Here are my most anticipated books for the first half of the year, in order of publication.
"Nightshade and Oak", by Molly O'Neill (pub February 3, 2026)
"The Fox and the Devil", by Kiersten White (pub March 10, 2026)
"Vile Lady Villains", by Danai Christopoulou (pub April 2, 2026)
"Princeweaver", by Elian J Morgan (pub April 16, 2026)
"The Moon Blessed King", by Lindsey Byrd (pub April 28, 2026)
"Andromeda", by E.S. McLeod (pub May 14, 2026)
2026 is coming! In no particular order, here are my favorite books of this year. Click on the covers to read my reviews!
Zaya expected to be the irresponsible youngest prince his whole life. But when his two older siblings are killed by an unidentified magician, he finds himself crowned king of Lushrain—the end of his liberty as he knows it. As part of his training, he’s sent to Heartwood for a month, the house of the sages high in the mountains. There, to his shock, the sages tell him he must learn about magic—which is illegal to practice, but has nonetheless been among Heartwood’s secret studies for centuries. They assign Col as his tutor, a charming young sage with unusually strong powers. Zaya abhors and distrusts magic, and Col absolutely doesn’t want the job of attempting to change the king’s mind. But in their lessons and debates, they grow closer and begin envisioning a future in which a sage and a king might make a harmonious couple. But the assassin still roams, seeking to hurt Zaya, and the budding love affair may be crushed by the secrets that Heartwood—and Col—have kept about this killer.
"It's sweet that you think I travel in polite society."
Molly Ringle's Sage and King is a charming romantasy novella that the author identifies as originally having been a BBC Merlin fanfiction. Having never watched the show, I don't know how much it captures the dynamic, but I can say that it stands well enough on its own, with a delightfully banter-y dual POV and many sweet moments between the main characters.
Their mutual attraction happens pretty much instantly, which is pretty normal given the length of the medium, but the author makes up for it with an intense focus on their honeymoon period and a deft handling of the many secrets threatening to end their relationship before it properly starts. The conflict, although it resolves pretty quickly, feels believable and the resolution earned.
The King's brother would have benefited from some more focus, to show how truly dangerous and disturbed he is; he feels very child-like in his moods, and the sudden addition of a terrible crime towards the end doesn't feel like it's handled very well.
The worldbuilding is basic but interesting, featuring a magic system based on plants. The book features many intriguing conversations on the topic as the sage instructs the king on the kind of magic they can do, and it doesn't feel like infodump, but like believable conversations.
Sage and King is a sweet treat.
✨ 3.5 stars
In a Britain fuelled by stories, the knight and the witch are fated to fall in love and doom each other over and over, the same tale retold over hundreds of lifetimes. Simran is a witch of the woods. Vina is a knight of the Queen's court. When the two women begin to fall for each other, how can they surrender to their desires, when to give in is to destroy each other?As they seek a way to break the cycle, a mysterious assassin begins targeting tales like theirs. To survive, the two will need to write a story stronger than the one that fate has given to them. But what tale is stronger than The Knight and the Witch?
"I’d rather break the world to fit you."
Tasha Suri's The Isle in the Silver Sea is an atmospheric tale about the importance of stories, also taking a firm stance against colonialism and monarchy and the erasure of diversity. This gorgeous sapphic standalone vividly paints an out-of-time Great Britain completely disconnected from the rest of the world, taking away the memories of whover comes to live there from over the sea. It's a powerful reflection on connection, racism, and revolution, and a compelling tale of reincarnation.
Incarnates are archetypes, but they're also complex characters with needs and wants and the desire to break free. Drawing on many known English tales and even Arthurian legend, Tasha Suri weaves a stunning tapestry of interconnected fates and creates a beatiful reflection on predestination and the choices we can make. Simran and Vina are fated to love each other and die for each other, but theirs is finally a choice to fight for each other and for freedom. The glimpes of past lives make this story greater, showing the magnitude of these unnatural cycles and their effect on the island.
The world-building is perfectly sculpted by the lush prose, detailling a kingdom that's stuck in the past and refuses to recognize change as a good thing. The supporting cast shines, especially the assassin's tragic figure. The pacing stumbles a bit in the second part, but it leads to a perfect finale.
The Isle in the Silver Sea is another masterpiece from a great author.
✨ 4.5 stars
Seventeen-year-old Adam has just broken up with his boyfriend Evan and is not looking forward to the excruciating awkwardness at school for the rest of term or a whole summer stuck at home with his dad, stepmom and baby brother, Benji.
But then Adam discovers a diary in some boxes in the attic and is quickly enthralled by their poignant story. They were written by a young woman living in Nagasaki in 1911. Adam is enraptured by her life and loves, becoming totally absorbed in her story. And then he starts to be haunted by her ghostly presence...
