the only way to be free is to pay a price of blood.

NEW CG DREWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve been waiting for this one ALL FREAKING YEAR!!!

You can read an excerpt here!

Where We Go at Night by Ikwo Ntekim
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Black lesbian MC, F/F
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

To name a thing is to see it, and no one can see the folk if they don’t want to be seen.

As far as seventeen-year-old Trixie Godfrey is concerned, her hometown of Woods Crossing would be perfect —if not for the dark world of fae and magic lurking in the shadows. Growing up, her grandfather, Pops, never allowed her to get close to them—those aberrations, Mama used to say.

But on graduation night, when Trixie sneaks home past curfew she witnesses Pops’ brutal murder in a moment so sudden, so inhuman she can no longer avoid the fae. Those without the Sight will blame wild animals, calling Pops’ death an accident, a tragedy, but Trixie knows the truth because she has the Sight. She spent years burying her "gift", but she needs to revive it now.

Determined to get justice for Pops and rid Woods Crossing of its monsters, Trixie ventures into the intriguing but deceitful world of the fae—only to find herself caught in a power struggle between ancient families more terrible and crueler than hers could ever be. Or so she thinks….

• Fae courts and forbidden alliances: Trixie is pulled into a dangerous conflict between the rival Seelie and Unseelie courts, where the lines between friend and enemy blur, and every alliance comes with a hidden cost.
• Slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance: The tension between Trixie and faerie warrior Lariel builds chapter by chapter through mistrust, stolen glances, and reluctant acts of protection—the pull is undeniable long before either admits it.
• Chosen one with a cursed legacy: Trixie carries a rare Second Sight and discovers she is the latest in a bloodline supernaturally bound to the fae through a dark ancestral bargain, making her both powerful and a target.
• Mortal girl in an immortal world: Trixie, a Black teen from small-town South Carolina, is thrust into a glittering, treacherous faerie realm where time bends, glamours deceive, and her humanity is both her greatest vulnerability and greatest weapon.

Um, this sounds MAGNIFICENT and I am here for it!

You can read an excerpt here!

The Second Life of Jameson Duggins by Simon Doyle
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi, YA
Representation: Gay MC
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Jamie Duggins is dead.

Theo Fletcher knows that. He was there when Jamie fell from the clifftop, seconds before Theo could confess his love.

But that doesn't stop him from doing something he knows he shouldn't, in the depths of his late father's basement lab.

Piece by piece, he brings Jamie back to life, with the help of their experimental neural interface and a 3D printer.

He might have synthetic skin, but he looks like Jamie and thinks like Jamie.

So why isn't that enough?

As Theo falls deeper in love with the boy he rebuilt, a high-ranking military officer arrives with questions about his father's secret research, and a dangerous interest in Theo's creation. Worse still, Theo's mother might know more than she's letting on.

But Theo lost Jamie once... This time, he'll do anything to keep him.

I just got an early copy of this and the beginning is very promising!

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

Mortal Things by Marie Lu
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Representation: Chinese American author
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

"A dark dream of a book.” —Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Red Queen series and the Realm Breaker trilogy

“A riveting, magical read that is impossible to put down.” —Rebecca Ross, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Divine Rivals

Set in a world of insatiable immortals, their eternal rivalries, and the humans trapped between them, Mortal Things is a cinematic and sweeping new fantasy from #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu, perfect for fans of Heartless Hunter and A Darker Shade of Magic.

Rose Lin Fairchild didn’t believe in gods, but one chose her anyway.

Rose despises Raven, the god of Death. His mysterious commands. His mercurial moods. His closed heart. But most of all, she loathes that she was forced to become his Harbinger, a human mercenary tasked to fulfill their god’s every want and whim. Still, she would do it again, because being a Harbinger is the only thing keeping her best friend alive.

When a murder rocks the world of the gods, Rose is suddenly thrust into the immortal realm's spotlight as Raven's heir. This is her chance to free her friend once and for all. But in order for her to ascend, she must first prove herself to the other gods—and the one person standing in her way is a fellow Harbinger.

Étienne Beauchard is notorious for his sly wit and charming good looks. Rose can’t stand that he is the one assigned to test her abilities, but as their initial hostility evolves into an intense attraction, they find that the gods’ secrets go deeper than they ever expected. Something is wrong in the immortal world, something that threatens to break their bond and engulf them all in war.

As Rose and Étienne fight to uncover the truth and trust each other with their hearts, they realize that everything hinges on the same How far would you go to save the person you love?

