February 2026 Virtual Book Recommendations
Feb
20
2026

If you missed the first of my 2026 book recommendations events with the Ashland Public Library last night, you can catch the video on Youtube here. While last year’s program focused on both fantasy and science fiction, I’m primarily focusing on fantasy book recommendations this year. (But if you’re looking for more science fiction books this year, Elizabeth Bear has you covered!)

For the first book recommendations event of the year, I recommended a couple of epic fantasy books, a novella involving Faerie, an alternate history with dragons, and time travel in a secondary world (surprisingly, since I think this is only the second book I’ve really enjoyed involving time travel after Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred!).

For more on these books and/or further related reading, you can also check out the following:

These book recommendation events are quarterly half-hour long discussions taking place on Zoom on the third Thursday of the month, and the next book chat will be from 6:30 to 7:00 ET on May 21. You can register for the next virtual book recommendations event here.

February 2026 Virtual Fantasy Book Recommendations Event
Feb
12
2026

One week from today, I’ll be doing the first quarterly virtual book recommendations event with the Ashland Public Library in Massachusetts of this year. Unlike last year, I’ll primarily be focusing on fantasy books instead of fantasy and science fiction. There may still be the occasional science fiction recommendation, but I’ll mostly be featuring fantasy and author Elizabeth Bear is focusing on SF recommendations this year (and just did her first event last night!).

I’ll be sharing these fantasy book recommendations on Zoom from 6:30 to 7:00 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, February 19, and if you want to join us live next week, you can register here.

2026 Virtual Fantasy Book Recs with Kristen of Fantasy Cafe Graphic

If you want to see it but can’t make it, I will be posting the video later. You can keep up with each video at this link, and last year’s recommendations event videos can be seen at the following links:

Review of Masquerade by O. O. Sangoyomi
Feb
10
2026
Masquerade
by O. O. Sangoyomi
368pp (Trade Paperback)
My Rating: 7/10
LibraryThing Rating: 3.84/5
Goodreads Rating: 3.9/5
 

As a Bookshop affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Masquerade, O. O. Sangoyomi’s debut novel, is a rare instance of a book I read without really knowing what to expect. I believe it first came to my attention when it became a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards for Debut Novel, and after that, I saw some readers mention they enjoyed it. I knew it was loosely based on the myth of Persephone, that it promised politicking in a reimagined fifteenth-century West Africa, and that it likely crossed genres, having been recognized by awards for both fantasy and historical fiction (though it was more often categorized as the latter). Yet I didn’t know which elements were speculative, what the characters and their arcs were supposed to be like, or if the relationship inspired by Persephone and Hades was at all romantic or had a happy ending.

As it turns out, I had fun discovering these aspects without having too much prior knowledge of Masquerade, so I’m going to preface this review with something that may sound a bit odd: maybe you don’t want to read this review if you’re interested in reading this novel.

Maybe you just want to know the short version, which is that:

  • I rather enjoyed the story and eagerly turned the pages
  • I loved the themes and ending
  • I found the protagonist and her characterization frustrating

This means my feelings on this one are a bit complicated, but I ultimately thought Sangoyomi did some interesting things in her standalone debut novel, making it one that lingered a bit more than most books after I finished it—though part of the reason for that is just how vexing it is to read a book that’s so close to being great but has some aspects holding it back.

If you want the detailed version, keep reading.

Masquerade is a novel set in Medieval West Africa that is largely historical but also a bit speculative since Sangoyomi adjusted her setting to fit the themes she was exploring related to women living in a patriarchal society (as mentioned in this interview at Grimdark Magazine). Historically, Yorùbá blacksmiths were revered for their mystical-seeming ability to transform metal, but the author made this the profession of women in her story to examine how female artisans would have been viewed with suspicion and accused of witchcraft for the same abilities. It’s not a straightforward retelling of the story of Persephone and Hades and does not include the underworld or literal Greek deities, but it is sometimes classified as magical realism due to some otherworldly aspects involving some of the Yorùbá pantheon. (These parts are brief but consequential.)

