Hoohoo, friends of the blade!
We’re nearing 2026 in big steps now, there’s only December left of this year. I don’t know about you, but I’m trying to get a lot of reading done until the year’s end and before the next one starts with amazing new releases! There are quite a few of my favourite authors who have new books and release dates, some books I’m hoping will be published in 2026, some we don’t have a cover or synopsis yet… but I’m very hyped for everything that’s coming! What books are you most looking forward to release in 2026?
What do the symbols mean?
⚔️= fantasy ♥️= romance 🏳️🌈=queer 🏛️=historical 🌟=science fiction
JANUARY
The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi (06.01.)
⚔️♥️
Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.
Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris’s parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.
Until he meets Demelza.
As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.
While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.
Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez (13.01.)
🏛️⚔️♥️
In 15th-century Volterra, sculptress Ravenna Maffei enters a competition hosted by a secretive, immortal family who offer an invaluable boon to the victor. Desperate to win so she can save her brother, Ravenna reveals a rare magical talent-a dangerous act in a city where magic is forbidden. Her revelation makes her a target, and she is kidnapped by the Luni family and taken to Florence, a city of breathtaking beauty and cutthroat ambition.
There, Ravenna is forced into an impossible task where failure means certain death at the hands of Saturnino dei Luni, the family’s enigmatic and merciless heir. But under his cold reserve hides a vulnerability that draws her closer than she ever intended.
Meanwhile, Ravenna’s forbidden magic does not go unnoticed. The Pope, waging war against Florence, the Medici, and magic itself, has his own interest in her abilities, seeing her as a potential weapon in his ruthless campaign.
As alliances shift and war brews on the horizon, Ravenna must navigate the treacherous line between survival and betrayal, between love and duty. With time running out and her every move watched, the choices she makes will determine the fate of not just her own life, but the fragile balance of magic and power that could unravel Florence itself.
The Poet Empress by Shen Tao (20.01.)
⚔️
In the waning years of the Azalea Dynasty, the emperor is dying, the land consumed by famine, and poetry magic lost to all except the powerful.
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 heir of the beautiful and brutal Azalea House.
But in a twist of fate, the palace stands on the knife-edge of civil war with Wei trapped in its center…at the side of a violent prince.
To survive, Wei must harden her heart, rely on her wit, and become dangerous herself. Even if it means becoming a poet in a world where women are forbidden to read—and composing the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of death…and love.
Fruit of the Flesh by I.V. Ophelia (20.01.)
🏛️♥️
In early 1900s New York, former ballerina Petronille De Villier makes an unconventional choice: Marry struggling sculptor Arkady Kamenev. For her, it’s an escape from her family’s unsavory legacy. For him, the De Villier name promises the patronage his art desperately needs. It should be a simple arrangement.
But beneath their marriage of convenience lurks a darker recognition. In each other, they see a reflection of their own dangerous appetites. As buried secrets surface and bodies begin disappearing, Petronille and Arkady discover their union runs deeper than social advantage. Their shared obsessions draw them into an intoxicating dance of predator and prey, though it’s never quite clear who is which.
Bound by law, God, and blood, they must decide if their monstrous natures will tear them apart or forge them into something terribly wonderful together. In a world where nothing is quite what it seems, two creatures of shadow learn that true love requires a taste for the macabre.
The Wolf and the Crown of Blood by Elizabeth May (27.01.)
⚔️♥️
Bryony Devaliant was born to die — again and again. In Vartena, royal blood is the currency of peace, with every monarch sacrificed and resurrected to appease the gods. But when rebellion stirs, the god-king sends his deadliest weapon to restore order: an immortal assassin known only as the Wolf.
Evander has perfected the art of killing over centuries — until his latest target becomes the one person he cannot destroy. When forbidden desire burns between the assassin and the sacrificial princess, their connection threatens the fragile boundary between gods and mortals. And when that boundary shatters, empires crumble. Because when gods fall in love with mortals, mortals are always the ones to break.
FEBRUARY
Bittersweet by Mounia Jayawanth (02.02.)
Purple Clouds #3
♥️
Linh Nguyen kann es kaum fassen, als ihr kleiner, unscheinbarer Fan-Account über das berühmte »Purple Clouds Comic« ihr einen Job als neue Story Writerin in eben jenem Magazin verschafft. Doch die Freude währt nicht lang, denn Xander, der Illustrator des Comics, ist alles andere als begeistert, mit der Person zusammenzuarbeiten, die seit Monaten seine Arbeit öffentlich kritisiert. Der Konflikt ist vorprogrammiert, aber als das Comic kurz vor dem Aus steht, müssen sie sich zusammenzuraufen. Und plötzlich fliegen statt der Fetzen heiße Funken. Als Linh dann auch noch von Xanders großem Geheimnis erfährt, steht nicht nur das Comic auf dem Spiel, sondern auch ihr Herz.