I admit to being kind of curious about how gods can be murdered…

You can read an excerpt here!

Adia Kelbara and the Dark Between (Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans, #3) by Isi Hendrix
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Representation: African-inspired setting and cast
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

The thrilling finale to the fast-paced, witty, and bighearted debut Afrofantasy trilogy that began with Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans, about a twelve-year-old apprentice in the kitchens at the prestigious Academy of Shamans who must ally with a snarky goddess and a knife-wielding warrior to save her kingdom.

Perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and The School for Good and Evil!

Power-hungry demon Olark has been banished to the realm of the dead…but Adia Kelbara’s troubles are far from over.

When a boy with godlike powers escapes a hidden prison and appears in Zaria, Adia’s world begins to unravel...literally. The powers he carries were stolen from Adia’s mentor, the Alusi Ginikawa, and now the once-powerful goddess is fading from existence.

In an effort to help Gini, Adia uncovers a secret project turning humans into vessels for divine power and makes a desperate deal with the dark shamanic mastermind behind the experiments—her own Aunt Ife. But in trying to save someone she loves, Adia sets in motion a chain of events that endangers all of Zaria, unleashing a future where Olark is free once more—and stronger than ever.

To set things right, Adia must journey to the mythical land of Imo Mmiri and harness the power of a god. But claiming this power means confronting the same corruption that once destroyed her family—and risking her friends' lives and her own soul to mend a fractured world.

I think this is the first I’ve heard of this trilogy, which is a shame – I must hunt down the first book!

You can read an excerpt here! (By clicking on the cover)

For Ever More (Never Ever After, #2) by Sue Lynn Tan
Genres: Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, YA
Representation: Chinese-inspired setting and cast
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

The breathtaking sequel to the New York Times bestselling Never Ever After, this epic fantasy finds Yining on the run and fighting to save her family and her kingdom.

After the explosive events of Never Ever After, Yining flees the Iron Mountains with her unlikely allies, seeking the truth about her newfound powers amid the secrets surrounding her ancestral home. But with a traitorous queen ruling the Three Kingdoms from a stolen throne, nowhere is truly safe, and Yining must decide whom to trust to keep her family—and her heart—from harm.

The early reviews have been very positive!

You can read an excerpt here!

You're No Better by Andrew Joseph White
Genres: Horror, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: autistic trans MC
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Bestselling author Andrew Joseph White returns with another horrific YA thriller: a profound portrait of a struggling teen trying to convince the world—and himself—that he’s better than the serial killer who raised him.

Morgan Slaughter, a seventeen-year-old trans boy with autism, put his serial killer father in prison years ago. Despite that, everyone thinks Morgan will grow up to be just like his dad: including his volatile mother, the documentary crew following their family, and maybe himself.

Desperately, Morgan latches onto his father’s final victim—the only one who was never identified—hoping that if he unravels the mystery, he’ll finally prove he’s better than the man who hurt him. But this puts Morgan in the crosshairs of classmate Felicity Keating, who knows the truth about Morgan’s childhood—that he wasn’t just a witness to his father’s brutality, he was an accomplice. And if he doesn’t let them help with his investigation? They’ll tell everyone.

Forced to confront his past, Morgan’s ugly but carefully controlled world unravels. The film crew is manipulative. His mother’s temper spirals into malice, then violence. And Morgan and Felicity may be more tightly intertwined than either of them can stomach . . .

You're No Better is a gritty and unapologetic coming-of-age suspense about teens who grew up surrounded by cruelty and are clawing their way to adulthood the only way they know how.

New Andrew Joseph White! Though I think this one won’t have SFF elements…?

You can read an excerpt here!

The Paragon Games (The Conjureverse, #4) by Dhonielle Clayton
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, MG
Representation: Black cast
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Return to the world of the Marvellers and Conjurors in this final book of the instant New York Times and #1 Indie Bestselling fantasy series. Year Four at the global magic school in the sky is back in session in The Paragon Games.

As Ella and Jason return for Year Four at the Arcanum training institute, the world is in turmoil. The Marvellian and Conjure communities have been shattered by learning the truth of the shocking death of the school's Conjure architect. Brigit is still missing. Masterji Thakur is gone. Worst of all, the villainous Gia Trivelino brews a nefarious plot to recreate monstrous marvels. And the key to powering her plan, a stockpile of twilight stars, has been stolen from the Conjure Underworld.