This novel is similar in feel to a lot of modern fantasy with its first-person narration from the perspective of a young woman who must contend with being taken from the life she’s always known and thrust into an unfamiliar royal court with cutthroat, potentially deadly politics. Òdódó, a blacksmith and the daughter of one, is drugged and abducted at the command of the king of Yorùbáland, who decided he must have her as his wife after he came across her singing and working at her forge in Timbuktu. She is thrilled by the prospect of exchanging her days of toil for luxury, but she soon discovers that many of the king’s allies are against his marrying a “witch”—and she has much to learn and needs to change if she wants to continue to hold on to her new position.

In many ways, Masquerade is a novel about women’s lives in a patriarchal society: the struggles they face, the ways in which they feel like they need to turn on each other for their own survival, and their inability to be seen as individuals. Òdódó’s journey is largely about discovering how she can use misconceptions and being underestimated to her advantage, and I loved her story in general: the twists and turns and seeing just how far she was willing to go to hold on to the life she’d decided she wanted. However, it was difficult to believe in her as a character when she vacillated between overlooking the most obvious clues and being the smartest person in the room.

The most frustrating part of that is that I don’t think it would have taken much to make her someone I could believe in as a character. It didn’t seem like it was trying to be a book with especially complicated politics or characterization, so I wasn’t expecting labyrinthine plotting or a deep dive into personality from it. It also examined some ideas related to the duality of humanity, such as how someone can both care for someone and treat them horribly, as shown through Òdódó’s relationships with both her mother and her eventual husband, and it also showed Òdódó as someone who had feelings for the king and good moments with him while also being aggrieved by the way he treated her at times—so I didn’t expect the protagonist to be one dimensional in her skills and outlook, either.

Because of that, I was willing to believe there were reasons for a lot of the parts that struck me as odd at times, like how quickly Òdódó got over the fact that she was abducted and embraced her new role. It might have helped to get more of a sense of what her life was like before she was kidnapped to better illustrate why she would have been so glad to leave her old life behind, especially since a big reason I thought she’d be eager to leave it behind didn’t end up applying, but I could certainly understand how living as a queen would be preferable to toiling at a forge.

It also seemed a bit discordant to me at first that someone like Òdódó—a common woman who would have been treated as such—didn’t seem to fully grasp how a lot of people might hate their king and conqueror, but she’s also only nineteen years old and was probably rather sheltered in her community of female blacksmiths. Although we don’t see a lot of her life before her abduction, the first chapter showed that her over-protective mother didn’t like for her to wander the city alone and punished her for talking to strange men. When there were things I would have expected her to be more disturbed by or give more consideration to, I was also aware that her youth and upbringing could account for some obliviousness and naivete.

Between those reasons and the fact that she wasn’t the type of character whose narrative always clearly laid out all her thoughts and feelings, I think I would have found her journey perfectly believable if just a couple of things had been tweaked. For one, it would have helped if it had leaned into her being someone who took everyone at their word, at least earlier in her story. It came close to doing that, but there was one person she should have known very well whose words she did not take as truth and was shocked to discover didn’t react to everything the way she expected. This does work with her sometimes overlooking things that don’t fit with what she wants to believe, though, so that’s not the bigger problem for me.

The larger issue is that there is one scene that made her look smarter than everyone else in the room that followed closely behind her not seeing what should have been obvious (though that could fall into that category of her trying to see what she wanted to believe). I think the intent was for her to have a different perspective given some recent experience, how men in power tend to handle their problems, and what she was beginning to learn about how to best handle court in her position (and to illustrate that even when she had ideas and input, her soon-to-be husband got all the credit). Yet it just didn’t make sense that she was giving sound advice no one else had apparently considered to a room full of people who had a lifetime of experience and the success in their field to show for it, all while she’d only had introductory instruction in their area of expertise. It stood out since it didn’t seem like she was even supposed to be some sort of mastermind, just someone capable of learning how to use the strengths she had to her advantage. Simply removing or toning down this one part would have done a lot to make her a character I could believe in as someone young and inexperienced who just needed some time to acclimate to her new situation.

Aside from my frustration about some character inconsistency, I really enjoyed this story for its readability, setting, and overall arc with a perfect ending, and I loved what the author did with the alternative history of the blacksmith guild and its women. (And for those wondering, no, it does not have a romance by definition.) Yet there was enough done well in this debut that I am interested in checking out Sangoyomi’s second novel, a young adult dark academia book titled Dreamweaving, which is the opening installment in a contemporary fantasy series scheduled for release later this year.