The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin (17.02.)
⚔️♥️
Nestled deep in the snowy mountains of the Lost Range, the small village of Reverie endures on a miracle. Beyond the reach of the Sun, Reverie is dependent upon the magic of the mysterious Starmaker: every morning, he trudges across a vast glacier and pulls in sunlight over the peaks, providing the village with the light it needs to survive.
Aurora Finch grew up on tales of the Starmaker’s magic, never imagining she’d one day meet him. But on the morning of her wedding, a fateful encounter in the frostbitten woods changes everything. The Starmaker senses a powerful magic within her and demands she come study under his guidance. With her newfound abilities tied to the survival of the village, Aurora is swept away to his ice-covered castle at the mountain’s peak.
The Starmaker is as cold and distant as the dark woods, leaving Aurora to explore his enchanted castle with only an immortal rabbit for company. Yet the more she discovers about the sorcerer, the stronger their ruinous attraction grows, pulling her closer to the secrets he refuses to share. A deadly frost approaches, and Aurora must uncover what the Starmaker is hiding before she is left in an endless winter that even the Sun cannot touch.
Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi (24.02.)
🏛️
Your historians call me seductress, but I was always in love’s thrall.
Your playwrights speak of my witchcraft, but I was gifted my talents by the gods.
Your poets sing of my blood-lust, but I was protecting my children.
They cannot credit that a mere woman could be powerful, strategic, divinely blessed to rule.
Death will silence me no longer.
This is not the story of how I died. But how I lived.
MARCH
Sound of Dreams by Anabelle Stehl (02.03)
Novel Haven #3
♥️
Arias Herz schlägt für die Musik. Tagsüber arbeitet sie als Pixel Artist, nachts streamt sie ihre eigenen Songs auf Twitch. Doch sie will mehr, nämlich den Soundtrack zu Novel Haven, dem Cosy Game ihres Studios, komponieren. Ihre Chance ist gekommen, als sie den Auftrag erhält, die Tonaufnahmen von besagtem Spiel zu begleiten. Ihr Plan: heimlich das professionelle Equipment für ihre Arbeit nutzen. Doch da kommt ihr der charismatische Voice-Actor, der das Spiel einsprechen soll, in die Quere. Als Aria das Tonstudio nach Feierabend betritt, ist er bereits da. Und was sie hört, klingt ganz und gar nicht jugendfrei. Denn Felix hat ein Geheimnis, doch es ist längst nicht das dunkelste, das er Aria verschwiegen hat …
The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White
🏳️🌈♥️⚔️
Anneke hs a complicated relationship with her father, Abraham Van Helsing—doctor, scientist, and madman devoted to studying vampires—up until the night she comes home to find him murdered, with a surreally beautiful woman looming over his body. A woman who leaves no trace behind, other than the dreams and nightmares that plague Anneke every night.
Spurred by her desire for vengeance and armed with the latest in forensic and investigatory techniques, Anneke puts together a team of detectives to catch her mysterious serial killer. Because her father isn’t the only inexplicably dead body. There’s a trail of victims across Europe and Anneke is certain they’re all connected.
But during the years spent relentlessly hunting the killer, Anneke keeps some crucial evidence to infuriatingly coy letters, addressed only to Anneke, occasionally soaked in blood, and always signed Diavola. Devil. The obsession is mutual, and all the more dangerous for it.
The closer Anneke gets to her devil, though, the less sense the world makes. Maybe her father wasn’t a madman, after all. Diavola might be something much worse than a serial killer . . . and much harder to destroy. Because as Anneke unearths more of Diavola’s tragic past, she suspects there’s still a heart somewhere in that undead body.
A heart that beats for Anneke alone.
Brighter Than Nine by June C.L. Tan (10.03.)
Darker by Four #2
🏳️🌈♥️⚔️
The world has moved on. With the missing death god restored to the underworld, it appears that equilibrium has been regained. But the Nothing continues to threaten the underworld – and the mortal realm.
Trapped in Hell, Zizi fights the takeover of his soul by Four’s. As he begins to access Four’s memories, he discovers a tragic love story that could be the key to keeping the mortal realm safe. Now, Zizi must defy his fate and escape Hell once more.