As violence and political upheaval erupt, and Ella and Jason search for Brigit, the pair get selected to participate in the year-long Paragon Games. The prize for the a wish granted. With Ella being tugged in a dozen directions, she must compete in the games, beat Gia to locating the stolen twilight stars, and help build a bridge between two communities on the precipice of war.

This series consistently looks like so much fun!

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

Sodium Vapor Orange by Vida Rose
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Trans MC
Published on: 28th October 2026
Goodreads

Jonah moves to Seattle for a fresh start—but instead finds himself drawn to Margo’s, an underground club humming with strange energy and stranger people. One night, drifting from the club to his quiet VHS shop, he meets Jett: beautiful, inscrutable, and impossible to ignore.

There’s something off about Margo’s. About the people who linger there night after night. About the way they look at him—like they’ve already decided what he is, even if he hasn’t.

By the time Jonah realizes he’s not just passing through their world, it may already be too late to leave.

Now caught between desire, unease, and a belonging he’s never quite felt anywhere else, Jonah must decide how much of himself he’s willing to give up to stay—and whether he was ever meant to walk away at all.

Well, that premise has me curious…

Unlady-like by Riye Rose
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 28th October 2026
Goodreads

From a young age, Aster Pettirei felt she was a bit different. Where most other little girls dreamt of becoming princesses with handsome knights to rescue them, she dreamt of being the knight, the valiant hero who saved those in distress and triumphed over evil. Her greatest desire was to become a brave swordsman, fighting against rampaging monsters, protecting innocents from harm, and charming the captured prince (or princess). It would never come to be, however, not as long as her parents had a say in it. After all, her wild fantasies were far too ‘unlady-like’.

A chance encounter with two peculiar men, however, might be the key to fulfilling her greatest wish. Vyjan Tepes, a temperamental man of secrets and seclusion, and his partner, an easy going but dangerous foxian named Zaesil; as she dares to join them on their ventures, Aster discovers more about the world only seen through her storybooks, and about herself.

This was originally published on Tapas, but despite that I haven’t been able to find out much about this…

Come Down by Dalles Wilie
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer cast
Published on: 29th October 2026
Goodreads

When a dense, unnatural fog rolls into Seattle and swallows the city, the residents of Highridge Tower assume it’s nothing more than a freak weather event, until the first people step inside it and reappear as someone, no, something else.

For Oliver, recently separated and living alone, the fog becomes a nightmare he cannot outrun. Cut off from the city, surrounded by frightened neighbors, and with no help in sight, he is forced into a fight for survival, one that will test his courage, his grief, and his trust in the people around him. Together with Cami, his fiercely loyal best friend, and Jonas, a charming upstairs neighbor with a film buff’s instinct for disaster, Oliver and the other residents of the failing high-rise must navigate climbing panic and the constantly shifting horrors within the fog.

Who do you trust?

Who do you save?

Where do you go

...if you can’t come down?

COME DOWN is a queer character-driven survival horror novel about a Seattle high-rise swallowed by a living fog that learns people through their grief.

…Welp, that sounds terrifying. Where DO you go in a high-rise if you can’t go down???

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

LESBIANS DIE LAST! by Kerry Lockhart
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Lesbian MCs
Published on: 29th October 2026
Goodreads

A lesbian couple. A lake house. And one maniacal stalker.

Thirty-one years ago, Monica crossed a line and barely escaped with her life. Now he’s back.

Monica and Hayden head to Stony Lake for the perfect romantic getaway, until an eviscerated animal is found in the outdoor shower and a hooded figure in the shadows tell them they’re not alone. As heads roll and the stalker closes in, one question remains: will the lesbians finally get to be the last ones standing?

LESBIANS DIE LAST! is a chilling sapphic slasher novella by Kerry Lockhart, perfect for fans of 90s horror. Inspired by films such as Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Halloween H2O.

Slasher isn’t a genre I really care about, but still wanted to include this!

A Bargain of Bones by Esther Whitt
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 29th October 2026
Goodreads

Across a wasteland of the hunted and the dead, two women bound by one heartbeat chase the secret that could free them—or bury the world's oldest lie.

Seraphina Bardot has spent nine years as the Twilight Order's most decorated knight. Every time her holy sword strikes down the undead, it burns another scar up her arm—marks the Church calls blessed. Now her heart stutters, her vision dims, and she knows the truth the Order will never the blade is killing her.

So she does the unthinkable. She deserts. She flees into the Whispering Wastes, to the door of Marleaux Blackwood—excommunicate, necromancer, and the most dangerous woman in three provinces.