My Rating: 7/10

Where I got my reading copy: It was a Christmas gift.

Read or Listen to an Excerpt from Masquerade

Strange Horizons Roundtable on Influence
Jan
26
2026

This week is the 2026 Strange Horizons Criticism Special, which includes a new essay and review every day, a podcast, an editorial, and a roundtable: “Giving Permission: A Roundtable on the Obscurity of Influence” with Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, Charles Payseur, Daniel A. Rabuzzi, and me. You can read the entire discussion here.

Here’s a bit about the overall premise from the preamble:

“We were seeking to identify a score or so authors who defy easy classification, whose unique style and/or creative philosophy have influenced other writers (and are recognized as such by other writers) in perhaps subtle and oblique but demonstrable ways—even if they did not establish a ‘school’ or ‘distinct group of self-defined disciples.’”

I had a lot of fun with this: both thinking about unique works and influence and seeing what everyone else in this wonderful group thought and recommended. My to-read list kept growing while working on this, so be prepared to add more books to yours!

Guest Post by Fantasy Author Katie Hallahan
Jan
20
2026

I’m delighted to have a guest post by Katie Hallahan to share with you today! She is the author of McKenna Ellerbeck, a contemporary fantasy series starting with The Twice-Sold Soul, which is described as a “queer fantasy romance set in a magical high school reunion” for “fans of Buffy and Charmed.” The second and newest book in her series, The Twice-Wanted Witch, is out in trade paperback and ebook today—and you can read more about some of her favorite recent fantasy books with bisexual and queer characters below!

Cover of THE TWICE-WANTED WITCH by Katie Hallahan

About The Twice-Wanted Witch (McKenna Ellerbeck #2):

When secrets are what protect you, can the truth really set you free? 

It’s been six months since McKenna Ellerbeck killed her second Archdemon, saved Arcadia Commons, and earned a spot on the Witches Council.

Things should be good, right?

Instead she’s overworked, underpaid, disrespected by her fellow Council members, all while fighting demons on a regular basis and suffering through having her mother as a roommate. At least she has her friends–minus Bastien, her ex who told her to get the hell out of his life months ago.

When her friend Brooke is put on trial with the Council and may lose her magic, with Bastien reappearing to lead the charge, McKenna readily volunteers to represent Brooke. Then just when McKenna has hope there’s more to Bastien’s involvement and that they might reconcile, he goes missing, leaving a trail of clues and mystifying secrets: a strange new spell he’s working on with an unknown partner, a secret demon research project, a ring filled with corrupted magic, and a literal demon hiding in his closet.

With an epidemic of demon-induced blunt honesty sweeping the town, hints of another Archdemon making plans to invade, her mom’s mysterious and possibly criminal old flame showing up, time is running out for McKenna to find Bastien, figure out who’s keeping which secrets, how dangerous they are, and decide whose side she’s on: the powerless or the powerful.

Bisexual favs: Books with great bisexual and queer rep
By Katie Hallahan

It’s more clear than ever that books with representation of all identities are essential. Whether it’s centering people of color, queer identities, the gender spectrum, disability rep, or more, everyone deserves to be seen and deserves to be the hero. It’s arguably even better if this hero’s identity isn’t the focus of the book—it’s just a facet of their existence.

In fantasy, authors get to create those worlds and readers get to live in them for a while. And while we might not be able to conjure literal magic to the real world, maybe we can bring inspiration, hope, and empathy to it through these stories. In the spirit of that, here are some of my favorite recent books with bisexual and queer characters that are absolutely worth your time and a space on your TBR!

Cover of Back In A Spell by Lana Harper

Back in a Spell (Thistle Grove Book 3) by Lana Harper. Kicking off in Payback’s a Witch with a John Tucker Must Die with witches plot, the Thistle Grove series is delightfully queer through and through. These modern fantasy romances are fun and compelling, and don’t just tackle magical shenanigans but grounded plots as well. Living up to familial expectations, recovering from heartbreak or other catastrophic mistakes, changing the narrative of your life and the world around you? Thistle Grove does it all. My personal favorite is Book 3, Back In a Spell, featuring the bi heroine Nina Blackmoore and her accidental but eye-opening and endearing romance with Morty, a non-binary bar owner who stumbles into the magical world he’s unknowingly been living in this whole time.