On the surface, Rui’s life has changed as she is hailed a hero by the Exorcist Guild. But she soon discovers the spell Zizi was forced to create is transforming innocent humans into vicious Hybrid Revenants. With the help of the other cadets, she vows to stop them.
Now magicless, Yiran watches, hungrier than ever, until he begins a dangerous dalliance with Yuki, hoping the Hybrid will recover Yiran’s magic. And when he discovers a dark family secret, he must decide what he stands for – before it’s too late.
Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui (24.03.)
🏛️⚔️
The Portuguese flag has been planted across Morocco, its empire ruling with an iron fist. But eventually, all empires must fall.
Aicha, the daughter of a Moroccan freedom-fighter, was born for battle. She has witnessed the death of her people, their starvation and torture at the hands of the occupiers, and it has awakened an anger within her. An anger that burns hot and bright, and speaks to Aicha’s soul.
Only Aicha’s secret lover Rachid, a rebellion leader, knows how to soothe her. But as the fight for Morocco’s freedom reaches its violent climax, the creature that simmers beneath Aicha’s skin begs to be unleashed. It hungers for the screams of those who have caused her pain, and it will not be ignored.
The Iced Caramel Coffee Agreement by Kyra Groh (26.03.)
Lower Whilby #2
♥️
Hilfsbereit, zuverlässig und eine tolle Freundin – so wird Eleanore von ganz Lower Whilby beschrieben. Aber auch wenn sie ihr Leben in ihrer gemütlichen Heimatstadt liebt, hat Eleanore ihren Ruf als braver Sonnenschein langsam satt. Alles ändert sich, als Dex in der Kleinstadt auftaucht. Der charismatische Musiker, für den sie seit Jahren heimlich schwärmt, ist verbittert, kreativ ausgebrannt und auf der Flucht vor dem Ruhm seiner berühmten Familie. Eleanore erkennt die Chance für sie beide und schlägt ihm einen Deal Sie hilft ihm, wieder er selbst zu werden, und er zeigt ihr, wie man mutiger lebt.
Zwischen Festivalvorbereitungen, Mutproben und Iced Coffee am See entdecken sie, dass ihre Unterschiede sie nur noch näher zusammenbringen. Doch ist Eleanore bereit, ihr Herz an jemanden zu verlieren, für den ihre Welt immer zu klein sein wird?
APRIL
Vile Lady Villains by Danai Christopoulou (02.04.)
🏛️⚔️🏳️🌈
With the consequences of her murderous actions closing in, Lady Macbeth turns to the three witches for help. She’s given a brew that transports her to an unknown realm. Desperately lost, she opens a door and comes face to face with a beautiful woman drenched in blood.
Klytemnestra, Queen of Mycenae, is exacting bloody vengeance on her husband. Yet as she revels in her triumph, an otherworldly door appears and a strange woman steps in. Thinking this stranger a spirit, she chases Lady Macbeth into the realm of stories.
Hunted by screaming wraiths into worlds that are hell bent on their demise, this murderous pair are forced to form an alliance or perish. Yet the realm’s goddess, The Mistress of the House of Books, claims to hold the key to saving them. But can they trust this ancient goddess?
Happy Ending by Chloe Liese (14.04.)
♥️
Thea and Alex have three things in common—they love food, they hate where they live, and they’re both divorced. Otherwise, they couldn’t be more different.
Thea’s never cooked a day in her life. Alex is a world-class chef. Alex resents feeling stuck in his hometown. Thea resents the town for not feeling more like home. Thea and her ex are in a contentious custody battle for their dog. Alex and his ex amicably coparent their daughter. Beyond a few friends in common, a couple small-world connections (welcome to life in a mid-size city), their lives look nothing alike. Fast forward two years, and they’re truly the best of friends. No one would ever know their friendship began as a lie…
Two years ago, their exes got together immediately following their divorces, and somehow, Thea and Alex found themselves spinning a spite-fueled story about being old friends and first loves. Two years later, what began as a ruse has grown into real friendship—just friendship, despite what friends and family seem to think. But when their exes invite them on a two-week, “two family” beach vacation—daughter and dog included—Alex and Thea start to wonder if this story they’ve spun might have gotten away from them, and if it’s led them to the last place they ever thought it could: a happy ending.
MAY
She Knows All the Names by Michelle Jabès Corpora (05.05.)