Marleaux can't cure the burn. But she can carve a tether over both their hearts and bind Seraphina's dying soul to her own. Seraphina will feel every ache of Marleaux's loneliness. Marleaux will carry the crushing weight of Seraphina's duty. And if the bond is ever cut, one of them dies.

Neither expects the intimacy of it. Neither expects to want it.

To break the curse for good, they must cross the Wastes with inquisitors on their heels and reach the Sunken Cathedral, where the Order was born. Beneath the tide waits a centuries-old secret—and a choice that could cost Seraphina everything.

The Church calls it martyrdom. Seraphina is about to call it something else.

A slow-burn romance of shared heartbeats, an unholy alliance, and the martyr who refuses to die blessed.

‘the matyr who refuses to die blessed’ is a VERY compelling character-type, for sure!

The Sixth Spring by Archer Beau
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 30th October 2026
Goodreads

Will has lived in Five Springs all his life, suffocated by the small town and small-minded people. They all know that he’s… different. Not right. All Will can do is try and shrink himself down to nothing to avoid the whispers and judgement that follow him every day.

When a strange pull draws Will to the new spring at the construction site in his town, he finds Itori, a creature with scales and claws and glowing red eyes. An impossible monster that shouldn’t exist. Yet, despite his appearance, Itori has a gentleness to him, a sweetness when he touches Will that makes it hard for Will to stay away.

But as the construction of the land rolls on, it begins to threaten the spring Itori is tied to. Itori’s only hope for survival becomes gaining enough energy to walk on dry land to escape the dying spring. While Will desperately wants Itori to live, he also selfishly doesn’t want Itori to go. He’d never ask Itori to stay, Will just… doesn’t want to lose the one person who’s ever touched him, kissed him, seen him for who he really is.

Like Itori, Will is trapped in Five Springs. When Itori leaves him… what will Will have left?

** The Sixth Spring is a MM monster romance set in the 1990s. **

Anyone else getting Little Mermaid vibes? Just a bit?

You can find some (very short) excerpts at the author’s insta!

Forged Flight by C.L. Blossom
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Cosy Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 30th October 2026
Goodreads

When veterinarian Dr. Micah Wolfhart finds an orphaned dragon hatchling in the woods outside Thistle Grove, he knows the little creature is in trouble. Born without fully formed wings, she will never have a chance to fly on her own.

Determined to give his new patient the life she deserves, Micah turns to Lucan Bloodstone, the town’s rugged half-giant blacksmith. Together, they begin crafting prosthetic wings, spending long hours in Lucan’s forge as sparks—and attraction—fly between them.

But teaching a dragon to fly is only half the challenge. As Micah and Lucan grow closer, they’ll have to decide whether they’re brave enough to risk their hearts, too.
Because love, like flight, requires a little faith, a lot of courage, and someone worth taking the leap for.

I’m sorry, THEY MAKE THE BABY DRAGON PROSTHETIC WINGS??? GIMME!

Constant State by James Wright
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 30th October 2026
Goodreads

Finishing up your first year of Uni while being a painfully anxious introvert is hard enough without having to navigate your feelings for your equally as awkward dormmate, let alone dealing with a bunch of time-travelling anti-technology zealots bent on wiping you off the face of the Earth because they claim you caused the dystopian online future they came from. That's what Jacob Grey is going through right now. Meanwhile a mysterious figure lurks in the shadows watching over him and his friends to make sure their Uni experience goes as planned, but are they an ally, or do they have some other nefarious agenda? Will they hook-up with each other? Can they survive? How will they even pass their exams?!

Constant State is a Satirical Sci-Fi Action Comedy Romance about being in over your head, finding your feet, and trying your best to understand one another when you don't even truly know yourself yet. It's also a messy, wild and hilarious ride with characters you can really fall for, not to mention all the time-travel twists along the way!

…okay this sounds VERY fun!

Wateredge (Crow's Coven, #3) by Milena McKay
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 30th October 2026
Goodreads

Book 3 in Crow's Coven Quartet

Lark Thibodeaux is all alone. She'd never asked anyone for anything, but she could really use a new start and a little break. After all, she is trying to get as far away as possible from the place she used to call home. An island off the coast of Massachusetts seems to be the farthest she can go. An island that recently made the news for being a sanctuary for women like her... Women running for their life. And Lark certainly is one of them.