Cover of Behooved by M. Stevenson

Behooved by M. Stevenson features an arranged marriage between two bisexual characters, Bianca and Aric. Unlike most arranged marriages, however, Bianca accidentally curses her new husband to turn into a horse during the day. Oops! The slow burn of their relationship is truly enjoyable. Starting from a place of grudgingly doing their duty, with neither trust nor love, Bianca and Aric’s tenuous relationship eventually blossoms because of the understanding and respect that forms between them. As a bonus, their world is a queer normative one, where all manner of relationships are accepted and welcomed. There are, of course, still villains and manipulators to confront and overcome, but it’s always nice when a character’s sexuality isn’t seen as part of the problem. This also has disability rep, as Aric is neurodivergent and Bianca has a chronic illness. Both of these significantly affect their daily lives and senses of self-worth, but are also sources of strength.

Cover of Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race

Six Wild Crowns (Queens of Elben Book 1) by Holly Race is a richly-detailed fantasy inspired by King Henry VIII and, more specifically, his six wives. What if Elben, the island kingdom Henry ruled over, was protected by magic? And what if the king needed to wed six wives, each connected to a specific region of Elben, to maintain his magical prowess and the barrier? Despite its historical inspiration, this, too, is a queernormative world. Dangerous politics and strict rules of inheritance may apply, but queer relationships, nonbinary gender identities, and even polyamorous marriages are all readily accepted. While this one isn’t a romance by genre, there’s plenty of romance in it, requited and not. The explorations of love, both romantic and platonic, between Seymour, Boleyn, and the other wives is core to this story and reinforces the truth that we are stronger together (and that the patriarchy is really only interested in protecting itself).

Cover of A Fae in Finance by Juliet Brooks

A Fae in Finance (How to Do Business in Faerie Book 1) by Juliet Brooks. If you’ve ever worked a crappy office job with a terrible boss and also like fantasy, I can’t recommend this enough! In this contemporary fantasy comedy, the real world has recently learned that the supernatural exists. Miri (a human) has a soul-sucking finance job with a boss so awful that when she gets stuck in the Fae realm, his only response is that since they have Wi-Fi, he expects her to immediately start working remotely. Miri is bisexual, though that’s only part of her story as she flirts with a few Fae, but mostly tries to struggle through dealing with her job, depression, and finding a way home. It’s not all bad though—she still has her adorable cat, Doctor Kitten, with her! This is one of those books where a character’s sexuality simply is without being a major part of the plot–proof that queer people have bad days at work and terrible bosses just like everyone else! Despite Miri’s existential and work crisis, her attempts to navigate the Fae world and teach them about humanity makes for some hilarious situational comedy.

Cover of Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai

Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai is also a workplace romance, of sorts. A contemporary fantasy romance with xianxia inspirations, it tells the story of Elle, errant descendant of a Chinese god of medicine, and Luc, a half-elf assassin bound by his true name to an employer he’d like to give notice to. Elle uses her magic to create powerful glyphs, which brings Luc into her orbit. When romance blooms between them, things get complicated with Luc’s employer and the family Elle left behind—some of whom are out for revenge. Though they are a straight-presenting couple, Luc is bisexual and a significant queer relationship in his past factors heavily into his arc. A unique, beautifully written story of family, love, obligation, and sacrifice.

Cover of Sargassa by Sophie Burnham

Sargassa (Ex Romana, Book 1) by Sophie Burnham. What if the Roman Empire never fell, but continued to expand, even across the ocean? In this speculative novel set in the city of Sargassa, in a land we might call North America, the Roman Empire has been thriving for centuries. But when Selah Kleios inherits the role of Imperial Historian after her father’s assassination, she finds herself drawn into conspiracies, secrets, and the arms of her old flame, any one of which could undermine the Empire. Told from multiple points of view, the world of Ex Romana is brimming with queer characters. Some of them must hide their truths, while others embrace them, but everyone has something to learn about themselves, the privileges they may or may not have been taking for granted, and if the systems they’re living in are ones they still want to accept or not. The queerness of many of these characters is a large part of why they’re against the Empire’s status quo, though not the only reason, and it’s inspiring to read the story of so many who have been othered standing up to the system that wants to keep them down.