Clara Kumagai's Songs for Ghosts is a lovely YA exploration of grief, war, and self-discovery, equal parts chilling ghost story, retelling of the orientalist classic Madama Butterfly, and history lesson. Through the dual narrative - in the modern day, a biracial gay teen finds the diary of a young woman living in Nagasaki at the start of the century - we explore issues of consent, war crimes, and the intricacies of family. The tragic protagonist of Puccini's opera is given depth, a rich inner life, and a somewhat gentler fate that also ends up emboding the very fabric of Japan's tragedy. Her section is filled with old tales and references, effortlessly drawing from Japan's history and folklore. Adam's section mirrors and compliments hers well, though his problems may seem smaller in comparison; throughout the narrative loom very real ghostly presences. The soft ending brings a sense of closure.
✨ 4 stars
Ella is a haunting. Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters. Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits. She cannot be seen or heard by the living people who surround her. Her family must never learn she is able to leave. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died.
Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched. You think you know Ella's story: the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince. You're halfway right, and all-the-way wrong.
"Some angers, you can never get rid of."
Freya Marske's Cinder House is a lush Cinderella retelling with a twist. We follow the ghost of Ella as she becomes one with the house she lived and died in, tests the boundaries of her haunting, and reckons with the abuse bestowed upon her by her stepmother and stepsisters. The short format makes for a compact novella, where every word has weight. The unusual premise allows the author to write some very interesting turns of phrase, penning the language of Ella's awakening queer desire with references to her being not only a person, but a house too. Every part of the house can manifest her feelings, and it reads oddly at first, but then it works perfectly.
Ella is angry, but she hungers too. It really is a perfect methaphor, and Marske explores it deftly. As Ella manages to marginally escape the constraints of the house, so begins her exploration of the city and herself. She looks at men and women both, and finds academic satisfaction in a pen friend who answers all her questions about ghosts. At the same time, she sates her hunger by watching ballet after ballet and enjoying both the performances and the attendants. Things come to a head, and all her worlds crash, when the Prince calls for a ball.
Marske combines what we know of the story with a new take and the exploration of the beginnings of an unconventional polyamorous relationship, working under the constraints of terrible magic. It is a queer tale, but not pretty or easy; it pushes boundaries, and it isn't interested in holding anyone's hand.
Cinder House is a profoundly creative novella.
✨ 4 stars
Don't make waves, don't get attached, and never let anyone see the tattoos. Those rules have kept Tory Arknett alive, alone, and on the run for years in a country eager to put his healing hands to the work of war. When a desperate display of magic outs him to the authorities, Tory flees—right into the hands of cold and competent Sena Vantaras. Caged in a cruel training facility and threatened with placement on the front lines of a brutal war, Tory needs to get out before he gets dead. There’s just one thing to do before he goes: make Sena pay.
But when a mission strands them in enemy territory, they'll have to work together to survive. As they learn more about each other and the myth behind the magic that connects them, Tory and Sena find belonging with each other. But the trackers the facility has implanted in them will kill them in three days if they don't go back. Soon, Tory and Sena face a desperate decision: their freedom, or their lives?
"Some stories are like that. Someone has to die."
Jules Arbeaux's Cage of Starlight is a simple standalone adventure, dealing with a young asexual man, his struggle for freedom, and the lieutenant who's tasked with his training. In a world where their kind of magic is reviled but still used by some, and revered by others, the two fight against systemic slavery and try to carve their own path while coming to care for each other. The development is very fast, though, and the emotional beats don't pay off because we didn't have near enough time to get attached. Sena is an intriguing character, but a bit underdeveloped.
The worldbuilding, while interesting, is all over the place too, with long bouts of infodumping that feel disconnected. The magic system was unique, but the strongest aspect of the book were its twists and turns and the attention given to the supporting cast.
Cage of Starlight has a fantastic premise.
✨ 3 stars
Cracks are forming in the empire’s facade. In the wake of startling revelations and personal betrayals, Tair finds herself the Iveroa Stone's new custodian as she embarks on a battle for Luxana's streets. As the fallout of the fighting pit massacre leads to a rise in legionary crackdowns and vigilante justice, Tair is determined to find a better path forward for Sargassa’s future. Up in the Imperial Archives, meanwhile, Selah tries to make sense of her family’s tangled history within the Imperium's shadowed beginnings.
Elsewhere, in the far-flung reaches of Roma Sargassa's badlands, Arran and Theo undertake a covert mission for the Revenants, one that could tip the scales between victory and defeat in Griff's upcoming war. But long-laid plans and careful maneuvering are nothing compared to the forces of nature, and Sargassa's future might just be determined by the coming storm.
"No one is nothing. No one exists alone."