Seren Crowhart has been waiting quietly for destiny her entire life. Little does she know that Fate is about walk into her coffee shop, haunted and hunted by the world. A woman with eyes like the ocean. A woman whose very presence will upend Seren's existence...

Step back onto Dragons Island as the Third Crowhart Sister, Water Herself, finds love and destiny and as the Crow's Coven approaches the culmination of the age old curse.

Haven’t heard of this series before, but the previous books have very high ratings!

Youngblood (Babylon Hunters, #1) by Hannah L. Corrie
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 30th October 2026
Goodreads

Babylon City’s newest Hunter, Gideon Caldwell, is on the trail of a vampire serial killer—until he stumbles upon a far deadlier threat to the Contract, the ancient pact keeping supernaturals hidden. Something dark brews in the city’s bowels, reeking of sulfur and death. But Gideon’s biggest problem isn’t the case—it’s Cor, his unexpected vampire sidekick: sexy, dangerous, and utterly off-limits. More beast than man, and worse: he’s very much interested in Gideon.

But Hunters don’t get the picket fence life. Never. Especially not with the enemy. Cor, on the other hand, has no such qualms…As lies and intrigue tighten their grip, Gideon must unravel the conspiracy in time to save the one supernatural he is terrified to lose.

Probably not for me, but still seemed worth including!

Who Am I?: Sapphic Speculative Fiction of Identity & Purpose by Veronica Holmes, Kate Orman
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Sapphic and nonbinary MCs
PoV: 30th October 2026
Goodreads

A whispering voice haunts us. A Goddess woos us. A mysterious ship ensnares us. A city enthralls us. A monster lover seduces us. We live long lives, we fall in lust and love, we hunger, we drift on mysterious seas, we talk to our ancestors, we trek through dystopian deserts, and we play with strange puppets.

"Who Am I?" is a bold, genre-spanning anthology featuring 23 global, sapphic writers that offers fiction that is strange, dark, haunting, and introspective.

The collection explores the expanse of sapphic identity and purpose through the lens of fantasy, science fiction, horror, contemporary, fairy tale, mythic, urban, gothic, comedic, cosmic, and the just plain weird. With diverse sapphic representation and a global roster of established and emerging authors, this volume showcases the length and breadth of sapphic speculative fiction. At the heart of each story is a sapphic female or nonbinary character defining who they are by their own actions and choices.

From editors Veronica Holmes, Ella T. Holmes, and Kate Orman, and featuring cover art and illustrations by Annalise Jensen, Holly Adkins, and Ella T. Holmes.

Who Am I? features work Lia Lao, Bryn Hammond, Cheyenne Mann, Myra Scott, Brooke MacKenzie, Carmen Peters, Cindy Phan, Dyani Sabin, Doris V. Sutherland, SJ Groenewegen, Irene Head, Cat MacKenna, Maya Dworsky-Rocha, Amalia Stone, K.A. Quinn, Ashleigh Martin, Lyss Buchthal, Aggie Novak, Shannon Lippert, Lyndsay E. Gilbert, Veronica Holmes, D. Marmara, and Mac Bowers.

I actually discovered this via the cover artist, who I follow online. And I’m extra glad because this sounds great!

The Cathedral of Portals by Ferrett Steinmetz
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC/s (agender priests?)
Published on: 30th October 2026
Goodreads

An ancient cataclysm has sundered a medieval world into two parallel dimensions. An order of monks struggles to keep the two lands united by building portals - complicated, expensive, temporary, and above all dangerous contraptions that can slice your arm off as easily as they cut through reality.

Three families converge on the engineering secrets that will create a miracle:
• A genderless pair of small-town priests are forced into the deadly political machinations of their merchant Church, who controls the portals.
• A family of rogue portal-makers is driven to starvation by the Guild that safeguards their riftmaking secrets.
• An orphaned eight-year-old, forced to crawl between the worlds by a mad merchant, stumbles into a dimension-spanning conspiracy.

This is the spellbinding, epic, low-fantasy tale chronicling the decades-long construction of the great mechanism that will bridge these severed worlds - the fabled Cathedral of Portals.

This is by the same author who wrote the Mancer trilogy! Which has one of the most interesting magic systems I’ve ever come across. I already liked the sound of Cathedral, but now I’m really hyped!

Phantasms & Phenomena: An Aspec Paranormal Anthology Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Asexual and aromantic MCs
Published on: 27th October 2026
Goodreads

Fifteen paranormal stories with asexual and aromantic characters at their core, all in one place.