 

This, of course, is but a small taste of what’s out there for fantasy books with great queer representation. If you’re looking for more, here are some others I recommend checking out—including mine!

  • The Twice-Sold Soul by Katie Hallahan
  • The Twice-Wanted Witch by Katie Hallahan
  • The Memory Hunters by Mia Tsai
  • Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
  • Prince of Fortune by Lisa Tirreno
  • Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy
  • Swordcrossed by Freya Marske
Photo of Katie Hallahan Katie Hallahan is a fantasy author who loves tabletop RPGs, vampire TV shows, corgis, dabbling in nail art, and pumpkin spice everything. She has designed award-winning narrative adventure games at Phoenix Online Studios, an indie game studio she co-founded. She lives with her husband and son in Boston, Massachusetts where, shockingly, she actually uses her blinker when making turns. Katie is on Instagram, Bluesky, and Twitter at @katiehal16, on her website at katiehal.com.
Anticipated 2026 Speculative Fiction Book Releases
Jan
12
2026

Once again, I have scoured the internet for information on speculative fiction books coming out this year and compiled a list of works I wanted to highlight. After looking through book descriptions, early reviews, and any available excerpts, I’ve put together a list of 18 fantasy and science fiction books coming out in 2026 that sound particularly compelling to me. (Of course, some of these did not require research since I had already enjoyed previous books in the series or other work by the same author!)

As always, this is not a comprehensive list of speculative fiction books being released this year: it’s just those that sound most intriguing to me personally that are currently scheduled for publication in 2026. Like last year, most of these are fantasy, but one sixth are science fiction and one book is both fantasy and science fiction. All of these are adult books except for one young adult novel.

Given my interests, many of the books on this list are epic fantasy or SFF inspired by history and/or mythology, and there are some I added because they promised elements that particularly appeal to me like political intrigue, morally gray characters, dragons or other magical creatures, and libraries. I hope that those of you with similar tastes find something here that appeals to you as well!

The books I’m excited about this year are listed below, along with more information on them. They are ordered by scheduled publication date, and these are US release dates unless otherwise stated.

Due to the length of this blog post, I’m only showing the first 6 books on the main page. You can click the title of the post or the ‘more…’ link after the sixth book to read the entire article.

Cover images link to Bookshop. As a Bookshop affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Cover of The Poet Empress by Shen Tao
The Poet Empress by Shen Tao
Read an Excerpt
Release Date: January 20

Some early reviews convinced me that I must read this standalone epic fantasy novel since I kept seeing them mention elements like political intrigue, betrayal, and complicated characters that made it difficult to know how to feel about them.

Then I read this interview with Shen Tao on Publishers Weekly titled “If Poems Could Kill” and wanted to dive into it even more. When asked about how her story came to be, the author discussed how she found her way to it:

“I had a magic system and a world, but I still didn’t have a story. That came together through the heart-spirit poem, which is central to the plot. It’s a device where poetry gives you the power to kill somebody, but to do so, you first have to write a poem of love. The contradiction inherent within that led to the whole story.”

She also discussed her novel having some (very) loose inspiration from the Tang Dynasty of China, realizing she was writing a corruption arc, and the fact that though there might be aspects that appeal to romantasy readers, it’s not really a fantasy romance despite being published through Tor’s Bramble imprint. (Many of the early reviews I read also stressed that this was not the subgenre to expect.)

 

Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun.

Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves.

Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel, dissolute heir of the blood-gutted Azalea House—where poetry magic is power, but women are forbidden to read.

But in a twist of fate, the palace now stands on the knife-edge of civil war, with Wei trapped in its center. . . with a violent prince.

To save herself and the nation, she must survive the dangers of court, learn to read in secret, and compose the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of love. . . and death.

The Poet Empress is an epic fantasy that explores darker themes, subjects, and scenes that may not be suitable for all readers. Please see the author’s content note at the beginning of the book.