Sophie Burnham's Bloodtide doesn't suffer from second book syndrome as it continues the excellent series that started with Sargassa (HERE you can find my review). It may stumble a bit in the execution in the very first quarter, as it juggles many moving pieces and experiments with different formats to account for the seismic revelation from the first book, but once it finds its footing, it's an ambitious rollercoaster from start to finish, digging deeper into issues of slavery, class, and the circle of violence, but also into the resiliency of human nature. The twists keep coming, too, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat or laughing in delight. Predictably, it ends with a cliffhanger, but the stage is perfectly set for what promises to be an epic conclusion.
The worldbuilding expands to explore more of Sargassa, showing the ruins of a time long past. It's delightful to catch on to the references, or sheepishly realize what they were long after reading them. The city is further explored, too, with more focus on the struggles of the servae as the entire community reckons with a perfect storm that lasts days.
The character work is excellent. Everyone must reckon with terrible truths and with the shocking revelation from the first book, everyone grows and changes and matures. Selah is the definite highlight, on a journey to a paradigm shift and the realization that the system was rigged from the start. Even if she was already sympathetic, here she really takes charge and faces her preconceptions. Her relationship with Tair, so fraught after the first book, is given time to breathe, offering no quick solution, but taking most of the book to bring the both of them to the correct mindspace. The revolution's coming, after all, and they're all very busy.
The other PoV characters are given their time to shine, of course. Maybe Theo remains the more static, but they still get some very interesting moments dealing with their gender identity. Arran gets more to do, and the focus is of course on his dual status that puts him at the edge of society, never really fitting in. Darius was the most surprising; a character that was really hateful in the first book, here he gets some moments that really challenge his worldview, and I get the feeling his will be an interesting journey.
Bloodtide lives up to the hype and raises the bar.
✨ 4.5 stars
In the absence of both memory and writing is music. In a world where the past is a mystery, each new day feels the same as the last, and before is blasphemy, all appears lost. But Simon Wythern, a young man who arrives in London seeking the truth about what really happened to his parents, discovers he has a gift that could change all of this forever.
“Some memories tell us about who we are.”
Anna Smaill's The Chimes is a dystopian YA set in an imagined London where the written word has been forbidden and destroyed and memories don't survive the night. It's a very atmospheric piece of writing, a bit longer than a novella, a love letter to the power of music and the importance of memories. The beautiful first half gives way to a more fast-paced second half as the revolution strikes and young orphan Simon falls in love with a freedom fighter. It's a lovely queer tale from a time (merely a decade ago) when it was still difficult to find anything like it for queer youth.
✨ 4 stars
Luca is the new queen of Balladaire. Her empire is already splintering in her hands. Her uncle wasn’t the only traitor in the court, and the Withering will decimate her people if she can’t unearth Balladaire’s magic. The only person who can help her wants the only thing Luca won’t give—the end of the monarchy.
Touraine is Luca’s general. She has everything she ever wanted. While Luca looks within Balladaire’s borders, Touraine looks outward—the alliance with Qazal is brittle and Balladaire’s neighbors are ready to pounce on its new weakness. When the army comes, led by none other than Touraine’s old lover, Touraine must face the truth about herself—and the empire she once called home.
"Trust is a choice."
C.L. Clark's The Sovereign is the excellent conclusion to the Magic of the Lost series (HERE's my review of the second book), a vividly painted tale of love and betrayal that reckons with issues of colonialism and imperialism in a lush world filled with lost magic. Touraine and Luca must reckon with their choices and with their respective duties - to their lands, to their families, to their loves. It's a strong novel, filled with impossible choices, heartbreaking and brutal, but love permeates every step of the way.
The character work is exquisite. The love between Touraine and Luca never wawers, but it's put to the test more than once. As their world comes crumbling down with magical desease, war, and revolution, they stay at the center, dealing with the crisis while trying to navigate their relationship and what it means for their lives and their goals. The tension works because they are often at odds with each other, and the complex duties and loyalties make this book shine. The book careens towards a quiet ending after a mad roller coaster of emotions, and it feels inevitable and perfect.
It's a book filled with loss and grief. With so many characters and a war looming, it doesn't feel like a spoiler to say that not everyone comes out unscathed. And every character has their moment to shine; from the deadly courtesan Sabine, to Touraine's previous lover, to the girl that will end up a symbol of the revolution, every character is lovingly rendered and perfectly understandable in their motivations. Others, old and new, are not mere faces, but each of them expertly written.
The worldbuilding expands, exploring another conquered land, its people and their magic; and Touraine's own people and magic, and Luca's Empire and its lost magic. The book manages to give answers and new questions and paint a well-contained secondary world, maybe not especially creative but expertly crafted.
The Sovereign is an incredible conclusion.
✨ 5 stars