From werewolves finding the place where they can be themselves to the intertwined lives of ghosts and their corporeal companions—this anthology at its core is full of heart, hope, and the knowledge that we are enough as we are, no matter what form we take.

It makes me so HAPPY that books like this exist now!!!

The Rise of Lady Knight by T. F. Akinnusi
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Representation: Yoruba MC
Published on: 31st October 2026
Goodreads

Everyone in Òkun died but Senét. Before her father died, he placed an object of great importance in her care. Afraid of discovery, she disguises herself as a man and travels into the heart of the ancient empire to avenge her father’s death. In her quest for vengeance, she becomes in service to the prince as the first female knight. Together, they form a group to root out the people behind the Òkun massacre and discover how powerful the object is. Everyone is looking for Senét, but she and her friends must put everything on the line to defend the empire from those seeking to destroy it ... even if it means losing it all.

I firmly believe you cannot go wrong with lady knights!

Prometheus: A Queer Futuristic Horror Anthology by Snakeskin Press, Jake Vanguard, Ezra Wren, Alisa Kowal, Christopher Sehmi, Nico Silver, Jaydell, M. E. Detlefs, Leviathan A. Solivagant, I.C. Aruss, S. Jean, Ash Bronte Roy, Ivy Bookdragon, M.K. Nedjelkovic, C.L. Mari, Frederick A. Zaberisk, U.M. Agoawike
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Queer MCs
Published on: 31st October 2026
Goodreads

THE YEAR IS 2099.

A dark web dweller, a curious space explorer in a library, a forbidden queer couple seeking new horizons…

Prometheus stole fire and gave it to humanity. To this day, we carry it in our hearts: an innate spirit no machine can replicate.

Sixteen authors bring you tales of imagined futures, spanning vast worlds and a wide breadth of queer, human, and post-human experiences. From a surgeon’s backstreet office to a city of dreams to motherships, AI-dominated worlds, and cults, enter a universe of horrors that will make your heart race and your skin prickle.

THE FUTURE IS HUMAN.

Sci fi horror stories all in the same setting? That’s a very cool premise for an anthology!

Morbid Dysmorphia by Lady GoreWhxre, Lucy Fer Valentine
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MCs
Published on: 31st October 2026
Goodreads

Three patients. Three transformations. Three interconnected tales of absolute horror.

She wanted a new body…

After an experimental augmentation, Mara discovers that the things beneath her skin aren’t implants anymore. They’re alive. They’re hungry. And they’re learning to how to feed.

He survived the night that broke him…

When Evan discovers something growing inside his body after a traumatic assault, he realizes the strange teeth inside of him weren’t caused by an infection. They’re the result of an experiment… and they’re developing an appetite of their own.

She just wanted to become someone else…

Elena has spent years trying to change the body she hates. To become the pretty girl she’s always longed to be. But when she turns to an underground method inspired by the mysterious Dr. Martyr, she discovers that her body may actually be listening to her.

Three stories of obsession, transformation, and biological horror. Three people pushed beyond the limits of what a human body should endure. And behind them all stands Dr. Adrian Martyr, whose experiments were never meant to be separate.

They were all just stages of something much bigger.

Three nightmares. One experiment.

Welcome to MORBID DYSMORPHIA.

Welp, not sure I can handle this one!

Rot (Necrotic Ruin, #1) by Iris Copper, Aster Cobalt
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M, F/F
Published on: 31st October 2026
Goodreads

HISTORY IS BOUND TO REPEAT ITSELF.

Lemana will stop at nothing to achieve her goals and take revenge on her brother, even if that means reawakening an ancient curse that threatens time itself. A curse designed to trap two lovers and keep them just a kiss away from ending life as they know it.

Bane and Avgust, a servant and his prince, even after long years of their illicit entanglement, still don’t know where they stand in their relationship. One night while out together, Bane follows a voice calling him deep into the woods where he meets a fate far worse than death. Now a fledgling vampire tormented by insatiable hunger, he distances himself from the one he loves. Blinded by heartbreak, Avgust’s only sanctuary is the sinister presence that reveals itself in his mirror.

Next in line for the throne, the prince feels suffocated by expectations as his desperation to ignore his responsibilities grows. While he rejects his duty, his sister, Princess Eden, yearns for a purpose of her own and is led to create one for herself by fighting in the nightly duels held at the nearby village. Under her armoured disguise, she meets a mysterious woman that seems to know she isn't who she pretends to be. Can this woman be trusted, or is she more trouble than she lets on?