Cover of To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose
To Ride a Rising Storm (The Second Book of Nampeshiweisit) by Moniquill Blackgoose
Read an Excerpt from To Shape a Dragon’s Breath (Book One)
Release Date: January 27

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, the first book in this series set in a version of our world with historical differences and dragons, was one of my favorite books of 2023—so of course the next book is one of my most anticipated books of 2026! Here’s some of what I wrote about this book and why it was one of my favorites of the year:

It follows Anequs, a young indigenous woman who discovers a dragon egg and bonds with the first dragon her people have encountered in ages. After her hatchling accidentally injures someone when startled, Anequs decides it’s her duty to go to the dragon academy on the mainland and learn all she can about being bonded to a dragon and how to prevent it from hurting others. Here, Anequs is thrust into a new world filled with social rules that make no sense to her, but instead of following a more traditional fantasy of manners arc—that of attempting to fit in with these customs or flouting etiquette here and there while building toward rejecting these ways in the end—Anequs constantly calls them out, loudly, and it is a delight. I was actually surprised by just how much I enjoyed this novel considering I tend to prefer characters that have internal conflicts, but I found Anequs’ security in who she was and what she believes to be refreshing.

Moniquill Blackgoose also wrote a guest post on media representation (particularly indigenous representation) and creativity for Women in SF&F Month that year, shortly before her novel’s release.

 

A young indigenous woman and her dragon fight for the independence of their homeland in this epic sequel to the bestselling and multi-award-winning To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, “a remarkable novel that is bound to be a staple of fantasy shelves for years to come” (BuzzFeed).

Anequs has not only survived her first year at Kuiper’s Academy but exceeded her professors’ admittedly low expectations—and passed all her courses with honors. Now she and her dragon, Kasaqua, are headed home for the summer, along with Theod, the only other native student at the Academy.

But what should have been a relaxing break takes a darker turn. Thanks to Anequs’s notoriety, there is an Anglish presence on Masquapaug for the first time ever: a presence that Anequs hates. Anequs will always fight for what she believes in, however, and what she believes in is her people’s right to self-govern and live as they have for generations, without the restrictive yoke of Anglish rules and social customs. And fight she will—even if it means lighting a spark that may flare into civil war.


Cover of The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
Read an Excerpt
Release Date: February 24

According to the author’s website, The Red Winter is a “retelling of the history you think you know, with dark magic, dark humor, and the lore of the first werewolf.” This has been getting some excellent early reviews, and I have a particular fondness for stories that merge history with mythology/folklore—plus the emphasis on darkness and the inclusion of a “devastating love story” both appeal to me. (I love a good tragedy.)

 

A devastating love story. A bewitching twist on history. A blood-drenched hunt for purpose, power, and redemption.

In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears most: the terrible Beast of Gévaudan has returned, and the French countryside runs red in its wake.

Sebastian knows the Beast. A monster-slayer with centuries of experience, he joined the hunt for the creature twenty years ago and watched it slaughter its way through a long and bloody winter. Even with the help of his indwelling demon, Sarmodel – who takes payment in living hearts – it nearly cost him his life to bring the monster down.

Now, two decades later, Sebastian has been recalled to the hunt by Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne, an estranged lover who shares a dark history with the Beast and a terrible secret with Sebastian. Drawn by both the chance to finish the Beast for good and the promise of a reconciliation with Antoine, Sebastian cannot refuse.

But Gévaudan is not as he remembers it, and Sebastian’s unfinished business is everywhere he looks. Years of misery have driven the people to desperation, and France teeters on the edge of revolution. Sebastian’s arcane activities – not to mention his demonic counterpart – have also attracted the inquisitorial eye of the French clergy. And the Beast is poised to close his jaws around them all and plunge the continent into war.

Debut author Cameron Sullivan tears the heart out of history with this darkly entertaining retelling of the hunt for the Beast of Gévaudan. Lifting the veil on the hidden world behind our own, it reimagines the story of Europe, from Imperial Rome to Saint Jehanne d’Arc, the madness of Gilles de Rais and the first flickers of the French Revolution.


Cover of Green and Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons
Green and Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons
Read an Excerpt
Release Date: March 3

This standalone novel interests me in part because I enjoy dangerous forests and necromancy, but I think the main reason its description resonated with me was the part that says “History remembers it wrong.” Though not uncommon, I love stories with a good exploration of how historical accounts were changed or twisted.