Throne of Khetara #2
⚔️
*no synopsis yet*
The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee (05.05)
🌟
Isako is a legendary swordswoman, but every legend has to come to an end. When her long-time client unexpectedly retires, she plans to follow-to walk out into the frozen wasteland of their planet with her head held high and her family enriched by her legacy. But when a competitor offers her a final mission, it’s one she can’t refuse. Soon, she’s thrust deep into a world of corporate espionage, duty-bound duels, and shadowy secrets. What she uncovers will change humanity’s existence in the stars forever.
The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty (19.05.)
Amina al-Sirafi #2
🏛️⚔️
Amina al-Sirafi thinks she’s struck gold. Tasked with hunting down magical artifacts for the council of immortal peris, she can savour the occasional adventure on the high seas with her cherished criminal companions while still returning home to raise her beloved daughter.
But when Raksh, the spirit of discord with whom she is reluctantly wed, provokes the council’s wrath, Amina is charged with a seemingly impossible quest: steal a spindle capable of rewriting fate from a mysterious sorceress on an island no one can escape.
Forced to leave her daughter, Amina finds her mission almost immediately thrown into peril. But deadly storms, an erratic poison mistress, and old enemies are the least of her worries. For the peris’ story is unravelling, hinting at a far deadlier game whose rules Amina must swiftly puzzle out. A game that sets her against an adversary more cunning and powerful than she has ever faced.
A game that not everyone on her crew wants her to win.
Behind Five Willows by June Hur (19.05.)
🏛️♥️
As the dutiful second-eldest daughter of a poor family, society would have Haewon believe that her only hope of a decent life is to marry well. But during a time of rampant government censorship and book banning, she instead works as an illegal book transcriber in order to make a little extra money. It’s dangerous work, but she loves it―especially when she gets to transcribe the work of her favorite author, known as Black Lotus.
When her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman, Haewon is roped into chaperoning them during their courtship. Which wouldn’t be so terrible… if it weren’t for the young man’s uptight and annoying best friend who also accompanies them.
As the only son of a noble, Seojun has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status. Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities such as reading fiction. But Seojun loves to do something even more scandalous: writing. He’s kept his work secret from his father and friends, but with each passing day, the pressure of being his father’s son and the dispiriting actions of the government make Seojun question the purpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging letters he receives from his transcriber, known only as Magpie.
When his best friend falls hard for a girl of lower social status, Seojun finds himself forced to act as chaperone to the infatuated couple―along with the girl’s younger sister, who is as irritating as she is judgmental. But as Haewon and Seojun spend more time together, they begin to suspect they may have judged each other too quickly…
Boy Friends by Kai Spellmeier (21.05.)
🏳️🌈♥️
Luca has secretly been in love with his best friend Simo for as long as he can remember. But when an anonymous message on the town noticeboard announces that SIMO AND LUCA ARE IN LOVE, the two boys are forced to confront their true feelings for one another.
JUNE
The Hyacinth Labyrinth by Jamie Pacton (02.06.)
🏳️🌈♥️⚔️
All Magic Begins in Stories. That’s what Fae princess Hyacinth has always been told. As the unmagical daughter of Queen Mab, Hyacinth has never fit in at her mother’s court. She hopes that if she can learn more about her father, who disappeared fifteen years ago, maybe she can finally learn more about herself, too.
When Hyacinth and her friend Chloe—a human stable hand trapped in Fae—sneak off to a riverside market, Hyacinth discovers a magical book sent to her by her father. Through the book, he reveals that he’s trapped inside a library at the heart of a treacherous labyrinth.
With the help of Chloe and a tiny dragon named Coffee, the two friends defy Queen Mab’s orders and set off into the wilds of the Moonshadow Kingdom. Along the way they face bandits, magical creatures, a centuries-old human who has traded all his stories to the Fae, as well as their own growing feelings for each other. Neither is prepared for what awaits at the center of the labyrinth, sweeping them into a story that’s more perilous than they ever imagined.
The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston (23.06.)
*no synopsis yet*
JULY
Heartstopper Vol. 6 by Alice Oseman (02.07.)
no cover or synopsis yet
SEPTEMBER
Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo
Alex Stern #3
*no exact release date, cover nor synopsis yet*
MIGHT BE PUBLISHED IN 2026 (pls)
*no release date, cover nor synopsis yet*
- Bone Season #6 by Samantha Shannon
- The Broken Cage by Nora Sakavic (All for the Game #6)
- Victorious by V.E. Schwab (Villains #3)
These are the 2026 book releases I’m most excited for. Which ones do you look forward to the most? Is there anything I missed that I should really have on my radar?
Until next time,