BOOK 1 IN NECROTIC RUIN, A QUEER PARANORMAL GOTHIC SERIES.

Some reviewers whose taste I trust have been positive about this one!

Beneath the Stone by Haven Reyes
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MC
Published on: 31st October 2026
Goodreads

Beneath the Stone is a gothic, atmospheric descent into forbidden knowledge, feminine hunger, and the dangerous allure of the Paris catacombs. Perfect for readers of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Carmilla, Nosferatu, and The Death of Jane Lawrence.
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The year is 1730, Evelyn LeClair is twenty-six and nearly out of time. Her father’s arranged marriage for her is meant to secure the family’s standing, and Evelyn is expected to comply—just as she always has. But the older she gets, the more she feels the pressure tightening around the lies about her childhood “episode,” the gaps in her memory, the way her family watches her as though she might break.

Then a letter arrives. Impossible. Familiar. Meant only for her.

It draws her toward the Paris catacombs, where the walls sweat with old secrets and the bones seem arranged with intention. What she finds there threatens the marriage planned for her, the legacy built above her, and the story her family has spent decades forcing her to believe.

Paris keeps its secrets buried. Evelyn is done being one of them.
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Beneath the Stone is a gothic tale of hunger, queer longing, devotion, and the monstrous love that grows where light cannot reach.

Wasn’t able to find out much about this one, but comps to Jane Lawrence are always a good sign!

The Magi's Miseries (The Neturiad, #2) by Nyth IV
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Lesbian MC
Published on: 31st October 2026
Goodreads

Five years after Gia Renaud brought the SLF to the Sanctan Empire's justice, a young magus was set upon by brigands on her way home. Left with life-altering injuries, the elf Sybil Moridra Vraeth discovers she's the subject of Gia's visions years prior. With her family, her friends and the entire apparatus of the state offering her vampirism the goal of every citizen is within her grasp!

Small problem. She doesn't want to be a vampire. She doesn't even particularly like the empire. She has to use every iota of her considerable intellect and her goddess-given social awkwardness to inflict maximum embarrassment on the fossils ruling her nation. If she fails they'll make a bloodthirsty monster of her and usher in a new age of religious fanaticism. If they fail their goddess will remain forever lost to them.

Everyone will be completely normal about this.

I appreciate the unconventionality of giving us a protagonist who DOESN’T want to be a vampire!

The Knife in the Dark (The Threads of Destiny, #5) by Claire E. Jones
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 31st October 2026
Goodreads

"There had been a fathomless yearning threatening to burst ever since he'd been a kid. He had tried his best to outrun it, but it had dogged his heels for decades."

Corsair had spent his life playing the roles expected of him, but when his long-lost childhood friend reappeared with dire tales about their elemental powers, everything got turned upside down.

After meeting the demanding god whose blessing he wields and witnessing his friends die right in front of him, he can no longer keep his irreverent facade up. Now, he must fight to keep his family and city safe against all odds.

In this dangerously complicated series, join our troubled hero and the other blessed ones as they wield their powers against malevolent forces while exploring the complex intricacies of family, desire, and responsibility.

Will Corsair rise to the occasion, or are past decisions too imprinted to overcome?

⭐ Hardback Features Exclusive Bonus Chapter! ⭐

For readers who understand the exhausting reality of being needed from every direction at once and ask if wounded people can still be loved, The Knife in the Dark will offer emotional depth, high-stakes tenderness, and the healing comfort of characters who keep choosing one another anyway.

Found Family, M/M Romance, Daddy Issues, Evil Ex, Grumpy/Sunshine

This is not a series of standalones, so you definitely need to read the prior books in the series before this one!

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

Silverblood (The Silverblood Saga, #1) by L.L. Hunter
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MC
Published on: 31st October 2026
Goodreads

Every day Princess Len lives in Orkesh is a risk. If anyone were to discover her magical blood, she would be marked as a target by a government that believes blood is currency and every life has a price.

Survival depends on Len staying hidden. Yet as her feelings for her Lady in Waiting, Katrine, grow, Len internally battles not to get swept away and let her guard down too far.

During a masquerade ball at the Citadel in Orkesh, Len meets Crown Prince Henry, a handsome but infuriating stranger. Little does she know, the Prince has a dark truth all his own.
When her people start going missing, Len must reluctantly team up with Henry to uncover the mystery behind the disappearances.
What she discovers leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew.

Three hearts entangled.
A government that deals in blood.
A soul wrenching betrayal.
A secret powerful enough to destroy the kingdom.
In the end, one question must be answered: what’s more important: Love … or Blood?