 

For fans of S.A. Chakraborty, Robin Hobb, and Martha Wells’s Witch King, a page-turning standalone fantasy of necromancy and magical mayhem from Jenn Lyons, the acclaimed author of The Ruin of Kings.

Centuries ago, necromancy almost destroyed the world. That’s how history remembers it.

History remembers it wrong.

Mathaiik has trained all his life to join the sacred order of the Idallik Knights, charged with defending their world from the forces of necromancy. Only vestiges of that cursed magic remain, nothing like the fabled days of the Grim Lords, the undead wizards who once nearly destroyed the world.

But when an even stranger kind of monster begins to wake, the Knights quickly prove powerless to stop them. Whole forests are coming alive and devouring anyone so foolish as to trespass, as if the land itself has turned upon humanity.

It’s a good thing, then, that the Grim Lords were never truly destroyed. One of their number sleeps below the Knights’ very fortress. And when an army of twisted tree monsters attacks the young initiates in his charge, Math decides to do the unthinkable: he wakes her up.

This is only the beginning of his problems. Because said necromancer, Kaiataris, knows something history has forgotten. The threat of this wild magic is part of a cycle that has repeated countless times–life after death, chaos after order. And if she and Math can’t find a new way to balance the scales, this won’t just be the end of the world as they know it, but the end of all life, everywhere.


Cover of The Library of Amorlin by Kalyn Josephson
The Library of Amorlin (The Age of Beasts #1) by Kalyn Josephson
Release Date: March 3

The Library of Amorlin is one of those books that sounds like it could have been written just for me given that it features so many elements I love: spying and infiltration, a library, magical creatures, and romantic tension between the con artist and her target. The author comparisons had me a little hesitant about this one at first since neither of the two I’ve read were really my cup of tea, but I’m going to have to try this one regardless given its various features.

 

A brilliant con artist and a secretive librarian collide in New York Times bestselling author Kalyn Josephson’s enchanting adult fantasy debut packed with twists, tricks, slowburn romantic tension, and magical creatures — perfect for fans of S.A. MacLean, Mai Corland, and K.A. Linde.

Kasira used to be a masterful con artist: choosing her target, building trust, judging the precise moment to make her move. Now, she’s working off a lengthy prison sentence by hunting dangerous magical creatures on behalf of the fanatical kingdom of Kalthos.

But Kasira’s past catches up to her when the ambassador from Kalthos arrives at her camp with a deal: her freedom in exchange for infiltrating and destabilizing the magical institution meant to protect all six kingdoms—the Library of Amorlin.

When Kasira assumes the role of the new Assistant Librarian, she enters an enchanting world brimming with books and beasts, tempting her with a life she can never have. But Kasira’s real future depends on her long con to bring down the Librarian. Unfortunately, Allaster is as prickly as he is handsome, and his monstrous secrets are about to catch up with them both . . .


Cover of The Book of Fallen Leaves by A. S. Tamaki
The Book of Fallen Leaves (The Autumn Empire #1) by A. S. Tamaki
Release Date: March 17

A retelling of a Samurai saga sounded intriguing, but Nils Shukla’s wonderful review of The Book of Fallen Leaves on Fantasy Hive is the main reason this epic fantasy novel is on my list. She highlighted its inclusion of depth and philosophical reflection and wrote, “This was a book that very much embodied everything I love: characters with emotional complexity, a dark war torn world with myth and monsters, a story grand in scope.”

 

Shogun meets Game of Thrones in the blockbuster epic fantasy event of the year.  A. S. Tamaki weaves a powerful tale of ambition, vengeance and sacrifice in this masterful fantasy retelling of an ancient Samurai saga, packed with memorable characters, stunning worldbuilding and epic adventure.

Sen Hoshiakari is an exiled prince of a clan that lost everything in his father’s failed rebellion. Deprived of his birthright, Sen is determined to restore his family’s lands and honor at any cost.  Rui is a peasant girl who saved Sen’s life on the night his family were put to the sword. But now, she is adrift and unsure of her place in the world, not knowing that the gods themselves have plans for her …

As civil war throws the empire into chaos, and demons seek vengeance on the living, Sen and Rui must fight for both their clan and their shared future … But vengeance demands a bloody price.



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