An enticing new romantasy from the bestselling author of The Light Bringer saga and the Midnight Ball series.

Crossing my fingers that ‘three hearts entangled’ will result in polyamory!

Ash and Amber by Eline Evans
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 1st November 2026
Goodreads

A toymaker who has given up on love

A beautiful but unusual stranger

A mysterious doll, an ancient curse and a perilous journey of true love

Toymaker Selma Selander lives a quiet life in Norstad, running the store she has inherited from her father. Selma loves her craft—and she’s damned good at it. Living next door to her uncle and her cousin Alma, and with Helena, Alma’s girlfriend, as her friend and housekeeper, Selma isn’t lonely. In fact, she’s pretty content with her life.

Except one thing is gnawing at her. She’s convinced she’ll never find the sort of love she longs for. Norstad is a small town, and not many women are like Selma.

As the busy Christmas season approaches, Helena convinces Selma to hire help. Just returned from Stockholm, Selma’s uncle, an antiques dealer, gifts her a beautiful and ancient doll—masterful work unlike any Selma has ever seen.

When Lilja Norling, a stranger in the small town, walks into her store the very next day to ask for the job, Selma is skeptical. Lilja is disheveled, obviously frightened, and without references, but Selma takes pity on her and hires her. Lilja, quiet and meticulous, turns out to be great at the job, even if she is undeniably odd. She rarely talks of her past, but when she does, it only deepens the mystery of where she’s from and who she is.

Despite the riddle of Lilja’s past, Selma feels as though she has found someone whose soul mirrors her own loneliness. As the fall days in the store pass, they form a bond Selma has never felt before, but when an unusually harsh winter descends on Norstad, as wolves howl in the distance and strange frost flowers bloom on the windows, it becomes ever more clear Lilja is not of this world—and that she has a connection with the mysterious doll.

When on Christmas Night, a stranger kicks down Selma’s door, Selma, Alma and Helena embarks on a dangerous journey into the mountains to save Selma’s newfound love.

Ash and Amber is a sapphic retelling of The Nutcracker and The Snow Queen with a giant dash of Nordic folklore.

I’m not sure why, but the idea of a sapphic Nutcracker retelling delights me!

What the Forest Keeps by R. Lindsay Carter
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Cosy Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC (F/F?)
Published on: 1st November 2026
Goodreads

A naïve woman, a beguiling thief, and a talking rabbit enter an enchanted forest.

Everlight Forest is a place of pure magic, filled with wonders to tantalize those it permits to enter, but woe befall any interlopers. The heart of its magic is kept safe within a farm in its midst, protected by a person called the Keeper.

Silvie Webber is the current Keeper’s daughter. When the magic of Everlight is threatened, her mother sends her on a quest into the Forest, despite the fact that Silvie has never left the farm before. But given her upbringing, all she needs to succeed is a map and her talking rabbit, Thimble.

Or so she thought. Dangers lurk everywhere within Everlight, including hostile elves, walking trees, and deadly creatures. Silvie is only spared when she runs into Brenn, a thief by occupation. Though wary of the woman and why she can traverse the Forest so freely, Silvie decides she needs her help.

As they travel deeper into the Forest, secrets are slowly revealed, some that threaten Silvie's future. After all, enchanted forests do have opinions, and Silvie is about to learn the hard way that those opinions don’t always work in her favor.

This sounds very sweet! Especially the talking rabbit, the idea of which tickles me!

Earthy Bitter Sweet by Josie Midforth
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC/s
Published on: 1st November 2026
Goodreads

A name is only a kind of armour. Four years of exile in lawless Corven Tar have handed the disgraced nobleman Florian Ashmore dozens, each one easier to wear than his own.

When he's sent home a year early on someone else's business, home proves its own kind of a society that never changes, a brother he no longer recognises, a mother who no longer recognises him, a vice he's already survived once. And, worst of all, a man who infuriatingly refuses to accept a single lie Florian offers him.

For someone who has spent his life spreading rumours about himself, being seen is a violence of its own. And as the debts of his old life close in, Florian will have to decide whether the self he built to survive is worth keeping, now that someone has finally asked for the real one.

EARTHY, BITTER, SWEET is a novel about the names we wear to survive, the vices that outlast our willpower, and the terrible, ordinary courage it takes to be known and loved anyway.

I’ve seen this tagged as historical fantasy and as literary fiction, so I’m a bit uncertain about its genre…

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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